the lberta science eacher...one keynote is dr phil plait, a man known as the “bad astronomer.”...

Volume 30, Number 3 July 2009

The lbertaScience eacher

From the Editor

ContentsFrom the Council

Science and Science Students in the 21st Century ..........................................2Physics of the Impossible Explained .........3SMART Board Science............................3Science 10 Gizmos ................................4

Science Teacher NewsNASA Space Place Column ......................6

Classroom-Ready ResourcesAlberta Tomorrow .................................8Chemistry Lab Book from Vernier .......12Second Annual WHERE Challenge .......13World Water Monitoring Day ..............14

Professional DevelopmentScience on Stage .................................15Summer Physics Programs for Students and Teachers ........................15WaterEDWest Conference 2009 ..........16

Women in ScienceAWSN Mentor Profile: Gail Powley .....17

Student CampsManitoba Science Academy .................19MTA University ....................................20

Welcome to the final spring

(OK, early summer) issue of The Alberta Science Teacher!I would like to refrain from using any excuses, but, as you all know, the school year can get very busy. I have not only been teaching Chemistry 20/30 full-time but also took on the role of Conference 2009 codirector. Also, I was busy house shopping, and my new house should be built by the end of July. So for all of you who do not have to move this summer, this issue will keep science on your brain and keep you workaholics busy.

This spring I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Edmonton Biology and Chemistry Regionals annual conference at the University of Alberta. Special thanks to Morrie Smith and Dan Leskiw for their work on this conference. As always there were many great speakers, and I have high-lighted one presenter in this issue. More presen-tations will be highlighted in future issues.

In this issue, I have summarized a presentation by Dr Marie-Claire Shanahan, an assistant profes-sor at the Faculty of Education at the U of A. She spoke on the use of technology in the classroom, specifically how different technologies are used versus how they should be used.

Speaking about technology today, many extraordinary technologies have made it possible to view and explore space. This is the Year of Astronomy, and as such the theme of Conference 2009 is “Found in Space.” One keynote is Dr Phil Plait, a man known as the “bad astronomer.” Maureen Parker, a member of the AISI assessment project team at Elk Island Catholic Schools, will speak on assessment in the science classroom and about the new elementary science programs.

Don’t forget to reserve your space as a delegate by filling out the online form at www.atasc.ab.ca/conference. Also, if you are interested in present-ing at the conference, submit your proposal using the online form on the same website.

I hope you have enjoyed this school year as much as I have and that your summer is safe and relaxing. As always, comments and suggestions are appreciated. Just send your responses to [email protected]. Direct any questions you have about the conference to this e-mail address.

Andi-Lynn Bender

The Alberta Science Teacher 2 July 2009

From the CouncilScience and Science Students in the 21st CenturyOn May 8 I had the great opportunity to attend

the Edmonton Biology and Chemistry Regional annual conference at the University of Alberta and sat in on lectures that explored the latest research in science education. The lecture summarized here was given by Dr Marie-Claire Shanahan, an assistant professor at the Faculty of Education at the U of A. Her research explores ideas of identity, philosophy, culture and language at the boundaries between science and the public.

The boundaries between science and the pub-lic were explored throughout Shanahan’s talk, while she brought to light the struggle of balanc-ing the need for technology in the classroom and the appropriate uses of these technologies. According to Shanahan, students today are digital natives. This term, which was coined by Marc Prensky, refers to a person who was born after the digital age and who, therefore, has grown up with computers, the Internet, mobile phones and MP3s. This defines many of today’s students and teachers (anyone born after 1980).

To many of us, technology is a mystery that must continually be explored. We assume (naively) that this is not the case for students. Most students know and understand technology; however, students also know that different tech-nologies serve different purposes. And what about those students who still do not have access to some technology? Yes, they still exist.

According to recent studies, many students do not care for increased use of technology in the classroom. In fact, many say that too much tech-nology is being used. Students just want the best

learning possible (just like teachers want to give students the best opportunities to achieve). Using fancy gadgets and making pretty websites might just not be enough. If you have ever devel-oped these resources or sites, you know they are very time-consuming. But are they really helping students? Many times technology is used for no other purpose than to use the latest technology. This both wastes our oh-so-precious and limited prep time, and gives students the impression that we use technology for the sole purpose of using technology (meanwhile students are wondering how this is supposed to help them).

Fear not because there are many great uses for technology in today’s science classrooms. We can use document cameras to view exciting demos and interactive whiteboards to rearrange formulas. We can have students perform web-based research and summarize their results in PowerPoints, vid-eos or other forms of digital media. More recently, scientific journals have evolved to take advantage of up-to-date digital technology. Now we have the ability to highlight, find key terms, use interactive overlays for maps and data, and follow links to raw data in digital scientific jour-nals. This will both decrease the time spent look-ing through journals and increase the speed at which research is done. These uses of technology will not only speed up some of the learning proc-ess but also supplement our students’ education.

