Annual Meeting
Workshops

Workshops


Introduction to Basic Casting and Molding Techniques Workshop
Tuesday, Oct. 14

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location:
Cleveland Museum of Natural History Casting Laboratory

This introductory workshop is designed for students who have never had the opportunity to produce their own molds and casts for research. Basic molding and casting techniques will be reviewed and several commonly-used methods and materials will be demonstrated. Each participant will then mold his/her own fossil and have a reusable polyurethane rubber mold to take home. Please bring a relatively non-porous specimen less than 1 foot in length to mold (e.g., a small limb bone or a large tooth). All other materials, including safety gloves and aprons, will be provided.

NOTE: Transportation to the museum is not included in the cost of the workshop. The CMNH is located five miles from the conference hotel. Please contact David Chapman to discuss the appropriateness of the fossil you wish to cast, or with any questions. Solid, non-fossil material can be provided for practice for anyone without a fossil.

NOTE: Molds can be picked up during the Welcome Reception at the CMNH on October 15th.

Cost: $70 per person
Workshop minimum: 8
Workshop maximum: 15
Registration deadline: Thursday, September 25, 2008

Co-organizers:
David Chapman
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Cleveland, OH USA
E-mail: dchapman@cmnh.org

Michael Ryan
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Cleveland, OH USA
E-mail: mryan@cmnh.org

Back to top.

Digital Media Basics for Publication Seminar
Date will be announced in the Second Circular and on the SVP Web site
Over the lunch hour
Location:
Renaissance Cleveland Hotel

Can you tell the difference between ppi, dpi and lpi? Want to make your black and white specimen photos look better? Want to know why PDF could make your life easier? Then attend the lunchtime seminar presented by Dave Mazierski. Mazierski will review the basic terminology associated with the digital print workfl ow with an emphasis on what you need to know as an author. He will also demonstrate methods for correct preparation and formatting of illustrations and photos, and show you what tools are best for adjusting and correcting images. Handouts will be available covering everything presented for take-home review.

NOTE: Boxed lunches are available for purchase, but must be ordered in advance with your annual meeting registration.

Cost: Free
Maximum: 200
Registration deadline: Thursday, September 25, 2008

Organizer:
Dave Mazierski
University of Toronto
Toronto, ON Canada
E-mail: d.mazierski@utoronto.ca

Back to top.

Evolution Education Workshop
Date will be announced in the Second Circular and on the SVP Web site
Two hours, to start at the beginning of the lunch hour
Location:
Renaissance Cleveland Hotel

Brief illustrated presentations will be given by innovators from the museum and institions of higher education in an atmosphere that will encourage dialog and discussion. Presenters will highlight best practices regarding the
teaching of basic evolutionary concepts, but attention will also be paid to strategies for dealing with anti-evolution campaigns and for reaching out to the skeptical. The workshop will: enhance participants' own courses and museum
programs in evolutionary science; develop expertise within the SVP membership that can be brought to local science teacher workshops and included in science education and other professional journals; promote the efforts of university faculty to argue for inclusion of evolution in degree requirements, in introductory syllabi, etc. and to encourage SVP members to increase their involvement with local school governance and State Boards of Education.

NOTE: Boxed lunches are available for purchase, but must be ordered in advance with your annual meeting registration.

Cost: $20 per person, including materials
Workshop maximum: 40
Registration deadline: Thursday, September 25, 2008

Co-organizers:
Judy Scotchmoor
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, CA USA
E-mail: jscotch@berkeley.edu

Mark Terry
Northwest School
Seattle, WA USA
E-mail: mark.terry@northwestchool.org

Back to top.

Communicating with the Media - Making Your Point in the Popular Press
Date will be announced in the Second Circular and on the SVP Web site
Over the lunch hour
Location:
Renaissance Cleveland Hotel

Paleontology fascinates the public and is undoubtedly one of the most popular areas of science research covered by media. Our discoveries and their implications for an understanding of evolution are intimately linked. In this time of controversy over the teaching of evolution (particularly in the United States) and the general misconceptions that the public hold about what science is and how it operates, paleontologists can play a key role in promoting a new level of understanding. Our collective role as frequent commentators on discovery, evolution and the history of the earth, its inhabitants and their changing ecosystems allow us a unique opportunity to share our understanding of these topics with the public in an understandable and broadly communicated manner. However, communicating the results of research to the public is not always as simple as it sounds and serving as the faces and voices that represent our society and our science is a serious responsibility. To that end, we offer a workshop aimed at helping members of the SVP get their points across to media.

Join members of the Media Liaisons Committee in a two-hour workshop in which you will learn to:

Cost: $25 per person
Cost Includes: All workshop materials
Workshop maximum: 30
Registration deadline: Thursday, September 25, 2008

Organizer:
Kristi Curry-Rogers
Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN USA
E-mail: rogersk@macalester.edu

Back to top.

Educators' Workshop
Saturday, October 18
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location:
Cleveland Museum of Natural History

"Evolution: Investigating the Evidence"
Join an energetic team of paleontologists and science educators in a full-day, hands-on workshop. We will concentrate on the process of science - how we know what we know -- and the importance of evolution in understanding the history of life. The workshop will combine informative sessions, discussions, and hands-on activities for multiple grade levels.

Cost: $30 per person
Includes: Morning refreshments, light lunch and a copy of the book Dinosaurs-The Science Behind the Stories
Workshop maximum: 40
Registration deadline: Thursday, September 25, 2008

Organizer:
Robin Whatley
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL USA
E-mail: rwhatley@colum.edu

Back to top.

Hands-On Demonstration Tables: How to Prepare an Illustration for Publication in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
Wednesday and Thursday afternoon
1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location:
Renaissance Cleveland Hotel

In a repeat of last year's presentation, Dave Mazierski will provide a hands-on venue to learn about the new publication guidelines for illustrations in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Stop by his table and bring your questions with you. Mazierski will be demonstrating techniques for creating, scanning and adjusting images in line, tone (greyscale) and color. Best practices for submitting photos will also be presented. Attendees will receive handouts with step-by-step instructions applicable to Macintosh and Windows users of Adobe software (Illustrator and Photoshop).

Organizer:
Dave Mazierski
University of Toronto
Toronto, ON Canada
E-mail: d.mazierski@utoronto.ca

Back to top.

Preparators' Table
Thursday, Friday and Saturday
9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location:
Renaissance Cleveland Hotel
A table with ample space for anyone interested in preparation to bring molds, casts, projects-in-the-works and specialized equipment. Participants are encouraged to bring something to share or discuss. Bill Murray will provide a microscope set up, dust box and airscribes for those who want to learn more about mechanical prep, try preparing a
specimen of their own, or who wish to demonstrate proper mechanical prep techniques to others.

For general preparators' table information, contact:
Amy Davidson
American Museum of Natural History
New York, NY USA
E-mail: davidson@amnh.org

For technical information on the microscope, dust box, pneumatic air supply, etc. contact:
Bill Murray
PaleoTools
Brigham City, UT USA
E-mail: bill@paleotools.com