The Little Moe MTV & Popsicle Stick Bridges

Seminole Ridge SECME: (l to r) Edwin Keo, Ryan Hamilton, and Yiro Shimabukuro

Seminole SECME meeting minutes for September 29, 2010
Meeting called to order at 3 PM by Captain R. Hamilton.

President Obama Announces Goal of Recruiting 10,000 STEM Teachers Over the Next Two Years

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release September 27, 2010

President Obama Announces Goal of Recruiting 10,000 STEM Teachers Over the Next Two Years

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, President Barack Obama announced a new goal of recruiting 10,000 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) teachers over the next two years. This announcement will move the country forward on the Obama Administration’s ambitious goal of preparing 100,000 STEM teachers over the next decade.

Statement by President Obama: “When I came into office, I set a goal of moving our nation from the middle to the top of the pack in math and science education. Strengthening STEM education is vital to preparing our students to compete in the 21st century economy and we need to recruit and train math and science teachers to support our nation’s students.”

As America’s students lag in math and science when compared to peers around the world, President Obama has made improving STEM education one of his top priorities. President Obama has identified three overarching priorities for STEM education, necessary for laying a new foundation for America’s future prosperity:

- Increasing STEM literacy so all students can think critically in science, math, engineering and technology;
- Improving the quality of math and science teaching so American students are no longer outperformed by those in other nations;
- And expanding STEM education and career opportunities for underrepresented groups, including women and minorities.

Coming Soon to a T-Shirt Near You!

We might need another example to illustrate the idea of point or rotational symmetry, such as including playing cards (specifically the face cards) from a deck

From the diamond suite, with a royal flush, we could say that SECME has “winning hands.” Or with the ace as a single card we could be “aces.” Or we could create a new face card, the Hawk, since H is a letter with origin symmetry

Society of Women Engineers November 2010 events

Society of Women Engineers National Conference - November 4 - 6, 2010
Location: Orlando, Florida
Sign up to be a volunteer at the WE10 in Orlando, FL, November 4-6. SWE needs help to drive the success of our conference! You also can earn registration credit! WE10 Volunteers are eligible for ½ off basic registration (professionals) and free basic registration (collegians) for simply giving 5 hours of your time during WE10. This is your chance to attend that Career Enhancement Series session, tour, or banquet you have always wanted to attend! Sign up today at: Click here to sign up.

Engineering Family Fun Day(EF2D) - November 20, 2010
Location: Dreher Park, West Palm Beach, Florida
Click to get more information on EF2D.

In-truss-ting, very interesting!

Monty Python and the Bridge of Death!

Bridge/Truss design seminar on Saturday, September 25th from 9 AM to 1 PM, at Palm Springs Middle School. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the seminar, ere the other side he see.



Coordinators are responsible for bringing all necessary materials and supplies to the workshop. Here is a list of items needed to construct the mini-bridge/trusses. Four different mini trusses will be constructed.
- ¼ by ¼ Balsawood (several pieces)
- Insta-Cure glue or Wood glue
- Paint brushes
- Wood cutter or hand saw (Miter Box recommended)
- Balsa cutters
- Sand paper
- Rulers and meter stick
- Wax paper

Directions to Palm Springs Middle School, 1560 Kirk Rd., West Palm Beach, FL: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. West to Kirk Rd. School on NE corner.

Field trip permission slips are required for participation. Please have your parent/legal guardian's approval before attending.

BONUS: Build a Bridge Out of Her! (ED. NOTE: I always think about this scene at the beginning of the school year when I teach about the scientific method...)

Cassini Scientist for a Day Essay Contest - Entries Due Oct. 27, 2010

NASA JPL is sponsoring the 9th Cassini Scientist for a Day essay contest. The Cassini Scientist for a Day contest challenges students to become NASA scientists studying Saturn. Participants examine three target images taken by the Cassini spacecraft and choose the one they think will yield the best results. This choice must be supported in a 500-word essay.

The Cassini spacecraft will take pictures of Saturn and its rings and moons on Oct. 18-22, 2010.

The contest is open to all students in the U.S. in grades 5-12, working alone or in groups of up to four students. The essays will be divided into three groups: grades 5-6, 7-8 and 9-12. All submissions must be students’ original work. Each student can submit only one entry. Teaming up is encouraged. Winners will participate in a teleconference with Cassini scientists from NASA/JPL.

For more information, visit the contest homepage: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/education/scientistforaday9thedition/

The contest deadline for 2010 is October 27, 2010 at 3 PM Eastern Time.

Here is also a video about the contest:

PSAT Set for Sophomores, Juniors Wed., Oct. 13

High school students countywide will take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) Wednesday, October 13. The school district pays the fee for all sophomores to take the test; juniors may sign up to take the test at lunches. The cost for juniors is $15.00, in cash or check made out to SRHS, and includes the official student guide to the test.

SRHS encourages juniors to take the test; not only it is preparation for the actual SAT, but it‟s also the only time they can qualify for a National Merit Scholarship. Sophomores will receive the guide to the test from their English teachers, and they should familiarize themselves with the test before October 13.

