RI Science Teachers Association

RI Science Teachers Association shares opportunities in science education for teachers and students.

Science Update

1/3/20

If you are interested in any of the opportunities listed below, please contact the organization that is listed. Send any items that you consider relevant to other science educators to ristanewsletter@gmail.com

Announcements

PAEMST 2019–2020 Nomination and Application Cycle is Now Open!

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the nation’s highest honor for teachers of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science, have opened the 2019–2020 nomination and application cycle for K–6 teachers.

We’re reaching out to encourage you to nominate an exceptional teacher you know. If you’re a teacher yourself, we hope you will consider beginning an application online today. Being recognized as a PAEMST Awardee is a tremendous honor. Recipients will gather in Washington, D.C. to recognize their accomplishments; receive a certificate signed by the President; and receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Awardees also join a prestigious national cadre of teachers with whom to collaborate on improving STEM teaching.

The 2019–2020 nomination deadline is March 1, 2020, and the application deadline is May 1, 2020. Consider nominating a talented teacher or submitting a self-nomination on the PAEMST website today! For more information, please contact our state coordinators Erin Escher at erin.escher@ride.ri.gov or Chris Castillero at christopher.Castillero@ride.ri.gov.

Students can win $100 for their storymaps!

What: An online GIS map making contest

Dates: February 2020 to May 2020

Who is eligible: Rhode Island public, private, or home-schooled students are eligible to enter the contest. Maps can be submitted individually or as a team of two students. Limit of one entry per student or team.

Middle School Division - grades 6 - 8 Senior High Division - grades 9 - 12

Challenge: Your challenge is to create an original Rhode Island based map on a topic of interest or concern to you. The area mapped can range from the entire state to a smaller area, like a county or city.

ArcGIS Online Requirement: You must use ArcGIS Online organizational account to create your original map. Submissions must include the name of the student or team and students names as well as teacher/school or home school educator. Your final map must be submitted to the rimapcomp website listed below; in one of the following formats:

ArcGIS Online Presentation ArcGIS Online Web App ArcGIS Online Story Map

Your final submission will need to be submitted by 12 noon on May 1, 2020.

ArcGIS Online is available to any K-12 school in the United States free of charge from ESRI; see https://esri.app.box.com/connectedpdf for access to software and guidance. Your school will need to sign up for a free ArcGIS Online organization account so you can create and submit your final map.

More Info: https://sites.google.com/view/rhodeislandmappingcompetition

To Register fill out this survey: https://arcg.is/1X4eCD Prizes: The five maps judged the best in each division will be awarded a $100 prize.

Middle School Division - grades 6 - 8 Senior High Division - grades 9 - 12

Note: Teams spanning grade levels will be entered in the division of the student at the upper grade.

National Park Trust's annual Kids to Parks Day National School Contest empowers students to plan their own educational park experience. Open to all Title I students (40% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch) in grades PreK through 12, this contest provides grants up to $1,000 to cover transportation, park-related fees, stewardship supplies, or anything else students believe would enhance their experience. The deadline to apply is February 14, 2020. Details can be found at http://bit.ly/KTP2020STO

More about the Film: Me & My Robot follows 18 teams from 10 different countries as they head to Thailand for the 2018 World Robot Olympiad, where they must first navigate surprise rules, faulty code, and fierce competition. These tech-savvy kids program robots that traverse obstacle courses, offer solutions to food scarcity and even face off in head-to-head football matches. Utilizing both interviews and video diaries from the teams, Me & My Robot doesn’t just focus on winners and losers, but rather highlights the power of using the common language of engineering to solve the world’s most complex problems.

Rating: G

Run-time: 38 minutes

Trailer: www.meandmyrobotfilm.com/partner

Professional Opportunities

The Rhode Island Environmental Education Association (RIEEA) is now accepting applications for their 2020 Professional Development Series, Building Climate Literacy in All Students. ALL K-12 teachers are eligible and invited to apply. Scholarship winners will attend the RIEEA Annual Summit, participate in a 2-hour early evening workshop in the spring, and attend a full day of professional development during the summer - all at no cost! Teachers do not have to miss class time and will receive a certificate of participation for 11 hours of professional learning units (PLUs) as well as a $100 stipend. Learn more and apply at http://rieea.org/free-pd-for-k-12-teachers/

The American Modeling Teachers Association will offer distance learning Modeling courses for the 2020 spring. The distance learning courses are synchronous sessions, 3 hours each, using the Zoom platform with video and break-out sessions. The leaders will dive deep into the Modeling pedagogy and use simulations and videos if labs cannot be conducted in participants’ own time.

