UCDS Spark Magazine #7, Fall 2009

issue 7 fall 2009

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The Science Program

Scientific Method Classroom Connections

The two lane road from the science lab to the classroom

Choose your own adventure!

Supporting teacher and student passions

Nancy Hutchison, Dana Riley Black & Valerie Logan Bringing teachers and scientists together

In this Issue Sticky Curriculum 2

BY TEACHERS FOR TEACHERS™

The UCDS Science Program

People Who Inspire Us

Spark is published by University Child Development School.

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Head of School Paula Smith

Good Neighbors: Conversations with Dana Riley Black, Valerie Logan and Nancy Hutchison

Creative Fusion

Assistant Head of School Teacher Education Center Director Melissa Chittenden

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Editor & Publication Design Jack Forman

The Scenic Two-Way Road In and Out of the Science Lab

What Works 16

Contributing Writers Melinda Deal, Jack Forman, Rick Kirst, Katie Morrison, Chad Randol, Paula Smith Contributing Editors Leanne Bunas, Diane Chickadel, Melissa Chittenden, Betty Greene, Stephen Harrison, Cory Ihrig Goldhaber, Julie Kalmus, Brooke Leinberger, Angie Manning Goodwill, Abby Sandberg, Paula Smith, Kai Toh, Natasha Rodgers

Choose Your Own Adventure: Extra Curricular Programs to Support Students and Staff

In Each Issue 1 20 22

Greetings from Paula Spark Plugs UCDS Mission Statement

Photography UCDS Faculty and Staff For submission information, please contact Brooke Leinberger at brookel@ucds.org.

The editor reserves the right to edit and select all materials.

Š 2009 University Child Development School.

All rights reserved.

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How do we know?

In this information age, it would seem on the surface easier than ever to make informed decisions. After all, we have experienced an information explosion in the past decade, with internet access to the “greatest accumulation of human knowledge, experience and expression that the world has ever seen.”(1) Unprecedented opportunity to access knowledge presents us with a new

set of challenges. We are all learning to “focus our attention: to search, sort, connect, edit, and synthesize–skills we have not yet developed as adults— as we make the shift from information scarcity to information abundance.”(2) With so much to choose from, we must evaluate the evidence that we have gathered.

Is our source reliable? Is the information current, and does it really apply to the question at hand? Are there additional questions that need to be answered?

How do we really know? Increasingly, we must rely on an international language and set of standards through which findings can be validated anywhere in the world. We rely on science.

Unfortunately, preparing students for the reality of the information age has not been a priority in our K-12 schools across the US. Our efforts to raise educational standards have generally resulted in curricula that is “an inch deep and a mile wide” as teachers attempt to “cover” more and more material in the school day. In most states, science is currently considered outside the “core curriculum” and there is often little time in the school day for students to learn the critical skills of gathering and evaluating information. A recent poll of teachers in the San Francisco Bay area indicated that 80 percent of teachers spent less than an hour each week teaching science and 16 percent said that they taught no science at all.(3) The dearth of time devoted to science may reflect the fact that so many science curricula focus on digested findings and conclusions from the field, marginalizing the value of Science as a tool for learning. At UCDS we place critical thinking skills at the core of our instruction in every subject area and require our students to use the essential tools of science and technology to answer questions.

Our students become familiar with the big ideas, the vocabulary, and explore the research process that is used in each branch of science. Each big idea in science is directly connected to real people and problems that our students care about, making Science a catalyst for investigations across the curriculum.

We teach children to observe carefully, to see patterns, to recognize relationships, to systematically record what happens, to share their findings with others, and to explain their thinking, both in the lab and out.

Our students use the internet to find out…What is the most accepted theory and why? Our students learn effective methods for dealing with massive amounts of data: to search, sort, connect, edit, and synthesize information.

Children at UCDS practice interpreting data and then questioning, discussing and weighing the reliability of their explanations.

In science and classroom investigations our children have access to scientists conducting research all over the world. Our students were able to communicate with NASA scientists as astronauts in space made repairs to the Hubble telescope(4), to follow Erden Eruç as he rowed 312 days across the Pacific Ocean from California to Papua New Guinea(5), and asked questions of climate change researcher George Divoky about his study of arctic sea birds on Cooper Island.(6) Not only will our children need these skills to “sort through all of the information that they will be bombarded with in their lives, but also to make intelligent decisions about what to believe and how to value their world and environment.”(7) We believe that Science deserves a place at the heart of any curriculum as the spark plug for questions and as a way to know.

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)

Free, The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson Tom Vanderark,http://www.varpartners.net, September 27th, 2009 www.lawrencehallofscience.org/rea/bayareastudy. http://www.nasa.gov/ http://www.around-n-over.org/erden.htm http://www.cooperisland.org/aboutus.htm John Elliott, http://whyscience.co.uk/contributors/jim-al-khalili/jim-al-khalili.html

Paula Smith Head of School

Sticky Curriculum

Scie THE F

RM AND

Open-ended, curiosity-driven discovery in

by Katie Morrison, PhD, UCDS Science Specialist

Applied chemistry

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Funnels and goggles, bottles filled with methanol and sodium hydroxide, the room is filled with excitement and smells a little (well, a lot) like French fries. Fourth and fifth grade students are completing the transesterification step of an experiment to synthesize biodiesel out of used cooking oil, comparing the results of oil from four local restaurants. “My biodiesel is dark. I think it came from the oldest oil and will be acidic. The more acidic oils take more lye and slow the titration process. The glycerin goes to the bottom of the reaction because it is more dense,� a student reflects while she waits for the biodiesel and glycerin to separate. As part of a year-long study of the form and function of macromolecules, these student scientists excitedly dive in to this hands-on, renewable resource project.

“I think we’re the first ones to discover this!” a student excitedly exclaims after using flashlights and mirrors to explore light and reflection. Their discovery as a developing scientist is as authentic to them as it is to a practicing bench scientist who discovers something for the first time. Children, filled with curiosity and questions, are natural scientists. We’re helping them develop the tools to explore their world and think scientifically. There’s no end to the possibilities of exploration. Discoveries in science and in student learning are made every day!

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FUNCTION OF

the UCDS Science Lab.

