Secondary Science Newsletter
September, 2019
"The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other. Without collaboration our growth is limited to our own perspectives." -RJ MEEHAN
WELCOME BACK and HAPPY NEW YEAR
We hope you have all settled into a school year where you set goals to challenge yourselves, your department, and your students, and are developing a positive culture of growth in your building. Two of our Office of Science team goals this year are to provide you with sustainable support and assist with implementing crosscutting concepts to help all students succeed. As always, we encourage you to share your ideas and success in the appropriate Resource Share group(s) in Schoology or reach out to us - we love to hear your stories!
This newsletter is full of information and opportunities; we hope you find it handy and relevant. Please let us know if you would like to contribute.
We wish you continued growth and fulfillment in your classrooms this year! Please reach out if we can be of service. We look forward to working with you.
Tiffany Wendland
Coordinator, Secondary Science
BCPS NGSS NEWS
Curriculum Updates
Over the summer, our awesome curriculum writing teams worked very hard to make updates and enhancements to our BCPS NGSS Courses. These updates are summarized in our Summer Secondary Science Newsletter and were shared at August Professional Study Day. All NGSS curriculum documents are accessible via Schoology.
System Assessments
To improve consistency across the system, provide data for responsive instruction, as well as feedback for curriculum improvements, we have created System Assessments for our NGSS courses. System Assessments are managed through the Office of Science and will appear at the bottom of the materials section in your Schoology courses. Directions for how to assign the assessments to your students are available in the Secondary Science Group.
For our Middle School courses, we developed unit-level assessments that include a combination of selected and constructed response questions. These assessments are in pilot form and are therefore optional, but we ask that teachers administer them this school year through Schoology so that we can collect systemwide data and feedback that can inform curriculum improvements. The system assessments can also provide teachers with additional evidence for grading and reporting purposes. We recommend giving the assessment toward the end of the unit but before the completion of the Culminating Event. System Assessments for the first units of all middle school courses will be added to course sections in Schoology by the end of the month.
For our High School NGSS courses, System Assessments are versions of Learning Cycle Summative Assessments built as assessments in Schoology as opposed to the word document versions currently in our NGSS curricula. One curriculum suggestion from teachers was the capability of administering our MISA-like summative assessments through Schoology. We have tried to meet this request through the creation of one or more System Assessments for each unit within each NGSS course. System Assessments for the first Learning Cycles of Earth Systems and IPC were released on September 11. System Assessments for the second Learning Cycles of Living Systems and NGSS Chemistry were released on September 18. Teachers may choose to give either the system version of the assessment or the version that is currently in the Secondary Science Schoology Group. Our preference is that teachers give the system-wide assessment through Schoology so that systemwide data can be collected, but this is currently not required. Additional assessments will be released at the beginning of each unit, per the respective NGSS course snapshot and pacing documents.
Please note: A downside of these managed assessments is that the scoring system does not allows teachers to “override” scores. The recommendation from our Blended Teaching & Learning colleagues is to create a new grade column for the assessment and enter grades manually (LS, students who took a paper and pencil version, corrected scores because of answer key errors, etc.). Teachers would then re-categorize the system assessment as “practice” or the equivalent category used by their department/school. The Office of Innovative Learning is aware of this issue and will update STAT Teachers and Academics Offices as other solutions are identified.
We appreciate your feedback on how these assessments worked with your students. Please email us directly or post your feedback to https://padlet.com/twendland/e44a2esssv8q
For the most up-to-date NGSS news and resources, visit www.nextgenscience.org. Also, be sure to join the National Science Teachers Association and subscribe to the NGSS NOW Newsletter for great lesson ideas and NGSS updates.
Working on our NGSS! 2019 Summer Institutes
MS Summer Science Institutes: Looking Backward to Move Ahead
This year we offered two MS Summer Science Institutes: NGSS Grade 8 and the MS NGSS Best Practices Institutes. It was a banner year for attendance! Twenty teachers attended the two-day, NGSS Grade 8 Institute starting off the first two days of the week of July 29th. During that that time, the 8th grade teachers were able to dive deeper into the newly updated curriculum as well as consider ways to design and implement lessons more responsively. On the third day of the same week, an additional twenty-four teachers from varying grades arrived to kick-off the MS Best Practices Institute. During these three days, participants spent time working with colleagues to backwards map their first unit of instruction, design formative assessments to embed along the way, and learn how to use the MISA Scoring Rubrics with the guidance of their knowledgeable facilitators Amy, Krystal, and Jim. By all accounts, the teachers felt the structure and collaboration time were extremely valuable in preparing them for the new school year!