Intro to Modeling, a 15 week course hosted on Tuesday evenings 7-10 pm EST, starting January 14, 2020:

For details and registration

Advanced Topics for Middle School Modeling, a 5-week course hosted on Wednesday evenings from 7-10 pm EST, starting January 15, 2020:

o For details and registration

Electricity & Magnetism Modeling course, a 15 week course hosted on Thursday evenings from 7-10 pm EST , starting January 16, 2020:

o For details and registration

Our Modeling Workshop Hosts and Leaders already have many summer workshops planned. The workshops can be searched by location and by content area. We have Modeling Workshops in Physics (mechanics, waves, E&M, Computational Modeling Physics 1^st), Chemistry (1^st and 2^nd semester), Biology (1^st and 2^nd semester), Middle School and Physical Science.

The Modeling Instruction pedagogy works very nicely with the Next Generation Science Standards, to see how well, check out the diagrams: https://www.modelinginstruction.org/connections-to-ngss-and-21st-century-skills/ And recently, we shared the podcast series with our members; if you want to listen to what David Hestenes, Brenda Royce, Colleen Megowan-Romanowicz and Larry Dukerich have to share, visit the Science Modeling Talks: https://sciencemodelingtalks.com/

Thank you for all you do for science education and AMTA wishes you a fantastic 2020!

Dear Science Educator/Leader,

I’m writing to call your attention to some important and exciting work we’ve been doing atWIDA, a support organization for English learners whose materials are used by teachers, students and families in 40 states and over 400 international schools. WIDA just released draft materials from the 2020 Edition of its English Language Development Standards, and two of the drafts are written specifically about the language of Science.

The goals of this work include pursuing equity for multilingual learners through meaningful engagement in content area classrooms and making the resources relevant to content and general education teachers who work with them. Therefore, I encourage you and your colleagues to review the materials below and submit your feedback to WIDA:

1. Read 2-page Orientation to the Draft WIDA English Language Development Standards, 2020 Edition

2. Review either Grades 4-5 Science: Argue or Grades 9-12 Science: Explain, depending on your grade-level expertise (5 pages each).

3. After you review one of these files, complete the survey by January 20 (~15 minutes)

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 if you wish to review and give input on the other grade-level draft.

In addition, we would appreciate your help in getting the word out. Specifically, we need many educators and administrators, whether they are from K-12, higher education, state education agencies, or research/consulting organizations to share their views by completing the online survey by Jan. 20, 2020. Here are some details you can copy and paste into your messaging:

WIDA has released a draft of its English Language Development Standards, 2020 Edition. Please review the materials, submit your feedback via the public input survey, and invite your colleagues to do the same!

Who: Everyone involved in multilingual learner education
What: Provide input on the draft WIDA ELD Standards, 2020 Edition
When: Now – January 20, 2020
Why: To make sure this work meets your needs
Where: wida.wisc.edu/2020standards

Let's ensure that the WIDA ELD Standards, 2020 Edition is a helpful resource to support teaching language and content together. Follow #WIDAstandards on social media for the latest!

Kindly,

Flavia Molea Baker, M.Ed.

Coordinator, English Learner (EL) Programs

Rhode Island Department of Education

RI Science Teachers Association shares opportunities in science education for teachers and students.

ScienceUpdate

November 15, 2017

Call for Presenters:

Annual RI Science Conference- April 7th at NEIT

Do you have a great lesson or method that incorporates three-dimensional learning and assessment?

Are you using effective simulations and online models in your NGSS lessons/activities that informs instruction and assessment?

Please consider presenting your ideas and strategies to colleagues at the Annual Conference on April 7th!! Proposals for workshops are currently being accepted by RISTA by accessing the RFP form Proposals need to be submitted by January 20th . Sessions for workshops are one hour and can be formatted as hands-on, lecture, group discussion, etc. Feel free to mention this opportunity to colleagues who may be interested, non-members are welcome to submit a proposal.

Hope to see you at NEIT on April 7th!!

*********************************************************

Professional Resources

From Achieve's NGSS Network Bulletin:

Next Generation Science Standards District Implementation Indicators

This document provides some key common indicators of successful NGSS implementation at the district level, as well as some examples of concrete actions that a district can take to achieve their implementation goals. While the path to implementation may take several forms, this document points to some common indicators or metrics of successful implementation that a district can use to monitor their progress toward implementation goals.

Web Seminar: How do I Select Phenomena to Motivate Student Sense Making? On March 15, Tricia Shelton and Ted Willard recorded a presentation about three-dimensional teaching and learning and the explanation of phenomena, how to choose phenomena for the classroom, and how to encourage students to actually make sense of them. View a recording of the seminar here

Report: Scaling Up Three-Dimensional Science Learning Through Teacher-Led Study Groups Across a State

A recently released Journal of Teacher Education report by Brian Reiser et al. describes a strategy for scaling three-dimensional science professional learning across a state, including teacher study groups, analyzing student learning, and exploring classroom interactions. The report includes best practices for design and content for teacher and facilitator learning, with particular attention to bringing high-quality and effective professional learning to scale for an entire state.

