Whether you’ve only been back to school for one week or your fall break is already just one week away, we hope our first
Science News and Updates
of the 2019-20 school year finds you excited about the year ahead. Science Teachers across San Diego County continue to engage students in high-quality science learning events that allow for the exploration and explanation of phenomena.
We hope you can join us Oct. 8 and 9
when the San Diego County Office of Education hosts the
California NGSS Statewide Rollout
focusing on environmental literacy.
The California Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Statewide Rollout: Environmental Literacy
is a two-day professional learning geared toward grade K-12 academic coaches, administrators, curriculum leads, and teacher leaders. Participants will experience learning sequences with an environmental literacy focus and examples of local environmental phenomena. A variety of community-based partners will feature resources that use the environment as a context for supporting student learning and California NGSS implementation. It is recommended that districts send teams of four to six, which include at least one administrator.
Register now.
There’s a lot going on, so don’t miss out on what’s coming up. Share
this link
so others can receive future
Science News and Updates
.
Science Coordinators, San Diego County Office of Education
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OpenSciEd
OpenSciEd seeks to ensure that any science teacher, anywhere, can access and download freely available, high-quality, locally adaptable full-course instructional materials. The OpenSciEd curriculum is aligned to current research. Each unit begins with an anchoring phenomenon and follows a logical science storyline. Each is structured to motivate students to think deeply, plan scientific investigations, and develop evidence-based explanations. The first three
OpenSciEd
units for middle school science have been officially released. Each unit is approximately six weeks of class time and all teacher and student materials are free and openly licensed.
Using Crosscutting Concepts to Prompt Student Responses
The
Using Crosscutting Concepts to Prompt Student Responses
primer was developed by the Council of Chief State School Officers to support educators in understanding and developing formative assessment prompts aligned to three-dimensional student science performances. The prompts are connected to lesson components, and instructional strategies are consistent with state standards and current research. Crosscutting concepts are essential tools for teaching and learning science; students can understand the natural world by using crosscutting concepts to make sense of phenomena across the science disciplines. The crosscutting concepts provide a consistent language for teachers to communicate with students. When teachers’ prompts are structured with the crosscutting concepts, the focus of student thinking can be directed to key aspects of the phenomenon, the system being investigated, and/or patterns that may be used as evidence to support explanations or arguments for the causes of a phenomenon.
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Using the California NGSS Toolkit for Instructional Materials Evaluation (CA NGSS TIME)
Participants deepen their understanding of the features of high-quality instructional materials aligned to NGSS and learn how to use the CA NGSS TIME in this new workshop. CA NGSS TIME is a process developed by the science subcommittee of the Curriculum and Instruction Steering Committee of the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association. This toolkit can be used by district committees to analyze and select quality instructional materials for science. The three-day professional learning session is being offered free of charge to districts within San Diego County.
California NGSS Statewide Rollout Environmental Literacy
The California Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Statewide Rollout: Environmental Literacy is a two-day professional learning opportunity geared toward grade K-12 academic coaches, administrators, curriculum leads, and teacher leaders. Participants will experience learning sequences with an environmental literacy focus and examples of local environmental phenomena. A variety of community-based partners will feature resources that use the environment as a context for supporting student learning and NGSS implementation. It is recommended that districts send teams of four to six, which include at least one administrator.
Energize Schools — Take Action for the Environment
High school teachers interested in incorporating environmental literacy into science, career technical education, or civics are invited to engage in hands-on learning and access high school lessons with the following areas of focus: carbon cycle, watershed mapping, biomimicry as a design solution, energy auditing, designing a solar USB charger, participation in an environmental and innovation design challenge. Brought to you by
Energize Schools
.
Additional Science Professional Learning Opportunities
AP Physics Tune-Up Day
There are now many new resources and updated lab materials for AP physics. Come to the
AP Tune-Up Day
workshop and get trained specifically for the test.
- Sept. 21 (Long Beach City College — $125)
Perspectives on Science
Point Loma Nazarene University’s
Perspectives on Science
lecture/dinner series is back for its 22nd season, thanks to strong support provided by university administration, the San Diego Science Educators Association, George’s at the Cove restaurant, and most importantly, 22 San Diego County science teachers who made individual gifts in support of the program this summer.
The following scientists will be speaking this year:
- October: Dr. Ajit Varki (UCSD) - Origin and possible fate of the human species
- November: Matt Edwards (SDSU) — Kelp forests along the eastern coastline of the Pacific
- December: Kristen Johnson (TSRI/CALIBR) — Effective treatments for osteoarthritis
- January: Lynn Hedrick (LJII) — Behavior of macrophages in their interactions with cancer cells
- February: Brian Keating (UCSD) — Black holes and other mysteries of the cosmos
- March: Chris Tubbs (SD Zoo Global) — Current work to help assure the survival of the magnificent southern white rhino
- April: Vicki Lundblad (Salk Institute) — What telomeres can tell us about cancer and the aging process
- May: Exequiel Ezcurra (UCR) — Ecology of Baja California and the Sea of Cortez
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This section of
Science News and Updates
highlights districts and schools across San Diego County engaged in professional learning focused on bringing high-quality science learning experiences to all students.
