Piloting a Localizing Guide for the 6th Grade Earth’s Changing Climate Amplify Science Unit
Earn up to 6 clock hours (3 STEM & 3 Equity) and a $75 stipend for completing up to five adaptation activity reflections.
Piloting a Localizing Guide for the 6th Grade Earth’s Changing Climate Amplify Science Unit
Have your students felt a disconnect between the science units you are teaching and their own experiences?
Have you wished for ways to make science more meaningful and engaging for your students?
Would you be interested in a variety of quick tweaks and longer adaptations you can use to make your science classroom more inclusive, community-connected and culturally responsive?
IslandWood is in our third year of convening a working group of teachers, the developers of Amplify Science, Educational Service Districts, and Seattle Public School’s science department leaders to help students make meaningful and authentic connections between the science they are doing in their classroom and their region, community, and personal funds of knowledge. Over the last two years, 6th Grade teacher teams have been developing a “Localizing Guide” for the 6th Grade Earth’s Changing Climate unit, and we would love for you to try out and provide feedback on the ideas they came up with.
Asynchronous pre-work and a 30-minute introductory video will provide the opportunity to become familiar with the localizing guide and see how activities like interviewing elders about the climate they grew up in, incorporating local temperatures, considering Washington glaciers, and investigating the carbon content of neighborhood trees can help make the unit more relevant for your students. You will also have the opportunity to consider incorporating your community’s local assets and to decide which adaptations you want to try.
To earn up to 6 clock hours (3 STEM and 3 Equity), complete the pre-work and attend three follow-up Zoom sessions which will provide an opportunity to explore additional adaptations, discuss implementation, and share feedback about the guide.
- Asynchronously watch a 30-minute recording, read the localizing guide, and turn in a reflection on it by April 22
- Introductory Zoom Session from 4-5:30 on April 23
- PLC Session from 4-5:30 on May 21
- Reflection Session from 4-5:30 on June 4
- If you are teaching the Ecosystems Restoration unit with students this Spring, you can earn up to $75 by turning in reflections on adaptations you tried with your students.
- $75 for up to five adaptation activity reflections ($15 each)
- This pilot is intended for teachers who will be implementing the Amplify Science Earth’s Changing Climate Unit with students this Spring. Teachers who have already taught the unit this year, and those who support others in teaching the unit may also join but will not be able to receive the implementation stipend.
- The guide is designed to support localizing the unit to anywhere in Western Washington.
- Attending this professional learning with your grade-level team is encouraged.
- The workshops are free and stipends are included thanks to funding by ClimeTime. There is a PDEnroller fee to claim the clock hours ($3 per clock hour).
- This spring, we are also piloting a 6th grade Amplify Science localizing guide and are currently developing both Amplify Science and OpenSciEd localizing guides that will be piloted in future years.
You can stay in the know about all of our professional learning opportunities by signing up for our mailing list here!
“I used to think science was something that I just had to teach. Now I think it can be a lot of fun and engaging for students when you use their interests and real-life examples they can relate to in their lives.”
– Karissa Smyth, 4th grade teacher
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