2024 Summer Middle School Teachers
Exploring Our Universe
Wednesdays - virtual - 1 pm to 3 pm EDT
June 5th
Unraveling Earth's Secrets with Radiometric Dating
Did you know that scientists can tell how long a rock has been exposed to the sun? We will look into ways of teaching radioactive dating, half-life, and isotopes in our quest to understand Earth's 4.6 billion-year-old history.
Lessons covered in this session:
Geologic Time Scale
Introduction to Radioactivity
Virtual Lab: The Effects of Distance and Shielding on Exposure to Radiation
What is Half-life?
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June 12th
Spectroscopy: Using Wavelengths to Discover our Universe
We teach the basics about waves, but this lesson takes waves out of this world. We will explore wavelengths like the ones used by the Perseverance Rover and try to decode secret messages. Several hands-on and virtual activities related to waves are included in this unit.
Lessons covered in this session:
An Investigation in Earth Systems
Virtual Lab: How can we measure visible light?
Remote Sensing
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June 26th
Landing on the Moon with Block Code
Join us in learning how to create a lunar landing game in Scratch and enhance it with Vernier force and acceleration sensors. In this session, you'll master Scratch game development basics and integrate real-world sensor inputs for an interactive experience. The sensor is an optional addition to the lesson.
Lessons covered in this session:
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July 10th
Remote Sensing
In this experiment, students are given the challenge of designing and constructing an imaginary planetary terrain. Using the Vernier Science GDX Motion Detector and the Vernier Graphical Analysis software, they will systematically scan and generate a 3D topographical scale model of their terrain with Excel.
Lessons covered in this session:
Remote Sensing- Mapping Terrains
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July 17th
Landing on the Moon with Python
Take your game development skills to the next level in this advanced workshop! Learn to design a lunar landing game using Python. We'll cover Python syntax, object-oriented programming, and game development libraries like Pygame. Perfect for those with a basic understanding of Python looking to create engaging educational games.
July 24th
How to Incorporate CCR in the Science Classroom
How do you teach College and Career Readiness? We will look at ways to incorporate College and Career Readiness information into your middle school classroom. We will help you gain knowledge of what is out there so you can share it with your students and excite them to pursue their passion.
July 31st
Running Classroom on a Shoe-String Budget
We will discuss how to maximize the materials you currently have in your classroom to conduct labs you might not do currently. How can you order a smaller number of lab set-ups and still get all the students through the labs? How can you get the students to take more responsibility to complete assignments? All on a shoestring budget. Please come and take part in a group discussion to better your science classroom experience.
Previous year's lessons and resources are on our Purdue University HS/MS Learning Experiences page.
Additional Information
For additional program information, contact K12 Outreach.