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Nano Days at Montana State University

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:20:00 -0500

NanoDays set March 31 with free family events

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March 20, 2009

Nanoscience, the study of extremely small particles, will be celebrated with a variety of fun and free activities at MSU NanoDays, set Tuesday, March 31, at the Burns Technology Center in MSU's EPS Building. Photo courtesy of MSU's Center for Bio-Inspired Nanomaterials.

Nanoscience, the study of extremely small particles, will be celebrated at the Burns Technology Center at Montana State University on Tuesday, March 31, as part of a nationwide week of public outreach.

All NanoDays events are free and will help kids and adults understand nanoscience in a fun and easy-to-understand format.

Nanoscience is an emerging field that blends chemistry, physics, engineering and other areas of science. Nanoscientists work with particles and devices between one and 100 nanometers in size (the head of a pin is 1,000,000 nanometers across). Through nanoscience, scientists have developed disease-fighting drugs, computer components, transparent sunscreen, ultra-strong sports equipment.

At MSU, researchers are using nanoscience to develop targeted vaccines, magnetic materials for electronics and catalysts for producing hydrogen.

The schedule for MSU NanoDays follows:
1 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Ongoing--Nano videos, demonstrations and interactive multimedia exhibits. Drop in anytime; teachers who wish to bring a class should schedule by calling 994-6550.

6 p.m.: "What's all this fuss about nanotechnology?" Presented by scientists from MSU's Center for Bio-Inspired Nanomaterials.

6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Family activities and hands-on demonstrations, including build your own virus model, manipulate magnetic liquid and play with a hydrogen fuel cell model car.

Souvenirs and refreshments will be provided. Activities are appropriate for children approximately age 8 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

All events take place at the Burns Technology Center's Studio 1080 multimedia center in the atrium of the EPS (Engineering and Physical Sciences) Building, just east of the Strand Union at MSU.

NanoDays is sponsored by MSU CBIN and MSU Extended University. For more information, visit http://eu.montana.edu/nanodays

Martha Peters at CBIN, (406) 994-7658, mpeters@montana.edu

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More on World Math Day - excitement is building at our house!

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:54:00 -0600

World Math Day is March 4, 2009.

You can participate by visiting www.worldmathday.com and registering for free! Registration opens in February.

This is a truly unique event and a fantastic way to promote numeracy.

Students play against each other at mental arithmetic games. Students are captivated by the fact that they are playing in real-time with other children across the globe. The questions are appropriately leveled for different ages and abilities.

All students need is internet access.

Participation is open to students ages 5 – 18. Registration is fast and free!

More Space Weather - Just can't get enough!!!

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:23:00 -0600

Space Weather News for Jan. 23, 2007
http://spaceweather.com

SOLAR ECLIPSE: On Monday, Jan. 26th, the Moon will pass in front of the sun producing an annular "ring of fire" eclipse. This is not a total eclipse; the Moon will cover only 93% of the sun's surface. Nevertheless, the Moon's dead-center transit across the solar disk will produce a sight of rare beauty for observers along the "path of annularity." Best views are to be had from islands in Indonesia where the ring of fire will appear to sink into the ocean at sunset. Meanwhile, in Australia, southeast Asia, southern parts of India and South Africa, observers will experience an off-center partial eclipse. Crescent-shaped sunbeams will dapple the ground while high overhead the Moon takes a curved bite out of the sun.

Please visit http://spaceweather.com for eclipse maps, timetables and photos.

BLUE-SKY FIREBALL: Last week a meteoroid of unknown size hit Earth's atmosphere over Denmark and exploded with a flash so bright it turned the nighttime sky daytime blue. A video of the remarkable fireball and eye-witness reports may be found at Spaceweather's fireball sighting page: http://spaceweather.com/glossary/fireballreports_17jan09.htm

You are subscribed to the Space Weather mailing list, a free service of Spaceweather.com.

New subscribers: To sign up for free space weather alerts, click here: http://spaceweather.com/services/

Check out the Smithsonian Institution

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:19:00 -0600

Teaching Resource:
Lincoln Lesson Plans

Try a new approach to teaching about the Civil War with lessons focusing on Abraham Lincoln (grades 4–8). Students examine portraits of Lincoln as they consider the ways he changed America—and the ways the war changed him.