HS Summer Science Institute
This summer high school teachers from across the county met for a two-day High School NGSS Best Practices Summer Institute. Teachers spent time describing procedures and norms for productive learning environments, explored the teaching and learning expectations for the course(s) they are teaching this school year, backwards mapped for their course(s), and created engaging lessons and three-dimensional assessments for their students. The teachers enjoyed the time they had to collaborate with their colleagues. Teachers had this to say about the institute:
- “I learned about horizontal planning and the importance of using terminology like “patterns” and “models” as often as possible to make it second nature to my students.”
- “I found it helpful and time well spent.” The most helpful aspect of the professional development was, “The time to work on our own lesson plan and to collaborate with others within the discipline.”
PROFESSIONAL STUDY DAY
Approximately 500 middle and high school science teachers attended the 2019 Secondary Science Professional Study Day on August 28th. During the morning session, teachers explored how phenomena are used to frame and drive NGSS-aligned science instruction. Department chairs and curriculum writers shared updates to our NGSS curricula and teachers had the chance to plan with the new resources now accessible via Schoology. After lunch, teachers met for department-level professional learning which included goal setting for the year, a review of the Chemical Hygiene Plan, and collaborative planning in grade level and content area teams. Thank you to the folks below for their role in making PSD a success!
- Thank you to our Department Chairs and Curriculum Writers for facilitating our morning content area and grade level sessions.
- Thank you to the members of the Office of Science Team for their assistance in setting up and for their support throughout the day.
- Thank you to our McGraw Hill colleagues for sharing information about our new textbook resources for IPC.
- And final huge thank yous to: James Martin, Principal of New Town HS; Joe Kopec, New Town Assistant Principal; the New Town Science Team under the leadership of Taylor Ransome; Mr. Bangerd, New Town STAT Teacher; and Mr. Hoke and the awesome New Town custodial staff for hosting PSD and for all of their support!
Materials, including the morning session PowerPoint presentations and other resources, are available in the Professional Study Day folder in the Secondary Science Group.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
This summer, the Office of Science ran two week-long MWEE Summer Institutes involving over 50 teachers. Participants explored local field investigation sites and were even treated to a back-stage tour of the Conowingo Dam. Throughout the week, participants carried out field investigations that were aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards, considered ways to implement curriculum-based Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences and brainstormed strategies for using local environmental issues as a context for learning. Teachers dove deep into content knowledge and brainstormed questions to use with students that integrate cross-cutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas. Particular emphasis was placed on data analysis and computational thinking as teachers collected and used authentic data sources and mathematical models to analyze trends and changes to field sites over the past two years. Plans are already in the works for a MWEE Summer Institute Part 2 for next year.
Secondary Outdoor Science programming will continue this fall and is projected to involve over 3000 students in curriculum-based field investigations. Program offerings now include a new Grade 6 Ecosystem Study that is aligned with the Grade 6 Ecosystems Interactions unit. After spending a day with an Outdoor Science staff member exploring the schoolyard ecosystem, teachers use a loaner kit of field investigation tools and resources to continue investigations with groups of students. In addition, several schools will be visiting Camp Puh’tok in Northern Baltimore County this fall and will be carrying out ecosystem investigations with grade 6 students as part of single-day and overnight programs. Schools may also visit Camp Puh’tok in Spring 2020. Interested schools should contact the Office of Science for more information. This fall, the Grade 8 Canoe-Based Ecology program has been modified to align with the Climate Detectives unit. While exploring the aquatic systems at Days Cove and Dundee Creek, students consider ways that short and long-term changes to weather patterns affect biodiversity and ecosystem health.
Registration for spring 2020 programs will take place in November. Registration will be announced in the weekly bulletin, through Schoology and in an email to department chairs.
If you have any questions, please contact Joe Davis at jdavis3@bcps.org or Matt Budinger at mbudinger@bcps.org.
Green School News and Updates
The sixth annual Green School Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Leadership Summit will be held on Thursday, September 26, 2019, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Irvine Nature Center. The summit provides a unique opportunity to collaborate with professionals and colleagues, share and gather ideas, regarding the Green School application process and Green School resources. Participants will attend presentation sessions focused on Student Driven Sustainability Practices that promote student-led investigations and action plans to improve wildlife biodiversity on school grounds.
Contact Matt Budinger, Science Resource Teacher, if you have any question 443-928-9917 mbudinger@bcps.org
- Green School flag looking like it has had better days? Current Maryland Green Schools can order replacement flags from MAEOE for $50 per flag. Email office@maeoe.org for invoicing options.
