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RI Science Professional Development and Student

Opportunity Bulletin 

December 20, 2013This bulletin will be sent on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

If you would like to share an event, quality resource, or other opportunity, please follow the directions for doing so atthe bottom of the newsletter. To SUBSCRIBE send an email to Peter.Mclaren@ride.ri.gov with SUBSCRIBE RISCI-MSHS in the Subject Line 

Go To RIScienceTeachers - https://riscienceteachers.wikispaces.com/  for PDF copy of past

issuesNew In This

Bulletin 

NGSS News  News  Web Sites 

Job

Opportunities 

Prof.

Development 

Student

Opportunities 

We wish you all a very Happy Holiday season and a safe and restful vacation! The

RISCI-MSHS Bulletin will resume on January 3rd

New In This Bulletin: RIDE.RI.NET Email Accounts Will No Longer Be Valid

After January 1st Edward C. Roy, Jr. Award for Excellence in K-8

Earth Science Teaching – Apply by January 10th

2014 Washington Youth Summit on the

Environment Seeks Nominations Of Your Students – 

Sophomores and Juniors (Class of 2015 & 16) 

Job Opportunities:

Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island is seeking applicants

for the position of Education Program Assistant 

Job Description: 

The Educational Program Assistant will play an important role in assisting the development, building and sales ofonboard programs and partnerships. The ship is scheduled for completion this spring and the next 6 months are

critical in creating and establishing relationships with educational institutes. OHPRI will begin programs this summer

with seven 1-week summer camps, the Education Program Assistant will be responsible for assisting with the sales,

marketing and administrative work to fill these weeks. This will involve visiting schools and attending camp/college

fairs, networking with youth organizations, presenting at public events, and increasing public awareness of the

organization and ship.

How to apply: Applicants should send resumes and references with a cover letter to:

Jessica Wurzbacher -  jess@ohpri.org 

Director of Operations and Education

29 Touro St, Newport, RI. 02840 

News:

2 Rhode Island Educators to be Honored by President Obama As Outstanding Math and

Science TeachersWASHINGTON, DC -- President Obama named 102 mathematics and science teachers as recipients of the prestigious

Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. This year’s awardees represent all 50

states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Department of Defense Education Activity. The educators will

receive their awards at a Washington, DC, event in the coming year. Rhode Island is proudly represented by Clare

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Ornburn of Ashaway Elementary School in Hopkinton who won the award in science and Regina Kilday of Metcalf

Elementary School in Exeter who was selected in mathematics.

The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is awarded annually to outstanding K-12

science and mathematics teachers from across the country. The winners are selected by a panel of distinguished

scientists, mathematicians, and educators following an initial selection process done at the state level. Each year the

award alternates between teachers teaching kindergarten through 6th grade and those teaching 7th through 12thgrades. The 2012 awardees named today teach kindergarten through 6th grade.

Winners of this Presidential honor receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation to be used at their

discretion. They also are invited to Washington, DC, for an awards ceremony and several days of educational and

celebratory events, including visits with members of Congress and the Administration.

Nominations for the 2014 PAEMST are open through April 1, 2014. For more information about PAEMST, please visit

www.paemst.org. 

RIDE.RI.NET Email Accounts Will No Longer Be Valid After January 1st OSHEAN, after consultation and agreement with RIDE (RI Dept. of Education), is announcing that it will be shutting

down ride.ri.net e-mail and dialup Internet services effective January 1, 2014. OSHEAN has determined that amajority of users of  ride.ri.net e-mail have migrated to an internal mail system within their individual organizations

(Google Apps, Office 365, Exchange etc.). Most active accounts of the mail system are setup to forward to another

account (internal mail system) or are being used as personal e-mail.

If you are still using ride.ri.net mail as your primary mail system, there are several free and low cost solutions

available, such as Google Apps for Education or Office 365 for Education for schools; for individual users there are

multiple options including outlook.com, gmail.com that are available free of charge. OSHEAN will also be retiring the

ride.ri.net dialup Internet service at the same time. There are a very small number of active users of this system, and

the volume of usage does not justify the cost of keeping this legacy service running. THIS LISTSERV and all current

lists will not be affected by this change still remain active. RISCI-MSHS and other lists will not be affected by this

change.

Cox and Verizon both have home Internet service available at a reasonable cost, which can more than likely bebundled into existing Phone and TV service contracts for users that are still using RINET service to connect to the

Internet from home.