Technology will always be an important part of scientific education. But before you start creating that website, take a moment to think about how your time may be better spent on some other form of technology that will make a difference in your students’ education and future.

To learn more about Dr Marie-Claire Shanahan and view a copy of her presentation, go to her website at www.ualberta.ca/~mshanaha.

Andi-Lynn BenderThe Alberta Science Teacher Editor

July 2009 3 The Alberta Science Teacher

SMART Board ScienceMany classrooms across Alberta have interac-

tive SMART Boards hanging on their walls. For some, it is an opportunity to bring technology into the classroom, piquing student interest. For others, it can be an overwhelming undertaking. Mastering any new technology poses its chal-lenges, and learning the ins and outs of using SMART Boards and its Notebook 10 software (the latest software that comes with the SMART Board)

is no exception. Fortunately, many excellent online resources help even the most technically challenged to be an effective SMART Board user.

Your first stop along the way to enlightenment is through the Notebook software itself. Once you have Notebook 10 installed, you have access to SMART Learning Marketplace, which allows you to download digital content from an online location. You can search for content, and click and drag onto a Notebook page. You have to sub-scribe, but they will give you a trial subscription. Notebook 10 also has Online Essentials for Educators connecting you to some links to very good resources including ready-made lessons, which you can search for by subject and grade according to Alberta curriculum standards. The software also includes Essentials for Educators and Lesson Activity Toolkit that allow you to use graphics and interactive lessons to create your own custom-made lessons.

Making your own lessons can be quite time-consuming, so it is no surprise that there are some ready-made lessons out there for teachers to use. Teachers Love SMART Boards (http://smartboards.typepad.com) is definitely a site to look at. The site covers all subject areas, but has a great science section. Frequent updates of the latest submissions link to premade lessons and sites to link your own lessons to. Probably the most useful for the new Notebook user is the video tutorials on creating your own lessons. Watching a two-minute video will have you doing things you never thought possible with the SMART Board.

More and more teachers now have the oppor-tunity to begin a new and captivating way of bringing science into their classrooms. It may seem like a lot of effort to get up to speed, but more resources are available almost daily. There is now even a link that takes you to a custom Google search that will return only Notebook files (http://smarttech.com/notebookfiles/). With these tools, you are certain to become an expert SMART Board user.

Chris Sudyk, Elementary Director

Physics of the Impossible ExplainedLast summer, the American Association of

Physics Teachers conference was held in Edmonton. I was honoured to represent the Science Council executive at this conference. The keynote speaker was Michio Kaku, and his topic focused on his newly released book Physics of the Impossible.

Kaku discussed the current academic research into science fiction impossibilities. Some of the more interesting topics were the possibilities of invisibility cloaks, phasers and death stars. He analyzed how possible each of these technologies is and if they will exist in our lifetimes.

Kaku is extremely personable and easy to understand. He uses layman’s terms that appeal to a universal audience. In addition to writing, Kaku hosts “SciIQ,” a Sunday-night show on the Science Channel.

Rose Lapointe, Technology Director


Science 10 GizmosHave you discovered the gizmos on the LearnAlberta website? A few have helped me to present the

content in all of my science classes, but in this newsletter, I will focus on two for Science 10. To access the website, go to www.learnalberta.ca. Click on your language, and then click on Find

resources by: Search. Search for whatever topic you currently teach, and then type gizmo. See examples below. Most gizmos have student learning guides and/or teacher guides at the top of the page, and five assessment questions at the bottom of the page. The results from these assessments can be e-mailed to the teacher, so you can check your students’ understanding of the concepts.

PhysicsIn the LearnAlberta site, search for distance time gizmo.This gizmo is very cool. My Science 10 and 20 students often have a hard time understanding the

meaning behind d-t graphs in their physics units. Here are some of the cool features I found:

The stopwatch allows you to stop and start the runners.

You can change the information that the students see—whether you see the graph and/or the animation for each of runner 1 and 2.

You can grab the points on the graph and drag them to where you want them to be.

This button takes a screen-shot of the graph. You can go into your word-processer document, push paste, and there it is. (Wonderful for making tests and worksheets!)The green bar lets you move

the runners by hand.

You can change the number of points on the graph from 2–9.

This button lets you add arrows (like the purple one) to the graph. Quite useful for testing and worksheets This button lets you copy

the whole screen and insert it into documents.

This button makes the graph darker for printing


BiologyOn the LearnAlberta site, search for osmosis gizmo.This one is pretty cool for looking at cells and osmosis. You get to be a paramecium cell, and control

your water intake and loss through your vacuole. The students see the effect of being in a hypotonic or hypertonic solution on the water control of the paramecium.

This is a really quick and easy gizmo to work through with kids. I did it on my Smart Board. It took only four or five minutes, and the kids really started to understand osmosis and tonicity.

Please take some time to explore the LearnAlberta website. There are so many gizmos available for all levels and branches of both science and math. I will be featuring more gizmos in future issues.

Colleen YoshidaPast President

The water vacuole swells and shrinks in relation to what happens in and around the cell.