- Borrow a BioBlitz: The National Aquarium has created a “Borrow A BioBlitz” kit available for loan – free of charge! – to support the citizen science efforts of local Maryland organizations. This kit consists of six supply bins, with each bin dedicated to a different taxon: Amphibians & Reptiles, Aquatics, Birds, Insects, Mammals, and Plants. Each bin contains a variety of field guides for identification of wildlife as well as hands-on items for nature exploration. This kit is intended to increase the capacity of organizations that are currently providing, or plan to provide in the future, citizen science programming and/or BioBlitz events. The National Aquarium was able to create this kit with funding from Samsung and the National Environmental Education Foundation. See the information packet for photos, full supplies list, and more details. There is currently only one reservation booked for this fall so many weeks are still available for loan. To request the Borrow A BioBlitz kit, please contact Maura Duffy at MDuffy@aqua.org.
- Rethink Recycling Sculpture Contest: The Maryland Department of the Environment is hosting their annual sculpture contest. The “Rethink Recycling” Sculpture Contest judging will be held on Friday, November 22, 2019. Please click here for more details.
- Explore and Restore Maryland Streams (All teachers and administrators): Build your confidence in facilitating student-centered field investigations that align with school curriculum and NGSS. Come join DNR for a FREE hands-on workshop that will focus on getting kids outside and leading their own investigations: Thursday, September 26, 2019: 8:00 am - 3:30 pm - Rocky Gap State Park and Thursday, October 3, 2019: 8:00 am - 3:30 pm - Tuckahoe State Park. For more information see attached flyers or contact Jen Wolfe at jennifer.wolfe1@maryland.gov. Register here.
- 2020 MAEOE Conference at the Princess Royale in Ocean City, MD February 6-10. Save the date!!
Contact Tom Melito, tmelito@bcps.org or Matt Budinger, mbudinger@bcps.org if you have any questions. 443-809-4251
TEACHER FEATURE
Office of Science (OoS): Tell us a little about yourself - how many years have you been teaching, which subjects, which schools, etc.?
Mr. Ransome: I have been teaching for eight years now (it feels like longer…). I have taught subjects from biology to environmental science. I have experience teaching both NGSS Earth Systems and Living Systems. I am currently teaching three sections of PLTW (Principles of Biomedical Science, Human Body Systems and Medical Interventions). I have only taught at two schools - National Academy Foundation Prep (Baltimore City) and New Town High School.
OoS: What do you like best about your new Department Chair role?
Mr. Ransome: I am a coach at heart. Coaching teachers to help them come up with new ideas and ways to instruct students is what I enjoy the most. Seeing a teacher move from good to great, utilizing strategies we discussed, is what is best about this role in leadership. Sometimes a 10-minute conversation can be all that it takes to give an educator the peace of mind, confidence and creativity it takes to improve their pedagogical approach.
OoS: What about our transition to NGSS excites you?
Mr. Ransome: The transition to NGSS provides more real-world application, critical thinking and interaction among students. Topics seem to be more relatable to the evolving landscape of science, education and today’s society.
OoS: What has been your/your students' biggest challenge with the new curricula?
Mr. Ransome: Not worrying about the smallest bit of detail and focusing on the big picture can be a challenge at times. Students and I have trouble pacing with the larger projects. This is normally due to the enthusiasm that the students put forth into creating products that are engaging, informative and connected to real-world ideas (e.g., body system t-shirts, model coral reefs, and mitosis stop motion videos).
OoS: What did you do for fun over the summer?
Mr. Ransome: I enjoy traveling. I went to Tampa, Toronto, and upstate New York to the Adirondacks. I love playing basketball, so I did a little of that in addition to some hiking. I dabble into photography and art as well, so I took what little time I had to take pictures/sketch.
OoS: Anything else you'd like to share?
Mr. Ransome: I am extremely driven and more motivated when I see a challenging obstacle. It is my dream to be an education consultant for the BCPS. This is a goal of mine because my passion is helping others (and myself) to improve in our teaching art. Watching an amazing teacher teach is no different than listening to Mozart or Michael Jackson. What you are watching and more importantly what the students are participating in is true art and will change the lives of those in that room forever. I am the founder/creator of the
“P.A.C.E.” (Planning, Assessment Based Instruction, Classroom Management and Effective Grading and Feedback) instructional guide for simple but effective teaching and “T.I.” The Initiative Male Mentoring Program.
