Professional Development opportunities with SEE-North:
Additional Resources:
(Click on name to go to their sites; scroll down for more information)
The Michigan Department of Education has released the timeline to develop the new content expectations in science. This document was developed and adjusted many times after receiving much input from science educators around the state. To download the document, please visit: http://michigan.gov/documents/Science_Timeline_143547_7.pdf
Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics
NEST Grants - Michigan DNR provides small grants to schools for development of gardens or wildlife habitat on school grounds.
Math Science Centers - link to your local Math and Science Center for Professional Development opportunities and resources.
Michigan Department of Education - Explore the latest updates on State Curriculum Benchmarks in Math and Science. Free downloads include:
Investigation Journals - The Michigan Department of Education has developed several objectives for Science Education. One of these objectives states that "all students will design and conduct investigations using appropriate methodology and technology." This website lists journals by title, grade level, Michigan benchmark, and vocabulary. There are also blank journals on this site if you are interested in creating your own investigations.
National Gardening Association Teacher Resources
Schoolyard Habitats - This website was created by the National Wildlife Federation. The idea behind this is to create habitats in a schoolyard setting for children to work on. This site gives six easy steps in starting the project.
Project Tulip - participate in an international science project, where students investigate the relationship between geography, temperature and the arrival of spring. This fall, hundreds of students around North America will plant the same variety of tulip bulbs according to the same guidelines. When the tulips bloom in the spring, the news will be shared with classmates across North America, to chart the northward progression of spring.Check out the Journey North site by clicking on the link highlighted above, for more information about lesson plans and national Science Education Standard correlations.
Project FeederWatch - This is a great website designed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to get children interested in birds and science. This project is designed to be an annual survey of birds that visit feeders during the winter months.
Green Schools - This program is designed to help the students learn how to help save energy in their school, and it also gives hands on experience which will strengthen math and science skills.
Earth Watch - This Student Challenge Award Program (SCAP) aims to expand the potential of arts and humanities - gifted high school students, and to stimulate their curiosity about science and technology.
Water on the Web - This website is wonderful for high school teachers. It provides elaborate teacher lesson plans, instructions for students, study and inquiry activities and more.
New NASA Education Workshops - These are workshops administered by the National Science Teachers Association. For more information, contact Mark Gower at (703) 243-7100. You can also get more information if you check out the website and download the application. The deadline is February 20 each year.
Education Development Center-Beyond Blame - In response to the terrorist tragedy and subsequent attacks against Arab-Americans, a team of EDC researchers and curriculum writers developed the curriculum "Beyond Blame: Reacting to the Terrorist". The 25 page curriculum is designed for Middle and High School students with a focus on issues of justice and mislaid blame. The document is an important instructional tool with suggested strategies for how to approach the numerous issues that such events may generate in the classrooms. "Beyond Blame: Reacting to the Terrorist Attack" has been posted to the EDC Home page, just click on the blue link above.
Exploratorium - The museum of science, art, and the human perception.
YouthLearn - This web-site is designed to assisit youth programs in making a difference in the lives and potential of young people. There is a lot of good information about inquiry-based learning