WCPSS Elementary Science Updates

It's a brand new school year and time to reflect on what worked last school year and then make it even better! Why not plant those seeds of "SCIENCE LITERACY" for your students, families, and colleagues in your school building?

In case you have missed the "Elementary Science Resources You Should Know About" information from our past updates, we wanted to be sure to share important resources as we begin the "planting seeds" for SCIENTIFIC LITERACY over the course of the 2019-2020 school year.

• NC Essential Standards for Science Unpacking Documents The Unpacking Documents(scroll down for the unpacking) are grade level descriptions of what each standard means a student will know, understand, and be able to do by the end of the school year in the content area of science. The Unpacking Documents provide teachers with the rigor and depth found in the standards. The “unpacking” of the standards done in this document is an effort to answer a simple question “What does this standard mean that a student must know and be able to do?” and ensures the description is helpful, specific and comprehensive for educators.
• Science and Engineering Practices North Carolina students can achieve scientific literacy through an instructional program based on the Standard Course of Study for Science. The NC K-12 Science program includes Essential Standards and Clarifying Objectives from Life, Physical, and Earth sciences each year. A Framework for K-12 Science Education identifies practices and crosscutting concepts that promote a greater understanding of disciplinary ideas in science and how they are developed. For more information on the eight Science and Engineering Practices and for descriptions of what they look like in the K-5 Classroom click here. The Science and Engineering Practices are:

Asking questions and defining problems

Developing and using models

Planning and carrying out investigations

Analyzing and interpreting data

Using mathematics and computational thinking

Constructing explanations and designing solutions

Engaging in argument from evidence

Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information

• K-5 Elementary Science Curriculum Maps WCPSS Science instruction is designed using the NC Essential Standards for Science. The NC Essential Standards for Science identifies and unpacks what students should know, understand, and be able to do by the end of the school year. Our district curriculum maps can be used for grade level planning, PLT discussions, and for an overview of the entire year in science. We hope you find the resources helpful!

  
  

  • WCPSS Kindergarten Science Curriculum Map
  • WCPSS First Grade Science Curriculum Map
  • WCPSS Second Grade Science Curriculum Map
  • WCPSS Third Grade Science Curriculum Map
  • WCPSS Fourth Grade Science Curriculum Map
  • WCPSS Fifth Grade Science Curriculum Map (Updated)
  • WCPSS K-5 Science Strands and Standards

• Elementary Science Canvas The Elementary Science Canvas is inclusive of standards aligned resources, announcements, and instructional tools. Please encourage K-5 teachers to enroll in this useful resource and sign up to receive announcements. Link: ELEMENTARY SCIENCE CANVAS COURSE . Fifth grade teachers please be sure to check out the "Focus on 5th Grade" articles in our past updates!
• Science Standards and Kits: The Comparing K-5 Science Standards and Kits is a resource showing which K-5 Science Standards are aligned to our district science kits.
• Science Questions and Answers: The Elementary Science 2018/19 FAQ is a communication tool helping clarify questions and concerns that teachers may have about Elementary Science.
• What's In/What's Out: The Ins and Outs in Elementary Science 2017-2018 is a document communicating the rearrangement of content based on standards rather than science kit name.
• 3rd and 4th Grade UbD Units: Each unit is tightly aligned to the NC Essential Standards for Science. The units are also posted on grade level curriculum maps, CMAPP 2.0, and on the Elementary Canvas Site.
• 2-5 Science and EL Module Connections: Click here for information. While EL Modules do not teach the NC Essential Standards for Science, they do provide background knowledge or elaboration for some of the NC Essential Standards for Science through text. It's important to note that EL is not meant to replace instruction of NC Essential Standards for Science.

