Tuesday, June 07, 2016

Trees For Kids Grant Available For Fall

Trees For Kids grant applications are now available for the fall 2016 grant cycle. The Trees For Kids grant program is designed to provide hands-on educational opportunities for Iowa youth by planting trees on school grounds and other public places. 

Iowa DNR forestry staff are currently setting up site visits with schools and communities interested in applying for the grant, which pays up to $5,000 in tree and mulch cost, and provides educational tree planting demonstrations to participating adults and youth.


This past spring, 20 schools and/or communities received more than $62,000 in Trees For Kids grants to plant more than 900 trees around the state. Over the life of these trees, they will save more than 310,000 kilowatt hours of electricity by shading buildings and more than 68,000 therms, by slowing winds and reducing building heat loss. 


During their lifespan, the 900 trees planted this spring will help reduce flooding by intercepting more than 39.8 million gallons of storm water, and will reduce more than 5.3 million pounds of atmospheric carbon dioxide through CO2 sequestration and decreased energy production needs and emissions. 


Trees planted around schools and in neighborhoods have also shown to give youth increased levels of concentration, lower levels of aggression, lower levels of obesity and fewer symptoms of ADHD.  Communities are made more livable by having a healthy, diverse tree canopy. 


To download the grant application, go to:  http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/Forestry/UrbanForestry.aspx

For more information, contact Laura Wagner, Iowa Department of Natural Resources Forestry Bureau, at 515-725-8456.



 

Friday, May 27, 2016

Iowa STEM School+Business Innovation Conference

June 29, 2016
9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Sheraton West Des Moines Hotel (1800 50th St., West Des Moines)
Register Online

This conference will highlight the partnerships across Iowa that are connecting schools to local businesses and other employers. Best practices in aligning education to workforce will be shared by practitioners on the front edge—both industry and school leaders. Among the models to be profiled are the STEM BEST® (Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers) and STEM RLE (Redesigned Learning Environment) partnerships of the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council.

TOPICS featuring...

  • Business roles, incentives and benefits of partnering with schools;
  • How to identify and recruit business partners;
  • How to identify and recruit education partners;
  • Policy and rule inhibitors to expansion of school+business partnerships;
  • Challenges encountered and overcome through school+business partnerships;
  • Co-teaching: roles for business alongside educators in courses and instruction;
  • Implications for teacher education;
  • A unique accomplishment or innovation by current STEM BEST and STEM RLE partners;
  • Building a school-wide culture around school+business innovation;
  • How to start a school+business partnership in your community.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Helping Students Protect the Environment and Live Well Workshop

 "The awareness of where our "stuff" comes from and natural resources used to
produce them is ...vitally important. Kids love to DO something about issues that matter."
--Elem Ed teacher
 

Part I:  Thursday and Friday, June 16-17, 2016 (9-4)
Part II: Saturday, November 12, 2016 (9-12:30)

Center for Outdoor Learning, Hinton, Iowa

Cost:  $75 tuition fee. You will receive a stipend of $75 when you successfully complete the course, thanks to grant support, making the course free!*

Explore with your K-8 students the products Americans use daily--the "stuff of life." These products have a life cycle. They are extracted, transported, produced, used and disposed of around the globe--including in Iowa. Study how this "stuff" is a primary source of environmental problems, and examine how this relates to life satisfaction. Then, identify individual and collective actions to address these challenges. Course content is real and relevant. Materials introduced are interdisciplinary and classroom-ready. Your students will learn essential skills and concepts from the Iowa Core and NGSS Science and Engineering Practices. 

For more workshop details or to enroll, visit the University of Northern Iowa website.

 *Stipends and the reduced tuition fee are provided through the generous support of the Resource Enhancement and Protection Conservation Education Program and UNI EPSCoR. To receive the stipend, your students will need to complete a community engagement project. Your students' can write letters to the editor, post posters in the hallway for community members' viewing or a number of other options.

