Science-U News, Back to School, Mushrooms, and Science Events
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August 2021
Greetings from the Office of Science Outreach! We hope your summer is going well! This month's newsletter contains the following topics:
- Tips for Back to School
- OSO in-person
- Science-U News
- Pennsylvania Fungi
- Other events:
- WPSU's Virtual Summer Camp
- STEM Ed for Girls
- AstroFest 2021
- Events at the Arboretum
Keep scrolling for more information and links! Best wishes for a fun remainder of the summer and a healthy start to the 2021-2022 school year! ~ Science Outreach Team
Planning for Back to School
What will your child need this year for school? We have a few thoughts to share!
First, check with your child's teacher(s) or school district for what supplies might be needed for the upcoming school year. Depending on your child's grade or school, students may need anything from colored pencils to lap-tops! District websites and even local retail stores offer lists of necessary educational materials. Start gathering them early to avoid a last-minute panic!
Also, help your child off to a good school year by encouraging healthy sleeping habits and routines before the first day. Children who are well rested stay focused on their school tasks, have fewer discipline issues, and can achieve more! Encouraging your child to have a positive attitude about school is another good habit to develop!
With many schools returning to in-person classes this Fall, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has provided detailed suggestions. For example, hand sanitizer and masks may be needed for children who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. The checklist also highlights the need to keep children out of school if they show any symptoms of illness! For this reason, families may want to consider alternative plans if their children cannot attend school for a period of time. Click on the link below to review the CDC's back to school checklist and have a great school year!
OSO in-person
Everyone in the Office of Science Outreach (OSO) is fully vaccinated and ready to resume outreach events in-person! We are looking forward to being back in our office in Ritenour on a hybrid schedule starting mid-August, and we will explore the possibility of hosting limited, in-person events as the new semester begins.
One off-campus event that we are organizing is the Ask A Scientist event at the Centre County Grange Fair on Friday, August 27th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Several scientists from Penn state are eager to share their research with families and will have demonstrations and hands-on activities available. We hope to see many familiar faces!
Of course, all of our plans depend on Penn State health and safety policies and the cases of COVID-19 in the community. As more community members, and especially children, are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccines, we hope to expand our programs. So take care, stay well, and get vaccinated if you can. We'll see you soon!
Science-U News
When I say 'Science!' - you say 'U'! 'SCIENCE!' -'U'!!
While we may have missed that familiar chant this summer, we certainly didn't miss any excitement from our Science-U camps last month! It was wonderful to virtually meet so many campers from across Pennsylvania and from other states. We even had a camper Zoom with us from a vacation in Egypt!
Our July camps started off with Nature Explorers - where elementary students learned about animals such as mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and birds. Watching a live-stream bird feeder and using nature apps to identify birds and other animals was a highlight of that week!
We enjoyed two weeks of our popular Nittany Bots: LEGO Robotics camp! Under the direction of instructor, Ray Regan, campers learned to construct LEGO robots that they also programmed to dance, race, chop, and even scratch. The assembly and coding of the robots was a little tricky over Zoom, but thanks to some assistance from parents and grandparents, the campers did a great job and were very creative!
Make It Matter, our high school level camp, also was very successful and involved several Penn State faculty and researchers sharing their knowledge. Campers completed activities at home related to materials science and virtually toured the Nanofabrication Lab and other Penn State laboratories. Thanks to Penn State's Materials Research Science and Engineering Center for sponsoring this camp.
Middle school students recently participated in our Life...in Space! camp that focused on astrobiology - the search for life in space. Campers enjoyed theorizing where in the universe life forms may exist and how humans might communicate with them. They finished camp exploring how payloads are landed on distant planets like Mars and had the chance to create their own protected payload projects. Two of the successful projects are shown below.
We have enjoyed meeting weekly with our campers in the Designing the Future Club. They have been very innovative in meeting the various challenges related to physics, manufacturing, and computer-aided design. Below are some pictures they shared about the concepts of perspective, mirroring, and electrical current.
Pennsylvania Fungi
With a wet start to the summer, you may have noticed several species of mushrooms growing in forests around Pennsylvania. Click on this link to read more about these mushrooms that grow in the wild.
WPSU Virtual Summer Camp Continues
The Office of Science Outreach and WPSU have worked together this summer to bring families a Virtual Summer Camp! Videos and activities are available by clicking the button below. Be sure to take a look at the STEM Thursdays to see interviews with scientists from Eberly College of Science, as well as fun science activities that you can try at home! The WPSU Virtual Summer Camp goes until August 6th, but you can still sign up!
STEM Workshops for High School Girls
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is hosting a nation-wide, virtual program aimed at inspiring girls in grades 9 through 12 to pursue education and careers in STEM! There are three 90-minute workshops being held on August 4, 11, and 18, and registration is still open! Check out the link below for more information and to register for these free workshops!
AstroFest 2021
The Penn State Astronomy and Astrophysics department is planning to host AstroFest in person this year at the Penn State Arboretum! The tentative dates are September 3-5, 2021. Watch for more information on the department's website.
Events at the Arboretum
The Arboretum at Penn State will be hosting several FREE events this August for families, children, and adults. Most programs require advance registration and are supported by the Mark Jay Tygel Endowment for Educational Programs in The Arboretum at Penn State. Check out the events below!
Digging Deeper: The Story of Soil Mini Camp
Children entering grades 3, 4, and 5 are invited to come learn how soil is formed and why healthy soil is important to natural ecosystems and human populations. This mini camp will be offered Saturday, August 14, from 9 a.m. until noon. See the link below for more information and registration.
Rooted in Water Hydroponics Workshop
The whole family will enjoy learning about a simple hydroponics method called the “kratky method”! We’ll discuss the importance of roots to plant and soil health, allow participants to taste test different leafy greens grown hydroponically, and, ultimately, work with participants to create their own simple kratky method containers to take home. Two sessions are offered: August 5 or 19, both from 10 a.m. to noon. Please click the appropriate link for registration.
Stories Under the Sky
Families are invited to join researchers from Penn State’s Department of Anthropology and storytellers from the broader State College Community as they share histories, myths, and legends from diverse cultures under the open sky in the Arboretum. Stories will be followed by stargazing if conditions permit! Dates are Thursdays, August 5, 12, and 26, and September 2 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Click on the button below to see the advanced registration links for each of the four events.
Food from Forage: Sumac Lemonade
Have you ever looked at a pile of grass clippings and seen an enticing salad? Perhaps not, but many of the plants we encounter every day can be eaten if properly prepared! During the Food from Forage summer workshop series, we'll explore both food and first aid products that can be made from plants commonly found in Centre County and throughout Pennsylvania. This last session focuses on a “lemonade” drink made from staghorn sumac, a Pennsylvania native. This event takes place on Tuesday, August 10 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and is for adults (18+) only. Please register using the link below.
Cave Day: Explore the World Below Us!
On Saturday, August 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. families are invited to visit the The Arboretum at Penn State for a one-day exploration of the world that lies beneath the limestone valleys of central Pennsylvania. In collaboration with community and University partners we will offer hands-on activities, engaging demonstrations, and presentations that enable visitors to rappel into the science and wonder of caves, karsts, sinkholes, and groundwater. Join us to discover the interconnections between our sunlit world and the realms below. No registration is required.
Meet our team!
Our Office of Science Outreach staff members are happy to assist you with any questions related to Science Outreach. Bookmark our website at https://science.psu.edu/outreach for more information or email us at outreach@science.psu.edu.
We'd love to hear from you!
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