Congratulations 2013 Scholarship Winners

Good luck to this year's AB PIP STEM scholarship winners including Erin McLaughlin, Clark Jacobsohn, Prakhar Sahay and Ethan Sherman. All scholarship recipients have contributed at various AB PIP STEM events over the course of their high school years.

Upcoming Events

An Evening with Dr. Yong Zhao, July 23, 2013 at 7:00pm
On Education in a Global Economy

The Acton Public Schools and the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District, along with the Acton Chinese Language School, welcome Dr. Yong Zhao on July 23, 2013 at 7:00pm to the High School auditorium. Please join our school administration and staff as we hear Dr. Zhao's presentation on the complexities of today's American education system and where it stands within global education. Read the flyer.

Admission is FREE and seating is first come, first serve. Please complete this form if you are planning to attend this event so that we can better prepare for the general public. Overflow spaces will be made available based upon the feedback to this form. Sign Up Here.

STEM in the News

AB Wins Green Ribbon Schools Award

On April 22, 2013, the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District (ABRSD) and the Acton Public Schools (APS) were awarded the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Award (ED-GRS) for reducing environmental impact and costs; improving the health and wellness of students and staff; and providing effective environmental and sustainability education, which incorporates STEM, civic skills and green career pathways. ABRSD-APS is one of only fourteen school districts in the US to receive this "first-ever" honor. More

Sharing Biodiversity and Culture

From September 2010 to January 2012, a 3rd grade classroom at Merriam School in Acton and students at Caserio Helen School in Ilobasco, El Salvador participated in a cultural exchange through school-based projects. The program, Sharing Biodiversity and Culture, was developed jointly by The Discovery Museums in Acton and a Salvadorian children's museum, Tin Marin Museo de los Ninos.

Museum of Science Summer Courses Grades 1–8

MOS registration is now open. Plan a summer of discovery! From the aspiring biologist to the future technology wizard, every science-minded child will have something to look forward to this summer at the Museum of Science. Students entering grades 1–8 can choose from a variety of hands-on, week-long courses with topics ranging from bugs to robots to food chemistry, and more.

MIT Summer Program for Teens

2013 Summer Design/Build for Teens at MIT: Public Works—New Architecture in Public Spaces. Bridges, overpasses, and tunnels. These "Public Works" are often really ugly, unfriendly, and out of scale with people and their communities. This summer's Teen Design/Build will imagine and build new architectures to transform neglected urban structures into great new public spaces. Students will visit sites, brainstorm ideas, build 3d models, present their designs, and then build and install their proposals for public use. These hands-on architectural experiments will use the landscape of existing infrastructure to seed radically new ways to serve the needs of real people in their communities.

Study Jams

Study Jams combines the coolest songs about math and science with over 200 tutorials on topics and concepts like the Universe, Landforms, and Range.

Turning Stem to Steam

The equation for 21st century problem solving:
STEM + Art = STEAM. Innovation remains tightly coupled with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math: the STEM subjects. STEAM is a movement championed by the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) adding Art + Design to the equation, transforming STEM into STEAM.

Flu View

Want to know more about the flu? The Center for Disease Control (CDC) FluView report provides weekly influenza surveillance and statistics in the United States.

Is Mars Red Hot?

What would it feel like if you could stand on Mars—toasty warm, or downright chilly? Find out in this 60-second video from NASA. Mars may look hot, but don't let its color fool you. Mars is actually pretty cold! In orbit, Mars is about 50 million miles farther away from the Sun than Earth! That means it gets a lot less light and heat.

Recurring Lyme Disease Rash Caused By Reinfection, Not Relapse

"Some doctors thought Lyme disease was a chronic condition that relapsed. Now, there's evidence that recurring cases of Lyme disease may actually be caused by multiple, discrete tick bites and infections." more >>

NEWTON, Ask A Scientist

Visit NEWTON, Ask A Scientist, an online question-and-answer service for K-12 teachers and their students for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12. Operated by Argonne National Laboratories.

U.S. News Ranks Best High Schools for STEM

ABRHS Ranked #7 in Public High Schools

U.S. News & World Report listed 2012 rankings of the Best High Schools for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). Acton-Boxborough High School ranked 7th* Best High School for STEM. *Based on the number of 12th graders who take, and pass, any AP math or science test.

ABRHS Green Flag Award

In an award ceremony on May 4, ABRHS was awarded the prestigious international Green Flag award—the 4th school in the United States to receive this honor! The award recognized significant success in energy conservation and other green initiatives. See award coverage including an Acton Patch video, Beacon article and Beacon photos. Visit the ABRHS sustainability website for more info.

Children and Nature Network

The Children & Nature Network is leading a movement to connect all children, their families and communities to nature. Recommended reading includes an AB PIP STEM Book Club selection, Last Child in the Woods.

