WOOT! ok, so the new plan is going to be so awesome.  It is completely centered around professional development and the collaboration of all 6,7,8 science teachers at my middle school.  We never have the time to really talk about our curriculums and how they build one another which is a shame because I wish I could tell my 6th graders what they could expect or have 7th grade teachers expand on something we did in 6th grade.  The plan is to have a professional development activity where 6th grade science teachers will have the 7th and 8th grade teachers participate in our water unit filtration system activity.  The objective would be for them to build and see what the kids learn and then have them all brainstorm how they could enhance the engineering project within their curriculum.

The second professional development which would occur within a few weeks is to have a faculty member or RET teacher come and complete another engineering or water treatment type of lesson that would be taught to all 6,7,8 teachers and we would discuss how we would be able to incorporate the idea within our classes.  The idea being that we are scaffolding the lesson across the 3 grade levels.  Currently, 8th grade is on a whole different level of experiments and labs that 6th grade cannot create. There is a lot lost in 7th grade either because of the teacher themselves not completing rigorous labs/ activities or they do not have a lesson or a resource in order to complete an activity.

NEWT will be introduced, scarcity of water will be introduced, engineering and STEM will tie together and this idea will help to make the connection throughout the three years stronger and more effective.  There is also a huge lack of professional development for science teachers where we can actually engineer and create.  Because of this internship, I have amazing resources here to use.  YAY!

Potential staff: University Research Scientist, RET intern, PH.D student,  Grad Student.

This idea is meant to be universal with the intent that other middle schools can take advantage of a collaboration amongst grade levels.  Middle school is such an important imprinting time to a child.  It is within these years that students’ minds are shaped and their academic outlook is molded so when they move into highschool they have more confidence going into science specific classes.  They outlook is more positive.  With that, we can hopefully expand the desire to learn in the math and sciences, both genders,  all ethnicities, simply by collaborating throughout all years.