QPS Science Update

Welcome fall! I hope the school year is off to a great start. As I near two months as district Science Coordinator, I’m settling into the role and discovering something new each day. What excites me most is the chance to work alongside you—celebrating the great work happening in classrooms, supporting science instruction, and ensuring every student sees themselves as a scientist. Thank you to those who have welcomed me into classrooms for introductions and glimpses of your school day; it’s been a joy to be back with students and hear their curiosity and excitement for science. I’ve now visited all middle schools and look forward to connecting with our elementary schools soon. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or to share what’s happening in your classroom.

The purpose of this quarterly newsletter is to share updates, highlight classroom successes, provide resources, and keep our science community connected. My goal is to celebrate the incredible work happening across the district while offering support and opportunities that strengthen science teaching and learning for all students.

Do you have a classroom event, favorite lesson, or an opportunity that you would like to share? You can share your Science Happenings using this Google Form. The information you share will be highlighted in the next QPS Science Update.

National Grid and the sponsors of Mass Save plan to host a Mass Save Energy Workshop for Teachers this fall. The workshop, open to ALL K-12 science and STEM-focused educators, provides a full day of professional development related to energy, all aligned with Massachusetts standards. The workshop includes hands-on energy explorations, networking, time for selection of curriculum and hands-on kits, learning more about the resources available from Mass Save, and updates on the Green School Works program at Snug Harbor Elementary. Educators will receive hands-on kits, a stipend for participation, breakfast, and lunch. A day filled with learning and fun.

Check out this sample agenda and be on the lookout for an email with all the logistics and the registration link.

Saturday, October 4, 2025
Who: Massachusetts Educators and their Families

Time: 9:00 AM–1:00 PM
Location: Cross Insurance Club inside Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA

Register now to reserve your spot.

This year’s fair will feature an incredible lineup of STEM organizations sharing hands-on activities, classroom-ready resources, and innovative ideas to energize your teaching. Whether you're looking to expand your STEM toolkit or connect with passionate educators, this event is for you!

To learn more and stay up to date:

🌐 Visit our website: https://sites.google.com/view/ma-teacher-stem-fair/home
📣 Join our Facebook Group: Massachusetts Teacher STEM Fair Facebook Group

This event is proudly supported by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council.

The Science of Hurricanes and Climate

The New England Aquarium’s Lowell Lecture Series and the Lorenz Center of the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) present the annual John H. Carlson Lecture, featuring MIT Professor Post-Tenure Kerry A. Emanuel.

A prominent meteorologist and climate scientist, Dr. Emanuel will focus on the climate and history of hurricanes, uncovering why the most benign of Earth’s climates produce the most destructive storms on our planet. In this talk, he will delve into the mysteries of why hurricanes are both violent and rare, how their beautifully coherent structures emerge from the background of tropical weather, and what physics govern their intensities, diameters, and tracks. He will also explore the fascinating and important question of how hurricanes respond to climate change, making use of observations, advanced models, theory, and newly emerging geological evidence of pre-historic hurricanes. Dr. Emanuel will conclude his talk with an enigma: Do hurricanes alter climate?

This free lecture is made possible by a generous gift from MIT alumnus John H. Carlson to the Lorenz Center and is presented in partnership with the New England Aquarium and the Lowell Institute.

All are invited to arrive early to explore exhibits by MIT students and climate scientists in the Simons Theatre lobby. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Virtual registration closes at 2:00 p.m. on October 23.

Date: Thursday, October 23, 2025

Time: 6:30-7:30 PM

Location: Simons Theatre @ New England Aquarium

Click here to view the Lowell Lecture Series calendar for Fall 2025 and to view past recordings.

MassBioEd has numerous teacher workshops offered this fall. Check out their Teacher Programs page for updated session information. Topics for this fall include:

- Career in Action: Role-Playing Scientific Breakthroughs

- The Genetics of Sickle Cell Disease and Coat Length in Dogs Using Gel Electrophoresis

- Photosynthesis with Algae Balls

The Power of Place Teacher Collaborative is offering a professional development opportunity centered on equitable outcomes in their schools and districts.

