This section of the OCDE Science Website (under construction) highlights a variety of useful Science Resources, for use by teachers in Orange County.
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Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary
Tucker Spring Fair & Art Festival
April 17 & 18, 2010 Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary will be holding a Spring Fair and Art festival. Admission is $4.00 and children under 12 are free. Click on Spring Fair & Art Festival (above) for a flyer with more information.
The Education and The Environment Initiative
The Education and the Environment Initiative was created to increase environmental understanding in California’s K-12 students in order to create future generations of sound environmental decision makers. Please see the website calepa.ca.gov/education/eei for more information.
Middle School Portal
– A network portal for Middle School Math and Science teachers. This website has resources, forums, discussions, online events, and connections for math and science teaching:
http://www.msteacher2.org.
California Regional Environmental Education Community (CREEC)
Orange County Region 9b Newsletter
The latest CREEC newsletter is available for downlading at the newsletter section at http://www.creec.org/region9b/ .
As always, this newsletter contains a Hidden Question. All individuals responding will be entered into an Opportunity Drawing to win one issue of Green Teacher Magazine. One person¹s name will be drawn to win the grand prize. All other participants will receive appreciation gifts.
Check out the website as well! It is updated and loaded with information.
If you do not see your organization¹s information on the OC-CREEC website or in the newsletter, please email HdelaMaza@ocde.us and enter your events in the online Calendar (see the explanation on p. 7 of the Newsletter).
Share the Newsletter with colleagues and friends! If they like it, please have them sign-up for the Newsletter via the website.
Informational and Teaching Resources
NSTA LEARNING CENTER
The NSTA Learning Center (http://learningcenter.nsta.org)
is a state-of-the-art web portal that contains thousands of standards-based learning resources for teachers of science. Resources include web seminars, e-book chapters, journal articles, Science Objects, SciGuides, SciPacks, and more. It is customized to allow teachers to assess their content knowledge and design a path specifically for their individual needs and preferences.
FREE MATERIALS FROM NIH
We have a growing collection of free science education materials available to you and your colleagues. These printed and online resources focus on medically relevant life sciences and are described at
http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Publications/NAT0409.
All of our materials are free of charge and are downloadable from the Web site above. Printed materials are available individually or in classroom sets.
Here is a sampling of our products: <http://www.novaresearch.com/NIGMS/pubcoversNAT.gif> * Findings magazine, which profiles vibrant scientists and includes puzzles and games. Each semi-annual issue introduces students not only to cutting-edge research, but also to the varied personalities, hobbies and backgrounds of the researchers, who could serve as role models for future scientists. Our new 'Ask a Scientist' online feature allows students to submit relevant scientific questions to researchers profiled in the magazine. Free subscription.
* Award-winning booklets on topics like cell biology, genetics, chemistry, pharmacology, structural biology and computational biology. Several of the booklets are enhanced with additional online content.
* Interactive games and crossword puzzles that teach science.
* Scientific image galleries containing downloadable photos, illustrations and videos.
* Video and audio interviews with scientists.
* A monthly electronic newsletter that highlights recent scientific advances.
These materials are produced by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (part of the National Institutes of Health). They are not copyrighted and you are free to excerpt content from them to use in the classroom or on a class Web site.
If you know of other people or organizations who would be interested in these free educational resources, please forward this message to them. We also encourage you to include information about our free materials in relevant listservs, Web sites and newsletters.
If you have any questions about NIGMS science education materials, please contact me at MachaleA@nigms.nih.gov or 301-496-7301.
Alisa Zapp Machalek
Science Education and Outreach
National Institute of General Medical Sciences, 45 Center Drive MSC 6200, Bethesda, MD, 20892-6200
Preventing Chemical Spills: Flinn Scientific Safety Training Notes
www.flinnsci.com/Sections/Safety/Snotes/snotes.asp
Chemical spills are bound to happen in every school science lab. This month's free Safety Training Notes from Flinn Scientific entitled "Preventing Chemical Spills" offers 13 common-sense tips to help you reduce spills and minimize their impact. From recommendations to help you purchase chemical bottles, to chemical storage techniques and laboratory procedures, we offer proven "best practices" to help you reduce the risk of chemical spills. To print "Preventing Chemical Spills," click on the link above.