Below are links to Google Apps for Education and Office 365 for education.

http://www.google.com/enterprise/apps/education/  

https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/academic/  

If you have any questions regarding this announcement, please contact OSHEAN network support at

netsupport@oshean.org. 

How can schools better engage students in science? 

Parents say they want schools to focus their curricula on more science -- an area in which they say schools are lacking-- and are pushing for more engaging lessons, according to a recent poll by National Public Radio, the Robert Wood

Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. Minnesota teacher Mary Colson, who helped write the

Next Generation Science Standards, said fewer science topics should be taught but lessons should be deeper, a

process that can be chaotic for the classroom but makes science real and interesting to students. National Public

Radio (12/17) 

NGSS News:

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Panel Recommends New Breed of Assessments for Science Learning (Ed Week)

By Catherine Gewertz on December 17, 2013 11:01 AM

Laying out a new vision for science assessments, a panel of the National Research Council Tuesday proposed that

states design testing systems that integrate several key types of science learning, and blend classroom-based

assessments with state-level "monitoring" tests and gauges of students' "opportunity to learn."

The proposal, detailed in a 256-page report, offers an expert panel's ideas on how testing should change to fully

reflect the Next Generation Science Standards adopted by eight states so far. The picture it paints departs

markedly from current assessment practice, which tilts heavily toward students' knowledge of science facts, and

typically takes place in one large-scale statewide exam each spring.

Instead, to gauge student learning, the panel recommends that states obtain feedback from three sources. One is

ongoing, classroom-based, or "formative," assessments, which would draw students into building and refining

scientific models, generating and analyzing data, and creating oral and written arguments about what they're

learning. These could take the form of curricular units, student-work portfolios, tasks drawn from a district's bank of

items, or other activities.

One example of classroom-based assessment mentioned in the report shows how a teacher might ask 6th grade

students to build models of air particles, and then lead them in discussion so she can ascertain what they did—and

didn't—understand about the scientific practices used to build them. Another shows how a 5th grade teacher could

oversee an extended unit on biodiversity in the schoolyard, guiding students as they gather data, analyze it, and build

arguments to interpret it.

The second source of information would be state-level "monitoring" tests that would be aimed at measuring how well

students have learned the material over the course of a year, and that could be used to meet states' accountability

needs. The expert panel suggests that while these tests would include multiple-choice and short-essay items, they

should lean as heavily as possible on performance tasks—or, at the very least, "multicomponent tasks." The panel

urges states to consider using a matrix-sampling design for parts of their tests, in which group-level results are drawn

from students taking portions, rather than the entirety, of the test.

Finally, the panel says states should collect school-level information about resources that affect students' chances "to

learn science in the ways laid out in the [NRC] framework and the [new science standards]," such as access to good

instructional materials, the level of teachers' subject-matter expertise, and instructional approaches that allow

students "of varying cultural and linguistic backgrounds" to access the material. The NRC framework is a document

developed by a team of experts that was designed to help guide the development of the Next Generation Science

Standards.

The three dimensions of the new science standards—"core ideas" of the sciences, the "practices" scientists use to do

their work, and "cross-cutting concepts" that connect the science disciplines—should all be integrated into curriculum

and instruction, but also into science assessment, the panel says.

'Thorough Rethinking' of Assessment Needed 

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The NRC report notes that the framework  underlying the new science standards "proposed a dramatic rethinking of

science education," and "established goals that cannot be achieved through tinkering," so "a thorough rethinking" of

assessment is required as well. "Measuring the learning described in the NGSS will require assessments that are

significantly different from those in current use," the report says.

"It will not be feasible to assess all of the performance expectations for a given grade level during a single assessment

occasion," the report cautions. "Students will need multiple—and varied—assessment opportunities to demonstrate

their competence on the performance expectations for a given grade level."

Putting such a new assessment system into practice will take time, and should start from the "bottom up," with the

classroom-based assessments, rather than from the "top down," with the state-level tests, the report says. States must

pay particular attention to professional development as they think about creating these new approaches to testing, it

says.

The report was written by a panel of 17 national assessment and science experts drawn largely from universities,

along with a few from the private sector and from state or local education agencies. It was co-chaired by James W.

Pellegrino of the University of Illinois-Chicago and Mark R. Wilson of the University of California at Berkeley.

