Community Guide:
For Teachers
From astronomy to zoology, and from kindergarten to 12th grade, the University's colleges, divisions and departments offer today's teachers a broad array of programs for instructional support, classroom activity and enhanced educational experiences.
Actuarial Science Presentations
Faculty and students from the Actuarial Department visit
area high schools to give presentations about actuarial
science and careers in the field.
Phone: (734) 763-0293
Web: http://www.math.lsa.umich.edu/research/actuarial/
Email: chunt@umich.edu
Adopt-A-Room
Schools can "adopt" a patient room or unit at
the U-M Hospitals. Students pledge to draw pictures and/or
send flowers or
small
gifts to brighten the days of patients and their families.
Phone: (734) 936-9424
Email: bever@umich.edu
Alliance for Community Technology
ACT is ready to help those who work with young people capitalize
upon the potential of new technologies. Alliance members
will demonstrate how tools for collaborating and sharing
information are essential to learning.
Web: http://www.communitytechnology.org/
Email: atkins@umich.edu
Animal Diversity Web
Kingdom Animalia comes to the Internet with the Animal Diversity
Web, a collection of information about mammals, birds,
amphibians and the like. Animals' physical characteristics, natural
history, geographic range and classification are included.
Web: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/index.html
America Reads Tutoring Corps
This corps of University students provides reading assistance
to children in the Ann Arbor area, supported by the Edward
Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning, the
Office of Financial Aid and the School of Education.
Phone: (734) 647-7766
Web: http://www.umich.edu/~mserve/areads/
Email: amreadsinfo@umich.edu
Art Slides
Operated by the Department of the History of Art, the
U-M Slide Distribution project concentrates on photographing
and distributing, at affordable prices, slides of art
objects
from exhibitions, distinguished private collections
and permanent collections of major American and European
museums to facilitate teaching of the history of art.
Art teachers
can select from among more than 2,000 titles.
Phone: (734) 764-5406
Web: http://www.umich.edu/~hartspc/umsdp/
Email: umsd@umich.edu
Astronomy Outreach Program
Graduate students in astronomy travel to schools to show
how they study and explore the universe. Classroom demonstrations
and hands-on experiences are included, along with slides
of most recent astronomical discoveries. Programs are
tailored to elementary and secondary school learning
levels.
Phone: (734) 615-6141
Web: http://www.astro.lsa.umich.edu/umaop/umaop.php
Email: aletta@umich.edu
Camp CAEN
For those students who excel in computing, Camp CAEN
is an excellent venue for exploring new technologies. Two-week
summer sessions take place at the Media Union, which
offers some of the most advanced computing equipment on campus.
Camp CAEN is open to students ages 13-17.
Phone: (734) 936-8039
Web: http://www.engin.umich.edu/caen/campcaen/
Email: campcaen@engin.umich.edu
Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies
Multi Media Resources: Digital Images, website resources and materials, podcasts and Interactive Communications & Simulations are provided for Elementary, Middle, High School and College level for researchers, teachers, students and the community.
Phone: (734) 764-0350
Web: http://www.ii.umich.edu/cmenas/resources/multimedia
Email: cmenas@umich.edu
Cultural Heritage Initiative for Community Outreach
CHICO projects incorporate images, sound and video to
enrich classroom instruction on cultural heritages.
Specific links
at its web site also include K-12 Partnership Projects.
Phone: (734) 647-3576
Web: http://www.si.umich.edu/CHICO/
Email: chico.admin@umich.edu
Early Childhood Programs
These programs are designed for preschool and Kindergarten-aged children.
Teachers with the group are admitted at no charge (all other adults are
charged).
Scheduled self-guided time is free with any paid program.
Dancing with the Dinosaurs
Our most popular preschool program! Be a paleontologist and explore our
dinosaur exhibits with our enthusiastic leaders. This program includes both
hands-on exploration in our education room and guided discovery in the
exhibits. Songs, stories, movement, and puppetry highlight this adventure!
Length: 1 Hour
Cost: $3.50 per person. 20 children maximum.
Explorer Tour
A short, guided exploration of our prehistoric life gallery designed
especially for larger classes of young children and/or those on a short-day
schedule. In small groups, leaders help children discover dinosaurs and
more using fossils, puppets, and other props.