• 4th Grade Released Final Exam: Fourth Grade Teachers can now access the Released version of the NCDPI 4th Grade Final Exam. This is a great assessment tool that can be used as a pre-assessment or formative assessment.
• K-5 Assessment Support Assessment is a vital component of the teaching and learning process. If you are looking for science assessment examples that are aligned to standards and are developmentally appropriate the K-5 Assessment Support Document is a useful and standards specific tool.
• K-3 Read to Achieve (RTA) Science Libraries: In October 2018, funding was provided so that each WCPSS Elementary School received four K-3 Science Libraries (total of 31 books). Each book in the library is aligned to the NC Essential Standards for Science and can be used as a resource to support instruction. Teachers and students also have digital access to each title via Brain Hive. Please see the K-3 RTA WCPSS Science Library Communication Tool for details.

Does WCPSS and NCDP have any guidelines or policies on having animals in the classroom?

Yes! Please feel free to use the guidelines and policies below for your reference. Thank you!

• Policy Code: 4203/5031/7273 Other Animals In School
• Guidelines for Animals in NC Schools
• Parent/Guardian Notification for Animals in the Classroom
• Parent/Guardian Notification for Animals in the Classroom (Spanish Version)

Are you looking for some ways to lead your science discussions around the Science and Engineering Practices? Look no more! Check out the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) Prompts. Display them! Project them! You can even print the prompts on card stock, cut them apart, place them on student tables, and allow students to use them as a reference to guide instructional conversations around science concepts.

Why Do We Need to Teach Science in Elementary School? How would you answer this question? Each month we will highlight a STEM Teaching Tool. Each tool has a different focus and is based on research and practice. Share and discuss the tools with your colleagues. Tweet your ideas and tag us @WCPSSElemScie and let's learn from one another.

Discovery Education has a New Look!

Introducing Discovery Education (DE) Experience, a simple-to-use K-12 learning platform that combines dynamic curated curriculum resources with grab-and-go teaching strategies, personalized for your needs as an educator. This collection of real world educational content brings excitement and relevancy to the topics you teach, so all students have opportunities to unlock their true potential.

Check out the new Introduction to Discovery Education video (5 min) to get you started! (Make sure you are logged into your Discovery Education account through the WakeI ID Portal before clicking on link.) You can now personalize your own channels based on the NC Essential Standards for Science. Channels offer video segments, images, articles, songs, and more resources. Below are a few examples of channels that support the standards in our three science domains:

• Earth Science: The Moon Channel includes resources to support 1st, 3rd, and 4th Grade standards.
• Life Science: The Human Biology Channel includes resources to support 3rd and 4th Grade standards.
• Physical Science: Motion, Force, and Gravity Channel includes resources to support Kindergarten through 5th Grade Standards.

Go ahead and take a look at all of the DE resources right at your fingertips which can be used to support your science instruction. With a click of a button you can create a channel based on your grade level standards!

We are excited to begin development of 5th Grade UbD Units throughout the 2019-2020 school year. Once a unit is complete, it will posted to CMAPP 2.0, 5th Grade Curriculum Maps and to the Elementary Science Canvas. We will also make an announcement on our Canvas site. It takes about three months to compete each unit from start to finish. Thank you in advance for your patience.

Do you need a brief introduction on how to navigate our new 5th Grade UbD Science Units? If so, we have just the resource for you! In our Introduction to Understanding by Design video you will learn the following:

• Purpose of UbD Science Units
• Stage 1 Resources
• Stage 2 Resources
• Stage 3 Resources
• Using UbD during Grade Level Planning

The video was originally created for 3rd Grade Teachers but is applicable to 4th and 5th grade UbD units as well. We hope this eight minute video provides you with a brief introduction to the resources found within our 3rd, 4th, and soon to be 5th grade UbD Science Units.

WCPSS Elementary Science Professional Development

We are excited to announce some upcoming Elementary Science Professional Development learning experiences for the school year. Please share this information with your colleagues so that they can sign up on WakeLearns. Click the link for more information on each session. 2019-2020 WCPSS Elementary Science PD

WCPSS K-12 Science Professional Learning Series

How can the four components of the WCPSS K-12 Science Vision positively impact science outcomes for ALL students? How will your understanding of the Three-Dimensional Framework (Standards, SEPs, CCCs) impact instruction and student learning in your school or classroom? Discover the answers to these questions at the WCPSS Professional Learning Series on our upcoming Workdays. See the following flyer for course and section numbers dates, times, an locations.

