WCPSS Elementary Science Updates
June 2019
Planting Seeds
Focus on Fifth Grade: UbD Units are in Development
UbD Resource of the Month : Slide Decks
According to research out of Vanderbilt University, slide presentations can be beneficial in the classroom if used appropriately. For example:
- Graphs increase understanding of content
- Bulleted lists help them organize ideas
- PowerPoint/Google presentations can help to structure lectures
- Verbal explanations of pictures/graphs help more than written clarifications
In our 3rd and 4th grade WCPSS Elementary Science UbD units, you will find slide deck presentations. The slide decks are used to serve as a resource for instruction. You can find the slide decks in Stage 3 of the units. They are also listed on the Key Concept Resources Guides under "Vocabulary and Study Guides" with slide numbers to support each concept.
Check out a few of our slide decks!
Patterns of Earth and its Moon Slide Deck
Forms and Interactions of Energy Slide Deck
To find Slide Deck presentations on a UbD unit:
- Open a UbD Unit
- Scroll down to STAGE 3
- Slide Decks are linked about midway down
Focus on Science and Engineering Practices: Obtain, Evaluate, and Communicate Information
Obtain, Evaluate, and Communicate Information
The overall goal of this Practice is to guide students to be critical consumers of science information and the products of engineering, whether as a lay citizen or a practicing scientist or engineer. This requires the ability to read or view reports in the press or on the Internet to recognize salient science, identify sources of error and methodological flaws, and distinguish observations from inferences, arguments from explanations, and claims from evidence. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information are important skills because we live in a world where we are constantly inundated with information from news broadcasts, articles, Tweets, and assembly instructions for a piece of furniture we purchased at a favorite store.
You might be surprised to learn that this particular Practice (Obtain, Evaluate, and Communicate Information) came about as a result of scientists and engineers sharing that reading text, interpreting text, and producing text constitutes at least half of their work time. The Practice that calls all other Science & Engineering Practices into play! The other Practices deal with various aspects of communication, but this particular practice underscores the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively.
Reading and writing in science remain challenging even though students develop grade-level appropriate reading skills. These key elements are unique to science reading and writing:
Science includes a lot of unfamiliar jargon. (In education, we would consider many of these words to be tier 3 words as they are content-specific.) Additionally, the passive voice and complex sentence structures further complicate text.
Text must be read to extract information accurately or written to deliver information accurately. The use of words and phrases to express precise meaning requires a mode of reading different than reading a novel or newspaper article.
Science text is multi-modal: words, charts, diagrams, images, graphs, symbols, mathematics, etc.
What does this mean for elementary science education?
Hopefully you’re recognizing the value of science notebooks as part of elementary science instruction. A science notebook provides a platform for students to capture their observations in detail and to make their thinking visible through words, sketches, diagrams, charts, and graphs. Additionally, science notebooks allow students to dabble in the key elements that are unique to science reading and writing:
Science jargon/Tier 3 words: Science notebooks are place for students to become familiar with content-specific words and use them authentically in their writing and/or dialogue.
Accurate/Precise information: Science notebooks provide an opportunity to engage in expository writing; students should also be prompted to work towards accuracy when considering the scale of their drawings and details.
Multi-modal text: Science notebooks are a collection of writing, diagrams, graphs, charts, etc. These modes are equally valued because they contribute to students’ understanding of science content and are powerful tools in communicating information.
Below are some grade band expectations for the Practice of Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information in the Elementary Grades:
K-2
Read grade-appropriate texts and/or use media to obtain scientific and/or technical information to determine patterns in and/or evidence about the natural and designed world(s).
Describe how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) support a scientific or engineering idea.
Obtain information using various texts, text features (e.g., headings, tables of contents, glossaries, electronic menus, icons), and other media that will be useful in answering a scientific question and/or supporting a scientific claim.
Communicate information or design ideas and/or solutions with others in oral and/or written forms using models, drawings, writing, or numbers that provide detail about scientific ideas, practices, and/or design ideas.
3-5
Read and comprehend grade-appropriate complex texts and/or other reliable media to summarize and obtain scientific and technical ideas and describe how they are supported by evidence.
Compare and/or combine across complex texts and/or other reliable media to support the engagement in other scientific and/or engineering practices.
Combine information in written text with that contained in corresponding tables, diagrams, and/or charts to support the engagement of other scientific and/or engineering practices.
Obtain and combine information from books and/or other reliable media to explain phenomena or solutions to a design problem.
Communicate scientific and/or technical information orally and/or in written formats, including various forms of media as well as tables, diagrams, and charts.
Let's support our students in using the Science and Engineering Practices as they learn the NC Essential Standards for Science so that they can learn about the world around them!
Focus on Science & Discovery Education with Virtual Field Trips
Virtual Field Trips are Discovery Education’s way of bringing your students into live contact with people, places, and ideas. Upcoming Field Trips are advertised on their main page, a Calender events page, and in the DEN online Community. Each field trip is accompanied with activities to do before, during and after the experience. Check out some of the trips below:
AgExplorer: Technology in Agriculture – Feeding the Growing Globe
STEAM in the Creation of a Football Video Game
If you miss the live event, you can catch it later as a video in the archive, just search virtual field trip archive or go to the Professional Learning page on the left-hand side navigational bar of the website. Once in the Professional Learning section look for the words Virtual Field Trip Archives. Each Field trip targets different grade levels and targets all areas of the curriculum. You can watch portions of field trips related to your needs at the time or watch the entire trip. You can also assign these to your Google Classroom for EOG review. A great way to end the year!
DE Sustainability Challenge 1
DE Sustainability Challenge 2
DE Sustainability Challenge 3
Opportunities & Professional Development
MLB and Discovery Education have teamed up to present the Global Sustainability Challenge, an exciting summer program that features green activities happening at ballparks across America. As students learn from MLB staff and explore the impact humans have on the environment, they’ll be inspired to take on local sustainability challenges in their own communities. New challenges are added every week! Go to Wake Connect and click on Discovery Education to learn more.
What is a River? Pop-Up Challenge
This Pop-Up Challenge simply asks the question "What is a River?" and we want to hear from you and your students. The responses to this question can be written or drawings and images. Each response will be submitted via survey and displayed on a statewide North Carolina Map. These responses will also be included in The River Cube Project, a effort to engage community members with their own local waterways. We encourage you to share the statewide map with your students to explore the diverse answers, perspectives, and ideas. Teachers- we encourage you to use this challenge as an opportunity to talk about your local streams and waterways. What kind of questions do your students have? How do their perspectives represent their community? Have a discussion, ask questions, encourage inquiry....that's the name of the game here. This challenge doesn't last forever- it ends on Friday, June 14th at 12:00 noon. Submissions can be made by anyone in North Carolina- students, teachers, environmental educators, your grandmother, you name it. We will be doing a random drawing and giving away fun goodies to three students who participate! Please make sure your pictures are clear- we will not post pictures of people, just the art.
Have students take a picture of their work and submit it using this survey (any device will work, it just needs internet access): https://arcg.is/1eTKi1 Check out the map with responses! The River Cube Project built a sculpture, and then floated it down the Neuse River!) @therivercubeproject on instagram
Community Connections with a Geologist
Will Blocher recently assumed the role of Education and Outreach Geologist with the North Carolina Geological Survey. His primary objective is to promote Earth science education in NC, especially by serving as a resource for you, an educator in the position of teaching geology. He has constructed a survey to get a sense of how he can be a resource. If you have a few minutes, he would greatly appreciate some information from you. You can find his information and the survey using this link: Opportunities of Impact for an Education and Outreach Geologist .
WCPSS Edible Garden
Do you have a school garden and want to gain new ideas? Are you interested in starting a school garden? Then our school garden tours are for you! Attend one tour or attend them all. Each school will give a tour of their garden along with sharing their unique garden story. There will also be a question and answer session so you can make the most out of your visit. June 6 (Douglas Elementary 600 Ortega Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609) June 12 (Adams Elementary 805 Cary Towne Blvd, Cary,NC 27511) Contact Megan Lewis with any questions at Mlewis@wcpss.net. Here is the link to register: https://tinyurl.com/ .
