Science News and Updates
Nov. 19, 2020
Welcome to the 2020-21 back-to-school edition of Science News and Updates!

We find ourselves writing this welcome note eight months to the day after most of us last went to work as we remember it and first heard of a virus spreading around the world. Many of us frantically sent students home with a few weeks of supplies and grabbed some essentials off our desks hoping for a quick resolution to a phenomenon we didn’t understand.

As the days, weeks, and months have passed, we have all experienced stress and trauma. Through all the uncertainty that COVID-19 has brought to our lives, educators have put students first by providing resources for at-home science, opening virtual spaces for students to wonder and explore phenomena, and sharing their successes and struggles on social media. The evidence is clear — science educators are amazing! Thank you for everything you continue to do to foster curiosity and wonder.

As we continue on in this time of uncertainty, let’s move forward with grace and gratitude. We are hearing startling statistics about students falling through the cracks and earning Ds and Fs in alarming numbers. The pandemic and school closures have exposed deep inequities within education: technology access, challenges with communication, and lack of support for marginalized student populations, including students with disabilities and students developing multilingual proficiency. Author and educator Christopher Emdin encourages educators to "Create a classroom that is a microcosm of the world you want to live in, not a replication of the world we currently have." If you are looking for inspiration and ideas, consider these articles: 'Reality Pedagogy' Is Teaching as a Form of Protest by Emdin, and How to Develop Culturally Responsive Teaching for Distance Learning by Zaretta Hammond.

Throughout the 2020-21 school year we will amplify the voices of San Diego County science educators and come together to support each other and celebrate our successes (and struggles) during this time.

Please share this link with others so they can receive future Science News and Updates.

San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) Science Team
science ngss news and resources subhead
SDCOE Science Resource Center
The SDCOE science team has worked to develop Spanish versions of the California Next Generation Science Standard (CA NGSS). The draft versions of the CA NGSS in Spanish are available on the homepage of the SDCOE Science Resource Center. The draft documents may contain errors in spelling, grammar, and/or phrasing. They are provided to gather public feedback. Please complete the CA NGSS in Spanish feedback form to help make this resource as accurate as possible.

Check back as additional resources are posted often. Please contact a member of the SDCOE science team if you have suggestions, comments, or are interested in being involved in future opportunities.
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Our Professional Learning calendar for 2020-21 has been updated. We are excited to be offering a second series of our Science Snippets professional learning, the Podcast Club, as well as three network opportunities.

Science Snippets Professional Learning Series
This series will pair a short 20-minute snippet one week with a more in-depth, hour-long discussion the following week.

Save the dates! Specific topics and registration links will be announced soon.
  • Snippet Jan. 27 at 8 a.m., repeated at 3 p.m.; discussion Feb. 3 at 3 p.m.
  • Snippet Feb. 24 at 8 a.m., repeated at 3 p.m.; discussion March 3 at 3 p.m.
  • Snippet April 7 at 8 a.m., repeated at 3 p.m.; discussion April 14 at 3 p.m.
  • Snippet April 28 at 8 a.m., repeated at 3 p.m.; discussion May 5 at 3 p.m.

SDCOE Science Podcast Club
Join us for a new twist on our summer science book club, our podcast club! Listen to and discuss Teaching Science in Diverse Classrooms by Douglas Larkin with science educators across the county. The aim of the club is to combine professional learning and self-care as participants will be encouraged to exercise while listening. Registration is required.

  • The club will meet from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 1, Jan. 5, Jan. 26, and Feb. 9.

Informal Educator Leaders Network
The Informal Educator Leaders Network is an ongoing opportunity for informal educators in San Diego County to come together to share best practices in the field and current environmental education efforts. Network meetings will be virtual, so please register for the link to join.

Science Leaders Network
The Science Leaders Network is an ongoing convening of educators who have the responsibility of championing science implementation efforts in their schools and district. Leaders come together several times throughout the year with the goal of building countywide capacity of all stakeholders in effectively implementing NGSS in the region. Participants in the network identify action steps in their work and share their progress at each meeting. Registration is required.