Allows you to contract the water vacuole to eject water and try to balance the water concentration in and out of the cell.

Again, here is our copy screen button so we can use the screen on tests and worksheets.

This check box allows the user to see the organelles all labelled.

You can control the tonicity of the water the cell is swimming in.


NASA Space Place Column

Scoring More Energy from Less Sunlight The following article was provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Science Teacher News

Helen Johnson, a spacecraft technician at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, works on one of the three tiny Space Technology 5 spacecraft in preparation for its technology validation mission.

For spacecraft, power is everything. Without electrical power, satellites and robotic probes

might as well be chunks of cold rock tumbling through space. Hundreds to millions of miles from the nearest power outlet, these spacecraft must somehow eke enough power from ambient sunlight to stay alive.

That’s no problem for large satellites that can carry immense solar panels and heavy batteries. But in recent years, NASA has been developing technologies for much smaller microsatellites that are lighter and far less expensive to launch. Often less than 10 feet across, these small space-craft have little room to spare for solar panels or


batteries, yet must still somehow power their onboard computers, scientific instruments, and navigation and communication systems.

Space Technology 5 was a mission that proved, among other technologies, new concepts of power generation and storage for spacecraft.

“We tested high efficiency solar cells on ST-5 that produce almost 60 per cent more power than typical solar cells. We also tested batteries that hold three times the energy of standard spacecraft batteries of the same size,” says Christopher Stevens, manager of NASA’s New Millennium Program. This program flight tests cutting-edge spacecraft technologies so that they can be used safely on mission-critical satellites and probes.

“This more efficient power supply allows you to build a science-grade spacecraft on a miniature scale,” Stevens says.

Solar cells typically used on satellites can con-vert only about 18 per cent of the available energy in sunlight into electrical current. ST-5 tested experimental cells that capture up to 29 per cent of this solar energy. These new solar cells, devel-oped in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory, in Ohio, performed flawlessly on ST-5, and they’ve already been scooped up and used on NASA’s svelte MESSENGER probe, which will make a flyby of Mercury later this year.

Like modern laptop batteries, the high-capac-ity batteries on ST-5 use lithium-ion technology. As a string of exploding laptop batteries in recent years shows, fire safety can be an issue with this battery type.

“The challenge was to take these batteries and put in a power management circuit that protects against internal overcharge,” Stevens explains. So NASA contracted with ABSL Power Solutions to develop spacecraft batteries with design con-trol circuits to prevent power spikes that can lead to fires. “It worked like a charm.”

Now that ST-5 has demonstrated the safety of this battery design, it is flying on NASA’s THEMIS mission (for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) and is slated to fly aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Solar Dynamics Observatory, both of which are scheduled to launch later this year.

Thanks to ST-5, a little sunlight can go a really long way.

Find out about other advanced technologies validated in space and now being used on new missions of exploration at http://nmp.nasa.gov/TECHNOLOGY/scorecard . Kids can calculate out how old they would be before having to replace lithium-ion batteries in a handheld game at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/st5_bats.shtml.


Alberta TomorrowAn effective educational tool has been devel-

oped that explores the complex issues that land use planners encounter when they try to achieve sustainable development. Alberta Tomorrow is a free, unbiased, web-based land-use simulator that allows users to develop a sustainable land use plan for Alberta that takes into account the cumulative effects of multiple land uses.

Developed specifically for the Alberta curricu-lum, Alberta Tomorrow provides lesson plans for Science 7, Biology 20, Science 20, Social Studies 9

Classroom-Ready Resourcesand 10, and Outdoor and Environmental Education. Teachers can meet Alberta Education course cur-riculum and ICT objectives by working through the lesson plan. The Biology 20 and Science 20 lesson plans explore the biogeochemical cycles in detail and looks at the effect of altering the cycles. The Science 7 plan looks at the relation-ship between humans and the environment.

The simulator, which is based on a profes-sional version called A Land Use Cumulative Effects Simulator (ALCES) that is used by both government and industry, shows users a series of short videos on land uses (such as oil and gas development, agriculture and forestry) and


ecosystem service indicators (such as water qual-ity, water quantity, greenhouse gases, old growth forest, caribou habitat and native prairie). The videos offer a glimpse into the importance of each land use or ecosystem service to Albertans.

The users then attempt to develop a land use plan that will achieve sustainable development for Alberta in 100 years. After setting goals for resource development and ecosystem services in 100 years, the simulator computes the likelihood of reaching the goals in 100 years. A report card shows whether a goal has been achieved or not. A “so what” box reminds users of the possible effects of not reaching a goal. Users are encour-aged to make changes to their land-use plan with the help of a hints page that graphically shows the timeline for achieving the goal. By revising the goals, a sustainable land-use plan can be developed.

Alberta has seen unprecedented growth and prosperity in recent years. This growth has put enormous pressure on our natural landscape. Land uses, such as oil and gas, forestry, agricul-ture and human infrastructure, all compete for

the same finite resources. The ability of our land to support all of these uses is threatened, and if we want to preserve our natural land for future generations, we must change our actions now to achieve sustainable development.