In a series of meetings, the panel drew on input from science-instruction and assessment experts in state departments

of education; leaders of PARCC and Smarter Balanced, the two federally-funded assessment consortia; and

assessment organizations including WestEd, the College Board, and the National Assessment Government Board,

which administers NAEP.

Funding for the report was provided by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, which also supports Education

Week 's coverage of "deeper learning"; the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation; and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Summary Report of the K –12 Center's NGSS Science Assessment Symposium Available The K-12 Center has made available the summary report (PDF) — written by Rodger Bybee, a well-known leader in

the field of science education and a member of the writing team of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) — 

of our Science Assessment Symposium held September 24–25. 

At the symposium, we explored the measurement challenges and opportunities within the NGSS with leading

measurement and practice experts. 

The summary report provides useful information for the educational policy and practice community, without resorting

to excessive use of technical terminology. For interested assessment and measurement colleagues, the research

papers presented at the symposium are available on our website, along with videos of the panel discussions. We look forward to hearing your feedback as we strive to serve as a catalyst and resource for the improvement of

measurement and data systems to enhance student achievement. For more information and communication tools

regarding the work of the six assessment consortia and the development of next generation assessments, visit ourwebsite at www.k12center.org 

D.C. Adopts Common Science Standards – (EdWeek) 

The reach of the Next Generation Science Standards got a little wider yesterday as the District of Columbia's board of

education voted 8-0 to adopt them. D.C. joins eight states that have formally embraced the K-12 standards since they

were finalized in April. 

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The science standards were developed by 26 lead state partners in collaboration with several national

organizations. Key tenets of the standards include providing a greater emphasis on depth over breadth in science

education and asking students to apply their learning through the practices of scientific inquiry and engineering

design.

The adoption landscape has been quiet for a couple of months now, with the last action coming when Washington

state adopted them in early October. The seven other adopting states include California, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky,Maryland, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The action by the D.C. school board comes the same week that an expert panel assembled by the National Research

Council issued a detailed, 256-page report on how science testing should change to reflect the Next Generation

Science Standards.

November Webinar: Science Assessments: Innovations in the Next Generation of Science

Assessments – Archived Webinar Available On November 18th the Alliance for Excellent Education conducted a webinar designed to: 

Highlight options states may want to consider as they begin to design systems of science

assessments that incorporate the types of complex skills and applications called for in the NGSS; and

describe initial steps states are taking toward implementation of the NGSS.Presenters included Stephen Pruitt of Achieve, Karen Kidwell of the Kentucky Department of Education

and Kathleen Scalise of the University of Oregon. The Alliance for Excellence in Education and The K–12

Center at ETS co-hosted the webinar. The video and presentation materials are now available online. 

NGSS One Pagers NSTA offers a tremendous collection of resources designed to help provide more information for the NGSS.

Three Dimensions of NGSS (Color | B&W) 

This three page pdf document provides general information of each of the three dimensions of the NGSS specifically

the science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and the crosscutting concepts.

A Look at the Next Generation Science Standards (Color | B&W) 

This two page pdf document provides a detailed look at the architecture of the NGSS standards. 

Venn Diagram of the Practices in Science, Math, and ELA (Color | B&W) 

This pdf shows how the practices of the NGSS, CCSS-Math, and CCSS ELA intersect and support each other.

Matrix of Disciplinary Core Ideas in the NGSS 

Here you will find a complete matrix of the disciplinary core ideas of the NGSS by domain

RIDE’s NGSS Page Find easy access to the NGSS standards, information on RI’s participation as a Lead State, the Framework , and other

resourcesRecorded Link for RIDE’s Webinar – Next Generation Science Standards – Rhode Island’s Implementation

Plan originally webcast on September 17th

 can be found under the Resources section of the RIDE NGSS page

along with a PDF of the PPT.

Science Web Sites Worth Exploring:

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Common Core Resources for Literacy in Science

Grades 6-12 Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, & Technical Subjects

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects Standards can be accessed by clicking on the pull down menu on

the

left hand side of the screen

Curriculum and Instruction Resources for Literacy in Science on the RIDE

web Sitehttp://www.ride.ri.gov/InstructionAssessment/Science/CurriculumInstructionResou

rces.aspx Here you will find CCSS aligned tasks and resources to go deeper into the understanding of the CCSS

Standards for Literacy in Science. Transition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and to PARCC -

http://www.ride.ri.gov/InstructionAssessment/TransitiontotheCCSSandPARCC.aspx This page contains recent updates, key information, and quality resources for educators and the public to

support our state's education system in its transition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the

PARCC Assessment for ELA/literacy and mathematics.

