Happy Bat Week!

Bat week is an annual international celebration of the role of bats in nature. Step outside around dusk and take a few moments to look for bats in your neighborhood.

 

Iowa is home to nine bat species: little brown bat, big brown bat, red bat, hoary bat, silver-haired bat, Indiana bat (federally endangered species), evening bat, eastern pipistrelle, and northern myotis.

Fun Bat Facts

• A small bat eats between 1,000 and 2,000 small insects every night. Bats use sonar to find dinner when it’s pitch black out. Bats make noises, which bounce off the bugs and back to the bats’ ears, where the sound is picked up by the bats’ specialized hearing.
• Bats are our only flying mammals in the state.
• One of Iowa’s few true hibernators, bats hibernate all winter until there are insects to chow down on again.
• Within three weeks of being born, young bats are taking flight. They grow quickly, being full-grown in about a month after birth. Young bats take off for their own roosts once they’re weaned.
• Bats hang upside down because it allows them to roost in places where predators can’t reach them. It also allows them to get into the air faster by falling to achieve flight.

Helpful Websites

Bats Bats Everywhere

Bat Conservation International

BatsLIVE

Project Edubat

 

 

 

Hot Topic - Climate & Iowa

Need help developing relevant lesson plans that focus on student learning, NGSS/Common Core and STEM?

The University of Iowa College of Engineering and the College of Education have teamed up to offer a real-world, STEM focused professional development opportunity related to flooding in Iowa. This opportunity is geared toward Iowa middle and high school teachers - teachers, administrators and STEM team members are encouraged to apply. 

Date: Friday, November 13, 5:00 - 10:00 p.m.
          Saturday, November 14, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location: John and Mary Pappajohn Education Center RM #128, 1200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines
Stipend: $250 stipend 
Cost: Earn one optional continuing education/graduate credit for only $65
Application deadline: Nov. 4

Participation is limited to 25 people. Visit the event website for more information and to complete the application.

If you have any questions, contact Ted Neal at (319) 335-5327 or Gabriele Villarini, with the University of Iowa.

Habitat Connections Giveaway

BirdSleuth is giving away 50 Habitat Connections kits to classroom teachers across the country this spring. Are you interested? Along with the Habitat Connections kit, selected teachers will also receive a free bird feeder and bird seed thanks to our sponsors from Perky-Pet®. 

Who’s Eligible? 3-8th grade classroom teachers in the United States that can use the Habitat Connections lessons described below in their classroom. Winners will be selected on a ongoing basis until Friday, November 13, 2015. If selected, you will receive your free kit, bird feeder, and bird seed in the spring just in time for classes.

To apply for a kit:Complete our online survey. Application deadline is Friday, November 13, 2015. Winners  will be notified on a ongoing basis until Monday, November 23, 2015.
 
Habitat Connection Details
There are seven easy to follow and implement lessons in the curriculum. Each includes concise learning objectives, background reading, reflection and evaluation questions, and teaching slides (a Powerpoint file on a USB drive) to help you. The lessons were field tested by 3-8th grade teachers, and are tied to the NGSS and Common Core Standards.

1. Habitat Investigation: Students learn about the habitat needs of birds, then go outside to map the habitat in their schoolyard. These maps can be used to create a YardMap, a citizen-science project.
2. Migration Obstacles: Students run a migration obstacle course to actively experience some of the challenges that migrating birds face. (In the photo above, a “bird” dashes across a road and around a window, bringing the challenges of real birds alive!)
3. Bird Survivor: Students discover the life cycle of birds and the challenges that nesting birds face by playing a “Bird Survivor” game.  They are invited to take action by participating in the NestWatch citizen-science project.
4. To Migrate or Not: Students learn about the costs and benefits of migrating or staying in one area all year through a demonstration, and then do research on individual birds.
5. Scientist in Action: Students are introduced, through videos, to a scientist who studies migrating Hudsonian Godwits. They learn about the scientific process and the nature of science by examining his work.
6. Modeling Migration: Students look at animated bird-distribution maps created using citizen-science data, and discover the value of models in understanding where bird species are located throughout the year. They are invited to take part in the eBird citizen-science project and explore eBird data.
7. Improve Your Bird Habitat: Through mapping and planning habitat improvements in their schoolyard or another open area, students learn about the importance of small-scale habitat management and discover the characteristics of green spaces that create good habitat for birds.

Watch Science Standards Conference Live

Educators and administrators across Iowa can watch the Oct. 20 Science Standards conference through livestream.

The conference, which is at capacity, is designed to bring together administrators, curriculum directors, Area Education Agency personnel, teacher leaders and higher education faculty to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with the adoption of the new Iowa Science Standards.

National leaders in the development and implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards will join state stakeholders to discuss efforts to implement new science standards in Iowa.

The event is hosted by the University of Iowa’s College of Education, the Jacobson Institute at Grand View University, and the Iowa Department of Education.

The livestream will begin at 9 a.m. and continue to the end at 3:35 p.m.

New Classroom Videos Demonstrating Transitions to NGSS

Four new videos highlighting the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are now available online. Achieve and the Teaching Channel collaborated with an elementary school teacher and high school teacher from Boone County, KY to capture snapshots of what NGSS early implementation looks like in classrooms.

The featured classroom examples illustrate how some educators are transitioning instruction to help students meet the goals of the NGSS. These videos are not intended to signal a one-size-fits-all approach to implementing the NGSS. Rather, the snapshots demonstrate how specific teachers are beginning to transition to the standards and offer guidance to educators currently considering how to best engage students in three-dimensional learning. 

Video 1: Energy & Matter Across Science Disciplines
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/cross-discipline-lesson-achieve 

Video 2: Making Claims from Evidence 

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/claims-evidence-science-lesson-achieve 

Video 3: First Steps Towards Transitioning to the NGSS 

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/transition-to-ngss-achieve 

Video 4: Working as a Team

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/student-collaboration-achieve  

 

 

Nature Works Everywhere Garden Grants

The Nature Conservancy is working to promote environmental education through the creation of Nature Works Everywhere gardens. The program empowers students and teachers to work together to create and implement their own solutions to environmental challenges in their communities.

Grants will be given in the amount of $1000–$2000 dependent upon the needs of the project. Apply online by October 28, 2015.

Funds may be used to support the building, amendment, or revitalization of gardens on school campuses, with preference given to rain, pollinator, native habitat, and other natural infrastructure projects. Food gardens will also be funded.

Complete details  including timeline, activities, requirements, grant benefits, and eligibility are available on the Nature Works Everyone website. Commitment letters from the project lead and your school administrator are required.