- Ocean Science Summer Institute 2013 –
A ‘Training of Trainers’ for both formal and informal educators!
Join us as we explore exciting, innovative inquiry-based curriculum for grades 4-6, designed to address the fascinating, interconnected nature of marine ecosystems, aligned with Next Generation Standards!
The GEMS™ Ocean Sciences Sequence includes:
• Unit 1 – What Kind of Place is the Ocean?
Physical features of the ocean
Ocean currents
• Unit 2 – What is Life Like in the Ocean?
Habitats
Adaptations
Food chains and food webs
• Unit 3 – How Are Humans and the Ocean Interconnected?
Human Impact on the Ocean
Protecting Marine Resources
Participants will receive:
- In-depth hands-on experience with all 3 units in the Ocean Sciences Sequence including implementation strategies
- Daily field experiences to study marine life in Puget Sound’s intertidal, inland waters and shoreline ecosytems
- Teachers guide including thorough instructions, print materials, interactive CD-ROM and DVD, extensive background
information, assessment system with scoring rubrics, color cards of habitats and organisms and more! (a $200 value)
- Lunch each day
- Direct experience with important components that involve students in the scientific process:
• identifying problems to solve
• designing investigations
• gathering and interpreting data
• reading the literature
• using technology
• assessing their progress
• recording their ideas and data in notebooks
• discussing their ideas with other students using the language of scientific discourse
- Optional whale watch trip to the San Juan Islands to see Orcas and the rich marine life of the Puget Sound area
Date: Monday-Thursday, June 24-27, 2013
Time: 9am – 3:30pm (M-W); Thursday: 9am – 1pm; Optional whale watch trip: 2-7pm
Location: Port Townsend, WA at the Fort Worden Conference Grounds
Cost: $580 per person for earlybird registration by June 7th; $625 per person after June 7th
$500 per person for teams of two or more sharing one set of Teachers Guides
Clock hours and graduate credit by request.
To download a flyer and application, click here
To register online, click here
Questions? Contact Laura Tucker; 360/379-5235 or Email: ltucker@ptmsc.org
Summer Workshops to Invigorate Your Curriculum
and Meet Those Tricky Standards
4 workshops – something for everyone!
August 13-16, 2013
For K-3rd grade teachers and educators:
“Aligning EALRs with Common Core Math and Language Arts Standards” featuring the GEMS™ guide Treasure Boxes
Tuesday, August 13; 9am-noon
In this engaging, innovative series of mathematics activities, children create personal collections of recycled and "found” objects and investigate their properties, calling many important science and math skills into play.
Common Core Math and Language standards are woven throughout this unit with exciting challenges that require careful observation, sorting and classification, logical thinking, graphing, analyzing data, and supporting observations and conclusions with evidence.
For more information, click here
To register online, click here
For 4th – 6th grade teachers and educators:
“Matter and Models” featuring the GEMS™ guide Crime Lab Chemistry
Wednesday, August 14; 9am-noon
Using a captivating mystery to begin the session, students are challenged to determine which of several black pens was used to write a ransom note. This leads to concepts of solubility, pigments, and separation of mixtures as they use chromatography to ferret out the culprit. Succeeding sessions provide multiple opportunities for students to visualize the molecular nature and behavior of matter, as they create and revise models and consider the advantages and limitations of models.
For more information, click here
To register online, click here
For middle and high school teachers and educators: 
“The Electromagnetic Spectrum”
featuring the GEMS™ guide Invisible Universe
Friday, August 16; 9-1pm
Intriguing activities deepen student understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum, enabling students to detect and consider wavelengths other than visible light. Activities feature energy stations, where students explore various devices that emit wavelengths in the infrared, microwave, ultraviolet and visible range. Students design their own tests to see what blocks each wavelength,
and what does not. They learn how these other wavelengths can be used to "see" things we cannot see with our eyes–allowing space scientists to detect
and image objects, phenomena, and sources of energy far off in space.