Video: NGSS and Language Development in the Classroom

A district in Oregon, Beaverton School District, created a video to illustrate how NGSS supports language development. The video shows 4^th grade students from Beaver Acres Elementary exploring a local phenomenon and using evidence to share their thinking and reasoning. The video illustrates the role language plays in science and how the NGSS practices in particular can help improve language skills. See more information about the class and lesson shown in the video here To read more about teaching science and language with English Learners, see this article by NGSS writer Okhee Lee

Three New STEM Teaching Tools Policy Briefs

Three new Policy Briefs were released in March addressing different science classroom challenges. These policy briefs go over things to consider, attending to equity, and concrete recommended actions you can take to address each issue at hand.

How to define meaningful daily learning objectives for science investigations
- This Brief was released to help teachers identify a learning target or objective to post on the wall (a common requirement for educators) that doesn't "give away" what students should be figuring out themselves throughout a lesson. The brief was written by Bill Penuel, Michael Novak, Tara McGil, Katie Van Horne and Brian Reiser.

How can I promote equitable sensemaking by setting expectations for multiple perspectives?
- This Brief promotes equitable learning and encouraging educators solicit, clarify, and consider various student perspectives when they're making sense of phenomena. Written by Emily Miller, Maria Simani, and Angela Debarger, this brief offers concrete recommendations to reach all students when engaging in this important activity.

How can teachers guide classroom conversations to support students' science learning?
- This Brief addresses how educators can facilitate and scaffold student talk and conversation in science as a way of engaging in sensemaking, learn about student ideas and thinking, and encourage the use of scientific language. The brief includes links to additional tools, such as Talk Resource Tools

Other NGSS Resources for Teachers

Phenomena for NGSS - https://sites.google.com/site/sciencephenomena/

Articles:

Videos:

Using Phenomena in NGSS-Designed Instruction

Professional Opportunities

Environment Council of Rhode Island Education Fund

Greg Gerritt 401-621-8048 environmentcouncil@earthlink.net

The Environment Council of Rhode Island’s (ECRI) Education Fund is pleased to announce that we are opening the application process for the Tenth Annual Loraine Tisdale Environmental Education awards.

Each year ECRI’s Education Fund gives out small grants to Rhode Island schools and school-based after-school programs for hands on environmental projects by students that benefit the local environment. Schools and after-school programs can request an application from the ECRI’s Education Fund, or download one here

https://www.environmentcouncilri.org/news/applications-2018-tisdale-awards-now-available

We are pleased to offer 3 grants of up to $250 in support of school-based projects that:

1. Have student participation
2. Lead to measurable improvement in an environmental condition
3. Involve the community beyond a school in some way

All Rhode Island schools and school-based after-school programs are encouraged to apply. We can be contacted either by email here or by phone at 621-8048.

Independent environmental professionals will review all applications and three schools or school-based after-school programs will receive $250 to carry out their projects. Over the last 10 years, schools all over Rhode Island have been awarded these grants for water quality, school garden, recycling, composting, and alternative energy projects.

The application deadline is November 21, 2017 and awards will be made in January 2018 for projects to be undertaken in the spring of 2018. Application and further information is available here https://www.environmentcouncilri.org/news/applications-2018-tisdale-awards-now-available

Applicants should be aware ECRI will do some publicity around the winning projects and encourages winners to publicize their projects as well.

Next Gen Science Exemplar System (NGSX) PD

The Times Institute is offering this NGSX experience at locations across the state. See the announcement below:

Pathway 1 Flyer.docx

For further information please contact: Erin Conley, econley@times2.org Cell: 401-602-4918 To register:https://times2institute.typeform.com/to/qyPrxv or www.times2institute.org

Project 2061’s Language Factors and Student Performance Study

AAAS Project 2061 is working with WestEd to help all students be more successful on standardized tests in science. In particular, we are working to improve tests so that they are more effective for students whose primary language is other than English. Our project looks at how language is used in the test items themselves, such as whether certain words or phrases make the test sentences harder to understand when a student is learning English. We are recruiting 9th grade scienceteachers with significant numbers of Spanish-speaking students. Teachers must be willing to administer a 30-item multiple-choice test to their students.

In order to participate:

•	You must be a science teacher in the United States.
•	Your students must be in the 9th grade.
•	Your classes should consist of between 1/3 to 2/3 native Spanish speakers.
•	You must reserve enough computers with a reliable internet connection for all students in your classes on the day of testing (1 per student).

