Hello!
Here we are again, but we stopped after the sessions, because we are many!
Our film is a summary of our activities from October 2010 to May 2011.
Enjoy!
We still go back twice more to show our activities for the month of June.
The Team Nano of High School Francisco Simões
From 18th to 28th March the 3rd year of Slovak conference " We teach for life" took place in Poprad,Slovakia, The key topic of the conference was " Are we able to make decisions ?". The conference was organized by P-MAT, nonprofit organization and the guarantor was EDEA PARTNERS,joint-stock company.About 300 participants participated at the conference from whole Slovakia. The conference enjoys the increased interest of state institutions. Mgr. Jaroslav Ivančo - the State Secretary of Ministry of Education,Science,Research and Sport of Slovakia, PaedDr. Roman Baranovič - the director general of UIPŠ, the manageress of ŠPÚ Ing. Katarína Kalašová, the director general of MPC - PaedDr. Ivan Pavlov,PhD., the deputies to State School Inspection, The State Vocational Education Institute as well as the deputies of universities and state administration on lower level management took part there.Within the workshops Ing. Zuzana Christozova presented the NANOYOU project and the possibilties of application of prepared materials within the natural science teaching. The workshop met the great interest and the teachers surely discovered many inspirative ideas for their teaching.
The students of the United School in Martin present the results of their works in NANOYOU project for all students nad teachers in Slovakia via their blog http://nanoyousk.webnode.sk/ . Via it they want to simplify the access to educational materials as well as to explain the possibilities of their usage in different school subjects.
Here are some videos of their experiments:
Hello everyone:
Our first attempt to explain to the teachers of the Pedagogical Council which is nano science, was captured in this short film, watch ... and we'll have more tomorrow or later ...
Our blog also has our news and will soon have some news in English: http://fsimoesrobots.blogs.sapo.pt/
kisses until the next session
Isabel
We worked with natural nanomaterials (milk and gelatin)
In December 2010, a class of 16 students from the 9th grade (14 and 15 year olders) carried out the Experiment D.In the first task, the students had to research if the Taro or Azores Yam leaf (Colocasia esculenta) had superhydrophobic properties. The Azores Yam is a very abundant plant in the Azores, in fact it’s one of the most important agricultural crops in the region.In the second one, they had to know, test and experiment nanomaterials that had been modified to nano-scale to become superhydrophobic, such as Nano-Tex fabric.
Juan Nolasco & Sónia Castanheira
EBS Santa Maria (Azores - Portugal)
The students of the Jakob-Fugger-Gymnasium Augsburg worked as teachers for one day. In context of the nanoyou project at JFG they presented their knowledge of modern nanotechnology to younger students.
Here you can find the film made by the local tv station.
Here is the report (actually only in German language)
Continue reading "Project day on nanotechnology at Jakob-Fugger-Gymnasium Augsburg" »
As an introduction to the Nanoworld, a workshop was carried out by Santa Maria Secondary School (Azores-Portugal), on November 23rd, to celebrate the Portuguese “Science and Technology Week 2010”. In this activity the 14-15 years-old students could discover the Secrets of the Nanoworld and watch the NANOYOU film-Part 1 “What is Nano”.
To understand the Nano Scale, at the end of the session, all the students joined the activity “How tall are you in nanometres?” from the “TimeforNano NanoKit”.
Juan Nolasco & Sónia Castanheira
EBS Santa Maria (Azores - Portugal)
In last week,on 24 november 2010,I made a presentation of Nanoyou Project at Agricultural School Group Alexandria ,Romania.
Upton Hall School UK working with the Specilaist Schools and Academies Trust SSAT run Triplle Science Days to encourage teachers and schools to deliver the three separate science to UK schools.
On Friday 12.11.2010 Mrs E. Sargent and Miss S. Cooke led such a day for 8 schools and also Initial Teacher Training students. Although the agenda had been set for some time prior to our meeting in October, I was able to disseminate a little information about the project and the group were both enthusiastic and motivated to explore the website and register their interest in the Nanoyou project. They particularly enjoyed taking away their posters which you provided and ook forward to using the other material such as the role play cards,
We used textile materials,leafage and water.
I tried to extend at kindergarden children.
On 2November 2010 Slovak regional conference about IKT Technologies in teaching process called New teaching took place in Slovakia in Považská Bystrica. The teachers presented there the results of their project activity as well as the examples of a good practice. Zuzana Christozova, teacher of Spojená škola Martin from Slovak NANOYOU pilot school, had the possibility to join the conference and to present the cooperation with Nanoyou portal within the workshops. Slovak teachers learnt how to work with videos,presentations, experiments and games published on www.nanoyou.eu as well as to use Slovak support of the web page within lessons and leisure activities. There is the whole year ahead so we hope to involve the most Slovak teachers and schools.
environmental problems solvable with green nanotechnology? Scientific progress brings new opportunities, all to be checked before promoting them with flying colors.