Download the lessons

Event Registration:
Free Online Education Conference

On February 4–5, join Smithsonian curators and educators—and your colleagues across the country—in nine different presentations on Abraham Lincoln's life and death. Lectures, classroom applications, and virtual exhibits are live online and archived for replays.

Register now for Lincoln conference

Teaching Resource:
History and Art Posters

Explore Westward Expansion, the Civil War, the Harlem Renaissance, WWII, and The Sixties with beautiful laminated posters/lesson plans. From the Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Portrait Gallery, and Archives of American Art.

Request a free poster set

Teaching Resource:
Photography Lesson Plans

New visual literacy lessons: "Photography Changes Who We Are" (grades 6–8) examines the role of photography in representing ourselves and our communities. "Photography Changes What We Want" (grades 9–12) explores how photography creates celebrity status. From Smithsonian Photography Initiative.

Download the lesson plans

Teaching Resource:
Heritage and History

Rich, diverse resources ranging from virtual exhibits to kids' reading lists, from lesson plans to scholarly collections of primary sources, arranged for quick access.

Explore online resources

Participate in Black History Month events at the Smithsonian

You received this newsletter because you are subscribed to Smithsonian Education News.
If you no longer wish to receive these newsletters please .

Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies
600 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20024

© 2009 Smithsonian Institution

World Math Day

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:16:00 -0600

World Math Day is March 4, 2009

Registration and practice begins February 1st.

This is a great event. Let's see how many calculations can be made in one day!!!! I can tell you, I have two boys who can't wait until March 4th. Check out the site: http://www.worldmathday.com/

A great Math Newsletter

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:06:00 -0600

Here is a newsletter about math in the real world' - it is free to
subscribe.

Keep checking here for details on World Math Day. As soon as I get the details, I will share them. Kim

Subject: Latest news from Plus magazine! - http://plus.maths.org

In this newsletter:

* Support Plus
* Latest news
* Mathematical moments
* Browse with Plus
* Live maths
* The Plus new writers award 2009

**********

Support Plus - make a difference to mathematics

http://plus.maths.org/support.html?nl=1

We are continuing our campaign to raise the funds we need for the
continued
development and production of Plus beyond 2009. As you may know, Plus
receives no statutory funding and is entirely supported by grants and
donations from organisations and individuals committed to the public
understanding of mathematics. If you're interested in helping us, then
please visit http://plus.maths.org/support.html?nl=1 where you'll find
three easy ways to give to Plus.

Thank you for your support!

**********

Latest news

* The cost of failing our maths students
Innumeracy costs UK taxpayers up to £2.4 billion a year
http://plus.maths.org/latestnews/jan-apr09/innumeracy/index.html?nl=1

* Book review: Is god a mathematician?
A new book asking big questions
http://plus.maths.org/issue49/reviews/book5/index.html?nl=1

* Building trust in statistics
The UK Statistics Authority fulfills its duty to keep the government
honest
http://plus.maths.org/latestnews/sep-dec08/statistics/index.html?nl=1

* Automated mathematics
Human versus machine: who's better at proving theorems?
http://plus.maths.org/latestnews/sep-dec08/proof/index.html?nl=1

Plus... read more on the Plus blog and have a look at some maths
cartoons http://plus.maths.org/blog?nl=1

And for all the Plus podcasts, see: http://plus.maths.org/podcasts/

**********

Mathematical moments

Alfred Tarski
Born on the 14th of January 1902 in Warsaw, Poland
Died on the 26th October 1983 in Berkeley, California, USA

If you've ever heard Tarski's name before, it was probably in connection
with one of the most counter-intuitive results maths has to offer, known
as the Banach-Tarski paradox. Despite being called a paradox it's actually
an irreproachable mathematical theorem. It says that a sphere can be cut
into as few as five pieces which can then be reassembled to make a much
bigger sphere. This sounds as if mathematicians have mastered what humankind
has dreamt of since the beginning of time: to make something out of nothing.