Registration deadline is November 20, 2017. Please go to https://www.research.net/r/p2061 for information and to register.

Project Dragonfly, Miami University

Our international Miami University grad courses, for which most tuition is waived. These courses offer firsthand experiences at critical field sites in Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas. The due date to apply is January 28 at http://EarthExpeditions.MiamiOH.edu/17-18_news.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Now accepting applications for 2018

OXFORD, Ohio (Sept. 1, 2017) – Miami University’s Project Dragonfly is accepting applications for 2018 Earth Expeditions graduate courses that offer extraordinary experiences in 16 countries throughout the world. http://EarthExpeditions.MiamiOH.edu/17-18_news

Earth Expeditions can build toward the Global Field Program (GFP), a master's degree that combines summer field courses worldwide with web learning communities so that students can complete the GFP master's part-time from anywhere in the United States or abroad. http://GFP.MiamiOH.edu/17-18_news

Project Dragonfly also offers the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) master's degree that combines web instruction from Miami University with experiential learning and field study through several AIP Master Institutions in the U.S. Applications for Miami's 2018 cohorts are being accepted now with place-based experiences provided at zoos in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, New York, San Diego, and Seattle. http://AIP.MiamiOH.edu/17-18_news

Graduate tuition for all programs is greatly reduced because of support from Miami University.

Student Opportunities

November 18 at Mystic Aquarium:Animal Health and Vet Care Conference

On Saturday, 11/18/17, Mystic Aquarium will be hosting an Animal Health and Vet Care Conference. Through a full day of workshops, future veterinarians, veterinary technicians and animal care staff will have an opportunity to work directly alongside Mystic Aquarium's Animal Care and Veterinary team as you go behind the scenes to explore these fascinating careers. In addition to the interactive workshops, a networking lunch with Aquarium staff is included with registration. Participants must be at least a current junior or senior in high school to register. Please click here for details and to register.

December 9 at Mystic Aquarium: Marine Career Fair for High School Students

On Saturday, 12/9/17 from 10:00am-3:00pm, Mystic Aquarium will be hosting the fourth annual Marine Career Fair for High School Students. Student participants will have the opportunity to explore the aquarium, meet with aquarium staff, participate in a panel discussion with interns, and meet local organizations that have programs geared for high school students. Thanks to generous funding, we are able to offer FREE admission for all REGISTERED high school students AND ONE GUEST. Please click herefor details and to register.

December 16 at Mystic Aquarium: Animal Training and Husbandry Conference

On Saturday, 12/16/17, Mystic Aquarium will be holding the Animal Training and Husbandry Conference. This program is specially designed for individuals interested in a career in animal training. In addition to African penguin and California sea lion training sessions and behind the scenes tours, participants will have the choice to work alongside beluga whale, Steller sea lion or our Fish, Invertebrate, and Reptile staff. A networking lunch with members of the animal care team is included with registration.Participants must be at least a current junior or senior in high school to register. Please click here for details and to register.

MIT Science on Saturday Events

All of our Science on Saturday events on the MIT campus are free and open to all K-12 students, as well as their parents and teachers. They are sponsored by the MIT Museum and the Akamai Foundation. Parking and seating are limited, so we recommend that you arrive early. Attendees can park in either the West Garage (very close to the event) or Albany Garage (a ~10-15-minute walk from the event) provided they can pay the $8 flat fee with a credit card at either parking garage. Alternatively, attendees can take MBTA buses to the MIT Massachusetts Avenue stop (very close to the event) or the subway to either the Central or Kendall Square T stops (a ~20-minute walk from the event). For maps of the event and parking garage locations, please see the attached advertising flyer or our web page: http://mitmuseum.mit.edu/program/science-saturday

Please plan to join us 10:00 a.m.-noon on the following Saturdays in MIT’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139:

December 2, 2017 Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 3, 2018 Materials with Magical Properties
March 10, 2018 Rockets and Flight
April 7, 2018 Optics

MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center Outreach Day

Date: Friday, December 14, 9AM – 1PM
Eligibility: Open to one teacher and two students from any high school in Massachusetts.
Attendees receive a basic understanding of what plasmas are, how they behave, and their role in harnessing fusion energy. In addition, participants may explore technologies such as large magnets and sources of intense microwave and millimeter wave power, which are key to fusion's successful development. Students will have the opportunity to actually observe and create plasmas in a glow discharge tube, perform hands-on demonstrations with electromagnetism, and see MIT's tokamak, Alcator C-MOD.

The program is scheduled to begin at 9:00 am with presentations and tours, followed by lunch and a magnet demonstration. While refreshments will be in the morning and sodas at lunchtime, it will be necessary for each participant to bring a lunch.