For more information, click here
To register online, click here
For K-8 teachers, educators and involved parents:
“How Parents Make a Difference” featuring the GEMS™ guide Parent Partners
Thursday, August 15; 9am-1pm
Decades of research dramatically demonstrates that parent involvement in their child's education is the single most important factor in predicting academic success–more important than a parent's own situation, background, or education. Research also shows that students and schools are most successful when parents and teachers work together as active partners. This powerful guide includes helpful and practical information for parents and caregivers to support their child’s success in school. Included are three 90-minute workshops for parents addressing how parents make a difference, how students learn, and testing and assessment.
For more information, click here
To register online, click here
All workshops are $50 (register by August 2nd for the earlybird rate!)
and include curriculum materials, refreshments, clock hours
and free admission to the Port Townsend Marine Science Center!
Great Explorations in Math and Science
Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California at Berkeley
The Port Townsend Marine Science Center is proud to be a member of the nation-wide network of GEMS Sites. We provide a wide range of opportunities for exemplary professional development, model teaching and curricular planning as part of our support of educators in Washington State and beyond.
GEMS is a leading resource for innovative science and mathematics education. Developed at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, and tested in thousands of classrooms nationwide, over 70 GEMS Teacher's Guides and Handbooks offer a wide range of hands-on, inquiry-based learning experiences for pre-school through 8th grade.
GEMS activities engage students in direct experience and experimentation to introduce essential, standards-based principles and concepts. Clear step-by-step instructions enable all teachers to be successful presenting the activities. GEMS units offer effective, practical, economical, and schedule-friendly ways to provide high-quality science and math learning to all students.
GEMS Teacher's Guides
GEMS Teacher's Guides are clearly organized, easy to use, and do not require special background inmath or science. Each unit stands on its own, though many complement each other nicely, and we have prepared recommended sequences of units at various grade levels. Every classroom session is outlined with an overview, materials list, and preparation requirements, followed by clear, step-by-step directions. Complete background information is provided for the teacher, along with photographs, illustrations, assessment suggestions, and literature extensions. Throughout each guide there are comments on presentation strategies and practical advice to help the teacher, suggested by teachers of GEMS units nationwide.
GEMS Curriculum Sequences
GEMS Curriculum Sequences combine the vitality and excellence of GEMS teachers guides with greater coherence, more scientific and educational depth, systematic assessment, informational readings, new learning technologies, and extensive background for the teacher. The goal of each sequence is to focus strategically and effectively on the core science concepts that students need to understand within a scientific discipline, in alignment with national, state, and district standards and benchmarks. This series represents implementation of the latest cognitive theories on learning, supporting next generation Curriculum Sequences.
The three sequences in this series include:
• Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 3-5
• Space Science Sequence for Grades 3-5
• Space Science Sequence for Grades 6-8
Educational Effectiveness of GEMS
There are several research studies that demonstrate the educational effectiveness of GEMS units. These studies and evaluations indicate that the GEMS program:
- makes a significant and measurable difference in and impact on student learning;
- improves student and teacher understanding and practice of inquiry;
- has the demonstrated capability of reaching all students, including historically underrepresented groups, special education and gifted students, in a wide variety of settings and regions;
- fosters positive attitudes and motivation of students and teachers in science and mathematics; and
- has considerable additional evidence of effectiveness and success.
...providing leadership in interdisciplinary educational research and practices in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
For additional information on the effectiveness of the GEMS series, please click here
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- From a PreK-2 teacher: Most significantly, this training will enable me to build a firm foundation in math and science for my kids’ future learning. It will also help my students realize math and science are “fun” not scary.
- From a grade 5-8 department chair: I am a better teacher. You have given me excellent resources, validation, and motivation. I always come back pumped up and convinced that I picked out a great job. I also appreciate, as dept. chair, having resources to give new teachers that have so much potential.
- From a university director of science education: Ms. Tucker has been instrumental in not only presenting exceptional professional development for individual teachers, schools, districts and national conferences, but also in developing the curriculum aligned to the national science standards to complement and provide the resources necessary for reform learning.
For More Information, contact:
Laura Tucker, GEMS Site Director
ltucker@ptmsc.org
(360) 379-5235
