Are you interested in an adventure this summer????

I received the following memo and thought all of my students should see it. There's an opportunity right here in Jacksonville. There's a contact person to call or e-mail if you have any questions.


FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
K-12 EDUCATION
BUREAU OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

GOVERNOR’S SUMMER PROGRAM
FOR GIFTED AND HIGH-ACHIEVING STUDENTS
PROGRAM ABSTRACTS
2009

The purpose of the Governor’s Summer Program is to provide an opportunity for outstanding gifted and high-achieving students to participate in and use the resources of the universities and colleges in the State of Florida. Institutions of higher education, public or private, submit proposals to provide day or residential summer programs for gifted and high-achieving students entering grades 8-12. The goal is to use the academic strengths and unique instructional resources of the sponsoring institution to provide participating students with learning experiences not available in their secondary education programs.

Note: Direct all inquiries about specific programs to the contact person listed.

Florida Atlantic University
Engineering Scholars’ Program

The Engineering Scholars Program, to be held June 8-26, is a day program providing dual-enrollment courses in Electronic Design with Operational Amplifiers, Ocean Engineering and Underwater Vehicles, New Generation Web Technologies, and Innovative Materials for Infrastructure, for at least 80 high-achieving 10th to 12th graders of Broward and Palm Beach counties. Faculty experienced with gifted students will utilize state-of-the-art College of Engineering and Computer Science laboratories to provide challenging hands-on educational opportunities not available in high schools, to help students develop problem solving skills and prepare for university studies. Team projects are emphasized. Sunshine State Standards are incorporated. Program information and application will be available online at http://www.dess.eng.fau.edu/esp.htm.

Contact Person: Dr. Marie Larrondo Petrie or Ms. Brenda Simmons
Phone: 561-297-2780
Mailing Address: College of Engineering and Computer Science
777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431-0991
E-mail Address: dess@fau.edu

Florida Community College at Jacksonville
Destination Space 2009: A Summer Exploration in
Aerospace and the Commercial Space Industry

This program is being offered through the Aviation Center of Excellence located at the College’s Cecil Center. This no-cost, two week day camp will be held July 13 - 24, 2009, for 25 students from Duval, Nassau, St. Johns and Clay counties entering grades 8 to 10. During the daily eight-hour sessions, students will participate in intensive higher levels of study in aerospace-related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) principles. The camp will include studies in the field of aerospace including subject matter such as: aeronautics with emphasis in the aerodynamics of both air breather and rocket propulsion vehicles; visual, electronic, and celestial navigation; physiology in high risk environments; concepts of air traffic control; physics; and advanced mathematics with practical applications in the science of suborbital space travel as well as an orientation to astronomy.

Contact Person: Phyllis Renninger
Phone: 904-632-3327
Mailing Address: 501 W. State Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202 -4939
E-mail Address: prenning@fccj.edu

Manatee Community College
Fishing for the Truth: Multidisciplinary Explorations into Crime Scene Investigations

This is a noncredit day program for 24 qualified gifted and high-achieving students, grades 10-12, in Manatee and Sarasota counties (urban and rural). It will run for four weeks, July 6-30, 2009, four days a week, six hours a day at the college. Activities infuse the social and natural sciences, information technology, mathematics and 21st century workplace skills with advanced critical thinking required by crime-scene investigations. Participants learn and apply law-enforcement/ forensics practices, including DNA laboratory activities and present their investigative conclusions to a prosecuting attorney. No fee required.

Contact Person: Dr. Michael J. Mears
Phone: 941-752-5267
Mailing Address: 5840 26th Street West
Bradenton, FL 34207
E-mail Address: mearsm@mccfl.edu

Palm Beach Community College
Math and Science Institute (MSI) Summer Program

Responding to the school district, industry, and emerging workforce trends, the college is offering a unique interdisciplinary model to connect students to the growing fields within Biotechnology and Environmental Science studies. The program will offer 30 rising 11th and 12th graders a rigorous college credit program in emerging industries such as biofuels and ethanol production from vegetation, as well as authentic field-based experiences that will serve as a model for interdisciplinary studies. The program will run for eight weeks from June 8 – August 7, 2009, Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Seventy percent of authentic learning experiences within authentic learning environments are planned (e.g. Scripps Research Institute, South Florida Water Management District, Advanced Water Technology, Cytonics Corporation, Ocean Ridge Biosciences, and TransDermal Technologies.

