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| April/May 2007 |
| COSI's Teacher e-News offers quick and timely information about teacher professional development, student development, and hands-on activities for busy educators. To receive the Teacher e-News monthly by e-mail, please send a request to teacherenews@mail.cosi.org. Remember, teachers always receive free admission to COSI's exhibitions and a discount on membership! |
Put Science in Your Announcements! April 22, 1970: The first Earth Day was observed. The slogan for the first Earth Day was "Give Earth a Chance." Earth Day is celebrated either on this anniversary or on the vernal equinox. |
| Summer Workshops for Grade K-8 Teachers Start June 20th |
Sign up for COSI’s Summer Professional Development Programs today! Explore science through inquiry this summer at COSI with five exciting programs. These inquiry- and standards-based experiences are ideal for teachers with all levels of science knowledge and use of science in academic environments. All workshops align with Ohio Academic Content Standards, with many workshops offering graduate credit from Ashland University for an additional fee. View program descriptions, dates, and pricing information. |
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| Reservations for the 2007-2008 school year are NOW OPEN! |
Bring a full day of engaging, hands-on, science learning to your school with COSI On Wheels. Reservations for the 2007-2008 school year are being accepted now. Programs fill quickly; make your reservation today. View program descriptions and pricing information. |
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| An Engineering Workshop Just for Girls in Grades 6-8 |
Do you know girls in grades 6 through 8 who like science, math, and solving problems? Then Girls Explore...Engineering is for them! Girls Explore...Engineering is a fun day of hands-on activities and informative sessions at COSI led by women engineers. Girls Explore...Engineering will be held at COSI Columbus on Saturday, October 27, 2007. Registration opens September 10, 2007. View complete program description. |
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| A Unique Opportunity for Your Top STEM Students |
COSI Academy is a self-governed organization of high-school students who work on real-world challenges with the guidance of professional scientists. If you have mature students who excel in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects, please recommend COSI Academy to them. COSI Academy is now accepting applications for the 2007-2008 school year. The deadline is September 1, 2007. View details about COSI Academy and download an application. |
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| Convection Currents |
Convection currents are essential to the recipe for a thunderstorm. When warm and cold air masses meet, a thunderstorm can be produced. This activity will show how air moves in convection currents. Materials:
1. Fill container 2/3 full with room temperature water. 2. Let the water sit for 30 seconds until completely still. 3. Place a blue ice cube at one end of the plastic container. 4. Add two drops of red food coloring to the water at the opposite end of the plastic container. Be careful not to disturb the water. 5. Observe where the red and blue food coloring goes. 6. Draw what you see happening. How does this relate to a thunderstorm? It's all about convection! The cold blue water sinks while the warmer red water rises, or stays higher than the blue. Convection is the action of warm air rising and cold air sinking. The blue water represents a cold air mass and the red water represents the warm, unstable air mass. A thunderstorm is caused by unstable air. A body of warm air is forced to rise by an approaching cold front. Other things can cause warm air to rise, like a mountain slope. A strong updraft of warm moist air is formed and lifted by the approaching cold front. The air cools as it rises, condenses, and forms cumulus clouds. When condensation occurs, heat is released and helps the thunderstorm grow. At some point, condensation high in the cloud (now in the form of water droplets and ice) falls to the ground as rain. A cold downdraft forms as the rain falls.
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