RI Science Teachers Association

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

Science Update

March 20, 2018

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

Register Now! 2018 RISTA Conference- Saturday, April 7th, 2018 AT NIET

Did not attend NSTA this year? This year's RISTA Conference is shaping up to be an exciting day for teachers interested in learning more about implementing the Next Generation Science Standards in their classrooms. We will have two nationally recognizedNGSS contributors as well as several workshops presented by local teachers and researchers, and it's happening just around the corner.

Our Featured Keynote Speakers

Okhee Lee and Katherine McNeil

Okhee Lee is a professor in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University.

Her research areas include science education, language and culture, and teacher education. She is currently leading collaborative research between New York University and Stanford University to develop NGSS-aligned instructional materials in order to promote science and language learning of elementary students including English learners. She is also leading collaborative research with MIT and Vanderbilt University to integrate computational thinking and modeling in NGSS-aligned instructional materials. She was a member of the NGSS writing team and served as leader for the NGSS Diversity and Equity Team. She was also a member of the Steering Committee for the Understanding Language Initiative at Stanford University. She was a 2009 Fellow of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), received the Distinguished Career Contribution Award from the AERA Scholars of Color in Education in 2003, and was awarded a 1993-95 National Academy of Education Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Katherine McNeil is an associate professor of science education at Boston College. Dr. Kate McNeill's research focuses on helping students with diverse backgrounds learn scientific practices, such as explanation and argumentation. Science is not about discovering or memorizing facts; rather it is about constructing arguments and considering and debating multiple explanations for phenomena. Argumentation and explanation have become increasingly prevalent as essential goals for science education in which students need to support claims using appropriate evidence and reasoning as well as consider and be critical of alternative explanations. Her research has included the development and use of the claim, evidence and reasoning (CER) framework to support students in these practices. In addition, she has authored several books aimed at supporting teachers using scientific argumentation in their classrooms. She has also conducted numerous workshops at the annual meeting of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and for school districts including the Detroit Public Schools and the Boston Public Schools.

PAEMST 2018 Nominations Still Open until April 1!

Consider nominating a deserving K-6 elementary teacher for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Program, the highest honor that can be awarded by the U.S. Government to a teacher for their outstanding teaching in math or science. Go to https://www.paemst.org for more information and to submit a nomination online.

Professional Resources

Narragansett Bay Classroom (NBC) is taking reservations for classroom field experiences

The Narragansett Bay Classroom, URI Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) outreach program, offers the most reasonably priced marine science programs in Rhode Island. The ‘on demand’ programs, which can be tailored to a requested marine topic, will be presented at your location, at the URI GSO Bay Campus or at various RI marine related field sites. A sample listing of some of the programs offered can be found on the URI Office of Marine Programs website: http://omp.gso.uri.edu To request a program send an email to Maryann Scholl: mscholl@uri.edu.

Bay Informed Discussion series: Bringing ocean science ashore! ~

Thursday, March 22, 2018 ~ 7:00 pm ~ GSO Corless Auditorium, 215 So. Ferry Rd. Narragansett, RI

Phytoplankton, the microscopic plant that is responsible for every other breath you take and they play an important role in our climate system. Our speakers, Stephanie and Olivia, will tell you about the research they do from the South Pole to Narragansett Bay in an effort to understand these amazing organisms. All ages welcome!

For more information please contact: gsobayinformed@gmail.com

Or visit the website: Web.uri.edu/chowder-marching/bay-informed/

Professional Opportunities

Rhode Island Teacher At Sea (RITAS) accepting applications for August Instructional Cruise

Are you an educator or do you know an educator who would be like to learn more about conducting marine research aboard the Research Vessel ENDEAVOR? For three days this August, berths are available for ten educators to join marine scientists from URI Graduate School of Oceanography. The program is open to Rhode Island educators of all disciplines, both formal and informal. Participants are not required to be science educators.

The deadline for applications is May 1, 2018. General information about the RITAS program and an application form can be accessed at: http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/content/rhode-island-teacher-at-sea

Vermont Energy Education Program Summer Institutes

Institute #1, June 25-29, 2018
Energy & Climate as Disciplinary Core Ideas
Developing the foundation for teaching energy & climate in the K-12 classroom

This five-day summer program gives teachers of grades K–12 the opportunity to deepen their understanding of Next Generation Science Standards, energy, and climate through hands-on exploration, discussions with experts, field trips, and collaboration time for unit creation.