“Watch out! It’s overflowing!” Milk bubbles spill over the rim of the cup and onto the lab bench. Early Elementary students are investigating the ability of two liquids, milk and water, to trap gas by blowing air bubbles into them through a straw. It is not okay at the dinner table, but sometimes things get messy in the science lab as students explore the materials, ask questions and make discoveries. “I think the milk is thicker than the water. It traps the air better,” one student offers as we discuss our observations at closing circle. This experiment is part of a larger study of volcanoes and illustrates how gas bubbles are trapped in more viscous lava, resulting in more explosive eruptions.

The science program at UCDS centers on the scientific process. From the youngest students in the pre-kindergarten program to the 5th graders, each level conducts experiments, making observations and discoveries. As students get older

the depths of the projects increase, as does the level of recording and analysis. Each investigation is guided by the scientific method: asking a question, making a hypothesis, conducting experiments, collecting and analyzing data and communicating our results. When a new topic is introduced, teachers facilitate discussions around what we already know and what we are wondering about, weaving in the concepts, “big ideas,” and vocabulary words. For younger children this is a time when we sit in a circle and share our magical ideas and our testable hypotheses. Then the investigations begin.

Each day in the science lab is filled with experimentation, analysis, documentation, and reflection. And of course excitement about what we are going to discover next! The science lab is often abuzz with activity, students moving about the room, discussing their observations, gathering materials and conducting their experiments.

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The Scientific Process: Step by Step 1. Asking a Question— What is the question? What are we trying to find out? This fundamental concept is the starting point for all of our investigations. Most often in our program, initial questions are teacher-led and subsequent inquiries are student-driven, based on observations from initial experiments.

Before synthesizing our own biodiesel, students did a series of experiments to explore “What are the properties of biodiesel?”

They compared its density, viscosity and combustion to other fuels in a series of investigations. Then to explore combustion, we asked, “How does the combustion of biodiesel compare to other fuels like ethanol, corn oil and vegetable oil?”

2. Making a Hypothesis— Once the question has been determined, students make a prediction about what will happen in the experiment.

Students need some prior knowledge or information on which to base their prediction, otherwise it is just a guess rather than an educated guess. For younger children hypotheses might be communicated by a show of hands or by adding a sticker to a group chart. Older children record what they think will happen and why. They are asked to include the word “because” in their hypothesis statement to include the reason behind their idea. When testing the combustion of fuels, one student predicted, “I think the vegetable oil will burn the longest because it was the most viscous in our viscosity experiment.” The previous work with the properties of biodiesel gave students a foundation upon which to make their hypotheses.

3. Collecting and Analyzing Data— Students work individually or in partnerships to collect and analyze data. Procedures are discussed beforehand, and multi-step protocols are written up on the board as a reference. Sometimes techniques need to be practiced before data can be collected. Students use charts to help organize their data in their lab notebooks. Then they are asked to analyze their data and observations, looking for evidence to support their hypothesis. This is a time when new questions arise, ideas for the next investigation are seeded and students reflect on the experiment. “As I predicted, vegetable oil burned the longest and was the hottest [burning oil]. I think this is because it is a cooking oil.”

Sometimes we ask students to also reflect on themselves as scientists, the collaborative process or the techniques and protocols used in the investigation. Students are asked to think about variables and how they affect experimental results. “Ethanol burned the cleanest. It was quick and transparent. I think a main variable was how much fuel you got on the wick. If you only had a little it would not burn as effectively,” recorded one investigator. Another student noted, “We got vegetable oil as the hottest burning but we all agree that the biodiesel would have been the hottest if there were no wind. The variable that affected our results the most was wind.”

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4. Documenting and Communicating Our Results— Students at all levels are asked to document their work.

Younger students (pre-K to second grade) use teachercreated recording sheets and house their recordings in either two-pocket folders or three-ring binders. Pre-K and Kindergarten students record their findings with drawings and some words, with teachers often scribing their observations and ideas. “When there was water, it made it squishy and then the water evaporated and made it harder. That sometimes happens to my mom’s sponges,” a student dictates to a teacher, describing his fossilization experiment. As students are experimenting, we have oneon-one conversation with them. “What did you notice?

What happened when you…?” The recording sheets for elementary students in the first through third grade are more complex and have sections to include a hypothesis, data and a conclusion (see Spark Plugs for online curriculum). Again, frequent teacher-student conversations help students to formulate and articulate their ideas.

Older elementary students (third through fifth grade) document their work in bound journals with split pages (blank on the top and lined on the bottom), providing some structure over a completely blank journal. Students are guided in how to organize their journal, and the expectations for documentation are clear. Often a running journal “checklist” is kept on the whiteboard so that students can keep track of all of the recording elements.

They are expected to record notes from class discussions, hypotheses, data, analyses and conclusions. These written observations and conclusions are one part of communicating their science, and adequate time is required for students to record and maintain their lab journals. Visual displays such as charts, graphs, illustrations, or photos all help to explain our results and solidify our thinking.

Class discussions after an experiment provide another mechanism to communicate our thoughts and discoveries.

Here students get a chance to share their observations and ideas with their peers. After an experiment, we discuss whether we can come to a consensus for the results of our investigation or why we might have gotten different results.

Students share how the experiment connects to previous investigations and often generate new questions to address in the next science class.

Continued >

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How do we choose the curriculum?

When you are not handed a science curriculum, how do you decide what to teach? Throughout our school, specific curriculum is developed by the teachers and it changes from year to year. Process, reflective thinking and skills are always at the forefront, but the content is always changing.

The science curriculum follows this philosophy. There is always a focus on the scientific process, but the topics are derived from a variety of influences, ranging from the school-wide concept study to interactions with experts in the field to field trip opportunities. There are three factors that are always considered when choosing a topic to study: the science domain, the school-wide theme and the classroom curriculum.

The science program operates on a three-year rotation through the science domains: Life Science, Earth Science, and Physical Science. Space science is sometimes taught during an earth science year or during physical science. In a given year, the entire school will study the same domain.

This allows for cross-level collaboration as the whole school immerses itself in a field of study. For each domain, state and national standards (such as AAAS and the WA EALR – see the Spark Plugs section on the last page for more information) provide guidance for broad topics and concepts that might be covered. During a child’s tenure at the school, they will have exposure to at least two years of each of the domains.

