News - Iowa Academy of Science

July 2017 GLOBE News Brief

GLOBE Data Entry App Version 1.3 Now Available!
Create and Edit Sites Without Active Internet Connection!

GLOBE Data Entry App Version 1.3 is now available - and it's all about making data entry easy! This latest version allows you to create and edit your sites, even without an active internet connection. The app now streamlines some aspects of data entry, and allows the use of a phone or tablet camera to document sites and measurements. (This app is intended only for users who have an existing GLOBE account.)
 
Thanks to everyone who is participating in the current ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) Data Entry Challenge. The goal of the challenge, which began on 22 April and runs through 22 July, is to involve students in the GLOBE ENSO Student Research Campaign. The data collected and entered into our system during the ENSO Data Entry Campaign will help us understand how these natural cycles impact us - and how we may impact them.
 
Download the Data Entry App today (for Android via Google Play; for iOS via the App Store) and put science - and adventures in learning - in the palm of your hands! 

News 

GLOBE Observer App Now Includes New Mosquito Habitat Mapper!

The GLOBE Observer App, which is available in iOS and Android formats, now includes a new tool - a Mosquito Habitat Mapper. This new tool supports citizen scientists in efforts to map, count, and identify mosquito larvae found in breeding sites. In many parts of the world, mosquitoes are more than just a summertime nuisance; they spread diseases that kill nearly 2.7 million people a year.
 
The Mosquito Habitat Mapper guides users through the process of identifying and eliminating mosquito breeding sites. It also gives citizen scientists the option to identify the mosquito species to determine whether it could transmit Zika, Dengue Fever, Yellow Fever, Chikungunya, and other diseases. Due to its potential for reducing mosquito-borne disease, the Mosquito Habitat Mapper is being incorporated into several international efforts. (To read more about this amazing international effort, click here.)
 
Now, when you download the GLOBE Observer App, the new Mosquito Habitat Mapper will automatically update to include the new tool. To learn more about GLOBE Observer, please visit: https://observer.globe.gov. Remember, when you submit your observations, you will be helping GLOBE students around the world conduct real scientific research.  

46th Annual NAAEE Conference (San Juan, Puerto Rico, 18-21 October) Offers Full-Day Workshop: "The GLOBE Program and Eco-Schools: Science and Sustainability in School Gardens" 

The 46th Annual North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) Conference will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA, from 18-21 October 2017.
 
On 18 October, a full-day workshop "The GLOBE Program and Eco-Schools: Science and Sustainability in School Gardens" will be offered. During this interactive hands-on workshop, participants will learn about GLOBE science, Eco-Schools sustainability, and NASA resources. Participants will conduct GLOBE field investigations through an exploration of a local Eco-School's schoolyard habitat and develop an implementation action plan.
 
For more information on the NAAEE Conference, the GLOBE/Eco-Schools workshop, and conference fees (which includes an "Early Bird" rate through 31 August), click here!

Can You Step in the Same River Twice? Read Dr. Dixon Butler's Latest Blog and Find Out! 

Can you step in the same river twice? Read the latest blog: "The Earth Science Imperative - Take Today's Data Today," crafted by Dr. Dixon Butler (former Chief Scientist of The GLOBE Program) and discover how taking today's data is a way in which students, and all citizen scientists, can do something that matters for understanding Earth.

Discover and Be Discovered: Submit an Abstract to the AGU Fall Meeting (December) in New Orleans, USA - Attend GLOBE Sessions!

Discover and be discovered: submit an abstract to the AGU (American Geophysical Union) Fall Meeting, which will take place in New Orleans, USA, from 11-15 December 2017.
 
Showcase your research to an international audience, debate with your peers, and find new ways to create a positive impact on society. This is the largest and most influential event dedicated to advancing Earth and space science. Don't miss your opportunity to accelerate your career. (And if you submit early you'll have a chance to win a $100 gift card!) 

• Early Abstract Submission Deadline: 26 July, 11:59 P.M. ET
• Final Abstract Submission Deadline: 02 August, 11:59 P.M. ET

For more information and guidelines, and to submit an abstract, click here. For more information about the AGU Fall Meeting, click here.
 
GLOBE Sessions!
 
If you are attending the meeting, please consider joining GLOBE at these sessions: 

• Session ID: 26390/Session Title (ED024): Increasing STEM Equity and Retention through Community Engagement 
• Session ID: 26016/Session Title (ED023): GLOBE and Its Role in Science Teacher Preparation

2017 Geophysical Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshop at AGU

• GLOBE Partners: Consider applying to present at the GIFT Workshop for teachers. For more information, visit: click here. 
• K-12 teachers: To register for the GIFT workshop (check back in September), click here. 

High school students: You can apply to present at the AGU too! Check out the Bright Stars Program, click here! 

Opportunities for Teachers

U.S. opportunities are often highlighted in the News Brief simply because we are more aware of them through our local media; however, if there are opportunities for GLOBE students and/or teachers in your region you would like us to highlight in the coming months, please send the info to: communications@globe.gov.. 

