Coweta Science Update

Looking for the latest resources from the DOE? Need a phenomenon task for 3rd grade habitats? Maybe a multimodal lesson for 5th grade inherited vs. acquired traits? How about a 6th grade literacy based task on tornadoes? You can find them all here at this link

The Georgia DOE has released a new website that houses all of the resources available from the DOE. It's called Inspire. The purpose of this site is to provide teachers with easy and intuitive access to:

• Curriculum Maps for the courses they’re teaching,
• the Georgia Learning Standards aligned to these courses,
• and resources they can use with their students to achieve excellence in the classroom.

Teacher Notes The notes are packed with background information for the disciplinary core ideas, application of the science and engineering practices, potential ideas that students enter the classroom with, and basic phenomena ideas.

Literacy Plans These literacy-based science tasks are three-dimensional science lessons that leverage literacy skills to deepen student understanding of science through reading and writing. All student sheets and teacher materials are included!

Multimodality Stations The multimodality stations leverage language development to deepen student un­derstanding of science through listening, reading, speaking, and writing.

Phenomenon Tasks These instructional tasks for biology are phenomenon-driven plans that utilize the sci­ence and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts. The plans are not tied to existing instructional segments and can be implemented regardless of pacing!

Self-Evaluation Checklists These checklists are designed to allow students to self-assess their understand­ing. The checklists use student friendly science language that aligns with the Georgia Standards of Excel­lence. Consider using this resource to support students progressing towards standard mastery.

From the GA DOE Science Team:

Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed a restful and well-deserved break. We are excited to share with you our winter newsletter; in this issue, you will find:

• New resource updates
• Thoughts on the scientific method
• Professional Learning opportunities
• Information on the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

Thank you for signing up for our newsletter; please share the following addresses with your colleagues as we will continue to share resource updates and exciting opportunities!

GaDOE Science Email Lists Hear about new resources and opportunities as soon as they are available! Sign up for our email lists by sending a blank email to one or more of the following addresses:

Science K-5: join-science-k-5@list.doe.k12.ga.us​

Science 6-8: join-science-6-8@list.doe.k12.ga.us

Science 9-12: join-science-9-12@list.doe.k12.ga.us

K–12 educators looking for ways to make crosscutting concepts more explicit for students may find this STEM Teaching Tool developed at the University of Washington’s Institute of Science and Math Education of interest. The tool features prompts based on A Framework for K–12 Science Education and Appendix G of the Next Generation Science Standards. The prompts provide guidance for teaching and addressing crosscutting concepts such as patterns; cause and effect; scale, proportion, and quantity; systems and system models; energy and matter: flows, cycles, and conservation; structure and function; and stability and change. The prompts are flexible and intended to be part of a multi-component extended task. They can be used open-ended or turned into multiple-choice questions.

What is the Young Scholars Program?

The Young Scholars Program (YSP) is a paid six-week summer internship program for high school students interested in agricultural, food, and environmental sciences. Selected students work 30 hours per week actively engaged in research under the guidance of a faculty mentor on the UGA Athens, Griffin or Tifton campus. During the program, students attend workshops and visit agricultural operations to gain exposure to the various fields of study and careers in agriculture.

Upon completion of the program, students present their research during the poster and oral sessions at the Young Scholars Pre-Collegiate Research Conference held the final three days of the program on the UGA Athens campus.

Scholars are expected to:

• Commit to the full six-week internship program.
• Work and commute daily to either the Athens, Griffin, or Tifton campus.
• Conduct supervised research in agricultural, food, and environmental science.
• Participate in the three-day Young Scholars Pre-Collegiate Research Conference through oral and poster presentation.

When:

May 31 - July 14

Application information:

• Application opens for submissions: November 1
  
• Application submission deadline: January 31
• Selection notification: April 1

Eligibility requirements:

• Completion of sophomore year in high school.
  
• 16 years old by the program start date.
• Sincere interest in scientific exploration in agricultural, food and environmental science; math and technology.
• Completion of one high school science course, including laboratory, and one semester of algebra.
• Submit a completed application that includes an essay and two teacher’s recommendation letters.

Green Guardians, a California-based educational technology company, has developed an environmental literacy curriculum for grades K–5. The curriculum consists of a series of multimedia lessons and games exploring topics such as pollution, climate change, sustainability, energy, watersheds, waste management, and environmental justice. The lessons use a story base to engage students in learning about their environment, and through inquiry and problem-solving, devise solutions to the problems they study.

