State of Illinois

01/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/08/2024 23:19

STEAM Newsletter Vol. 44

STEAM Newsletter Vol. 44

STEAM Newsletter - Thursday, August 1, 2024
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STEAM Newsletter Vol. 44

Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology to Showcase Innovation and Entertainment at the 2024 Illinois State Fair

Lights, Camera, STEAM Action! A Celebration of Illinois Film, Acting & STEAM

Light up the silver screen with the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology's (DoIT) celebration of Illinois film, acting, and STEAM, where innovation and STEAM will be center stage at the 2024 Illinois State Fair in Springfield August 8-18, 2024.

DoIT has partnered with organizations around the state to showcase engaging and innovative STEAM activities and demos for all ages. DoIT's theme, "Lights, Camera, STEAM Action! A Celebration of Illinois Film, Acting & STEAM," will inspire fairgoers with creative activities focused on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM).

This event is more than just a red-carpet experience.Get ready for a celebration of the Illinois film industry featuring iconic actors like John Malkovich, Bill Murray, Marlee Matlin, John Cusack, John Belushi, Harrison Ford, and Betty White. In addition to the fun activities, some of the movies filmed right here in Illinois will be highlighted, including Lincoln, Groundhog Day, High Fidelity, and The Blues Brothers.

Starting August 8th, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of fun and educational activities at the Governor's Tent located at Brian Raney Avenue and Main Street in Springfield. The tent will be open from 10am to 6pm daily. The exhibit will include:

  • August 8-10: Moo-ve over to an exciting 3-D printing activity provided by the Learning Technology Center, inspired by Abraham Lincoln and John Malkovich, where you can watch a mini butter cow come to life and snap a photo with a life-sized caricature of Lincoln holding it. Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet the student designer of this year's mini butter cow, Isaac Jacquez, a fifth-grade student from Scott Elementary in Mannheim CUSD 83.
  • August 11: Check out a fun science experiment from Hanson Professional Services inspired by Groundhog Day where, like Bill Murray's character, fairgoers will uncover weather patterns and make discoveries through repetition.
  • August 12: Discover a new career with DoIT where the analog charm of vinyl meets digital innovation, like John Cusack's quest for the perfect sound in High Fidelity.
  • August 13: Experience demonstrations of assistive technologies from the Illinois Assistive Technology Program and learn how they bridge gaps and unlock possibilities for people with disabilities, inspired by Marlee Matlin's portrayal in CODA.
  • August 14: Take part in a hands-on AI adventure inspired by John Belushi and the classic Illinois film The Blues Brothers, with activities led by Google.
  • August 15-17: Jump into a Star Wars-themed Rubik's Cube challenge inspired by Harrison Ford's Han Solo, with activities hosted by the Illinois Century Network.
  • August 18: Join the Techno Tigers FIRST Robotics Team for a Toy Story 4-inspired robotics challenge, where visitors will build and bring robots to life, embracing the spirit of "Bitey White" voiced by Illinois native Betty White.

DoIT is thrilled to be back for their second year offering these technology exhibits and demonstrations to spark learning and exploration for all age groups. All of these activities are free with paid admission to the Illinois State Fair. Come join the fun!

Let off some STEAM with these fun activities!

Recent News on STEAM

"The US Department of Defense and the State of Illinois will develop a national proving ground for quantum technologies in the Chicago region, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced Tuesday morning.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) - a Defense Department agency that invests in breakthrough technologies for national security - and the State of Illinois are partnering to test quantum technology prototypes on the state's soon-to-be-built quantum campus, leveraging Illinois' recent $500 million quantum budget outlay and the region's deep bench of world-leading scientists to strengthen national security. The location of the campus, which will include shared cryogenic facilities, equipment labs, and research spaces for both private companies and universities, has not yet been announced."

"Regions of the Amazon rainforest respond to drought according to differences in local forest environments and in the properties of trees, Scott Saleska of the University of Arizona and colleagues have discovered.

In the southern Amazon rainforest, mostly above a rock formation called the Brazilian Shield that has forests with shorter trees, drought response was controlled by access to groundwater. Trees with access to shallow water tables stayed green during drought, while trees over deeper water tables experienced more foliage browning and tree death. The northern Amazon's Guiana Shield - with its tall trees with deep roots - was more drought-resilient regardless of water table depth.

The new understanding of regional differences will lead to improved predictions of forest responses to climate change, say the researchers, who recently published their U.S. National Science Foundation-funded results in the journal Nature.

"This is an innovative approach to thinking about the other side of drought, the unseen belowground component," says Kendra McLauchlan, a program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology."