Friday, May 20, 2016

Exploring Iowa’s Natural Resources On-line Course (K-12 Educators)

September 18, 2016 – January 15, 2017

The goal of this course is to help you utilize a STEM-based approach that incorporates local natural resources as unifying themes to implement Iowa Core concepts in your curriculum. You will work in small groups and individually to create a network of contacts and resources to teach natural resource concepts. Group and individual assignments will build on each other throughout the course.
Participants will build a project-based learning unit for their personal teaching situation, so you can immediately incorporate the course resources and tactics into your teaching. It is offered for 3 license renewal or graduate credits, and also qualifies for credit for the STEM endorsement through Drake and Grandview.

Registration deadline is September 11, 2016 - you must register electronically (Activity #: 22007499991701). Registration fee: $175 (materials, 3 license renewal credits); $395.00 (materials, 3 Drake graduate credits). This course is being offered by AEA PD Online, a joint initiative by all of Iowa's Area Education Agencies. This course therefore uses AEA PD Online's alternative fee schedule for license renewal and graduate credit. Transcripts and credit will be issued by AEA PD Online instead of Heartland AEA.

For more information, contact: Barb.Gigar@dnr.iowa.gov; 515-494-3891.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Iowa Students Recognized for Iowa State-Fish Drawings

Grades 10-12 first place winner
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources partnered with the Wildlife Forever® State-Fish Art® Contest to host an Iowa State-Fish Art Contest.

The State-Fish Art Contest uses art to ignite children’s imagination while teaching them about fish and fishing. Entries showcased students’ favorite Iowa fish in its natural habitat. All entries were original hand-done artwork. Winners were selected based on creative expression, originality, visual appeal, and artistic merit. 

Individual winners:
Grades K-3
1st Place – Anne S., Homeschool
2nd Place – Madalyn S., St Mary & Mathias Catholic School
3rd Place – Katarina W., Benton Community Schools
                 
Grades 4-6
1st Place – Henri G., St Mary & Mathias Catholic School
2nd Place – Heidi E., Allamakee Community Schools
3rd Place – Elly V., West Marshall Community Schools

Grades 7-9
1st Place – Carmen A., Benton Community Schools
2nd Place – Clayton S., West Marshall Community Schools
3rd Place – Jaiden H., West Marshall Community Schools

Grades 10-12
1st Place – Gayeon C., Regina Catholic Education Center


Artists who placed first in their age group will be honored with the display of their artwork on the prestigious Wall of Fame during the Forrest L. Wood Cup bass world championship on August 5-7 in Huntsville, Alabama. Every participant will receive a Certificate of Recognition. 

Digital images of Iowa’s winning artwork are posted on the State Fish Art Contest website.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Endangered Species Day


Celebrate Endangered Species Day (May 20) by learning more about Iowa endangered and threatened animals and plants.

Iowa’s wildlife has changed tremendously since Euro-American settlement (160 years ago). Many species have been extirpated. Others’ populations have dwindled to the point they now are listed as endangered. Still others have increased in number and range size. Many once extirpated have been reintroduced and now have stable populations. Wide ranging species (e.g., black bear, wolf, mountain lion, moose) occasionally reappear in Iowa as their populations in nearby states increase.

Iowa's endangered and threatened species law was enacted in 1975; 47 animals and 64 plants are listed as endangered (populations are low, scientists feel the species could become extinct). Another 89 plants and 35 animals are listed as threatened (populations are declining, may become endangered). A species can be listed as endangered or threatened at the state or federal level, depending on the extent of the area where the population is declining. Federally endangered species found within a state’s borders automatically are placed on the state list. Endangered species lists constantly change.

Many endangered or threatened species are specialists (have very restrictive habitat needs, eat only a few foods, or require specific kinds or sizes of habitat). The leading cause for a species becoming endangered or threatened is habitat loss.