Another important variable guiding the science curriculum is the school-wide concept study. Each year, the faculty selects a concept that will drive the curriculum across the school for that year. The upcoming science domain is often considered when selecting the new theme for the year and most often the concept and domain dovetail very well (i.e. Layers and Earth Science or Strength and Physical Science). Our biodiesel study was part of a broader investigation of the form and function of macromolecules when the theme was Form and the domain was Life Science. Tied to the theme for the year are the classroom’s curricular studies, such as math, language arts, and social studies. Often the science program will

Students studying the effects of waves journey to University of Washington’s Applied Physics Department to learn from Oceanographer Chris Chickadel.

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build on studies being carried out in classrooms.

Current research, field trip opportunities and interactions with outside experts add a layer of inspiration and innovation to our science studies. We find these final pieces to be the most motivating in designing the science curriculum. For example, perusing an issue of Nature one day, I stumbled on an article about visual tracking and memory in ants (Nature, 2005). I wondered if we could adapt this study to our current exploration of pillbug (isopod) anatomy and behavior. This turned a classic study of isopods into authentic science as students filmed and traced the trajectories of isopods tracking to water.

Collecting data in the field is another exciting way to develop curriculum and to engage students in the scientific process. One year, a trip to Deception Pass to walk on the accreted layers of an ancient ocean floor was the motivation for subsequent studies in beach erosion and deposition, glaciation and volcanic activity. One day on the beach seeded several weeks of investigations back in the science lab. Field work can be the initial foray into a study or it can be the culmination of weeks of lab-based investigations.

Collaborations with outside experts also initiate some science curriculum. These scientists can provide insight into particular studies or help to develop student experiments. Having students talk with experts in the field is motivating and adds further authentication to student’s work. One year, we collaborated with local geologist Dr. Brian Atwater who studies evidence for ancient earthquakes and tsunamis. He worked with us to design a student experiment to simulate how he uses tree rings to pinpoint the timing of events from a thousand years ago.

Once classroom teachers and I choose an overall topic in collaboration, I work to determine the major relating concepts. From there, I research and design experiments to illustrate, explore and solidify the topic and concepts.

Science activity books, current research articles and reference books all provide ideas for developing projects and they are woven together to plan a block of experiments.

Turning an idea into a testable question allows for activities, models or even diagrams to be converted to scientific process-based experiments.

Continued >

Fourth and fifth graders experiment with biodiesel with local green fuel expert Lyle Rudensey.

Collaboration: students working together

“When I work together with a friend, my ideas get even better!” Collaboration is an essential component of the science program. Students often perform investigations in teams. Most collaborative projects are teams of two, but depending on the experiment and equipment needed, sometimes we ask children to work in groups of three or four. “The Lost City of Giza experiment was tricky because we had to work in teams of four. Everyone had to compromise at some point and sometimes it didn’t feel fair. After the first day, we assigned jobs and a plan beforehand and the next day was smoother.”

Teachers facilitate conversations and guide students to balance the give and take of collaborative projects, share their ideas and work together to collect and analyze data. Helping students form productive partnerships at the beginning of an investigation is the start to successful collaborations.

Authentic science: Do I need to know all of the answers?

As a new science teacher, I often found myself testing each experiment before the students, making sure that it “worked” correctly each time.

I soon found, however, that the most interesting investigations were the ones where neither the students nor I knew the answer at the outset.

Students are intrigued to find out that I am not sure what will happen, and it adds excitement to the investigation. Experimenting and making discoveries alongside the students brings authenticity to a project. Sometimes we are all surprised at the results, and these investigations often lead us to new experiments and discoveries.

The curiosity and excitement of the students is contagious. They often have a fresh perspective on problems and are able to ask questions I might never have thought to ask. They generate a lot of data in the science lab. I love all that data! One student’s data combined with another’s and then the whole class’s and soon you have a hundred trials to support your hypothesis. A former colleague from my days as a bench scientist asked me recently, “Don’t you miss doing research?” The truth is I don’t feel like I ever left the bench; now doing science with students inspires me. Each day I wonder, “What will we discover next?” s

Nuts and bolts: The science schedule

Early elementary students conduct experiments in the science lab one time each week, for a thirty-minute science session. Elementary age students come to the science lab on a block schedule. Each month a given level will spend four or five days during one week in the science lab, with classes ranging from 45-60 minutes per class period. This gives the students a chance to immerse themselves in a project and make daily observations. In between science blocks, the science specialist and classroom teachers work together to design some part of the curriculum (i.e. reading, math, or spelling) that relates to the science study to ensure continuity.

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People Who Inspire Us

Good Neighbors:

Connecting Scientists, Teachers, and Students One benefit of living in Seattle is our proximity to a vibrant community of passionate scientists involved in cuttingedge research. For the Science issue of Spark, we were interested in talking to scientists who, in addition to exploring their own specific scientific domain, also value infusing classrooms with authentic science-driven thinking. Right in our backyard within a mile of UCDS, we found two teams of scientists actively working to bring scientific fluency to the classroom!

We first visited Seattle’s Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), a non-profit center for biomedical research with a strong commitment to K-12 education. ISB’s Center for Inquiry Science (CIS) mission is “to ensure that we not only encourage future scientists and engineers, but also develop a scientifically literate society.”

There, we met Dana Riley Black Ph. D., Director of CIS, and Valerie Logan, its Community Liaison. Dana partners with and supports school districts across the Puget Sound region in their efforts to implement research-based science education reform. Valerie is known throughout the region for her pioneering work to seek National Science Foundation (NSF) funding for science kits in Seattle Public Schools classrooms.

SPARK: So what does it mean to teach science well?

Dana Riley Black (left) and Valerie Logan are instrumental in the Center for Inquiry Science’s efforts to link authentic scientific thinking with classrooms.

Valerie Logan: I only taught in high school, maybe thirty years ago, but I think that no matter whether it’s lower, middle or high school, it’s really important that each individual has someone who’s a mentor to them, even if it’s a peer sitting right next to them.

You don’t want to be all alone, feeling that you have to learn science all by yourself.

SPARK: Kids are so naturally curious and they are naturals at science toothey have so many questions. It is exciting to hear them formulating hypotheses with each other in the science lab at UCDS. How did you get your start in science?

