A firestorm erupted recently when documents were leaked showing that the Heartland Institute, a prominent conservative think tank, is seeking to support development of K-12 curricula designed to promote teach skepticism about global warming. More information about this can be found at the following websites:
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Submitted by Pamela Whiffen, NESTA Southwest Regional Director
The USGS and Japanese seismologists both upgraded the magnitude of Japan's March 11, 2011 quake to 9.0 on March 14.
A massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit near the east coast of Honshu, Japan, on 3/11/11 at 02:46:23 PM local time at the epicenter. The quake occurred on a thrust fault at or near the subduction zone interface plate boundary between the Pacific and North America plates. The earthquake was preceded by a series of large foreshocks over the previous two days, beginning on March 9th with an M 7.2 event.
Three student contests are now open through January 21, 2011. Details may be found at: https://www.nestanet.org/cms/content/galileoscope-observing-contests.
Arizona currently boasts a top rated earth science museum, the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum which includes K-12 education programs. Arizona governor is eliminating this museum, but NOT to cut cost as people will assume. Millions are being spent to convert it into the Arizona Centennial Museum which will feature cotton, cows, etc. K-12 earth science education will be badly damaged. The mineral museum is still open, but only because the Arizona Historical Society has not yet raised enough money to convert it to the Arizona Centennial Museum featuring cotton, cows, etc.
The University of California eliminated the Earth Sciences from the “d” laboratory science requirements for enrollment in UC schools.
The National Wildlife Federation has developed a site on the BP oil spill for teachers that we may want to consider linking to sooner than our normal process. It includes a section of questions and answers on what kids are asking about the spill.
The recent tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico is one that everyone including our students is embracing. Visit this link to keep on top of this disaster as it unfolds and hopefully ends soon.
http://wsre.org/OilSpill/teachers-students-kids.asp