SAFETY SPACE
TEACHERS HAVE THE DUTY TO
•Instruct and warn
•Supervise
•Provide a safe learning environment
FOR EACH AND EVERY ACTIVITY AND LAB, teachers need to
•Provide adequate instructions, including demonstrating proper techniques
•Provide adequate supervision, including reminders to follow instructions
•Provide safe facilities and equipment
•Warn students of possible dangers
Chemical splash goggles should be worn whenever heat, glassware, or chemicals are being used.
Image from imgflip.com
WHAT'S TWEETING?
Get Your Growth On!!
DE Studio is one of the newest options available through Discovery Education. Studio allows students the opportunity to collaborate on boards while being individually accountable. One of my favorite features in Studio is the chat feature. Students can communicate on their project through the chat features. This not only allows students that don’t sit near each other to work together (without relocating) but it also allows students in different sections (of the same teacher) to have the opportunity to collaborate. Studio has the capability to create different pages so that each student collaborating on their portion of the project can have their own page. This works great when students have different roles for an assignment.
Tip: As the teacher, I create the boards and share them with the different groups of students so that I am also a member of the chat! Students can pose questions to the teacher and the teacher can also monitor the chat to ensure appropriate conversations.
What creative way can you think of to use Studio in your classroom?
-Krystal Romanwoski, Title I Science Resource Teacher
SCIENCE FOR STUDENTS
SAVE THE DATE! 2020 physics olympics and chemathon
Planetarium Shows at Towson University
The Watson-King Planetarium, located in Smith Hall, room 521, is Towson University’s primary tool for public outreach in astronomy. Established in 1965, the Watson-King Planetarium allows us to view the stars at any time of the day or night, in any weather. It has seating for 44 people under its 22’ diameter dome. The stars and planets are displayed by a Digital Starlab projector, and can show views from any point in space at any time. Our new quadraphonic sound system allows for an extra dimension of experience as you tour the cosmos.
When weather permits, the planetarium shows are followed by telescope observing using our new 16” diameter Ritchey-Chretien reflecting telescope as well as with some of our portable 8” Celestron telescopes.
For more information about the monthly planetarium shows please contact the Physics, Astronomy & Geosciences department at pags@towson.edu
SMCurator [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]
Monarch Sister Schools Program
MSSP MEMBERSHIP
Membership is available to all schools that wish to involve their students in helping save the Monarch’s unique migration and using a habitat garden as a hands-on learning venue. The annual fee is just $250. To get started, visit http://www.monarchsisterschools.org/enroll
Benefits. To get started, we help you complete our Menu of Activities, so we can know which activities you wish to do. Based on your inputs, we prepare a draft Participation Plan to discuss with you with a draft timeline and budget. Based on the budget, we then help you apply for grants to fund your plan.
New member schools receive a copy of the Monarchs and More curriculum guide and an invitation to attend our annual Monarch Curriculum Workshop.
Other membership benefits include:
-Support developing a customized Participation Plan
-A copy of the Monarchs and More curriculum guide
-An invitation to attend the annual Monarch Curriculum Workshop
-Participation in our member school blog to exchange information on gardens, lesson plans, etc.
-A webpage on the Program website (www.monarchsisterschools.org) for your school to post text and photos about your habitat garden and other activities.
-A “funders list” for small garden grant and other support you may need.
-Tips in using the ‘Causes’ app on Facebook to fundraise.
-Email updates and invitations for MSSP garden and curriculum activities.
-The option to partner with a sister school in Mexico for a cultural exchange.
-Eligibility to participate in our annual Trip to Monarch Country in Mexico.
For more information, contact Maureen Larkin, Baltimore Area Program Coordinator, at Maureen@monarchsisterschools.org, 410-340-5628
Middle School Girls Only STEM Day
Download the Consent form and get more information at https://www.usna.edu/STEM/applications.php#stem1. Registrations will be accepted until October 4th or until all spots are filled. If you have questions, please email usnastem@usna.edu or call 410-293-6534.
Saturday, Oct 19, 2019, 08:00 AM
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Taylor Avenue, Annapolis, MD, United States
Family Science Night (FSN) fosters wonderful opportunities for parents and their children to talk about science, our world, and the cosmos—it helps launch family learning. The program takes place at one of the most visited museums on the planet, after hours, when attendees have the Museum to themselves. Millions of visitors a year come to the National Air and Space Museum to see the machines that gave life to human dreams of flight in air and space.