As the number of participants will be limited, please respond early. Participants will be selected on a first come first served basis. Please submit the electronic form found at http://www.psfc.mit.edu/outreach/outreach-day-registration by Wednesday, November 22.

If you have questions, please email Paul Rivenberg at rivenberg@psfc.mit.edu. For those interested, a tour of MIT will also be available beginning at 3:00 pm.

World of 7 Billion Video Contest

www.Worldof7Billion.org
Challenge: Create a short video about human population growth that highlights one other global challenge.
Impact & Solution: All videos must include:

how population growth impacts the issue
at least one idea for a sustainable solution

Global Challenges:

Feeding 10 Billion (hunger, food waste, resource and energy use, deforestation, pollution)
Preventing pollution (impacts on air, water, and land, climate change, human and wildlife health, ecosystem destruction)
Advancing Women and Girls (access to education, gender equality, women in government, women's health, child marriage)

All students grades 6-12 worldwide are eligible to participate and win.
Deadline: February 22, 2018

Spellman High Voltage Electronics Clean Tech Competition
Center for Science Teaching & Learning is a nonprofit organization that runs the Spellman High Voltage Electronics Clean Tech Competition. This Competition is open to all high school students aged 15-18, who wish to take on the challenge set forth by the competition committee. 2018 will be the seventh year the Spellman High Voltage Electronics Clean Tech Competition has asked students from around the world to create a clean technology solution to the yearly challenge.

The Clean Tech Competition was developed as a way to excite students by engaging them in STEM innovation. Now known as the Spellman High Voltage Electronics Clean Tech Competition, the 2017 Competition was held at Stony Brook University drawing international attention from all corners of the globe. The 2018 Competition will focus on Mitigating Climate Change. The Competition is open to any student (15-18 years old) who wants to tackle the challenge; there is no cost to enter and there’s a chance the team could win the $10,000 first prize and the chance to work with a STEM professional to help them further their idea, get it to market and do real good in the world. I encourage you to visit the Competition’s website at: www.cleantechcompetition.org for more information about past events. Registration Deadline: March 16, 2018.

Classroom Resources

NGSS Resources recommended by Dr. Simone Palmer

Seeing Students Learn Science Book Study: This NGSS Slow chat Twitter book study begins this week.

Next Gen Navigator Newsletters--a monthly e-newsletter delivering information, insights, resources, and professional learning opportunities for science educators by science educators on the Next Generation Science Standards and three-dimensional instruction.

Spanish-language NGSS Parent Guides - NGSS Parent Guides for Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12, new versions are available for Spanish-speaking parents. See the Spanish-language parent guides here: K-2,

Science Update

October 20, 2017

Call for Presenters:

Annual RI Science Conference- April 7th at NEIT

Do you have a great lesson or method that incorporates three-dimensional learning and assessment?

Are you using effective simulations and online models in your NGSS lessons/activities that informs instruction and assessment?

Hope to see you at NEIT on April 7th!!

*********************************************************

Professional Resources

From Achieve's NGSS Network Bulletin:

Next Generation Science Standards District Implementation Indicators
This document provides some key common indicators of successful NGSS implementation at the district level, as well as some examples of concrete actions that a district can take to achieve their implementation goals. While the path to implementation may take several forms, this document points to some common indicators or metrics of successful implementation that a district can use to monitor their progress toward implementation goals.

Report: Scaling Up Three-Dimensional Science Learning Through Teacher-Led Study Groups Across a State

Video: NGSS and Language Development in the Classroom

Three New STEM Teaching Tools Policy Briefs

How to define meaningful daily learning objectives for science investigations - This Brief was released to help teachers identify a learning target or objective to post on the wall (a common requirement for educators) that doesn't "give away" what students should be figuring out themselves throughout a lesson. The brief was written by Bill Penuel, Michael Novak, Tara McGil, Katie Van Horne and Brian Reiser.

How can I promote equitable sensemaking by setting expectations for multiple perspectives? - This Brief promotes equitable learning and encouraging educators solicit, clarify, and consider various student perspectives when they're making sense of phenomena. Written by Emily Miller, Maria Simani, and Angela Debarger, this brief offers concrete recommendations to reach all students when engaging in this important activity.

How can teachers guide classroom conversations to support students' science learning? - This Brief addresses how educators can facilitate and scaffold student talk and conversation in science as a way of engaging in sensemaking, learn about student ideas and thinking, and encourage the use of scientific language. The brief includes links to additional tools, such as Talk Resource Tools .

Professional Opportunities

Environment Council of Rhode Island Education Fund

Greg Gerritt 401-621-8048 environmentcouncil@earthlink.net

https://www.environmentcouncilri.org/news/applications-2018-tisdale-awards-now-available

We are pleased to offer 3 grants of up to $250 in support of school-based projects that:

Applicants should be aware ECRI will do some publicity around the winning projects and encourages winners to publicize their projects as well.