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VL: You know, the strange thing was that I never had any science when I was growing up in school. It came much later in my life.

SPARK: And lately that trend has been continuing: a lot of the science programs have been cut in schools across the country along with their arts programs- all of this is considered to be extra in order to balance the budget.

VL: Extra? It’s exactly the opposite thing! The most important thing is science education. I think it’s so important to start early.

Dana Riley Black: Lee (Dr. Leroy Hood, the Institute’s president) and Valerie have been really tenacious about keeping science education visible in the Puget Sound area schools.

VL: It began with training teachers to use science kits. It was really fun to explore the kits because teachers were really doing something on their own.

SPARK: And giving teachers the confidence to use them and make scientific discoveries right alongside their kids in the classroom. It was really empowering! So many teachers have benefited from that training and then, of course, their students.

DRB: We have recognized that as a teacher it’s not just one shot of professional development to become fluent in science so we’ve continued to work with the school districts to improve their growth. In fact we have four school district representatives downstairs right now talking about a third iteration of the NSF-funded initial systemic initiative that Valerie was instrumental in starting.

VL: Science is so great because it can tie together the mathematics, reading, and writing – it can tie together all the content areas.

DRB: Valerie was very instrumental in getting the Science Writing Program started. During the elementary local systemic change initiative, Valerie continued to remind folks that science

should be at the core of learning: it’s the piece that you can use to make the connections to math and literacy. With funding from the Stewart Foundation, Seattle Public Schools was really able to launch this Science Writing Program, which is sometimes also called Science Notebook, or Science Writing or Expository Writing.

It’s a series of writing strategies that start at Kindergarten and are aligned directly with the district’s instructional materials. They are prompts and focus questions that really get the kids writing and it’s even bled over into mathematics as well. It really took off at the elementary level. They’ve had NSF grants to support the Science Writing program and they’ve even had books published that are used all across the Puget Sound region and nationally and it has become a technique that is now expected to accompany the science curriculum.

Open air ISB research labs emphasize collaboration and accessability.

SPARK: It is great laying that foundation at the elementary school level.

DRB: It’s pushed up now into middle school and it’s expected there too.

And what is beautiful now is that the writing program is now making its way into high school with those kids and it’s being expected there in a very different way than the way that we had lab books in high school that were very cookbook oriented. Those connections have been made largely due to the tenacity again of Valerie and Lee. SPARK: You’ve really empowered teachers and students to speak Science fluently!

DRB: And then the kids become the messengers for building strong science experiences. They come to middle and high school and ask, “Why don’t we have this?” At the same time, their parents expect it will be part of their learning when they get older. I hear Valerie’s voice when I see this Continued > happening.

UCDS parent, John Neilson loved ideas; those he found in literature and those he gained through a deep appreciation of world culture, math, science, art, music, philosophy, and physical excellence.

In 1999, at the age of thirty-eight, John lost a hard fought battle against non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In honor of John’s life, The Neilson Endowment Fund was created. Through the Teacher Education Center at UCDS, we use this endowment to create and share programs that offer children access to big ideas.

John was an inspiration to us in life and we dedicate this, ‘People Who Inspire Us’ section to him.

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People Who Inspire Us

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s

Science Education Partnership Enthused by our visit to The Center for Inquiry Science and the Institute for Systems Biology, we next traveled to Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to learn more about its Science Education Partnership (SEP). SEP is a professional development program, created by teachers and scientists, for secondary school teachers in Washington State. In addition to access to classroom science kits and technical assistance, 25 teachers per year are admitted to its professional development program which comprises 16 days of professional development, including 5 days working beside mentor research scientists in a lab setting. To date, nearly 400 teachers have taken part in the program and many remain active members of SEP’s ongoing professional learning community.

We talked with Nancy Hutchison Ph. D., SEP’s Program Director, about its evolution and philosophical underpinnings.

Scientists in the Classroom: UCDS Science Specialist Katie Morrson Ph.D. (left) and Nancy Hutchison Ph.D. from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s Science Education Partnership.

SPARK: So typically the teachers that take part in your program are from high school?

Nancy Hutchison: They come from middle school and high school, but by and large they’re high school science teachers with a few outliers who are really passionate about science education.

SPARK: How did it begin?

NH: The backdrop goes back to 1990. I had been giving talks to teachers about what’s going on in cancer research through a program

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that the Pacific Science Center was running and I got really surprised hearing teachers talk about how they had no real connections to places where people do science. In spite of the fact that we have teachers learn about science from scientists and people who have science backgrounds, most don’t really seem to have a relationship that extends past college. Many teachers are basically isolated from scientists and in general they have actually never had the experience of being a

scientist. It’s kind of like someone telling you that you’re going to teach art, but you’ve never done art.

You might have been in a lot of art history classes and you might have seen some of the tools but you’ve not used them. Think about how weird that would be!

SPARK: Like teaching a foreign language that you can’t speak.

NH: And yet, we have science teachers who have not really done

science. I knew from my mentor and others of a few other places where scientists were also getting involved in science education. So there were some models that seemed to be working to some degree. I was having a lot of fun doing this work with teachers and the Hutch was very supportive of this.

I was introduced to a teacher named Barb Schulz, who was a high school science teacher in the Shoreline district and also their lead science guru for all of the grade levels in the district. She talked about how hard it was to have access to the kind of materials that we had easy access to in labs here. That opened up this whole world of access to the ideas that she had. She had been involved in all of the best professional development opportunities around for science teachers but she also knew what didn’t work about a lot of those. Basically, you go, somebody lectures for you for a few days or a week and you leave, and you go back to your classrooms and you don’t have the equipment and materials. She could see what was not working about those workshops.

The view was that these workshops were somehow going to fix teachers, but without any kind of ongoing relationship between scientists and teachers.

SPARK: How did this translate to bringing teachers into the labs here?

NH: It took about a year and I have to credit Bruce Alberts [University of California, San Francisco] for his advice and approach. He was instrumental in our work and design.

We first decided that we had to listen to teachers and try to figure out what to do. We sat down with a group of teachers and scientists, mostly teachers, and we listened.

From those conversations, we put together this idea to give teachers the chance to get to be scientists for a week, immersed in the science lab. Each mentor would selects one applicant for SEP participation.

It was an exciting first meeting! Teachers came back energized by the experience but amazed about how much they didn’t know.