But they haven't, not quite. The pieces the sphere needs to be cut into
could not possibly exist in physical reality. They're "unmeasurable
sets"; sets so complex that no sort of measure, like area or length, can be
meaningfully applied to them. It's possibly to construct these sets
abstractly, though a sequence of geometric steps, but no-one could ever
achieve them with a pair of scissors.

Given the strangeness of this result, it'll come as no surprise that the
vast majority of Tarski's work involved contortions of the mind. Having
set out to be become a biologist, his encounters at university with
mathematicians including Sierpinski (he of the fractal carpet and
triangle) soon interested him in logic. He wrote a number of celebrated works on
the very foundations of mathematics: the nature of truth, deductive
reasoning, and the limitation of mathematics as an axiomatic system. He came into
contact with some of the most prominent logicians of his day, including
Kurt Goedel. Today, Tarski's name is often mentioned in the same breath
as that of the father of logic, Aristotle.

Tarski's personal life was troubled by the two World Wars and the
turbulent political atmosphere in his native Poland. Born a Jew, Tarski's was
originally called Alfred Teitelbaum. He converted to catholicism in 1923
and changed his name to Tarski, probably to give expression to his
Polish nationalism, but also to escape the prevailing antisemitism. When Hitler
invaded Poland in 1939 Tarski was lucky to be on a visit to the US.
Although he was unable to arrange a passage to the US for his wife and
two children, they were lucky to survive the war and the family was
re-united in 1946.

To find out more about the kind of maths Tarski was involved with, read
the following Plus articles:

Measure for measure - on measurable sets and the Banach-Tarski paradox
http://plus.maths.org/issue17/features/measure/index.html?nl=1

Cantor and Cohen: Infinite investigators - Two articles on set theory
and the foundations of maths
http://plus.maths.org/issue47/features/elwes1/index.html?nl=1
http://plus.maths.org/issue47/features/elwes2/index.html?nl=1

We must know, we will know - on Hilbert and the foundations of
mathematics http://plus.maths.org/issue41/features/morris/index.html?nl=1

Goedel and the limits of logic - on the limitations of maths as an
axiomatic system http://plus.maths.org/issue39/features/dawson/index.html?nl=1

**********

Browse with Plus

When will I ever need this?

If you're in the business of persuading young (or not so young) people
that maths is useful in the real world, then have a look at the "Maths in
work" videos produced by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of

Mathematics. From sports engineering to period costume design, these
short clips show what maths is involved and go some way towards answering the
"when will I ever need this?" question so familiar to maths teachers all
over the world.

http://www.ncetm.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=13&module=res&mode=100&resid=1
1329

**********

Closing date: 31st of March 2009
More information: http://plus.maths.org/competition/index.html?nl=1

**********

Great Stuff!!! The Homeschool Minute from The Old Schoolhouse

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:04:00 -0600

Take a Look . . .

The Old Schoolhouse has MORE for you!

Check out these other fantastic resources:

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If you like The Homeschool Minute, you won't want to miss a single issue of
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine!

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- Barbi, THM Reader

"What a wonderful story [Oranges for Christmas by Deborah Wuehler], our God is so great."

- Peggy, THM Reader and TOS Subscriber

"Thank you so much for sharing that miraculous story [Oranges for Christmas]. It so touched my heart that I forwarded it to my email list. Such a beautiful reminder of what an awesome God we serve."

- Sue, THM Reader

"[Are We Making Progress] really was what I needed to hear in many different forms. The top two things were progress and comparison. I find myself asking those

things of myself lately. Afterward, I'm left feeling discouraged. This was timely for me and I hope to bring it to mind each time I feel oppressed with the two things I mentioned."

- Name Witheld, THM Reader

"Thank you for your advice on decluttering everything from home to soul."

- Tonya, THM Reader

"I love the new Teacher's Toolbox. Thanks so much for all of the wonderful ideas and resources. We have started the weather study and all of my kids love it. "

-Carrie Ann,
TOS Subscriber

Check Out These
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The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

Intentional Parenting

Jan. 14, 2009

Dear Kim,

When it comes to parenting, do you just deal with things as they come your way or are you planning and creating opportunities to teach your child what's important to you?