Miami University's 2018 Project Dragonfly

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Now accepting applications for 2018

Graduate tuition for all programs is greatly reduced because of support from Miami University.

Next Gen Science Exemplar System (NGSX) PD

The Times Institute is offering this NGSX experience at locations across the state. See the announcement below:

Pathway 1 Flyer.docx

For further information please contact: Erin Conley, econley@times2.org Cell: 401-602-4918 To register:https://times2institute.typeform.com/to/qyPrxv or www.times2institute.org

Student Opportunities

MIT Science on Saturday Events
All of our Science on Saturday events on the MIT campus are free and open to all K-12 students, as well as their parents and teachers. They are sponsored by the MIT Museum and the Akamai Foundation. Parking and seating are limited, so we recommend that you arrive early. Attendees can park in either the West Garage (very close to the event) or Albany Garage (a ~10-15-minute walk from the event) provided they can pay the $8 flat fee with a credit card at either parking garage. Alternatively, attendees can take MBTA buses to the MIT Massachusetts Avenue stop (very close to the event) or the subway to either the Central or Kendall Square T stops (a ~20-minute walk from the event). For maps of the event and parking garage locations, please see the attached advertising flyer or our web page: http://mitmuseum.mit.edu/program/science-saturday

Please plan to join us 10:00 a.m.-noon on the following Saturdays in MIT’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139:

December 2, 2017 Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 3, 2018 Materials with Magical Properties
March 10, 2018 Rockets and Flight
April 7, 2018 Optics

MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center Outreach Day
Date: Friday, December 14, 9AM – 1PM
Eligibility: Open to one teacher and two students from any high school in Massachusetts.
Attendees receive a basic understanding of what plasmas are, how they behave, and their role in harnessing fusion energy. In addition, participants may explore technologies such as large magnets and sources of intense microwave and millimeter wave power, which are key to fusion's successful development. Students will have the opportunity to actually observe and create plasmas in a glow discharge tube, perform hands-on demonstrations with electromagnetism, and see MIT's tokamak, Alcator C-MOD.

The program is scheduled to begin at 9:00 am with presentations and tours, followed by lunch and a magnet demonstration. While refreshments will be in the morning and sodas at lunchtime, it will be necessary for each participant to bring a lunch.

As the number of participants will be limited, please respond early. Participants will be selected on a first come first served basis. Please submit the electronic form found at http://www.psfc.mit.edu/outreach/outreach-day-registration by Wednesday, November 22.

If you have questions, please email Paul Rivenberg at rivenberg@psfc.mit.edu. For those interested, a tour of MIT will also be available beginning at 3:00 pm.

World of 7 Billion Video Contest
www.Worldof7Billion.org
Challenge: Create a short video about human population growth that highlights one other global challenge.
Impact & Solution: All videos must include:

how population growth impacts the issue
at least one idea for a sustainable solution

Global Challenges:

Feeding 10 Billion (hunger, food waste, resource and energy use, deforestation, pollution)
Preventing pollution (impacts on air, water, and land, climate change, human and wildlife health, ecosystem destruction)
Advancing Women and Girls (access to education, gender equality, women in government, women's health, child marriage)

All students grades 6-12 worldwide are eligible to participate and win.
Deadline: February 22, 2018

Spellman High Voltage Electronics Clean Tech Competition
Center for Science Teaching & Learning is a nonprofit organization that runs the Spellman High Voltage Electronics Clean Tech Competition. This Competition is open to all high school students aged 15-18, who wish to take on the challenge set forth by the competition committee. 2018 will be the seventh year the Spellman High Voltage Electronics Clean Tech Competition has asked students from around the world to create a clean technology solution to the yearly challenge. The Clean Tech Competition was developed as a way to excite students by engaging them in STEM innovation. The Spellman High Voltage Electronics Clean Tech Competition (SHVE CTC) began in 2012 with the “Solar Solutions” challenge. High School students from California and Singapore were challenged to design a solar-powered solution to a human need in the aftermath of a natural disaster. In 2013 the competition was opened to students worldwide and the theme was “Clean Water for All”, students identified one of the world’s critical clean water access problems and they designed a clean energy technology solution. 2014 saw the students come up with a “Solution to Pollution” and in 2015 the competition challenged the students to “Feed the World”. In 2016 the students demonstrated their ideas and solutions to “Make An Impact” on the world with problems associated with plastics and the need for cheap, clean energy. 2017’s challenge was to “Create A Greener Future”, specifically to identify a specific problem associated with buildings or homes, building materials, problems associated with efficiency, damage mitigation, “sick buildings”, indoor environmental quality or a related topic of their choosing. 2017 was also the year Spellman High Voltage Electronics Corp. became the title sponsor for the Competition. Now known as the Spellman High Voltage Electronics Clean Tech Competition, the 2017 Competition was held at Stony Brook University drawing international attention from all corners of the globe. The 2018 Competition will focus on Mitigating Climate Change. The Competition is open to any student (15-18 years old) who wants to tackle the challenge; there is no cost to enter and there’s a chance the team could win the $10,000 first prize and the chance to work with a STEM professional to help them further their idea, get it to market and do real good in the world. I encourage you to visit the Competition’s website at: www.cleantechcompetition.org for more information about past events. Registration Deadline: March 16, 2018.