Putting the STEAM in STEM

The STEAM movement is the latest K-12 education initiative—adding the Arts to STEM. Recent studies show the "sciences could benefit from a more interdisciplinary, inquiry-based model, incorporating the arts into technical education." Read about STEM to STEAM: Integrating the Arts into Science and Technology Education and The STEAM Movement: It's About More Than Hot Air.

Where Science Meets Art

Discover the artistry behind the 2010 International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge winners as they explain the processes, techniques and thoughts behind their entries. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Volunteers

PIP welcomes parent and student volunteers. Student volunteers qualify for community service credit and the chance to win a PIP Scholarship.

Education

Find Free Online Tutorials for High School students and teachers including video clips, lecture notes, practice problems and exam questions from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Courses include AP biology, AP calculus and AP physics at MIT: Free OpenCourseWare Material for High School Students & Teachers

Visit Science News for Kids. See the Visible Body and Winking Skull for the latest in anatomy & physiology or the Periodic Table of Videos for chemistry online.

Science & Engineering Sites for Girls

edequity.org/sigt. Early Childhood Science Program.
braincake.org. Math & Science for Girls 11-17.
engineergirl.org. Careers in Engineering.
engineeryourlife.org Engineering for High School Girls.
iwaswondering.org. Women's Adventures in Science.

Upcoming AB PIP STEM Events

Summerskills Fundraiser

Every spring, AB PIP sells SummerSkills Math Books. These books are refreshers to help your children review math skills over the summer. During this fundraiser, you can also purchase the Acton, Naturally Nature Guide and PIP reusable grocery bags on the same order form. Take the guide with you while hiking the Acton conservation lands this summer! Summerskills 2013 have been updated to reflect the New Math Curriculum Standards. Find out more.

Acton Invasive Plants

Garlic Mustard Removal

We need your help—please sign up for one or more picking sessions in June at Acton Arboretum. The goal is to minimize the impact of invasive plants in Acton's Conservation Areas. Read the blog about water chestnut pulling in June and July at Ice House Pond and get the garlic mustard pesto recipe.

STEM Ideas

What Is Cool Science?

Cool Science fosters inquisitive behavior (ASK A SCIENTIST), encourages young scientists to get their hands dirty-virtually (CURIOUS KIDS) and offers high school and college students new approaches to cutting-edge science topics (BIOINTERACTIVE). Cool Science shares the skinny (BECOMING A SCIENTIST) and showcases an undergraduate science discovery project that may one day change the way science is taught (SEA).

Nikon's Small World

Small World showcases life as seen through the light microscope.

Play Species Bingo

Check out ARKive's Games or get out into the wild with fun and free outdoor activities including Species Bingo. Fun for all the family. Print the bingo sheet and get exploring! There are 24 different examples of animals, plants and fungi for you to find.

Top 10 New Species—2012

Check out the Top 10 New Species—2012, according to the Arizona State University's International Institute for Species Exploration.

Science and Animation

3rd & 5th Grade Market Math Review

Thanks to all who attended 3rd grade and 5th grade Market Math at Roche Bros. Get the Market Math Take Home activities.

2013 Family Skate FUNdraiser Recap

Thanks to all Family Skate participants who donated over $1,500 to support AB PIP STEM, local food pantries and the Connor Brandon Foundation. More.

2013 Star Party Review

Thanks to 4th graders and parents for attending the 11th annual AB PIP STEM Star Party. Photos, Beacon Article and more.

Family Math Game Night Recap

Thanks for attending Family Math Game Night at the Boxborough Library on January 16. See more pictures.

2012-2013 Calendar and Brochure

Please join us! We encourage new participants and volunteers! Come to a Meeting or drop in to an event. Find out more...
2012-2013 Calendar of Events.
2012-2013 PIP Brochure.

Acton Nature Guides

Available at AB PIP STEM, EMS & ABRHS School Store

Looking for a holiday gift for that naturalist? Sponsored by AB Schools, Town of Acton and AB PIP STEM, Acton Naturally, Pocket Naturalist Guides feature species indigenous to Acton. To order, contact actonpip@gmail.com or pick up your copy for $6.00 at EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports) on Route 2A or the ABRHS School Store.

Fun For All at Acton Arboretum Nature Walk

Thanks for joining the AB PIP STEM nature walk at Acton Arboretum with our guide, Tom Tidman, Director of Acton's natural resources department. We identified local birds with our Acton Naturally Guides, collected leaves for art projects and discovered an esker along the trail.

Nature-related Art Projects and Books:
Constructing Fairy Houses
Art in Nature
Look What I Did with a Leaf! (available at Acton Memorial Library)

How Big Is it?

Dimensions is an experimental prototype to bring home the human scale of events and places in history. How far would the Titanic stretch down your street? The Dimensions website juxtaposes the size of historical events with your home and neighborhood—overlaying important places and events on a satellite view of where you live. Certain Dimensions can be transformed into short walks, so you can get a physical appreciation of the distances involved.