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Outreach Summer Newsletter - 08.18.2020 - Issue 5
Hello from the office of Science Outreach at Penn State!
We hope you had a chance to visit the Penn State Virtual AstroFest 2020 this past weekend! If not, the virtual lobby is still open! We encourage you to stop by and see some of the fascinating presentations. Coincidentally, yesterday was the three year anniversary of the detection of a gravitational wave that resulted from the collision of two neutron-stars! This LIGO detection introduced a new era of astronomy! See what else you can learn at AstroFest 2020!
In this issue of our Summer Newsletter we feature another Outreach partner, the Shaver's Creek Environmental Center which is continuing with virtual educational activities. There is a reminder about the ongoing webinars presented by the Chemistry Graduate Student Association to help parents perform fun science demonstrations with their children. We also include a link to our new Trail Guide before you get outside for some Fall hikes, and some links for genealogical research used in our Finding Your Roots Science-U camp! Also be sure to check out a STEM activity reported by one of our readers!
We hope you enjoy learning more about these Science-U-related topics and share with us any of the activities that you try at home! Please contact us at outreach@science.psu.edu with any questions or comments. Stay safe!
Shaver's Creek
Did you know that Penn State has its very own nature center? Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center is only a few miles away from campus and encourages people to “Never Stop Discovering” the world around them through public programs, Penn State classes, and ongoing research and conservation efforts. Shaver’s Creek is currently closed to maintain public health and safety, but the trails are still open to hike and explore!
Looking for ways to “Never Stop Discovering” virtually? Check out the #discoveryconnection videos posted on the Shaver’s Creek Facebook page. Every Friday, a Shaver’s Creek staff member will show you a new way to connect to nature. All ages are invited to explore, create, and share what they discover! You also can read The Naturalist Notebook, a blog aimed to keep people informed about the programs, updates, and natural history happenings at the Shaver’s Creek.
Free Chemistry Webinars
The Chemistry Graduate Student Association will once again host a free webinar for parents! We hope that this will be a fun platform for parents to engage with their kids in meaningful science demonstrations that will help them learn about science. The next webinar is scheduled for Sunday, August 23rd at 2:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time) and is titled Hydrophobicity and Art: Water, It’s a Love/Hate Relationship! Click the link below to learn more and to download the procedure and supplies in advance.
Trail Guide to Central PA
Do you enjoy hiking through the natural areas of Central Pennsylvania? As Fall starts to make an appearance in the area, it would be a great time to get outside, see nature changing, and explore some of the trails! Our website now has a Trail Guide to help you find the best hiking areas for you and your family or friends! Just remember: always bring an adult with you on your adventures and be sure to bring a backpack with water, first aid supplies, and a good map! Happy hiking!
Explore Family History
Genealogy, or the study of families and genetic lineage, is one topic of our popular Finding Your Roots Science-U camp (see below for a video about last year's camp!). In that summer camp, middle school students use Ancestry.com to get their DNA tested and to find the geographical origins of their families. By combining their DNA results with a genealogical search, many campers also create family trees going back several generations. Some are even able to find interesting old photographs of their distant relatives! Besides Ancestry.com, campers use other genealogical websites. These other sites include Family Search and the National Archives, which can both be accessed for free. For elementary students, Scholastic has several activities and websites to help young children learn about their family history. We hope you try these genealogical websites and enjoy the excitement of discovering your family history!
STEM Activities at Home
We hope our summer newsletters have inspired families to learn more about different science fields and to try some of the suggested activities. We are always happy to hear about your projects and experiments! Thanks to Janusz from Philadelphia for sharing a photo of a toothpick bridge that he designed and built! The time-consuming construction used geometric shapes like the spaghetti tower activity we featured in a previous newsletter. Awesome job!
We want to hear from you!
Email us at outreach@science.psu.edu
- If you try an activity in this newsletter, let us know how it went!
- Share nature or experiment photos that you take!
- Let us know what you would like to see in a future newsletter!
Please submit items to be included by August 27, 2020.
By submitting photographs or information to the Office of Science Outreach, we reserve the right to use them in our next electronic newsletter.