Classroom Resources

NGSS Resources recommended by Dr. Simone Palmer

Seeing Students Learn Science Book Study: This NGSS Slow chat Twitter book study begins this week.

Next Gen Navigator Newsletters--a monthly e-newsletter delivering information, insights, resources, and professional learning opportunities for science educators by science educators on the Next Generation Science Standards and three-dimensional instruction.

Spanish-language NGSS Parent Guides - NGSS Parent Guides for Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12, new versions are available for Spanish-speaking parents. See the Spanish-language parent guides here: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.

Smithsonian Science How-Excellent resource that connects your students via video webcasts and online text chats to Smithsonian research and experts. Free media-rich instructional resources are also available through the site.

Science Friday Educator Collaborative - An educator collaborative comprised of experienced educators who were selected from hundreds of applicants based on their exceptional approaches to STEM teaching and enthusiasm. Five of the seven teachers are from states that have adopted the NGSS. Check out the resources here, and the SciFri monthly education newsletter here (you can sign up to receive Science Friday experiments and lesson idea each month)

Five Tools and Process for Translating the NGSS into instruction and Classroom Assessment—Set of tools with facilitator guides developed by the American Museum of Natural History in collaboration with BSCS and WestEd. These tools help professional development leaders work with teachers on translating science concepts, practices and performance expectations into instructional sequences and assessment tasks. See NGSS: From Theory to Practice for a blog on an ongoing field test of NGSS-Design instructional materials for middle school on ecosystems.

Getting to Know the NGSS

Open resource training materials for a series of PD modules developed by Michigan State University. Workshops 1-5 cover NGSS basics very well. Workshops 6 to 8 are on curriculum planning and instructional.

Nextgenscience.org New Website Features - The website has been updated with new features and a new organization to make it easier to find resources regarding instruction, assessment, implementation planning, and communications. Access High Quality Examples of NGSS Lessons and Units, a list of materials that have gone through full EQuIP reviews by the

RI Science Teachers Association shares opportunities in science education for teachers and students.

Science Update

June 17, 2017

Congratulations to our new executive officers and board members! Thank you for your time and effort to provide opportunities for science educators to RI

As of July 1st, our officers and directors will be:

President: Erin Escher

Treasurer: John Labriola

Secretary: Jay Fogleman

Past-president: Carolyn Higgins

Board of Directors: Stephen Lakeland, Elaine Magyar, Tiffany Risch, Helaine Hager, Rudolf Kraus, and Teresa Medeiros

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Professional Resources

NSTA Blog Entry: Using the Crosscutting Concepts to Scaffold Student Thinking by Jeremy and Amy Peacock Some educators argue that crosscutting concepts should develop in students' minds organically, and others see the value in making them explicit for students. Is one or the other better, and could graphic organizers be your answer?

From Achieve's NGSS Network Bulletin:

Video Workshop: Why Elementary Science? The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, in partnership with the Association of Washington School Principals, created a video for elementary school leaders to support them in developing an understanding of why elementary science is important and how to support new science standards in their buildings. In the video, Amber McCulloch, K-12 Science Specialist at OSPI, and Scott Seaman, Director of Professional Learning at AWSP, make the case for elementary science, lead principals and their leadership teams through a series of learning tools, allow for completion of a self-assessment to determine where the school is regarding science instruction, and guide action planning. While the target audience for the video is elementary principals working with their leadership teams, the resources are useful for all levels of leadership.

Professional Learning Partnership with the Exploratorium The San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) partnered with the Exploratorium in San Francisco to provide engaging professional learning in science for about 50 of its teachers and principals. The workshop covered instructional shifts of the NGSS and teacher support strategies as they make the transition to three dimensional, phenomenon-based instruction, allowing the educators to take advantage of the expertise of those at the Exploratorium. This partnership is a great example the ways professional learning sessions can benefit from the involvement of third-party organizations like museums and science centers.

