Agriculture in the Classroom, Science Friday Collaborative, Tinkering, NSTA Seattle Area Conference Call for Proposals, Tote Climate Workshop

photo by Hannah Wallace/Civil Eats

THE SCIENCE TEACHER / JANUARY 2019

PLANTING THE SEED FOR STUDENT UNDERSTANDING OF OREGON AGRICULTURE

We love hearing from the Oregon Science Project about teachers who are doing amazing work in science education across the state. This month, we got a great tip in the form of a blog post written by Dawn Alexander, a fifth grade teacher in Redmond. We were instantly intrigued! Read on to learn more about how Dawn engages her students in science, literacy, and technology through the lens of agriculture.

TOST: How did you become interested in agriculture education?

Dawn: I was raised on a ranch; as my dad worked on cattle ranches while I was growing up. I was born in Oregon but we spent most of my life in Nevada. I went to the University of Nevada in Reno and majored in Agriculture Education. That was back in the early 80s and there weren’t many female ag teachers and not many programs in Nevada. I started substitute teaching and got a lot of calls for elementary classes. I figured I could teach agriculture to elementary students as most young people don’t know anything about ag! Flash forward, and this is my 34th year of teaching in grades 1‑5. We talk about the need for kids to learn in a hands‑on way, and learning about agriculture is such a great fit. There’s so many careers in ag, and many of the jobs don’t require a four year degree. I think many students just don’t know how much agriculture there is in OR. Oregon has over 220 different commodities! Through the Deschutes County Farm Bureau, a few teachers in our district have received funds to attend the Summer Ag Institute sponsored by Oregon Ag in the Classroom [note: 2019 registration is open now]. Participants spend time on different farms, and going on tours to learn about different commodities, and what farmers are doing. Our lives are impacted by ag everyday, which makes it an easy subject to engage students in and integrate into all of our other subjects.

TOST: Tell us about your fifth grade elementary class ‑ what are you currently studying? Who are your students?

Dawn: I have 26 students this year. I have a couple of students with ILS (independent living skills) designation who have an assistant, and are doing a modified project. Our school is about 58% free and reduced lunch. We’re right in the middle of a neighborhood so a lot of the students walk to school. I’m really involved with Oregon Ag in the Classroom, and with their materials we do several projects over the year. Last summer a fellow teaching partner suggested I create a Donors Choose project, and I decided to create a project called “Please the Bees.” I purchased an indoor 6x6 greenhouse that I have set up in my classroom. I also ordered seeds, peat pots, trays, and several different books (What if There Were No Bees?, If You Love Honey, The Beeman, You Wouldn’t Want to Live Without Bees, The Honey Makers).

Last year our 5th graders had studied the 50 states for Social Studies using Spheros. This year I asked them to think about an ag commodity that needs pollination by bees. I did some research on what crops need to be pollinated by bees, and gathered up materials. Each student chose a commodity and started researching why it’s important, where it’s grown in the state, and if they could find out what type of bee pollinated that crop. We also researched bee facts, what’s happening to our bees, and how we can help bees, since every 1 out of 3 bites of food are the result of pollination. This week, students got a large sheet of paper, drew the outline of Oregon, and added their research around the state. Then they programmed their Sphero to record, moving from spot to spot on their map. Students chose to research commodities like strawberries, watermelon, kiwi, kale. In addition to the Sphero project, we planted our pollinator garden that we’re going to transplant to the front of the school in the spring.

TOST: How has the transition to the NGSS affected how you and your students learn about agriculture?

Dawn: Redmond is adopting Amplify, so we’re doing more hands‑on learning in our classrooms which ties in really well with ag education. There’s four different Amplify units for fifth grade and the one I’m doing right now is about ecosystem restoration, which ties in with our bee project. We’re learning about different animals than what might be in the Amplify unit, but it’s still addressing the same concepts. I’m a part of the Oregon Science Project and the majority of us are using Amplify. We’ll be looking at how to tweak things so that the curriculum is more relevant to our students, as well as incorporating local resources like guest speakers, materials, and field trips.

Agriculture education is easy to tie in with about anything ‑ literacy, math, social studies, career exploration. A lot of jobs in agriculture are STEM careers. I received a grant to do a Women in STEM project, so I’m purchasing books that talk about women like Temple Grandin, Sally Ride, Eugenie Clark, and other women. Soon, I’ll tie in opportunities for women in STEM careers.

