Fall 2007 – Spring 2008 Academies
Credit
All CCE courses provide undergraduate or graduate credit as a result of state and federal funding. Graduate credit requires previous completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university/college. Courses may be taken for a grade or pass/fail, but they may not be audited. To receive full program benefits, participants must actively participate in all components and satisfactorily meet all course requirements, including completing a final project, using course materials with target groups, and reporting results.
Application Procedure
A $30 application fee is required. To apply, fill out our online application. After you complete the online application, you may choose to pay the $30 application fee securely at our website using your credit card or by mailing a check made out to Miami University. All credit card transactions are processed securely via Secure Socket Layer (SSL).
If your application is not accepted, the fee will be refunded. The fee will also be refunded in the unlikely event that a course is canceled. If you must withdraw from a course, $20 of the fee will be refunded if you notify Terrific Science at least two weeks before the start of the course. After that, the application fee is nonrefundable.
Terrific Science does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, or sexual orientation.
Early applications are encouraged. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt and applicants will be notified of their status by email within two days of our receipt of the complete application and fee.
Questions
Have questions about the application process or academy details? E-mail us at courses@terrificscience.org or call (513) 727-3392.
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Soapy Science
What do viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and fungi have in common? They are all germs! How can we stop the spread of germs? By washing our hands, of course! According to the Centers for Disease Control, hand washing is the single most effective way to prevent the transmission of disease.
This academy is chock full of hands-on activities that make the topic of hand washing interesting and fun. See how you can use glitter to encourage students to wash their hands. See how icky hands can make an apple rot. Find out about people’s secret hand washing habits and learn about the physical properties of soap by designing your own soap and creating a work of art with shaving cream.
Grade Level: Geared toward 5th grade and above, but applications from lower grades will be accepted.
Academy Dates: November 10, 2007, plus Saturday May, 17, 2008, Follow-Up
Location: Miami University Middletown
Credit: 1 semester hour of graduate credit provided
Course materials provided
Food: Lunch provided
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Breathing Room
Did you ever wonder what lurks inside your house? No, not monsters, but indoor air pollutants such as creepy dust mites and mold. Did you know that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ranks indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health? Learn all about this timely health topic through numerous hands-on activities that also link to physical sciences.
The class will take you on a scavenger hunt to search for scores of indoor air pollutants. On your quest, you’ll make model houses to discover how pollutants spread, learn how you can actually see one part per million of a contaminant, pour an odorless gas, grow mold, play the exciting Monopoly®-like indoor pollution game, and more!
Grade Level: Geared toward 5th grade and above, but applications from lower grades will be accepted.
Academy Dates: December 8, 2007, plus Saturday May, 17, 2008, Follow-Up
Location: Miami University Middletown
Credit: 1 semester hour of graduate credit provided
Course materials provided
Food: Lunch provided
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DNA Academy—Get Ready to Celebrate National DNA Day!
Attention high school teachers: April 25, 2008, is National DNA Day, a unique opportunity for students and teachers to learn more about genetics and genomics. Get a jump start on celebrating this special day by attending our DNA Academy.
Almost daily we hear stories about breakthroughs in genetic science that lead to better understanding and treatment of diseases, new techniques in forensic science, and a deeper appreciation of the relationship between humans and other organisms.
Join us in the thrill of this fantastic endeavor!
The DNA academy will provide you with a review of DNA science and major scientific discoveries related to DNA, including videos and discussion of Watson and Crick’s discovery of the DNA double helix; how genes, chromosomes, and protein synthesis work; and a detailed exploration of the Human Genome Project’s origins, goals, and implications for the future.
The academy will feature hands-on lessons in the genetics research techniques used to sequence the human genome (DNA extraction, separation, sequencing, and gene mapping). Short video clips that demonstrate these processes will be shown and made available for use in your classrooms. In the academy, you’ll also gain experience using the online tools needed to lead your students through an exciting interdistrict learning experience called the “DNA Mystery Game.”