Project Wet Educator Workshop
Saturday, June 15 9am-3:30pm Cost is $21 payable at the class (Checks made payable to NC Division of Water Resources). Project Wet is a 6 hour Criteria 1 for EE Certification Purposes, Science Professional Development Certificate available upon request. Workshop + Homework = 10 Hours Please register at: https:reclink.raleighnc.gov . Use the class barcode #236850. Share with your colleagues! Perfect for 3rd-8th grade teachers.Walnut Creek Wetland Park is located at 950 Peterson Street in Raleigh, just a mile south of downtown.
Skype a Scientist
Want to give your students the opportunity to get to know a real scientist without leaving your classroom? SKYPE A SCIENTIST is a program that allows students to chat with scientists about concepts they are learning about in class. Click HERE for more information.
One Giant Leap: NC and the Space Race
July 20, 2019, will mark the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon. One Giant Leap: North Carolina and the Space Race will explore North Carolina’s surprising contributions to the space race with stories about the people, places, chimps, and things that helped make America’s historic leap to the moon possible. Visitors to the lobby exhibit can try out the Gemini training module from Morehead Planetarium or test their ability to perform tasks in space gloves. When: April 5, 2019, through January 5, 2020 Learn more: https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/exhibits/one-giant-leap
Assessment Literacy Canvas Course
Are you wanting to enhance your science assessment skills? Check out the Assessment Literacy course found on Learning Central. You can enroll in the self-paced course designed for educators looking to explore various assessment topics - from common types of assessment to a framework for creating and designing assessments. You can even earn CEU's.
Save the Date for SciREN
Are you interested in meeting and talking to local scientists about how to adapt their research to use as material in your classroom? Then please SAVE THE DATE for the Sixth Annual Scientific Research and Education Network (SciREN) Triangle Networking Fair and Educator Open House at The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh on 9/26/19. SciREN brings K-12 STEM teachers, informal educators, and other interested parties together with STEM researchers from various universities and institutions around North Carolina. Click here for more information.
Masters Degree in Science Education
Are you interested in pursuing your Master’s Degree in Science Education?Would you like to achieve this with the convenience of an online program and at a fraction of the cost of a face-2 face degree? State legislators are currently considering reinstating Master’s level pay, and this advanced degree can open doors to other opportunities in science education. There are multiple reasons that now is the time to consider pursuing your MAEd in Science Education at East Carolina University! They are currently enrolling for a cohort that will begin in summer session 2 2019. If you choose to join the cohort, you will take 2 online courses per semester and can complete your degree in 2 years! Below you will find more information. Please emailBonnie Glass glassb@ecu.edu or Dr. Tammy Lee leeta@ecu.edu if you have any questions.
ECU COE Grad Enrollment Flyers 5Apr'19.pdf
2019 MAED Flyer (cohort for 2019-2021).pdf
SummerSTEM Opportunity
WakeEd and WCPSS offer a great professional development opportunity…for which you will be paid while developing your skills in project-based learning! SummerSTEM, a nationally and locally recognized, professional development experience, combines project-based learning (PBL) with a 2-day immersion in STEM industries in the RTP/Wake County area. Visit the WakeEd website to learn more about SummerSTEM. Then, find a partner in your school – maybe your mentor…maybe a teammate with whom you would like to collaborate…and develop an application.
NCDPI First Tuesday K-12 Science Updates
Please enjoy the June First Tuesday Science Updates from NCDPI.
NCDPI June STEMTASTIC Newsletter
WCPSS Elementary Science Team
Jennifer Fine, Elementary Science Senior Administrator (jfine@wcpss.net)
Walter Harris, Elementary Science Coordinating Teacher (wharris@wcpss.net)
Website: wcpss.net
Location: Wake County Public School System, Cary, NC, USA
Phone: 9195337152
Facebook: facebook.com/wcpss.net
Twitter: @WCPSSElemScie