ÿþ _____________________________________________________ UBC Let's Talk Science Partnership Program E-Newsletter vol. 8, issue 3 January 2005 ______________________________________________________ In this issue: - Class Visits - Welcome Erika, New Volunteer Coordinator - Access to Electron Microscope Needed for Science Fair Project - Science Fair Judging - Greater Vancouver and Canada Wide Science Fairs - University Bookstore Saturday Workshop - Aboriginal Community Day Project - UBC TREK Reading Week and Mini-School Projects - Science Joke of the Month ______________________________________________________ Class Visits Brian Hoff conducted an activity which he had prepared with his volunteer partner Kim Lam, with his kindergarten class at Immaculate Conception Elementary School, in which the student learned about volcanoes by watching a video on Mt. St. Helens, prepared to be volcanoes and worked with a model volcano. Susan Dean conducted a visit on with her grade 2-3 class at Queen Elizabeth Annex which involved demonstrations of weathering/erosion (using dirt), sedimentary rock syncline/anticline (using play-dough), and sedimentary rock (using cake). Yvonne Bombard visted her grade 7 class at Kerrisdale Elementary School, where they explored the basics of genetics (specifically, learning about Huntington disease), looking at DNA samples and setting up for next activity (a lab visit where students will get to perform a DNA extraction, learning about pedigrees and single gene inheritance). Justin LeBlanc demonstrated sublimation using dry ice with his grade 6/7 class at Nootka Community Elementary School. Catherine Dunn & Rebecca Goulding explored the growth of bacteria by plating bacteria on agar and using fluorescent dyes & a UV light to demonstrate how germs are transmitted with their grade 11 class at Windermere Community Secondary. Tanya Seebacher and Shannon Ripley played an interactive ecology game and discussed composting with their grade 4 class at General Brock Elementary School. Have you conducted an activity but you don't see your name here? That means we haven't received a visit evaluation form from you! Please take a few minutes to fill out the visit evaluation form (available to download or to fill out online at http://www.gss.ubc.ca/LTS/volunteers.html)! We would really appreciate it if everyone who has completed activities so far could get their reports in ASAP! ______________________________________________________ Welcome Erika, New Volunteer Coordinator Erika Eliason has taken on the role of Volunteer Coordinator. She was actively involved in the Simon Fraser University LTS Partnership Program and, since her lab transferred to UBC, she has been actively involved in the UBC Program and is coordinating the UBC TREK Reading Week Program. Welcome Erika! Also, a huge thank you goes out to our departing volunteer coordinator, Alicia Davis. Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication Alicia! ______________________________________________________ Access to Electron Microscope Needed for Science Fair Project A teacher has sent us the following request: "I have 2 students doing a science fair project (a really good idea). However, they need access to an electron microscope which is something that high schools don't have. It involves DNA and knot theory. Do you have any volunteers who might be interested in working with Robert or Jordan? Their project is due in about a month. Sorry for the short timeline but they have been trying to get in contact with someone who has offered to help them from UBC but have not received a response. I thought maybe someone you might know could help them out." If you can help these kids out, please let us know! ______________________________________________________ Science Fairs Science fair season is upon us! We have four school-level science fairs, as well as the Vancouver District Science fair looking for judges. Here are the details: School: Killarney Secondary School (Kerr and 49th) Date: February 7, 2005 Time: 4-7 p.m. School: Vancouver Technical Secondary Date: February 17, 2005 Time: 11 am to 4 pm School: Sir Charles Tupper Secondary Date: Feb. 24, 2005 Time: 12:30 and 3:30 pm and/or again between 6:00 and 8:00 pm (if you can only make one of these two times, that's OK -- if you can make both times, even better) School: Lord Nelson Elementary Date: March 17th, 2005 Time: 4-7 p.m. Vancouver District Science Fair Location: Vancouver Technical Secondary Date: March 3rd, 2005 Time: 2-8pm Note: food will be provided for you! So, if you are interested in judging at one or more of these science fairs, please let us know! ______________________________________________________ Greater Vancouver and Canada Wide Science Fairs Also, two really big science fairs are at UBC this year ??? the Greater Vancouver and Canada Wide Science Fairs: April 7 4:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. (Greater Vancouver Regional Science Fair) May 17 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Canada Wide Science Fair) May 18 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (Canada Wide Science Fair) If you could answer the following for these two science fairs, we will forward it onto the judging coordinator: 1. Which division(s) would you like to judge in? biotechnology, earth and environmental sciences, engineering and computing sciences, health sciences, life sciences, and physical and mathematical sciences. 2. What is your general area(s) of specialty? 3. What is your highest post-secondary degree? 4. Are you fluent in French? _____________________________________________________ UBC Bookstore Community Day February 5, 2005 Noon - 2PM (we only do a 30 minute activity) The UBC Bookstore would like us to run a heart-related event as it is close to Valentine's Day (and I think it is Heart & Stoke Awareness Month as well). They typically have an audience of about 20 to 30 children ages 3 to 8 years and their parents. They are looking for a 30 minute presentation and will have a wireless microphone and will set up a small "Stage" in the lobby. ______________________________________________________ Aboriginal Community Day Workshop This Thursday, January 20th, we are going to attend a Secondary School Community Fair for the Musquem Nation. We will be in charge of two tables that should focus on diet awareness (ie: How much sugar is in a can of pop) with some neat scientific demos. This one is in three days, so email us VERY QUICKLY if you would like to be involved. It runs from 6-9PM. ______________________________________________________ UBC TREK The LTS Reading Week Project is moving along splendidly. Rebecca Goulding has now joined the team and 3 fun-filled days of activities have been planned for the Seymour Elementary students. We're looking forward playing with UV-sensitive ink in our Infectious Disease and Health activity and to launching pop cans across the playground with a home-made catapult for our Energy activity. Unfortunately, general volunteer spots have filled up, but if you're still keen on helping out contact LTS and we'll see if we can make room. Mini-School is also going full steam ahead. There will be a short training session on February 3, 2005 at 5:00PM at the BC Cancer Research Centre and the event itself will involve 4 visits (one per week starting in March and running through to April) to a school in an underprivileged area of Vancouver. If you are still interested in participating in this program, you need to contact Dave as soon as possible to get signed up for the training. The visits will be completed in pairs. ______________________________________________________ Science Joke of the Month Scientists and a Fire A physicist, an engineer and a mathematician were all in a hotel sleeping when a fire broke out in their respective rooms. The physicist woke up, saw the fire, ran over to his desk, pulled out his CRC, and began working out all sorts of fluid dynamics equations. After a couple minutes, he threw down his pencil, got a graduated cylinder out of his suitcase, and measured out a precise amount of water. He threw it on the fire, extinguishing it, with not a drop wasted, and went back to sleep. The engineer woke up, saw the fire, ran into the bathroom, turned on the faucets full-blast, flooding out the entire apartment, which put out the fire, and went back to sleep. The mathematician woke up, saw the fire, ran over to his desk, began working through theorems, lemmas, hypotheses , you -name-it, and after a few minutes, put down his pencil triumphantly and exclaimed, "I have *proven* that I *can* put the fire out!" He then went back to sleep. ______________________________________________________