Science

=Science Resources=

Smithsonian & MIT Science "Game"
Vanished, a science mystery game for students ages 11-14, is available online. For more information, go to: []

Web-Based Science Resources
Click on the links below for instructional resources for Science. Please add resources in alphabetical order below:
 * **Cool website for Science:** [|www.neok12.com]
 * **Discovery Education Middle School Science** - [] (WMS teachers - See Barb Avery or Jane Cook if you need a login for the DE Middle School Science resources).
 * **Food Preservation:**
 * [|www.assortment.com]
 * [|www.foodsafety.psu.edu/preserve/html]
 * [|www.preservefood.com]


 * **Miscellaneous websites:**
 * [|www.howstuffworks.com]
 * [|www.scienceclarified.com]
 * [|www.buzzle.com]
 * [|www.enchantedlearning.com]
 * **Science and Social Studies Resources:** http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/Science+and+Social+Studies+Resources
 * **Science Gems** - []
 * **Scientific Inquiry:** [|http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu]
 * **Thinkfinity -** Click on this link to search for standards-based lesson plans and teaching materials across the curriculum: []
 * **Water Cycles:**
 * [|http://www.esrl.noaa.gov]
 * [|.lessonsnips.com]
 * []
 * [|www.in.gov/dnr/nrec/filespwdice.pdf]
 * **Young Scientist Challenge** - []

State and National Standards
> **Sent:** Wednesday, November 03, 2010 2:10 PM > **Subject:** New National Science Education Standards > You may be aware that Next Generation National Science Education Standards are currently being developed by the National Academies of Science and Achieve. Although these standards are not expected to be completed until early 2012, you may be wondering how they could impact Connecticut state standards and your districts’ science curriculum and instruction. There are still many unknowns, but the following “Frequently Asked Questions” may be helpful for a productive district curriculum review and for short-term planning: > · **When will Connecticut’s science standards be revised? **The 2004 Core Science Curriculum Framework will remain stable at least until 2012, when the new national science standards are projected to be published. At that time, decisions will be made concerning state adoption of the standards. > · **When will Connecticut’s state science assessments change? **The CMT and CAPT assessments will remain stable until at least 2014. At that time, a new state assessment system may be introduced. Such a system might include instruments such as end-of-course assessments (Algebra I, Biology, U.S. History, English 10 and Geometry)**//,//** interim assessments, performance tasks and/or new national assessments based on the Common Core State Standards in ELA and Mathematics. It’s too early to predict whether national science assessments based on common core science standards will be developed in the years to come. > · **My district’s science curriculum is scheduled for revision this year. Should we go forward with it or postpone? **Given the possibility of new science standards within the next few years, a district science curriculum review at this time would do well to focus on __what__ is taught and __how__ it is taught: > o Alignment with current state standards and assessments: Survey teachers to find out who teaches each content standard and at what grade. Use the Grade-Level Concepts, Grade-Level Expectations and CMT/CAPT Expected Performances to streamline the curriculum, eliminating redundancies, gaps and inconsistencies among schools and classrooms. Does the sequence of learning units (within a grade and across the grades) foster understanding and retention by offering opportunities for students to continually make conceptual connections and relate the science to local or global problems and settings? > o Teaching practices: Observe classrooms and survey teachers to get a “snapshot” of how science is taught. Are students mainly reading about science, or do they have frequent opportunities to use scientific inquiry, reasoning and logic to build understanding of concepts and practices? > o CMT/CAPT Performance Trends. Review Science CMT/CAPT data from 2008 through 2010 to look for performance patterns in life, physical and earth science as well as scientific inquiry. Can these performance trends be correlated to what science is currently taught and how it is taught? > There certainly are many unknowns about the future of standards and assessments. Hopefully, the suggestions above provide at least a starting point for a meaningful and productive curriculum review. > ** Liz Buttner ** > **K-8 Science Consultant ** > **MSP Science State Coordinator ** > **PAEMST Science State Coordinator ** > **Connecticut State Department of Education ** > **165 Capitol Avenue ** > **<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Hartford, CT 06106 ** > **<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Phone: 860-713-6849 ** > **<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Fax: 860-713-7018 ** > **<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">elizabeth.buttner@ct.gov ** > **<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Science Curriculum website ** > **<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">CSDE Home Page **
 * [|CT Science Standards]
 * [|National Standards]
 * Update on National Science Standards from Liz Buttner at CSDE
 * <span style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: #b5c4df 1pt solid; display: block; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 3pt;">**<span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">From: **<span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> Buttner, Elizabeth [mailto:Elizabeth.Buttner@ct.gov]
 * <span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Dear Science Education Colleagues – **

Lesson Plans for Non-Fiction Writing
Click on the files below to find lesson plans developed by WMS teachers:


 * [[file:Erickson Skeletal System.doc]]
 * [[file:J Priest Lesson Plan.docx]]
 * [[file:smell.doc]]
 * [[file:Roy non fiction writing lesson science.dot]]
 * [[file:RAFT lesson plan.doc]]
 * [[file:Cuevas Elements Jigsaw.docx]]
 * [[file:Fiction vs. Nonfiction lesson - B. Avery.doc]]