Welcome to the GEMS-Net March 2018 newsletter. We hope everything has been going well as many of you have been working through your 2nd course during the winter months. Please reach out via our twitter page (@gemsnet10) and this newsletter in order share all the great science instruction going on in your classrooms, schools, and/or districts. The members of our GEMS-Net community are a valuable resource, and that is why a continued goal of this newsletter is to function as a support for building our community of practice. We would like to highlight Flipgrid as a valuable tool that will allow you to share ideas with other members of the GEMS-Net community. The Flipgrid platform allows you to record a brief 90 sec video where you can share a successful strategy, bring up a challenging moment, give feedback to a colleague, or just watch other responses. We encourage everyone to check out, explore, and contribute to Flipgrid conversations available through this newsletter. Thanks and as always please reach out and let us know how we can best support you and your students.

Best,

The GEMS-Net Team

RIEEA Survey for ALL K-12 Teachers and Administrators

The RIEEA survey is open until March 18th and is for ALL K-12 teachers and administrators, no matter the content or specialty area. The survey was designed to gain an accurate understanding of the current state of environmental education (EE) in RI schools and to assess what educators need to successfully implement EE practices. The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete. As a token of appreciation for your time and effort for participating in the survey, RIEEA will be raffling off $100 gift cards to TEN survey respondents. You can access the survey here through the RIEEA website: http://rieea.org/teacher-admin-survey-now/

Developing and Using Models:

Scientists construct models to help them make sense of, predict and explain scientific phenomena. As students make discoveries and construct knowledge in the science classroom, they should be using models as a tool for developing and communicating their thinking and understanding. As more evidence is gathered through investigations, models should be revised and improved upon. Encourage students to collaborate and share ideas with classmates. By providing positive and specific feedback to peers, students can also support each other in making revisions and improvements to their models.

Snowball Strategy

One teacher tool you can use to promote collaboration and sharing of ideas between students is to try the "Snowball" strategy. First, students independently create a model of the scientific phenomenon they are investigating. Then, students find a partner and explain their models to each other. After discussing their ideas, students are invited to make revisions to their original model. Next, students find a new partner, share their revised model, and make more improvements based on their discussion. Finally, one student's model is presented to the whole class. As a class, the goal is to contribute to a consensus model that the class can use to develop a working explanation of the phenomenon they are exploring. Encourage all students to make improvements to their models based on the evidence they have collected and the contributions from the whole class discussion. For this final step of the "Snowball" strategy, you may want to try the Thinking and Feedback Protocol discussed below.

Thinking and Feedback Protocol

The Thinking and Feedback Protocol provides students with the scaffolding and supports to have a productive feedback session with peers so that improvements can be made to everyone's work. Start by choosing one student's model to present to the entire class. Next, have the class go through the following steps of the protocol:

Looking: The entire class observes the student's work.

Noticing: The class discusses their observations.
"I see..."

"I notice that..."

Listening: The student whose work is on display explains his/her ideas to the class.

Wondering: The class asks clarifying questions or wondering statements.
"How did you...?"

"I wonder why you...?"

Suggesting: The class provides feedback on how to make specific improvements.
"You might try..."

"Did you think about...?"

Inspiring: The class discusses improvements they want to make in their own work.
"I am inspired to..."

"I might try..."

Finally, after going through the Thinking and Feedback Protocol all students are required to revisit their models and make revisions and improvements based on ideas brought up during the class discussion.

Interested in how other science teachers and educators within the GEMS-Net community approach developing and using models with their students? Use the resources below to showcase, share, and discuss successes and challenges related to the practice of "Developing and Using Models" in the science classroom.

You can learn more about the practice of "Developing and Using Models" by clicking on the tabs below. Check out an article from STEM Teaching Tools which explores how to engage youth in scientific modeling and read p. 6 of the "NGSS Appendix F: Science and Engineering Practices" to develop a deeper understanding of the progression and expectations of scientific models for students in grades K-12.

Next Generation Science Standards © Copyright 2013 Achieve, Inc. All rights reserved. NGSS is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards was involved in the production of, nor do they endorse, this product.

We are grateful for our Teacher Leaders who continue their own professional development, promote science education for their colleagues, and impact their students daily. This is evident in the Teacher Leader Highlight article written by Kimberly Bontempo, a third grade teacher from Dunn's Corners in Westerly, RI.

RITAS Expedition

I never dreamed that I, a third grade teacher of many years, would find myself aboard a research vessel for three days. But that is exactly the opportunity I was offered this past August! The Endeavor, a research vessel owned by the National Science Foundation, was my home-away-from-home for those absolutely incredible, life-changing experiences! I was among ten educators fortunate enough to be chosen for the Teacher-At-Sea program, a state-supported initiative that conducts research during expeditions in both local and distant waters!

Given full access to the ship, we were able to join the crew in their everyday life while deploying equipment, logging data, and helping with the analysis of samples taken from the RI Sound and at the break of the continental shelf. Helping me connect the dots and deepening my knowledge by working with this collaborative learning team was a priceless experience!

The two things that left the most lasting impressions on me were the day I learned to drive the hydraulic lifts, and the evening when we had a pod of Rizzo’s dolphins on one side of us and a pod of Pilot whales on the other!!! Incredible!

If you are a teacher who would love to share your “life at sea”, your hands-on experience with marine instruments and the latest technology, and your new found knowledge of the world beneath the ocean’s surface with your students, peers, and community…then I would seriously considering applying to participate in an upcoming adventure at sea. We have so many budding marine biologists and engineers in our classrooms and the expertise of their own teacher would only enlighten their own passion and career paths!

Did you know that RI has a Science Teacher Association (RISTA)? We encourage all science teachers to take advantage of this organization as a way to keep updated on the local happenings within our science community. Currently elementary science teachers are an under represented group within RISTA. Look to join the organization and help showcase science education at the younger grade levels. One way to start getting involved would be to attend the Annual RI Science Conference. If you are interested in attending the conference, see the information below:

Annual RI Science Conference- April 7, 2018 at NEIT from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Calling all S-T-E-A-M Teachers – Audubon Earth Day Film Festival Submissions!

Audubon Society of Rhode Island is holding our first ever Earth Day Film Festival on Saturday April 21st. We’re looking for video submissions created by your students! All videos must answer the question “What does nature mean to you?” Students may submit their videos as individuals or as a group.

Films will be accepted under the four following age categories:

- Hatchling (age 8-11)

- Nestling (age 12-15)

- Fledgling (age 15-17)

- Full-Grown (age 18 and up).

All films will be reviewed by Audubon and must adhere to the following guidelines:

- Films must engage with the question: What does nature mean to you?

- Submissions must be no longer than 5 minutes.

- Films must be appropriate for all ages to watch (the equivalent of a G or PG rating.)

- Films must be uploaded to either YouTube or Vimeo.

- Filmmakers are allowed to submit more than one movie.

- All films must be submitted by Saturday, April 7, 2018.

- To submit, please email the YouTube or Vimeo link to jcrossman.asri.org with the subject line: Earth Day Film Festival.

- Your email must include name and age category

Email: gemsnet@etal.uri.edu
Website: https://web.uri.edu/gemsnet/
Phone: (401) 874-6008
Twitter: @gemsnet10