FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Barbara Barnette Telephone: (301) 371- 7560 Email: bbarnette@frederickcountymd.

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MIDDLETOWN LIBRARY OFFERS SCIENCE MONDAY! SUMMER PROGRAM Do you love science? Come join us for Science Monday this summer! MIDDLETOWN, MD Jan. 3, 2013 The Middletown Public Library is pleased to offer summer science programming for children who have completed second, third, and fourth grades. Library Associate Barbara Barnette and a volunteer from the National Science Laboratory at Fort Detrick will lead the science experiments. The second grade program will be held on June 24th from 2:00- 3:00 p.m. Children will be learning to use science tools- including thermometers, magnifiers, rulers, and balances. The third grade program will be held on July 15th from 2:00- 3:00 p.m. Children will be learning to distinguish between physical change and chemical change as they do chemistry experiments. The fourth grade program will be held on August 5th from 2:00- 3:00 p.m. Children will learn about microbes as they doing experiments involving petri dishes and microscopes. For further information about Frederick County Public Libraries and to register for Science Monday!, please visit www.fcpl.org. (Facebook posting and Twitter tweet)

PROPOSED PROGRAM: Science Monday! PROGRAM AUDIENCE: Science Monday is a program of science experiments geared toward 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade children. NEED FOR THE PROGRAM: Research suggests that certain instructional practices are effective in raising achievement in science. They include: doing hands-on activities, working with others, and talking about the measurements and results of the activities.
(http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/home/nga-center-for-best-practices/col2-content/list-centerbottom/top-downloads/building-a-science-technology--1@/1112STEMGUIDE.PDF )

In the next five years, STEM jobs are projected to grow twice as fast as jobs in other fields.
( http://livebinders.com/media )

STEM activities support the Common Core standards. The science activities planned for Science Monday specifically meet standard CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.3 Follow precisely a multistep
procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.

STEM activities meet the Frederick County Public Library mission of connecting people to ideas, experiences, and information. COMMUNITY PARTNER: Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research Elementary Outreach Program STEPS IN SETTING UP THE EVENT: 1. Contact NCI in order to discuss the possibility of coming to the library with the science activities. 2. Contact branch administrator in order to get approval for proposal. 3. Choose dates. 4. Choose lessons. Make up the evaluations. 5. Train as an NCI volunteer. 6. Provide flyers at the end of the school year to Middletown Primary and Middletown Elementary Schools advertising the event. 7. Enter the event on eVanced and open registration. 8. Design a work area in the library suitable for science experimenting. EVALUATING THE PROGRAM: I will give the children a pre- and post-questionnaire to use in evaluating what they have learned.