Students must be educated on land-use issues to achieve sustainable development. Ecosystems are complex, and the relationships between parts of the ecosystems are not fully understood.

The simulator is a powerful tool that shows that we cannot go on as we have in recent years if we are to achieve sustainable development, and that to achieve sustainable development there must be tradeoffs. We cannot have it all. Changes in our land-use policy and personal lifestyles are essential if we are going to ensure a sustainable future.

It’s not always easy for us to understand how today’s actions will affect environmental quality for future generations. Alberta Tomorrow makes it possible!

The site can be accessed at www .albertatomorrow.ca. For more information, contact Jennifer Janzen at [email protected].


Chemistry Lab Book from Vernier

Helping students in high school and college think critically about chemistry experiments,

while providing educators with easy-to-use labs was the goal of authors Donald L Volz and Ray Smola in Vernier Software and Technology’s new Investigating Chemistry through Inquiry lab book. The book takes a unique approach by providing direction for both open inquiry and guided inquiry.

With a strong emphasis on investigation, the lab book includes 25 inquiry-based chemistry experiments that consist of a preliminary activity, teacher information, sample researchable ques-tions and sample data for those researchable questions. Each experiment has three lists of possible researchable questions, including (1) Recommended for Open or Guided Inquiry (sample results provided), (2) Recommended for Open or Guided Inquiry (no sample results pro-vided) and (3) Recommended for Advanced Students.

Each experiment in the book is based on rec-ommendations from the National Research Council report, Learning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in US High Schools (2002), and from leading inquiry-based learning experts. These inquiry-based, data-collection experiments also include instructions on how educators should integrate Vernier probeware into each example.

The book’s coauthors are both long-time chemistry instructors who used the inquiry method in their own instruction.

The book’s table of contents lists the different labs by topic area so that teachers can quickly reference the experiments they wish to use in instruction. Educators can also access a free sam-ple lab online that focuses on evaporation and intermolecular attractions in alkaline and alcohols.

Labs in Investigating Chemistry through Inquiry cover reaction stoichiometry, vapour pressure, enthalpy changes, conductivity of aqueous solu-tions, identifying a pure substance, reaction rates, baking soda and vinegar investigations, and oxidation-reduction titrations, along with many others.

See link for experiment: www2.vernier.com/sample_labs/CWV-09-COMP-evaporation_ intermolecular_attractions.pdf.

Investigating Chemistry through Inquiry sells for $48 and is now shipping. For more information, visit the website at www.vernier.com/cmat/chemi.html. Vernier Software and Technology has been an innovator of data-collection technology for 28 years. Creating easy-to-use and affordable science interfaces, sensors and software, their products can be found in education from elemen-tary school to college. Vernier helps teachers enhance their science curriculum, increase learn-ing and build students’ critical thinking skills. Vernier’s technologies are in use worldwide in more than 125 countries. For more information, visit www.vernier.com.

ReferenceGollub, J P, M W Bertenthal, J B Labov and P C Curtis, ed.

2002. Learning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in US High Schools. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.


Second Annual WHERE Challenge

After hearing high praise from hundreds of participating teachers and students, organ-

izers of the WHERE Challenge are pleased to announce that the popular contest will be back for a second year. The second annual WHERE Challenge will launch in September 2009, and run until January 31, 2010, and will offer thousands of dollars in regional and national prizes. Once again, the WHERE Challenge will ask Canadian students aged 10–14 years to discover the answers to these questions: What on Earth is in your stuff and WHERE on Earth does it come from? Students will be encouraged to use their imagination in their response to create an educa-tional story about nonrenewable Earth resources found in an everyday item.

Last month, the first annual WHERE Challenge awarded more than $16,000 in three national, 33 regional and five school prizes. Teachers and students who participated in the challenge gave it enthusiastic reviews, and more than 87 per cent of them said they would definitely take part again.

“It was really fun to work on the project and look at the other entries on YouTube,” said Blake Nicol after learning he’d won more than $3,000 by snagging both the regional prize for BC as well as the first national grand prize.

“I was really excited when I found out I won,” said 13-year-old Shirley May who, along with Nick Riopel, took home the Alberta regional prize as well as the second national grand prize and more than $2,000. “I started screaming and jumping up and down.”

Teachers say the challenge offered them a unique method of presenting Earth sciences material to students.

“The use of technology as a medium to dem-onstrate learning and allowing for creativity really tapped into something special for my stu-dents,” said Amanda Tetrault, River Heights Middle School teacher in Winnipeg. “Now that we have had a great experience participating in the WHERE Challenge, I will be able to incorpo-rate this competition into my entire class as it ties in nicely with the Grade 7 science unit, The Earth’s Crust.”