"On Earth, hurricane season isn't just surface level. The ionosphere, an upper layer of the atmosphere charged by solar radiation, also contains swirling storms of plasma dubbed "space hurricanes." Scientists first described a space hurricane in 2021: It was a cyclone-shaped aurora, swirling for hours near Earth's north magnetic pole and raining down electrons, rather than water, into the upper atmosphere.

Now, new research reveals that parallel space hurricanes swirl near the south magnetic pole as well.

An analysis of satellite data collected from 2005 to 2016 identified 259 space hurricane events in the Southern Hemisphere's ionosphere, space physicist Sheng Lu of Shandong University in Weihai, China, and colleagues report June 25 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics. That's about 23 events per year on average, which is close to the rate that was previously estimated for the Northern Hemisphere. The team identified other symmetries too. For instance, space hurricanes in both hemispheres tend to occur in summer months."

"Scientists were stunned on May 30 when a rock that NASA's Curiosity Mars rover drove over cracked open to reveal something never seen before on the Red Planet: yellow sulfur crystals.

Since October 2023, the rover has been exploring a region of Mars rich with sulfates, a kind of salt that contains sulfur and forms as water evaporates. But where past detections have been of sulfur-based minerals - in other words, a mix of sulfur and other materials - the rock Curiosity recently cracked open is made of elemental, or pure, sulfur. It isn't clear what relationship, if any, the elemental sulfur has to other sulfur-based minerals in the area.

While people associate sulfur with the odor from rotten eggs (the result of hydrogen sulfide gas), elemental sulfur is odorless. It forms in only a narrow range of conditions that scientists haven't associated with the history of this location. And Curiosity found a lot of it - an entire field of bright rocks that look similar to the one the rover crushed."

Upcoming Events

Mon. Aug 5 | 1:30 pm - 4 pm | Online

Stitching in Creativity with Digital Embroidery & SewArt

"Digital embroidery and SewArt can brighten up your STEM curriculum, one stitch at a time. Come discover how to get started with both at the Champaign Community Fab Lab, where we'll dig into the advantages of using different digital embroidery software to spark creative, maker-centered projects.

Along the way, we'll also explore every step in the creation process, starting with creating and using vector are and continuing through basic machine operation, troubleshooting, and more.

Join us to see how you can add creative flare to your STEM lessons, starting with a modern take on classic embroidery."

Tue. Aug 06 | 7 pm | Online

August MTLT Teacher Talk

"Join us this August for an MTLT Teacher Talk discussing Farshid Safi and Siddhi Desai's article "Promoting Mathematical Connections Using Three-Dimensional Manipulatives" from the legacy journal Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School."

"Join us for an engaging workshop on integrating computer science in K-8 classrooms. Explore foundational CS concepts and learn practical ways to incorporate them across subjects. During this session we will explore Code.org CS Fundamentals and CS Connections as well as some other resources that support foundational CS concepts. Engage with hands-on activities and participate in collaborative discussions that will expand your tool box and build your confidence to engage students. Whether you're a seasoned tech teacher or new to CS, leave with actionable strategies to bring CS to your classroom!

Lunch will be provided."

Thu. Aug 8 | 9 am - 11 am | Online

Navigating Digital Waters: From Well-Being to Thriving

"As schools begin to address the ongoing student mental health crisis, educators can do more to foster well-being in their classroom - especially around technology habits and use. Join us as we explore practical strategies for maintaining digital well-being, including resources to help students practice balancing technology use - for school and for entertainment - with their individual mental health.

Along the way, we'll also explore ways students can move from surviving to thriving in their digital lifestyle. Participants will even learn how to help students created personalized plans for self-regulating their technology use outside the classroom."

Fri. Aug 9 |9 am - 10:30 am | Online

Google Slides Basics: Teachers

"Take your lessons to the next level with Google Slides! Join us to learn how to use this well-known digital tool to create engaging and interactive presentations for your classroom.

Slides can do a lot more than just make slide shows, though. During this workshop, we also explore how Slides can be used to build dynamic lessons and as a focal point for collaboration in student projects."

Sat. Aug 10 | 8:30 am - 12:30 pm |Online

Illinois Digital Educators Alliance for ideaU

"Join Illinois Digital Educators Alliance for ideaU, a virtual institute designed for educators, running from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM Central Time on three Saturdays: August 10, August 17, and September 7. This engaging event offers live sessions and exclusive on-demand content, providing flexible learning opportunities for all participants.

Register for individual dates at $29 each or take advantage of a discounted rate for all multiple days. Can't attend live? No worries! Sessions will be recorded and accessible to registrants for one month, ensuring you won't miss out on any valuable insights. Don't miss this chance to rekindle your spark for a new school year!"

