Events CalendarJuly 6 Earth at Aphelion (furthest distance from the sun) July 13 Friday the 13th New Moon Super Moon Solar Eclipse (not visible here) July 14-16 Moon, Mercury, and Venus July 17 Low Tide Exploration with Leise 8-10 a.m. Coal Oil Point Reserve July 19-22 Moon Near Jupiter July 20 Vandenberg Rocket Launch 5:12 AM July 24-25 Moon Near Saturn July 26 Mars Brightest in 15 Years July 27 Longest Lunar Eclipse (not visible here) and Full Buck Moon Science at Charter LOW TIDE EXPLORATION WITH LEISE - New Location I will meet any interested families at Coal Oil Point Reserve in Goleta at the beach below the porta-potties on Tuesday July 17th from 8:00-10:00 a.m. I will have buckets and field guides. Be aware that the parking is a bit of a walk to the beach. The low tide is a -.0.2 at 8 a.m. so it is not super low but as coal oil point has good low tides in general there is likely plenty to see. If you have questions you can call me at 619-993-4339 or email me at [email protected] The Night Sky This MonthThe Earth reaches aphelion, its furthest distance from the sun, on July 6. Many students mistake the reasons for the seasons as being due to the Earth's elliptical orbit. Pointing out to them that we are actually furthest from the sun in the summer and closest in the winter can help correct this mistake. For Early Birds: Friday the 13th happens to be a Supermoon and a partial solar eclipse (but it is not visible in our part of the world). However it is a new moon so we can't see it. Why bother to point out an invisible Supermoon? Even though we can't see it the Supermoon does have an impact on the tides. The tides tend to be more extreme around the time of the Supermoon. However, the low tides are very early in the morning so they won't help you tide-poolers very much. If your kids are early birds you may want to try hitting the beach Monday or Tuesday July 16 and 17 around 7 or 8 am to catch a fairly low tide. Early birds may also be able to catch the rocket flare from the rocket launch from Vandenberg on July 20 at 5:12 AM. For Night Owls: For those of you who have kids who are more active in the evenings check out the moon, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, and Venus this month. Mars will be at its brightest since 2003 because it is at opposition (between the earth and sun) and because it is at its closest to the sun. The moon has lovely pairings with Mercury and Venus on July 14-16, with Jupiter July 19-22 and with Saturn July 24-25. If you are having a hard time identifying these planets try using an app such as the SkyView app. In the NewsVolcanoes ARTICLE: There has been a lot of news coverage of volanoes lately with eruptions in Hawaii and Guatemala. This article by the National Science Teacher's Association explains the basics of volcanoes for kids: NSTA Encouraging Young Scientists June 2018 Volcanoes PODCAST: If your kids are into lava the way mine are (stepping on pillows to avoid the lava has long been a favorite game) they may enjoy the Smash, Boom, Best podcast on lava versus quicksand: www.brainson.org/shows/2018/06/27/smashboombest-lava-vs-quicksand? Try This at HomeClassic Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-for-kids/diy-volcano/ Dirt and Toothpaste Volcano Simulation
www.learnplayimagine.com/2014/01/volcano-science-for-kids.html
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Events CalendarJune 9 World Ocean's Day Sea Center Free Admissions 10 - 4 June 10-11 Venus Aligned with Gemini Stars June 13 New Moon Supermoon June 14 -16 Crescent Moon near Mercury and Venus at Sunset June 16-17 Early Morning Low Tides June 21 Summer Solstice June 22-24 Solstice Celebration Alameda Park Moon Near Jupiter June 27 Full Strawberry Moon and Saturn in Opposition Science at CharterA Magnetic Mystery: When Jan was 5 years old he was playing in the backyard at a friend's house when he saw a light streak from the sky. He looked where the light landed and saw an unusual stone. He picked it up and later showed his mom who was taking an astronomy class at the time. Her professor told her to see if it stuck to a magnet and it did. He said it was likely a meteorite. In order to find out for sure she will have it cut so that the inside can be examined under a microscope. Have you ever found a treasure? Email me with your story @ [email protected] I hope that you have many opportunities to explore nature this