What we do now is SEP runs on a yearlong program. Most of the professional development piece happens during the summer in an intensive 13 days session that includes a week of lab work here at the Hutch or in the labs of our partner sites, but there’s a year of background training with us and then you belong to us.

We really sit down with each person and help them work through how to customize their activity and kit to really fit with their students.

Ideally they start with what their kids already know, and help them create a context for their discoveries that could continue throughout an entire year.

SPARK: We visited ISB yesterday and we met Valerie Logan and Dana Riley Black, and there are so many things that they talked about that are parallel with what you’re doing here, particularly the distinction between simply learning science facts and vocabulary and actually doing it. It makes so much sense to emphasize the real science in education.

NH: It makes sense but it is still surprisingly hard to do. The educational community is still huge,

In addition to its yearlong teacher professional development program, SEP maintains and lends out classroom science kits for use by member teachers.

a very big and difficult ship to steer.

It’s interesting to watch different forces try to steer this ship. It’s more of a pendulum swing at times, some influences asking for more hands-on science while other people emphasize that what kids mostly need to learn is science facts.

This concept about inquiry based science has certainly been growing.

It was quite new when I first got involved in this kind of work twenty five years or so ago. I don’t think that the Sputnik-era had any aspect of inquiry. It was more, “these are the facts that people should know.”

SPARK: Right! I grew up thinking that there was nothing left to figure out. Here are all of the answers.

NH: And of course, we start out one of our first sessions making it all about the questions. Are you asking a deep, enduring question? It’s what we don’t know that makes it fun! s

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Creative Fusion

THE SCENIC TWO-WAY ROAD

Diving more deeply into concepts first explored at Science, first and second graders research ocean animals in classroom groups.

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IN AND UT OF THE ENCE LAB

by Melinda Deal, UCDS Faculty

Ebullient second and third graders are returning from an hour in the science lab where they have been experimenting with the effects of salt on melting ice.

“We think that the water molecules get excited by the salt – like a chemical reaction. They jump around and create heat which melts the ice quicker,” one reports to a teacher who asks what their results might mean. These students are nearing the end of a week-long science block, daily classes led by the school Science Specialist.

Their team of classroom teachers has taken turns joining them in the science lab -- observing, learning and finding inspiration alongside them.

Back in the classroom, the study continues. Students become immersed in an interdisciplinary curriculum about the polar regions of the Earth. For the next three weeks, while the Science Specialist is teaching each of the other grade levels, classroom teachers and students expand their investigation of ice, snow and salt water.

Designing insulated ice cube containers and measuring their effectiveness in a “Big Melt Off” proves to be a favorite investigation. The Science Specialist has more ideas and resources than she can present in a week; so, she passes some on to classroom teachers. Having been a part of the discoveries from the planning stages on, classroom teachers easily reinforce vocabulary and graphing skills that students gained in the lab.

The integrated study is wide-reaching. In weekly Literature Groups students discuss books depicting aspects of polar exploration and Alaskan native culture and history. Attending an exhibit at the local science center brings students in contact with University of Washington geologists and marine biologists, Coast Guard officers, an Arctic wildlife artist, and a native Alaskan from Point Barrow. Non-fiction readings about the melting ice caps, receding glaciers and indicator species lead to discussions about climate change. Students write snowflake inspired poetry and solve multi-day math word problems based on fanciful stories of snowflake melt time. The Art and Library Specialists also make polar connections with projects and resources.

By the time the group’s block of daily science lab time rolls around again, students have lots of ideas and new questions about polar science phenomena. For this week, the Science Specialist and teachers have planned a trip to the mountains, where fresh snow can be collected, measured, observed, and romped in. Whenever possible, fieldwork enhances classroom study. Teaming between specialists and classroom teachers allows for plenty of supervision and purposeful collection of data that comes back to school for analysis and discussion in the science lab. For classroom teachers, who get to join in as field scientists for a day, there are shared experiences with their students which often lead to further classroom discussions, math explorations, and writing or art projects.

Continued >

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In addition to creating time for further research, classroom-Science connections allow for a broader scope of explorations. Here, first and second graders share handmade brochures about the Great Barrier Reef.

The polar science study described is one example of successful collaboration between a specialist teacher and the classroom teachers. At UCDS each of the Specialists, teachers of Science, Technology, Music, Art, P.E., Spanish and Library, stay abreast of topics that grade levels are focusing on in the classroom. Building continuity, by overlapping vocabulary and connecting concepts increases depth for students and generates enthusiasm for teachers.

Historically, before having a school-wide Science Specialist, science was taught in the classrooms with teachers integrating math, reading and writing into themerelated science topics. As a faculty we schooled ourselves in the principles of inquiry-based science education, and in tune with our philosophy of creating an interactive learning environment, we were constantly seeking out materials and connecting our discoveries with other curricula. Teachers worked in collaboration to plan level-wide science activities and worked in committees to procure and organize materials.

In present day, having a designated Science Specialist to seek out and pass on new ideas and resources results in the integration of science in ever-new ways. Equipping a laboratory space that is large enough for multiple investigations to be left and returned to over time and having consistent and intensive time blocks built into our schedule assure that science remains a continuing part of our schoolwide conversations.

In the now-customary collaborations between the science lab and the classroom, it is hard to say which is feeding the other. Often an idea from the Science Specialist will take root in classroom planning sessions and become the impetus for Math Vitamins, literature selections, art projects and writing assignments. Similarly, a thematic direction initiated in the classroom may well become the next investigation when

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students enter the lab. This is possible because curriculum is open-ended, theme-based and guided by the teaching of those skills and habits of mind that are developmentally appropriate to each child. Thus, just as reading and writing may be taught through a variety of books and genres the skills of a scientist may be promoted through study in a wide variety of content areas. As the body of scientific knowledge grows at an exponential rate, we believe it is more important to give students the power of knowing how to conduct research, locate and evaluate information and communicate clearly in a community of scientists than it is to master discrete facts or concepts that are under constant revision.