Length: 30 Minutes
Cost: $2.50 per person. 60 children maximum.
Planetarium Shows
Magic Sky
Why is the sun so much brighter than the night stars? We feature pictures
of the earth and the moon to show children that they live on a big, round,
spinning ball. We introduce day and night, and discover some prominent
constellations.
Length: 30 Minutes
Cost: $2.50 per person. 36 children maximum.
Musical Sky
This show incorporates star pictures and children's astronomy songs with a
look at the night sky. We learn about rockets, astronauts, and what we can
see in the night sky.
Length: 30 Minutes
Cost: $2.50 per person. 36 children maximum.
Phone: (734) 764-0478
Web:http://www.exhibits.lsa.umich.edu/exhibitmuseum/education/school_and_community_programs/early_childhood-programs/
Email:liking@umich.edu
Fitness for Youth
Sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan in
concert with the Department of Kinesiology, IFFY is designed
to improve the health levels of children using vigorous
aerobic exercise and health-related information. Teachers
are trained to use IFFY methods and students are coached
on how to set and achieve goals, learn self-discipline
and personal responsibility.
Phone: (734) 647-9887
Web: http://fitnessforyouth.umich.edu/
Email: ffy@umich.edu
German Day
German Day draws high school German students and teachers
to a day of competition and fun, including extemporaneous
speaking, poetry recitation, poster projects, skits,
musical performances and video production. It is sponsored
each
March by the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures.
Phone: (734) 764-8018
Web: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/german/gs-n-gd.html
Email: jvv@umich.edu
Great Lakes Education Program
Students and teachers are exposed to the vast dimensions
of the Great Lakes through this program offered by Michigan
Sea Grant. The program, which takes place in the classroom
and on the water, teaches people about the Great Lakes,
other water resources and public stewardship.
Phone: (734) 764-0767
Web: http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/glep/
Email: elzblap@umich.edu
Health Occupations Partners in Education
The HOPE program for junior high and high school students
in the Ypsilanti Public Schools seeks to increase interest
in health professionals careers and to enhance academic
achievement. The HOPE program encourages medical schools
to collaborate with local school systems to substantially
increase the number of African-American, Latino and Native
American students interested in careers in the health
professions.
Phone: (734) 647-5774
Web: http://www.med.umich.edu/medschool/hope/
Email:fairland@umich.edu
Healthy Lifestyle Community Lectures
Lectures can be given to K-12 schools on such topics
as promoting positive life skills and habits, healthy
lifestyles,
nutrition, physical movement, and careers in kinesiology under
this program sponsored by the Division of Kinesiology. Topics
also can be tailored for specific curriculum subjects.
Phone: (734) 764-4472
Email: bbrady@umich.edu
Highly Interactive Computing in Education
Hi-Ce's mission is to help middle and high school students
achieve deeper levels of understanding about science
and the inquiry process. It works with students, teachers
and administrators to make science education more meaningful
to students. Services include curriculum development,
professional development and new technology tools.
Web: http://hi-ce.org/index.html
Email: hice.info@umich.edu
Interactive Communications and Simulations
The School of Education offers interactive, student-centered
telecommunications projects that link classrooms around
the world. Middle and high school students from more
than 400 schools in 30 countries are involved in curricular
activities that include current affairs to poetry.
Phone: (734) 763-5950
Web: http://ics.soe.umich.edu/
Email: stanz@umich.edu
Internet Public Library
Developed by students and faculty of the School of Information,
IPL provides library services to the Internet community.
Students can learn and share ideas about what librarians
have to contribute in a digital environment. Its divisions
include Reference, Youth and Teen.
Web: http://www.ipl.org/
Email:http://www.ipl.org/div/contact/
Investigators Workshop
The workshop consists of tools developed to provide science
teachers and students with computational support for
their scientific inquiries. Programs include Model-It,
which allows students to build, test and evaluate qualitative
models; DATA-VIZ, to aid students as they work to understand
relationships in data; and CHEM-VIZ, which makes chemistry
accessible by providing tools to build molecules, view
and manipulate them in three dimensional space and predict
chemical properties.
