Teaching An Elementary Story of Life: The Web of Biology, Ecology, and Evolution
A Workshop For Teachers
National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, Durham NC, 14-18 July 08
Sponsored by the National Evolution Synthesis Center (NESCent) and funds from Duke University, this workshop will consist of lessons for elementary science teachers and administrators to prepare their students in topics from the NC Standard Course of Study that deal with biology, ecology, and evolution. Teachers will learn these concepts as a connected ‘story’ that is as intuitive and simple as possible, so that when teachers teach the concepts they learn in the workshop, the topics will naturally flow from one story – one chapter - to the next.
Lessons will be punctuated with laboratory ideas - and examples in class - that are suitable for elementary students and their classrooms and playgrounds. These ideas and laboratory lessons will be simple and doable with common household and school materials. These will be included in a simple ‘textbook’ consisting of collected lessons, literature and web-site sources of content.
The 5-day workshop will consist of 7 units taught as connected chapters of a story to be taught over the school year. The workshop will be held in NESCent classrooms nearby to Duke East Campus. Classes will meet from 8am – 4pm.
Teachers are expected to provide a year-long plan of implementation of the curriculum during the workshop and to execute the plan in the coming year and to provide pre and post-teaching assessment data of the material taught during the year.
Participating teachers will earn 3 CEUs and receive a daily stipend of $100. Snacks will be provided. Lunch will be on our own. Dormitory housing is not available, therefore participants will be commuting to and from the workshop using their own transportation. Parking is available and free. Workshop is limited to fifteen 4th-5th-6th grade teachers or elementary school administrators.
For questions, contact Dr. Joe Fail (jfail@jcsu.edu) or Dr. Jory Weintraub (jory@nescent.org).