NEW Back Bay Science Center Now Open!
The new Back Bay Science Center is now open where your students can experience a hands-on facility to study and enjoy the estuarine ecology of Newport Bay and the marine ecology of the ocean. See http://www.backbaysciencecenter.org/ for more information.
QUEST
A KQED public television media series exploring Northern California Science, Environment and Nature. For more information visit kqed.org/quest.
Jean-Michael Cousteau Ocean Adventures
The Ocean Adventures Education Outreach Campsign increases ocean literacy among students by providing engaging educational materials. See www.pgbs.org/oceanadventures for more information.
Discovery Science Center
Professional Development for teachers. For more information visit: www.discoverycube.org/education.aspx?q=11 Orange County Museum of Art OCMA
OCMA's "Imaging & Imagining California" lesson 3 "Capturing the Atmosphere" connects to Science Content Standards.
Popular Science
The monthly magazine that keeps you informed of current happenings in Science.
Science DailyCurrent events
National Science Digital Library
NSDL is the nation's online library for education and research in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
NSTA Online Professional Development
For information visit: http://learning center.nsta.org
National Science Foundation (NSF)-Science Classroom Resources For information visit: www.nsf.gov/news/classroom
Online Physics Simulations from the University of Colorado. Projects are posted at: http://phet.colorado.edu
Inquiry in Action is a collection of guided inquiry investigations covering basic chemistry concepts. See: http://inquiryinaction.org
Lab Out Loud: Science for the Classroom and Beyond
Lab Out Loud is a podcast and blog that discusses science news and science education with leading scientists, researchers, science writers and other important figures in the field.
http://www.laboutloud.com/
Teaching Resources from EDInfo
Biology
Chemistry
Case MethodCase Method of Teaching
Energized LearningHome Energy Saver
Microbial LifeMicrobial LIfe
NanotechnologyNanotechnology
NOAA Discovery KitsDiscovery Kits
PhysicsPhysics
Tides and Water LevelsTides & Water Levels
Opportunities for Student and Teachers
COSMOS California State Summer School for Math and Science
Sally Ride
Doheny State Beach This website contains an excellent teacher's guide to tidepool life at Doheny State Beach. Teachers who
wish to visit Doheny should contact Vicki Wiker at vwiker@parks.ca.gov.
Discovery Science Center
Discovery Science Center, 2500 N. Main St., Santa Ana, CA 92705 (714) 542-2823
www.discoverycube.org
Pali Institute
Pali Institute is an outdoor education and science camp facility situation in the beautiful San Bernardino mountains, minutes from Lake Arrowhead and 90 minutes from Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange Counties. http://www.paliinstitute.com/
Images
We are currently compiling a science image collection highlighting the diverse natural environments in Orange County. These images, intended for use in the science classroom, will be collected by teachers using state-of-the-art digital technology. Take a look at the amazing detail in the example below!
EARTH AS ART
View the Earth through the eyes of the Landsat-7 satellite.
http://earthasart.gsfc.nasa.gov/image_index.html
Books:
Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn by Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker, Gayle Karhanek, Richard Dufour
Learning by Doing: A handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work by DuFour, DuFour,
Eaker, and Many.
The Collaborative Teacher by Cassandra Erkens, Chris Jakicic, Lillie Jessie, and Dennis King
Articles:
A Blueprint for Increasing Student Achievement. Educational Leadership; Nov 2003, Vol. 61 Issue 3,
pgs. 71-76.
Taking Formative Assessment Schoolwide. Educational Leadership; Dec/Jan 2008, Vol. 65 Issue 4, pgs.
64-68.
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