Cultivating Super Wheat

As our first "Born to Do Science" event of the season approaches, I'm getting very excited!

I have a new song ready to share. Then our guest geneticist, Cheryl Baker and I will ask the question, what can you do when Russian wheat aphids attack your crops? We'll explore the process of creating "super wheat" that can resist the aphids' attack. There will be wheat and aphids on hand to examine.

The program is Thursday, Nov. 19, at 6:00 PM at the Stillwater Public Library. Children in 3rd-5th grade are invited, along with their parents. Please call ahead to RSVP: (405) 372 3633

If you'd like to get a leg up on understanding the science, see the links provided below!

Wheat Gene Bank Promotes World Food Security

This clearly written article provides some really great background information for our topic!

USDA Wheat Research in Stillwater, OK

Check out the lab where Cheryl works!

Press Release and Flyer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nov. 5, 2009

http://stillwater.org/content/2009/lib-childrenscience.php

Contact: Sherry Fletcher, Director of Marketing and Public Relations

Phone: 405.742.8362

E-mail: sfletcher@stillwater.org

Web: stillwater.org

Contact: Stacy DeLano, Stillwater Public Library

Phone: 405-372-3633 x124

E-Mail: sdelano@stillwater.org

Web: library.stillwater.org

'Born to do Science': Stillwater Public Library and local entertainer launch science series for kids; Program features working scientists and fun hand-on activities; first program is slated for Nov. 19

(STILLWATER, OKLA. / Nov. 5, 2009) –– The Stillwater Public Library and Monty Harper, a local family entertainer and science enthusiast, are pleased to announce a fun, new program called "Born to Do Science" for area children.

This monthly program, intended for third through fifth graders, allows kids to speak directly with working scientists and to see first-hand how the process of science works.

"My goal is to give kids a chance to talk to real working scientists about their research," said Harper. "I want kids to come away feeling that they talked to a scientist who's doing important work and I want them to picture themselves doing similar work in their own lives."

The series will be presented on the third Thursday of each month, except March, at 6 p.m. in Room 119 and will include interactive presentations by local scientists, fun and wacky science songs by Harper, and hands-on activities.

"These programs are more interactive than just listening to a talk or presentation," said Harper. "The audience has an important roll to play."

The first program is "Cultivating Super Wheat" on Thursday, Nov. 19 and features geneticist Cheryl Baker, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Baker will explain how her groundbreaking research on wheat varieties led to their natural resistance to pests such as Russian aphids.

The series continues on Thursday, Dec. 17 with Dr. Marianna Patrauchan, OSU assistant professor in microbiology and molecular genetics. Patrauchan will present "Breaking Up Bad Bacterial Biofilms" and speak about her research on biofilm, a group of microorganisms surrounded by the slime they secrete. She will also explain how her research on these slippery slime cities may one day lead to a cure for cystic fibrosis.

Additional programs will be scheduled for 2010.

Registration for each program in "Born to Do Science" series is required. The registration deadline is one week prior to each program. Participants are limited to third through fifth graders and their families. Parents are asked to make separate child care arrangements for family members in second grade or younger.

For more information, visit the library's web site at library.stillwater.org, contact the library Help Desk at 405-372-3633 or email askalibrarian@stillwater.org or visit www.BornToDoScience.com.

The Stillwater Public Library is located at 1107 S. Duck St. (the corner of Duck and 12th Ave.). Library hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. This event is co-sponsored by KOSU.

END

Upcoming Events!

Great news - the new season of "Born to Do Science" is soon to be underway! Our meetings will take place at the Stillwater Public Library, and will be promoted to 3rd-5th grade kids and their parents. Six events are scheduled and speakers are set for the first two. Titles and background information are coming soon.

Please mark your calendar! I hope to see you there!

Born to Do Science Schedule

Thursday November 19, 2009
Cheryl Baker

Thursday December 17, 2009
Marianna Patrauchan

Thursday January 21, 2010

Thursday February 18

Thursday April 15

Thursday May 13

Please Help Launch the Second Season

I'm ready to start setting up a second season of science cafés here in Stillwater for the 09/10 school year! The "Born to Do Science" Café allows kids to speak directly with working scientists, to see first hand how the process of science allows us to learn new things about the world.

Would you like to help? I'm looking for two kinds of volunteers:

Of course I need scientists! I'm looking for folks who are currently doing research, good at speaking in public, and willing to try (with lots of help from me) to explain their work to kids and families. The commitment involves one meeting with me, perhaps some follow-up questions by email, preparation of visuals and/or hands-on materials, and a one hour or so evening presentation.

This year I'd also like to start a support group. For this I'm looking for folks (adults and/or kids) who love the idea of the science café and want to help make it happen. We'll meet a few times either online and/or in person to help plan, publicize, and pull off the events.

Please write back to me if you're interested in helping out in either way. Put "Speaker" or "Support Group" in your subject and I'll get back to you with more details.

Please also pass this message on to anyone else you think might be interested. Thanks!!

P.S.

The cafés will happen on weeknights, most likely Thursdays, once a month starting in October. I'll write soon with more specific dates and times so you can mark your calendar. If you want to be involved and you have strong preferences about the scheduling, please let me know.

Last Science Café of the Season

Last night we did the last of four science café's for the opening season, "Don't Stress Me Out," with Dr. Jennifer Byrd-Craven. I felt like this one went really really well in terms of getting across the gist of my guest scientist's work. And, we had a fun activity with the mock experiment.