NC Aquarium Scholars

Opportunities are available for Title 1 Schools for the 2019-2020 school year. Click here for more information.

Community Connections with a Geologist

Will Blocher recently assumed the role of Education and Outreach Geologist with the North Carolina Geological Survey. His primary objective is to promote Earth science education in NC, especially by serving as a resource for you, an educator in the position of teaching geology. He has constructed a survey to get a sense of how he can be a resource. If you have a few minutes, he would greatly appreciate some information from you. You can find his information and the survey using this link: Opportunities of Impact for an Education and Outreach Geologist .

Skype a Scientist

Want to give your students the opportunity to get to know a real scientist without leaving your classroom? SKYPE A SCIENTIST is a program that allows students to chat with scientists about concepts they are learning about in class. Click HERE for more information.

One Giant Leap: NC and the Space Race

July 20, 2019, will mark the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon. One Giant Leap: North Carolina and the Space Race will explore North Carolina’s surprising contributions to the space race with stories about the people, places, chimps, and things that helped make America’s historic leap to the moon possible. Visitors to the lobby exhibit can try out the Gemini training module from Morehead Planetarium or test their ability to perform tasks in space gloves. When: April 5, 2019, through January 5, 2020 Learn more: https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/exhibits/one-giant-leap

Assessment Literacy Canvas Course

Are you wanting to enhance your science assessment skills? Check out the Assessment Literacy course found on Learning Central. You can enroll in the self-paced course designed for educators looking to explore various assessment topics - from common types of assessment to a framework for creating and designing assessments. You can even earn CEU's.

Save the Date for SciREN

Are you interested in meeting and talking to local scientists about how to adapt their research to use as material in your classroom? Then please SAVE THE DATE for the Sixth Annual Scientific Research and Education Network (SciREN) Triangle Networking Fair and Educator Open House at The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh on 9/26/19. SciREN brings K-12 STEM teachers, informal educators, and other interested parties together with STEM researchers from various universities and institutions around North Carolina. Click here for more information.

Wetlands Are Wonderful Poster Contest (4th & 5th Grade)

It’s time to roll out the Conservation Poster Contest for the new school year! This year’s theme is “Wetlands Are Wonderful” and it provides a wonderful opportunity to integrate science, social studies, and visual art! Register by Oct. 4th to receive a “Wetlands Are Wonderful” Study Guide, Rubric, and Resources. Deadline to submit 4th & 5th grade posters is Friday, Nov. 1, 2019.Wake County posters are always AMAZING and have gone on to win regional and state poster contests! Please see the following for more information

• Promo Flyer
• Information Sheet
• Sign Up Sheet

Agape Center for Environmental Education Field Trips

The Agape Center for EE (ACE Education) is now scheduling field trips.ACE Education is a carefully developed and integrated program designed to meet the goals for science and social studies set forth by the NC Department of Public Instruction. ACE Education can handle up to 90-100 students on day field trips; some programs, such as the 8th grade Water Quality unit, we recommend about 60. Field trip dates are open September-December and February-May. Call now to avoid disappointment! For more information, please visit www.agapecenterforee.org or call 919-552-9421 x 210.

NCDPI First Tuesday K-12 Science Updates

Please enjoy the August First Tuesday Science Updates from NCDPI.

NSTA STEM Classroom Elementary Edition

Please enjoy the NSTA STEM Classroom Elementary August Edition.

Jennifer Fine, Elementary Science Senior Administrator (jfine@wcpss.net)

Walter Harris, Elementary Science Coordinating Teacher (wharris@wcpss.net)

Website: wcpss.net
Location: Wake County Public School System, Cary, NC, USA
Phone: 919-533-7152
Facebook: facebook.com/wcpss
Twitter: @WCPSSElemScie