Coweta Science Update
January 2018
Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
Connecting Science & Literacy
2019 EngineeringGirl Writing Contest
The EngineerGirl writing contest is, for the first time, asking students to submit works of creative fiction. Open to girls in 3-12 grades, see more at the contest website.
We want stories about women and girls saving the day with their wits, skill, and whatever resources they can find to solve the problem. Maybe they are working alone, maybe they are part of an elite team. Maybe they just find themselves in an unusual situation that requires some innovative thinking.
We want stories that inspire EngineerGirl readers to think, “I want to be able to do that” or “I can do that.”
Write an original, fictional story in which the main character is a female who uses engineering skills to solve a problem.
There are three basic rules:
- Your main character must be female.
- Your main character must use engineering design principles to solve a problem - she cannot use or rely on magic or supernatural powers.
- Your story must be under the word limit for your grade level, which is listed below.
Elementary (grades 3-5): 800 words.
Middle School (grades 6-8): 1100 words.
High School (grades 9-12): 1500 words.
All stories must be original work. Any evidence of plagiarism will immediately disqualify an entry.
Remember: Writers spend time doing research to ensure that story characters — their clothes, their tools, and especially their actions — are authentic. Take time to learn about engineers and engineering. The better you understand the engineering design process, the better and more believable your story will be. You are also encouraged to include with your submission information on one or more resources your readers can go to for more information.
Coding for a Better Community
Also, below is a link that has a set of tutorials available for learning AppInventor.
Get Ready for the Future of Advanced Placement
December 2018
- Educators can learn about the changes to AP at collegeboard.org/ap2019.
- Superintendents, principals, and AP coordinators will receive an email later this month about the new AP resources and supports launching in 2019-20.
- AP coordinators will be invited to register for online overview events that will begin in late January.
January 2019
- We’ll follow up with tips and tools for you and your colleagues in the state department of education.
- The AP Program will provide free resources – including an online toolkit – to help schools prepare.
These changes, designed in collaboration with AP teachers and coordinators, will help students get the most out of their AP coursework and prepare for success on AP Exams. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions.
Science Google Classroom Codes
Elementary: uz7l4 (that's a lowercase L...not a 1)
Middle: wumkvdb
High: s0ei0d (those are zeros...not Os)
Coweta STEM Recognition
1) Teach 5 STEM lessons. A STEM lesson typically includes some sort of design challenge for your students. Designing a poster or Google Slide presentation does not count as a design challenge. Teachers may collaborate on lessons together. For example, if your STEM lesson calls for writing (which it should!), partner with an ELA teacher to help!
2) Fill out the STEM Activity log. Briefly describe the 5 lessons on this form.
3) Post one exemplar lesson with student work samples. Pictures or videos of student work so other teachers and students can understand what the assignment leads to using this http://bit.ly/CCSSSTEMRecognition form.
4) That's it! Now sit back and enjoy the admiration of your colleagues and community.
If you have more questions or would like to discuss lesson plan ideas, contact donald.white@cowetaschools.net or michelle.clarke@cowetaschools.net. You can also find more info at www.cowetastemrecognition.weebly.com
STEM/STEAM Resources
https://www.teachengineering.org
http://www.novelengineering.org
http://www.stemcobb.com/lesson-links.html Elementary STEM Lessons
http://www.stemcobb.com/ms-stem-lessons.html Middle School STEM Lessons
Upcoming Professional Learning
Georgia Science Teachers Conference
GSTA's 2019 annual conference will be held February 14-16, 2019 at the Columbus Georgia Convention and Trade Center.
Bring your love for science education, and join us for great programming that will help you be your best back in your classroom.
Conference sessions this year will focus on sharing best practices, resources, and ideas based on the following strands:
- Passionate About Literacy to Fuel Deeper Scientific Understanding
- Passionate About Real-World Relevance of Science Through STEM/STEAM
- Passionate About Three-Dimensional Science Practices
- Local science-focused field trips
Thursday, Feb 14, 2019, 08:00 AM
Columbus Georgia Convention & Trade Center, Front Avenue, Columbus, GA, USA
GoFormative Training: Instructional Technology Training
Training session on using GoFormative in your classroom to assess students in an effective way to collect data and item analysis. Want to learn more? Join us on Jan 31st. Please bring a charged chromebook and a short assessment (about 5 questions).
Thursday, Jan 31, 2019, 04:00 PM
167 Werz Industrial Boulevard, Newnan, GA, USA
Comments, Concerns, Questions?
Email: donald.white@cowetaschools.net
Website: bit.ly/CCSSScience
Location: 167 Werz Industrial Boulevard, Newnan, GA 30263
Phone: 770-254-2800
Twitter: @dwhitesciguy