Endangered or threatened species usually are monitored closely and their remaining habitats are protected. This special attention can pay off. An endangered species can be brought back from the brink and removed from the list instead of becoming extinct (e.g., peregrine falcon). The use of DDT (a now illegal pesticide) is the main reason this bird became endangered. DDT was banned, birds were reintroduced in suitable areas, and they were protected from shooting. After almost 30 years, the peregrine was removed from the federal endangered species list in 1998. In 2000, for the first time in about 40 years, five pairs of peregrines were documented nesting on the cliffs of the Mississippi River. Several of these falcons were identified as originating from Iowa releases or nests. In 2013, 15 territories were active and 13 successful nests produced 31 young around Iowa.

Thanks to a vast number of citizen scientists and volunteers who spearheaded the recovery of peregrine falcons in Iowa, this fascinating species has successfully returned to the state.

Helpful Resources
Living On The Edge: Profiles of Federally Listed Species in Iowa
Iowa's Threatened and Endangered Species Program
National Wildlife Federation
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Endangered Species Coalition

Thursday, May 05, 2016

Teaching STEM and the Iowa Science Standards through an Agricultural Lens


The Iowa Agricultural Literacy Foundation is offering several teacher professional development workshops this summer. Workshop information is listed below. To find out more about workshops in your area, visit www.IowaAgLiteracy.org, email info@iowaagliteracy.org or call 515-331-4182.

Agriculture Helps meet Next Generation Science Standards
June 1-2, 2016
Fremont-Mills High School, (1114 US Highway 275, Tabor)

This course will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills needed to implement many of the new Iowa Core science standards. Participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. During one day of the course, participants will see conservation and energy applied as they tour beef feedlots, an ethanol plant, an algae plant, and a conservation area. Producers, scientists and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses science and management practices to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned and making them relevant to student learners.



Friday, April 22, 2016

Iowa Monarch Conservation and Citizen Science Workshop

Friday, May 6th, 12:30-4:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 7th, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30-p.m.
Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (9981 Pacific St, Prairie City, IA 50228)

Public participation in science helps scientists answer big questions. Learn how to participate in several monarch butterfly citizen science programs and help researchers learn more about this incredible insect. The University of Minnesota Monarch Lab, in partnership with the Monarch Joint Venture, will instruct this workshop in conjunction with local Iowa habitat experts.

Register at: http://goo.gl/forms/S7QW1z1rtR Cost: $20 Accommodations: Lunch will be provided on May 7th. Small snacks and drinks will be provided throughout the workshop.



Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Apply for a GreenWorks! Environmental Improvement Grant

Project Learning Tree offers grants up to $1,000 to schools and youth organizations for environmental service-learning projects that link classroom learning to the real world. Students implement an action project they help design to green their school or to improve an aspect of their neighborhood’s environment.

The projects partner students with their whole school, local businesses and/or community organizations, and provide opportunities for student leadership. The funds can be used by students to implement recycling programs at their school, conserve water and energy, establish school gardens and outdoor classrooms, improve a forest, or restore a natural habitat, for example.

Submit your completed application and W-9 online. Login or create an account, click “Apply for a Grant,” then follow the prompts to complete your submission. You will receive an automatic confirmation email through this system.  The deadline to apply is September 30, 2016 -- Funding will be distributed in December 2016.

Grant Requirements
  • Applicants must have attended a Project Learning Tree training
    either online or in person.
  • The proposed project must involve service-learning.
  • The proposed project must demonstrate student voice.
  • The proposed project must involve at least one community partner.
  • The proposed project must secure at least 50% matched funds (in-kind acceptable).
  • Grants must be completed in one year

Thursday, April 07, 2016

Iowa Science Standards Summer Institutes: Supporting Classroom Transitions


Since the adoption of Iowa’s new science standards in August 2015, Iowa educators have been engaged in learning about the structure, foundations, and conceptual shifts of the new standards.
 
