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STEAM Newsletter – Tuesday, August 1, 2023
STEAM Newsletter Vol. 32
STEAM AHEAD INTO THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR
As we enter the month of August, educators and students are getting excited about the start of a new academic year and making plans to participate in creative learning activities. We hope that this newsletter sparks ideas for you to explore!
DoIT is collaborating with several organizations statewide to help promote exploration of STEAM career opportunities this fall. Some of the events planned include Peoria Career Spark scheduled September 28-29 in Peoria, Northern Illinois University STEM Fest scheduled September 30 in DeKalb, and University of Illinois Vet Med Open House scheduled October 1 in Champaign. Additional details and activities planned during that time frame will be included in the September DoIT STEAM Newsletter so please hold the dates and plan to explore.
Let off some STEAM with these fun activities!
Recent News on STEAM
"In the early universe, the gas between stars and galaxies was opaque – energetic starlight could not penetrate it. But 1 billion years after the big bang, the gas had become completely transparent. Why? New data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has pinpointed the reason: The galaxies’ stars emitted enough light to heat and ionize the gas around them, clearing our collective view over hundreds of millions of years."
Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA
"Tech experts have been sounding the alarm that artificial intelligence (AI) could turn against humanity by taking over everything from business to warfare. Now, Kevin Esvelt is adding another worry: AI could help somebody with no science background and evil intentions design and order a virus capable of unleashing a pandemic."
Upcoming Events
Thu. August 3 | 8:30 am - 11:30 am | Pittsfield
"Blooket! Better Lesson! Freckle! Edutopia!
"What do all those words have in common? They are just a few of the free educational websites available to help you prep innovative lessons and engage students like never before."
Tues. August 8 - 10 | 8:30 am - 2:30 pm | Online
“ideaU is a three-day, virtual conference hosted by IDEA every August. It’s a place where you can connect with fellow educators, learn in an engaging and fun environment, and get inspired for the upcoming school year. The conference includes both live and watch-on-demand sessions.”
Wed. August 9 | 8:30 am - 2:30 pm | Pekin
"Join us for an interactive session focused on LEGO Education Learning System, including how it can be used to bring computer science learning to life in your classroom. Through this system, students learn to work collaboratively and solve problem creatively – all while “playing” with a familiar set of tools that are easy to manage."
Thu. August 10 | 6 pm - 8:30 pm | Open Range Southwest Grill, Sugar Grove
"Join NIU STEAM for a dazzling evening of stargazing, talks about space exploration and viewing of the annual Perseid meteor shower. Our panel of experts will introduce us to stellar science subjects. Then we’ll head outside to observe the night sky with telescopes or the naked eye. We’ll provide a few telescopes, or feel free to bring your own."
Sat. August 12 | 9 am - 11 am | Online
Growing Community: Plants That Attract Beneficial Bees and Animals
"The garden team will explore how planting certain plants invites helpful insects and animals into our gardens. The group will identify ten helpful plants, discuss propagation of helpful natives, and learn how to keep the balance between the plants we want and the plants we need. By the end of the session, the team will have set up a native garden to invite helpful neighbors to ACM’s garden."
Wed. August 16 | 6 pm - 7 pm | Online
Artist Inspiration and Creative Problem Solving with Guest Artist John Parra
"Using his semi-autobiographical children’s book, Growing an Artist: The Story of a Landscaper and His Son, Guest Artist John Parra will explore creative thinking and problem solving—two skills that are applicable to every job imaginable! Participants will be able to watch as Parra gives a live painting demonstration about his creative processes."
Mon. September 4 | DEADLINE
National Marine Sanctuaries: 2023 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest
"Welcome all photographers, regardless of skill level or experience, to participate in 2023 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest. We will be accepting submissions in the following categories: Sanctuary Views, Sanctuary Life, Sanctuary Recreation, Sanctuaries at Home, and Sanctuaries Around the World."
Educator's Corner
STEAM resources for in-person, hybrid, remote learning, and professional development
- UIUC & SIUE SpaceLab Illinois
- DODSTEM | Career Fair.ai
- Engineers Alliance For the Arts | Teachers Help Your Students
- Gain STEAM
- ISTE | Edtech's Hottest Topics for 2023
- MATHCOUNTS | Math Video Challendge Spotlight Videos
- NASA | Make Oreo Moon Phases!
- National Institiute of Environmental Health Sciences | Podcasts
STEAM Resources Spotlight
"Interactive Lessons use a variety of digital technologies and hands-on activities to bring about conceptual change and deepen scientific knowledge."
Quick Quantum: For High Schoolers
“The CQE recently launched Quick Quantum: For High Schoolers, a new educational YouTube series produced by the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) with input from leading scientists. This series, sponsored by Boeing and designed with young audiences in mind, uses animations and demonstrations to explain key concepts, including how tiny qubits can be “entangled” over long distances and exist in a “superposition” of different energy states at once. Each episode includes a glossary of terms, an optional short quiz, and a time-stamped transcript. The latest episode — “Superposition” — is now posted, along with a “Quick Quantum Bit” of additional content. Additional information about upcoming episodes can be found on our website. Please feel free to share this with students, teachers, educational networks, and even on social media.”
"Browse a variety of unique, engaging projects for high school students. Choose what’s right for your classroom from our mix of independent and teacher-led projects in a variety of subjects."
"Great conversations with educators on learning and edtech. ISTE podcasts tackle critical edtech topics, introduce you to key education influencers and put you on the leading edge of how digital tools are influencing the workplace."
“In this project, you will be identifying spectral features (emission and absorption lines) in a set of spectra of distant galaxies to help us find out which elements are present and determine the galaxies' redshifts. Each measurement you make will help us locate the galaxies on the timeline of cosmic history.”
"NLP’s podcast Is that a fact? informs listeners about news literacy issues that affect their lives through informative conversations with journalists and other experts across a wide range of disciplines."
The 'A' in STEAM
"Arts foster scientific success" -Dr. Temple Grandin
This series is dedicated to showing how art and creativity play a crucial role in our society within the STEAM fields.
"Joint performances saw the young detainees read spoken word and poetry or play simple melodies accompanied by the musicians on a makeshift stage of artificial turf. Sometimes, the musicians would stand or crouch near the kids wherever they sit or lay on cushions, surrounded by potted plants."
Please submit STEAM ideas, comments, or questions using our contact us form.
Any links being provided are for educational purpose use only; they do not constitute an endorsement, approval, affiliation, sponsorship, or partnership by the State of Illinois, Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT) of any products, services or opinions of any of the linked entities. The State of Illinois bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content. The State of Illinois reserves the right to add or remove the links provided at any time without notice in its sole discretion and shall not be obliged to give a reason for doing so.