So, how do teachers and specialists go about determining what they will teach? In September, the Science Specialist sits down with each teaching team to share ideas for potential topics of study that they might all get excited about. It’s an Earth Science year (part of a three year rotation with Physical and Biological Sciences) and our school-wide theme is “Layers.” Where do we want to go? We could look at oceans, forests, mountains, volcanoes, geologic layers of the Earth…

As ideas are tossed around, the team narrows in on content that will have high interest and hands-on opportunities for the age level involved and that perhaps lend itself to fieldtrips and available community resources, from upcoming exhibits to parent experts. Finally, we think about the myriad of ways a science topic can be integrated with literature, math, writing and social sciences. As the year progresses and each month brings a new block of science lab time, team meetings continue. New ideas are seized, old ideas may be tabled. The collaboration continues to unfold as students’ interests grow, as teachers discover resources, and as new connections are conceived. s

Other successful Science & Classroom Collaborations That’s What We’re Reading About!

Read Aloud is a mainstay at every level at UCDS. An on-going shared book is often the fodder for the imaginary story line that brings Math Vitamins, playground games, and science investigations to life.

The 3-6 year olds in our Early Elementary classrooms were immersed in the adventures of Elmer Elevator and his quest to save a baby dragon as their teachers read aloud from the popular book, My Father’s Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannet. Classroom teachers integrated math explorations and writing activities. During weekly sessions in the science lab students examined the properties of some of the unlikely items that the trilogy’s hero, Elmer, carried in his knapsack. They tested the adhesiveness of chewing gum and the elasticity of rubber bands. They examined the usefulness of different powers of magnifying glasses and created treasure hunts for classmates using compasses.

They observed the phase transition of lollipops by dissolving them from a solid to liquid and returning them back to a solid state. These lessons often started with a short reading from a reference book or a group discussion about the workings, history or properties of the object to be examined. Young scientists record their observations by sketching what they did or noticed. Teachers also document students’ ideas through dictation, photography and group records that are posted for later review.

Science-fueled treasure hunts!

Other Read-Aloud inspired science investigations: The Wizard of Oz – investigations of rainbows (prisms, shadows, transparency) The City of Ember – investigations of light (flashlights, circuits, volt meters, solar panels) A Rock Grows Up – investigations of geology (rock cycle, volcanoes, types of rock)

Under the Big Concept Umbrella

An indoor dig-site!

As a faculty, when we select our school-wide concept for the year, we find a word that elicits big ideas and threads through many subject areas. Connecting science to our concept study creates immediate fusion between what goes on in the lab and the rest of a student’s school year.

With LAYERS as our school-wide Theme, it was a great year for Earth Science – looking at layers of the Earth, investigating forces of erosion, volcanic activity and landforms. Classroom teachers posed the question, “why are cities located where they are?” With a huge timeline running the length of the hall, students studied past civilizations from a geological timeframe as well as linking to social studies concepts of geography, history and economics. Archaeology was a hands-on science link for younger students whose teachers created a giant “dig site” in the central Discovery Area shared by all classes. Third and fourth graders became expert Eygptologists, merging literature study and math explorations with an introduction to using coordinate grids, artifact classification, and carbon dating in the science lab.

When FORM was our big concept, several classroom teachers who were avid birdwatchers joined the Science Specialist to develop an interdisciplinary study of ornithology. It began with a field trip to a local bird sanctuary, binoculars borrowed from the Audubon Society, field guides and sketchpads in hand. In the lab, students investigated properties of feathers and learned techniques for classifying beaks, claws and birdcalls. Lively Math Vitamins included data collection from the classroom window of number of birds feeding over time and measurement and construction of birdhouses.

Last year, the theme of quest fueled scientific investigations in many directions – early man, human power, communication, simple machines, inventions, flight, rivers, boats, space, rockets, oceanography, submersibles… to name a few.

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What Works

Choosing Your Own Adventure: Travel plans for sustaining staff and igniting teacher and student passions

by Chad Randol, UCDS Special Prgrams Coordinator

It’s a special moment to watch an elementary student proudly walk into school wearing a dress she made in Sewing Club. She wears the dress confidently while singing in front of the entire student body during the Choir Club’s performance. This moment, combined with the experience of sharing this passion with five of her current teachers and administrators results in positive thinking and learning that reaches far beyond the walls of the classroom.

The word passion comes to mind when thinking about those that have chosen to pursue a career in education. The compelling force to become a life-long learner and to transfer that knowledge or passion on to the next generation is something that shines in teachers. As the Special Programs Director at the University Child Development School it is my privilege to design programs that both highlight our faculty’s passions outside of the classroom and also expand on our students’ personal interests.

The process of designing after school programs begins with creativity, originality, variety and inclusion. What are students interested in? This changes from year to year and sometimes even from season to season. A great place to start an after school program’s quest is with your school’s current faculty: proposals from peers produce incredible results! Under our special programs we currently facilitate Singing Groups, Theater Club, Indoor Soccer, Photography, Comic Book, P.E. FUNdamentals, Science Club, Fiber Arts Workshop, Chess, Jump Rope Club, Basketball, Ultimate Frisbee, Poetry Club, Sewing, Piano, Chinese, Yoga, Woodworking and LEGO Robotics. Working to constantly create innovative curriculum throughout the year, teachers are in tune with what our students are interested in and know what they are working on during the school day.

Program proposals from our faculty have produced an amazing after school and summer lineup and have also induced another complimentary relationship: one between students, thinking, teachers, sustainability and FUN!

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Sustaining quality teachers and administrators is a continuing school-wide goal. Special Programs offer an opportunity for teachers and administrators to earn a supplemental income while expanding and sharing an interest outside of the classroom. Teachers bring the same dedication to clubs and summer programs as they do to the rest of their time at school, further increasing the ownership they have of the school’s programs.

We currently offer after school clubs, workshops and activities that are primarily run by current UCDS teachers and administrators right on our very own campus. UCDS also offers an extensive seven week summer camp. The majority of the UCDS Summer Programs (www.ucds.org/summer) are also run by UCDS faculty. One of our most successful after school club and summer camp themes is LEGO Robotics.

Current UCDS teacher Rick Kirst runs this dynamic workshop of technological problem solving and scientific thinking. It is so popular that that he runs three eight-week club sessions during the school year and another two weeks of summer camp. The ultimate goal is to prepare children of all ages to meet the challenges of the future society where innovation, originality and the ability to work with others will be key to any successful endeavor.

