KCTS Television is producing 20 new programs for the third season of "Bill Nye the Science Guy." The series, which has received an enthusiastic public response, will continue to be on PBS stations during the week and syndicated to commercial stations on weekends. The twenty topics for Season range from earth science, to physical science, to life science, to technology and include programs on such diverse subjects as spiders, time, life cycles, inventions, flowers, architecture, computers, probability, invertebrates, and forensics. Outreach activities for the third season are designed an emphasis on reaching out to new audiences, especially girls and children of color. The Season III outreach components consist of: o "The Big News of Science" - a newsletter distributed through youth serving organizations as well as being mailed directly to viewers at home o An at-home science kit - an easy to use kit that enables children and their families to perform science experiments together at home. Two-thirds of the kits to be distributed directly to youth and one-third will be distributed to children participating in afterschool and community programs. o Teacher's Kit - to be distributed to fourth grade teachers nationwide. o Special appearances - As Bill Nye's schedule permits, he will present a live, traveling science demonstration show in selected urban communities. The programs will be based at science museums, community centers, or similar venues and will include an explanation about the science content of the series, and demonstrations of science experiments where children are invited to participate. o A PBS station outreach kit - This material will provide PBS outreach and education staff with programs, tips for developing local science outreach projects, and a list of informal science resources. The staffing for Season III will remain basically the same as it has been for Seasons I and II. Bill Nye will remain as Chief Writer and Host, Elizabeth Brock will continue as Executive Producer, and James McKenna and Erren Gottlieb will remain the series producers.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Elizabeth BrockJames McKennaErren GottliebWilliam Nye
The project is based upon the established Math, Science, and Beyond (MSB) program which consists of a series of evening family science workshops (with curriculum materials developed for classroom settings) in which students and parents explore science and mathematics together through exciting, hands-on activities. Units for each grade level (K-6) focus on physical, earth, and life science. The MSB informal science project will adapt materials and bring the program to informal learning settings - 25 Boys and Girls Clubs of California, and 25 California Department of Parks and Recreation sites. These clubs will receive training, materials, and support to operate Science Clubs (after school MSB sessions), Science Camps (summer, off-track and Spring/Winter Break, week-long MSB sessions), and Science Explorers Family Workshops (1-2 hour sessions for elementary school students and their parents). In addition to the Boys and Girls Clubs, and the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the California Science Implementation Network is a key collaborator on the project.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Mary CavanaghEleanore TopolovacM. SusanJoseph Keating
NASA cloud observation project. Ground observation reports are compared to cloud information retrieved from satellite instruments in Earth orbit. Learn how to make and report a cloud observation at the time of a satellite overpass. Observations welcome from any interested observers, especially in places where official weather observations are rare. Get satellite overpass times, learn about making observations, report an observation, and explore the database of reported observations (which includes corresponding satellite data once they are available).
MY NASA DATA attempts to make NASA satellite data about the Earth available in a form that is accessible to the public through a standard web browser. For citizen scientists, the project has identified a number of science project ideas which tie local observations to the larger context and history available from satellite data. A mentor network is also available for relevant questions, and people with expertise are welcome to join it. We welcome reports of interesting projects carried out by citizen scientists using this resource.
AMC's Mountain Watch is a citizen scientist monitoring program whereby hikers monitor and report the timing of alpine and mountain forest flowers bud break and flowering and document air quality from mountain vistas. Mountain Watch plant observations will aid researchers in understanding how and by what magnitude the biota on the mountains are responding to observed statistical changes in climate variables like temperature and snowmelt.
LiMPETS (Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students) is an environmental monitoring and education program for students, educators, and volunteer groups throughout California. Approximately 3,500 teachers and students along the coast of California are collecting rocky intertidal and sandy beach data as part of the LiMPETS network. Join us—learn the process of science and help to protect our local marine ecosystems.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Claire FacklerUniversity of California Santa BarbaraFarallones Marine Sanctuary AssocationUniversity of California Santa CruzMonterey Bay National Marine SanctuaryChannel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
Each year, more than 200 volunteers donate over 7,000 hours of their time, skills, and enthusiasm to reach Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary's goals in environmental education, scientific research, and the protection of the vulnerable wetland ecosystem. This is the equivalent of a $100,000 donation. These volunteers have a variety of backgrounds---teachers, librarians, construction workers, chemists, college and high school students, and yes, some are even professional wetland ecologists! What they have in common is an interest in nature, pleasure in being outdoors, and a desire to explore the ecology of natural habitats such as wetlands and forests. At the Sanctuary, they collect water samples . . . clear trails . . . weigh turtles . . . guide visitors on nature walks . . . draw maps . . . lead canoe trips . . . make posters . . . seine for fish . . . host the Visitor Center on weekends . . . and so much more!
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Jug Bay Wetlands SanctuaryFriends of Jug BayChesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve SystemLindsay Hollister
H2O Chelsea is a community-based water research and surveillance program developed collaboratively by the Municipality of Chelsea, the University of Ottawa’s Institute of the Environment and Action Chelsea for the Respect of the Environment (ACRE). The goal of the program is to develop a better understanding of ground and surface water resources in Chelsea that will inform municipal planning and management decisions. The project is volunteer-driven, relying on the commitment of over 70 local residents, municipal employees and professors and students from the University of Ottawa.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Municipality of ChelseaUniversity of OttawaAction Chelsea for the Respect of the Environment (ACRE)Isabelle Pitre
The Great World Wide Starcount is a Windows to the Universe international citizen-science event that encourages everyone, astronomers and non-astronomers alike, to measure their local light pollution and report their observations online. The Great World Wide Star Count, part of the Dark Skies Awareness cornerstone project for the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, raises awareness about light pollution as well as encourages learning in astronomy. No prior experience is necessary and the downloadable activity guide is available in eight different languages on the Web site.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
University Corporation for Atmospheric ResearchSandra Henderson
Galaxy Zoo invites the public to help us explore the Universe by classifying galaxies according to their shape. Galaxy Zoo has already produced ten published or submitted research projects, and we've been successful in getting some of the world's largest telescopes - including Hubble - to follow up on unusual objects identified by Galaxy Zoo users. The site also has an active forum and blog for discussing the project and citizen science in general.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Citizen Science AllianceChris Lintott
Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences (COSIA) is an innovative project that creates unique partnerships between informal science education institutions and local colleges conducting research in ocean sciences, with an emphasis on earth, biological and geochemical sciences. The project enables over 100 undergraduate and graduate students that are enrolled in the Communicating Ocean Sciences college course to create engaging learning activities and teaching kits in conjunction with their informal education partners. Institutional teams include: Long Beach Aquarium and California State University-Long Beach; Hatfield Marine Science Center and Oregon Sea Grant at Oregon State University; Virginia Aquarium and Science Center and Hampton University; Liberty Science Center and Rutgers University; and Lawrence Hall of Science and University of California-Berkeley. Students learn valuable outreach skills by providing visiting families and children with classes, guided tours and interactive learning experiences. Deliverables include a three-day partner workshop, a series of COSIA Handbooks (Collaboration Guide, Informal Education Guide and Outreach Guide), an Informal Science Education Activities Manual and Web Bank of hands-on activities. Strategic impact will be realized through the creation of partnerships between universities and informal science education institutions and capacity building that will occur as informal science institutions create networks to support the project. It is also anticipated the evaluation outcomes will inform the field abut the benefits of museum and university partnerships. The project will impact more than 30,000 elementary and middle school children and their families, as well as faculty, staff and students at the partnering institutions.