Each year the National Science Teaching Association publishes a list of outstanding science trade books for K-12 students. As we look to engage our students with in science and literacy, these books can be valuable tools for you in your classroom. As always, be sure to follow your school's process for using new materials like this. You can find the list here: https://www.nsta.org/ostb23

Get a real-world glimpse of Boeing test centers around the United States and show students in grades 6–12 what it’s like to be an engineer testing the limits of aerospace to ensure quality, reliability, safety, and performance. Created in partnership with Boeing and Discovery Education, the approximately 30-minute virtual field trip highlights several kinds of testing (e.g., structural, wind tunnel, environmental, electromagnetic, and nondestructive) and features interviews with testing engineers who describe their jobs and roles at Boeing. An accompanying teachers guide provides a pre-trip classroom activity to introduce students to the concept of materials testing, student handouts to complete while watching the virtual field trip, and a follow-up hands-on activity to complete afterward in which students extend their new knowledge of materials testing to a new set of materials (e.g., spaghetti noodles).

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation and KidsGardening are excited to announce the launch of the 2023 GroMoreGood Grassroots Grant! This grant will award a total of 160 programs $500 in funding to start or improve their youth gardens or greenspaces.

Any nonprofit organization, school district, university, government entity, or tax-exempt organization, like religious organizations and Tribal governments, in the United States and US Territories serving at least 15 youth are eligible to apply.

Applications are due by February 10, 2023.

PIAEE recognizes outstanding K–12 teachers who employ innovative approaches to environmental education and use the environment as a context for learning for their students. The White House Council on Environmental Quality, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), presents this award to honor educators who incorporate environmental education in their classrooms and teaching methods. Awardees will receive a Presidential award plaque and up to $2,500 to be used to further their professional development in environmental education. The teacher's local education agency will also receive up to $2,500 to fund environmental educational activities and programs. (Deadline January 11)

This week-long, hands-on lab experience shows educators how to use applied engineering techniques in their classroom. Educators work hands-on with metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites, and develop a greater appreciation for the importance of these materials in modern life. The camp is free for attendees, and participants are eligible to receive four Continuing Education Units and can opt for two graduate-level credits. Camps are offered across the United States, in Canada, and virtually.

Classes are open to teachers worldwide, and in many of them, learners can earn graduate credits through National Geographic’s university partnerships. Classes will run during January 18–March 8 on these topics:

• Connecting the Geo-Inquiry Process to Your Teaching Practice
• Teaching Students to ASK Their Own Geo-Inquiry Questions
• Collecting Data to Explore Plastic Pollution in Our Communities
• Mapping as a Visualization and Communication Tool in Your Classroom
• Teaching Global Climate Change in Your Classroom

The grant supports high school chemistry teachers as they identify and pursue opportunities that advance their professional development and enhance the teaching and learning of chemistry in their classrooms. Applicants must teach in a U.S. or U.S. territory school. Teachers can request up to $1,500. (Deadline January 21) Grants may be used for

• Conference or workshop registration fees
• Travel expenses
• Tuition and educational expenses for new/upcoming courses
• Books and online instructional resources
• Substitute teacher pay

This activity from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History helps K–8 students practice the skill of recording observations. The activity includes a digital field book template to use or copy, as well as additional information about the evolution of the use of field books in science and tips for maximizing students’ observation skills in the field. For example, teachers can jump start students’ thinking with the activity’s provided Guiding Questions to Encourage Observations and Discussion.

Looking to join high-quality discussions on STEM topics? At Greg Bernhardt’s Physics Forums website, students, scientists, educators, and hobbyists can find and share science articles, homework help, and academic and career guidance. Most appropriate for high school and college audiences, the site offers articles, tutorials, guides, quizzes, and discussion forums. While the focus is mainly on physics, the site also covers other subjects including math, biochemistry, and more. Of particular interest is the site’s collection of scientist interviews, which offer real-world insight into various physics-related careers.

The Library of Congress (LOC) in Washington, D.C., will hold a series of free three-day professional development workshops in which teachers will learn and practice strategies for using primary sources with K–12 students. In each session, LOC education specialists will model a variety of hands-on, inquiry-based teaching strategies for using primary sources to engage students, build critical-thinking skills, construct knowledge, and launch original research. The workshops are aimed at educators across many disciplines, including science, social studies/history, English Language Arts, art, and music. Librarians and curriculum/professional development specialists also may apply. Sessions will take place on three dates: July 5–7, July 12–14, and July 17–19. (Deadline February 10, 2023)

Do your students have an existing environmental stewardship project or an idea for a project? If so, encourage them to apply for a PEYA and receive national recognition. Applicants from all 50 states, as well as U.S. territories, are eligible. PEYA applicants compete in two award categories—Grades K–5 and Grades 6–12—each with their own evaluation criteria. (Deadline January 11, 2023)

Taking place May 28–June 3, 2023, at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the program seeks to inspire the creativity and passion of middle school science teachers. Ten teachers will be chosen to attend. Scholars will share midpoint progress with their colleagues while attending the NSTA national conference in April 2024. Mentoring will be provided throughout the year by Western Kentucky University faculty. All expenses, including travel costs, materials, mentoring, and supplies will be covered by a grant from the National Stem Cell Foundation.

