Over 3,000 Schools (and Counting) Set to Participate in The American Math Challenge as Practice Week Kicks off

/PRNewswire/ -- With a target of registering 1 million students, this is the last week for kids across the country to sign up for the American Math Challenge! Schools and students can register until November 6, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. ET by logging on to www.americanmathchallenge.com.

The Challenge, which takes place from November 9 - 16, invites middle school students nationwide, ages 9-14, to sign up free of charge to compete online against other American students of similar age and ability in real time, 60-second mental arithmetic games.

The fun officially starts today, with the American Math Challenge Practice Week, which lasts from November 2 - November 6 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Students are sharpening key strokes and practicing their arithmetic as they gear up to compete.

The student with the highest score will be declared American Math Champion and receive a Minted Gold Medal. Up to three top students will be chosen to represent the United States as Team Ambassadors on World Math Day, in March 2010.

The American Math Challenge is hosted by The MATHCOUNTS Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes middle school mathematics achievement, and powered by Mathletics, the learning platform from 3P Learning, the global leader in online mathematics education.

Best-selling author and Guinness World Record Holder as the "Fastest Human Calculator" Scott Flansburg is Ambassador for the Challenge. Flansburg earned his title for his ability to process numbers with amazing speed and calculator accuracy. He can add, subtract, multiply, divide - and even do square and cube roots - all in his head.

Now, "The Human Calculator®" (a nickname given to him by television host Regis Philbin) is using his extraordinary gift to inspire students, teachers and "non-math" people, demonstrating that arithmetic really can be as easy as "0, 1, 2, 3."

"Students compete in a multi-player game environment, inclusive of all levels of math ability, making math exciting" Flansburg notes. "Results show that participants will make significant improvement in their mental arithmetic skills and have fun in the process. All school children and homeschoolers are invited to participate."

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Calling All Whiz Kids: Discovery Education and 3M Search For America's Top Young Scientist

/PRNewswire/ -- Discovery Education and 3M announce a call for entries in the 2009 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge (YSC), the nation's premier science competition for students in grades 5 through 8. Ten finalists will be selected to receive an all-expense paid trip to New York City to compete in the final challenge in October. The winner will receive $50,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds ($25,000 cash value) and the title of "America's Top Young Scientist."

Details of the competition:

1. Middle school students in the U.S. are challenged to create a 1-2 minute video about a specific scientific concept that relates to innovative solutions for everyday life.

2. Videos will be evaluated by a panel of judges based on creativity, persuasiveness, classroom suitability and overall presentation.

3. All video entries must be submitted online at http://www.youngscientistchallenge.com/ by May 20, 2009.

4. The video entry should use science to create an innovative solution to one of these everyday problems:

-- How can I play my music system for my own enjoyment, without disturbing the rest of the house?

-- What can I do to the soles of my shoes to make them better perform when I skateboard?

-- What can I do to reduce the glare on my television when I'm playing video games?

-- What device or method can I create which might help lower my family's heating or cooling bills?

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National Middle School Green Competition Urges Kids to Change Their Communities In 2009

/PRNewswire/ -- Now in the final months for entries, the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge is encouraging middle school students across the United States to kick off 2009 by "going green" and implementing environmental change in their local communities. The website for this entirely web-based challenge, http://www.wecanchange.com/, is host to lots of kid-friendly activities such as virtual interactive labs, an eco-footprint game, an environmental IQ quiz, online journals, video clips-plus many more resources for both students and adult advisers.

Teams of two to three students in sixth through eighth grade, under the mentorship of a teacher or adult supervisor, will identify an environmental issue in their community, research the issue using scientific investigation, and create a replicable green solution using web-based curriculum tools powered by Discovery Education.

Teachers and adult supervisors are invited to participate in any of Discovery Education's January online webinars, which will provide additional information about the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge. Webinars will be offered Tuesday, January 13, at 4:30 PM (ET); Wednesday, January 14, at 5:30 and 6:45 PM (ET); and Thursday, January 15, at 5:30 PM (ET). To register, go to https://discoveryed.webex.com/ and click on "Events Center" at the top, then click on "List of Events" at the left and scroll down to "Other Events." Lastly, click on a "Register" link for your preferred webinar.

Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge submissions from middle school students will be accepted through March 15, 2009. A total of 51 teams representing each state and the District of Columbia will be selected as state finalists and an additional 50 teams will be eligible for honorable mention awards. Three of the state finalist teams will be selected as national finalists, and one of those will be named the inaugural grand prize-winner. State finalist and national finalist teams will be announced in Spring 2009.

All student teams entering the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge will receive prizes for their participation. Top-performing teams, as judged by a panel of environmental experts and science educators, will earn cash, teacher education materials and unique "Discovery Experience" trips. The grand prize-winning team will receive a comprehensive prize package, which includes an appearance on Planet Green, Discovery's 24-hour eco-lifestyle network and a once-in-a-lifetime Discovery Adventure Trip, accompanied by a Discovery TV personality.

The Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) have partnered on the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge to educate, empower and engage students, teachers and communities to become "Agents of Change" in improving their communities nationwide. The initiative expands to elementary schools in 2009 and to high schools in 2010.