The Iowa Department of Education is sponsoring day-long science institutes June 15-17, 2016. With national and state science education leaders, participants will engage in three-dimensional science learning experiences and will explore various resources and instructional practices that support the standards.
 
Where: West Des Moines Valley High School
Times: 8:00AM-4:00PM (tentative times)
 
Each day will be focused on content and pedagogy for specific grade bands. Participation in this event assumes knowledge of the structure, foundations, and conceptual shifts of the standards; districts needing this overview of the standards should contact their AEA science consultants.
 
There is no registration fee but registration is required for planning purposes. On-line registration is now open:

Registration June 15 
elementary school
Registration June 16 middle school
Registration June 17 high school

Cost: There is no cost to attend. Participants or their districts are responsible for any expenses incurred such as meals and mileage. There are a variety of off-site lunch locations near West Des Moines Valley High School. Lunch will also be available each day through West Des Moines Nutritional Services for $3.50/person.

 

Monday, March 28, 2016

Taking STEM Outside: WILD Project-based Learning in Your Schoolyard

June 13 & 14, 2016 (100% attendance required for credit)
8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Guthrie Center Elementary School (900 North 4th Street, Guthrie Center)
Registration Deadline: June 8, 2016
Registration Fee: $60 (includes materials and 1 license renewal credit); or $135 (includes materials and 1 EDMA graduate credit)
Electronic Registration


Learn how outdoor projects, exploration, and investigations provide fantastic opportunities for project-based learning that addresses Iowa Core Science Standards. We will demonstrate how to bundle your favorite
Project WILD and Aquatic WILD activities with field investigations to create project-based learning units. Much of this “flipped” professional development will be spent creating your own path through a host of nationally developed and tested resources to engage your students in authentic inquiry through modeling, discussion, and practice using your school yard or a local natural area and your classes as the framework.
Participants should bring a laptop or notebook, information about their school site or a nearby natural area, their science standards (and/or other relevant standards), and relevant curriculum resources for use with workshop activities. Teaching partners/groups are encouraged to facilitate planning/implementation of projects. The registration fee includes materials.
For more information, contact: Barb.Gigar@dnr.iowa.gov; 515-494-3891.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Teaching with Primary Sources in the Science Classroom Webinar - March 17

This webinar will explore how an inquiry-driven analysis of a primary source can engage students, establish meaningful contexts for learning and doing science, and build literacy skills.

Using historical primary sources, science teachers can create learning experiences for students grounded in authentic, open-ended problems. To answer those problems, students conduct research as part of a sustained inquiry process and share solutions and products beyond the classroom.

This event will be recorded and a link will be available as soon as possible after the event.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Free Seedlings for Iowa Schools from Trees For Kids

To celebrate Earth Week next month, the Trees for Kids program is offering free seedlings to schools and communities across Iowa.

Each school building and community may order one free custom packet consisting of 200 bare-root seedlings, 50 each of four selected species. Recipients are not required to plant their trees during Earth Week (April 17-23, 2016), but must have them planted before May 31, 2016.

To take part in this offer, schools and communities need to complete a simple application form and return it to the Trees for Kids program via email or postal mail by April 1, 2016. The application form can be found at www.iowadnr.gov/urbanforestry by clicking on “Trees for Kids Earth Month Celebration.”

Schools and communities receiving packets will be asked to email at least one photo of the trees being planted and a short paragraph indicating where and why they were planted.  No other requirements are necessary to receive the free trees.

The Iowa-grown, native trees and shrubs provided by the State Forest Nursery are naturally adapted to Iowa’s weather and soil extremes. Trees provide many benefits including wildlife habitat, environmental protection in the form of improved energy efficiency and water quality. They are vital hosts to pollinators and provide seasonal beauty to our landscape. Planting trees has been a traditional way to celebrate Earth Day since its beginning in the 1970s.