Eligibility: Any MA Pre-K through 12th grade teacher is invited to apply. We are selective and seek a small, diverse, equity-oriented cohort of about 10 teachers.

Meetings: This Co-Lab meets monthly on the second Wednesday of the month on Zoom, beginning November 13, 2024.

Benefits: This program is free to teachers. It also comes with a variety of benefits, including:

- The option to enroll in this as a course for 1 graduate credit through FSU (at no cost!)

- A stipend ($450, or $250 if also receiving graduate credit)

- 15 PDPs

Apply or learn more here

Middle school teachers throughout the district are continuing to pilot units from the OpenSciEd (OSE) Curriculum. The units included in OpenSciEd employ a science storyline approach, which provides students with a learning experience grounded in their own curiosity and desire to explain what they don't understand. Students practice skills including asking questions, modeling, communication, and using evidence to support their conclusions. OpenSciEd units incorporate multiple learning standard, many of which are reinforced in other lessons. This is a shift in instructional practice for teachers and an opportunity for students to learn more about the world around them by making sense of their own thinking.

New Article (9/24/25): How Teachers Make OpenSciEd Their Own

Lesson-Level Resources:

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

OpenSciEd On-Demand Teacher Support Library

Quick, practical tools and videos to help you teach OpenSciEd with more clarity and confidence.

OSE Massachusetts Community On-Demand Support

Recordings, community events, and resources to support OpenSciEd implementation

This fall, bring real-world problem-solving into your classroom! In this Challenge, students will step into the role of engineers, tackling the global challenge of access to clean water. Using elements of nature, limited materials, and a set budget, students will design, test, and refine prototype systems to capture and filter water as they build their engineering skills. While the materials are designed for grades 5-8, this Challenge is adaptable for all grades.

Participating educators will receive everything needed to bring the challenge to life:

- A Challenge workshop for teachers (choose from an in-person session at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment or a virtual Zoom session).

- A classroom materials kit, available at multiple pick-up locations across Massachusetts (North Adams, Amherst, Quincy, and Plymouth).

- A curriculum packet with unit introductions, material lists, lead-up investigations, design challenge guides, and multimedia resources to support the implementation of the Challenge.

- Access to activities and extension resources, such as the STEM Challenge Virtual Showcase, to share your students’ work.

The Challenge allows teachers to utilize grade-level-appropriate science and technology concepts that address the MA STE Standards while giving you tools to integrate inquiry-based, project-driven learning into your classroom. You’ll gain new strategies, deepen your content knowledge, and experience the challenge firsthand before using your skills to guide your own students through it.

This Challenge is easily adapted to a variety of classroom cultures across the state. The target audience is middle school students, but the Challenge will be open to any school interested within Massachusetts.

Registration Information:

Cost: FREE

In-Person Challenge Workshop for Teachers: Saturday, November 22nd, 2025 (8:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET), Hitchcock Center for the Environment, Amherst, MA

Virtual Challenge Workshop for Teachers: Tuesday, November 11th, 2025 (9:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET)

Challenge Collaborating Partner: Hitchcock Center for the Environment

Participants must register for the workshop and the Design Challenge.

Students in grades 6-9 can enter a virtual STEM competition to investigate or solve a community problem. Teachers can submit for a mini grant to cover the cost of materials and their stipend. The application closes on Nov. 12.

Overview

Guidance Webinars

Register as a Team Advisor

They are also looking for volunteer ambassadors, mission mentors, and virtual judges if you know of anyone in the Science world who could help out...

More information: https://www.ecybermission.com/Overview

NOTE: The website is currently down due to the government shutdown.

Making Science Multilingual: Supporting Equity Through Design Principles

Words for Science Learning: Which Words and When?

PBS LearningMedia resources on Weather (Pk-12)