Understanding Science – How Science Really Works -

http://undsci.berkeley.edu/about.php 

The mission of Understanding Science is to provide a fun, accessible, and free resource that accurately communicates

what science is and how it really works. The process of science is exciting, but standard explanations often miss its

dynamic nature. Science affects us all everyday, but people often feel cut off from science. Science is an intensely

human endeavor, but many portrayals gloss over the passion, curiosity, and even rivalries and pitfalls that characterize

all human ventures. Understanding Science gives users an inside look at the general principles, methods, and

motivations that underlie all of science. NGWA Offers Sprinkling of Ground Water Education -

http://www.groundwateradventurers.org Besides advancing the expertise of ground water professionals, the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) is

dedicated to furthering ground water awareness and protection. NGWA offers short courses on ground water, several

conferences each year, an annual ground water expo, and ground water webinars.

Check out “Ground Water Adventures,” a web site providing activities for young people in grade bands K-3, 4-8, and

9-12. Find fun facts about ground water, quizzes, and other information. Also featured are classroom experiments, an

online ground water newsletter, pictures, and stories. For more information, visit

http://www.groundwateradventurers.org. To learn about NGWA, see http://www.ngwa.org. 

Smithsonian Education Digs Into Earth’s Soil - http://forces.si.edu/soils Smithsonian Education offers a fascinating exploration of Earth’s soil with its “Dig It! The Secrets of Soil” exhibition.

For information, videos, expert instruction, and activity sheets, visit http://forces.si.edu/soils. 

For example, a “Root Words” word-search sheet combines science and language arts with insights into the origins ofrelated scientific terms. Download a PDF at

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/families/point_click/activitysheets.html. 

NOAA Teaches Teachers About Oceans, Atmosphere -

http://www.education.noaa.gov/teachers1.html The U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) promotes education about oceanic and

atmospheric science. On NOAA’s education site at http://www.education.noaa.gov/teachers1.html you’ll find lesson

plans, interactive activities, educational games, videos, images, scholarships, career opportunities, and detailed

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information on weather, climate change, oceans, and satellites. Also, look for information on NOAA’s Teacher at Sea

program, which allows a K-16 teacher to serve aboard a NOAA ship as a researcher. For archived resources geared

toward students, including games and scholarship and career information, go to

http://www.education.noaa.gov/students.html. 

NSF Offers Online Climate Change Resources -

http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/climate?govDel=USNSF_51 For Earth science teachers and students searching for the latest, most up-to-date information on climate change, theNational Science Foundation (NSF) now offers a useful web site. “Our planet’s climate affects - and is affected by -

the sky, land, ice, sea, life, and people found on it. To understand the entire story of climate change,” according to the

site, “we must study all of the natural and human systems that contribute to and interact with Earth’s climate system.” 

Go to http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/climate?govDel=USNSF_51 to find an NSF report summarizing the

current state of knowledge about climate change, as well as resources dealing with related news, discoveries,

statistics, and publications.

In addition to online offerings, NOAA’s Office of Education conducts teacher development workshops throughout the

year to help improve oceanic and atmospheric literacy among science teachers. To find out where a workshop is

being held near you, see http://www.oesd.noaa.gov. 

Professional Development Opportunities for TeachersExploring the Overlap between “Literacy in Science” and the Practice of Obtaining,

Evaluating, and Communicating Information: Workshop Materials Available 

The National Research Council (NRC) workshop on Exploring the Overlap between “Literacy in Science” and the

Practice of Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information will be conducted on December 9th

 and 10th

.

The two-day workshop will featuring invited presentations and discussion that will:

1.  explore the intersections and overlap between the “Literacy in Science” portions of the CCSS for ELA and

Practice 8 in the NRC's framework related to "obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information"

including consideration of the unique characteristics of communication in science;

2.  consider the complementary roles of English/language arts teachers and science teachers as well as the

unique challenges and approaches for different grade levels and articulate the knowledge and skills teachersneed to support students in developing competence in reading and communicating in science;

3.  consider design options for science and ELA curricula and courses that provide aligned support for students

to develop competencies in reading and communicating in science;

4.  discuss the role of district and school administrators in guiding implementation of science and ELA to help

ensure alignment.

