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******** January 20, 2018 *******
January 20, 2018 (Saturday) 9:15 am – 5 pm
Air Force Academy Chemistry Department – Meet at the front of the Field House.
Dazzling Chemistry Demonstrations!
During this fun and exciting workshop, you will get the opportunity to practice chemistry demonstrations, hands-on; that you can use in your classroom. We’ll have demos appropriate for all grade levels for you to try, as well as the opportunity to ask questions. Dr Ron Furstenau and Dr Gary Balaich have over 50 years of combined experience of using chemistry demonstrations safely in their classrooms, as well as giving chemical demonstrations to all age groups in our community.
The workshop will include a chemical magic show (a showcase for cool, but very good teaching demos), a sample lesson on how to incorporate demos into your daily lessons, and lots of time to try a wide variety of demos. Each participant will receive a copy of the demo manual used at the USAF Academy Department of Chemistry, as well as a copy of the Chemistry Magic Show manual.
Presenters: Dr. Ron Furstenau & Dr. Gary Balaich, US AFA Chemistry Department
******** February 13, 2018 ********
February 13, 2018 (Tuesday) 4 pm – 8 pm
Discovery Canyon Campus (1810 North Gate Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80921)
Intro to Amateur Ham Radio
Intro to Amateur Radio will outline the requirements needed to pass the FCC Element 2 exam (Technician Class) by focusing on properties of radio signals, electricity, magnetism, circuits, antennas, signal propagation, radio equipment, safety, and licensing regulations with the intention of using these skills in a voluntary position during a local or national emergency.
Presenter: Jonathan Bluff, Science Teacher, Discovery Canyon High School
******** March 10, 2018 ********
March 10, 2018 (Saturday) 7:30am – 4:30pm (includes travel time)
Meet at CMJHS* at 7:15 (1200 W Cheyenne Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80906). We will travel together on the bus for this trip.
* Cheyenne Mountain Junior High School
Snow Science for Teachers
Strap on snowshoes and get ready for a day of adventure that will change the way you look at and teach about snow. Our day will begin with Catamount Institute in a classroom near Divide where you will learn about snow crystallization and layering through easily repeatable lab activities. Be prepared for mashed potato avalanches to study angle of repose and a new way to teach climate science through the dissection of frozen ice cores and data analysis. After lunch we will travel to Cripple Creek for a snowshoe hike (snowshoes provided) with the lead Environmental Reclamation Specialist from the Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mining Company. We will travel through one of the mine’s buffer zones looking at animal signs and tracks to asses winter animal populations, as well as core and sample the snow pack to estimate spring run-off. Weather you teach biology, physics, chemistry, or earth science, we look forward to sharing our “cool” snow science lessons with you and your classes!
Presenters: Tracy Jackson and other staff, Catamount Institute
******** April 12, 2018 ********
April 12, 2018 (Thursday) 4 pm – 8 pm
Discovery Canyon Campus (1810 North Gate Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80921)
Little Shop of Physics:
A Warm Planet in a Cold Universe – Activities for teaching about climate and climate change
During the day, the earth is warmed by sunlight that shines on it. This is something that your students can see, something that they can feel. But, over the course of a day, the surface of the earth receives more radiant energy from the bottoms of clouds and the lower atmosphere than it does from the sun. This influence of thermal radiation is critically important for an understanding of the earth’s climate and how it is changing. In this workshop we’ll share activities that make this invisible form of energy transfer tangible. We’ll also share activities that illuminate other important but complex concepts, such as how climate models work, how feedbacks—both positive and negative—affect the climate. Our goal is to help you understand the nuts and bolts of climate and climate change and to learn tools and techniques for sharing these ideas with your students.
Presenter: Brian Jones & Little Shop of Physics, Colorado State University
******** May 5, 2018 *******
The State of Wolves in Colorado
May 5, 2018 (Saturday) 8 am – 4 pm