summer. If you have any nature/science stories to share with the Charter community please email me. The Night Sky This MonthAll five visible planets can be seen in the night sky this month. Saturn will be at its brightest this month since it will be in opposition (opposite from the sun with the earth in the middle). Mercury is very difficult to see as it never rises high above the horizon so you need to be somewhere with an unobstructed view of the horizon near sunset to see it. The sunsets should be fabulous as well since sunsets around the time of the summer solstice are the longest of the year. June 13th is a Supermoon which means it is closer to the Earth and would appear larger except that it is also a new moon which means that we can't see it. However, we can notice the effects of the super moon on the tides. LOW TIDES: The tides will be lower than usual around the time of the Supermoon. Unfortunately, most of these low tides are very early in the morning. However, if you enjoy tide pooling some beaches are fun to tide pool at even if the tide isn't super low. Coal Oil Point beach is probably the best local beach for tide pooling any time of year even during not particularly low tides. Because it has a very long shallow beach line followed by a steep drop off it has a large inter-tidal zone. Just be aware that it only has port-a-potties and it is a bit of a long bumpy walk from the parking lot. The best times for weekend tide pooling are June 9 and 10 a bit after noon (low tide is about +1 foot on these days) and June 16 and 17 around 7 am for -1 foot (you can come a bit later if you are not an early bird because it takes awhile for the tide to come back in). To check out the tide schedule yourself visit this website: http://tides.mobilegeographics.com/calendar/month/5608.html Science in the NewsTo inspire you to do some exploring this summer read this article about some amazing scientific discoveries made by kids. www.livescience.com/47642-discoveries-by-kids.html A 9 year old boy found this Mastodon tooth. Try this at HomeIf you are getting hot this summer try this cool experiment: Rescue Han Solo from Carbonite (Freeze a Lego figure in some baking soda water. Then use vinegar to free it.)
fun-a-day.com/star-wars-lego-science/ Events CalendarMay 4-6 Moon near Mars and Saturn in predawn sky May 5 4-6 am Vandenberg rocket launch -MARS INSIGHT May 8-9 Earth between Sun and Jupiter May 15 New Moon May 16-17 Moon and Venus pair up May 19 1 pm Vandenberg rocket launch May 27 Moon and Jupiter pair up May 29 Full Moon May 30-31 Moon near Saturn Science at CharterIf you have science news to share please email me at [email protected] Congratulations to Alison Togami a seventh grader at GV and former Charter student for applying and being accepted into the Tech Trek summer camp at UCSB.www.aauw.org/what-we-do/stem-education/tech-trek/ Charter teachers exhibit the quality of lifelong learners. They work hard to bring you the best science lessons. All the teachers attended a series of conferences led by the Lawrence Hall of Science focusing on teaching science and engineering practices. Sonia, Doreen, Les, Jenny, and Laura further worked with them to develop the school's science vision and action plan. In addition several teachers pursued science education on their own time. Wendy took an Antioch course on the Natural History of Santa Barbara. Jenny attended a JASON conference on teaching about waves in Carpinteria. Among other topics, she learned how to make sound waves visible and how to harness wave energy. Cristina, Tanya and Doreen each applied for and received grants to develop their science/Chumash studies. Doreen's collaborative learning grant paid for substitutes so Cristina, Tanya, Doreen, Jenny and I could work for two days planning and developing curriculum. Be sure to thank your teachers for their hard work, especially on May 8 - teacher appreciation day. Les and Shalon at workshop about leading argumentation from evidence during an inservice day led by the Lawrence Hall of Science. Wendy hiked in the rain to learn about working with students in nature. Jenny learned about waves at a JASON conference. In the first picture she creates water waves in the second she created her own speaker and used salt to show the sound waves. Cristina, Tanya, Doreen, Jenny and Leise working during their Collaborative Learning Grant workdays. Cristina and