Background readings and commissioned papers for the workshop can be found on the BOSE website 

RIDE Seeks SLO and SOO Samples From RI Educators – Samples Accepted Until 12-31-13

The Office of Educator Quality is issuing an “All Call” for Teacher, Building Administrator, and Support

Professional SLOs and SOOs from SY2013-14. They will be used to produce additional samples to

illustrate possible approaches and best practices. Samples from all content areas and grade levels arewelcomed and need not be “perfect” or represent the “best” samples in a school or district. Furthermore,

all identifying information such as names of schools, teachers, and students will be redacted. Samples can

be submitted through email in Word or PDF files until December 31st to SLOsamples@ride.ri.gov. We

thank you in advance as we know that we will all benefit from sharing our thinking and learning from one

another.

For more information contact:

Laura Jackson (formerly Laura Kacewicz) 

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Assessment Specialist

RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

401.222.8993

Laura.jackson@ride.ri.gov 

AP Biology Leadership Academy Now Accepting Applications! Apply by January 1, 2014 

We invite you to apply for the next cohort of the BSCS/NABT AP Biology Leadership Academy. This popular and

highly acclaimed Academy is only available to 40 biology teachers a year who are ready to become leaders in biology

education.

The goal of the Academy is to develop a new generation of leaders in biology education. Not only will participants

understand more about the AP Biology Curriculum Framework, they will be able to design and teach a course that

exemplifies the framework. We have designed the Academy to be a specialized professional development experience

for you as an AP teacher.

The Academy is designed to help you stop, reconsider, and rejuvenate your ideas about teaching and learning

biology, while also preparing you to lead others in this process. Apply here to be a part of Cohort 3 of the AP Biology

Leadership Academy.

NEW!!! Edward C. Roy, Jr. Award for Excellence in K-8 Earth Science Teaching – Apply by

January 10th

With less than a month left to apply, now is the time to go online and view a new webcast about the prestigious

Edward C. Roy, Jr. Award for Excellence in K-8 Earth Science Teaching. The free, two-minute webcast provides an

overview of the competition. To view the webcast, visit http://www.earthsciweek.org/webcasts/EdRoy2013.html. 

To enter the 2014 competition, applications must be postmarked by January 10, 2014. The winner will receive a $2,500

prize and a travel grant of $1,000 to attend the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Annual Conference in

April 2014 in Boston to accept the award. To learn more, U.S. teachers should visit

http://www.agiweb.org/education/awards/ed-roy. U.K. teachers should visit http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/education. 

SAVE THE DATE – STEM to STEAM thru Synergy: Bridging Morphology, Biomimicry,

Sustainability and Synergetics, Fourth Biennial Design Science Symposium - 31 January

2014 – 2 February 201431 January 2014 – 2 February 2014

Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI

Presenters:

John Maeda, President, Rhode Island School of Design

Dennis Bartels, Executive Director, San Francisco ExploratoriumDonald E. Ingber, Founding Director, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University

Chris Zelov, Filmmaker & Project Director, Knossus Project

Thomas T. K. Zung, Architect, Buckminster Fuller, Sadao, and Zung

Richard Bresnahan, Artist in Residence, St. Johns University

Eric Goetz, CTO, Goetz Composites

STEAM: integrative, interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary studies working together with the result being greater than

individual parts (synergy) - The study of a structure's interconnected parts (morphology) leading to inspiration

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through nature (biomimicry) producing harmony, fulfilling the social, economic and environmental requirements of

present and future generations (sustainability) results in cooperation for an enhanced effect (synergetics) and

supports interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary study of multiple disciplines — Science, Technology, Engineering, Art,

Mathematics.

Co-sponsors:

Synergetics Collaborative Inc. (SNEC)Edna Lawrence Nature Lab at RISD

Information contact:

John Belt - designprobe@gmail.com, 

Peter Dean - pdean@risd.edu, 

or CJ Fearnley - cjf@synergeticscollaborative.org 

EPA's Environmental Education Teacher Awards Application Period Now Open - Deadline:

February 28, 2014 (K-12) The Environmental Protection Agency is welcoming applications from public school teachers (K-12) for the third

annual Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Education. The award recognizes outstanding K-12

teachers and their local education agencies nationwide for excellence in integrating environmental education intotheir lessons and connecting students with their communities and the natural world. Winners will receive $2,000 to

support their professional development in environmental education and each winner's school will also receive a

$2,000 award to help fund environmental education activities and programs that support the teacher.