Using the three-dimensional learning of NGSS as the pedagogical foundation, you will explore the science content and method of topics such as renewable technologies, climate change, sustainability, and energy project-based learning. You will develop additional strategies and learning opportunities to engage your students in applying energy knowledge in meaningful ways that support the shift from “learning about” to “figuring out.”

Each day is filled with a mixture of instruction, recreation, and excellent accommodations at the beautiful Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, Vermont. This provides an environment that encourages not only learning but dialogue, reflection, and fun.

There will be separate tracks for teachers of grades K–5, 6–8, and 9–12. Three graduate credits available through Castleton University. Click here for more information about course. Scholarships are available; please contact cara@veep.org for details.

Institute #2, August 6-10, 2018
Making Energy & Climate Units Three-Dimensional and Personalized
For experienced teachers of grades 4-8

Participating teachers will be given a research-based template and strategies to modify existing energy curricular units to make them more project- and action-oriented for personalized instruction, while aligning them with Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core standards. Working with VEEP staff, participants will evaluate VEEP’s existing energy and climate curricula and kits and revise them to promote rich, active, student-driven learning. Through this process, participants will deepen their understanding of how to use 3D pedagogy to help students drive their learning using model-based reasoning, academically productive talk, data-driven argumentation, as well as construction and communication of explanations. Teachers will practice and develop the skills to build coherent storylines to facilitate logically sequenced yet personalized science instruction. After this week teachers will have access to a database of revamped curricula and supporting equipment for their classes.

Teachers will earn a $500 stipend for work done after the institute to prepare to pilot and evaluate these units. Resources developed and revised during this course will be shared for use by other teachers in Vermont and New Hampshire and beyond.

The institute will provide an environment that encourages learning, collaboration, dialogue, reflection and fun at the beautiful Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, Vermont. Follow-up dates in November, January, and March will provide participants with additional learning and sharing opportunities.

This institute is by invitation or application only, for teachers of grades 4-8. Application deadline is April 15, 2018. Three graduate credits available through Castleton University. Click here for more information about course . Scholarships are available; please contact cara@veep.org for details.

Joyce D. and Andrew J. Mandell Academy for Teachers Workshops - Connecticut Science Center

Why NGSS? Workshop

13.5 hours of PD | $300/participant
April 5-6 | 8:30AM-3:30PM

Through immersive experiences and group discussions centered around the NGSS, this two-day workshop is designed to introduce teachers unfamiliar with the NGSS to three-dimensional learning and what it can look like in their classrooms. Participants will begin to appreciate what it will take to understand the NGSS deeply and move the vision into practice. They will see the value in the vision and learn about steps that can be taken to continue their learning. Click here for more information.

The Center for Science and the Schools

CSATS offers several science summer workshops for teachers. Click here for more information.

Systems Thinking Survey from the University of Oregon

We are a team of industrial engineering students at Oregon State University who are researching how middle and high school teachers are using systems thinking in their classrooms. You may have never heard of systems thinking or you may be using it daily with your students. Our goal is to gain a better understanding of how systems thinking is being used in the classroom so that we can create new and engaging ways for you (teachers) to learn about and use systems thinking to enhance what you are already teaching in your classroom. The research study, titled The Systems Literacy Education Module has been developed through the lab of Dr. Javier Calvo-Amodio in the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Program at Oregon State University. Participation is voluntary and involves a 10-15 minute commitment.

If you would like to participate the survey please access by following the link below:

http://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5tfIZmhN8Wme0a9

EDReports Now Reviewing Science Materials

EdReports.org will start reviewing science materials this year! We're looking for expert science educators to be a part of our next cohort of content reviewers. Feel free to forward this information to a friend or a colleague who might be interested or apply yourself!

Science Content Reviewers with EdReports have the opportunity for professional growth and leadership development while contributing their expertise to help equip other educators nationwide with the tools they need to improve student outcomes. Content review team members from across the country meet regularly in professional learning communities to review materials and create the reports that are ultimately published on the EdReports website.

Science Content Reviewers benefit from:

A supportive network of fellow expert educators
Over 25 hours of online and in-person professional development with EdReports staff and other Content Reviewers
Opportunities to grow as a leader in reviewing instructional materials
A stipend per series reviewed

Learn more and apply today!

