Cobb Science

November News and Notes

Are You Ready for Science Fair?

Now that November is upon us, many schools are gearing up for their science fair. Now is a great time to start since our Cobb District Fair is coming right up on January 30th. Please note that the location of the district fair changed from Kennesaw Mountain High School to The Cobb Safety Village. Also, this year the elementary fair will be held the same day as the secondary fair and we are excited about the learning opportunities that will ensue for all age levels.

November Professional Learning Opportunities

We are about to kick-off the next round of sessions in the Differentiation for Deeper Learning series, the theme of which is Problem Based Learning (PBL).


Tuesday, November 17th: Clarkdale Elementary

These face-to-face sessions will include a brief overview to PBL, hearing from a teacher panel, and experiencing a sample PBL.


3:15-5:15 Elementary School Teachers (register here www.goo.gl/SHSypD)

5:30-7:30 Middle and High School Teachers (register here www.goo.gl/dA1vwu)


Tuesday, December 1st: Online Webinar

These webinars will cover how to find resources related to PBL cases


3:00-3:45 Elementary School (www.tinyurl.com/K-5Diff)

4:00-4:45 High School (www.tinyurl.com/ScienceHSDif)

5:00-5:45 Middle School (www.tinyurl.com/ScienceMSDiff)


The Georgia Aquarium is hosting two interesting workshops this month as well.

Ocean Talks is a three-part workshop kicking-off on Saturday, November 21st. Why Do We Explore? is a workshop held on Saturday, December 5th. See the Cobb Science webpage for the fliers and more information about how to register.

Teacher Spotlight

Carol Mickus and Crystal Mast of Cooper Middle School hosted the first-annual Water Tower Competition in conjunction with Marietta Middle School on Friday, October 30th. Students built towers under the guidance of their teachers, and volunteers from Cobb Water led the students through a series of activities to test their towers, as well as learn more about what it takes to provide clean drinking water to the community.


Are you doing something exciting in your classroom? Let us know so we can showcase you!

Instructional Strategy Focus: CER

So much of science involves explaining how things work, but this can be difficult for students to do. The CER strategy (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) helps students develop sound explanations for their thinking. In this strategy, in order to effectively explain the answer to a question, students must:


  • list a claim that answers that question
  • provide evidence using data to support the claim
  • include reasoning about how the evidence supports the claim (using scientific rules or principles)


The strategy promotes critical thinking and emphasizes writing in the science classroom, two important skills for mastering the Milestones. Follow this sample mini-lesson to teach students how to use the strategy and see examples of students work: https://ldc.org/sites/default/files/module_docs/LDC-Sample-Mini-Task-CER-Data.pdf


Big image

Digital Tools and Resources

eCYBERMISSION

Saturday, Jan. 17th, 9pm to Thursday, Dec. 17th, 5pm

This is an online event.

Registration is now open for eCYBERMISSION. This program is a web-based Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math competition for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade teams. Your team will propose a solution to a real problem in your community and compete for State, Regional, and National Awards. Find out more at https://www.ecybermission.com/

River of Words Competition

Thursday, Jan. 1st, 9pm to Tuesday, Dec. 1st, 5pm

This is an online event.

Annual poetry and artwork contest for students ages 5-19. Entries must be received by December 1st. Find out more at http://gaprojectwet.org/gawet_row2.asp

Shell Science Lab Challenge

Friday, Nov. 6th, 9pm to Wednesday, Dec. 16th, 5pm

This is an online event.

Recognizes outstanding middle and high school programs for their exemplary approaches to science lab instruction utilizing limited school and laboratory resources, and raises awareness and exposure of the outstanding work being done in the science education field. Grand prize: a lab makeover support package valued at $20,000. Other prizes for runners-up. Find out more at http://www.nsta.org/shellsciencelab/