Contact Person: Valerie Burks, Ph.D.
Phone: 561-868-3895
Mailing Address: 4200 Congress Avenue
Lake Worth, FL 33461-4796
E-mail Address: burksv@pbcc.edu

South Florida Community College
Dynasties, Dragons, and Drums

This is an innovative college credit day program for gifted and high-achieving students that will focus on an interactive, anthropological study of ancient China through literature and art. The program is designed to accommodate twenty-five students entering grades 9-12 who have an interest in learning more about Chinese culture and the performing arts. This will be a five week course from June 8 – July 10, 2009. Participating students will have an opportunity to earn three hours of transferable college credit in an enriching, creative environment from a panel of experienced, qualified college faculty. Students will be expected to demonstrate their acquisition of knowledge through a variety of multidisciplinary assignments and activities, as well as participation in a final performance.

Contact Person: Lindsay Byron Lynch
Phone: 863-784-7413
Mailing Address: 600 West College Drive
Avon Park, FL, 33825 E-mail Address: lynchl@southflorida.edu

Be a part of the solution...

Consider being one of the millions of people world-wide who observe Earth Hour tonight. Just turn off your lights, computers, game systems, TV, and other light sources from 8:30 - 9:30 pm.

Here's a link to tell you more.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090326-earth-hour-2009.html?source=email_wn_20090327&email=wn

Quick Reminder: Bonus opportunity ends today.

Yes, get your bonus points now. I will be closing the bonus opportunity tomorrow. It has been an easy opportunity to earn a few points and some of you might be able to squeeze it in now. (Although you have had several weeks.)

I will print the GIZMO scores on Tuesday so get yours finished. You won't have to print anything out, I get your scores electronically.

TTFN until Tomorrow

Assignments for March 18, 19, and 20 while I am out

I will be attending the yearly conference of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) where I am presenting how to make and use stomp rockets ( a fun activity you will probably do in 8th grade). As a result I have to be out for several days. To help you plan to use your time wisely I am posting all of your assignments in advance.

Assignments for March 18, 19, and 20.

All of these except Gizmos should be finished in class by Friday. Anything not completed in class by FRIDAY is your homework. Have each assignment reviewed by the substitute and log it in to get credit. If it's not logged in by Friday you must have it ready by Monday.You may work on Gizmos at home. Remember to take the quiz for the unit.
The assignments may be completed in any order.

You will want to have the following materials for completing some of the tasks:

White printer paper* and color pencils or markers
[ ] Read “Animal Behavior”: Chapter 11, Section 3, pages 286 – 291. Work with a partner. Both of you read the Survival Behavior passages silently. Summarize the text aloud to your partner. Your partner should listen to the retelling and take notes on the key ideas. Switch roles and repeat the activity for the Seasonal Behaviors passages.
Make a venn diagram to compare and contrast hibernation to estivation. Use examples (words/pictures) to illustrate your mini-poster (one sheet of unlined paper).

[ ] Read “Adaptations and Survival” Chapter 11, Section 4 pages 292 – 293.
As you read the section make a “spider map” for different types of adaptations. You can find directions for this map on p. 755 of your red book. You may make this in your ISN.
Read “Types of Interactions”: Chapter 12, Section 3, pages 318 – middle of 323. Continue the spider map for adaptations.
Make a Three Panel Flip Chart for Symbiosis. Use your paper to make this. You can find directions for the chart on p. 753 of your red book.