TOST: What tips would you give to others who are interested in incorporating more agriculture into their curriculum?

Dawn: Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom, and National Agriculture in the Classroom are great websites for teachers to get started with teaching about agriculture. The National site has a curriculum matrix with a ton of great lessons at each grade level. Other states have submitted lessons there also. Teachers can type in any topic related to agriculture and find lessons. At my school, we’ve had several classrooms do activities like garden in a glove and pumpkin pie in a bag. Teachers are probably already addressing agriculture when they’re teaching science, but may not even realize it, just like the kids!

Many thanks to Dawn for taking the time to share more about her classroom and her love of agriculture education! If you think you might be interested in learning more about how to engage students in agriculture in the classroom, register now for Oregon Ag in the Classroom Summer Workshops!

APPLY FOR THE SCIENCE FRIDAY EDUCATOR COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM!

Formal and informal educators, Science Friday is inviting you to join an elite group of educators who will create new multimedia‑driven education resources as part of our 2019 Educator Collaborative Program!

This program allows educators to work in a cohort along with Science Friday to create amazing, free resources that can be used in classrooms across the country.

Teachers accepted into the program will receive professional development about creating highly‑adoptable web‑based resources, editorial and illustration support, SciFri swag, $500 for their completed work, and author credit for their work! Let Science Friday help you share your amazing instructional practice with teachers all around the country and world.

You can hear about the great things created from educators in this year's cohort on last week's Science Friday show. Applications are due January 4th, 2019! Apply today!

TINKER. CODE. MAKE ‑ A DAY OF PLAY FOR EDUCATORS

Tinker.Code.Make is designed for K‑12 teachers to come and get hands‑on experience on a number of different STEAM items so they can get ideas to integrate into their classroom curriculum. The day will start off with a variety of different STEAM activities to explore in our “Exploratorium.” Educators will have time to browse the different stations, there will also be a number of different design challenges and tasks for you to dive deeper and see how to implement in your classroom. Come over to Vose Elementary School in Beaverton, and network with other teachers in the Portland area. Breakfast and snacks will be provided. Event will be held January 12 from 9‑12. Click here to register.

THE NSTA SEATTLE AREA CONFERENCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS IS OPEN! Please share your great work with educators across the and beyond!

Seattle Area Conference: Fostering a Culture for Science will be held December 12–14, 2019

Submit your session proposal now through January 15, 2019! For more information about how to submit, please view this document.

WEB SEMINAR: HOW TO STEM UP YOUR CLASSROOM

How does your district do STEM education? The rush to become STEM‑ready has left many administrators and teachers scrambling to define STEM and implement effective programs. During this FREE web seminar on January 24, 2019 at 3:30pm, the 2018 NSTA/NCTM STEM Ambassadors will discuss what STEM education means to them.

These teacher leaders will discuss the history of STEM, what is (and what’s not) STEM, what administrators need to know, the role of math in STEM, STEM in the K‑ 6 classroom, and STEM‑STEAM‑or STREAM? Join us for this free webinar and come away with tips and ideas you can use to bring STEM to your school, to strengthen existing programs, and help to shape and develop the content and practices that characterize the STEM disciplines. Register Today! to participate in this web seminar.

TOTE CLIMATE WORKSHOP WITH SOUTH SLOUGH RESERVE

Wade into climate science on the with South Slough! The Reserve offers hands‑on, interactive trainings for classroom teachers, pre‑service teachers and non‑formal educators who work closely with schools.v This unique winter workshop will meet from 8:30 AM ‑ 4:00 PM February 15 & 16th, and 9 AM ‑ 3:00 PM on February 17th, 2019.(Overnight housing is available.) We will use the phenomenon of ocean acidification to explore causes and effects of changing atmosphere on estuaries and oceans. Participating educators will receive:

$150 stipend NGSS structured activities that demonstrate climate‑related phenomena strategies for teaching about climate change lunch & snacks each day field trip and classroom support 20 hours of professional development

South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve educators, scientists and partners will use field sites and research in the South Slough and Coos Bay estuaries to provide content for essential science practices and make cross‑ curricular connections. This workshop will use research from the Reserve to review climate science, and examine an unexpected data story observed by Reserve scientists.