All sessions will be from 8 to 10 a.m. on the following dates:
  • Nov. 18
  • Dec. 16
  • Jan. 13
  • Feb. 10
  • Mach 10
  • April 14
  • May 12
  • June 9

NGSS Assessment Network
The Science Assessment Network will meet for two three-hour sessions Jan. 20 and 21 to take a deep dive into vision, values, and goals, as well as begin to identify central features of high-quality assessment systems. Key activities of this group will include task evaluation, task design, student work analysis, and metacognitive reflection and discussion. For more information about the NGSS Assessment Network or to register a team, please email John Spiegel at john.spiegel@sdcoe.net. The network also meets weekly on Thursdays from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Zoom.

Additional Science Professional Learning Opportunities
 
CA NGSS Statewide Implementation Professional Learning No. 1
The CA NGSS Statewide Implementation: Building Student Sensemaking Through Disciplinary Literacy is an online professional learning experience designed for K-12 academic coaches, administrators, curriculum leads, and teacher leaders, to deepen their understanding and implementation of teaching practices to advance student science understanding. The sessions are divided into four science and literacy-specific strands. Participants register for one strand per event where they will experience grade-specific instructional strategies for student sensemaking, engage in collaborative reflection, develop a classroom plan of action to implement with students, and collaboratively review plan/implementation in online follow-up meetings. Visit the CA NGSS event website from the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association.

California STEAM Symposium Next Month
The 2020 California STEAM Symposium is moving online. The event will be Dec. 11 to 13 and features excellent peer-led professional learning highlighting ideas, strategies, and innovations that work for all students in different learning environments. New this year is the #CASTEAM20 Pre-Conference designed to celebrate educators as they teach, inspire, and positively impact students’ lives. This is a dynamic event with live speakers for attendees to interact with, healthy wellness activities, and opportunities to engage with fellow educators. Register for the California STEAM Symposium, which includes access to the #CASTEAM20 Pre-Conference.
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This section of Science News and Updates highlights districts and schools across San Diego County focused on bringing high-quality science learning experiences to all students.

Shout out to all of the science educators across the county sharing their journeys on social media sites such as Twitter:
  • Chula Vista Elementary School District teachers are sending home science supplies so students can investigate questions such as, “Does air have weight?”, and the district is partnering with the Living Coast Discovery Center to bring Creature Close-Ups with Mrs. Q to students across the district.
  • The Escondido Union High School District is using tech tools to enhance student learning experiences
  • STEAM+ educators in the Del Mar Union School District are sharing student thinking notebooks during biomimicry explorations
  • Vista Unified School District educators have been exploring everyday phenomena as they model living with curiosity
  • Educators in the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District are creating and sharing distance learning units

  • Educators in the Oceanside and Santee school districts have participated in writing professional learning session for the statewide CA NGSS Collaborative
  • SDCOE’s Juvenile Court and Community Schools educators are creating a science vision and adopting new instructional materials
  • Encinitas Union School District students are exploring structures that can withstand an earthquake and teachers are recording Science with Mr. James videos
  • Educators from across the county are presenting at and attending the virtual California Association of Science Educators (CASE formerly CSTA) virtual conference

As we look for creative ways to stay connected, please tag us in your posts: @SanDiegoCOE @sdngss @cjcochrane21 @twnklstrr. We know there are many more not mentioned above.
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 the SDCOE Science Resource Center website.
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San Diego Zoo Safari Park
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park has received grant funding to offer virtual Saving Our Aquatic Resources programs for free to 5th- and 6th-grade classes in Title 1 schools in San Diego County. These one-hour programs are interactive, NGSS-aligned, and include an animal presentation. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, programs must be booked and completed before the end of 2020. There are a limited number of free programs available. To sign up for your free classes, please choose your date and time.

