Kottie Christie-Blick, Cottage Lane science teacher, and Samantha Levine, Instructional Science Coach (K-8) traveled to Nashville, TN to present at the National Science Teacher’s Association Annual Conference. The presentation, “Climate Science: How Can Such a Serious Topic Be So Much Fun?!” addressed how to make climate science understandable and engaging to elementary and middle school students. The presentation included background on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and how the activities presented addressed the NGSS standards.
There was also virtual participation by Cottage Lane Technology teacher Jacob Tanenbaum on how to use computer modeling to illustrate the affects of climate change on the atmosphere. During the presentation, teachers had an opportunity to try three different activities illustrating glacial ice melt, ice reflectively, and how variables affect the rate of the water cycle. Lastly, some advice was given on how to incorporate these activities into a new lesson planning model while incorporating classroom management strategies.
While at the conference, Mrs. Christie-Blick, Mrs. Levine, and High School Science Coach Brian Newburger were able to attend a variety of other sessions being offered such as: Interactive Notebooking; the 5E model of lesson planning; the Elementary and Middle School Share-athon; Climate Literacy for all age groups; and using computer modeling with-in the classroom. We are very excited to turn-key this information to our larger school community.
By Samantha Levine