“I found it to be a unique and exciting opportu-nity that allowed students to really contemplate how Earth’s resources are used and how we often take the process for granted,” said Kurt Smith, a teacher at Vincent Massey Junior High School in Calgary.

“You know a project is a success if at the Grade 7 level students are willing to work on it at home and really want to, rather than it being assigned as homework,” said Crystal Pearl-Hodgins, who teaches at École Whitehorse Elementary in Whitehorse.

Dozens of school classrooms and more than a thousand students participated in the first annual WHERE Challenge. Contest organizers hope it raises awareness about the importance of non-renewable Earth resources and also encourages young people to consider a career in the Earth sciences.

“The health of our sector depends upon young people entering the industry,” said John Boyd, Canadian Chair of the International Year of Planet Earth (2007–2009). “If we can turn students on to Earth science at an early age, we hope to create the next generation of geologists and geophysicists.”

All WHERE Challenge national and regional winning entries can be seen on the contest web-site at www.earthsciencescanada.com/where. Further details on next fall’s WHERE Challenge will be released this summer.

For more information, please contact Godfrey Nowlan at [email protected]; phone 403-292-7079.


Register Now for WWMD '09 It's not too early to sign up for World Water Monitoring Day 2009. In fact, nearly 2,000 people around the world have taken advantage of the extended monitoring window (March 22 - December 31) and have already reported data! Don't miss your opportunity to become part of this global water quality awareness campaign. Visit http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org/ to learn more about WWMD.

Award Program to Honor 'Water Champions' New in 2009-2010, the WWMD Awards Program will recognize WWMD participants for outstanding achievement in boosting awareness of water quality issues. The program features two types of awards. The Water Champion: Making a Difference award recognizes superior levels of relevance, educational effort, support, and innovation in the promotion of water quality (via involvement in World Water Monitoring Day). Awardees will be chosen by a subcommittee of the World Water Monitoring Day regional panel of judges. Applications are now being accepted. The WWMD Superlatives will be awarded based upon data submitted to the WWMD database.

New Partner Connects 'Doers' with Donors WWMD has partnered with Akvo, an organization that helps donors and doers reach out to fund thousands of water projects. This is a fantastic resource to use if you are looking to acquire test kits for your monitoring activities. By creating your own project page, you can encourage donors to financially support your WWMD efforts. Akvo’s simple reporting makes it easy to share short text updates, images, and film clips, creating a positive feedback loop. Please check out Akvo (www.akvo.org) online and contact Frances Lucraft for more information on how to set up your own WWMD project page.

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Science on Stage

We are organizing Canada’s very first Science on Stage festival (a successful European

initiative that is dedicated to promoting and enhancing innovative science teaching methods). The format of this festival is threefold: excellent science teachers sharing their best practices (imagine a science fair-like atmosphere of teach-ing methods); professional development ena-bling you to include cutting-edge synchrotron research in your classroom; and pedagogical dis-cussions with colleagues from across the country about issues important to science teachers. By bringing teachers from across the country to the festival, we hope to foster national collaboration between science teachers to promote creative teaching methods. The festival takes place at the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron on the beau-tiful University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon, August 9–14, 2009. We have sponsor-ships to help offset travel costs. More details can be found at www.scienceonstage.ca. If you have questions, contact Tracy Walker, educational out-reach coordinator at the Canadian Light Source, e-mail [email protected]; phone 306-657-3525.

Professional DevelopmentSummer Physics Programs for Students and Teachers

Premier Institute is offering programs for teachers and students being held this summer

at Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Ontario.

The EinsteinPlus workshop is a one-week, intensive residential workshop for Canadian and international high school teachers that focuses on key areas of modern physics, including quan-tum physics, special and general relativity, and cosmology.

The conference is free to Canadian teachers and includes return transportation, meals, accommodations, activities and tours. This year, we are inviting 40 teachers from Canada and internationally to participate. More information about this physics conference may be found at www.einsteinplus.ca.

In addition, Perimeter Institute offers a two-week program for senior high school students from August 8 to 22, 2009. The International Summer School for Young Physicists (ISSYP) is an exciting and challenging two-week program for Canadian and international students with a keen interest in theoretical physics and mathematics who intend to pursue a degree in physics at the university level. This program is free to Canadian students and includes return transportation, accommodation, meals, activities and tours. To find out more about the program, including how to apply, students and parents may visit www.issyp.ca.


Conference 2009: A Con�uence of IdeasSeptember 10-13, 2009 The Ban� Centre, Ban�, Alberta

For more information: E: [email protected] P: 1-888-421-1497 www.wateredwest.ca

Inspire, Educate and Motivate!

WaterEDWest™ is a forum to share successes, discuss challenges, and build a water education network designed to enhance formal and public water education across western Canada.

• water education organizations and specialists• industry partners in water education • government representatives • watershed planning and stewardship groups• post-secondary students and instructors• water researchers• school teachers

from BC, AB, SK, MB, NT, and YK

• Best practices in water education – K-12 and public education programs

• Current water issues in western Canada, and their education implications

• Challenges and opportunities in water education and outreach

• Motivating public participation in water issues

• Creating a culture of conservation and change

Sponsors:

Featured Keynote Speaker: Geo� Green of Students on Ice

Register online at www.wateredwest.ca

Conference themes include: Who Should Attend?