For more information, visit: http://www2.epa.gov/education/presidential-innovation-award-environmental-

educators[www2.epa.gov] 

For questions, please contact: bowman.jennifer@epa.gov 

Presidential Award For Excellence In Mathematics And Science Teaching (PAEMST)

Nominations Now Open – Nominations Due April 1, 2014 (Grades 7-12 Teachers) 

Are you or do you know an outstanding secondary (grades K-6th) mathematics and science teachers (including

computer science) that you should be recognized for their talents? The Presidential Award for Excellence in

Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is the highest honor that a kindergarten through 12th-grade

mathematics or science teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. What better way to

acknowledge excellence of our colleagues than to nominate the teachers who exemplify their profession.

The process to nominate teachers is a simple one. Simply go to the PAEMST website at www.paemst.org and fill in

the on-line form. Once the nomination is submitted the nominated teacher will then be notified and provided

information about the application process.

The following are eligibility criteria for nominees. Candidates must:

Teach mathematics or science at the K -6th grade level in a public or private school.

Hold at least a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.

Be a full-time employee of the school or school district as determined by state and district policies, and

teach K-12 students at least 50% of the time.

Have at least 5 years of full-time, K-12 mathematics or science teaching experience prior to the 2013-14

academic school year.

Teach in one of the 50 states or the four U.S. jurisdictions. The jurisdictions are Washington, D.C.; Puerto

Rico; Department of Defense Education Activity schools; and the U.S. territories as a group (American Samoa,

Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).

Be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.

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  Not have received the PAEMST award at the national level in any prior competition or category.

Rhode Island has many wonderful teachers, and those you nominate could be state or national Presidential Awardees

for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics and Science for 2014.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 222-8454 or by email at peter.mclaren@ride.ri.gov.  Thank

you for your continued support for mathematics and science education.

2014 AAAS Science Education Workshops on NGSS – Various Dates

Two different professional development experiences and several dates to choose from make

2014 the year to attend an AAAS Science Education workshop!

NEW for 2014! 

Understanding and Using Next Generation Science Learning Goals 

February 10–11, July 10–11, and October 20–21, 2014

Are you responsible for implementing Next Generation Science Standards in your classroom,

school, or district? Then join us for a professional development workshop that will give you

the tools, strategies, and support you need to put NGSS into action. Drawing on Project

2061’s expertise in standards-based teaching and learning, you’ll gain new insights into the

science practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts that make up the NGSS 

performance expectations and how they can be used to improve curriculum, instruction, and

assessment.

Developing and Using Assessments Aligned to Science Learning Goals 

May 28–30 and October 8–10, 2014

This popular three-day workshop gives you access to Project 2061’s science assessment

experience and expertise based on more than a decade of research and development.

Designed for teachers, researchers, and assessment specialists, you’ll take a hands-on

approach to using Project 2061’s criteria and procedures for developing effective assessment

items that are carefully aligned to science learning goals, including those in the NextGeneration Science Standards. You’ll also explore the AAAS Science Assessment website and

its online testing feature; data on students’ misconceptions; and AAAS’s bank of some 700

high-quality test items for middle and high school physical, life, and earth sciences. Here are

 just a few of the many positive comments we’ve received from past workshop participants: 

“I liked the critiquing process. While I realize there are no perfect items, I hope that we can

improve the items we have, and that we will write better items. The workshop helped me gain

understanding and skills that will help me in my work. I would definitely recommend this

workshop to my colleagues.” 

“The people were the best part of the workshop, and focusing on learning goals,

misconceptions, analyzing good items and answers!” 

“The workshop leader did an excellent job. The experience of trying to work through the process

of learning goals, misconceptions, boundaries, necessity, comprehensibility was invaluable.” 

“I think the free question repository is awesome!” 

* * *

All workshops are held at AAAS Headquarters in Washington, DC.

To find out more about the workshops, our discounted Early-Bird rates, and scholarships or to

register, go to Project2061.org/workshops and click on one of the workshops.

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  Together, we can build a secure energy future.

Together, we can protect people and the environment.

Together, we can be innovative anywhere.

Students and sponsoring teacher prizes include savings bonds, teaching grants, exciting trips, and much more. The

deadline for submissions is January 31, 2014. For more information, including official rules, entry forms, and details on

awards, please visit the Challenge website. 