If you would like to be added to the Safari Park email contact list to be informed when more virtual tours and programs are available, please fill out this form. Email EdOutreachPark@sandiegozoo.org or call 760-738-5057. Please allow three business days for a response.

I Love A Clean San Diego
Did you know that Americans send on average 25% more to the landfill between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day than at any other time of the year? Join I Love A Clean San Diego from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21 for the free Celebrate Sustainably: Food and Festivities webinar. The event will focus on ways to reduce the amount of waste produced with big holiday meals by shopping with a plan, cooking root-to-stalk meals, recycling right, and disposing of cooking oils properly. Come hungry for strategies that you can begin practicing in your kitchen right away, and leave feeling inspired to live a zero waste lifestyle throughout the year! Visit CleanSD.org for details about future vents, such as the Celebrate Sustainably: Gifts and Glitz webinar in December.

Library NExT
Library NExT (Network of Education x Training) is a series of workshops for elementary, middle, and high school students on more than 60 STEAM-related subjects. This San Diego Public Library program is a collaboration with UC San Diego Extension and Sally Ride Science. Many online sessions are available for grade spans 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Visit Library NExT | Public Library to learn more and register for sessions. 

California Environmental Literacy Initiative
The California Environmental Literacy Initiative is hosting a webinar series designed by and for California educational leaders and administrators. This free, five-part webinar series will showcase effective strategies for supporting environmental literacy during the pandemic crisis and beyond. Visit the California Environmental Literacy Initiative website to register for one or all of the webinars.

California State Parks
Dual Language Virtual Junior Rangers Adventure Video Series
The topics addressed in this Spanish and English video series include geology, tide pools, California Tribes: Chumash, weather and climate, native plants, and native animals. The activities can be found on the State Parks Junior Rangers webpage. Children who participate in Junior Rangers, a statewide program for ages 7-12 years old, receive a digital badge for each virtual adventure completed.

Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students
California State Parks offers K-12 students the opportunity to engage and connect to California parks resources through their PORTS program (Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students). The PORTS program connects students to California’s diverse cultural, natural, and historic resources through virtual field-trip experiences.

Tijuana Estuary Natural Preserve
Join PORTS at Tijuana Estuary Natural Preserve in Southern California to explore how the secrets of the salt marsh help to study and protect our changing climate. You can expect to join our interpreters to guide your students in building observation skills through nature journaling, discover salt marsh habitats and adaptations, or explore some of the real-time data to monitor the health of estuaries. Book a trip.

Tide Pool Treasure Hunt
Low tide at Cabrillo National Monument reveals a hidden world of fascinating creatures. Meet some of these treasures during a live field trip with Cabrillo National Monument. Join Community Engagement Manager Lauren Marino Perez and Cabrillo National Monument Biologist and Science Educator Sam Wynns for a field trip to the rocky intertidal zone. Explore the diverse adaptations of tide pool life and learn how you can help science by uploading your nature photos to iNaturalist. Afterward, stick around for live discussion and question and answer. This 30-minute program will be a Zoom webinar, streamed with captions on Facebook Live. If you want to receive a digital resource packet and/or submit questions before we meet, advanced Zoom registration is required. Recommended for grades 3 and up, but all are welcome. Learn more at the San Diego Natural History Museum website.

Living Coast Discovery Center
Virtual field trips allow students to experience the wildlife and science programs normally offered at the Living Coast Discovery Center. All programs are aligned to the CA NGSS. Virtual educational programs include a live animal encounter, pre-recorded field trip, and live Zoom field trip.
Teacher Resources section header
Integrated Distance Learning Curriculum Created by SDCOE
The SDCOE Distance Learning Units of Study were purposefully designed to integrate content, and provide flexibility and choice. The units of study connect content in the following areas: English language arts, English language development, mathematics, science, history/social science, arts, computer science, and physical education through integrated study in K-5 and thematic units in grades 6-12. These open-source units are being developed in Google to ensure maximum flexibility for districts to use them with their preferred distance learning instructional platform. Find the Learning at Home Bingo series and additional resources that support distance learning on the SDCOE COVID-19 webpage.

