At the SMILE Teacher’s Workshop we showcased a plethora of great lessons plans, one of which was presented by Danica Hendrickson from Facing The Future. She was gracious enough to share with us a PowerPoint for high school students that focuses on how we use energy everyday and where that energy comes from. Danica also recommended checking out these websites in conjunction with her lesson plan to see how much waste and energy recycling saves us. These are great bioenergy ideas to share with your students.
At this year’s teacher workshop we introduced two new teams of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering students. These seniors at Oregon State University have created several new amazing lesson plans for middle school teachers. We hope these lesson plans make their way into your classroom and help with the Middle School Challenge!
- During the Teacher’s Workshop, teachers were taught the mechanics behind a push and pull manufacturing system. Both systems can be seen in our everyday lives. It is a great short activity that only requires paper and pencils. We encourage you to check out this activity!
- Instructions are also an important factor in the manufacturing process. In this lesson plan students will decode different instructions and explore their clarity.
Our Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering team was thrilled to showcase these lessons at the Teacher Workshop and are excited to share more lessons on this blog. Check back soon to see additional engineering lesson plans.
Jon Roschke, a KidWind Pacific NW WindSenator from Oregon Renewables, shared a great presentation and his expertise on Wind Energy. Using prebuilt turbine towers, teachers explored the science of wind turbine blade design. Take a look at the presentation that Jon included in his workshop!
A great resource that Jon recommends is the KidWind Project website: http://learn.kidwind.org/teach
Renee Greer, a Ph.D., Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, worked closely with the SMILE program to develop lessons that would share her expertise in cellular biology at an elementary school level. There are 7 lessons in total and they can be taught as a unit or individually.
During our 2014 Winter SMILE Teacher’s Workshop, Matt Nyman, a Professor in the College of Education at Oregon State University, shared his expertise during a session on Schoolyard Geology. Take a look at the great resources that were shared!
Professor Nyman also recommends the website “Exploring the World of Science”: http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc//navigation/home.cfm
Alicia Lyman-Holt, a staff member at the Hinsdale Wave Research Lab, led a session at the 2014 “Step up your STEM” Teacher’s Workshop and shared her expertise on Tsunamis, Civil Engineering, and the Engineering Design Cycle. Take a look at the materials that Alicia shared!
We are opening up the second day of the Winter Teacher’s Workshop to any and all interested teachers. Feel free to share this opportunity with your colleagues. See the flyer pictures above for information about the sessions offered, and register for the sessions by January 10th at the following link: https://smileosu.wufoo.com/forms/registration-deadline-500-pm-1102014/