NASA’s REEL Science Video Communication Contest For Students – Apply by February 21,

2014 (High School Students)

About the Contest

NASA Earth Science missions are kicking off a new video contest engaging high school age students to produce a

video communicating NASA Earth Science to younger students. Students are consuming over 10 hours of media a

day and video is increasingly important to communicate and inform about science. NASA is looking for talented High

School students to create videos that engage students in Earth Science. Winners will have their videos posted on

NASA's website. They will also get the opportunity to be a NASA Producer working with NASA scientists and

communication experts in July 2014 to produce an Earth Science feature video.

Who can enter?

The contest is open to residents of the United States ages 13 to 18 on or before October 14, 2013. Submissions can

be by individuals or teams.What is the subject of the video?

Produce a two-minute video for a middle school audience that communicates one of the following science concepts:

1.  How Ice Impacts Climate and Climate Impacts Ice 

2.  Forest Fire Effects on Air Quality 

3.  Water of the Water Planet 

How do I submit?

1.  Create a video explaining one of the science topics. Be sure to use NASA components including audio clips,

animations, visualizations, or satellite images.

2.  Upload your video to YouTube and tag with "NASAREELscience2014"by 11:59pm EST on February 21, 2014.

3.  Within 72 hours you will receive a comment on your video that your video has been submitted.

4.  Finalists will be selected by March 31, 2014. Finalists will be required to send their video file to NASA along with

a supplied contest Submission Release Form by 11:59pm EST on April 15, 2014.

5. 

Winners will be announced April 30, 2014 on our website.When is the deadline?

Videos must be uploaded and tagged with "NASAREELscience2014" on YouTube by 11:59pm EST February 21, 2014.

How will the videos be judged?

NASA producers, communications experts, and scientists will be judging the videos for science accuracy, creativity,

use of NASA data, and video quality. Videos that are inaudible, blurry, or contain resources (other than NASA

imagery) that are not original will be immediately disqualified. (See contest guidelines for more details.)

How will finalists be notified?

Finalists will receive a comment on their YouTube video by March 31, 2014. Check YouTube after March 31st to see if

you have been selected. Finalists will have 15 days to submit their video file and waiver via email to NASA. Videos

with waivers not received by 11:59pm EST April 15th will be disqualified.

What are the prizes?

Winning videos will be announced on April 30, 2014 and posted on the NASA website. Winners will get the

opportunity to work remotely with NASA producers and communications experts on a current NASA Earth ScienceStory in July 2014. Participation will include access to NASA personnel through webinars and online communication

tools (e.g., Skype). Final produced stories will be posted on a NASA website and have the chance of being highlighted

on www.nasa.gov. See contest guidelines for required release forms.

For more information go to: http://reelscience.gsfc.nasa.gov/  

* Check out the Winning Videos from 2012! High School Seniors Sought For National Youth Science Camp® Honors – Apply by March

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1, 2014As part of the 2014 National Youth Science Foundation® (NYSC) two Rhode Island high school seniors will receive a

full scholarship to exchange ideas with scientists and other professionals from the academic and corporate worlds.

The nearly month-long experience includes lectures and hands-on research projects presented by scientists from

across the nation; overnight camping trips into the Monogahela National Forest; and a visit to Washington D.C. The

selected delegates must not only demonstrate academic achievement in science, but also show potential for

thoughtful scientific leadership.

The NYSC experience is offered at no cost to its participants, so that selected delegates may attend regardless of their

financial status. Contributions to the NYSC allow delegates to participate in this “once in a lifetime” experience.

Educational and recreational programming, as well as meals, lodging, and round-trip air passage on scheduled

airlines are provided free of charge.

Delegates arrive in Charleston, West Virginia, on Friday, June 27, and depart on Sunday, July 20, 2014. The NYSC is

held near Bartow in the eastern mountains of West Virginia, within the Monongahela National Forest. Application

forms are available on the NYSC website at www.nysc.org and must be submitted directly to Rhode Island selection

coordinator at the following address:

Peter McLaren

Rhode Island Department of Education

255 Westminster StreetProvidence, RI 02903

(work) 401-222-8454

(fax) 401-222-3605

Peter.mclaren@ride.ri.gov 

Applications must be submitted by Friday, March 1, 2013.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Peter McLaren at 401-222-8454 or peter.mclaren@ride.ri.gov nnifer

2014 Saving Endangered Species Youth Art Contest – Deadline March 15th, 2014 (K-12)This year is the 9th year of  Endangered Species Day (May 16, 2014) and the 40th anniversary of the Endangered

Species Act (signed on Dec. 28, 1973). The 2014 Saving Endangered Species Youth Art Contest provides students

with an opportunity to learn about endangered species and express their knowledge and support through artwork.