Scholarship Bulletin for September 2010

Good morning,

A copy of the most recent Scholarship Bulletin was placed in your mailbox. Please make every effort to post in your classrooms. The majority of scholarships will apply to seniors only however the same scholarships tend to be offered year after year. Please feel free to copy or forward as you feel necessary.
Thank you,

Heather Woeber
Guidance Counselor, Co-Gi
Scholarship Cordinator

Summer Changes Everything!

Attend the National Summer Learning Association’s Conference, November 9-10 in Indianapolis.

Summer Changes EverythingTM, the only national conference focused entirely on summer, will be held at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, November 9-10. If you work with children, operate or make decisions about summer programs, or are involved in youth education, you can’t afford to miss this conference. With 60 workshops on topics from STEM learning to social media outreach, we’re presenting the latest information regarding youth and summer learning.

This year, we are thrilled to welcome an exciting lineup of guest speakers, exhibitors, and panelists, including neurologist, author, researcher, and middle-school teacher Dr. Judy Willis. Tarik Glenn, retired Indianapolis Colt and co-founder of D.R.E.A.M Alive, Inc., will share how his experiences both on and off the field have helped him to build and maintain a successful youth program. Other presenters include social media guru Beth Kanter, policy experts, and NSLA staffers. Don’t miss out on what promises to be the best summer learning conference yet!

Learn how to build, strengthen, and expand summer programs at the Summer Changes EverythingTM conference:
- Connect and network with colleagues, including summer program providers, educators, school administrators, researchers and policymakers.
- Choose the option of participating in one of two relevant, in-depth pre-conference institutes on November 8, on program planning or summer learning advocacy.
- Choose from 60 workshops in three exciting areas: Knowledge and Strategies for Summer Program Managers; Policy and Funding for Systems Building; and Innovative Instructional Approaches.

Learn more and register now at our conference homepage. Or, contact our Conference Manager, Ryan Rebarchick, via e-mail nationalconference[at]summerlearning[dot]org or phone: 410 856 1370 ext 203.

PCAST STEM ED Report Release

PRESIDENTIAL ADVISORS HIGHLIGHT PLAN FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN K-12 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) EDUCATION

New Report Reveals STEM Education-Related Strengths, Weaknesses; Outlines Road Ahead to Regain and Maintain U.S. Competitiveness

America is home to extraordinary assets in science, engineering, and mathematics that, if properly applied within the educational system, could revitalize student interest and increase proficiency in these subjects and support an American economic renewal, according to a new report from an independent council of Presidential advisors.

The new report by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)—20 of the Nation’s leading scientists and engineers appointed by the President to provide advice on a range of topics—makes specific recommendations to better prepare America’s K-12 students in STEM subjects and also to inspire those students—including girls, minorities, and others underrepresented in STEM fields—to challenge themselves with STEM classes, engage in STEM activities outside the school classroom, and consider pursuing careers in those fields.

Bridge/Truss Design Seminar 9/25

The School District of Palm Beach County and the SECME South Florida Industry Partners are hosting the following design seminars this autumn. All seminars are from 9 AM to 1 PM. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the seminars:
• Sat., Sept. 25—Bridge/Truss Design at Palm Springs Middle, 1560 Kirk Rd., West Palm Beach, FL
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. West to Kirk Rd. School on NE corner.

Field trip permission slips are required for participation. Please have your parent/legal guardian's approval before attending.

In the SECME program, students are required to design, build, and test a variety of engineering and research projects throughout the year. SECME student teams will construct balsawood bridges for structural efficiency. Cars powered solely by the spring from a mousetrap will race across gymnasium floors and water bottle rockets will launch into the air to maintaining the maximum hang time. Essays, artwork, and banners communicating student interpretations of this year’s theme, SECME: STEMulating Minds, will be displayed and judged.

The Olympiad competition is the culmination of projects completed as a result of classroom activities, and of students, parents, and teachers participating in Saturday engineering design seminars. The seminars familiarize students with the events in the annual Olympiad completion. They provide the people, the place, and the parts to work on SECME submissions. Students also interact with practicing engineers who help them understand the importance of education in the global economy with the ultimate goal of encouraging students to pursue postsecondary degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

X PRIZE Cars on tonight.

(Good thing it's tonight, too. Because I'm not missing the season premiere of Big Bang Theory next Thursday.)

National Geographic Channel to Premiere One-Hour Special Television Event on the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE

“X PRIZE Cars: Accelerating the Future” to show behind-the-scenes look at automotive innovators and their race to build a 100MPGe vehicle to capture a $10 million prize and revolutionize the auto industry

National Geographic Channel Special Premieres Thursday, September 16, at 9:00 PM ET/PT

The Final "E" in SECME - EFFORT

The President's Back to School Speech: "Life is precious, and part of what makes it so wonderful is its diversity, that all of us are different."

This afternoon the President gave his second annual back to school speech, this time in Philadelphia, PA, at at the Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School. He told students that while government would do its part to help provide access to a quality education, students still needed to take individual responsibility for their future.

