FEATURED LESSONScience MiniLesson: Fun with Fractals

Fall 2010

Science PosseRoundup

UPCOMING EVENTS

It’s November already and things are in full swing with the Science Posse! As we hit the quarter point of our 4th year, we have 10 amazing graduate fellows traveling around the state bringing science, math, and engineering to life for Wyoming students. Entering those winter months where travel can get a bit dicey, we have lots to keep us out of hibernation: •piloting an incredible ephemeral stream project to get it ready by spring to let your students do real research which will be used by real scientists; per fecting several cyber field-ecology units that students and teachers alike can access from anywhere across the state,

•working with the School of Energy Resources to create online lab tours of working labs across campus,

•continuing to develop innovative, thought-provoking and hands-on in quiry activities for you and your students!Keep your eyes peeled for the following developments (information coming soon to a Science Posse website near you!): •some spectacular Science Fair videos starring our very Posse members,

•information about our popular summer science camps for students,

•information about our exciting summer inquiry workshop for teachers. Until then, Keep Science Alive! (and math and engineering too!) in all of your classrooms!

COORDINATORS’ CORNERJan Truchot & Megan Schnorenberg

Students learn about recursive processes, fractals and their real-life applications in this Mini-Lesson. They complete, by hand, the first few of the infinitely many steps involved in the construction of a fractal and see several examples of fractals that have been constructed by computers from more complicated processes. Activities include: • What is a fractal? • Make your own fractal. • Applications of fractals. • Play the Chaos Game.As a 25-minute offering in the Science Posse’s Mini-Lesson series, this activity is intended for grades 6-8. For higher grade levels, this activity can be extended to a longer, specialized lesson plan including additional fractal constructions and more in-depth discussions of topics like area, perimeter, and infinite sums.

Posse plans to attend 2011 WSTA Conference

Posse members are excited to join K-12 teachers from across Wyoming and keynote speaker, Steve Spangler, for the 9th annual Math and Science Teachers’ Conference hosted by Casper College Jan. 13-14, 2011.

Fall 2010

Science PosseRoundup

FOCUS ON A FELLOW

QWhen did you first become interested in science? How and why were you inspired to become a professional scientist?

Kyle Lilly

I first became interested in science when I was about five years old. I would always ask my parents an absurd number of questions like, “Why is the sky blue?” or “Why does this popsicle stuck to my tongue?” In my first scientific experiment, I broke into my mom’s kitchen cupboard and experimented with different combinations of soaps and cleaners to created the ‘best’ soap to clean mud off my hands.

I did not think about becoming a professional scientist until my sophomore year of college after I took Organic Chemistry. I initially entered college as a pre-med student and wound up changing majors several times before settling on chemistry. My big inspiration for choosing a career in science was my Organic Chemistry professor. He explained all the cool applications of chemistry and then we actually got to see the results in the lab. Some of my favorites were making biodiesel, soap, and an anesthetic. My decision was reaffirmed after I worked in different chemistry jobs and got to see real chemistry research in progress.

QWhile at the University of Wyoming, what research are you pursuing and why is it important?My current research focuses on what happens to waste water as energy companies produce coal and natural gas in the Powder River Basin (PRB) in the northern part of our state. Waste water extracted from coal seams in natural gas production is a major environmental concern in the PRB. My research proposes to gain a better understanding of the chemical and physical processes involved in the infiltration of this waste water on PRB soils. Basically I’m trying to figure out whether salty water will hurt crops in northern Wyoming. Applications of this study range from tracing the water using stable isotopes and determining the thresholds for chemical and physical properties of soils with exposure to these waters.

PhD Candidate in Soil Science 2010 Science Posse Fellow

Kyle works with Mary Skoog, an elementary school teacher from Wheatland, at the 2010 Teacher Workshop in Casper. Registration information for the 2011 Teacher Work-shop (Aug 1-5) will be announced in Janu-ary on our website: www.scienceposse.org.

Fall 2010

Science PosseRoundup

FOCUS ON A FELLOW

QWhat’s your favorite Science Posse memory or experience?My favorite Science Posse experience so far was at the Men in Science Conference. I had just demonstrated the conversion of bond energy to light and heat energy in a gummy bear, and one student yelled out, “This is way better than social studies class!” I really enjoy it when I change students’ minds about science from a negative connotation to a positive one. Also, I am excited to attend a Fundamentals of Inquiry workshop in San Francisco next week and to teach what I learn at a Wyoming teacher workshop in August.

QWhat advice would you give students about how best to prepare for a career in the sciences?I would first recommend trying as many things as you can growing up to find out where your interests lie. Take chemistry, biology, math, music, reading, and writing classes. Volunteer at a hospital or job shadow someone in a career you are interested in. These experiences will give you an idea about what these fields are about.

If you do decide on a career in science, I would recommend working on two things: communication skills and gaining experience. Employers in the science will focus on communication skills when hiring new scientists. Scientists must be prepared to work with fellow scientists, write papers, and give presentations. Good ways to practice your communication skills are to attend and present at science fairs and conferences. A public speaking class can also go a long way.

The best way to gain experience in science is to participate in internships and extracurricular activities while in school. See if you can work or volunteer for your science department at your school. Also, employers are always looking for someone with experience, and an internship is a great way to first get involved with a company.

Kyle Lilly

• On-campus lab tours • Science mini-lessons• Research/career talks • Specialized leason plans• Science fair consultations • Science ALIVE! units

SCIENCE POSSE 2010-2011 OFFERINGS

Available free of charge to students and teachers thanks to financial support from: