Science News 4 You

As the calendar year draws to a close, it's a natural time for reflection. We look back on the moments that shaped our journey, the challenges we faced, and the triumphs we celebrated. It's a time to acknowledge our growth, both personally and collectively, and to appreciate the lessons learned along the way.

Over the last 12 months, BOCES 4 Science has grown by leaps and bounds. We continue to support more than 110 districts across New York State with engaging curriculum, supporting resource kits, and high-quality professional learning opportunities. We have significantly increased the number of Investigation Kits provided to districts. Additionally, we have introduced several professional learning opportunities designed to support secondary teachers with NYSSLS, science content and Investigation tasks. Our goal is to support all PK-12 science education.

We are committed to continuing this trend in 2025. Our vision remains to help retool and modernize our science and STEM curriculum and to develop shared science resources to prepare college- and career-ready students.

Please feel free to reach out to me at smontema@boces4science.org with any questions or needs moving forward.

Thank you for collaborating with BOCES 4 Science. All of us at BOCES 4 Science wish you a relaxing holiday season and look forward to connecting with you in 2025.

Steven Montemarano

BOCES 4 Science Director

smontema@boces4science.org

• Water expands when it freezes, which is why ice floats on water and why frozen pipes can burst.
• Glow sticks glow through chemiluminescence, which produces light without heat.
• Hot water can sometimes freeze faster than cold water, this is known as the Mpemba effect.
• Snow acts as an insulator, keeping the ground beneath it warmer than the air above.

Pushes and Pulls Kit Basics

• Grade Level: Kindergarten
• Standards Alignment: Plan and conduct and investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object (K-PS2-1); Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull (K-PS2-2)
• Disciplinary Core Ideas: Forces and Motion (PS2.A), Types of Interactions (PS2.B), Defining Engineering Problems (ETS1.A)
• Science and Engineering Practices: planning and carrying out investigations; analyzing and interpreting data
• Crosscutting Concepts: cause and effect

Making Science Engaging Through Student Experiences

In this unit, kindergartners explore the forces of pushes and pulls as they enjoy a visit to the playground. They learn how to describe the position/motion of objects and the effects of forces on those objects. They experience the effect of slope on the speed of cars going downhill on tracks set at different heights, and forward and backward collisions. The interactions of a kickball game is tons of fun!

Did You Know...?

This unit is scheduled to be in the classroom for 6 weeks and there are approximately 10-12 science instructional sessions.

Online Resources

• Teacher Resources password required
  
• Student Resources

Released at the end of October, BOCES 4 Science announced curricular enhancements, dubbed Version 1.5. Enhance your teaching while staying seamlessly aligned with state standards!

Clerks and couriers are responsible for managing inventory, moving totes throughout the production facility, labeling kits for distribution, quality assurance and shipping out each item to districts throughout New York State. This means they handle over 26,000 totes and all the materials in them.

The team totals more than 100 years of combined experience at BOCES and focuses on providing the best customer service possible while ensuring each classroom teacher has everything it needs to engage students in hands-on science.

Stock Clerks/Couriers (from left to right): Sherri Harrington, Dan McGuire, Katherine Arisumi, Robert Montgomery

Not pictured: Brady Mentz, Carmella Rosso

Check out the wide variety of state-aligned professional learning available from BOCES 4 Science. You can discover best practices for implementing the rigorous units, learn how to help students with the NYS Investigations and dive into many additional science concepts.

Offerings are frequently updated, so be sure to check the BOCES 4 Science Professional Learning page at www.boces4science.org/PL. Don't see what you are looking for? Reach out to BOCES 4 Science Director Steve Montemarano at smontema@boces4science.org.

BOCES 4 Science is here to help classroom teachers make science engaging and educational. Part of leasing a B4S kit is gaining access to the knowledge of the entire team. To assist in kit implementation, unit professional learning opportunities are free for those who lease the associated kit. Check out the list below for upcoming single, multi-part and in-person sessions, arranged by kit name.

Virtual Single Sessions (Three Hours)

Invisible Forces – Tuesday, Jan. 14

Powering Thru the Fair – Wednesday, Dec. 18

Pushes & Pulls – Thursday, Dec. 12

Save the Bees – Monday, Feb. 3

Worm Scouts – Thursday, March 20

Virtual Three-Part Series (One Hour Each)

A Bunny's Life – Tuesdays beginning Jan. 14

A Walk in the Park – Mondays beginning Feb. 10

Earth and Space Explorers – Wednesdays beginning Jan. 15

Generations of Butterflies – Tuesdays beginning March 11

In-Person Trainings

Kindergarten-Focused Training - BOCES 4 Science - March 11

Save the Bees - BOCES 4 Science - March 4

Want to get an up-close look at the NYSED Science Investigations? BOCES 4 Science instructional specialists are prepared to take these investigations from mystery to clarity. Through a two-day, in-person workshop, you will learn about expectations, best practices for implementation and even get to try out activities. Group discussions about alignment with standards and fitting these labs into your curriculum will also take place.

Regents Life Science: Biology Investigations Workshops

BOCES 4 Science – Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 10-11
BOCES 4 Science – Wednesday and Thursday, April 2-3

Regents Earth and Space Science Investigations Workshops

BOCES 4 Science – Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 26-27
BOCES 4 Science – Monday and Tuesday, April 7-8

Elementary-Level Science: Grades 3-5

• Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES - Dec. 18

Middle School Aligned - In-Person at BOCES 4 Science

• Energy - Cool It! - Thursday, Dec. 12
• Structure and Properties of Matter - All Mixed Up - Thursday, Dec. 12
• "It's Alive?" Investigation - Tuesday, Jan. 9

Earth & Space Science – In-Person at Penfield High School

• The Sky is the Limit: Decoding Weather Conditions – Tuesday, Feb. 6
• Unearthing Mars: A Historical Perspective – Monday, March 31

Life Science/Biology – In-Person at Penfield High School

• Unraveling the Mystery of Lactose Tolerance – Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 5-6
• For the Birds: Designing Solutions – Wednesday, April 9

An informative one-hour session shedding light on the new NYSED Elementary- and Intermediate-Level Science Investigations. Topics include rationale, lab details, implementation options and administrative factors. Available upon district request, either in-person or online.

Through a two-day workshop, grades 6-12 science teachers will be guided through the NYSED model for creating three-dimensional assessments. Leave with practical experience to help you craft your own assessments. Sign up with your department for one of the sessions below and have a collaborative learning experience!

In-Person Training

Middle School Sciences - Genesee Valley BOCES - Dec. 16-17

These sessions provide valuable opportunities for teachers to share best practices, develop new instructional strategies and deepen their understanding of scientific concepts.

• Digital Star Lab Training - Saturday, Jan. 27 at Palmyra-Macedon High School
• Regents Earth and Space Science NYSSLS Curriculum Cohort - Three sessions beginning Tuesday, Jan. 30 at BOCES 4 Science
• Planets, Stars and Cosmology...Oh, My! - Monday, Feb. 5 at BOCES 4 Science

Click on the associated icon below to be directed to a digital copy of the current BOCES 4 Science catalogs.