Teachers of Science, any grade K-12,  join the ISB team to explore systems!

The purpose of this workshop is for K-12 teachers to deepen their learning about systems and systems thinking and to implement new resources and/or strategies into a science unit. This workshop has proven effective for a broad diversity of participants from a wide range of district contexts. It can support teachers to strengthen student learning in any science unit at any grade level.  It also serves as either an entry point or a new lens for a deeper understanding of the 8 SEPs and 7CCCs in the NGSS/WSSLS.

The structure is an asynchronous Canvas-based workshop. The workshop builds over 3 steps:

1. STEP 1: Teacher participants expand their knowledge about systems and the role they play in NGSS and more specifically the Crosscutting Concepts. Participants create and iterate models to make sense of systems and explore how students think about and model systems.

2. STEP 2: Teachers delve into the field of systems thinking and consider how STEM Professionals use systems thinking skills. Participants revisit their learning from WEEK 1, and layer in new ideas about systems thinking. Participants plan an activity or assignment to implement in their context that incorporates systems into 3-dimensional science learning.

3. STEP 3: Teachers share their implementation of systems ideas; i.e. what they tried, how it went, and student work. They reflect on what they learned and how they might share their experience with their colleagues and/or administrative leadership.

This Canvas-based workshop will provide 5 STEM clock hours for the completion of all work. Partial clock hours will not be offered.