"As long as the environmental impact of nanoparticles is not better known, should be avoided as much as possible from getting into." With these words the Royal Society has expressed its position on the proliferation of nanotechnology initiatives to deal with chronic or recurring problems that plague our environment. Nanotechnology green face favors and mistrust. With increasing frequency we are talking about additives to reduce the impact of polluting fossil fuels, or particulate pollution control operations in removing nitrogen oxides from the air, or the latest generation of photovoltaic cells or metal oxide nanoparticles to treat water or clean soil. But experts warn: needs to be done not only deal with the real possibility of technical applications by starting some innovative projects, but aihmè, even with costs. Never forget that remain uncertain effects of new technologies on habitats on which they act.
In the case example of iron nanoparticles introduced into the soil to remove pollutants such as pesticides, dioxins or organic nitrogen compounds, may create a "competition" with iron particles already present in their natural state. Consequences? Possible effects on normal oxidation reactions that produce substances that can become stressors for the cells of living organisms in the soil. Moreover, if the consequences in terms of toxicity may be well known in the earth system, much remains to know the consequences in aquatic and marine environment. Prof. Paillotin, of the French health safety environment and labor, states that "To date there are no means easy to know the consequences of the release of nanoparticles in the ecosystem. The toxicological studies are not sufficient. " The European Union, facing the emerging problem, has not yet adopted rules on the use of nanoparticles, which should be based on evaluations of individual units and functional combinations with other substances. Contrary to the United States, waiting to reveal any problems before you regulate, and Europe, with more caution, you probably started to protect themselves with the principles of precaution. Many experts now point the finger, however: it is only the beginning of what will become the great "yard" of the checks to be carried out to assess the risks associated with nanotechnology Green, whose rapid development was not accompanied by precise initial rules. Economic interests, scientific, legal and environmental clash over new ground. For the green nanotech path remains long: will have to convince, proof in hand, ensuring the role of reliable resource for achieving the desired sustainable development.
Istituto nautico San Giorgio genova
Camelia Stanoi, Teacher of Physics at "I.G.Duca School" Petrosani, Rumania.
We intend on increasing the student's interest in applied nanotechnology in alkaline water electrolysis, by easy-to-understand, experimental research.
Researchers are using nano-sized catalysts to vastly improve the production of hydrogen through water electrolysis. The children shall understand both of the nanotechnolgy and the hydrogen electrolysers basic techonology. They will make simple systematic observations and experiments so they will be able to understand and explain the electrocatalysis.
Continue reading "Nanotechnolgy applied in green hydrogen energy" »
My name is Kasia Druzycka. I teach physics and IT on Zespół Szkół Ogólnokształcących nr 5 in Wrocław, Poland. Becoming a teacher in pilot school of Nanoyou project is exciting for me mainly for three reasons: engagement, didactics and cooperation.
First I love to see student's engagement. Taking part in Nanoyou project which is focused on one of the up-to-date fields of science fore sure cause them to be more sensitive an, open and interested in scientific subjects.
Secondly I look for a new ways of teaching modern science. How to explain the complexities of nanoworld avoiding hard math (or how to explain this math to students)How to translate language of modern science to the young brains?
Third thing is connected with cooperation, exchange of experience and methods among teachers form different schools. Necessity of such actions is obvious.
I composti che formano mesofasi (mesogeni) quando disciolti in un opportuno solvente in un certo intervallo di concentrazione, vengono detti cristalli liquidi.I cristalli liquidi sono fluidi altamente anisotropi che esistono fra la fase solida cristallina e quella liquida isotropa: tale fase prende il nome di transizione.La luce solare diffusa, cioè la luce che arriva a terra dopo essere stata riflessa dall'atmosfera, ha una certa percentuale di polarizzazione.Questo fenomeno si può dimostrare facilmente considerando le molecole d'aria come dipoli oscillanti stimolati dalla luce solare.Su questo principio si basano gli occhiali da sole a lenti polarizzate.Normalmente, la luce ordinaria risulta non polarizzata.Può risultare, invece, parzialmente o totalmente polarizzata se il mezzo che essa attraversa è caratterizzato da proprietà ottiche opportune.La polarizzazione della luce è un fenomeno ottico che riguarda la direzione di vibrazione del vettore campo elettrico di un’onda luminosa rispetto alla direzione di propagazione, e che consiste nella predominanza di una particolare direzione di vibrazione tra tutte quelle possibili.Ogni raggio luminoso, quindi, deve essere pensato come un treno di onde trasversali, le cui grandezze vibranti sono il campo elettrico e il campo magnetico. Un polarizzatore o filtro polarizzante è un filtro che blocca la radiazione elettromagnetica a seconda dalla sua polarizzazione.Due filtri polarizzatori sovrapposti e orientati a 90 gradi l'uno rispetto all'altro danno un effetto di quasi totale oscuramento.Allora diremo che se l'angolo a è di 90° la luce viene completamente assorbita, se è di 0° attraversa totalmente il filtro. Su questo principio si basano gli schermi a cristalli liquidi.