FSN provides a school field trip designed for families to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The program takes place 6:45-8:50 pm, for up to 480 parents, students, and educators from area schools. It's a family learning experience on space science subjects that are taught in the classroom. Adults do not participate as chaperones, but as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and big brothers and sisters to the children. It is a chance for a shared, cross-generational learning experience in space science education.
With the curricular connection, the program provides parents a window on the education of their children; schools a way to build bridges to the community; the Museum a chance to augment the classroom experience with their unique collections, exhibits, films, and educational programs; and researchers an opportunity to share what it's like to work on the great frontiers.
Full details are in the reservation package. The Museum hopes to have 4 to 5 evenings available in winter/spring 2020 that will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. Please feel free to contact including how to contact John Hamel, Education Program Manager, with any questions. johnhamel@ncesse.org, 434-882-5177
UPCOMING EVENTS AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
NASA eClips Newsletter
The NASA eClips team has pulled together some of its newest resources to welcome teachers back-to-school. Two new videos using the Mars Helicopter as a means to introduce physical and mathematical modeling are at the top of the list.
They've also included supporting resources provided by:
- MY NASA Data; and
- Space Place
Unraveling the Mysteries of the CIA - Course for Non-tenured Teachers
This course will include nine face-to-face sessions during the weeks of September 30, November 4, December 2, January 6, February 3, March 2, April 6, May 4, and June 1 at schools in a variety of locations. Between course meetings, participants will implement new strategies and meet with an identified instructional leader to reflect on successes and challenges.
Interested participants must register for this course by logging into BCPS One, on the BCPS Web site, selecting the Professional Learning tile, and then selecting the Registration System tile. The course is entitled Unraveling the Mysteries of the CIA (Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment.) and can be found in the PDC Inservice Catalog – CPD Courses catalog.
Questions regarding this information should be directed to Ann Stuckey, Supervisor 443-809-6490
Maryland Loaner Lab Training
The Maryland Loaner Lab Training workshop qualifies teachers to borrow from the Maryland Loaner Lab. This 3-hour workshop is offered twice per year in the fall and spring or you may request a custom training date at our facility. This workshop is free and open to all middle and high school science teachers in Maryland.
Click here to register.
Wednesday, Oct 9, 2019, 10:00 AM
Columbus Center, East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD, United States
BCPS NGSS Professional Learning
This year the Office of Science will be using a residency model to provide professional learning and teacher support, similar to the model used by the ELA and Mathematics offices. In this targeted approach, Amy, Amy-Chili, or Krystal will spend approximately two weeks working with teachers at select schools. Science residency schools are selected based on requests from administrators, department chairs, as well as assessment data. Julie and Tiffany will still be visiting schools throughout the year and will be available for support on a day-to-day basis.
Saturday Science PD
This year we are offering two Saturday morning Professional Learning sessions - one in the Fall and one in the Spring - which are open to all secondary science teachers. Our first Science Professional Learning is scheduled for Saturday, November 9th, location TBD. Look for an update with additional information in the Secondary Science Schoology Group.
Professional Learning for New/Non-tenured Science Teachers
As part of the New Teacher Induction After School Workshop series, we are offering two professional learning opportunities for new or non-tenured middle and high school science teachers. This is a two-part series and teachers are strongly encouraged to attend both sections (October 23 and February 5). Registration is available through BCPSOne. The offering (#27735) is titled "New Teacher Induction Workshops - Secondary Science-Using a NGSS Approach" and is available in the Workshops - Registration catalog. Both sections will be held at Loch Raven High School, room 401, from 4 to 6pm.
Science 2.0: Using Web Tools to Promote Inquiry-Based Science
In this online course, participants will explore the use of online resources to enhance inquiry-based teaching and learning in science. Over the course of this six-session workshop, participants will become familiar with science-themed websites, online collaborative projects, science blogs, and the mapping applications Google Maps and Google Earth. Considerable attention is paid to helping participants identify ways that they can integrate these tools into their practice and thus enrich their students' engagement with science content.
Dates: November 6 - December 17
Provider: Maryland eLearning for Educators
Credit: 2 MSDE Continuing Professional Development Credits #15-00-14R
Course Fee: $220
Registration: http://www.thinkport.org/msde-cpd-credit.html
Please email enrollment requests/questions to pproutt@mpt.org
2019 National Farm-Based Education Conference November 9-13, 2019
Pearlstone Retreat Center & Farm, Reisterstown, MD
Contact us
Email: officeofscience@bcps.org
Website: http://www.bcps.org/offices/science/
Location: 105 W Chesapeake Ave, Towson, MD, United States
Phone: 443-809-4251
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BCPSOfficeofScience
Twitter: @BCPSSci