[ ] Model Making Lab: Adaptation- It’s a Way of Life
Select one animal from your recent ecosystem project. Change its ecosystem drastically (example -rapid climate change due to abiotic factors). Use the adaptations listed on p. 298 to design an animal that has adapted to the new changes. Make a mini-poster (one sheet of paper) of your animal.Explain how your animal has adapted to its new habitat. Answering questions 1 -2, and 4 for your animal and its habitat might be useful.

[ ] Choose either of the 2 assigned Gizmo units. Use the Exploration Guides to explore the simulation. The guides are printed out and will be used by many people so you may not write on them. If you want your own copy you will have to print one at home or the public library or bring your own paper to print at school. You may record your notes in your ISN. You may work in groups to do the work, but you must take the test independently without help from anyone else.

[ ] Read “The Cycles of Matter: Chapter 13, Section 1, pages 336 – 341.
Draw a page size poster for the Water Cycle or write a children’s book using Julia Landon College Prep as your location. Where does the runoff go? Where does the water that goes into the storm sewers go? Where does Transpiration occur? Label the parts of the water cycle and use arrows to show the journey water might take.

* I am out of paper at this time. If you can donate a pack of paper for use by students in school I would love to have some. As it is I've had to purchase several packs and borrow some from other teachers. Please help if you can. Our new printers are wonderful, but just don't work without paper.

Also, if you can make copies at home I will need to have some materials run off to help students prepare for the end of the year exam and I am only allowed a limited number of copies each month. THANK YOU in advance.

GIZMOS

Every student should be signed up for Gizmos ASAP. To sign up you go to
http://www.explorelearning.com/ and type in the secret code that I gave you in school. No, I will not post it here so that strangers or others can not sign up on the limited roster that is allowed.

Bonus Opportunities through Gizmos... I have designated 2 units for bonus points.These may be done at home or anywhere that there is computer access. The grades are reported electronically so no need to print out the test except for your records so that you can review the information.

Assignments in Gizmos... I have assigned several units to each student. Everyone will do Forest Ecology and yes, it counts as a grade. Choose between Food Chain and Rabbit Population by season. Be certain to do the work before you take the test. The grade you earn is the grade you earn.

There will be time allowed in class for small groups to work together at the 2 computers on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Follow up to Ecosystem project

Follow up assignment for Ecosystem Project.
You will analyze your project by using the rubric and really getting into your FRIES.
The analysis will have 5 distinct paragraphs.
The first paragraph is the introduction. Introduce your project and some high points of the project.
The second paragraph will be your analysis of the first criteria on the rubric. This criteria is to pick an ecosystem. Look at what it takes to earn a 1, 2, or 3. Identify what you think your score should be. Use FRIES to state what it takes, what you earned and why.
The third paragraph is what you earned for the HABITAT criteria. Use the rubric criteria and FRIES to explain what you think you earned and why.
The fourth paragraph will be based on the criteria for Energy Pyramid, Food Webs, and Food Chains. Again use the rubric and FRIES to explain what you thing you earned for that section and why.
The fifth paragraph is the conclusion. Tie up all of the loose ends. Bring closure to your analysis.

After you have written your paragraphs you will need to color code your FRIES.
F= yellow (Facts)
R = green (Reasons)
I = blue (Incidents)
E = orange (Examples)
S = red (Statistics)
S= pink (Sensory details)

Remember, this is a final copy not a draft. It may not be folded, ripped, raggedy, or messy. You may type the analysis. It should be turned in no later than Tuesday in class. There will be about 15 minutes on Monday for peer editing. There will be no time on Tuesday to work on it.
This is an analysis of a project and as such it will be worth up to 100 points. Each student must turn in an original paper. There will be penalties for copying, plagiarism, or cheating.

Criteria for Written Analysis
Ø 5 distinct paragraphs
Ø Each paragraph follows the directions above.
Ø Each paragraph is analysis of one criteria.
Ø Each paragraph makes sense.
Ø The FRIES are color coded (you may use color pencils or hi-lighters)
Ø The paper itself is neat.
Ø There are few errors in spelling, grammar and usage and they do not detract from the meaning of the paper.