Schools and communities can create their own custom packets or select from a variety of recommended specialty packets, such as:

  • Fall Color –Trees and shrubs with vibrant fall color
  • Fastest Forest – Great along streams and wet areas, these grow at least 3 feet per year
  • Pollinator Packet – Provides vital host species for butterflies and other pollinators
  • Privacy Packet – Great to use as a visual barrier or along a fence line
  • Spring Flowers – Create spring color with these flowering shrubs and small trees
  • Storm Resistant Packet – These trees resist breakage from wind and ice storms
  • Wild Edible Packet – Enjoy an edible landscape
Photos and information about various packet species can be found at www.iowadnr.gov/ seedlingcatalog. The seedlings are between 8 and 24 inches, depending on the tree or shrub species. Size requests do not apply to this program. Order early for best species selection.

The Trees for Kids and Trees for Teens grant programs are funded by Iowa Department of Natural Resources Forestry Bureau, MidAmerican Energy, Black Hills Energy, Alliant Energy, Iowa Bankers Association, Trees Forever, Iowa Tree Farm Committee and the Iowa Woodland Owners Association.

For more information about ordering no-cost Trees for Kids seedlings, contact Laura Wagner, DNR Trees for Kids Coordinator, 515-725-8456 or laura.wagner@dnr.iowa.gov

 

Tuesday, March 08, 2016

Greening STEM Integration Grant for Educators

The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), with major funding support from the Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas (MCFA), is offering funding for teachers, after-school programs, and nature organizations for projects that support the integration of Greening STEM into current or new programming or curriculum.

Developments in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are growing faster than ever and the need to find engaging ways to teach lessons in these subjects grounded in real-world experience is clear. By learning about STEM concepts in reference to real-life environmental examples or issues, the subject matter is more tangible and extends beyond the textbook or classroom, influencing the way students think about the world and the way they view their connection to it. Research (see “Benefits of Environmental Education”) shows that environmental education helps build creative thinking and relationship skills, fosters leadership qualities and makes school subjects rich and relevant.

Through these grants, NEEF will support educators who are leading the way in Greening STEM education and provide support for continued development and innovation of school programs and projects connecting STEM with environmental education.
  • Application Deadline: 11:59pm CT Thursday, April 5, 2016. All applications must be submitted through NEEF’s online grants management system
  • Average Grant Amount: Grant amounts will range from $500 - $1,000.
  • Allowable Expenses: Grants funds can be used to cover costs associated with delivering programs (e.g., curriculum/materials development, field trips, program supplies, transportation, professional development, etc.), as long as the result of the funding creates lasting impact beyond the single event/use.
  • Grantee Announcement: Grantees will be announced April 22, 2016. NEEF will promote the winners and their programs using a variety of communications tools and strategies.
  • All applicants must register for National Environmental Education Week.

Monday, February 29, 2016

New NGSS Video Resources Available


New videos highlighting the Educators Evaluating Quality in Instructional Products (EQuIP) for Science rubric are now available online. Developed through a collaboration between Achieve and the Teaching Channel, the video series uses rich conversations emerging from a Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) EQuIP training session to illustrate important features of NGSS-aligned instructional materials and classroom activities. 

Each stand-alone video focuses on educators using different aspects of the EQuIP rubric and captures discussions of what to look for in NGSS instructional materials, as well as the evaluation and feedback process that the rubric is designed to support. Each video also highlights some of the common ideas and frequently asked questions that emerge during an EQuIP for Science training session.

For teachers, this series explores what the NGSS might look like in the classroom and how to think about shifts in the instructional materials that will support a transition to the standards. The videos are part of a growing suite of NGSS EQuIP resources, including the EQuIP Rubric for Lessons & Units: Science and the NGSS EQuIP Professional Learning Facilitator's Guide.

 
NGSS EQuIP Rubric: Overview
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/ngss-rubric-intro-achieve  


Tuesday, February 23, 2016

National Invasive Species Awareness Week

Learn more about Iowa invasive species as we celebrate National Invasive Species Awareness Week (February 21-27).

