Engaging Young Scientists with Vernier If you're anything like us, you are always looking for new investigations to engage young scientists. Here are just a handful of activities, grant opportunities, workshops, and products that are sure to spark your imagination. And if you have an idea you would like to share, send it to us at innovativeuses@vernier.com. If we publish your idea, we will give you $100 in gift certificates to use on your next Vernier purchase. So read on, and let the ideas come in. 1. Capturing Monarch Metamorphosis 2. Making Magnets with Vernier 3. Investigating Solar Energy 4. Getting a Grip on InspireData(TM) 5. Music Maker - A Winning Project 6. Vernier LabQuest for Elementary Students 7. Update your Logger Lite Software 8. Elementary Science Workshop from Vernier 1. Capturing Monarch Metamorphosis Ben Carter, a 12-year-old from Nashville, TN, captured a beautiful time-lapse video of a monarch caterpillar pupating into a chrysalis using the ProScope handheld, digital USB microscope. Ben granted us permission to share his video, hoping it would inspire other students to make interesting science videos. http://elementary.vernier.com/080506/monarch.html 2. Making Magnets with Vernier How are temporary magnets and permanent magnets similar? How are they different? Can any metal be used to make a permanent magnet? These and other questions can be explored using a Vernier Magnetic Field Sensor. Download the free "Elementary Science with Vernier" activity "Making Magnets" to get you started. The activity describes how to make a temporary magnet and how to use a Magnetic Field Sensor to test your hypotheses. http://elementary.vernier.com/080506/magnets.html 3. Investigating Solar Energy Having an eco-friendly business is important to Vernier. Towards that end, we have recently added solar panels to our building to help reduce our carbon footprint. But we wouldn't be Vernier if we didn't turn our project into a learning opportunity for you and your students. We have created a web site with information you can use in your study of solar energy with your students. http://elementary.vernier.com/080506/solar.html 4. Getting a Grip on InspireData(TM) Do males or females have the strongest grip? Is a left-hander or a right-hander better able to predict which hand is stronger? Is there a relationship between the temperature of your left hand and your right hand? These questions and more can be investigated using InspireData software by Inspiration Software and data collected by Brendon Walters. Brendon is a 7th grade student at Patton Middle School, McMinnville, OR. We liked the data so much we created an activity on interpreting graphs you can use with your students. http://elementary.vernier.com/080506/inspiredata.html 5. Music Maker - A Winning Project Allison Needham, a 5th grade teacher from J.B. Watkins Elementary School in Midlothian, Virginia, was the 2008 NSTA/Vernier Technology Award winner. Allison wanted to add a technology component to her activity, Music Maker. In the activity, students design and build a musical instrument that must play three distinct notes. When Allison added a Vernier Microphone, student success soared and opportunities for additional exploration became apparent. http://elementary.vernier.com/080506/music-maker.html You could be the next Vernier Technology Award winner. Entries for 2009 must be received by October 15, 2008. http://elementary.vernier.com/080506/nsta-award.html 6. Vernier LabQuest for Elementary Students We certainly think LabQuest, Vernier's new handheld designed specifically for scientific investigations, is perfect for elementary science. But we are not alone. Gifted elementary education teacher Sally Finley, Country Hills Elementary, Coral Springs, Florida, agrees! Sally recently reviewed LabQuest for an educational publication and rated LabQuest with the highest possible rating, five stars. LabQuest received A's in Installation, Features, and Ease of Use, as well as an A+ in Product Support. http://elementary.vernier.com/080506/labquest-review.html Find out more about LabQuest at http://elementary.vernier.com/080506/labquest.html 7. Update your Logger Lite Software If you are using Logger Lite software with your Go!Temp, Go!Link, or Go!Motion, or if you are using LabQuest, you will want to update to the latest version of our Logger Lite software. Some of the new features include LabQuest support, export to InspireData, and linear modeling. The update to Logger Lite 1.4 from any previous version is FREE. http://elementary.vernier.com/080506/logger-lite.html 8. Elementary Science Workshop from Vernier Join us for a day to learn how Vernier technology can make hands-on science engaging for young scientists. During the workshop, you will explore topics including, temperature, light, force, magnetism, and motion using sensors and graphing software. You will leave the workshop with new ideas, a solid understanding of the technology, the book "Elementary Science with Vernier", a Go!Temp USB Temperature Probe, and our Logger Lite software -- all for only $99. The two workshops, one July 14 and the other July 15, will be held in Boston, MA. http://elementary.vernier.com/080506/workshops.html Special thanks to Ben Carter, Brendon Walters, and Allison Needham for sharing their innovative ideas. We hope you have an enjoyable end to the school year and an invigorating summer break. And don't forget to send us your ideas! Christine Vernier Vernier Software & Technology 13979 SW Millikan Way Beaverton, OR 97005-2886 toll free: (888) 837-6437 phone: (503) 277-2299 fax: (503) 277-2440 info@vernier.com _________________________________________________________ Our relationship with you is very important, and we do not want to send unwanted e-mail. If you do not want to receive occasional e-mails such as this one in the future, reply to this e-mail with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.