Rick empowers his students in the classroom and then extends his passion of technology and problem solving with the Lego Robotics after school club and summer camp. His students see his love for math, science and teaching every day and just like the student who loves to play soccer with the neighborhood team, students that love robotics, creating, technology and problem solving participate in our Lego Robotics programs. It is a winning combination for both our students and faculty. Read more about it in the next article.

Our P.E. Specialist introduced a new club this year that combines her passion of physical wellness and Early Elementary good old FUN. Twelve ecstatic students race down every Monday to join her in

the gym for forty-five minutes of engaging physical activities and games.

On Thursdays young scientists show up eager for our Science Specialist’s Science Club. Recently, a kindergarten student arrived wearing a t-shirt that read “Future Physicist.” Commenting on his choice in attire he replied with an ear-to-ear grin, “I picked it out especially for today!”

Creating meaningful special programs is an ongoing and fluid process. Organization and communication are key ingredients and a great place to start. If you are organized you will have a clear vision of your programs.

This clarity will afford you the ability to enhance successful programs as well as provide you with the flexibility to add or replace programs so that correlate with the ever changing interests of your community.

Effective communication is also very important.

Special programs need to be clearly defined for the audience you are providing them for. At UCDS we disseminate advertising through our Weekly newsletter publication, website and targeted News and Notice e-mails. If you facilitate programs that are fun for the students and are both convenient and affordable for the parents, the word will get out. The Special Program Director should also be readily available to promote their programs and answer questions. This is great for customer relations and also provides a face for the programs. Successful special programs empower both teachers and students, help sustain quality faculty, provide convenient and enriching activity choices for parents, and most importantly are FUN for everyone! s

Each year, UCDS faculty are encouraged to share their passions with students.

After school and summer session clubs range from sports to art, chess to woodworking.

Here, UCDS Technology Specialist Ben Chickadel shares his woodworking expertise, one of several faculty-coached sports teams take a break from an exciting season and proud student photographers present the products of their week-long summer phot0 club.

Continued >

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Building Thinking LEGO bricks have held a special place in the hearts of generations of children and their parents. But what makes these colorful connectors so special in the educational world?

What do LEGO bricks have to do with learning?

One of the great inventors in American history,Benjamin Franklin once said, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

Through hands-on experience, LEGO Robotics involves children in problem-solving, communication and teamwork skills while meeting academic targets in science, technology, math, engineering, art, design, computers, and much more. When children get the opportunity to explore the world on their own and actively construct things in the physical world, it helps them greatly to build knowledge. This new knowledge enables them to create ever more sophisticated solutions, yielding more skills, more knowledge and more challenges in a self-reinforcing cycle.

The LEGO quest begins early in life when children are introduced to large Duplo bricks that turn into steps, walls and pyramids. As they approach the end of the Early Elementary years students are soon introduced to the Technic elements. These smaller, more varied pieces include wheels, axels, gears, motors and, battery packs. The large, easy to manipulate, soft cornered Duplos are replaced by thousands of specialized pieces that can be combined into millions of intricate creations. Admittedly, when children enter the Technic phase of their LEGO development, the activities that they undertake do not look a lot like science. Building a car from a set of step-by-step plans that that up looking exactly like the picture on the box is constructing a model and does not even resemble critical thinking. The scientific process comes later, after the children have explored and become familiar with all of the possibilities that Legos represent.

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by Rick Kirst UCDS Faculty

The questions soon begin. “How can I make my car go faster, straighter, turn corners or climb hills?” “Can I create a robot that plays a tune and dances to it at the same time?” Many of these questions lead to another set of plans that shows them how these projects are done, but soon the students reach a level where they begin to modify their models themselves to answer these questions. Eventually, they learn to build from scratch, coming up with their own ideas, experimenting as they build, trouble-shooting the inevitable problems they encounter. In the end they can even publish their own step-by-step plans using LEGO CAD programs and digital photography to document their process and share their discoveries with other LEGO lovers around the world.

In LEGO Robotics Club we add an extra level of thinking that takes students above and beyond the mechanical realm of inventing. With the inclusion of the “smart bricks” called the NXT or the RCX, the student creations can be programmed to venture off on their own and perform autonomously. Sensors for light, touch, angle, temperature, and ultrasound feed their information to the on-board computer that then directs the motors when to proceed, stop or reverse. Students think about what action they want their robot to perform, then write the instructions for it by selecting the icons and connecting them together into a program that looks like the following flowchart:

This simple program would turn on a motor connected to port A and a light connected to port C. When the touch sensor on port 1 is depressed, both motor and light will turn off.

Now imagine how much logical thinking would go into creating a program involving multiple motors and sensors that includes branches and loops to make a robot turn away from obstacles it runs into.

It would not be too difficult to imagine the NASA scientists that programmed the Mars Rover going through a similar process.

When children, or most adults for that matter, enter a room with a LEGO structure, their eyes are inevitably drawn to it, soon to be followed by their hands. The familiarity with the pieces from past experiences and the knowledge that the possibilities of what can be created from them is infinite and engages the mind. Students who then build on others’ ideas and create their own solutions to problems, experience the thrill of genuine achievement - an experience altogether different from simply memorizing the achievements of others.

This makes learning an adventure. The more empowered children feel, the more they enjoy the process, and the more they begin to take charge of their own learning.

MIT Professor Emeritus Seymour Papert says: “Constructionism means learning by making something. LEGO is an example, writing computer programs is an example, painting is an example. And what you learn in the process of doing that sinks much deeper, its roots go deeper into the subsoil of the mind than anything anybody can tell or show you.”

When children first join the LEGO Robotics Club the tens of thousands of pieces set out around the room can be intimidating. Add the gears, motors, pneumatic pumps, wires, sensors and Smart Bricks and it can quickly become overwhelming. After building a few models from basic plans to become familiar with how the different types of pieces work together, it is amazing how quickly the students begin to modify and create their own robots. If children are in a learning environment that challenges them, they

will feel encouraged to explore, understand and keep on learning. In this situation they will typically experience a high degree of enjoyment.

Students work at their own pace, sometimes alone, but more often collaborating with others to troubleshoot the inevitable glitches, learn new techniques and generally make their creations more elaborate and functional. Students return to the club year after year because they know that they will be able to continue learning where they left off.

