This category contains current online Science Professional Development Offerings

Exploring Cellular Respiration Using Mystery Test Tubes

Developed by Alison Maes, Ferndale Public Schools

Participants will:

1. Be able to implement a biology lesson "Mystery Test Tubes" which is designed to be a model for the Next Generation Science Standards.
2. Understand cellular respiration and fermentation as methods that living organisms use to transform energy.
3. Be able to enhance student proficiency with the NGSS practices related to investigation design, data analysis and scientific argumentation.
4. Understand and be able to support students in their use of the claims, evidence and reasoning format in scientific writing.

In this workshop, participants will follow instructions, view in-class videos and produce a Learning Log with reflections on topics and questions. At the end of the workshop, participants are required to submit their Learning Log for approval, upon which they will receive credit for the workshop.

In addition to producing a “Learning Log” participants will be tracked through the Moodle participation log.

NGSS Readiness: the Independent Learning Component

Developed by Michael Galagher and Rochelle Rubin, Oakland Schools

This online workshop is The Independent Learning Component of the NGSS Readiness Pathway. The NGSS Pathway offers educators a chance to develop an understanding of the NGSS and to begin to put into practice elements that will move us toward the vision for science education implied within. Educators who complete the NGSS Pathway will be recognized with a NGSS Readiness Certificate which can be used as evidence of understanding and achievement.

Teaching Discovering Plate Boundaries

Developed by Michael Gallagher, Oakland Schools

The participant will understand

1. How the activity “Discovering Plate Boundaries” fits into the Oakland Schools Scope curriculum and the role it can play in a unit learning cycle that addresses the topic of Plate Tectonics.
2. The evidence that lead geophysicist to develop the plate tectonic theory.
3. How to resource and implement the activity “Discovering Plate Boundaries” in the classes.
4. The critical role of teacher facilitation of student discourse in this activity.

In this workshop, participants will follow instructions and view in-class videos through four parts and produce a Learning Log with reflections on topics and questions. At the end of the workshop, participants are required to submit their Learning Log for approval, upon which they will receive credit for the workshop.

In addition to producing a “Learning Log” participants will be tracked through the Moodle participation log.

Teaching Every Pebble Tells a Story

Developed by Michael Gallagher, Oakland Schools

The participants will understand:

1. How the activity “Every Pebble Tells a Story” fits into the Oakland Schools Scope curriculum and the role it can play in a unit learning cycle that addresses the topic of Plate Tectonics and Earth History.
2. The evidence that lead geophysicist to develop the plate tectonic theory.
3. How to resource and implement the activity “Every Pebble Tells a Story” in the classes.
4. The critical role of teacher facilitation of student discourse in this activity.

In this workshop, participants will follow instructions, view in-class videos and produce a learning log with reflections on topics and questions. At the end of the workshop, participants are required to submit a Learning Log for approval, upon which they will receive credit for the workshop.

Teaching the 400 Acre Wood Cost Benefit Analysis by PLT

Developed by Jennifer Coury, Lake Orion School District

In this workshop, participants will

1. Understand the roll the  “400 Acre Wood Cost Benefit Analysis” can play in a science unit.
2. Be able to implement a biology lesson, “400 – Acre Wood” (a Project Learning Tree lesson) which serves as a model for how to integrate the practices in the Next Generation Science Standards.
3. Understand how science investigates optimization using cost-benefit analysis..
4. Understand how to help students’ structure writing into a claims-evidence-reasoning format in support of Common Core English Language Arts (ELA) Standards for science.

The participant will follow instructions view in-classroom videos and produce a Learning Log with reflections on topics and questions. At the end of the workshop, participants are required to submit their learning log for approval, upon which they will receive credit for the workshop.

Teaching Understanding Light Science

Developed by Monica Harvey, Rochester Community Schools

Participants will understand how to:

1. Use "What is Light?" as an Engage activity that fits into the Oakland Schools Scope curriculum and the role it can play in a unit learning cycle that address the topic of Electromagnetic Waves.
2. Use a discrepant event to create dialogue in a classroom and how to use class discussion to guide "next step" activities that will allow for student Exploration.
3. Use scientific interactive notebooks to encourage student reflection, and identify misconceptions.
4. Help students to design an experiment that limits variables and to record process that can be replicated.
5. Encourage students to elaborate on an understanding of UV radiation in the Electromagnetic Spectrum.

In this workshop, participants will follow instructions and view in-class videos through to produce a Learning Log with reflections on topics and questions that they are required to submit their learning log for approval, upon which they will receive credit for the workshop.  Participants will also leave this online professional development with activities that could be used to extend this activity to incorporate Common Core literacy standards for science.

In addition to producing a “Learning Log” participants will be tracked through the Moodle participation log.

Using the Planting Science Website to Structure Student Experiments

Developed by Jennifer Coury, Lake Orion School District

In this workshop, participants will:

1. Be introduced to PlantingScience, a learning community where scientists provide online mentorship to student teams as they design and think through their own inquiry projects.
2. See the Scientific Practice Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information from the 3. Next Generation Science Standards in action in PlantingScience.
3. Review student work and become familiar with a rubric to help with the practice Constructing Explanations from the Next Generation Science Standards that can be applied to any scientific evidence.

Participants will follow instructions through three parts and produce a learning log with reflections on topics and questions. At the end of the workshop, participants are required to submit their Learning Log for approval, upon which they will receive credit for the workshop.