The contest is organized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Endangered Species Coalition, the Association of

Zoos and Aquariums, and the International Child Art Foundation.

Saving Endangered Species Youth Art Contest – March 15, 2014 submission deadline  Art Contest guidelines, entry form and teacher instructions here 

Young people in grades K-12, as well as those in homeschools and youth programs, can submit their artwork of

threatened and endangered species. Their submissions must be postmarked by March 15, 2014.

The grand prize and grade category winners of the 2013 contest were chosen by a panel of artists, photographers and

wildlife experts. View the 2013 winning entries here. 

DETAILS about Contest Background, Teacher/School Registration, Eligibility, Subject Matter, Resources, Judging and

Prizes found here:http://www.endangered.org/campaigns/endangered-species-day/saving-endangered-species-youth-art-contest/  Next Generation Learning with the Kavli “Science in Fiction” Video Contest – Apply by

March 21 (Grades 6-12)Interplanetary travel, time travel, telepathy, teleportation, brain powered computers, recombinant DNA, bionic limbs,

cyborgs, cryonics. Just some of the far-fetched technologies that have been dreamed up over time, while today's

scientists might just be discovering ways to make them become real!

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Investigate how science is portrayed in TV, films, and games. Find an example using a film, TV show, or video game,

then compare to what we can do today with current or emerging technologies. Or tell us what science needs to

discover to make it really happen.

The more you research, the more you will discover, and you might end up being surprised by what you find out.

Make a video (: 30 -: 90) that shares your discoveries and states your case.

ENTRY PERIOD: NOV. 1, 2013 - MARCH 21, 2014

Go to Contest Entry Form 

Contest open to Grades 6-12, International Students and US

PRIZES:

1st- $2000

2nd- $750

3rd- $500

People's Choice $250

Additional Prizes include:

Software from Wolfram Mathematica

Free training at Steve Wolfe's Stunt Ranch in Austin, TX

National Academies of Engineering Engineering For You (E4U) Video Contest Opens

November 1 – Enter by March 31, 2014 (MS and HS Students)In celebration of its upcoming 50th anniversary, the National Academy of Engineering launched Engineering for You 

(E4U), a video contest to highlight the impact that engineering has or will have on society. In the last 50 years,

engineering achievements include helping to land astronauts on the moon, creating the Internet, and decoding the

human genome. What will engineering create in the next 50 years? Rev up your creativity, pull out your camera or

phone, and produce a one to two minute video showing the world how you see engineering enhancing quality of life

and serving the needs of society. The video must highlight a period during the years 1964–2064. The main prize is

$25,000, and the contest runs through March 31, 2014.

NEW!!! 2014 Washington Youth Summit on the Environment Seeks Nominations Of Your

Students – Sophomores and Juniors (Class of 2015 & 16)Please consider nominating your top students for the 2014 Washington Youth Summit on the Environment.

http://wsp.gmu.edu/nominations/  

George Mason University, along with its partners, National Geographic and the Smithsonian National Zoological Park

(the National Zoo), are excited to welcome students attending the Washington Youth Summit on the Environment

(WYSE) to Washington, D.C. The Summit is a hands-on, interactive program that provides America’s highest

achieving high school students with an interest in the environment, conservation and sustainability, and with the

desire to explore careers in the fields of environmental science, conservation, policy, law and engineering, with a

remarkable opportunity. Students take an active role in the curriculum through exclusive behind-the-scenes

explorations of facilities and laboratories of the Smithsonian and National Zoo, and through exclusive field visits,

special access to, and activities with, researches, scientists, directors and staff. Students are led in small groups by

faculty advisors who are local experts in these fields and have extensive experience in conservation and theenvironment.

The Washington Youth Summit on the Environment is held on George Mason University’s state-of-the-art campus,

enabling attending students to experience life as a typical college student and reside in comfortable, modern, fully

air-conditioned dorm rooms with wireless internet connections. Students will receive one college credit for their

successful completion of the Summit, with transcripts from George Mason University that can be sent to any college

or university where the Delegate seeks admission.

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