On Behalf of the GOETHE-INSTITUT WASHINGTON

Thank you for your interest in the Transatlantic Outreach Program (TOP) and in our 2-week, all-expenses-paid, summer study tours to Germany. The applications for our 2017 study tour fellowships just went live on our website last week, and we are happy to share those links with you now:

General Information and Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.goethe.de/ins/us/en/spr/eng/top/top_teachers/top_study_tour.html

Social Studies Application: http://www.toponline.org/application/2017_sr_app_form.pdf

STEM Application: http://www.toponline.org/application/2017_sr_app_form_stem.pdf

You will also find useful information about the program and our study tours in the most recent edition of our newsletter, Modern Germany Update:

https://issuu.com/topteachgermany/docs/top_fall_hires_2016

The Transatlantic Outreach Program helps social studies and STEM educators in the United States and Canada teach about contemporary Germany so that young people are exposed to a nuanced and balanced view of this important international partner. Based at the Goethe-Institut in Washington, DC, the TOP team promotes education, dialogue, and experience on topics such as the German school system, German and EU politics, sustainability projects, and corporate social responsibility, as well as culture, history, and geography.  Each summer, TOP takes approximately 100 educators to Germany on 6 different tours, where they explore these topics in-depth for two weeks.

We encourage you to consider applying for a study tour this coming summer.  We have already begun brainstorming the cities we want to take our participants to and the topics we would like to study on the tours. It’s going to be an amazing summer of in-depth professional development in Germany and we hope to have you along for the adventure!

The application deadline is February 3, 2017.

Please let me know if you have any questions about the program, or tours, or the application process.

Kind regards,

Jenny Windell
Public Relations and Alumni Coordinator
Transatlantic Outreach Program
GOETHE-INSTITUT WASHINGTON
1990 K Street, NW
Suite 03
Washington, DC  20006

Tel: 202-847-4713
Jenny.Windell@goethe.de

www.goethe.de/top

On Behalf of the World of 7 Billion Student Video Contest

This year’s challenge:

Students will create a short video (up to 60 seconds) about human population growth that highlights one of the following global challenges:

• Climate Change
• Ocean Health
• Rapid Urbanization

The contest is open to all high school and middle school students (6th -12th grade) worldwide and the deadline for submissions is February 23, 2017.

I’ve provided some short blurbs below that you can share with your teachers. It would be great to have them included in the West Virginia Geographic Alliance newsletter or website, sent out on your ListServ, or posted on social media! You could also share the contest flyer to provide even more information on the contest as a teaching resource.

Thank you for your help!

Sincerely,
Katie Luoma

Population Education

World of 7 Billion: www.Worldof7Billion.org

Population Education: www.PopulationEducation.org

World of 7 Billion Video Contest

Back by popular demand, the World of 7 Billion student video contest can help you bring technology and creativity into your middle school high school geography classes. The contest challenges your students to create a short (60 seconds or less) video illustrating the connection between world population growth and one of three global challenges: either climate change, ocean health, or rapid urbanization. Students can win up to $1,000 and their teachers will receive free curriculum resources. The contest deadline is February 23, 2017. Full contest guidelines, resources for research, past winners, and more can be found at https://www.worldof7billion.org/student-video-contest/.

Facebook post:

The World of 7 Billion student video contest makes a great class project using current issues that impact us all. There are new topics but the same great prizes and resources. Open to all middle and high schoolers! https://www.worldof7billion.org/student-video-contest/

Tweet:

World of 7 Billion video contest from @PopulationEd. Students tackle global challenges & win prize $. Due 2/23/17. https://www.worldof7billion.org/student-video-contest/

On Behalf of WVPBS Learning Media

Virtual Field Trip Commemorating Pearl Harbor – December 7 Streaming live on December 7, 2016 – 10:00AM and 2:00PM EST WYES-TV/New Orleans will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor by hosting a virtual field trip for students to the National World War II Museum. During this special event, students will explore museum artifacts related to the attack and hear as witnesses recall the raid they experienced as children. This event is recommended for students in grades 5-8 and open to classrooms across the U.S. To learn more and share registration information with local teachers, visit [

http://pbslearningmedia.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1faeda3d6b7c363f883623daa&id=afa880cf6e&e=8698906503

]pearl75.org/electronic-field-trip.

ON BEHALF OF CODE.ORG

The Hour of Code is coming next week!

Computer Science Education Week, December 5-11, is nearly here! Are you ready to introduce your students to computer science or explore a new computing concept with a one-hour activity?

We launched several new tutorials this year that are now live on the Hour of Code website. You can explore all of this year’s offerings using several filter views: find offline tutorials, activities that work with robots, lessons for experience high-school students, or subject-area tutorials that connect computer science to social studies, math, language arts, and more!

We’ve listed a few suggestions we think your class might love below. Check them out at the Hour of Code website!

Gumball’s Coding Adventure (Grades 6-8)

Inspired by The Amazing World of Gumball episode “The Signal”, this activity introduces computer science concepts with video based tutorials and Scratch. Students connect with content they love, discover creativity with coding and engage Gumball and his friends!

Make Music with Scratch – do this with a music class! (Grades 2-8)

With this Scratch tutorial, you make your own interactive band: choose sounds, create melodies and beats, and play by pressing keys. Printable activity cards are also available for free!

Code the News – do this with a social studies class! (Grade 6+)

Students use code to create the special effects that they see on the news, using their creativity and problem solving skills to make logos, graphics and headlines. Finished projects can be uploaded to a school website.

Push your district to expand its commitment to computer science

Does your school district have a robust computer science program? If not, use the Hour of Code as a rallying cry to motivate administrators to expand computer science offerings at every grade band. Here’s a template powerpoint, a template letter to the administration, and more stats you can use to spread the word!

I hope you can motivate your school district to announce a plan to expand computer science. If you’re not sure how, see the Code.org program or the many third parties we recommend. Code.org works with partners across the country to provide free, high-quality workshops and curriculum to entire school districts. At the minimum, I hope the tutorials above give you opportunities to expose other classrooms at your school to computer science!

Inspire your classroom with a local volunteer

Invite a local volunteer to inspire your students by talking about the breadth of possibilities in computer science. There are thousands of volunteers around the world ready to help with your Hour of Code. Use this map to find local volunteers who can visit your classroom or join a video chat with your students.

Notice: Code.org hasn’t vetted volunteers listed on the map and makes no assurances about them. We simply offer a matching service, and Hour of Code planners should do their own background checks in compliance with local policies.

Computer Science Education Week (December 5-11, 2016) is almost here! Sign up your Hour of Code event here and check out all the new activities that you can filter on our site based on grade level, experience level, subject area, and more. Find the perfect activity for your class at https://code.org/learn.

Have fun with your class this December, and thank you for leading this movement!

Hadi Partovi,
Code.org

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

ON BEHALF OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EDUCATORS PROGRAM

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

ON BEHALF OF WV PUBLIC BROADCASTING

Please share the attached WV LearningMedia December Content Map with as many teachers as possible.

  december-2016-content-map

Thanks,

Margaret Miller

Curriculum specialist

WV Public Broadcasting

600 Capitol Street

Charleston, WV  25301

Office (304) 556-4921

Cell (304) 549-2400

mmiller@wvpublic.org