The DISCOVERY INSTITUTE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

WELCOME TO THE STEM SHOWCASE 2010

"Come join us for STEM Showcase 2010 and see what the brightest young minds on the Central Caliornia Coast are doing to help sustain our Nation's future. Now more than ever we need to support and encourage our young people to take an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). A systemic and sustainable P-16 pipeline is absolutely essential to create and maintain a successful, employable, and educated workforce able to compete in a global economy." -- Derrick Lavoie, Director, Discovery Institute

SATURDAY
MARCH 13

Cal Poly University
Chumash Auditorium

Free Admission
Free Parking

Map of Cal Poly

STEM SHOWCASE FLYER (please download and post)

Friday, March 12, 2010 will begin an action packed STEM event weekend that includes the Annual STEM P-16 Teacher Banquet, STEM Science Teaching Conference, and the Annual STEM Showcase. The Banquet will be held Friday night at Cal Poly with Darren Bouton from First Solar as the Keynote Speaker. Attendance at this event is by invitation only and will include SLO County science and mathematics teachers, college professors, local scientists, administrators, and dignitaries. Please visit the main STEM Conference website for more information. The STEM Conference will take place on Saturday, March 13, and involves a series of hands-on professional development workshops for teachers to experience the latest techniques and strategies for teaching science. Teacher Registration and Call for Presenters is available at the STEM Conference website.

Additionally on Saturday, March 13, 2010, the Discovery Institute for the Advancement of Science and Technology Education, in partnership with Cuesta College, California Polytechnic State University, and the County Office of Education, will host STEM SHOWCASE 2010. This will be an exciting day of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics demonstrations, robotics competions, science magic shows, and a variety of interesting science displays and hands-on activities. Students will also spend an hour engaged in awesome science learning actvities as part of Cal Poly's new Learn By Doing Laboratory. Prizes will be awared to all student presenters as well as certificates of participation from Sam Blakeslee. A highlight of the showcase will be a robotics competion and a keynote presentation by Dr. John Keller, A $200 first prize will be awared to the winning Robotics team.

"Climate Comparisons: Venus, Mars, and Earth"

We will explore lessons learned about climate by comparing very different atmospheres of three planets in our Solar System. Why is Venus so hot? Why does the climate of Mars vary so much? What factors affected climate on Earth in the past and during the present? What do we know about climate change on Earth and other planets?

Dr. John Keller, professor of physics and astronomy at the Cal Poly, is Director of the Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education. He is also a science team member with NASA’s Mars Gamma Ray Spectrometer, the instrument aboard the Mars Odyssey spacecraft that detected the buried water ice at the near surface of Mars. He received his PhD in Planetary Science from the University of Arizona in Tucson in 2006.

The Saturday STEM Showcase, robotics competition, magic show, and keynote is free to the public and will be held at Cal Poly in the Chumash Aditorium (see Map of Cal Poly).

SATURDAY STEM SHOWCASE STUDENT ACTIVITY SCHEDULE

9:00 - 9:45 - Student Presenters set up SHOWCASE
9:45 - 10:00 - Welcome and Instructions
10:00 - 11:00 - Learn by Doing Laboratory
11:00 - 12:00 - SHOWCASE displays and demos
12:00 - 12:15 - Lunch (free to student presenters)
12:15 - 12:45 - Keynote Presentation (Dr. Keller)
12:45 - 1:30- Science Magic Show
1:30- 2:15 - VEX Robotics Competition (Nipomo High School)
2:30 - 3:00 - Raffle, Awards, and Closing

CALL FOR STUDENT PRESENTERS

Student teams from elementary, middle school, high school, and college who have STEM related projects, either completed or in process, are encouraged to present at the Showcase. This is a tremendous opportunity to network with other students, science teachers, scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and mentors. Projects will encompass a wide variety of disciplines that involve level science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. Examples might include science fair projects and poster displays, hands on demonstrations, environmental/energy projects, laboratory or field based research studies, whole class projects. For more examples check out STEM Showcase 2008 and STEM Showcase 2009.

Each team will be provided an 8 x 10 ft. space with one or two 6 ft. tables. Presenters and their teacher/mentors will receive complementary lunches, and free admission to the robotics competition and science magic show. Teachers are encouraged to attend SHOWCASE with their students but this is not a requirement. Entries will be accepted based on scientific-technological merit, scientific process, and significance to STEM. Registration must be completed on line by February 27th, 2010.

CLICK TO REGISTER YOUR TEAM FOR THE SHOWCASE

“Because other nations have, and probably will continue to have, the competitive advantage of low-wage structure, the United States must compete by optimizing its knowledge-based resources, particularly in science and technology, and by sustaining the most fertile environment for new and revitalized industries and the well paying jobs they bring. We have already seen that capital, factories, and laboratories readily move wherever they are thought to have the greatest promise of return.”
Rising Above the Gathering Storm

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