Video Series and Blog about K-2 Scientific Argumentation A Tchers' Voice blog post written by an elementary school teacher in partnership with three University of Washington researchers discusses engaging K-2 students with constructing arguments and modeling. It includes a video series that shares key principles and strategies for engaging K-2 students in several science and engineering practices.

Guidelines for the Evaluation of Instructional Materials in Science BSCS released these Guidelines earlier this month. This document provides research-based recommendations for evaluation processes and evaluative criteria to consider, including when building tools and processes designed to evaluate science instructional materials. Its development was informed by early versions of EQuIP Rubric for Science and PEEC, and it informed the most recent version of PEEC (to be released soon).

Georgia Science Teacher Association Phenomena Bank Georgia's Framework-influenced, three-dimensional science standards encourage students to learn through making sense of phenomena and designing solutions to problems. GSTA, in response to a need expressed by science teachers for more phenomena ideas that connect to the standards, created a phenomena bank where educators can go to get ideas for instruction. Teachers can both add their own phenomena to the bank and search through posted phenomena by key words, grade level, science standards, or element. The site also provides resources about why phenomena are important and what to look for to facilitate the best student learning.

District Level Integrated Scope and Sequence Website . A school district in Vancouver, WA, Evergreen Public Schools, has created a website with resources to support an integrated scope and sequence for writing, reading, social studies, and science in elementary school. The dynamic site includes resources on the standards, a page for each grade level, and 36 units, themes, and sample tasks. The district plans to add more resources and make improvements along the way.

Will Elementary Science Remain the Forgotten Stepchild of School Reform? Change the Equation has written an analysis of 2015 NAEP data, showing the various ways science often takes a backseat to other subjects, including lack of instructional time for fourth graders and lack of professional learning about new science standards for elementary educators. The blog post includes graphics that highlight key statistics to illustrate the need for more resources in elementary science, and could be used in science advocacy work.

Three Dimensional Bookmarks STEM Teaching Tools created bookmarks that conveniently list all Science and Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts from the Framework for K-12 Science Education. This can be useful for teachers who are just getting to know the three dimensions and what they mean as a quick reference.

Professional Opportunities

NGSS Science Leader Training with NGSX

The NGSS Science Leader Pathway will provide professional development, support, and a learning community focused on 3-Dimensional teaching and learning and the implementation of NGSS in K-12 classrooms. The goal of the NGSS Science Leader Pathway is to build capacity among a cadre of science education leaders across Rhode Island to support other teachers in understanding the shifts in NGSS by facilitating Rhode Island study groups using the Next Generation Science Exemplar System for professional learning (NGSX).

Audience: Science teachers and leaders, science coordinators, and higher education faculty.

Dates: Summer Institute: August 16-18 and 22-24 8:30-4 Plus 4 school year follow up dates TBD

Location: TIMES2 STEM Academy, 50 Filmore St. Providence, RI

See the flyer for more information or contact Erin Conley, econley@times2.org 401-602-4918

NSTA Teacher Awards

The NSTA nominations and application portal is currently open. Nominate a science educator today!

Nominees will receive an e-mail notification that they have been nominated, and will have a link provided in the e-mail encouraging them to begin their application. They do not receive notice as to who nominated them.

The link is: www.nsta.org/awards . Please contact Amanda Upton, Senior Manager, Nominations and Teacher Awards Programs NSTA, 703.312.9217 with any questions

Project Learning Tree

Project Learning Tree is an award-winning environmental education program designed for teachers and other educators, youth leaders, parents, and community leaders working with youth from preschool through grade 12 in both formal and informal settings. Last year's workshops were a huge success!

Click the links below to learn about RIEEA's summer trainings and to register:

Early Childhood Teacher Training

Tuesday, August 15, 9am-12:30pm.

For educators who work with children ages 3-5. Approved by the Center for Early Learning Professionals.

K-8 Teacher Training

Wednesday, August 16, 9am-3:30pm

Appropriate for teachers, informal educators, youth leaders, parents, and community leaders.

Student Opportunities

Taterthon 2017!

What is Taterthon? Taterthon is a project imagined by a group of high school students at Scituate High School that seeks to engage more children and their families in growing food as a way to (1) reduce the use of transportation fuels involved in shipping food, (2) reduce carbon dioxide emissions, (3) build more resilient communities by increasing local food production. We invite teachers and parents to sign up on behalf of RI children in grades K-5. Participants receive a notebook, instructions, and a potato to begin the growing season. Notebooks should be submitted to SHS NEED Club by September 30 to be considered for prizes. For more information, to see our NEW video, and to sign up, visit: www.taterthon.org .

(While supplies last! We will cap registration when we reach 1000 kits, so register now!)

Classroom Resources

NSTA Freebies

Click the link above to find an array of free resources for you and your classroom. Clicking on the title takes you to the resource described.