UW Science Posse to Host Summer Workshop Series

June 4, 2008
Five students examine beetles
Bug Lesson -- Students in the University of Wyoming Lab School look at a jar of dermestid beetles (flesh-eating insects) feeding on a piece of beef during a forensic entomology lesson taught by UW Science Posse member Eric Anderson. The Science Posse will host free, hands-on sessions for students and teachers during its 2008 Exploring Science Summer Workshop Series. (UW Photo)

The University of Wyoming Science Posse will host free, hands-on sessions for students and teachers during its 2008 Exploring Science Summer Workshop Series.

The registration deadline for both workshops is Friday, June 20. To register or for complete session descriptions, go to the Science Posse Web site at www.scienceposse.org.

The student workshop, for boys and girls in grades 6-10, is Friday, July 18, on the UW campus. A select group of students will also attend an on-site field program Saturday, July 19, at Hi Allen Ranch near Medicine Bow. All students must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or teacher.

As part of the workshop, students will have the chance to experience science in action through various sessions in laboratories on campus. The sessions include "Tropical Wyoming?!" an investigation into the changing landscapes and environments in the state's past, and "When Whales Walked the Earth," a lesson about early whales and the changes in their bodies and habitat over the past 15 million years.

To apply for the field experience, led by Jason Lillegraven, professor emeritus in the UW Department of Geology and Geophysics, students must submit an essay of no more than one page describing their interest in science.

The field trip will include observation of the remains of ancient Indian villages, extensive beds of pure volcanic ash and the prehistoric remains of animals and plants.

The workshop for Wyoming teachers is Thursday, July 24-Friday, July 25, also on the UW campus. The goal is to introduce new ideas and materials for teachers to present their students. All teachers will receive one Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board or UW Enrichment credit.

For more information, call Jesse Anderson, Science Posse program coordinator, at (307) 766-6310 or e-mail JesseSA@uwyo.edu.

The Science Posse, a group of UW graduate students that travels the state to raise awareness and understanding of science among middle- and high-school students, is funded by the UW Graduate School through grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

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