Laura practicing sound wave lessons at the Lawrence Hall of Science workshop. Wendy works with some Adelante teachers at the Lawrence Hall of Science workshop. Shalon, Lyndsay, Jenny, Les and Jennifer at the Lawrence Hall of Science workshop developing techniques for teaching scientific modeling. Cristina and Doreen collaborating with teachers from Adelante in learning about creating mental models about air pressure at the Lawrence Hall of Science workshop. Sonia has been developing her project based learning program on animals this year. The Night Sky This MonthThis month the moon has many playdates with the planets Mars, Saturn, Venus and Jupiter. These planets are usually the brightest objects other than the moon in the night sky. A pair of binoculars can help you see them more clearly. Mars is usually easy to identify because of its reddish-orange color. You can learn more at earthsky.org/tonight ![]() May 17 ![]() May 31 Science in the NewsSUNLIGHT AND YOUR HEALTH As the days are getting longer and the noontime sun more intense you may be wondering how much sun you should be getting. Recent research shows that sunlight affects melatonin production for better sleep, vitamin D production for strong bones, and can even help produce better vision. On the other hand too much sunlight - especially during the most intense times of day - can lead to skin cancer. The best solution is to spend time outside with your arms bare during the mid morning or late afternoon for about 10-15 minutes. After that cover up your skin with a hat and clothing but keep spending time outside as being in nature has been shown to boost our mood and improve our focus. www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/making-light-sleep www.sciencefriday.com/articles/what-role-does-the-sun-play-in-vitamin-d-synthesis/ www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/well/live/for-better-vision-let-the-sunshine-in.html www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2016/01/call-to-wild/ Try this at homeTo learn more about sunlight try making your own UV detector with tonic water and other common household items.
www.sciencefriday.com/educational-resources/make-a-uv-detector/ Events CalendarApril 2 Mars and Saturn in Conjunction in the predawn sky April 2-June 15 Indian Heritage Art Exhibit at UCSB April 7 View the Moon, Mars and Saturn in the predawn sky April 16 New Moon April 21-22 Earth Day Festival Alameda Park Lyrid Meteor Shower April 30 Full Moon April 30- May 6 National Screen Free Week Science at CharterSCIENCE FESTIVAL Thank you parents for supporting your child as they investigated a topic for the science festival. They created interesting displays on a diverse range of topics. Many families enjoyed viewing the displays. Please try to keep your child's display boards for reuse next year if possible. Also if you have leftover materials that you will not use please consider donating them to the school. CHARTER GRADUATES EARN METALS AT THE COUNTY SCIENCE FAIR Ben Bailey, Devin Ross, Lily Isaacs, and Ian Larkin received metals for their science fair projects at the county science fair at UCSB. Thousands of students complete a science fair project in the eighth grade. It is an honor to be selected to compete at the county science fair. Devin and his partner received a special award of 300 dollars for his project in the area of Astronomy. Lily received a special award of 50 dollars for her work in the area of environmental science. I was impressed that four out of the approximately 100 contestants at the county fair were former Charter students. Ben and Devin received gold metals and fifty dollars and were further honored by being selected to compete in the State Science Fair in Los Angeles. FIFTH GRADE STANDARDIZED SCIENCE TEST The NGSS aligned standardized science test that is given statewide to fifth graders is in its final piloting year. Schools and students will not receive scores this year. Next year it is anticipated that the test will be fully implemented and scored. Despite not being scored on the test this year, students feel better if they are prepared for the test. If you or your child would like to see what the test is like online practice is available here: www.caaspp.org/practice-and-training/index.html INDIAN HERITAGE ART EXHIBIT AT UCSB Students in the second and third grade have been fascinated with learning about the history of