I found a neat chart on the Intentional Parents website that demonstrates the difference. While sometimes it's easy to slip into survival mode or get caught up in what everyone else is doing, an intentional parent recognizes the importance of planning and creating teachable moments.

Want your child to learn about serving others? Don't wait for your support group or church to schedule an event. Find ways to serve others together.

Want them to exercise more and take better care of themselves? Don't wait for them to "feel like it." Talk about why it's important to take care of our bodies and find fun ways to exercise together.

Want them to be responsible with their money? Don't just hope they'll figure it out when they're older. Start teaching them biblical financial principles at a young age and encourage them as they begin to have some of their own money.

Whatever God is laying on your heart that you need to work on with your kids, be intentional about it.

Enjoy every minute!

THM Editor

PS - Have you seen the Call to Dunkirk video on YouTube from our friends at Exodus Mandate?

PSS - This is the last week to save 60% off our regular one-year U.S. print subscription rates. Be sure to subscribe this week before the price goes back up to $25!

Mercy Every Minute
Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

Here's what Intentional Parenting from Daniel Webster's 1828 Dictionary looks like:

Intentional: Intended; designed; done with design or purpose. The act was intentional, not accidental. Inten'tionally, adv. By design; of purpose; not casually.

Pa'rent, n. [L. parens, from pario, to produce or bring forth... ] 1. A father or mother; he or she that produces young. The duties of parents to their children are to maintain, protect and educate them.

Our duty is to educate our children with design and purpose. What is our greatest design but to train them up in and for the Lord? We must intentionally design an education for them with such a purpose. We must make it our intention to train them to follow God's ways; to teach them to follow His commands; to instruct them in righteousness and holiness. If we take a casual, unplanned approach, our children just may wander off on their own path as adults, whether or not they walked on your path as children. We must continue to not only walk the walk, but talk the talk, on purpose and with intention. We find several antonyms to the word "intentiona,l" they are: accidental, unplanned, casual, without purpose or design. It doesn't sound like anything fruitful would come out of this approach. It's not just the idea that I should stop and take that teachable moment, but that I should stop and make that teachable moment. I am learning to become more intentional.

Just today, I wanted to share something with one of my sons. I held his hands and looked straight in his eyes and said, "God has excused us our sin just like you are excused from the table. All we have to do is ask Him and then He pardons us and frees us! Just say to the Lord, 'May I please be excused?' and He will excuse you if you just ask;and then you will be free!" With purpose in my voice and tears in my eyes, I made my point to my son. I was intentional in what I wanted to convey to Him. I didn't wait for a good time. I didn't wait for him to ask the question. I said it on purpose, today. There may not be a tomorrow for any one of our children. We need to take today by the horns and be in God's eyes like Abraham was. God KNEW that Abraham would teach his children: "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD." (Genesis 18:19) I want God to know that of me, too, don't you?

Don't let today get away without doing something you've intended to do, and everything that God intends you to do.

~Deborah

Contest Central
For the month of January

The Light Across the River

The Light Across the River is a historical fiction sequel to Across the Wide River, but also a stand-alone book, about real places, events, and characters in the mid 1800's. The book uses the Underground Railroad as a backdrop for the story of 11-year-old Johnny Rankin, one of 13 children, and his drive to overcome personal shortcomings and prove his maturity to his father. He dreams of earning his father's trust enough to become a conductor on the Underground Railroad and help in his family's important work of leading slaves to freedom. But have his inadequacies endangered those he loves most?

As the story unfolds, the chapters alternate between the perspectives of Johnny from ages 11 to 15, and Eliza, the slave matriarch whose family he helps to free.

This book rises far above others in its genre. In the historical note, author Stephanie Reed shares her knowledge of the Rankin family gained through the study of journals and other first-hand accounts. (. . .)

Faith in Jesus is a common element among the main characters, both slave and free. "Coincidences" and grace that could only be orchestrated by God fill the pages of The Light Across the River. Johnny's father is not only an active abolitionist but also the town preacher.

Read the rest of the review online and enter for a chance to win The Light Across the River!

TO ENTER:
Email SeniorEditor@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com with your name and mailing address and the subject, "The Light Across the River" for a chance to win*.