Invasive Species Conservation Class Outline (9-12 Agriculture & Science classes)

What are invasive species?
Invasive species are species of organism that are not native to an ecosystem and which cause harm. Invasive species generally grow and reproduce quickly, and spread aggressively with the potential to cause harm to the environment, the economy, and even human health.
 
How do they spread?
Invasive species are spread intentionally and unintentionally through human activity. Throughout history people have introduced foreign species to new environments for aesthetic and economic reasons. Species are also introduced inadvertently on ships, in wood products, through ornamental plants, pet trade, and other means of transportation.

Why are they bad?
Invasive species can cause harm various ways. They pose a threat to native animal species by outcompeting native species for resources, preying on native species, and carrying diseases that harm them. Invasive plant species displace native plant species. They can quickly take over an area causing clogged waterways, and improper growth and germination of native plants species. Many invasive plant species provide no food value to native animal species. All invasive species also threaten the delicate balance of entire ecosystems by disrupting the natural food web, decreasing biodiversity, and altering ecosystem conditions.

What can you do?
  • Plant natives in your yard and remove any invasive.
  • Learn to identify invasive species in your area.
  • Report invasive plant and animal sightings to your local county extension office.
  • If you are traveling to another country or region, check your baggage and vehicle for “hitchhikers”.
  • When boating always clean your boat and check it for aquatic invasive species before putting it into another body of water.
  • When camping do not bring your own firewood, instead buy locally grown firewood.


Ideas for invasive species class, family, or community projects
  • Plant native grasses, flowers, and trees in your yard or schoolyard.
  • Design and implement a local invasive species study.
  • Raise awareness of invasive species. Put together an awareness poster or campaign and help spread the word.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Iowa Citizens Playing Key Role in Tracking Imperiled Wildlife


Citizen scientists across Iowa make enormous contributions to wildlife conservation each year as part of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Volunteer WildlifeMonitoring Program (VWMP). This program trains wildlife enthusiasts to observe and collect data on bald eagle nests among other things. 
 
Program Coordinator Stephanie Shepherd explains, “We just don’t have enough staff in the DNR to adequately monitor all the vulnerable species that we need to. This is where citizen scientists play a crucial role.”  Every March and April, Shepherd travels around the state to lead training workshops that prepare folks to collect data on some of Iowa’s critical wildlife. 

 
In 2015, trained, volunteer monitors submitted data on 163 Bald Eagle Territories from around the state. Observations of nesting started in early March and wrapped up in June.  Across three visits to each nest, citizen scientists collected information on their assigned nest’s activity; how many young were produced and how many of those young successfully fledged from the nest. “This data collection requires lots of patience and some good optics in order to watch the nest from a distance and not disturb the birds,” Shepherd indicates. 

Volunteers also collected data on two species of raptor which have only been restored to Iowa in the recent past; osprey and peregrine falcons. These species are not as widespread as eagles but volunteers were still able to gather information on 14 nest sites.  
 
“The Volunteer Wildlife Monitoring Program provides an opportunity for adults who love the outdoors and wildlife to be directly involved with the conservation and monitoring of Iowa’s resources. The work done is crucial to the well-being of these species,” said Shepherd.
 
If you are interested in getting involved, registration are now being accepted for the 2016 workshops. Space is limited and it will be first come, first serve.  For more information or to download a registration form, visit the Volunteer Wildlife Monitoring Program website.  .
 
2016 Volunteer Wildlife Monitoring Workshops
o    Location: Osborne Park Nature Center near Elkader, IA

·         March 12, 2016 – 1:00 to 4:30 P.M. – WAYNE COUNTY in partnership with the Wayne County Conservation Board.

o    Location: Bobwhite State Park, Wayne County Conservation Offices, near Allerton, IA.

·         March 19, 2016 – 1:00 to 4:30 P.M. – SAC COUNTY in partnership with the Sac County Conservation Board.

o    Location: Sac County Conservation Center near Sac City, IA.