I cristalli liquidi trovano largo uso negli schermi a cristalli liquidi, che sfruttano le proprietà ottiche di determinate molecole liquido-cristalline.Queste molecole in presenza di un campo elettrico si allineano con esso, alterando la polarizzazione della luce in un determinato senso. Sfruttando questa capacità è possibile filtrare la luce che passa entro appositi pannelli polarizzati.
LICEO SCIENTIFICO STATALE "PITAGORA"-RENDE(CS)
Electricity from algae
Bioelectricity 'green' produced dall'alga although in small quantities, through a nanoelectrodes gold in the cell, a method that could be interesting developments.
Imagine that one day the leaves can produce electricity for our needs. Imagine that the electrons circulating in their cells, activated by sunlight, does not serve only to produce sugar, as indeed happens, but some of them being diverted and channeled through a wire to ignite such a lamp. We are still miles away from all this. But scientists at Stanford University (USA), for the first time managed to "steal" power from algae. An infinitesimal amount, and true, but have developed a method that could be interesting developments. May be the first step towards the production of bioelectricity high efficiency.
"We are the first to extract electrons from living plant cells," says Won Hyoung Ryu, head of research published in the journal Nano Letters. Scientists have built a tiny, pointed nano gold electrode, specially designed to be introduced into cells. So they have gently pushed through the membrane of a cell of Chlamydomonas algae. This small electrode tool to capture the electrons that light stimulated.
Plants in fact, through specific organelles contained in cells, chloroplasts, the photosynthesis convert light energy into chemical energy stored in the sugars. The light penetrates the organelles and does "jump" the electrons to a higher energy level. Scientists at Stanford have "caught" after just these electrons were excited by light, then when they had their maximum energy. And through the tiny gold electrode inserted into the chloroplast them diverted out of the cell to generate a tiny electrical current.
"The result is the production of energy without releasing carbon into the atmosphere. This is one of the cleanest sources to produce it, "says Ryu. Now the question is whether this approach is economically viable. "We can extract from each cell one PICOamp" he continues, "a quantity so small that a trillion cells, would that work for one hour to produce as much energy as that stored in an alkaline battery. Moreover, the cells die after an hour. The next steps could be to optimize the electrode design to prolong the life of cells and chloroplasts of plants use larger to capture more electrons.
ISTITUTO NAUTICO SAN GIORGIO GENOVA
Create a perfect solar cell (ie a solar technology that is efficient and low cost to produce it) is certainly an ongoing working progress. Researchers worldwide are trying to create because silicon solar cells, solar cells policritsallino, plastic solar cells and even some say using human hair! But now, researchers at Cornell University are catching up with another idea: to create solar cells with carbon nanotubes. Although still at an early stage of development, solar cells that use carbon nanotubes may be able to safely alongside in providing an efficient method in converting light into electricity.
Led by Professor Paul McEuen, Cornell researchers have recently tested a simple solar cell (called a photodiode) made from a single carbon nanotube. In this case, a single carbon nanotube has been basically rolled around a sheet of graphene the size of a molecule of human DNA. The nanotube was connected between two electrical contacts, one negative and one with a positive charge. During the experiments, the researchers found that more light hits the nanotube and more electricity is created exponentially, creating a huge difference in the technologies of conventional polycrystalline silicon solar cells or in which the excess energy is lost as heat, rather than used to create more electricity. Further studies revealed that the narrow cylindrical structure of carbon nanotube electron gives an excellent and convenient passage through which flow. The electrons move through the nanotubes themselves create new and exciting that continue to flow through the nanotube. In this sense, carbon nanotubes can become a nearly ideal for solar cell creates electrons using an energy reserve.