Congratulations to our December winner, Stephanie Bryant from Winnsboro, TX!

Aurora Watch

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:02:00 -0600

Hi all,

So the University has a call list early and late for aurora watch. It is through the electrical engineering / physics department (they usually know when we have had any significant solar flares). I am unsure if it is running. Several students presented a new system to alert those interested at the recent engineering fair. I will post more as the system develops.

Here's something from the electrical engineeering department at MSU:

Montana State University professor Joseph Shaw and two of his students built an aurora borealis detector, then traveled to Alaska to test it during the spring break of 2007.

To view a multimedia feature about auroras, the detector and the group's trip to Alaska, visit http://www.montana.edu/cpa/gallery/080711au/.

Above, Joseph Shaw. MSU photo by Kelly Gorham.

Joseph Shaw, 406-994-7261 or jshaw@ece.montana.edu

Here is what the calling tree looks like - you could set one up to with homeschoolers - just a thought. http://www.coe.montana.edu/ee/jshaw/auroratree_ece.pdf

email me at kim@snider.ws if you are interested in being on a homeschool calling tree.

Space Weather News for the weekend

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:47:00 -0600

Space Weather News for Dec. 12, 2008
http://spaceweather.com

WEEKEND METEORS: Earth is entering a stream of debris from extinct comet 3200 Phaethon, and this is causing the annual Geminid meteor shower. The shower is expected to peak on Dec. 13th and 14th. Normally, as many as 100 meteors per hour shoot out of the constellation Gemini, but this year a bright Moon will interfere with the display, reducing hourly counts to only 20 or so. That's could still be a nice show. For best results, watch the sky from 10 pm local time on Saturday night (Dec 13th) until dawn on Sunday morning (Dec. 14th).

BIGGEST FULL MOON OF THE YEAR: The Moon that's causing trouble for the Geminid display happens to be biggest full Moon of 2008, as much as 14% wider and 30% brighter than lesser Moons we've seen earlier this year. An astronomer would say this is a "perigee Moon" because it occurs at perigee, the side of the Moon's elliptical orbit closest to Earth. Go outside tonight and take a look. The meteor rate may be low, but the lunar beauty index is off the charts.

Check http://spaceweather.com for updates and more information.

BONUS: The Dec. 1st Great Conjunction Photo Gallery continues to grow with daily additions from around the world. Start browsing here: http://spaceweather.com/conjunctions/gallery_01dec08_page6.htm

2009 Montana Homeschool Convention

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:50:00 -0600

2009

Montana Homeschool Convention

Montana Home Educators Convention and Curriculum Fair

May 15-16, 2009

Lorrie Flem

Stay At Home Mom of Eight, Wife of 24 Years
Randy and Lorrie Flem make their temporary home in Maple Valley, Washington and eagerly await their heavenly mansion. Lorrie has been the happy stay-at-home rib of Randy for 24 years and has been homeschooling 18 years. They are the parents of eight precious and often precocious children, ages 22 to 6. Lorrie is the best-selling author of many books, the publisher of TEACH Magazine, and a popular speaker known for her gentle exhortation, humor, and down-to-earth tips. Meet her at www.TEACHmagazine.com and see the beautiful magazine of encouragement for homemakers and homeschoolers. GET A FREE COPY of “7 Time and Money Saving Kitchen Tips” there too!

Flem Family. Click for larger image.

Mark Hamby

Founder and President of Cornerstone Family Ministries and Lamplighter Publishing
Mark Hamby (M.S., M.Div., Th.M) is founder and President of Cornerstone Family Ministries and Lamplighter Publishing.
He lives in Northeastern Pennsylvania with his wife, Debbie. They raised three children who were homeschooled and
though they live in various parts of the US, Mark finds that he is more involved in his children’s lives than ever before.
As an author, speaker, and Bible teacher, what Mark Hamby enjoys most is helping his audience to remove the mask
in order to expose the heart. Unless the heart is reached, there can be no lasting change. Through the genre of
storytelling and the life-changing power of God’s Word, Mark’s audiences have learned that the God of all grace is
willing and able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think. Visit us at www.lamplighterpublishing.com for more information.