AWSN Mentor Profile: Gail Powley

Women in Scienceand then the Alberta Research Council. Powley now leads the business development department at the information technology firm ATCO I-Tek.

Looking back on her early years in the profes-sion, Powley reflects that the men she worked with were less concerned with her ability to get the job done and more concerned that her presence would create a need to change their “guy” culture.

“More of their concern was that they couldn’t be themselves anymore; they needed to be polite or watch what they said around me or else they’d get into trouble. It’s the girl joining the boys’ baseball team,” she says. “They don’t like to think that their life is changing, not because of any-thing they’d ask for, but because of change being imposed on them.”

Once Powley was able to assure her coworkers that they didn’t have to curb their language or tuck in their shirts around her, they relaxed and may even have learned a thing or two.

“This was a man’s world, and I was okay with that. I had expected to work in a male environ-ment. As they accepted me and I was able to build good working relationships with them, they saw that I had something unique to add—I was inter-ested in their perspectives and working as a team—and they were able to benefit from that too. That is what happens when you bring diver-sity into an environment.”

Making a Difference The field of engineering is diversifying in its

gender mix, although not at a rapid rate. Nationwide, 17 per cent of women are enrolled in first-year engineering, (the number is slightly higher in Alberta, with nearly 23 per cent) up a mere 7 per cent since Powley graduated a quarter of a century ago. The sluggish statistics prompted Powley to accept the position of vice-chair of WISEST (2007–09).

The following article has been provided by the Alberta Women’s Science Network. Minor changes have been made to conform to ATA style.

Poet Maya Angelou once said, “It is time to teach

young people early on, that in diversity, there is beauty and there is strength.”

One group taking up the charge is Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Sciences and Technology (WISEST), which has focused on the attraction, retention and advancement of under-represented populations in scholarship engineer-ing, science and technology for 25 years.

The organization’s mandate also includes further strengthening science and society through the power of diversity, something that former vice-chair (2007–09) Gail Powley, PEng, knows about first-hand.

“I was a university student 25 years ago, when only 10 per cent of first-year engineering stu-dents were female. Despite the fact that the envi-ronment was made up mostly of men, they didn’t really give me a hard time,” she recalls. “The chal-lenges came out in the field when I was the new kid in town—the new and different kid in town.”

Upon graduating from the Department of Chemical and Material Engineering at the University of Alberta, Powley was hired at a refin-ery in Alberta. She went on to work for several years at advanced control engineering firm Treiber Controls (based in Toronto) and later served as director of advanced applications and vice-president, strategic initiatives for Matrikon


WISEST really is making a difference and the numbers prove it. The dean of engineering at the University of Alberta has all his first-year students fill out a survey on what initially attracted them to the profession. In the latest poll, approxi-mately 20 per cent of the female respondents stated WISEST programs helped motivate them to become engineers.

“WISEST hears from young women who had their interest piqued in the Grade 6 CHOICES program (which brings over 600 Grade 6 girls and their teachers to the university for a day of hands-on science and engineering activities, and an opportunity to meet female science and engineer-ing university students and role models), partici-pated in our high school programs (SET Conference and Summer Research Program), and went on to become scientists and engineers—and then came back to volunteer with us after they graduated. That whole cycle is so powerful,” Powley says.

Today, WISEST continues to address topical issues, such as the disconcerting number of women leaving engineering. A retention study by the Society of Women Engineers found that one in four women who enters engineering leaves the profession by age 30, compared to just one in 10 of their male counterparts.

“When you’re working in a field where people are constantly testing you—and this can happen to men as well as women, but when you’re a vis-ible target it is sometimes worse—you start to wonder if your job is really worth the hassle,” Powley says. “If you’re able to find a supporter, whether it’s your boss or a network of profession-als who understand your challenges and can act as your light at the end of the tunnel, you might be willing to hang in there and push on.”

Striving for Better BalanceWISEST focuses on working with industry to

plug in to the power of diversity. Powley praises forward-thinking companies such as energy pro-vider Enbridge and engineering firm Stantec for recognizing the importance of a healthy work/life

balance for employees by instituting flexible policies.

“It can be a misconception that a woman pro-fessional spends more time with family than a man. These days, everyone sees family as a high priority, and both women and men take time off to be with their kids,” says Powley, a mother of three. “Although it’s still interesting that when a woman takes time off, people usually assume it is for family reasons, but when a man takes time off, people assume he must be going away for busi-ness purposes.”

The time demands put on engineers in what many see as a work-centric lifestyle may also be impeding the overall growth of enrolment num-bers, Powley says.

