Summer Workshop Plans

Summer Workshop Agenda

Strand I.	This program for new teachers or those new to their science kits, features kit trainings throughout the year.
Strand II.	Experienced teachers gain science content background through models of good teaching strategies.
Strand III.	Lead teachers (one from each school site) strengthen leadership skills through coaching training, science content learning and an inquiry institute.

This past summer our project offered two different institutes. In June, Celebrating Physical Sciences, was a one-week program for Strand II teachers. Participants selected the one physical science topic they teach from six choices:

• Matter for primary grades
• Matter/chemistry for upper grades
• Sound for middle grades
• Balance and motion for primary grades
• Forces with simple machines for upper grades
• Magnetism and electricity

On the last day of the institute, each content area teacher group shared a snapshot of what they'd learned through a short presentation. Many were charming skits, playful song rewrites (especially the Sound session) and artful storytelling.

As follow up to these sessions, teachers will have the opportunity to select from two experiences. The first, Cases, is an in-depth discussion group around classroom teaching dilemmas that surface the content background. We are working with WestEd to pilot these as ways to help teachers enhance their content background in the context of genuine teaching problems. The second, questioning strategies with Larry Lowery, is an opportunity to work with a small group of colleagues to refine questioning skills by video taping oneself during practice sessions, and processing the learning with the group.

Invitations to Inquiry is an institute we designed for our strand III teachers. Our program, based on the model from the Exploratorium, provided 30 hours of training in elements of inquiry. We deliberately included the BASEE learning model in each of our lessons as well as the design for the weeklong learning. In doing so, we featured content learning throughout the week. To complement our yearly focus on physical sciences we used topics not taught during the June Celebrating Physical Sciences week since a number of our teachers attended both programs. The inquiry week focused instead on light and color.

The agenda for the week follows:

Day 1	Monday, August 10	Engage
Storyline: Is all hands-on inquiry? How do we ask stretching, productive questions?
Morning	Welcome and Introductions Three Kinds of Hands-On Science: Tops
Lunch	12:00 - 12:45
Afternoon	Taking the Plunge Reflections and Assessment

Day 2	Tuesday, August 11	Explore
Storyline: How do we distinguish investigable questions? What tools do we use in science?
Morning	Raising Questions: Ice Balloons
Lunch	12:00 - 12:45
Afternoon	The Tools of Inquiry: Process Skills Circus Reflections and Assessment

Day 3	Wednesday, August 12	Explore
Storyline: How do we use these skills and tools as starting points for inquiry?
Morning	Introduction to Starting Points Colored Light and Pigments
Lunch	12:00 - 12:45
Afternoon	Color Investigations

Day 4	Thursday, August 13	Explore and Explain
Storyline: How do we move hands-on activities toward inquiry?
Morning	Presentation: Reflection, Absorption and Transmission of Light Color Investigations
Lunch	12:00 - 12:45
Afternoon	Pulling the Concepts Together Focus Groups Conclusions on Inquiry

Day 5	Friday, August 14	Apply
Storyline: How do we apply what we learned? Putting it all together!
Morning	Lesson Criterion: Parachutes Redesign a lesson
Lunch	12:00 - 12:45
Afternoon	Share Redesigned Lessons Evaluation Ice Cream Social Giveaway Surprises