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Holocaust Center Sponsors Art, Writing Contest for Georgia Students

The Georgia Commission on the Holocaust and the Thomas B. Murphy Holocaust Teacher Training and Resource Center are sponsoring a statewide art and writing contest for Georgia middle and high school students.

The Holocaust Resource Center, located in the Ingram Library on the University of West Georgia campus, is sponsored by the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust and is the only public institution of its kind in the country.

“The Georgia Commission on the Holocaust Art and Writing Contest teaches lessons about the dangers of hate and discrimination,” said Secretary of State Karen Handel. “I thank the commission for their diligence in promoting the importance of moral courage and for their continued sponsorship of this contest. This competition provides an opportunity for students to study history and apply these lessons to current events through writing and art.”

In its 14th year, the contest is a cooperative effort between the state Department of Education and the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust. Students may submit artwork and writing entries that cover the theme of “What are the Lessons of the Holocaust?”

Writing entries will be judged on content, originality, quality of expression and historical accuracy. Art entries will be judged on creativity, artistic excellence and thematic content. The contest submission form can be downloaded at www.holocaust.georgia.gov.

Winning students and their teachers will be awarded at the state capitol during the official state observance of the Days of Remembrance program on April 24. Four students and their teachers will receive a trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., for their first place awards.

All art and writing entries must be postmarked no later than March 13 and sent to: Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, Thomas B. Murphy Center, Ingram Library, University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA 30118.

For more contest information, call 404-370-3056 or visit www.holocaust.georgia.gov. For more information on the Holocaust Resource Center, visit www.westga.edu/~holocaust or call 678-839-6350.

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Booth Middle School's Edinger Named Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year

Peachtree City Wal-Mart representatives Darren Gaddy (far left) and Freda Jones (far right) award Dave Edinger (center left) a $1,000 check as the store’s Teacher of the Year winner as Principal Ted Lombard looks on.


The Peachtree City Wal-Mart has named eighth grade science teacher Dave Edinger of J.C. Booth Middle as its Teacher of the Year.

Edinger received a $1,000 check from Wal-Mart for being selected as the Peachtree City store’s winner.

Wal-Mart’s Teacher of the Year program is one of the largest teacher recognition programs in the country. Since its inception in 1996, the program has recognized nearly 11,000 teachers nationwide and contributed more than $6.6 million in educational grants to schools.

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Peachtree City Teacher Prepares For Weightless Flight October 7

The community can track Pakulski’s flight at www.flightaware.com. Enter Tail Number for G-Force One: N794AJ.

One teacher is literally going to throw her weight around to get students excited about science.

Tammy Pakulski, seventh grade science teacher at J. C. Booth Middle, has been selected to participate in the Northrop Grumman Foundation Weightless Flights of Discovery Program where she will experience a zero gravity flight. The experience is comparable to what humans would encounter during space travel to the moon or Mars. It also mimics how astronauts train for space flights.

“I’ve always dreamed of being an astronaut and going into space. This flight brings me as close as I can get to that dream,” she says.

Here’s how it works. She will board a 727 aircraft named G-Force One at Hartsfield/Jackson International Airport on October 7. At 24,000 feet altitude, a specially trained pilot will pull the plane up to a 50 degrees ‘nose high’ then push it over the top at 31,500 feet to reach zero-gravity, leaving everyone and everything inside the plane weightless for 25-30 seconds. At a 45 degrees ‘nose low’, a gentle pullout will start allowing the participants to stabilize on the aircraft floor. The maneuver will be completed a total of 15 times giving participants about 6-7 minutes of weightless flight.

Pakulski completed a training workshop in August where she was fitted for her flight suit and given instructions on the commands she will need to know for when the plane comes out of the zero gravity environment.

“You don’t want to be in the middle of a flip when that happens,” she jokes.

She will conduct several of her own experiments during the flight. For one, she will demonstrate the affects of Lunar and Martian gravity on the human body by doing as many pushups as possible.

“It will be videotaped and shared with my students. This will be compared to by ability, or lack of, to do pushups on earth,” she says.

She will also wear a vest that contains probes to measure heart rate and acceleration. Her students will graph and analyze the data the probes collect.

Pakulski will work with a group of other teachers to conduct three formal experiments including testing the affects of zero gravity on the vortex produced inside a tornado tube and Newton’s third law of motion (action-reaction) using various toys such as clackers and slinkies.

The last experiment will demonstrate amazing feats of human strength. The teachers will conduct a teacher toss (tossing one teacher between two others), one-fingered pushups and count the number of somersaults that can be completed in 25 seconds.

Pakulski says she is excited about being able to demonstrate abstract concepts and bring the demonstrations back to her classroom so that students can visualize them, such as the affect of gravity on weight. She also says she hopes her experience will be an inspiration to her students.

“I want to inspire them to follow their dreams, pursue careers in science and technology and that getting an education is important. Education provides you with more opportunities,” she says.

The Northrop Grumman Foundation Weightless Flights of Discovery program is designed to inspire students to pursue science and technical careers by inspiring their teachers first. Practicing classroom middle school teachers and future middle school teachers have the opportunity to participate in the hands-on science workshop.

“I am grateful to Northrop Grumman for providing this program for teachers and inspiring teachers to inspire their students. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I can’t wait for until October 7,” says Pakulski.

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