the first people of Santa Barbara and other Native Americans. They may enjoy visiting the exhibit that opens this month: Indian Heritage Art Exhibit at UCSB The Night Sky This Month This month features the Lyrid meteor showers. On Saturday, April 21, 2018, according to EarthSky, "Start watching late at night, or better yet in the hours before dawn Sunday, April 22. The annual Lyrid meteor shower will probably be at its best in the predawn hours, especially as the waxing moon will have set by that time. Assuming you’re in a dark location, you really can’t go wrong getting up in the hours before dawn Sunday and gazing skyward. You might catch some meteors, and you’ll surely see the three morning planets, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars, plus the star Antares!" earthsky.org/tonight/lyrid-meteors-best-before-dawn Science In the News and Try This At HomeScreen Time and Your HealthMany of you may have noticed that your child was a little cranky and out of sorts after changing the clocks this spring. This podcast for kids about circadian rhythm by BrainsOn explains why. www.brainson.org/the-tick-tock-of-our-circadian-clock/. It also discusses the effect of the blue light from screens on sleep. This science article for children also talks about screens and sleep. www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/screen-time-can-mess-bodys-clock If you want to find out for yourself whether or not screens have been messing with your sleep you can participate in National Screen Free Week: www.screenfree.org/. There are other benefits to being screen free as well - less exposure to advertising and more time on other creative or active pursuits.
On the other hand screen time is not all bad. This article in Science News for Students talks about how a moderate amount of screen time can contribute to teen's sense of well being. www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/blog/analyze/analyze-does-moderate-screen-time-boost-teen-happiness. If you don't want to cut out screen time but do want to avoid the effects on sleep the Harvard School of Public Health has some recommendations: www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side If the subject of sleep interests you or your child here are some fun sleep experiments to try at home: faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chsleep.html Events CalendarMarch 1st Charter Science Festival 6:30-8:00 PM Full Moon (The first of two this month and last Full Moon of Winter) Low Tide -1.3 at 3:31 PM (unguided) Mar 7-10 Morning Moon near Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars March 15 SBMNH talk "The Largest Chumash Basket Ever Found" 5:30-8:00 PM March 18-20 Crescent Moon near Venus and Mercury at Sunset March 20 Spring Equinox - Sun rises due east and sets due west March 20th Falcon Rocket Launch at Vandenberg at 8:08 AM March 31st Second Blue Moon of 2018 Science at CharterDon't miss the exciting Santa Barbara Charter School Science Festival this Thursday, March 1st from 6:30-8:00 PM. The full moon will light our way (if not obscured by clouds) as we meander from class to class viewing the delightful projects that our students have created. Reduce/Reuse/Recyle - Save your child's display board. They will need them again next year and for grades 4 and up they will need them for the mathematician expedition. The best way to save the board is to store it flat in the back of the closet. Even if some of the paper tears off the board can be reused - a little paint or construction paper solves that problem. CHARTER LEGEND. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History has a talk about the largest Chumash basket ever found on March 15 from 5:30-7:00. Rumor has it that this basket was found by the parent of a Charter student. I will track down this story and report more in next month's science newsletter. The talk is for adults, but the basket will be in the Fleishman Auditorium for family viewing. The Night Sky This MonthThis month has two full moons (last month had none). January also had two full moons so this is our second blue moon of the year. The moon is not really blue - it is an expression which describes that having two full moons in one month is rare - usually every 2 1/2 years. Having two blue moons in a year is even more rare -as it won't happen again until 2037. The morning moon can be viewed near Saturn, Mars and Jupiter on March 7-10 and the crescent moon appears near Venus and Mercury at sunset on March 18-20. Try This at HomeThe spring equinox occurs on March 20. Signs of spring abound. Are these signs occurring earlier or later than usual? Help scientists find out by participating in a citizen science project. Your child can observe plants and enter their observation in a database. "Scientists and educators can use the data to learn more about how plant species respond to changes in climate locally, regionally and nationally." Learn more and register here: budburst.org/aboutus For a more tech free activity try giving your child a spring scavenger hunt. Have them find flowers, leaf buds, sprouts and caterpillars. In the News: We are so fortunate to live in a community with so much research happening close by through UCSB, the Natural History Museum, the Park Service, etc. Many new discoveries have been made at the nearby Channel Islands. Recently scientists uncovered the fossil remains of a sea cow on the Channel Islands. www.nps.gov/chis/learn/news/pr112717.htm
View prior newsletters at charterscience.weebly.comEvents CalendarJanuary 31st EARLY MORNING Blue Blood Supermoon - TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE!!!! Charter Family Low Tide Exploration 3:15 Campus Point (Last one this school year) February 10 Moon between Saturn and Mars in predawn sky February 15 New Moon - Good time to observe stars Is your kid a collector of nature treasures? The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is offering a Nature Exchange at the Curiosity Lab - kids can exchange objects they have found in nature. Check out their website for other family friendly events. www.sbnature.org/education/42.html Science at CharterThis WEDNESDAY - JANUARY 31st will be our LAST low tide exploration for this school year. Upcoming Low Tides: Monday January 29 at 2:31 PM PST / -1.4 ft Tuesday January 30 at 3:14 PM PST / -1.6 ft Wednesday January 31 at 3:56 PM PST / -1.6 ft CHARTER EXPLORATION Thursday February 1 at 4:38 PM PST / -1.3 ft Tuesday February 27 at 2:13 PM PST / -1.2 ft WednesdayFebruary 28 at 2:53 PM PST / -1.2 ft Thursday March 1 at 3:31 PM PST / -1.1 ft This is the last very low tide ( -1 foot and over) in the afternoon during this school year. CHARTER FAMILY TIDE POOL EXPLORATION: Charter families are invited to join me for a low tide exploration on Wednesday January 31 at 3:15 pm at Campus Point/UCSB. I will have buckets and field guides for identifying tide pool creatures. I recommend wearing rain boots and a jacket. I will be there rain or shine. If you text or email me your plans to attend, I can be on the lookout for you. ([email protected] or 619-993-4339) This is not an official school sponsored event. You are responsible for keeping an eye on any children you bring - No part of their bodies should touch water unless you are watching them. Also please prepare them before you come for being gentle with all sea creatures. They may gently lift - not pry- creatures and place them in a bucket of sea water. After observing return the creatures to where they were found. DIRECTIONS: Exit Highway 101 northbound at Highway 217. Follow it to the end where it enters the UCSB gate. Go around the big circle and turn on Lagoon Rd. At the end of Lagoon Rd (before the signs that don't allow you to drive further) there is a large parking lot on your left. Read the sign by the pay machine- a few of the stalls are for beach access from 7:30am-5pm on weekdays. The Night Sky This MonthThe MORNING of Wednesday, January 31st the first Super Blue Blood moon in 150 years will occur. What does this mean? A rare trifecta of events will coincide. Supermoon - A supermoon occurs when a full moon occurs during the moon's perigee (when its orbit is nearest the earth) making it appear bigger and brighter than usual. Blue moon- A blue moon is an expression for describing when two full moons appear in the same month. It doesn't occur all that often (usually every 2.7 years) hence the expression "once in a blue moon." However we have two blue moons close together. January and March both have blue moons. FEBRUARY HAS NO FULL MOON AT ALL. Blood moon- During a total lunar eclipse when the earth's shadow completely covers the moon it appears to have a reddish appearance. VIEWING THE ECLIPSE If you live in an area where you have a clear view of the horizon you can probably wait