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Climate Science Learning WA
February 2019 Newsletter

ClimeTime Initiative

ClimeTime is a Washington state-level network developed to build the capacity of science teachers helping to help youth understand climate science and promote a thriving and sustainable environment. The ClimeTime work is facilitated by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) with all nine Washington Educational Service Districts (ESDs) and seven community-based organizations (CBOs) launching or expanding programs for science teacher training supporting Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and climate science education. In addition to teacher professional learning and training, the project supports the 16 grantees to develop instructional materials, design related assessment tasks and evaluation strategies, and facilitate student events in collaboration with the Institute of Science and Math Education at the University of Washington.

Project Updates - A selection of current activity within ClimeTime

  • On January 17, 2019 (Cohort 1) and January 18, 2019( Cohort 2) a total of 48 elementary teachers met at ESD 123 for their first follow-up day for Earth Systems and Changes.  Teachers engaged in learning about how ocean currents impact weather and climate in eastern Washington, using Models and Explanations, and developing formative assessment classroom tasks. Teachers experienced a convection current experiment and then found data and evidence in articles about drought, ocean currents and air currents, as well as watching NASA satellite images showing how currents move and weather is generated. They developed initial models and then, using their new learning, developed final models and explanations to make their thinking public. During this day teachers began to plan for classroom formative tasks focused on place based phenomena and functional in the context of their current science units.

  • High School teachers in the NCESD (ESD171) region are in the field test and adaptation phase of unit development for a second year high school course based on the Conceptual Progressions Model for the NGSS. Each unit is being crafted with inspiration from the University of Washington’s Ambitious Science Teaching framework with a focus on locally relevant phenomena. One unit is using Pika stress levels to investigate the cycling of matter and energy in the geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere and how changes in the system can impact the Pika. Pictured below are the initial causal loop models from a student group in Molly Ravitz’s class. Molly teaches in the Cascade School District in Leavenworth, Washington. Cascade is one of six districts in the NCESD region who are implementing the Conceptual Progressions Model at high school.
  • NCESD 171 is also involved in an OCDE Project GLAD® unit is being written on Climate Change. This unit will have a 3rd - 5th grade component, as well as a middle school component, in order to have a broader impact for our teachers and students. We will be piloting the use of these materials in April and May with a full OCDE Project GLAD® Tier I training in June.

Announcements

  • CLEAN is hosting webinars on their resources. Please check out the list of offerings and registration links.

  • Register for NOAA Webinars to support ClimeTime work and see past webinars and resources eg.Webinar #1: Integrating Native Ways of Knowing on Climate Change - Video and associate resources from the webinar.

  • Elizabeth Schmitz has joined the Learning and Teaching Science team at OSPI as the Environmental and Sustainability Education Program Manager. She has worked as an environmental education specialist Kentucky Division for Air Quality, has worked on climate change issues, and was the executive director of the Kentucky Environmental Education Council (KEEC). In 2017, Elizabeth returned to the Pacific Northwest to lead the Sauvie Island Center in Oregon. Elizabeth is thrilled to be working in the field of environmental and sustainability education with us here in Washington saying, “I am already inspired by the great work happening in schools and school districts, and I look forward to supporting the efforts of our learners and teachers across the state!” She can be reached at Elizabeth.Schmitz@k12.wa.us

  • The STEM Education Innovation Alliance will be meeting to share science education efforts with legislators and community members in Olympia on February 17 and several of these efforts have focused on climate education specifically. These are the projects selected from a great range of efforts across the state to present in a ‘science fair’ format:

    • Bordeaux Elementary: Trees, Forests, Weather & Seasons

    • Evergreen Elementary: Rain Drains

    • Lakeland Hills Elementary: Breathing Easier

    • Chewelah Alternative Program: Food Waste Footprint

    • Tumwater Hill Elementary: Food Waste

    • Bordeaux Elementary: Carbon Sink

    • Jason Lee Middle School: Renewable Energy

    • Thurgood Marshall Middle School, CSI: Effects of Climate Change in Capitol Lake

    • Olympic Middle School: Bayshore Preserve Restoration

    • Oakland Bay Junior High School: Hydropower as a Renewable Resource

    • Reardan High School: Southern Resident Killer Whales

    • Ellensburg High School: Beaver Activity and Habitat

    • Science and Math Institute: Stormwater Stewards

    • Colton High School: Soil Health Benefits of Cover Crops

    • Colville High School: Colville Fish Hatchery

  • Connect with ClimeTime

    • Sign up for future ClimeTime newsletters at: tinyurl.com/ClimateScienceLearningWA. Also be sure to add the email climtime@uw.edu to your address book so the newsletter will not be blocked.

    • Add social media tags to any events, courses, news including: #climetime, #teachclimate, #teach4climate

    • On Twitter we are at @WAClimeTime - check out this feed for shares on projects in real time.

Educational Resources - For Use with Learners

Since Time Immemorial

The Office of Native Education at OSPI has worked with indigenous groups and educators to create the Since Time Immemorial Curriculum. Check it out and think about how to incorporate this material into your science learning contexts.

 

The Choices Program

Brown University has created curriculum around Climate Change and Questions of Justice. Explore these resources as possible ways to enrich your climate education efforts.

 

Middle School Curriculum Resource

Climate Generation has created NGSS alligned Next Generation Climate education resources for Grades 6-8.

 

U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development

This organization has K-12 educational resources for thinking about solutions to environmental challenges more generally, including climate change specifically.

Professional Learning - For Use with Educators

Resources to Explore

Courses Offerings

Check out your local ESD for course offerings in climate science (look for ClimeTime) professional learning. Examples include:

  • Check out the ClimeTime Google Calendar for some of the events that are happening.

  • Also check out your local ESD pdEnroller site for courses specific to your area that may not yet be on the calendar.

STEM Teaching Tools and other Educational Briefs

A Bit of Inspiration

Copyright © *2019*. Information in this newsletter can be cited as ClimeTime. (2019). Climate Science Learning WA: February 2019 Newsletter. Collaboratively produced by OSPI and ISME.

Contact us: ClimeTime@uw.edu
Connect on social media using these tags:
#TeachClimateWA
#ClimeTime
Twitter: @WAClimeTime

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