"Join us for an awesomely engaging night of star gazing - rain or shine! First our speakers will introduce us to stellar science subjects, including NASAs newest missions to the moon and the properties of stars and meteors. Then we'll go outside to observe the night sky during the spectacular Perseid meteor shower.

Speakers:

  • Joel Knapper, NASA Solar System Ambassador
  • Jim Hopkins, Retired Associate Professor of Science, Joliet Junior College
  • Jeremy Benson, Laboratory Manager, NIU Department of Physics and NASA Solar System Ambassador

Talks:

  • The Artemis Program: Returning to the Moon after 50 Years - Joel Knapper
  • Telescopes across the Electromagnetic Spectrum - Jim Hopkins
  • What to Look for in the Night Sky - Jeremy Benson

Northern Illinois University STEM Cafés are part of NIU STEAM and are designed to increase public awareness of the critical role that STEM fields play in our everyday lives. They are offered in partnership with the NIU Alumni Association and made possible with support from additional sponsors and individual supporters."

Thu. Sep 12 & Fri. Sep 13, 2024 | In-Person (NIU Naperville Campus) & Online

DigLitCon Digital Literacy Conference

"On average, young adults today spend nearly 10 hours a day consuming media, including at school and in their free time. Within that timeframe, they can be exposed to thousands of media messages - some of which require extra effort to analyze and contextualize.

Do these young adults fully understand what they are seeing on a daily basis? Can they distinguish between real or altered content? Now more than ever, digital literacy - the ability to use information and communication technology to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information - is a critical skill that needs attention if students are going to thrive in the classroom and beyond.

Join education stakeholders from around Illinois for a two-day conference centered on digital literacy, with presenters offering their views on how to best integrate these cognitive and technical skills into instruction across subject areas and grade levels. With this knowledge, educators will be better able to guide their students toward becoming productive, ethical, and empathetic digital citizens - both as consumers and as creators."

"Join the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics for the 2024 Annual Meeting & Exposition in Chicago, September 25-28.

This year's theme, The Math of Their Dreams: Illuminating Students' Brilliance, captures our intent to center students and their experiences, while also being evocative-what does "the math of their dreams" bring to mind for you?

Throughout the program, you will be encouraged to explore the meaning of the theme and what you value most in mathematics.

Our goal is for you to walk away with exciting new skills and techniques to illuminate your own brilliance and the brilliance of your students!"

Educator's Corner

STEAM resources for in-person, hybrid, remote learning, and professional development

STEAM Resources Spotlight

"Solar has emerged in recent years as the fastest growing renewable energy source in the United States, spurred in part by great improvements in technology that help turn light from the sun into electricity more efficiently.

But there is also a push to use light to do chemistry.

Like electricity, chemicals are vital to everyday life, and it takes a huge amount of energy, generally from non-renewable sources, to convert chemicals into the consumer and industrial products we need, like gases, plastics, paints, pharmaceuticals and so much more.

The chemicals and petrochemicals industries account for about 40% of all industrial energy use and emissions in the U.S., according to the 2022 U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap.

"A huge amount of energy is spent doing high temperature and high-pressure chemical reactions so that we can get things that we use in our everyday life. So, one of the big picture pursuits of all chemistry right now is trying to figure out a way to do chemistry using light, especially something like sunlight, because that's free," said Christy Landes, Jerry A. Walker Endowed Chair in Chemistry, and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.."

The 'A' in STEAM

"Arts foster scientific success" -Dr. Temple Grandin

This series is dedicated to showing how art and creativity play a crucial role in our society within the STEM fields.

"Language and literacy learning is a big part of the early childhood years. Adults spending time with young children play a crucial role in giving young children the best start in language and literacy so that children can be successful readers and writers. Singing and chanting is a joyful and developmentally appropriate way to support that learning. It's important to remember that oral language, which includes speaking and listening skills, is foundational for becoming a reader and writer. Singing and chanting is a natural way to support the oral language skills of young children.

Have you been with a toddler and found yourself singing "twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are"? Or chanting"five little monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head." Or maybe you were rocking an infant and humming "rockabye baby"or"A-B-C-D-E-F-G"? These moments are times that model conversation, develop a connection between caregivers and children, and provide children with experience with language's natural rhythm and rhyme. Young children benefit from repeated opportunities to hear and say these patterns. The benefit of that experience happens whether the words are sung to a melody, chanted to a beat, or recited in a poem."

Please submit STEAM ideas, comments, or questions using our contact us form.