until 5:30 AM to watch the eclipse at totality and then see the moon emerge from the earth's shadow. However if you have mountains, trees, or tall buildings which block your view of the horizon you may want to get up early and watch as the eclipse begins and then reaches totality because the moon will be getting lower on the horizon as dawn approaches and your view of the eclipse may be blocked. But you can watch it stream live via NASA and the Virtual Telescope Project, and check where you are on the eclipse map here. ECLIPSE TIMES: Santa Barbara, California, USA (from timeanddate.com)Total lunar eclipse visible Duration:4 hours, 11 minutes, 23 seconds Duration of totality:1 hour, 16 minutes, 4 seconds Penumbral begins:Jan 31 at 2:51:13 am Partial begins:Jan 31 at 3:48:27 am Full begins:Jan 31 at 4:51:47 am Maximum:Jan 31 at 5:29:51 am Full ends:Jan 31 at 6:07:51 am Moonset:Jan 31 at 7:02:36 am Partial ends:Moon below horizon Penumbral ends:Moon below horizon Try This at HomeListening to Brainson.org podcasts has made my school commute much more enjoyable. Instead of my kids arguing over such inanities as who worked harder that day at school, we learn interesting facts such as that some dogs can detect low or high blood sugar in diabetic people. These podcasts are created for children but are entertaining for adults as well. We recently listened to this podcast about dogs in Tanya's class and they give it a thumbs up. www.brainson.org/dogs-whats-the-secret-of-their-sense-of-smell-encore/ Do you have a science experiment, podcast, video or activity to recommend? Email suggestions to [email protected] In The News Animals Injured in the Thomas Fire were Healed Using Fish Skin!Events CalendarJanuary 1 Full Moon Year's Largest Supermoon January 2 Earth closest to the sun for the year (perihellion) January 2 and 31st Charter Family Low Tide Exploration 3:15 Campus Point January 7 Mars/Jupiter conjunction before dawn January 10 Moon, Jupiter, and Mars close together before dawn January 13 Mercury and Saturn visible together at Sunset January 31st Full "Blue" Supermoon and TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE!!!! Science at CharterLow Tide. Due to supermoons on January 1st, and January 31st there are very low tides around these dates. I will host low tide explorations for Charter families on these dates. Here are some other days with low tides if you can't make any of the scheduled dates. Upcoming Low Tides: Sunday December 31 at 2:41 PM PST / -1.3 ft Monday January 1 at 3:28 PM PST / -1.6 ft Tuesday January 2 at 4:14 PM PST / -1.7 ft CHARTER EXPLORATION Wednesday January 3 at 5:01 PM PST / -1.5 ft Thursday January 4 at 5:49 PM PST / -1.2 ft Monday January 29 at 2:31 PM PST / -1.4 ft Tuesday January 30 at 3:14 PM PST / -1.6 ft Wednesday January 31 at 3:56 PM PST / -1.6 ft CHARTER EXPLORATION Thursday February 1 at 4:38 PM PST / -1.3 ft Tuesday February 27 at 2:13 PM PST / -1.2 ft WednesdayFebruary 28 at 2:53 PM PST / -1.2 ft Thursday March 1 at 3:31 PM PST / -1.1 ft This is the last very low tide ( -1 foot and over) in the afternoon during this school year. CHARTER FAMILY TIDE POOL EXPLORATION: Charter families are invited to join me for a low tide exploration on Tuesday January 2 and Wednesday January 31 at 3:15 pm at Campus Point/UCSB. I will have buckets and field guides for identifying tide pool creatures. I recommend wearing rain boots and a jacket. I will be there rain or shine. If you text or email me your plans to attend, I can be on the lookout for you. ([email protected] or 619-993-4339) This is not an official school sponsored event. You are responsible for keeping an eye on any children you bring - No part of their bodies should touch water unless you are watching them. Also please prepare them before you come for being gentle with all sea creatures. They may gently lift - not pry- creatures and place them in a bucket of sea water. After observing return the creatures to where they were found. DIRECTIONS: Exit Highway 101 northbound at Highway 217. Follow it to the end where it enters the UCSB gate. Go around the big circle and turn on Lagoon Rd. At the end of Lagoon Rd (before the signs that don't allow you to drive further) there is a large parking lot on your left. Read the sign by the pay machine- a few of the stalls are for beach access from 7:30am-5pm on weekdays. |
Leise Thomason-BA Biology Brown University Categories |