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All Means All
Throughout the 2018-19 school year, educators at SDCOE’s Davila Day School took a deep dive into California NGSS and immersed themselves in science professional learning with Science Coordinator Chelsea Cochrane. Davila Day School is a school in Chula Vista for students who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Davila Day School serves preschool through 6th-grade students from schools in South and East counties. The mission of the school is to provide students a comprehensive, fully accessible and language-rich learning environment, with equal access to the general education curriculum and standards.
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Applying their learning in the classroom, teachers engaged students in differentiated lessons using FOSS Next Gen curriculum and ideas and strategies from the California Science Framework. The year culminated with students applying engineering and design concepts to their science learning about air and air pressure. Students constructed kites and tested them in a schoolwide event. The excitement around science continued into the summer school session with all grade levels focusing on force and motion.
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Amazing work is happening throughout our county. To have your school or district featured in the next edition of
Science News and Updates
, share your NGSS story by completing this
Google Form
.
Be sure to check out our
NGSS in Action videos
highlighting student learning in the classroom on our SDCOE Science Resource Center.
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Elementary Institute of Science
The Elementary Institute of Science offers after-school (Mondays or Thursdays) and Saturday STEM classes for students. After-school sessions last 10 weeks and include sessions on coding, engineering, marine biology, and physics. Saturdays sessions are offered twice a day in 10-week morning or afternoon sessions that include coding, botany, 3D printing, and climate science. Student
registration
is required.
Young Women in Bio
Selfies are out. Self-made is In!
This is a free event designed to highlight successful women working in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math). The event is geared toward high school students to encourage them to pursue STEM careers and to become tomorrow’s leaders. The 12 female panelists are all highly driven and successful women, ranging in careers from medical doctors, educators, research scientists, company founders, and biotechnology executives. Students can learn how they became leaders and get a glimpse of what’s next.
Registration
is required for the event, which is Oct. 27 from 2 to 4:30 p.m.
Fleet Science Center
Educator Appreciation Night
Educators are ten out of ten on 10/10 and every day!
On
Oct. 10
, Leave your adult responsibilities behind and bring out your science curiosity and sense of adventure for the Fleet’s newest exhibition, Pause|Play. Sample our new student planetarium program, enjoy light refreshments, engage with local scientists and engineers and create a take-home project in Studio X. Don't miss out on this chance to network with other local educators.
BE WiSE (Better Education for Women in Science and Engineering)
The BE WiSE program application period is fast approaching! BE WiSE is a free program for girls in 7th and 8th grade that stimulates and sustains girls’ interest in science through a science overnight event and workshops throughout their time in high school. Through this program, girls will meet other like-minded girls, connect with female scientist role-models, and participate in many hands-on opportunities at science career sites all around San Diego County. Please visit the
Fleet Science Center website
or contact
I
vel Gontan
for more details. The
application
window for 2020 will be open Jan. 2 to Feb. 4.
HighTech Fair
High Tech Fair exposes 7th–12th grade students to the world of science and the possibilities of a scientific career. Local participating companies, who provide the interactive experiences for the students, find the experience fun and rewarding. The students enjoy seeing real-life applications of what they may be learning in the classroom and learn about potential internships. This is a wonderful venue for a cooperative effort between business and education. Family night at the Balboa Park Activity Center is free and open to the public. Contact Ivel Gontan for more info at
communityalliances@rhfleet.org
.
Elementary Science Field Day
May 16
The Science Field Day will be May 1. Each year in the spring, students in grades 4, 5, and 6 compete in 15 science-related events on field day. Each student will participate in two or three events. In addition, many non-competitive events are held throughout the day, making a festival atmosphere.
Each Science Field Day event is organized and operated by participating teachers and schools. To participate,
register your team
and identify an event captain or co-captain, or provide a non-competitive event on Field Day.
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San Diego Ag in the Classroom
San Diego Ag in the Classroom is proud to present its 7th Annual Teacher Resource Fair, aka the
Food and Flower Happy Hour
. This fun, free and educational event will take place on Oct. 3 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds from 4 to 6 p.m. Register by Sept. 29.
San Diego Model Railroad Museum
The Able Arch & the Trusty Truss (3-5, 6-8)
What makes arches and triangles so strong? Students will learn about both the physical science and history of arch and truss bridges. Students will perform five experiments to investigate the inherent strength of these shapes and understand why civil engineers frequently use them in the design and construction of structures in general and bridges in particular. Leveled content, including a student assessment, accompany the workshop.
