Why You Should Attend Why You Should Attend Science in the Rockies

Here's Why YOU Should Attend...

• Participate in more than 75 ready-to-use science activities that are inquiry-based, standard-related and kid-tested
• Learn how to connect great science activities with popular children's literature
• Gain a better understanding of the science concepts behind the fun activities
• Feel more confident in your approach to building real-world connections to simple concepts
• Make students want to learn more and more using active learning strategies
• Take home $300 worth of teaching materials ready to be used in your classroom... immediately.

In just a few days, you'll be well on your way to using proven strategies for creating unforgettable learning experiences for your students. You'll learn how to reinforce concepts with hands-on activities and examples of classroom applications. This science Boot Camp focuses on developing inquiry-based activities that promote exploration and strengthen critical thinking skills. You'll leave this seminar with the knowledge, presentation skills and tools to make science a favorite part of your teaching day.

Earn Graduate Level Credit

Teachers may earn "graduate level credit," also known as professional development units through our partnership with Brandman University. These credits are not part of a degree program, but instead are primarily used for professional advancement (such as salary increment steps and recertification). You can earn up to three credits for taking Science in the Rockies. An application for credit is given at the end of the workshop and must be completed within one month after the dates of the workshop. Payment is due with your application which is sent directly to Brandman University.

More than just cute ideas... we need solutions!

When Steve Spangler asked primary teachers what would be the best way to teach science, teachers responded with a no nonsense approach. "Give us easy science activities that help our students build critical thinking skills... to use the scientific method... and are so engaging that kids want to learn more on their own." Let's face it, science is already fun, but it also has to be relevant to the curriculum and to the real world. And teachers need science lessons that can be easily integrated into all areas of the curriculum. "The days of trying to squeeze science in at the last minute are over... we need something new and easy."

Bottom line... Steve Spangler will help you take the fear out of teaching science and become a more effective science teacher using simple and inexpensive materials... guaranteed!

Mission Control... We Have a Serious Problem

Dr. Joanne Vasquez, member of the National Science Board, recently delivered the bad news in an open letter to the education community.

"The recently released Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2003 (TIMS)-an international student assessment conducted in 15 countries and released on December 14, 2004-tells us that American fourth-graders are doing no better in science than they did in 1995. Ten years later, and still no progress has been made with our youngest learners. But why should we care if six-year olds take science or not? The answer is simple: because future innovations in science, technology, engineering, defense, national security, and a whole lot more could be at stake.

Science instruction has come to a dismal halt or been severely curtailed in far too many elementary classrooms across the United States. While we do not argue that these subjects are also important, science, like all subjects, requires a developmental building of conceptual understanding that must start in kindergarten. Yet many students reach the intermediate and middle grades with little or no science instruction, and if they receive any, it happened when the teacher could squeeze it in.

To effectively improve elementary science, schools and administrators need to value the science education they offer, and they must provide quality professional development, mentoring, and resources to our elementary teachers. This will be vital if as a nation we want to truly see students achieve in science."

The theme for teacher training workshops 20 years ago was, "Science is Fun!" Dozens of professional development workshops and institutes did everything possible to get teachers turned on to teaching science. Steve Spangler refers to this as the "arts & crafts" period of science education training. A survey of principals in the Cherry Creek School District in Colorado revealed that students were having fun doing lots of hands-on activities, but the translation from 'real fun' to 'real learning' didn't happen in most instances. "Just because kids are doing a hands-on activity doesn't mean they're learning," according to Steve Spangler. "We as teachers need to learn how to effectively use inquiry-based activities to teach our students how to better use the scientific method and to stimulate their problem-solving skills."

Yes, science is fun, but now we need creative ideas and strategies for integrating science into our curriculum. The goal of Science in the Rockies is to show early childhood educators (K-6th Grade) how to use proven best practices and teaching strategies to make science more exciting, more engaging, more interactive and more meaningful in their classroom.