Keystone Weekly
volume 4, issue 3        October 7, 2002

This week's Key Points: *Web Pick of the Week,* *Toy Challenge Contest,* and *Mathematics Grant*
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By now, you've gotten to know your new students, to know their personalities, their abilities. You've already taught them new things, and engaged them in the process of learning. Have you paused to think about their scientific misconceptions? It's useful, at this time of year, to know what false notions you face. As you attempt to facilitate their learning, you may actually be working to overcome misconceptions that exist in each student's "private universe."

The Teacher's Lab at "The Private Universe Project" is an excellent resource for thinking about how to address misconceptions. Begin by spending ten minutes going through the survey yourself, and then take a look at some of the classroom activities you can use.

"The Private Universe Project" has other facets, including the well-known video series, produced by Annenberg CPB. The online Teacher's Lab, though, is a perfect way to orient yourself with the project. It's a manageable site, easy to navigate…and definitely worth a look.

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Design and build a new toy or game, and spark a lifelong interest in engineering and science. That's what Sally Ride and the other minds (Hasbro and Smith College) behind the TOYchallenge contest are hoping will happen, particularly for girls, whose interest in science sometimes fades in the middle school years.

The contest is open to teams of students in grades 5 through 8. Students will need an adult coach, and will select one of eight categories of toys and games, and will be free to work on their toy or game design through January 31, 2003. Groups need to register by November 15, 2002, and judging will take place in February 2003. There are lots of prizes as well. Grand prizes include a week at Space Camp for each member of the team, personalized Hasbro action figures and a behind-the-scenes tour of Hasbro, and a VIP tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center for each member of the team and their families and a private question/answer session with an astronaut.

Take a look at the website for more details. If this project fits in with your curriculum, why not give it a try?

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Susan Holmes recommends this grant and suggests, "How about thinking of a neat inquiry math/science project? After all, no investigation can be done well without measuring, collecting and organizing data (charts, graphs, tables), looking for patterns and communicating findings in convincing presentations supported by evidence.…" Details below, and at the website listed above.

Again this year, Toyota's Investment In Mathematics Excellence (TIME) is granting awards to teachers of up to $10,000 for innovative projects that enhance mathematics education within a school.

This grant is sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales, USA., Inc through its partnership with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and its Mathematics Education Trust Board. Any K-12 classroom teacher with 3 years experience teaching mathematics within the United States is eligible to apply for this award. The deadline for applications is January 8, 2003.

The program summary, proposal guidelines, proposal requirements, eligibility, selection committee and proposal cover form (Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 or higher required) are all available to you now the website above. You may also receive the application by e-mailing toyotatime@nctm.org or calling toll free, 1-888-573-TIME.

If you would like to see ideas of what to propose, these websites also contain short summaries of projects that have been awarded grants in the years 1997 through 2002.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 9819641.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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