Even illuminating the nanotube with different colors of laser and other areas of the carbon nanotube,discovered that the different levels and higher photon energy have had a multiplier effect on how much electricity is produced. This process could be important for the next generation of high efficiency solar cells, say researchers. "We're not just looking for a new material, but the device was newly developed solar cell," says Nathan Gabor, the research team. While the device is certainly at the early stages of development, however, the discovery demonstrates that carbon nanotubes may be able to efficiently convert light into electricity. Now, researchers need to find a way to resize the device while keeping it efficient and relatively inexpensive.
We have found this article very interesting and thrilling shows you
By Istituto Nautico san Giorgio Genova
More Morgellons Nightmares,
Hexagons And Nanos
Horrifying Hexagons
By Jan Smith
6-25-10
Complete horror was experienced by one lady with Morgellons disease. She had phoned me and told me her story as it was happening. For a time was she was reluctant to ever let anyone else know this had happened to her. She has now kindly allowed me to show her photos and tell her story. She is a brave lady and I trust her story completely. She has sent me some of her specimens to study. She wishes to remain anonymous but did want people to know what bizarre and suspicious kinds of material Morgellons disease can produce. A second lady has also spoken to me about the same manifestation of hexagons in her skin. It is certainly time to help the public realize that this is not some insect or zoonotic (animal to human ) based disease.
This Lady knew that something was happening to her leg. She could feel something in it and took a closer look with her digital microscope. What she observed was like being the main character in a horror movie. She saw that the texture of her skin had changed and it reminded her of snakeskin. The normal skin was replaced by a hexagonal pattern. Here are two photos of what she saw on the calf of her leg 10x magnification. The effected area was less than 2" in diameter.
Seminar for engaging new schools and explaning what Nanoyou is.
Teachers from 5 differents schools were present.
Nanoyou visited our school.
It was a great pleasure to receive, Patricia Muñoz King in our school. It was an intensive and pleasant experience.
We had four sessions with four different groups and during those sessions 5 five activities were carried out and 9 interviews were held.
I said before that the experience was really rewarding because we had direct feedback of our development of the project and we felt that our commitment and compromise are being valued and acknowledged which is something that does not usually happen in our educational life.
Students were really satisfied to meet someone from Brussels. I could feel that they realized they were doing something important and were able to open their ideas to the world. Besides, they realized that communicating in other languages and getting engaged to do extra things can allow you to be in contact with different learning and maturing opportunities.
It was also important to make some people at school feel that our team commitment and engagement is considered, valued and observed in Europe, therefore my crazy and impulsive decision to join Nano and work with Nano gained logical impulse, international echo and became an important result for my students and myself.
Thank you to you all, Nanoyou, students and colleagues.
Manuel Carro
A piece of news speaking about Nanoyou in the Pedro Poveda School (Jaén-Spain) has been published in a regional newspaper. The information was printed 27th april, And the title is: "Pedro Poveda school studies Nanoscience" (click to view the article).
In 17th and 18th March 2010 a student conference took place in Thessaloniki-Greece (http://www.math-syn-pli.gr/) were students presented their work on different subjects.
The conference were broadcasting live with the Greek School Network (www.sch.gr).
There were about 1000 students along with 150 teachers presenting about 170 papers.There will be a CD with the conference proceedings.
Our school (4th Lykeio Stavroupolis - Thessaloniki) participated with two posters.One of those was about Nanotechnology.
Our students explained what Nanotechnology is and the ELSA aspects of it.
Also we demonstrated the NANO posters and the whole NANOYOU project as well.
It was a very interesting experience for our students.
One of our outcomes is that Nanotechnology is really a buzzword and students are willing and curious to learn more about it.
24 pilot schools have been selected as the first to launch NANOYOU into the classroom. These schools are based in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, UK, Slovakia, Spain and Turkey. Click through to view the full list.
Continue reading "Pilot schools for academic year 2009-2010" »
Important: Pilot schools for the academic year 2009-2010 are already selected.
Nanoyou is a great chance for schools and teachers to receive first hand information on nanotechnologies that has been prepared specifically for young people. Schools that are willing to take part in the project will benefit from many creative and interesting activities and materials for the whole classroom, namely:
* Introductory video, (about nanoscience and nanotechnology effects and fields of application) and poster
* A virtual exhibition that will present animations, simulations and virtual experiments
* A Nanotechnology time machine game
* Workshop “What is nanotechnology” with games such as nano jigsaw puzzle and nano memory game
* A role play workshop presenting different dilemmas where students will choose a stakeholder role (e.g., worker, consumer, politician, media writer, environmental protection advocate)
* Virtual dialogue through a forum on the Project website
