STEM Resources

Some STEM Resources from HIDOE:

The Hawaii STEM portal 
 http://mystemhawaii.org 

Under Resources, there is a What is STEM one pager.  Perhaps we ought to agree on a definition of STEM at some point as well.  Not as complicated as ESS, thankfully. :)

Anyone can also join the Hawaii STEM group on Edmodo.  There are instructions how to do this on the STEM portal link above here under Resources.  Or search for it using this code:  cvu665

Edmodo is cool.  I think Katie said she uses it.  Anyone else?  If so, if there are any Edmodo groups that have good resources, maybe we should share them.

Standards Feedback

I just wanted to share the information I received from two of the STEM Resource Teachers (one Big Island and one Maui) regarding standards alignment for curriculum development.  Since there is still no statewide Science Specialist for the HIDOE, I believe these folks might have the most valuable voice on the matter.

"The HIDOE is slow to adopt the NGSS, therefore, all current curriculum development projects should align to HCPS III for Science and Common Core for Math and L.A.  Integration of NGSS is still on the horizon."
These are Alan Nakagawa's words, my colleague and STEM RT for West Hawaii on the Big Island.

I'm curious if this resonates with the other HIDOE teachers on the cohort as well as everyone.

Cross-Cutting Concepts

Here are 7 Cross-cutting Concepts for you to read through...
1.  Patterns. Observed patterns of forms and events guide organization and classification, and they prompt questions about relationships and the factors that influence them.
2. Cause and effect: Mechanism and explanation. Events have causes, sometimes simple, sometimes multifaceted. A major activity of science is investigating and explaining causal relationships and the mechanisms by which they are mediated. Such mechanisms can then be tested across given contexts and used to predict and explain events in new contexts.
3. Scale, proportion, and quantity. In considering phenomena, it is critical to recognize what is relevant at different measures of size, time, and energy and to recognize how changes in scale, proportion, or quantity affect a system’s structure or performance.
4. Systems and system models. Defining the system under study—specifying its boundaries and making explicit a model of that system—provides tools for understanding and testing ideas that are applicable throughout science and engineering.
5. Energy and matter: Flows, cycles, and conservation. Tracking fluxes of energy and matter into, out of, and within systems helps one understand the systems’ possibilities and limitations.
6. Structure and function. The way in which an object or living thing is shaped and its substructure determine many of its properties and functions.
7. Stability and change. For natural and built systems alike, conditions of stability and determinants of rates of change or evolution of a system are critical elements of study

Garden Teaching Resources

Aloha from the Big Island for the 3rd and final time this Saturday, 

In response to some questions from a few of you regarding teaching in the garden, I just wanted to post some resources that relate to gardening with students. 

1) Kokua Foundation: http://kokuahawaiifoundation.org/resources/educators/ 

      This is Jack Johnson's foundation that sponsors some wonderful scholarships/grants/events around the state to support school gardens and sustainable school practices in general. They have lots of mini grants for environmental projects/field trips that I have applied for and receive in the past. Also some great online resources.

2) Kohala Center- Hawaii Island School Garden Network: http://www.kohalacenter.org/HISGN/curriculum.html

I am highly involved with this program and helped to develop the curriculum/resources on this page. The woman who runs this program, Nancy Redfeather, is simply dynamite. We have posted some lessons and are working to create a standards aligned curriculum. 

3) Ku Aina Pa: http://kohalacenter.org/teachertraining/about.html

Also sponsored by the Kohala Center, this is the Garden Teacher Certification training I just completed. I highly recommend this program. Although registration for cohort 2 has passed, I am sure you could register for cohort 3 which will begin next June. 

Hope some of these links are interesting and useful!

Hayley

Vision Statement- First Attempt

Team,

We made the goal of posting a rough/working/drafty vision statement by July 1^st and we don’t have any posts on this topic yet, at least that I can see. (Bev, would you be able to post that example vision statement you shared with us when we were together so that we can use the format to help us? I remember you breaking down the format quite nicely.)

I searched for a vision statement of the NOAA curriculum, but did not find one. I also found many lengthy vision statements that precursor large, science curriculums, however, I would encourage us to be succinct and specific. This means we might need to identify our key cross cutting themes before drafting a vision statement. In my first try to draft a vision statement, I found myself naming some of the cross cutting themes we might address: Systems (this one seems like a given), Stability and change, and Cause and Effect.  I realize these are still up for discussion.

 Here is my first stab at it:

After engaging in the Celestial Islands Earth Systems Science curriculum students will…

1) Have a comprehensive understanding of the natural features that make the Hawaiian Islands' natural and cultural history unique.                       

2) Identify and begin to understand the interconnectedness of the five major spheres of science, atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), geosphere (land), biosphere (life), and cryosphere (ice?).

3) Gain ability to recognize, and discuss the Natural Systems of Hawaii, and how these systems are susceptible to Stability and Change.

4) Recognize plants, animals, cultural practices and landforms unique to Hawaii and explore the Cause and Effect relationships of them.  

*Each of these statements would easily be able to be changed into “I can” statements.

Again, I am unsure of the format and realize that the cross cutting concepts we would like to address are still up for discussion. This is just a rough, first try.

Thanks for reading,

Hayley

ESS Definition Analysis

Aloha all,

All three ESS definitions posted by Paula, Katie, and Joyce are very similar in the following ways:

1)  Each definition makes mention of the five basic spheres of the earth.

2)   Each of the definitions comments on the importance of examining the interconnectedness of the spheres. No single sphere can be studied in isolation. For example, from ESS in a nutshell that Paula posted, “The difficulty with any representation that divides the system is the danger of continuing a deconstructed perception of the holistic Earth system - in reality no part of the Earth system can be considered in isolation from any other part.” I think this is important.

3)  Two of the definitions speak about using chemistry, biology and physics to examine these spheres.

If we can agree on these 3 core similarities, we have a working definition of ESS, and we just need to flush out specifics and deal with the semantics. From my perspective, here are the details we need to tackle/consider:

1)  Which spheres should we include in our definition?  Most definitions include, atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), geosphere (land) and biosphere (life.) Sometimes the cryosphere seems to be listed as an afterthought. It mostly relates to the polar regions and ice (Maybe we could provide connections to this sphere with exploration of climate change?) Also missing, as the definition Paula posted states, “is the critical context within which the Earth system operates: the solar system and galaxy beyond (sometimes referred to as the exosphere), source of driving energy for the Earth (the Sun) and of critical external inputs such as asteroids and comets whose impacts have altered the Earth system significantly in the past.”

2)  Is there something unique about the study of ESS in Hawaii we need to include in our definition? Part of our mission is to create a curriculum that is highly place based, how should Hawaii’s singular location, evolutionary history and strong connection to traditional Hawaiian culture inform the definition we use for this curriculum?

*Instead of posting yet another definition, I hope this analysis of the three definitions that have been posted will serve to further our discussion on ESS definitions.

Project 2061

Aloha All,

Bev mention Project 2061 several times during our meetings,  so I decided to check it out.  Great site with great resources, something you might wanna check out as well!  Thanks Bev!

http://www.project2061.org/

Founded in 1985, Project 2061 is a long-term initiative of AAAS to help all Americans become literate in science, mathematics, and technology. To achieve that goal, Project 2061 conducts research and develops tools and services—books, CD-ROMS, on-line resources, professional development, and public outreach—that educators, researchers, parents and families, and community leaders can use to make critical and lasting improvements in the nation’s education system.