Register for your class visit
.
Working with Scale (5-8)
In Working with Scale, students explore the concepts of scale and proportion, along with the relationship between ratios, fractions and decimals. They will learn the various scales used in model railroading and understand that any object can be scaled either up or down. Students will create three-dimensional robots using five different scales.
Register for your class visit
.
The Energy Coalition
Register now for our online professional development for PEAK professional development programs. When you register for a training, you will also be registering for a PEAK Scholarship. Once awarded, you receive professional development, a toolkit of supplies, access to the curriculum (digital PDF format), and on-site and on-going staff support. To participate, contact
PEAK
.
The Water Conservation Garden
Ms. Smarty-Plants
™ leads your class on a fun and educational field trip through the beautiful Water Conservation Garden.
Ms. Smarty-Plants Grows Earth Heroes
is a lower-grade assembly that takes K-3 students on a unique conservation adventure.
Ms. Smarty-Plants Cools the Climate
is an upper-grade assembly that has grades 3-6 students explore climate change, uncovers the global weirding phenomena, and inspires students to conserve San Diego’s most valuable resource: water.
Biomimicry San Diego
Animals, plants, and microbes are the consummate engineers. Come to the Sept. 26 Integrate Biology into Design seminar to learn an entirely new realm for entrepreneurship that can contribute not only innovative designs and solutions to our problems. To learn more, visit
seminars.sdge.com
and type "biomimicry" in the search field.
Illumina
DNA Decoded
, a partnership between Discovery Education and the Illumina Foundation, provides lesson plans, project starters, and classroom activities designed to help students explore the world of genomics. The resources are designed for educators of middle and high school students. Students can learn how genomics impacts how we think about everything from medicine to deep space to agriculture to infectious disease outbreaks.
I Love A Clean San Diego
I Love A Clean San Diego offers a variety of free, NGSS-aligned, educational programs focused on topics such as watersheds, pollution prevention, food waste, and ocean acidification to schools within the County of San Diego. To see what options are available for your class, please submit a
presentation request form
or email
education@cleansd.org
.
Master Gardener of San Diego
The
Master Gardener website
has information to help teachers and garden coordinators grow a school garden. The site includes grant information and how to request a master gardener consultant or presentation at your site to support your school garden. The online school garden guide,
Plant a Seed, Watch it Grow
, is being revised and re-released on April 1.
Strategic Energy Innovations
Energize Schools — Project-Based Sustainability Curriculum and Support
Energize Schools
provides holistic services to engage, inspire, and empower high school students to become environmental leaders in their communities, green their facilities, and conserve resources through experiential learning. Energize Schools supports work-based learning initiatives, including annual green careers conferences, and supports conservation efforts through annual energy conservation competitions and Earth Day contests.
Check Out Nature Backpacks
Check Out Nature Backpacks
are a jump-start to getting into nearby nature. The packs can be borrowed from the library like a book and include field guides, activity books, binoculars, bug kits, a water bottle, first aid kit, compass, and more. The packs can be borrowed at seven participating branches or by placing a
reserve request
to have one delivered to another San Diego Public Library location.
Educator Programs at the Fleet Science Center
The
Fleet Science Cente
r
provides free and nominal-cost workshops and events for educators in San Diego County. Learn new, hands-on science activities, teaching methods, and thinking strategies, and discover exciting resources for your classroom.
Elementary
Watershed Education Program:
A free
watershed education program
is available to all 2nd- through 6th-grade students at schools located within the San Diego Bay Watershed. The program includes a one-hour, in-class presentation that supports California NGSS, providing students a hands-on opportunity to learn about their environment including common stormwater pollutants in San Diego.
High School
Stewardship:
Student and Landowner Education and Watershed Stewardship (
SLEWS
) is a program that engages high school students in habitat restoration and conservation through a series of hands-on field days at real projects. SLEWS was developed by the Center for Land-Based Learning and the RCD is making the opportunity available to new schools.
Contact RCD
if you are interested in learning more.
Speak Off Competition
:
Every year, the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts hosts a competition for high school students who want to speak out about conservation. Students first compete at the regional level, with the top speaker advancing to the state competition. Students are invited to prepare a video submission of a three- to five-minute speech on the topic: “Why do we need to act to save the monarch butterfly? What can RCDs do to help?” Submission deadline is Sept. 30.
San Diego Coastkeeper Project SWELL
San Diego Coastkeeper’s Project SWELL provides free, standards-aligned curriculum, materials, and class presentations to engage San Diego Unified School District students in grades K to 6 in STEM. To
request
a classroom presentation, fill out the
request
or send your request to
projectswell@sdcoastkeeper.org
.
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If you have any questions or comments about
Science News and Updates
, please contact one of our science team members.
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Get up-to-the-minute information about what's happening at
SDCOE
and in our districts across the county.
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