619.677.0751 Registration Now Closed!
What Previous STƸ@M Institute Participants Have Said
“My expectations did not compare to the amazing level of new knowledge and understanding I developed during the sessions. I was expecting some ideas to make science more fun, and I was blown away by what I learned.”
-5/6 Grade Teacher
“From the wonderful flow of each day, the artistic and content rich activities, and the in depth learning of the NGSS, I left with a wealth of knowledge and ideas. All of it was delivered with a breath of joy and hope to bring to my students about their learning!”
- Transitional Kindergarten Teacher
“The sessions exceeded my expectations. Not only were they engaging, but they could be implemented in the classroom the following week.”
-Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator
Registration Now Closed!
Integrating the Arts for Impactful NGSS Learning Geared Towards Kinder Through 5th Grade Teachers
Learn how to meaningfully employ the arts within the NGSS framework to engage students in learning and deepen understanding of science concepts.
- 6 experiential sessions exploring the Science Practices through visual art, theatre, and creative movement
- 13.5 hours professional development
- collaborative learning environment
- come away with lessons you can use remotely and in the classroom
2021 VIRTUAL LEARNING WORKSHOPS
February 20 & 27, 9:00a- 12:45p PST
March 13 & 20, 9:00a - 12:00p PST
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Classroom teachers (K-5), science resource teachers, science coordinators and art coordinators. Space limited to 40 participants.
LOCATION
The institute will be held virtually via Zoom.
COST
A $75 deposit is required to hold your spot. A full refund will be issued upon completion of the institute.
QUESTIONS?
For more information email info@cotaprogram.org.
Planned Workshops
Questions and Phenomena: Creating with Wonderment
The Science Practice of Asking Questions about phenomena ideally begins every science unit and continues through the learning journey to continually deepen and expand students’ thinking. In this workshop, we begin by defining what “phenomena” is from an NGSS perspective and engage in observing images of phenomena. We fuel our curiosity and wonder by brainstorming questions about the phenomenon. Even if we know what it is, can we dig deeper; is there something about it that we do not know? “What,” “why,” and “how” create some of the questions that arise. With pastels and paper in hand, we create a visual art piece in response to our selected phenomenon and chart our questions about it. As we view one another’s images and questions, we reflect on how we envision our students might respond to and benefit from this combination of visual art with the practice of Asking Questions.
Embodying Science: Become the Phenomenon
For our students to emulate scientists they must actively investigate phenomena, interpret data and information, construct explanations, and develop models. These Science Practices require higher order thinking skills and full comprehension. Creative movement helps deepen comprehension by allowing children to feel things in their bodies, as well as think them in their minds. In this workshop we try out some simple movement techniques and watch a film to see how these techniques can be applied. We dive into example life science content about monarch butterflies, practicing our observation skills by watching films and discussing what we see. Combining our newly found movement-making techniques with our observational knowledge of monarchs, we work collaboratively to create movements. We reflect on how imagining, embodying, and actively becoming concepts and processes can help our students form deeper connections and understandings.
Engineering with Purpose: A Narrative Challenge
Engaging students meaningfully in the Engineering Practices of Defining Problems and Designing Solutions can be a challenge, particularly in younger grades. By integrating storytelling with a playful engineering approach, students become invested in the process of designing solutions to problems. In this workshop, we create a model penguin that is given circumstantial obstacles to overcome. We generate solutions out of an assortment of art materials, build a 3-D model, and write a compelling narrative around the scenario of reuniting a penguin with its baby chick. We share designs and stories, and reflect on how infusing engineering with narrative writing and visual art increases engagement and provides an authentic opportunity to combine English-Language Arts and Engineering Practices.
Zoom In, and Again, and Again
Observation skills are essential for our students as they seek to analyze and interpret data; their curiosity, analysis and evaluation will be sharpened when they look closely at the world. In this workshop, we seek to hone our observational skills. With pencil and paper at the ready, we keenly observe an object in front of us, be it an apple, rock, or piece of melting ice. From a zoomed-out perspective, we draw our first sketch and record accompanying data. Zooming in a little closer we draw a second sketch, and closer still for a third sketch. When we have completed all three sketches, we frame and share them. In dialogue with others, we contemplate how looking at the drawings through the lens of a Crosscutting Concept such as Patterns, Structure and Function, or Stability and Change, can deepen our students’ understanding of the objects and hone their evaluative skills.
Art That Makes Sense of the Senses
The Science Practice of Developing Models requires students to develop models that can describe and explain systems, detail the parts of a system, and recognize the processes occurring within them. In this workshop, we go on an in-depth journey into creating visual art mixed-media trifold models. We take an example life science process of how animals use their sensory and nervous systems to take in information, process the information, and respond accordingly. After classifying information on a specific animal into the categories "Sensory Stimulus," "Processing Information," and "Physical Response," we use sketching, pastels, printed papers, and collage to depict visually the various stages of the process. Our trifold format allows us to create a flow of causality, and the addition of titles, labels, and arrows completes the model’s ability to explain the phenomenon. Sharing our work provides the opportunity to see the diversity of animals being depicted. We reflect on how the combination of visual art with this Science Practice provides an engaging, motivating way for students to dig deep into the practice of Developing Models.
The Greatest Climate of All Time (GCOAT)!
Without communication of information, the beauties and wonders of our world would be missed. Art provides compelling and innovative ways to communicate, as well as authentic motivation for students to engage in evaluating the information. Find some actors, give them information about the climate, and they will surely put on an entertaining and educational show. In this workshop we do just that. Collaborating in groups, we evaluate and combine information on a world climate zone using multiple sources, sifting out the climate zone’s distinguishing features. Each group holds a press conference to convey this information. The conference has characters on both sides, some claiming their climate is “The Great Climate of All Time” and others questioning those claims. After celebrating how we successfully combined artistic innovation with scientifically accurate information, we reflect on how we might apply this activity with our students - for earth, life, or physical science units – and the benefits of doing so.
Download: Institute Flyer