NEWESD 101 Science Kit Cooperative
Consider Joining for 2021-2022!
Science Kit Cooperative and Materials Support
NGSS Aligned
Cost Effective
Training
What is the Science Kit Cooperative?
Any public or private school/district residing in the NEWESD 101 region is eligible to join the Science Kit Cooperative.
We currently serve approximately 200 teachers and over 800 students in 22 districts (28 buildings) within the NEWESD 101 region.
Our goal is to provide quality hands-on materials and professional development that allow for successful implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in the Physical, Earth, and Life science strands with a STEM focus.
Students are more engaged and focused when working on hands-on investigations - even those who fidget during larger group sessions. This style of learning helps all types of learners, from kinesthetic to social to tactile as well as our high-needs and special education students. The investigations are phenomenon-based in order to "hook" the students and help them engage during their learning.
We would love the opportunity to discuss our program with you and see how we might be able to work together!
Beth Worthy
Science Kit Program Manager
How It Works
What Has Changed in the Science Kit Cooperative?
Each unit supports one classroom of students. For elementary, grades K-2 support up to 24 students per class and grades 3-5 support up to 30 students. For middle school, grades 6-8 support up to 32.
Through a generous grant from Innovia, we are now able to offer the newest version of the K-5 kits: the "Building Blocks of Science (BBS) 3D" version. This allows more complete access to digital resources for the kits, allowing teachers to assign activities and student book reading online. The new Smithsonian STC-MS kits have been adopted for grades 6-8, which also have access to digital resources.
COVID Precautions. We take COVID precautions seriously. The investigation materials in the kits have been packaged differently than in the past. When it was possible, we packaged the materials individually for students or tried to bring down from groups of 4 to pairs. This wasn't always possible given the types of materials in the kits, but we did so where we were able. (It may be necessary for schools to buy-in to more kits to ensure students receive 1:1 materials.) Items such as safety glasses are washed during refurbishment periods, items such as clay and playdough are packaged wearing gloves. Our staff at the Kit Center are always masked.
Professional Development
The Science Kit Center offers professional development around the science kits. This training helps teachers get to know their kits so they are able to confidently use the materials to teach their students.
Trainings are offered individually to teachers, to a cohort of teachers remotely or in-person to ensure your teachers are getting the information they need to best teach the kits.
Science Kit Offerings
Kindergarten
- Push, Pull, Go (P)
- Weather & Sky (E)
- Living Things & Their Needs (L)
1st Grade
- Light & Sound Waves (P)
- Sky Watchers (E)
- Exploring Organisms (L)
2nd Grade
- Matter (P)
- Earth Materials (E)
- Ecosystem Diversity (L)
3rd Grade
- Forces & Interactions (P)
- Weather & Climate Patterns (E)
- Life in Ecosystems (L)
4th Grade
- Energy Works! (P)
- Changing Earth (E)
- Plant & Animal Structures (L)
5th Grade
- Structures & Properties of Matter (P)
- Earth & Space Systems (E)
- Matter & Energy in Ecosystems (L)
Grades 1-5: Engineering is Elementary
- Seeing Animal Sounds (1)
- Designing Windmills (2)
- Making Work Easier (3)
- Evaluating a Landscape (4)
- Designing Water Filters (5)
Grades 6-8: Smithsonian STC-MS
6th Grade
- Electricity, Waves & Information Transfer (P)
- Weather & Climate (E)
- Structure & Function (L)
7th Grade
- Matter and its Interactions (P)
- Earth's Dynamic Systems (E)
- Ecosystems & Interactions (L)
8th Grade
- Energy, Forces & Motion (P)
- Space Systems Exploration (E)
- Genes & Molecular Machines (L)
For a detailed description of what each kit title covers, please visit our website at: www.esd101.net/science and click on Kit Descriptions & Information.
Kit Materials Costs
- Buy-in (per kit per trimester): $270
- Refurbishment (per kit): $275
Engineering is Elementary Supplemental Kits
Included in cost of kit; sent out by request.
Extensions Kits
Included in cost of kit; sent out by request.
Middle School 6-8 Science Kits
- Buy-in (per kit per trimester): $1500
- Refurbishment (per kit): $275
- Middle school extra classroom set of consumables: $125
(When one teacher is teaching multiple sections of the same class).
Materials Support
Along with the Science Kit Cooperative, we are also able to order materials support/refurbishment services for curriculums that are outside the scope of our offered titles. For example, we are able to offer supplies for the refurbishment of Project Lead the Way (PLTW), OpenSciEd, etc.
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NEWESD 101 SCIENCE KIT CENTER
3808 N. Sullivan Rd., Bldg. 25D
Spokane Valley, WA, 99223
(Center hours are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
7:30a - 2:00p and/or by appointment)
Beth Worthy
Science Kit Program Manager
(509) 789-3525 | bworthy@esd101.net
Michelle Grove
Elementary Regional Science Coordinator
(509) 789-3757 | mgrove@esd101.net
Tammie Schrader
Secondary Regional Science Coordinator
(509) 323-2725 | tschrader@esd101.net
Erik Wolfrum
Director of Teaching & Learning
(509) 789-3551 | ewolfrum@esd101.net