“Many people think engineers put in a 70-hour work week at the sacrifice of social life and val-ues, and that’s not necessarily the case. Engineers are very hard working, but they want a quality home life—and many make spending time with family a priority,” she says. “The profession needs to start showing that it is able to offer a balanced lifestyle for men and women or else it is in danger of losing both.”

WISEST is also championing industry leaders to be more supportive and to value the contribu-tions of all—regardless of gender, age, race or even personality profile.

“If managers used more inclusive practices, they would get so much more out of their teams,” Powley says. “In the boardroom or at meetings, it’s often the loudest person who gets their ideas heard—while someone who is on the quieter side may not share their good ideas as they feel the environment is not supportive. We need to be aware that everyone has something to offer and practices like ‘going around the room for comment’ can give all an opportunity to be heard. If the workplace were more inclusive, just imagine how productive and positive it could be. When we work together, we become so much stronger.”

For more information on WISEST, please visit www.wisest.ualberta.ca.

Barbara Chabai


Manitoba Science AcademyHelp your students make good career choices.

With the ever-rising costs of university edu-cation, making well-informed choices before beginning university has never been more impor-tant. Manitoba Science Academy (MSA) gives stu-dents a chance to explore various scientific careers. Our summer program at MSA provides a science experience for high school students from Grades 10 to 12. We exist to nurture the interest of young scientists so they will pursue careers in science, engineering and technology. We do this by engaging high school students in scientific research in real scientific laboratories for six weeks of the summer.

I taught and coached for 36 years. Coaches encourage their elite players to develop their skills in hockey, baseball, football and so on at camps or clinics. As coaches, we hope some of our players will end up on some elite teams or even professional teams. Most science teachers realize that there is a greater chance of a top student becoming an engineer, doctor or scientist than a good hockey player playing in the NHL. So what do we do about it? I occasionally encouraged students to enter science fairs, set up great labs or took students on field trips. High school stu-dents need much more guidance to choose their science careers. Attending career symposiums is not enough guidance.

Student Camps

Encourage your students to be our future leading scientists?

Help your students make good career choices. With the ever-rising costs of university

education, making well-informed choices before beginning university has never been more important. Manitoba Science Academy (MSA) gives students a chance to explore various scientific careers. Our summer program at MSA provides a science experience for high school students from grades 10 to 12. We exist to nurture the interest of young scientists so they will pursue careers in science, engineering and technology. We do this by engaging high school students in scientific research in real scientific laboratories for six weeks of the summer.

I taught and coached for 36 years. Coaches encourage their elite players to further develop their skills in hockey, baseball, football and so on at camps or clinics. As coaches we hope some of our players will end up on some elite teams or even professional teams. Most science teachers realize that there is a greater chance of a top student becoming an engineer, doctor, or scientist than a good hockey player playing in the NHL. So what do we do about it? I occasionally encouraged students to enter science fairs, or I set up great labs or I took students on field trips. Students in high school need much more guidance to choose their science careers. Attending career symposiums is not enough guidance.

Have students examine the MSA website. The MSA mandate is to encourage today’s youth to become tomorrow’s scientists and engineers through a network of partnerships. MSA hires university students who act as lab assistants to Project Supervisors (scientists and post grad students) to mentor the high school students also assisting in the research project. High school students who want to explore career options in science can participate in current real research topics such as: lake sturgeon studies, neuromuscular research, wind power, algae as a fuel source, microbes surrounding nuclear waste and the newest electric motor concept. These projects are conducted by real scientists and their assistants. I have seen personally how students identified by teachers become captivated with the idea they can make a living by conducting research. Students should be exposed to university life and work with other students with similar science interests. They need to make new friends with interests in science. Students should work or communicate with post grad students in science and engineering. I would like to thank all the hard working science teachers that we have in our present-day high schools that “go that extra mile”. The “Wayne Gretzky’s of science” need that additional encouragement.

Jerry Kozak, MSA principal

Contact me at [email protected] or check the website: www.msawhiteshell.com

Tagging mature Lake Sturgeon Observing Juvenile Sturgeon Chemists in the Making Anaerobic Microbiology Tagging mature Lake Sturgeon. Observing Juvenile Sturgeon. Chemists in the Making. Anaerobic Microbiology.

Have students examine the MSA website. The MSA mandate is to encourage today’s youth to become tomorrow’s scientists and engineers through a network of partnerships. MSA hires university students who act as lab assistants to project supervisors (scientists and post grad stu-dents) to mentor the high school students also assisting in the research project. High school stu-dents who want to explore career options in sci-ence can participate in current real research topics, such as lake sturgeon studies, neuromuscular research, wind power, algae as a fuel source, microbes surrounding nuclear waste and the newest electric motor concept. These projects are conducted by real scientists and their assistants.

I have seen how students identified by teach-ers become captivated with the idea they can make a living by conducting research. Students should be exposed to university life and work with other students with similar science inter-ests. They need to make new friends with inter-ests in science. Students should work or communicate with post grad students in science and engineering.

I would like to thank all the hard-working sci-ence teachers that we have in our present-day high schools who go that extra mile. The Wayne Gretzkys of science need that additional encouragement.

