A moment of silence and awe for PSN J09554214+6940260 - MaeLinh Fatum

When stars die, they go out with a bang!  According to dictionary.com, a supernova is "the explosion of a star, possibly caused by gravitational collapse, during which the star's luminosity increases by as much as 20 magnitudes and most of the star's mass is blown away at very high velocity, sometimes leaving behind an extremely dense core."  Basically it is the death of a star.  Recently one such explosion happened close enough to Earth, that our scientists can see it and study it.  It is because of these stellar explosions that various elements are spread through the universe, even the elements that make up you!  Whenever you are feeling down, remember you are made of star stuff!

Read this article for more information about supernova PSN J09554214+6940260

1st Labs of 2014 - Liz Hegarty

Ah, the joy of stepping into the prep room, mixing fresh solutions, setting out lab trays- the anticipation of what the students will make of it all.  Will they learn from their mistakes, will they get data that reinforces the concept? Will I have enough time to get everything ready? This last is always foremost in my mind, especially when I am setting up a lab we haven't run before- time consuming to say the least. At a minimum, 30 minutes prep time, then there is the lab time itself.  Never lowering your guard, being on alert for safety violations, being at each lab station enough to touch base with each group, while the eyes in the back of your head keep lookout for what is happening at every other station.   Exhausting.
Then... the cries of "Oh wow, look at this!" or "Ah, so that's what this means" or " I love doing labs"! (Yes, we also get our fair share of "oops, watch out" or " ooh, I didn't mean to add that...)

This is why we do what we do.  This is priceless- seeing the veil lifted, empowering our students, trying out something new and witnessing first hand the thrill of discovery.
Science at its best = NDB :)

New or Veteran Teachers - Revisit your trusty Toolbox - Liz Hegarty

As I browsed my latest copy of the NSTA Reports (January 2014), I came across an article on page 15 entitled Teaching Strategies. I glanced over and thought this would be great for a beginning teacher.  The article comments on chapter 7 of "Rise and Shine" an NSTA publication. By: Linda Froschauer and Mary L. Bigelow

As I read the article in more detail, I realized that even a veteran teacher could benefit from a reminder of good teaching practices. Students should be engaged and motivated  each and every lesson. When you may not be feeling on form yourself, that can be difficult to achieve.  A new semester is a perfect time to make some changes. I decided to go back to grassroots and re-evaluate my strategies. I'll take another look into my own personal toolbox, developed over the the years, what can I add, take out, replace?  The article reminded me of how much I had forgotten!

One foot in front of the other... - Rebecca Girard

To start the New Year off, the Notre Dame High School Science Department has started blogging! Common Core, STEM, STEAM, and all the tech tools available seem overwhelming. 

We have banded together to brave the frontier ahead. 

We are sure we will have many adventures to share. Be sure to stop by and see what we are up to. 

For now, we will keep singing the words of Santa Claus...

First Blog Post EVER! - Chris Wall

Happy blogging sci-types!

Check out the Astronomy picture of the day! - MaeLinh Fatum

Updated every day:

Astronomy Picture of the Day Website  Facebook Page

Follow APOD on Twitter!

Second semester- here we come - Liz Hegarty

I am looking forward to an exciting second semester.  Incorporating appropriate technology into chem classes- preparing tomorrow's scientists today!