The final project for the academy includes developing and implementing a creative alternative assessment project in the classroom. These projects will engage students of participating teachers in designing outreach tools such as comic books, videos, short stories or plays, websites, or other projects proposed by students and agreed upon by teachers. These tools are intended to be used in outreach to the public and publicity about DNA such as a public service campaign or news-media coverage in conjunction with the DNA Day Celebration on April 25. Miami University's public relations staff will be available to assist in promoting these efforts. This outreach and public relations component is a high priority to the funding agency; therefore participating teachers are eligible to receive $125 to accomplish this component.
High school teachers who attend the academy will receive a free CD-Rom full of resources and video clips.
Grade Level: Geared toward high school grades, but applications from lower grades will be accepted.
Academy Dates: January 19, 2008, plus Saturday May, 17, 2008, Follow-Up
Location: Miami University Oxford
Credit: 1 semester hour of graduate credit provided
Course materials provided
Food: Lunch provided
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Bottled or Tap?
Curious about all the recent hype over bottled water? Bottled water is now the nation’s second most popular beverage after soft drinks. But is bottled water any healthier or safer than tap water? How does bottled water differ from tap water?
In this academy, you’ll investigate the bottled water craze and the science behind safe drinking water. You’ll participate in a blind water taste test and learn how to read a bottled-water label to get the inside scoop on what’s really inside the bottle. You’ll also learn how to detect minerals in water, test for hardness, and much more!
Grade Level: Geared toward 5th grade and above, but applications from lower grades will be accepted.
Academy Dates: February 9, 2008, plus Saturday May, 17, 2008, Follow-Up
Location: Miami University Middletown
Credit: 1 semester hour of graduate credit provided
Course materials provided
Food: Lunch provided
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Chemistry around the House
Ever wonder what those labels on chemical products around the house mean? You might want to know because your life could depend on it. Every year we hear horror stories about how people have used household products incorrectly with disastrous results. This academy teaches you how to be a critical consumer through challenging label reading activities and scavenger hunts. You’ll also learn how to make, label, test, and advertise your own household cleaner and how to build a personal action plan for chemical exposure.
Grade Level: Geared toward 5th grade and above, but applications from lower grades will be accepted.
Academy Dates: March 15, 2008, plus Saturday May, 17, 2008, Follow-Up
Location: Miami University Middletown
Credit: 1 semester hour of graduate credit provided
Course materials provided
Food: Lunch provided
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Fuel Cell Academy
With soaring gas prices, the topic of alternative fuels is on a lot of people’s minds. Hydrogen fuel cells offer a relatively pollution free and efficient source of energy to power cars and other vehicles. If you’d like to teach your students more about this promising fuel technology, then our Fuel Cell Academy is for you.
Open to all high school science, technology, and mathematics teachers, the academy will offer ideas for teaching your students the fundamental chemistry and physics that make fuel cell technology possible. The activities will vary in level from basic to advanced, so there will be something for everyone.
Note: Availability for this academy is limited to Ohio teachers only.
Grade Level: High school
Academy Dates: March 15, 2008, plus Saturday May, 17, 2008, Follow-Up
Location: Miami University Middletown
Credit: 1 semester hour of graduate credit provided
Course materials provided
Food: Lunch provided
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Science, It’s More Than Skin Deep
This academy covers teen body image relating to skin color, how people of all skin colors can be harmed by the sun, and how people can protect themselves from sun damage.
In this academy, you’ll make and test lip balm and UV-detecting bracelets, test sunscreens and sunblocks, and evaluate your personal risks of getting skin cancer.
Grade Level: Geared toward 5th grade and above, but applications from lower grades will be accepted.
Academy Dates : April 5, 2008, plus Saturday May, 17, 2008, Follow-Up
Location: Miami University Middletown
Credit: 1 semester hour of graduate credit provided
Course materials provided
Food: Lunch provided
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