Please contact us with questions! 541‑888‑5558 x127 or [email protected]. Deadline to register is January 25, 2018. *Attendance is required all days to receive the stipend and field support.

MIAMI UNIVERSITY’S PROJECT DRAGONFLY IS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 2019 EARTH EXPEDITIONS GRADUATE COURSES

Miami University’s Project Dragonfly is accepting applications for 2019 Earth Expeditions graduate courses that offer extraordinary experiences in 16 countries throughout the world. http://EarthExpeditions.MiamiOH.edu

Earth Expeditions can build toward the Global Field Program (GFP), a master's degree that combines summer field courses worldwide with web learning communities so that students can complete the GFP master's part‑time from anywhere in the or abroad. http://GFP.MiamiOH.edu

Project Dragonfly also offers the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) master's degree that combines web instruction from Miami University with experiential learning and field study through AIP Master Institutions in the U.S. Applications for Miami's 2019 cohorts are being accepted now for the AIP master's that includes place‑ based experiences at zoos in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, New York, San Diego and Seattle. New for 2019: St. Louis‑area residents can earn the AIP master's and study through the Missouri Botanical Garden, AIP's newest Master Institution and first dedicated botanical garden. http://AIP.MiamiOH.edu

Graduate tuition for all programs is greatly reduced because of support from Miami University. Applications are due January 28.

AMERICAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY ONLINE TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Who? Middle and High School Science Teachers

When? Program Runs: March 2019–February 2020

Applications Due: January 31, 2019

Program Highlights:

$300 grant for your classroom Pays you a stipend of $1,300 for completed professional development lessons Focuses on student‑centered learning and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Engages you in a national professional learning community during and after the program.

Learn more and apply at frontiersinphys.org. Frontiers is a program of the American Physiological Society.

UPCOMING SCIENCE EVENTS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

(CONTACT US IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT FUTURE EVENTS) Online learning

Soil: A Natural and Societal Resource, January 7‑March 15 NSTA Web Seminar: How to STEM Up Your Classroom, January 24 Stanford NGSS Assessment Project Courses through January 31 Picture Perfect STEM winter course, begins January 30 (K‑5) Shifting to the NGSS Book Study, begins February 12 (K‑5) Cascadia Earthquake Education course. Self‑paced. UO Real Solutions for NGSS Science Teaching. Self‑paced.

Central Oregon and the Columbia Gorge

STEM Saturday at The Dalles Library, January 5 Lunar Eclipse Viewing Party, January 20

Greater Oregon

Computer Science Fundamentals Workshop, January 19 (K‑5)

Lane County

Assessment for the NGSS, January 16 Project Wild Workshop and NGSS Training , February 13

Oregon Coast

Stormwater Pathways ‑ MWEES By the Sea in Cannon Beach, January 12 Renewable Energy Educator Workshop, January 12 Computer Science Fundamentals Workshop, February 9 (K‑5) Climate Workshop ‑ Teachers on the Estuary, February 15‑17

Portland Metro

Tinker. Code. Make. January 12

Southern Oregon

NASA Mission Update, January 16 Lunar Eclipse Star Party, January 21 Computer Science Fundamentals Workshop, February 9 (K‑5)

South Metro‑Salem

Discover STEM Careers in Agriculture, January 18

THIS MONTH'S PHENOMENON: COMMODITIES NEAR YOU

This map from Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom gives a visual representation of Oregon's agricultural commodities. Teachers: order your free copy here!

What's your local agricultural commodity(s), and why is it grown in your region? Asking these questions opens up so many more questions about soil chemistry, local climate, transportation of goods, ecosystems, engineering design, human impacts, and more.

Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom is a great resource to start digging deeper into agricultural commodities and beyond. You can find lesson plans, information about school gardening, and sign up for weekly current events in agriculture.

What native plants and animals are important resources for people? To learn more about Native American agriculture, this blog post from Oregon Ag in the Classroom has links to many educational resources written by Native Americans.

Contact us! 971.361.OSTA | 4110 SE Hawthorne Blvd, #1025 | Portland, OR 97214‑5246 www.oregonscience.org| Facebook | Twitter Unsubscribe