Inner Space Center presents: Endeavor Live!

From April 3-8, the Inner Space Center (ISC) will be supporting the University of Rhode Island (URI) Graduate School of Oceanography’s (GSO) Research Vessel (R/V) Endeavor during the research cruise component of a URI Honors course led by Dr. Karen Wishner (GSO) and GSO graduate student, Christopher Orphanides. The research cruise will focus on whale-zooplankton-environmental interactions that occur in coastal and offshore waters of Rhode Island. Investigating these interactions is central to management and conservation decisions for marine species such as the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Explore with us on this 6-day cruise as Wishner, Orphanides, and a group of eight URI honors students apply oceanographic instrumentation to display, analyze, and communicate collected data. While participating in a live interaction, your students will gain exposure to the interdisciplinary nature of oceanography with an emphasis on the physical dynamics of ocean waters and how these influence marine life (and more specifically the marine food web) - from plankton to whales.

Each, free, live broadcast will be about 25-minutes in duration and will provide live feeds from the ship as ISC team member, Holly Morin, introduces you to the scientists and students on board the Endeavor. Updates on science conducted, data collected, and animals sited will be provided. Your students will also have a chance to ask questions to those cruise members participating in the live broadcasts.

The Inner Space Center is a one-of-a-kind national facility that supports live ocean exploration using telepresence technology.

Details

- Registration is required to take part in a live broadcast. Use this link to register.
- All you need is an internet connection to participate!

Broadcast Dates

- Thursday, April 5, 10:00 AM AND 11:00 AM
- Friday, April 5, 10:00 AM AND 11:00 AM

*all broadcast times in Eastern Time

For more information please contact Andrea Gingras, agingras@uri.edu

Classroom Resources

ArcGIS online class competitions are underway.

The 2018 ArcGIS Online School Competition for high school and middle school students is underway! Up to 10 awards per state will be given for the best research-and-map projects. The grand prize for one high school and one middle school winning team is a trip to the Education Summit @ Esri UC in San Diego in July. See details and links to state info here.

If you have questions about if your state is participating, please email us at k12schools@esri.com.

Grants for Student Research Projects Available

Funding available Rhode Island students grades 9-11 for one year environmental research projects. Go to marjotfoundation.org for details. Deadline is April 1,

Grants are $5000 per project. CAROL Reinisch, Past President

SWE Sponsored DesignLab for Middle School Students

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is gearing up for their hands-on engineering event. SWENext DesignLab Providence on Saturday, April 21^stencourages girls to choose a career in engineering. During the half-day program, middle school students work with local SWE members to complete hands-on engineering activities. While the girls are busy having fun and inventing new ideas, parents and educators learn about engineering careers, scholarships, college admission and resources. Participants also see how engineering can directly impact their community through presentations by award winning high school students. Middle school students will build a device that helps you pick up objects from a distance and make a dance pad with flashing lights.

Global Education Network Classroom Poster

The complex interaction of biological traits and environmental conditions that cause a species to be susceptible to climate change and the basics of the carbon cycle are made simple and understandable through illustrations, symbols and brief explanatory text. Thoroughly documented to studies from reliable sources, including the IUCN Climate Change Specialist Group, NASA, NOAA, the US EPA, and the IPCC, the resource features 25 animals that highlight the fundamental impacts of greenhouse gases—causes, effects and risk of extinction—on all forms of life on the planet.

This material is available as a full color wall poster, a 70 page downloadable PDF presentation, and online on our free educational website at http://theglobaleducationproject.org/climate-change

Attention: New England high school juniors and seniors, the MIT AgeLab has $1000 college scholarships for your students!

Are you working to create connections between teens and older adults in your community?

The MIT AgeLab and AARP are accepting applications from high school juniors and seniors in New England for the OMEGA scholarship. Three scholarships are available to recognize and reward the efforts of students to create multigenerational connections in their communities. Each scholarship will award a $1000 to the winning student and $1000 to the winning student's high school organization to support its activities to build relationships between teens and older adults.

Applications are live now! Apply

here today! Completed applications are due March 31, 2018.

Questions? Send an email to omegamit@mit.edu or call 617-253-1894.

Thank you for helping us spread the word!

OMEGA (Opportunities for Multigenerational Engagement, Growth, and Action) MIT AgeLab, Cambridge, MA

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.

RISTA Leadership

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

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.