He began by talking to them on the level about what they see in their daily lives, and what might be on their minds even beyond the dreaded end of summer vacation.

The President pledged that government at all levels, working with communities and families, would do its part to make it possible for students to get the best education. But he hammered home the point that the only people who could really make sure that happened were the students themselves, and harkened back to his own childhood:

I wasn’t always disciplined. I wasn’t always the best student when I was younger. I made my share of mistakes. I still remember a conversation I had with my mother in high school. I was kind of a goof-off. And I was about the age of some of the folks here. And my grades were slipping. I hadn’t started my college applications. I was acting, as my mother put it, sort of casual about my future. I was doing good enough. I was smart enough that I could kind of get by. But I wasn’t really applying myself.

And so I suspect this is a conversation that will sound familiar to some students and some parents here today. She decided to sit me down and said I had to change my attitude. My attitude was what I imagine every teenager’s attitude is when your parents have a conversation with you like that. I was like, you know, I don’t need to hear all this. I’m doing okay, I’m not flunking out.

So I started to say that, and she just cut me right off. She said, you can’t just sit around waiting for luck to see you through. She said, you can get into any school you want in the country if you just put in a little bit of effort. She gave me a hard look and she said, you remember what that’s like? Effort? (Laughter.) Some of you have had that conversation. (Laughter.) And it was pretty jolting hearing my mother say that.

But eventually her words had the intended effect, because I got serious about my studies. And I started to make an effort in everything that I did. And I began to see my grades and my prospects improve.

And I know that if hard work could make the difference for me, then it can make a difference for all of you.

The President spent the last portion of his speech touching on the pressures almost all kids face growing up at some time or another, and challenged students to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

So, what I want to say to every kid, every young person -- what I want all of you -- if you take away one thing from my speech, I want you to take away the notion that life is precious, and part of what makes it so wonderful is its diversity, that all of us are different. And we shouldn’t be embarrassed by the things that make us different. We should be proud of them, because it’s the thing that makes us different that makes us who we are, that makes us unique. And the strength and character of this country has always come from our ability to recognize -- no matter who we are, no matter where we come from, no matter what we look like, no matter what abilities we have -- to recognize ourselves in each other.

I was reminded of that idea the other day when I read a letter from Tamerria Robinson. She’s a 12-year-old girl in Georgia. And she told me about how hard she works and about all the community service she does with her brother. And she wrote, “I try to achieve my dreams and help others do the same.” “That,” she said, “is how the world should work.”

Popsicle Stick Bridges and Banner Brainstorm

Seminole SECME meeting minutes for September 9, 2010
Meeting called to order at 3 PM by Captain C. Dosch.

Reminders:
- $15 dues are due! Dues cover the costs of t-shirts and materials for projects
- permission slips for Saturday SECME design seminars field trips are due, signed by your parent/guardian next week.
- Banner Brainstorms are due next week, completed and colored, for judging.

New Business

Fibonacci Squares and Golden Spirals
Purpose:
SWBAT plot a mathematical relationship that defines a spiral
SWBAT use technology (graphing calculator) to plot a set of ordered pairs

SWBAT use technology (graphing calculator) to create spirals similar to that found in shells, hurricane storms, and spiral galaxies

Popsicle Stick Truss Bridge
Purpose:
- SWBAT (students will be able to) build a bridge spanning twelve inches that will hold 50 lbs. The bridge is to be made of only popsicle sticks and glue. By being limited to only two allowable materials - wood popsicle sticks and white glue - students will need to use creativity, ingenuity, and resourcefulness in order to maximize the strengths and minimize the inherent shortcomings of each material.
- SWBAT read drawings and models made to scale. As a part of the SECME engineering design competition, each team is required to prepare a scaled drawing depicting the project that they have designed and built.

Banner Brainstorm: a smART stART to inspire ART imagination

Engage: display Seminole SECME 2009 “Igniting Minds” Banner (2nd place trophy winner!)
Explain: powerpoint on Banner Competition
Explore: Complete Banner Brainstorm worksheet. Student plan placement, proportion, and use colored pencils.
NEXT WEEK Evaluate: smArt Gallery Walk. Banner Brainstorms are posted in different parts of the hallway. Teams rotate around, and reflect on work down by other groups.

What's Up for September 2010: the Moon!

SAE AWIM Skimmer

Skimmer
Students construct paper sailboats and test the effect of different sail shapes, sizes, and construction methods to meet specific performance criteria. Friction, forces, the effect of surface area and design are some of the physical phenomena students encounter in this challenge.

Students join a design team and, with their team, build a skimmer in three steps.

Volunteer Opportunities

SECME is a national program that promotes academic achievement in Science, Engineering, Communication and Mathematics Education with rocketry, robotics, racing mousetrap powered vehicles, and balsa bridge building. Seminole SECME students mentor middle and elementary schools with their engineering competition entries; for example, we partner with the Pierce Hammock Panther team. High school students must provide their own transportation to school sites. For more information, please visit seminolesecme.blogspot.com, or contact Erich Landstrom at seminolesecme[at]gmail[dot]com .

Wednesdays from 3:00 – 4:30 PM