Several University of Colorado at Boulder professors and science educators will speak to teachers on topics ranging from "Smart Goo" to "The Physics of Basketball" at the Colorado Science Convention on Sept. 29.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ 1,000 science teachers from throughout the state are expected to attend the daylong event at the Denver Merchandize Mart, 451 E. 58th Ave.
"Our faculty and staff readily stepped forward to partake in this superb opportunity to share the expertise of CU-Boulder's world-renowned research with our state's science educators," said Christine Morrow, director of education and outreach for CU's Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center and an educator for Science Â鶹ÊÓƵy, a CU-Boulder science education outreach program.
Eric Cornell, a CU-Boulder physics professor and a senior scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, will speak on "The World Within a Millionth of a Degree of Absolute Zero" from 9:10 a.m. to 10:10 a.m. Cornell captured worldwide attention when he and CU-Boulder Professor Carl Wieman created a new form of matter in 1995 at the lowest temperature ever achieved. Cornell also is a fellow of the JILA research institute.
Physics Professor Joseph Maclennan will speak on "Smart Goo: The Physics of Liquid Crystal Displays" from 10:20 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. Maclennan is a fellow of the Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center.
Jim Faller, a CU-Boulder physics professor and chief of the quantum physics division of NIST, will speak on "The Physics of Basketball" from 2:50 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. Faller also is a fellow of JILA.
Morrow will speak on "Materials Science for Middle School Students" from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and "The Scoop on Colorado Biodiversity" from 1:40 p.m. to 2:40 p.m.
Science Â鶹ÊÓƵy's Tara Chace will speak on "The Ozone: The Good and the Bad" from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Boulder Valley School District and Science Â鶹ÊÓƵy teacher Holyanna Haskins also will present "Physics for Fun," a middle school physics curriculum written by CU-Boulder physics Professor John Taylor in conjunction with Science Â鶹ÊÓƵy and KCNC-TV in 1990.
CU-Boulder's award-winning Science Â鶹ÊÓƵy offers a diverse selection of K-12 experiential-based science programs, and provides a model for the teaching of elementary science to educators and education students. It serves about 37,000 students and educators statewide each year.
As another part of CU-Boulder's partnership with K-12 schools, the university this fall launched a Web site providing a comprehensive outreach and in-service program guide for Colorado elementary, middle and high school teachers and students at . The CU4K12 Web site provides access to 174 CU-Boulder outreach programs, campus resources, professional development services and Internet resources for research.
"This project demonstrates how new information technologies help make the resources of the university available to support K-12 teachers," said Chancellor Richard L. Byyny.
"Our goal is to make a teacher's life simpler," said Wynn Martens, director of community relations. "This Web site has been designed with teachers in mind. It enables teachers to quickly and easily draw from CU resources and apply them to their classrooms or their own professional advancement."
CU-Boulder this fall will team up with KCNC-TV to showcase one of the outreach programs on the CU4K12 Web site. Targeted to fourth, fifth and sixth graders throughout the state, the series called "Convection Connection" will air Nov. 6-17.
For information about the Science Â鶹ÊÓƵy Program call (303) 492-7188. For information about CU4K12 call (303) 492-7084.