The Program
The Program provides K-8 Science Teachers with equipment and Virginia SOL-based content and activities — free of charge, and includes a stipend. It also aims to provide a vertical-support network between Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Science teachers.
The workshops
A typical workshop is targeted to certain grade levels, and includes hands-on involvement from participants and presenters. Constructivist activities are used to present content as well as model lessons for K-8 teachers. All materials, typically class sets, used in the workshops are given to the K-8 teachers when possible. They include such equipment as sets of tuning forks, mirrors, rocket launchers, lenses, calipers, stopwatches, magnets and pen lasers. Creative uses for rubber bands, tinfoil, pvc pipe, paperclips, foam balls, and other affordable 'household' materials are commonly presented. Concepts are enriched through videos, powerpoints, and worksheets, also provided to all participants.
SAMPLE WORKSHOP SERIES – 3 Day
| Middle School | Session Topic | Topics, Materials & Equipment |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | Forces | Newton‘s Laws, Gravity, Energy Motion carts & tracks, masses, electronic balances, timers, meter sticks, wooden blocks, PVC rockets, PowerPoints, Worksheets, additional lab sheets Download resources: Newton‘s Laws (powerpoint), Newton cars activity (.doc), Gravity presentation (powerpoint), Gravity pop rockets activity (activity | teacher‘s notes), Foam rocket activity |
| Session 2 | Sound | Wave Motion & Characteristics, Resonance, Doppler Tuning forks, Speed of sound lab, Slinkys, snakeys, PowerPoints, Worksheets, additional lab sheets Download resources: Speed of Sound, Making Waves 1, Making Waves 2, Waves Powerpoint (70MB) |
| Session 3 | Light | Properties of Light, Reflection, Refraction Pen Lasers, Plane Mirrors, Curved Mirrors, Converging & Diverging Lenses, PowerPoints, Worksheets, additional lab sheets Download resources: Laser Golf (reflection), Plane Mirrors (reflection), Lenses (refraction), Building a Telescope |
SAMPLE WORKSHOP SERIES – 5 Day
| Grade 5 | Session Topic | Materials & Equipment |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | The Atom | PowerPoints, Worksheets |
| Session 2 | Waves | Slinkys, PowerPoints, Worksheets |
| Session 3 | Sound | Palm pipes, Pipe cutter, Doppler Balls, Resonance Boxes, Rubber Band Guitars, PowerPoints, Worksheets |
| Session 4 | Light: Reflection | Mirrors, Laser Pointers, Curved Mirrors, Light Boxes, PowerPoints, Worksheets |
| Session 5 | Light: Refraction | Lenses, Stands, Bulbs, Meter Sticks, Prisms, Flashlight, PowerPoints, Worksheets |
| Grade 4 | Session Topic | Materials & Equipment |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | Forces | Motion carts & tracks, mass sets, timers, meter sticks, wooden blocks, PowerPoints, Worksheets |
| Session 2 | Energy | Springs, Bouncy Balls, PowerPoints, Worksheets |
| Session 3 | Static Electricity | Tape, Balloons, Plastic & Glass Rods, Silk & Wool, Pivot Stands, PowerPoints, Worksheets |
| Session 4 | Current Electricity | Stringed Light Segments, Hand Crank Generators, Wire, Alligator Clips, Multimeters, PowerPoints, Worksheets |
| Session 5 | Magnetism | Permanent Magnets, Compasses, Batteries, Wire, PowerPoints, Worksheets |
Benefit to K-8 teachers
- New ideas to implement in the classroom
- A greater confidence that comes with broader and deeper content knowledge
- A forum to share your teaching strategy expertise
- Free materials to use in classroom experiments
- A small stipend
- Recertification points possible
- A horizontal and vertical network of science teachers
- Smarter, happier, more engaged students
Benefit to high school teachers
- An opportunity to 'shape your future' in terms of K-8 teachers' effect on science skills and attitudes of future students
- A forum to share your teacher strategy expertise
- A horizontal and vertical network of science teachers
- A small stipend
- Recertification points possible