Chris Rogers, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Tufts University says: “In my opinion, schools should teach children to be curious about the things around them - i.e. how to solve problems and where to look for solutions and find answers.

If you give children those tools they can solve any problem.

Because LEGO tools allow children open-ended problemsolving, children get curious, and with the help of the teacher and knowledgeble peers, children can find answers to their questions.”

As the final day of a Lego Club session approaches, students make final adjustments to their projects, preparing for the now traditional show that we put on for parents and friends. Spinning carnival rides, racing cars, pneumatic lifts, elevators, smart houses, bumper cars, dancing robots, gondolas, LEGO launchers, cranes, and monorails are just a few of the projects out for display. Some work well while others break apart as soon as they are turned on. Continuous repairs and adjustments are the norm, but the questions and hypothesis never stop. “How can I make a monorail that goes around corners?” “I think that larger wheels can help my car go faster.” “How can I slow my Ferris Wheel down so it seems more realistic?” The cameras flash and the video cameras roll as the creators and their inventions show off their stuff for the last time. Finally it is time to break everything down and sort all of the pieces into their proper bins. Organized by shape, size and, function, it is comforting to know that each LEGO piece has a home where it can be found quickly and be put to use in a future invention. s

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UCDS Bookshelf

Featured Links

Center for Inquiry Science at The Institute for Systems Biology

www.systemsbiology.org/Center_for_Inquiry_Science

The Brain that Changes Itself

by Norman Doidge, M.D. Those of us who teach know instinctively that the capability of the human brain to learn is often underestimated.

Renowned researcher and psychiatrist Norman Doidge, M.D. strings together stories of recent discoveries about the human brain, and the stories are hard to put down. From intrigue behind the scenes in neurobiology labs to fascinating case studies of patients transforming their lives by restructuring their brains, we are led to understand anew the untapped potential of our brains. The latest science of neuroplasticity, now accessible, has implications for all, especially those invested in the field of teaching.

-Reviewed by Melinda Deal UCDS Faculty

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Institute for Systems Biology’s (ISB) Center for Inquiry Science exemplifies the Institute’s commitment to improving science education for every child in Washington state. ISB believes that all students should have access to inquiry-centered science education, to ensure that we not only encourage future scientists and engineers, but also develop a scientifically literate society.

The mission of the Center for Inquiry Science is to enable schools and districts to have the capacity to produce scientifically literate and capable students by creating and supporting a statewide infrastructure, comprised of collaborative and regional partnerships among schools, districts and community partnerships that will train and support science educators.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Science Education Partnership fhcrc.org/science/education/educators/sep/

SEP is a professional development program for secondary school science teachers in Washington State sponsored by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Their year-long program includes a 13-day summer session in which teachers work closely with each other, with lead teachers and with SEP staff to gain skills and expertise in molecular biology. A component of this summer session includes a week working closely with a scientist mentor in a research laboratory. During the school year, teachers have access to SEP’s kit loan program so that students have the opportunity to work with cutting edge biomedical research tools and concepts in their school classroom.

Spark Plugs From the UCDS Science Lab: Online Sample Science Curriculum www.ucds.org/spark

In addition to creating a science curriculum individualized to each student, UCDS Science Specialist Katie Morrison synthesizes national and state science standards into each week’s running experiments. For this issue of Spark, she has compiled a sample science week, a compendium of complimentary experiments in the realm of physical science. Visit Spark online to see this and many other sample curricula created in house including: science, math, literature, student government, and more!

Additional Science Curriculum Resources: The American Association for the Advancement of Science www.aaas.org

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing science around the world by serving as an educator, leader, spokesperson, and professional association. In addition to organizing membership activities, AAAS publishes the journal Science, as well as many scientific newsletters, books and reports, and spearheads programs that raise the bar of understanding for science worldwide.

Project 2061

www.project2061.org Project 2061 is a long-term initiative of AAAS to help all Americans become literate in science, mathematics and technology. To achieve that goal, Project 2061 conducts research and develops tools and services—books, CD-ROMS, on-line resources, professional development and public outreach—that educators, researchers, families and community leaders can use to make critical and lasting improvements in the nation’s education system.

Washington State Standards:

http://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/EALR_GLE.aspx The Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs) for all content areas were initially developed beginning with the Basic Education Act of 1993.

These standards define what all students should know and be able to do at each grade level in several academic domains, including Science: 1. Read with comprehension, write effectively, and communicate successfully in a variety of ways and settings and with a variety of audiences; 2. Know and apply the core concepts and principles of mathematics; social, physical, and life sciences; civics and history, including different cultures and participation in representative government; geography; arts; and health and fitness; 3. Think analytically, logically, and creatively, and to integrate different experiences and knowledge to form reasoned judgments and solve problems; and 4. Understand the importance of work and finance and how performance, effort, and decisions directly affect future career and educational opportunities.

UCDS’ Science Specialist Katie Morrison uses this as one of several resources to construct our Science Program.

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UCDS Board of Trustees Officers Eric Fahlman, Chair Kate Marks, Vice Chair Janet Donelson, Treasurer Nan Garrison, Secretary Members at Large Perry Atkins David Bolin Howard Burton Michelle Goldberg Greg Headrick Roger Page Julie West Prentice Peggy Rinne Eric Sanderson Jeff Taraday Faye Tomlinson Ex-Officio Members Christine Leahy Paula Smith Betsy Watkins University Child Development School 5062 9th Ave NE Seattle, WA 98105 206-547-UCDS (8237) Fax 206-547-3615

The UCDS Mission University Child Development School is centered around the lives of children and is dedicated to the development of their intellect and character. We actively encourage, and the school everywhere reflects, the process of joyful discovery that is central to meaningful and responsible learning. Teaching is individualized and responsive to the talents of each student, and the curriculum is rigorous and integrates the concepts and skills embedded within the major disciplines. Our students are chosen for their promise of intellect and character and are selected from a crosssection of the community. Our faculty members are leaders in their fields, supported in advancing their studies and encouraged to share their knowledge widely.

In pursuit of these ideals, and in recognition of obligations beyond the school itself, we strive to be an innovative leader in education, serving as a model for others.

www.ucds.org

University Child Development School

NON-PROFIT ORG. U. S. POSTAGE P A I D SEATTLE, WA. PERMIT NO. 02488