A Call for Middle School Lesson and Units Designed for the NGSS

States, districts, or other organizations developing free and publicly vailable middle school lessons or units for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are encouraged to submit them to NextGenScience’s Peer Review Panel (PRP) for a free review. The PRP is a group of expert educators who use the EQuIP Rubric for Science to evaluate the alignment of lessons and units to the NGSS and provide detailed, criterion-based feedback and suggestions for improvement. Units earning top EQuIP ratings are posted publicly as high-quality examples and all other units receive confidential feedback.

Learn more about the review process here (LINK).

Chemistry Storylines RELEASE Dates and Professional Development

The University of Colorado, Boulder has recently announced the release date of their storylines for High School Chemistry. They are also offering several high quality professional developments for high school teachers this summer. Keep your eye out for more information on their units and find information about their professional development offerings here: (Link). Please let me know if you have questions regarding this opportunity and I am happy to support you.

Another Consideration for Vertical Alignment

Did you know that there is a crosswalk for AP courses and our Next Generation Science Standards? They can be found here: (Link) Other bundles for Middle School and High School can be found here (Link) and consider the appendices as a tool for vertical alignment. Check out the appendices here: (Link)

ASTRONOMY OLYMPIAD 2021

Got a student that’s a hotshot astronomer? Invite him/her to try out for the USA team for the 2021 Astronomy Olympiad (set for October in Italy). The qualifier will be online this month May 15-22. The best students will be invited for trainings over the summer, and the top 6 (upper high school or freshman high school) can travel to the competition. Note this is NOT the same as the "Olympiad for Astronomy and Astrophysics" - this one is older and is attended more by asian countries including Russia.

For more information: https://space.rice.edu/iao.html

To sign up go to: https://usnao.github.io and choose "register"

Kansas secondary science and math educators can develop project-based learning alongside Emporia State University professors at the ESU Research Institute this summer.

Applications are being accepted for the institute until April 30. The application is available at www.emporia.edu/research.

Ten Kansas educators will be paired with ESU professors of biological sciences, applied mathematics/statistics, chemistry, earth science or physics to develop long-range research projects to engage students in relevant, authentic research during the following academic year.

Those selected to participate will work with faculty on the Emporia State campus July 8 through 10 to design and develop research models appropriate for secondary science and math courses. ESU faculty will provide training and continue to serve in a research advisory capacity throughout the following academic year.

The educators selected for the research institute and their students will be invited to present results at ESU’s annual Research & Creativity Day and participate in a special Black & Gold event during the following spring semester.

Participants will receive a $1,200 stipend and one hour graduate credit after project submission.

Funding for the institute is provided by Emporia State University alumni, Dr. Randal W. Scott (B.S. Chemistry ’79) and Eileen M. (Schmitz) Scott (B.S.E. Elementary Education ’80).

For more information, visit www.emporia.edu/research.

Celebrate trees by joining the GLOBE citizen science community in the 2021 Community Trees Challenge, where Science is Better Together!

Who can participate: Everyone! (students and teachers at all grade levels, informal educators, and the public in GLOBE countries.) While getting out and taking observations might not be possible for everyone, this challenge provides multiple ways to participate and learn all about trees.

How to participate: During the 2021 Community Trees Challenge, the GLOBE Program is asking citizen scientists to observe, learn, engage, and create as they track their progress on the Trees Challenge Activity Tracker. You can choose the best journey for your interests, or try to complete all the activities. Work together as a family, as a group of friends, or independently.

By completing these activities, you will improve your science observation skills, enrich your understanding of trees as part of our landscape, learn why NASA studies trees, be a part of a NASA-sponsored citizen science project, as well as join a citizen science community. Your observations of tree height contribute to a global database that is free and open so that anyone – scientists, students, communities, and citizen scientists – can conduct research.

Kansas NSF EPSCoR is going to hold its annual Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute this summer for Kansas High School Biology and Environmental Science Teachers June 7-11, 2021 at the University of Kansas Field Station Station (https://biosurvey.ku.edu/field-station).

Teacher participants will earn a stipend of $750 for actively participating in the week’s activities and writing curriculum. In addition, a travel allowance will be provided for those living more than 1 hour away from the field station along with room and board.

While attending the institute, teachers will participate in a variety of activities from carrying out investigations and learning about current university-level research, to exploring diverse outdoor environments. Early in the week participants will be divided into groups based upon their areas of interest to work with University of Kansas researchers. These groups will spend time developing NGSS inquiry-based curriculum for their own high school classrooms. The Institute is directed by Dr. Peggy Schultz, Associate Specialist with the Kansas Biological Survey and the Environmental Studies Program (https://biosurvey.ku.edu/directory/peggy-schultz ). All KU COVID 19 protocols will be followed and masks are required.

For more info: http://s.12ab.pw/l/08e-2

To apply: http://s.12ab.pw/l/c42-1

To help spark teachers’ interest, here is video from the 2018 institute for you to share with them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpgw3POGZpQ

The Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute is part of the education and outreach initiatives proposed in the Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1: Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas award #1656006 (https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1656006).

The Kansas Association of Education Service Agencies (KAESA) along with the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE) are excited to announce the Kansas Teaching and Leading Project. This project, which includes a comprehensive website with on-demand professional development and supporting resources, as well as live just-in-time webinars will support educators through this school year and beyond.

CLICK HERE to access the website for information in the areas of Understanding the Navigating Change Document, Social and Emotional Learning, Competency-Based and Personalized Learning, Remote and Hybrid Teaching and Learning, Teaching with Instructional Technology, Leadership and Communication, Community and Family Engagement, and Facilities and Operations.

Spend your summer exploring at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center, near Great Bend, KS. The center is open from 9-5 Monday through Saturday and 1-5 on Sunday afternoons. Each day visitors can enjoy our interactive exhibit hall, classroom of live animals, video about Cheyenne Bottoms, and get information about bird activity in the marsh. Special programming is offered throughout the summer. Check our website, https://wetlandscenter.fhsu.edu, for events and more information. A highlight will be the launch of a children's book: Ava, A Year of Adventure in the Life of an American Avocet. The 32 page, fully illustrated story, follows the migration of a shorebird as it travels to Cheyenne Bottoms, the largest marsh in the interior of the United States. The book is full of science information and terminology, supplemental lesson plans will also be available on the education page of our website. Each K-6 classroom in Barton County will receive a copy and each school and community library within 70 miles of the center will receive a copy.

For incoming 9th and 10th graders, KWEC is hosting one of the FHSU KAMS Camps, Echo Tech: Birds and Bytes, the week of June 21. Visit https://www.fhsu.edu/kams/summer-camps/index for more information. Day camps for 1st-6th grade will be held in July. A STEM Drop-in date will also be scheduled. Our annual end of summer party is a chance to learn about space and watch the Perseid Meteor Shower on August 13.

Teachers should also check out a professional development opportunity hosted by KWEC and the Kansas Association of Conservation and Environmental Education. Teaching and Learning Outdoors is a hybrid workshop with the in-person portion scheduled for June 8. Participants will receive four environmental education curriculum guides full of lessons and activities.