STEM Ed Announcement: Elementary Science/Engineering Saturday Seminars

["Mort Sternheim" <mort@k12s.phast.umass.edu>]

This is a UMass STEM Ed program
 ===============================
 
 Elementary Science & Engineering Saturday Seminars
 
 Fall, 2012  
          
 ** Designed for ELEMENTARY teachers **
 
 New teachers are especially welcome         
                 
 *Five Saturdays each term; 8:30-1 at UMass Amherst, Lederle Grad Towers 1033 
 *Educational materials, refreshments, parking, PDP's included
 *Advance registration is required; capacity is limited
 *Cost $30 per session, $120 for all five sessions
 *4 PDP's per half day session; option for 3 grad credits at
 reduced cost with extra work
 
 September 15.  Fun with Color and Carbon Dioxide.  Steve Schneider,
 Astronomy; Debbie Carlisle, Education; Rob Snyder, STEM Ed. Come and
 learn some fun and creative ways to teach the science of color change
 through inquiry activities involving carbon dioxide detection. In
 this workshop, art and science are effectively combined to enhance
 student learning and engagement. For example, your students can
 investigate the question "can your breath make a liquid change
 color?" A simple and readily available chemical indicator (BTB) is
 used to detect the presence of carbon dioxide in breath and air
 samples that students collect. Students enjoy seeing dramatic color
 changes produced by air samples. They can learn how to use a digital
 camera as a scientific instrument. Free software can analyze the
 colors in digital photographs of the air sample students are testing.
 The color analysis provides an opportunity for students to explore
 primary and complementary colors. Throughout the activities, simple
 experimental design is reinforced. Bring a digital camera and laptop
 if you can.
 
 September 29.  Simple Machines. Jim Klaiber and Dave Wartel, retired
 science teachers. The seminar is lighthearted and demonstrates many
 fun and stimulating activities to bring into your classrooms.  We
 begin with an informative PowerPoint to introduce the six types of
 simple machines and show how students use them every day.  Using
 simple materials usually found in their classrooms, teachers can do
 can do numerous activities with levers, pulleys, and the wheel and
 axle.  You will find that buying expensive equipment from the
 overpriced catalogs is unnecessary.  Handouts will be provided for
 each activity. Exciting activities include being hoisted by a block
 and tackle or house jack and accepting the challenge of the two bar
 pulley system.  For older students there are activities that include
 finding the actual and theoretical mechanical advantage of simple
 machines such as the hammer, bottle opener, broom, and fishing pole.
 
 October 13.  Energy and Electromagnetism. Steve Murray, elementary
 science specialist. Find out how you and your students can utilize
 Massachusetts Standards-based, inquiry science to engage students in
 developing the content and processes of science. Participants will
 engage in first-hand investigations using materials and techniques
 from the FOSS Energy and Electromagnetism Kit 3rd edition that will
 include investigations that will explore: the learning progression
 and core ideas appropriate for the upper elementary level students,
 science centered language development; assessments (formative,
 summative and performance); identification of STEM opportunities;
 science note booking techniques to help students document and make
 sense of their hands-on experiences; multi-sensory and collaborative
 group learning.
 
 October 27.  Exploring elementary student misconceptions in science
 and how to engage our young students as "scientists" in our classes.
 Dan Bisaccio, Brown University. This workshop will focus on
 "uncovering elementary student misconceptions" in science and
 strategies to turn misconceptions into conceptions.  How do we know
 what our students think they know? How do we create curriculum to
 uncover and then develop curriculum to assist our students to get it
 right. This workshop will be "hands-on" demonstrating a variety of
 ways to engage young students with the big ideas / concepts in
 science.  Participants will have the opportunity to explore formative
 pre-assessment activities as well as ways to develop investigations
 for your students to engage in developing their cognitive constructs
 of science.
 
 November 17.  Supporting Natural Engineers with Robotics.  John
 Heffernan, Williamsburg Schools. Kids are natural engineers and
 builders. We don't support their natural building instincts once they
 leave the rich hands-on PK and K classrooms. However, we still expect
 them to be interested in engineering when they get to high school.
 Learn how to keep this interest alive all through the elementary and
 middle school years with robotics in this hands-on seminar.
 
 December 1. Weather makeup if needed.
 
 December 8. Recall for those registered for graduate credits.
 Hasbrouck Lab.
 
 Graduate credit option: There is a charge of $300 for 3 Continuing
 Education credits plus a $45 registration fee. This is in addition to
 the $120 STEM Education Institute fee. Teachers may obtain credit for
 the seminar as many terms as they wish, but only 3 credits may be
 applied to UMass Amherst degrees. A lesson plan and a book report
 will be required for those enrolled for graduate credit. We will have
 Continuing Education registration forms at the first seminar.
 
 Questions: Mort Sternheim, mort@umassk12.net, 413-545-1908,
 www.umassk12.net/sess. 
 
 Registration: www.umassk12.net/sess/register.html. Required for
 everyone whether or not they are registering for graduate credit.                                              

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