Open SciEd
Open SciEd, known for its high quality middle school science units, has released free COVID-19 and health equity units available for Grades K-2, 3-5, and high school.

San Diego Zoo Education Programs
Thanks to generous donations and grants, the San Diego Zoo Education Department can offer free virtual education programs for Title I schools in San Diego County on their preferred virtual platform. Programs also available to non-Title I schools for a small fee.

The San Diego River Park Foundation
The San Diego River Distance Learning Station has its Cool River Program — Distance Learning Resources with video lessons, printables, and storytelling. These activities are most appropriate for students K-8 and focus mainly on ecology, environmental education, and nature connection.

The Energy Coalition
PEAK@Home is an at-home resource available in English and Spanish for families and students adjusting to distance learning. The library of K-8 environmental STEM lessons are NGSS-aligned, environmentally focused, and easy-to-implement for non-educators. Students can explore topics related to energy, water, waste, and climate through hands-on science and engineering activities. All materials required for the lessons or lesson webinars are items that can be easily found in students’ homes — all a student needs is a little curiosity! Students can also tune in to My Energy Future webinars, where STEM professionals describe their current career in STEM, skills for success, journey into their career, and advice for students. Register to access the lessons. For more information about the full K-8 PEAK Student Energy Actions program offerings, visit www.PEAKstudents.org or contact us at education@energycoalition.org.

SEI: Building Leaders for a Resilient World
In an effort to support high school students and educators during COVID-19, SEI has prepared distance learning resources. Bring hands-on projects to your students using SEI’s distance learning units which include climate change, energy auditing, renewable energy, and air quality. The distance learning units are teacher-facing resources that will fit into many subjects' scope and sequence and are designed for engaging students in synchronous, virtual instruction. SEI also offers student-facing distance learning curriculum that is designed to get your students thinking about sustainability across a range of topics from air quality to green transportation. All student-facing curriculum is ready to share with your learners and includes background content and engaging activities. The student-facing curriculum can be implemented with or without internet access.

Access the free Green Careers Webinar Library where students can view presentations from sustainability professionals who share about their green career pathway. It's an awesome virtual resource for students to use independently with SEI career exploration activities, or browse through if they're juniors/seniors thinking about next steps after high school. Teachers and students can easily request instant access to this free resource through the Energize Schools website.

Students can boost their resumes and build their knowledge of energy conservation and efficiency with SEI's Energy Specialist Certificate. Through a series of four challenges, students develop a deeper understanding of their relationship with energy, make changes to live more sustainably, and become leaders as they spread awareness of resource conservation. Students can earn their certificate by requesting free access to the learning materials.

San Diego County Water Authority Virtual School Assemblies
As schools are continuing remote learning or adhering to smaller group sizes, the Water Authority and Shows That Teach have created a virtual assembly option so that elementary school students can continue to learn about water and science in a fun and engaging way. The assemblies will be performed on Zoom or Google Meet as needed. They are free to public and private elementary schools within the Water Authority’s service area. Topics included are the water cycle, local and regional water supplies, water-use efficiency, and more. To schedule an assembly, email education@sdcwa.org.

San Diego State University
SDSU’s School of Teacher Education Mathematics and Science Education faculty are recruiting teachers for its one-year Master of Arts in Teaching program in grades K-12 mathematics and science teaching. Through coursework designed to connect directly to the K-12 classroom, teachers will explore students’ ideas in mathematics and science and investigate how those ideas can be leveraged to support powerful mathematics and science learning. Visit MathSciEd.sdsu.edu for details and information on how to apply. No GRE scores required. To join the mailing list to learn about future informational meetings, please RSVP.

To have your event or resource considered for a future edition of SDCOE’s Science News and Updates provide your information via this Google Form. 
If you have any questions or comments about Science News and Updates, please contact one of our science team members.
Science Coordinator
Science Coordinator
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