Saturday, February 7, 2009

2 More Great Opportunities from Discovery Education

I received both of these via email recently and hope you can benefit from one or both!

Siemens We Can Change The World Challenge

WE NEED ECO-HEROES TO HELP SAVE THE PLANET!

Are Your Students Up for the Challenge?


As our valued partner, we're excited to share this opportunity with you.

Now through March 15, 2009, middle school students can "go green" and team up for the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge , the first and only national K-12 sustainability education initiative aligned to education standards.

Prizes for students and teachers include Regional and National Recognition, Cash and an Appearance on Discovery's Planet Green Television Network.


The Challenge is entirely web-based and provides a robust collection of resources for students and teachers from interactive labs to lesson plans, custom developed by the same curriculum team that brings you our award-winning services Discovery Education streaming and Discovery Education Science.

Come check it out at wecanchange.com and you can even take a quiz to measure your own environmental IQ!

The competition is open to all U.S. middle school students between grades 6-8. Teams will be made up of two to three students and a teacher or adult advisor (i.e. parent, Girl/Boy Scout leader etc.). The initiative will expand to elementary schools in 2009 and to high schools in 2010.

Teams will be judged by a panel of environmental experts and science educators. Teams will be judged on their ability to create a positive, measurable solution to a local environmental problem or issue using scientific methodology and how well they explain how the solution can be replicated by other communities.

Get started today!
Inspiring Invention Contest
Tell Us What Inspires You
Find Out How You Could Win More Than $22,000 in Prizes


Invention starts with inspiration and that's where great teachers play a part. Discovery Education is proud to partner with the Ad Council in support of their Inspiring Invention contest.

Together with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the National Inventors Hall of Fame, we invite you to mentor students in middle and high school to get them excited about the process of invention.

Creativity counts! The contest asks you and your students to create a public service announcement that motivates others to get inspired and start inventing. Show us how invention enriches everyday life and your school could win a prize package from Sony Creative Software!

We've amassed excellent resources to get you, well, inspired! Start with lesson plans for elementary, middle and high school students. Then bring the famous inventors and their inventions into your classroom with biographies and historic documents.

Inspired to invent? Make good use of our Tool Box to create a PSA with your students and enter the contest. You'll find tips and examples to get started and a FREE download of Sony video editing software. Hurry! Entries will be accepted through March 15th.

Get started! www.inspiringinvention.com
If you know of any other similar contests, please share them in the comments!