Web: http://hi-ce.org/index.html
Email: cneilson@eecs.umich.edu
Three separate teaching resources appropriate for lower
elementary, upper elementary and middle to high school,
the
Japan Kit is available to educators throughout the area. It
includes items and articles that represent or explain various
aspects of Japanese life and culture. Loaned by the University's
Center for Japanese Studies, use of the kit is free with a
refundable deposit.
Phone: (734) 764-6307
Web: http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/cjs/
Email: wittevee@umich.edu
K-12 Great Lakes Learning Activities
Order science kits containing experiments, games, stories and other hand-on activities
for learning about Invasive Aquatic Species, or borrow a kit containing museum-quality
preserved specimens, books, video, lessons and much more.
Phone: (734) 763-1437
Web: http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/ans/K12.html
Email: umbogi@umich.edu
Kelsey Museum of Archaeology Educational Outreach
The Museum sponsors an active educational outreach program
that includes tours of its galleries, special behind-the-scenes
glimpses into the ancient world and
15 traveling educational kits to bring "civilization in a crate" to
the classroom. The Museum also offers tours to all grade levels, both guided
visit and special interactive presentations.
Phone: (734) 647-4167
Web:
http://www.lsa.umich.edu/kelsey/educational.html
Email: talalay@umich.edu,
tegerr@umich.edu
Linguistics Outreach
Linguistics students take part in service projects through
the Program in Linguistics. Activities include working
in a speech pathology clinic, developing a user-friendly
linguistics web site and making linguistics career presentations
to high school students.
Phone: (734) 764-0353
Web: http://ling.lsa.umich.edu/home/index.html
Email: janej@umich.edu
Math Scholars Summer Program
The program offers mini-courses on current mathematical
research to high school math teachers and students interested
in higher mathematics. The summer courses are then supported
throughout the following school year by self-paced courses
available via the Internet and by mentoring from math
faculty and graduate students. Online courses also
are offered
to interested teachers and students.
Phone: (734) 647-4466
Web: http://www.math.lsa.umich.edu/mmss/
Email: mmss@umich.edu
Matthaei Botanical Gardens
Student tours of Matthaei Botanical Gardens typically last
45 minutes and feature different themes, all designed
around the Ann Arbor Public Schools' science curriculum.
Pre-trip class preparation is encouraged for the tours,
which are tailored to specific K-12 levels. After school
and overnight scout programs also are offered at the
Gardens.
Phone: (734) 998-6205
Web: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg/
Michigan Space Grant Consortium Public Outreach Program
The program's focus is on enhancing science literacy
among students through a series of activities, including
conferences,
workshops, publications, lecture series, non-technical
courses, science fairs and radio and television programs.
Phone: (734) 764-9508
Web: http://www.engin.umich.edu/dept/aero/msgc/
Email: blbryant@umich.edu
Museum of Art
The Museum is home to more than 14,000 works of art
from all over the world and hosts several traveling
exhibitions
each year. Interpretive programs include lectures,
symposia, docent tours, concerts and family events.
School tours
are available throughout the academic year.
In June 2006, the Museum will move into temporary quarters as we begin work on a dramatic expansion and renovation of Alumni Memorial Hall, our home for more than fifty years. Read all the exciting details about our temporary home and the exhibitions and programs planned for this new space.
Phone: (734) 764-0395
Web: http://www.umma.umich.edu/
Email: dgswartz@umich.edu
Outreach to Your Classroom
The Exhibit Museum offers outreach programs to bring science into your
classroom. Content is flexible and can be coordinated with your classroom
material and modified to fit a given audience. See the How to Schedule page
for information on scheduling and fees.
A Journey through Space
Grades 3-8. Call about older grades.
Length: 50 Minutes
Presenter: Matt Linke
Take your students on an astronomy adventure that covers how we get to
space, the tools we use, what we study, and how we get back from space.
Using models, demonstrations, short video clips, and slides, we discuss how
we learn about far away objects, and what light can tell us about the stars.
We launch a rocket in the classroom and talk about why it flies.
We learn a little about which planets have been visited by spacecraft, and
which planets are in the sky that night. Throughout the presentation, your
students are asked questions, the answers to which take us from one step in
the program to another. At the end, they get a chance to ask their own
questions.
