GK-12 Summer Institute for Teachers
and Fellows
The
goals of our 2007 GK-12 Summer Institute are three-fold:
1) to build the foundation for a solid working relationship
between each teacher and fellow, 2) to introduce the teachers
and fellows to the principles of how students learn and
how that knowledge can be applied to scientific inquiry,
and 3) to train the teams in a range of inquiry-oriented
environmental curricula that they will use during the school
year. We anticipate the establishment of strong teacher-fellow
partnerships grounded in the common goal of creating enthusiastic
young scientists in seventh grade classrooms in Bassett,
Canyon Hills, Henderson, Ross and Wiggs Middle Schools in
El Paso Independent School District.
Week 1 Indio Mountains Research Station
July 23 - 27, 2007
Monday,
July 23
8:30 AM – Noon GK-12 Program
Orientation Geology Building, Room 201
Team building activity and agenda
review
Fellows’ 6th grade successes
GK-12 grant overview
GK-12 program evaluation data
Noon
– 1:00 PM Lunch provided
1:00
– 5:00 PM Travel to Indio Ranch via UTEP vehicles
5:00
– 7:00 PM Unload vehicles, dinner preparation,
shared meal, clean-up
7:00
– 7:45 PM Introduction to Labs 7 & 9
8:00
– 8:45 PM Dinner and clean-up
9:00
- 10:00 PM Research presentations by 5 fellows
(See page 6)
Optional night study: Indio Bats and their Prey
Tuesday,
July 24 – Thursday, July 26
6:00
– 7:00 AM Coffee or juice
7:00
– 9:00 AM Labs and lab review sessions 1, 4 and
7
Lab 1: Introduction to Indio Mountains Research Institute
Geocaching
Lab 4: Pitfall Trapping I
Lab 7: Temperature at Different Locations
9:00
– 10:00 AM Breakfast, clean-up
10:00
– 12:00 PM Labs and lab review sessions 2, 5 and
8
Learning Session Review
Lab 2: Vegetation Monitoring
Lab 5: Indio Water Chemistry
Lab 8: Energy Awareness
1:00
– 2:00 PM Lunch, clean-up
2:00
– 3:00 PM Lab 7 research, Lab 9 research
3:00
– 5:30 PM Mandatory REST TIME
5:30
– 7:30 PM Learning Sessions 3, 6 and 9
Learning Session Review
Lab 3: Egg Predation
Lab 6: Pitfall Trapping II
Lab 9: UV Measurements
8:00
– 9:00 PM Dinner, clean-up
9:00
– 10:15 PM Teacher presentations by 5 teacher teams
(Tuesday – see page 9)
Research presentations by 5 fellows (Wednesday – see page
6)
Game Night (Thursday)
Optional night studies:
Astronomy (Eric Hagedorn, Chris Benker)
Scorpion and Snake Hunt (Hector Riveroll)
Entomological study using light trap (Becky Marin)
Friday,
July 27
6:00
– 7:00 PM Coffee, Juice
7:00
– 9:00 AM Lab 10: Animal Track Plates
9:00
– 10:30 AM Breakfast, clean-up, pack up personal
items
10:30
– 12:00 noon Summer Institute Week 1 Review
Learning Session 10 debriefing
Teacher/fellow partner survey
Summer Institute/Graduate Seminar topics
12:00
– 1:00 PM Lunch
1:00
– 5:00 PM Indio Ranch clean–up; travel back to
El Paso
GK-12 Summer Institute for Teachers and
Fellows
Week 2 UTEP Geology Department
July 30 – August 3, 2007
Monday,
July 30
Geology Building, Room 201
8:30
– 9:00 AM Summer Institute, Week
1 evaluation
Identification of teacher/fellow teams
9:00
– 10:00 AM Inquiry-based science:
Understanding by Design
Tonight’s reading: Introduction, pp. 1-11
10:00
- 10:10 AM BREAK
10:10
– 10:45 AM El Paso ISD Introduction
Calendar, Employee Standards of Conduct, Attendance Records
10:45
– 12:00 PM Choose and plan for the
teaching of one El Paso ISD mandatory lab.
El Paso ISD Scope & sequence for grade 7 science
12:00
– 1:15 PM LUNCH on your own
1:15
– 2:45 PM Teaching chemistry using
inquiry
Dr. Jim Becvar, UTEP Chemistry department
2:45
– 3:00 PM BREAK
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Lab: Leaf litter sampling
Schoolyard
Desert Discovery, Arthropod Kit
Tuesday,
July 31
8:30 – 9:30 AM
Lab: Bird Feeding at Chihuahuan Desert Gardens
Schoolyard
Desert Discovery Bird kit
9:30
– 10:20 AM Review Understanding
by Design introduction
Tonight’s reading: pp. 13-23
10:20
– 10:30 AM BREAK
10:30
– 12:00 PM Teaching simple machines
using inquiry
Bill Robertson, UTEP College of Education
12:00
– 1:30 PM LUNCH on your own
1:30 – 2:30 PM
Use of models in science teaching
Eric Hagedorn, UTEP Physics department
2:30
– 4:00 PM Prepare for your mandatory
lab in school groups.
Wednesday,
August 1
8:30
– 10:00 AM Lab: Bird feeding/bird
behavior study at Chihuahuan Desert Gardens
Schoolyard Desert Discovery Bird kit
10:00
– 10:10 AM BREAK
10:10
– 10:45 AM Discuss Understanding by
Design, pp. 13-23.
Tonight’s reading: UbD pp. 23-34
10:45
– 12:00 PM Review GK-12 lesson modules
for use in 7th grade classrooms.
12:00
– 1:00 PM LUNCH on your own
1:00
– 2:30 PM Report on the use of
GK-12 lesson modules.
2:30
– 4:00 PM Preparing for the Classroom:
Case Study Discussion
Finalize mandatory lab presentations.
Thursday,
August 2
8:30
– 10:00 AM Mandatory Lab 1: The
Moonth of Phases by Canyon Hills Middle School
10:00
– 11:30 AM Teaching physics using inquiry
Rosa Fitzgerald, UTEP Physics Department
11:30
– 12:00 PM Grade 8 TAKS Science information
12:00
– 1:15 PM LUNCH on your own
1:15
– 2:15 PM Teaching environmental
science using inquiry
Temperature and Evaporation Rate
Stephanie Bestelmeyer, Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park
2:15
– 3:45 PM Mandatory Lab 2: Soaring
Straws by Ross Middle School
Friday,
August 3
8:30
– 10:00 AM Mandatory Lab 3: Change
Matters by Henderson Middle School
10:00
– 10:10 AM BREAK
10:10
– 11:40 AM Mandatory Lab 4: Sand
Hills by Bassett Middle School
11:40
– 11:50 AM BREAK
11:50
– 12:30 PM LUNCH provided
12:30
– 2:00 PM Mandatory Lab 5: Reasons
for the Seasons by Wiggs Middle School
2:00 – 2:30 PM Summer
Institute, Week 2 evaluation
Schedule
teacher meeting and team meetings for fall, 2007
Reflections
on team lesson planning and teaching
