Science Explorers Club’s (SEC) goal is to help increase cultural diversity in the Geosciences, especially among Native Americans. In San Diego, Kumeyaay, Luiseno, Cupeno, and Cahuilla people live on reservations. Applying research showing that vocational interest is acquired around ages 7-8, SEC takes Indian children outdoors monthly on their own lands to explore activities related to geology, hydrology, botany, ethnobotany, ecology, herpetology, ornithology, and entomology. Being a geologist, I particularly focus them on the geological forces that have changed their own land through time.
Our presentation will engage participants in sustainability STEM project-based learning opportunities for California high school teachers. We will complete an exciting hands on project on hydroelectricity from our Intro to Green Technology course curriculum, which develops career-focused engineering design thinking skills in alignment with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. Educators will be able to offer these projects for their students through Strategic Energy Innovations’ no-cost curriculum and instructional support.
Learn how we transformed Palmquist Elementary to an Inquiry Based Learning school that utilizes STEAM and PLTW content. We are building kids' academic transferable skills, social emotional-transferable skills and thinking tools that they apply in class, Multimedia Studio, ThinkLab and Farm Lab.
Citizen Science is becoming increasingly accessible and for people of all ages and is an amazing way to connect with real scientists while implementing NGSS. This presentation will introduce citizen science as a tool for K-12 science and provide examples of international, national, and local projects. Bring your smartphone or ipad and we will practice using the iNaturalist app and share other engaging technology.
This integrated teaching unit investigates a construction project and ways to minimize its effects on two endangered species: the Santa Ana River Woolly Star (plant) and the San Bernardino Kangaroo Rat, as well as protected Golden Eagles. Students learn about the species and construction practices through song, video, reading, and experimentation. Student teams design ways to protect the species during construction and create educational brochures to demonstrate what they have learned.
We’ll look at properties of lasers, how lasers work, and applications of lasers. All or part of these lessons can easily be incorporated into discussions of electromagnetic radiation, the structure of an atom, quantized energy levels, and how atoms interact with radiation. They may also be modified and used in a middle school physical science class, to enforce current standards and introduce modern physics standards. How to modify these lessons will be discussed. NGSS correlations provided.
Notebook and be provided with a format for student reflection(based on CER and Problem Solution) to incorporate in their daily instruction
Biomimicry is a design discipline that learns from the time-tested deep patterns and strategies of animals, plants, microbes and natural ecosystems. A first glimpse at teaching students to observe natural processes and apply the underlying design principles this to innovate products, services and sustainable solutions. Engage students in applying their science to energy, climate adaptation and mitigation, urban planning transportation, chemistry and more.
One of the biggest problems in learning about chemistry and chemical processes is the inability to visualize what happens at the atomic level. Free simulations have been developed to help students “see” how the periodic table is organized (patterns), how atoms and ions combine to form molecules (more patterns along with cause and effect), and what process “chemical equilibrium” describes (patterns and cause and effect). All of these simulations work on multiple devices (coded in HTML 5) and help students learn. Bring your own device and try them out for yourself!
San Diego County educators are on the forefront of providing hopeful and empowering climate change education to all levels of our students. Come learn about climate change communication best practices and hear about local curriculum and programs to increase your students’ climate literacy.
Help students apply their mathematics skills to examine real NASA data and draw their own conclusions about our changing climate. Younger students practice graphing points on the coordinate plane and observing trends while high school students use technology to graph more detailed data and fit trend lines. Correlation to historical events will be discussed. We will do a global temperature lesson both ways in this workshop and discuss additional NASA data lessons.
Picture books can be the bridge that helps you connect CCSS and NGSS standards inside and outside the classroom. Teachers will get ideas, try hands-on lessons and explore picture books.
This workshop will provide background and hand-outs to a variety of nature apps and field journalling resources. A slide-share presentation will demonstrate how to access sites to local flora/fauna and where to download nature and field study applications (apps). Articles, books and exemplary lessons and trail guides used to investigate and monitor the biodiversity of our region will be on display. Outdoor electronic portfolios and field trip experiences will be shared. Examples of environmental stewardship service-learning-projects locally and globally will be available. Apple App Store and iTunes University, ArcView GIS/GPS, Children & Nature Network, Citizen Science, Edutopia, EPA, Google, GreenSTEM, iNaturalist, NASA, Nature Conservancy, Nat'l Geographic-National Parks Bio-Blitz, NASA, NWF Eco-Steward Program are examples of agencies and Web sites that provide access to nature and field study applications.
Hands on activities demonstrating ocean acidification as a byproduct of climate change and introduction into ongoing research by the National Park Service. Overview of Science Education programs offered at Cabrillo National Monument both as on-site and “in the classroom” field trips.