Here's me, preparing to kick things off with a song. My new song this time was called "It's Not Fair (When Your Mother is a Scientist)."

Here is Dr. Jennifer Byrd-Craven, explaining her work.

This is during the mock experiment. These girls are collecting their spit on a swab, so their stress hormone levels can be measured. (We didn't actually get to measure hormones, but we went through the motions.)

More spit swabs. Each pair was asked either to talk about a problem or design a theme park. The theme park pairs were in the control group. The problem pairs were in the experimental group; we expected to see their stress hormone levels rise.

This pair is designing a theme park.

This pair is discussing a problem. Look how stressed they are!

This topic inspired lots of discussion.

I'm working on a Spring schedule now, so please stay tuned!

Don't Stress Me Out!

Don't miss the next exciting "Born to Do Science" Café!! Tuesday December 2 at 6:30 in the hastings coffee shop here in Stillwater, OK. We are the only science café in the world (as far as I know) catering to kids and families.

Dr. Jennifer Byrd-Craven will speak about her research into how friendships can influence stress.

I met with Dr. Byrd-Craven the other day to plan our session, and this promises to be a lot of fun. We will set up a mock study and give our audience members the experience of becoming experimental subjects! (Don't worry, it won't stress you out too much to participate!)

Please be there if you can, and please tell and/or bring a friend! We make a conscious effort to keep these sessions fun and informative both for adults and kids in second grade and up. 

This is our last scheduled café for the Fall season. Watch for info on the Spring season coming soon, and keep your first Tuesdays open!

The Microbe Hunter

Howdy Friends,

On November 4 we had a great café with Dr. Mostafa Elshahed, "The Microbe Hunter." I kicked it off with a brand new song using the same title.

I gave a three minute summary of Dr. Elshahed's research. Then we passed around some bacteria cultures for everyone to look at, and I wrote down a bunch of questions from the audience.

We spent the bulk of the time answering and discussing questions about bacteria, and about how Dr. Elshahed identifies and isolates new species. Here are a few photos...

Examining a bacterial culture:

Dr. Elshahed:

Me, in the foreground, taking questions:

Answering questions:

These kids are lined up to see...

Bacteria under a digital microscope, thanks to our friend Dr. Bruce Ackerson, shown here setting things up.

Vote For Science!

This is just a reminder that the next "Born to Do Science" Café is coming up this Tuesday, that's right - election day! So do your voting early, then come on out to the coffee shop in hastings, here in Stillwater, OK at 6:30PM for the third installment of our brand new science café series, the first that we know of in the nation that's geared toward kids and families!

Our guest scientist will be Dr. Mostafa Elshahed, "The Microbe Hunter." Dr. Elshahed is a microbiologist at Oklahoma State University, and he recently received an $800,000 grant to assist in his search for a brand new phylum of bacteria! He has found the evidence that this new creature exists, and will be attempting to isolate it in the lab. Join us for a discussion of this fascinating process! Kids and adults will be encouraged to ask questions and will have the chance to observe some bacterial cultures with a microscope. See you there!

Café Attendees See the Light!

It's been a busy week! I'm happy to finally be sitting down to tell you about Tuesday's "Born to Do Science" Café!

I kicked things off with a brand new song, "My Molecular Eye!" It was another last minute effort, though I shouldn't really say that because I've been writing it in my head for months. Anyhow, I was very pleased with it, and it got a nice round of applause.

Dr. Hoff explained his research on bacteria that can "see" light using a photo-sensitive protein, which we may have coined a name for (a Google search will lead you to this page!) - the "Molecular Eye." Did you know bacteria can grow this big...

Just kidding! Dr. Hoff was showing us how small bacteria are, though. More like this...

Or even smaller! Here's a photo of our audience - we had a good mix of kids and adults. Look at all those eager young minds soaking up the science!

After we discussed Dr. Hoff's research we took a break for a hands-on activity. It seems some molecules have an affinity for water and an aversion to oil. This is part of the mechanism that makes the molecular eye unfold when exposed to light.

All in all, it was another successful session. Dr. Hoff joined Lisa, Evalyn and I for dinner afterward, and he and I yammered endlessly about the goals of the science café and different approaches to science education in general.

Everyone I've talked to seems very excited about what I'm trying to do, though it's a bit crazy on the surface - having scientists explain their research to children in a way that doesn't water down the science but still engages the kids! It's certainly a challenge, and I'll keep refining the format until it works the way I'm seeing it in my head.

I know we're already doing something right, based on the evaluation cards folks turned in - everyone said they would definitely come again, even if they didn't quite understand all the science. That rocks!

I hope we'll see you at the next one, November 4th, with Dr. Elshahed, "The Microbe Hunter!"

"The Molecular Eye" this Tuesday!

Our second "Born to Do Science" Café is coming up this Tuesday October 7th at 6:30 PM at the coffee shop in hastings here in Stillwater, OK. Please come if you can, and remind all your friends, especially those with kids in second grade and up.

I had a nice long lunch with my guest scientist, Dr. Hoff (above) in preparation for Tuesday's cafe. I learned a lot about the "Molecular Eye." This is going to be a very cool session, involving microbial behavior, protein folding, and possibly even the physics of light. If we can get kids to understand it on some level (and I think we will) I'll be very proud, and so will they!

Congratulations to my Guest Scientist for November, Dr. Elshahed, on his $800,000.00 Grant!! Mark your calendars for November 4 - maybe he'll tell us how he plans to spend all that money!

See you soon!