For more information, contact Jerry Kozak at [email protected] or check the website at www.msawhiteshell.com.

Jerry Kozak, MSA Principal


MTA UniversityAre you interested in sending students to an

academically enriching summer camp experience?

Mount Allison University hosts a variety of summer camp programs that are led by experi-enced staff, students and faculty with the hopes of encouraging learning through a fun and dynamic camp atmosphere.

In particular reference to the sciences, we are offering a Go Global Science camp, an intensive nine-day program in August during which stu-dents work as part of a research team along with another student, Mount Allison research stu-dents and a faculty member in areas such as biol-ogy, chemistry and physics. The students will have the opportunity to learn about and use some of Mount Allison’s research equipment, such as electron microscopes and spectrometers, and to develop skills in critical thinking, analysis, scien-tific creativity and scientific communication. In many cases, the student will be able to continue research with his or her group by electronic means after the Go Global experience has ended. Areas of research include biology, biochemistry,

chemistry, computer science, geography and physics; subgroups range from climate change to radio-pharmaceuticals and working with profes-sors who are currently researching in these areas.

The program runs from August 8–16, and a maximum of 22 students will be accepted. Preference is given to those who have completed Grade 11 science courses. The cost is $500 for the nine days, which includes residence, meals, pro-gram and materials. Students who later choose to attend Mount Allison will receive an automatic $500 Go Global Scholarship to reimburse them for the camp costs. In addition, students can apply for a bursary to cover up to $500 of their camp cost based on academic excellence, finan-cial need and/or distance travelled to camp (stu-dents will still receive the scholarship if they choose to come to MTA). Further information on how to apply is available on our website.

For more information on Go Global: Science Research and application forms, visit www .mta.ca/summer/goglobal/scienceresearch.htm.

Mount Allison offers many other camps that are suited to the interests of other students, both during the school year and in the summer. For more information on these camps, go to www.mta.ca/summer.

Science Council Executive 2008/09

The Alberta Science Teacher is one of the official publications of the Science Council (SC) of the Alberta Teachers’ Association. SC Bylaw 9.4 states: The Alberta Science Teacher shall reflect on the contributions and activities of Alberta science teachers in the classroom.

Copyright © 2009 by The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA), 11010 142 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5N 2R1. Unless otherwise indicated in the text, reproduction of material in The Alberta Science Teacher is authorized for classroom and professional development use, provided that each copy contain full acknowledgement of the source and that no charge be made beyond the cost of reprinting. Any other reproduction in whole or in part without prior written consent of the ATA is prohibited. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the SC or the ATA. ISSN 0229-3099

Please address all correspondence to the editor: Andi-Lynn Bender, 15920 100 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5X 4E4; phone 780-456-7600 (res); e-mail [email protected]. Material for publication may be submitted on disk or paper. Unformatted text is preferred. Articles may be given to any executive member for relaying to the editor. This publication is typeset using InDesign and operating under Windows.

Individual copies of this newsletter are available at a cost of $2 per copy plus 5 per cent shipping and handling and 5 per cent GST. Please contact Distribution at Barnett House to place your order. In Edmonton, dial 780-447-9400, ext 321; toll free in Alberta, dial 1-800-232-7208, ext 321.

Personal information regarding any person named in this document is for the sole purpose of professional consultation between members of The Alberta Teachers’ Association.

PresidentErick NoriegaBus [email protected] [email protected]

Past PresidentColleen YoshidaBus [email protected]

President-ElectTBA

SecretaryKaren AtkinsonBus [email protected] [email protected]

TreasurerRahim SajanBus [email protected]

Conference Director 2008Ed LeongBus 403-230-4743, ext [email protected]

DIRECTORS

Division IIIJennifer GenikBus [email protected]

ChemistryKevin KlemmerBus 403-243-8880, ext [email protected] [email protected]

BiologyRachel ToewsBus 403-286-5092, ext [email protected]

Physics–Division IVCliff SosnowskiBus [email protected]

Science–ElementaryChris SudykBus [email protected]

Science–Division IVMyrna FoxcroftBus [email protected]

Journal EditorWytze BrouwerBus [email protected]

Newsletter EditorAndi-Lynn [email protected]

Technology DirectorRose LapointeBus [email protected]

Postsecondary RepresentativeTBA

Alberta Education LiaisonLorraine LastiwkaBus [email protected]

PEC LiaisonFrank BrusekerBus 780-447-9444or [email protected]

ATA Staff AdvisorMike KischukBus 780-447-9413or [email protected]

REGIONAL COUNCILS

Calgary Junior HighLaurie StackhouseBus [email protected] BaderBus 403-777-7420

Edmonton BiologyMorrie SmithBus [email protected]

Edmonton ChemistryDan LeskiwBus [email protected]

Edmonton PhysicsVlad PasekBus [email protected]

the lberta science eacher...one keynote is dr phil plait, a man known as the “bad astronomer.”...

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