Applicants must be teachers from the United States who teach science classes a majority of the day in grades 6, 7, and/or 8 and have at least two years of previous experience teaching science. (Deadline February 1, 2023)

Middle school teachers, spend two weeks in Washington, D.C., working with education and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) experts to explore the connections between informal STEAM education and authentic learning as part of the museum’s Teacher Innovator Institute (TII). Set goals for your own professional development, acquire the skills to incorporate museum learning into your practice, and meet colleagues from around the country. Teachers will participate at no charge, and most expenses will be paid by the museum. (Deadline February 15, 2023)

TII will welcome up to 30 teachers from across the United States during July 10–21, 2023. Early career educators, educators of color, LGBTQ+ educators, educators with disabilities, and educators working in the public sector, particularly Title I schools, are strongly encouraged to apply. Teachers will remain with the program for two summers, returning to Washington, D.C., in July 2024 to reconnect, develop their practice, and mentor the newest class of Teacher Innovators.

Join educators from the museum and current TII teachers for an information session on January 18, 2023, to get tips for completing your application and learn more about the program.

The Coweta Innovation Expo is a competition designed to highlight student innovation in multiple areas of interest with a focus on 21st century skills and entrepreneurship. This virtual competition will allow students to compete in areas of interest like: Science & Math, Technology & Business, Digital Media, Health, and Engineering. Selected projects will have the opportunity to pitch their idea to a group Coweta's innovation experts on a locally produced Coweta version of "Shark Tank". It is a competition open to all CCSS students in grades 3-12.

As part of the competition, we send our projects to the K12 Inventure Prize competition at Georgia Tech. The K12 Inventure Prize offers lesson plans to support teachers implementing the competition in their classrooms. You can pick and choose which lessons you need for your students.

Coweta Innovation Expo competition projects should be finished prior to the Christmas break so that your school can choose the projects to move on to the Coweta finals. Those projects need to be uploaded by January 31. Shark Tank filming will take place in February 2023 and the K12 Inventure Prize Competition will take place in March 2023.

The Coweta STEM Recognition program is designed to highlight the work that Coweta educators are doing with their students and schools in STEM & STEAM. Teachers may become "Coweta STEM Recognized" teachers by completing 5 STEM/STEAM lessons with their students, documenting those lessons on the STEM Activity Log and uploading the log and an exemplar lesson using this form. The are currently nearly 1000 CCSS educators and 27 STEM Recognized Schools. You too can be a part of this outstanding group!

Google Classroom is one of the many ways information about science instruction and resources will be shared. Join the appropriate Google Classroom using one of the codes listed below. Just go to classroom.google.com and click on the + button in the upper right hand corner, click "join", then copy and paste the appropriate join code below.

• Elementary- mfasbyg

• Middle- aiowxf4
  

• High- jwilem3

Help me to help you! Let me know who you are, where and what you teach. I'll share the directory with everyone so you can form your own learning communities. Just click on this link. Easy-peasy!

Looking for help mastering Google Classroom? Want to learn more about supporting your students reading and writing? Look no further than the CCSS Professional Learning Website. Its your one stop shop for professional learning!

GaDOE has launched a new innovative platform to provide the opportunity for science teachers and GaDOE staff to collaborate, connect and share thoughts and resources as well as encouragement for the 2022-2023 school year! The instructions below will help guide you in the creation of your account and navigating to the virtual professional learning communities that you are interested in.

Step 1: To get started, visit the GaDOE community website via this link, select "Create an Account" and follow the prompts for setting up a new account on the platform.

Step 2: Once you have completed your account you will have to wait briefly for activation/approval. Once approved, you are ready to join a group! Navigate to the "Groups" section. For science teachers and leader, there are several groups available to join: Select and join the groups you are most interested in.

Please contact Dr. Donald White with any questions or comments.

Email: donald.white@cowetaschools.net
Website: https://sites.google.com/cowetaschools.net/coweta-science/home
Location: 167 Werz Industrial Boulevard, Newnan, GA 30263
Phone: 770-254-2800
Twitter: @dwhitesciguy