Cool Comets
Grades 2 and higher.
Length: 30 minutes
Presenter: Matt Linke
Comets have been observed by humans for thousands of years. Comet Halley
was first recorded in the year 250 BC. For much of history, comets were
feared and thought of as evil omens. Wars were won and lost over the
appearance of a comet. Some of these concerns were expressed as recently as
1910.
This program looks at the history of comets and humans, then turns to what
comets actually are. We talk about some famous people in history who
encountered comets and how they responded to them, then we turn to a simple
recipe for a comet, and finish by making a simple comet in the classroom.
It's noisy, messy, high impact fun and students love it!
Web: http://www.exhibits.lsa.umich.edu/exhibitmuseum/education/school_and_community_programs/outreach_classroom/ Email: mlinke@umich.edu
Planetarium Shows
The U-M Planetarium, housed in the Exhibit Museum of
Natural
History, is open on weekends, weekdays around major
holidays,
and weekday afternoons in July and August. Special
group
appointments also can be made during the week. Study
topics
include the moon, solar system, stars and night sky
as well as
other astronomical topics.
Phone: (734) 647-1381
Web:http://www.lsa.umich.edu/exhibitmuseum/education/planetarium/schedule
Email: mlinke@umich.edu
Poison Prevention Web Pages
This web site is designed to teach young children about
poisons and poison prevention. Students, parents
and teachers can discuss what is being presented
and can explore definitions, the routes of poisoning and where poisons are found. The site
also details poison prevention and treatment.
Pre-College Programs
The Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives has
teamed up with southeastern Michigan school systems
to enrich the academic lives of students. OAMI sponsors
a variety of precollege programs that involve students
who are underrepresented in college. The focus is on
academic motivation, exploration of ethnic heritage,
scholarship and achievement.
Phone: (734) 936-1055
Web: http://www.umich.edu/~oami/precollege/
Email: oami@umich.edu
Programs for Educational Opportunity
This School of Education program, supported by the
U.S. Department of Education, offers technical advice
to public school districts in three areas of educational equity:
race, sex and national origin. PEO helps school districts
racially desegregate their buildings and classrooms,
prevent sexual harassment and ensure that children
with limited English skills receive appropriate instruction.
Phone: (734) 763-9910
Web: http://www.umich.edu/~eqtynet/
Email: peo@umich.edu
Saturday Morning Physics
The Department of Physics offers free public multimedia
presentations on a variety of basic and cutting edge
physics topics. No previous science education is necessary
to participate in this popular program.
Phone: (734) 764-4437
Web: http://www.physics.lsa.umich.edu/nea/smp/smp.asp
Email: physics.web@umich.edu
Teen Volunteer Program
Teenagers 14 and older who are interested in health
care careers can volunteer at the U-M Health System
up to four hours per week during the academic year
and/or summer. Opportunities range from pediatrics to geriatrics, from
patient visitation to physical therapy, and from the library cart to the art cart.
Web: http://www.med.umich.edu/chs/vol/volserv.html
Phone: (734) 936-4327
Email: UMHS.Volunteer@umich.edu
Windows to the Universe
This NASA-supported web site, under the direction of
the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space
Sciences, brings together information about the Earth and
space sciences with art, cultural and mythological information. It features
content for upper elementary, middle, and high school students. The site includes
links to information about the Earth and space sciences, ranging from
the sun and planets to astrophysics, and provides resources for teachers and students.
Web: http://www.sprl.umich.edu/
Email: http://www.sprl.umich.edu/
Youth and Family Education
Matthaei Botanical Gardens offers programs for children, including after school
programs for scouts and other youth groups, and Youth & Family Programs.
The Gardens also collaborates with Washtenaw County/MSU’s Extension Junior
Master Gardener Program.
Phone: (734) 998-7061
Web: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg/ed/familyed.html
James Kosteva, Director
Office of Community Relations
Fleming Administration Building, 503 Thompson Street,
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1340
(734) 764-7901 Fax (734) 764-3316
copyright@2005 The Regents of the University of Michigan
Last Updated: 03 May 2006