Science in the Rockies 2007 Press Release for Steve Spangler's Summer Training 2007

The shuttle buses are loaded and teachers are on their way back home armed with strategies, best practices and some pretty cool ideas for integrating more science in their classrooms.

Download the 2007 Press Release

Press Release

Denver, Colorado, August 1-3, 2007 – It’s been called a “Mr. Wizard-style” training camp
for teachers who are looking to add more purpose and pizzazz to their science lessons. The
three-day intensive training called Science in the Rockies targeted early childhood
through middle school teachers who needed creative science integration strategies... who
are tired of trying to “squeeze” science into their already packed teaching schedule... and
who want to make science even more fun and meaningful in their classrooms.

"Our goal was to give teachers the necessary training and tools to do more science in their
classrooms in the coming year," according to Steve Spangler, Executive Director of the
National Hands-on Science Institute and lead trainer at Science in the Rockies. "The
problem is one of time: teachers want to do more science with their students, but many
elementary teachers just cannot find the time needed to give students the opportunity to
really do science," says Spangler.

"Some elementary teachers are forced to put science on the back burner until early Spring
when state testing in other curriculum areas is finished. Science education cannot
withstand that kind of assault... and this sort of 'boot camp' training is so important to the
future of science education."

During the three-day training, teachers participated in more than 75 hands-on science
experiments and demonstrations aimed at getting students to use the scientific method to
solve problems and make their own discoveries. For example, as a way of demonstrating
the incredible power of air, instructor Doug Hodous vacuum-packed a willing teacher
participant in a giant plastic bag.

"Once you're sealed in a bag from the neck down and the air is removed, you understand
what it feels like to have 14.7 pounds of air pushing on every square inch of your body...
and every kid in class wants to be vacuum-packed!" Doug Hodous, who has been teaching
at the National Hands-on Science Institute since 1996, encouraged teachers to use
demonstrations to grab the students' attention and set the stage for a more hands-on
experience that get students really doing science.

Julie Gintzler, children's literature specialist and Boot Camp instructor, shared many best
practices and strategies for connecting science with popular pieces of children's literature.
After reading the children's classic, Snowy Day, Gintzler showed teachers how to make it
snow in their classrooms using a material called a superabsorbent polymer commonly
found in baby diapers. Adding water to the powder produced an eruption of faux snow
accompanied by many ooohs & ahhhs! "It's fun to use science to make the story literally
come to life. Teachers need to learn how to tap into a child's natural curiosity to create
science learning experiences that promote wonder, discovery and exploration."

“Teaching science is not all fun and games,” Spangler explained at the outset of the three-
day training. “If we continue to allow some schools, administrators and teachers to put
science on the back burner, we will move one step closer to making science education an
extra-curricular activity.” According to Spangler, there is hope if teachers focus their efforts
on integrating science into their everyday curriculum.

During the opening session, Steve shared his thoughts and perspective on the “hands-on”
approach to learning. “We all learned that a hands-on approach is better than the more
traditional sit-and-listen lecture style, but is that true? Just because students have stuff in
their hands doesn’t mean that they’re learning. The secret is engagement instead of just
involvement. Students want to be engaged and to be challenged to make their own
discoveries,” Spangler said as a way to set the stage for this unique training experience.

For additional information about this unique training experience, visit
www.stevespanglerscience.com/scienceintherockies/