NASA STEM Educator Webinars  

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative (EPDC) is presenting a series of webinars open to all educators. All pre-service, K-12, and informal educators, as well as university faculty, are invited to join NASA education specialists to learn about NASA missions, activities, lesson plans, educator guides, and online resources that integrate NASA and STEM into the classroom.

An upcoming webinar, "Solar Eclipse: Shadows" is geared toward educators in grade levels Pre-K through 12. On Monday, 24 July (3:30 p.m. ET) the NASA EPDC is providing a one-hour webinar. Participants will learn about shadows and the upcoming eclipse, which is the first time in almost 40 years that all of North America will be treated to an eclipse of the sun on 21 August.  

Need Assistance? Maybe there's a Website Tutorial for That - GLOBE Made Easy!

Upcoming 2017 GLOBE Teacher Training Workshops 

Upcoming GLOBE teacher training workshops include: 

• Watsonville, California, USA (Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve): 08-09 July (open to all teachers)
• Manchester, New Hampshire, USA (STEM Discovery Lab, UNH at Manchester): 10-11 July (open to all teachers)
• Institute, West Virginia, USA (West Virginia State University): 10 July (restricted to teachers in the region)
• Birmingham, Alabama, USA (Hoover High School) 11-14 July (restricted to teachers in the region)
• Morehead City, North Carolina, USA (NSCU The Center for Marine Sciences and Technology): 11 July (open to all teachers)
• Morehead City, North Carolina, USA (NSCU The Center for Marine Sciences and Technology): 12 July (open to all teachers)
• Morehead City, North Carolina, USA (NSCU The Center for Marine Sciences and Technology): 13 July (open to all teachers)
• East Brewton, Alabama, USA (WS Neal Elementary): 18-20 July (restricted to teachers in the region)
• Mountain View, California, USA (NASA AMES):24-25 July (open to all teachers)
• Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA (UND Clifford Hall): 17 July - 01 August (open to all teachers)
• Pierre, South Dakota, USA (South Dakota Discovery Center): 08-08 August (open to all teachers)
• Manchester, New Hampshire, USA (STEM Discovery Center Lab, UNH at Manchester): 07-08 August (open to all teachers)

Connect With Us

The GLOBE Program depends on you to let us know what is happening in your regions, countries, communities and classrooms. Send us news you would like to share with the GLOBE Community and we'll include it in next month's News Brief. Be sure to include photos, too.

Send your message to communications@globe.gov

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Everyone Can be a Scientist! Recent Smithsonian Article Highlights Citizen Science and GLOBE Observer 

Can your input help solve big problems in science? A recent article in Smithsonian Magazine, "Will the Next Great Scientific Discovery Be Made By Amateurs?" reports that the answer to that question is yes!
 
In the article, Kristin Weaver, an outreach specialist at NASA and the deputy coordinator of GLOBE Observer, said that what's great about citizen science is that it brings a direct, concrete connection to people. "Everyone can be a scientist, and I think that making that connection between people doing citizen science and the NASA science is just exciting."
 
Click here to read the entire article.

New Case Studies Highlight the Integration of GLOBE and Eco-Schools in the Czech Republic

Seven new case studies demonstrate the integration of The GLOBE Program and Eco-Schools in the Czech Republic. GLOBE and Eco-Schools are working together to integrate high quality, 21st century, STEM and environment-based programs. (The GLOBE Program is in 115 countries. The Eco-Schools program is in 60 countries around the world and reaches over 12 million students every year.)
 
Click here to read the case studies.
 
Click here for more information about the GLOBE and Eco-Schools collaboration, and to find resources that can help you integrate GLOBE and Eco-Schools. 

The Great American Solar Eclipse is Coming in August - Are You Ready?

There's no doubt that you're already well aware of the coming eclipse (21 August), but did you know that there are GLOBE science investigations that you can use with your students to enhance this amazing experience? Check them out here!
 
The eclipse in August will be visible across a broad swath of the Northern Hemisphere. Most areas will see a partial eclipse; however, those within the approximately 60-mile wide "path of totality" from Oregon to South Carolina will experience a total solar eclipse. These celestial events have inspired wonder and awe throughout human history, and for the first time since 1979 people in the continental U.S. will get to experience one as well!
 
This is a rare opportunity - what solar-powered protocols will you be watching? For more detailed information, visit these links: 

• GLOBE Research Ideas
• Safety
• Eclipse Learning Activities and Demos
• More about the Eclipse
• Discussions and Documents

Tech Update

In June, a new "Partner Dashboard" was added to the GLOBE website. Country Coordinators and Partners  can now approve accounts quickly, send out bulk emails to various group members ("Approved," "Newly Trained," etc.), and see what's going on in their organization by viewing a summary of user activity.
 
Expect several re-designs on the website in July. The homepage, vis, and the region and country pages will all be getting a makeover. Plus, look for a special "in-app" observation tool for this summer's solar eclipse on the GLOBE Observer App.

Have You Been on the GLOBE YouTube Channel Lately? Check out this "GLOBE Club" Video Provided by Jonas Salk Middle School in Old Bridge, New Jersey, USA!

News Topics: News Briefs type: globe-news

News origin: GLOBE Implementation Office

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