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"AWESOME TRAINING! The activities were engaging, relevant and age and developmentally appropriate. Activities can be taken back to the classroom, ready to do tomorrow!" -Humble ISD Teacher

Instruction Support Services

Leaders in science and industry acknowledge that most of the great advances benefiting society-in healthcare, nutrition, energy, materials and other fields--involve chemistry in some way. Despite the nation's history in technological advances, industry experts predict a shortage of workers with the necessary education and skills to continue developing innovations to address world needs. In 2004, the National Science Board reported a troubling decline in the number of U.S. citizens trained to become scientists and engineers, while the number of jobs requiring such training continues to grow.

To address these issues in a positive manner, the Education Foundation created two workshops initiatives - "Science Fiction: Teaching Chemistry with Children's Literature" and "Science Fiction: Teaching Physics with Children's Literature"

See what the Houston Chronicle has to say about these workshops!

"Science Fiction" workshops assist teachers to develop process skills in our youngest learners such as observing, communicating, classifying, predicting outcomes, drawing conclusions and communicating results. The workshops improve instructional capabilities in the areas of complex chemistry and applied physics and prepare and equip teachers to transmit what they have learned in ways that are exciting, memorable and fun. When children engage and learn how to inquire and ask questions that can be tested as to outcome, their level of confidence and pride practically explodes and love of learning takes root. Once that empowered sense of selfhood is switched "on" in a child, it cannot be switched off.

The goal of Science Fiction workshops is to improve instructional capabilities of teachers and early childhood science learning. The project seeks to foster positive attitudes toward science by inspiring teachers to devote more instructional time to science and relating classroom activities to children's interest.

Teaching Chemistry with Children's Literature: This one-day workshop empowers teachers in grades pre-K to grade 4 to teach basic concepts of chemistry such as physical properties (metals & non-metals, alloys & magnetism), concentration gradients, properties of polymers, mass and weight. Using children's literature and hands-on activities, teachers learn how to engage students with soil chemistry, crystals, properties of sugars, salts and sand, solubility, ionic and covalent bonding, polar vs. non-polar solutes & solvents. This workshop has been generously sponsored in past years by Boeing, Inc. and a grant from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation.

Examples of chemistry teaching units:

	With Two Bad Ants by Chris van Allsburg, students take a closer look at crystals. Using a magnifying glass, students make observations about size, shape and color. They learn to classify crystals as solids and compare the physical properties of table salt, rock salt, Epsom salt, table sugar and sand. After learning the concept of dissolving and principles of solubility, students put their knowledge to use by growing different types of crystals.
	In Gregory the Terrible Eater, by Mitchell Sharmat, students learn about properties of elements (metal vs. non-metal) and then further classify metals as magnetic/non-magnetic. Students will evaluate the food they eat and make comparisons to the food goats eat.
	The final title is Diary of A Worm by Doreen Cronin. In these activities, students learn about properties of soil. Using senses of touch, smell and sight, they make observations about components of topsoil. Students then perform a simple chemical test to separate topsoil into its four major components, and then use the soil profiles to compare and contrast soil samples from around the country. This is followed by a closer look at earthworms and earthworm behavior.

Visit our Success Stories for exciting feedback from participants!

Science Fiction: Teaching Physics with Children's Literature: This one-day workshop provides teachers in grades pre-K to grade 4 with tools and resources to teach basic concepts of physical properties, density, buoyancy, force and motion, gravity, heat and thermodynamics - using children's literature! With books as a basis, adding lesson plans, supplies and presentation material enables teachers to replicate "Science Fiction" in their classrooms, creating daily moments of inspiration and wonder for children. This workshop is funded by the American Honda Foundation.

The physics teaching units are just as much fun and equally successful with children. For example, one teaching unit using Hot Air Henry by Margaret Calhoun helps students learn about heat, thermodynamics and the forces involved with gravity. Other units include:

	With Miriette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully and Tightrope Poppy the Highwire Pig by Sudipta Bardham-Quallen, children learn about balancing, center of gravity and weighing.
	In 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle and in The Chick and the Duckling by Mirra Ginsburg, students explore floating and sinking as a precursor to understanding density.
	The final title is Guji Guji by Chih-Yuan Chen, a story about a crocodile eggthat rolls into a duck's nest. This twist on the familiar ugly duckling story can teach children about force and motion.

"Science Fiction" teaching units are designed to appeal to a wide range of students--special education to gifted students--and are aligned with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. Each unit has a well-organized teacher's guide with an overview, materials list, preparation requirements and step-by-step directions.

Earth and Space Sciences: workshops enable middle and high school science teachers to learn with practicing in-the-field scientists from Houston's world renowned Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), crafting hands-on activities and curricula directly related to TAKS objectives. Concepts typically covered with LPI scientists in these instructional seminars include plate tectonics, types of volcanoes, volcano activity across the solar system, theories of the origin of the universe, characteristics of planets in our region, asteroids, meteorites, the stars of the night sky, how planets revolve, how forces of change - like weathering, wind and water erosion affect the Earth and much more.

The goal is to improve teachers' instructional capabilities including innovative curriculum design, so that they become less dependent on non-interactive, out-of-date textbooks. ESS workshops will also enhance their abilities to teach concepts, train teachers in innovative curriculum design and provide needed materials and instructional supports for doing so and will sharpen their skills in observing, classifying, predicting outcomes and drawing conclusions. As with Science Fiction workshops, teachers receive extensive presentation materials on CD-ROM, website references, posters, reference materials, and lesson plans for hands-on classroom activities

ESS fosters positive attitudes toward science by inspiring teachers to devote more instructional time to earth and space science. The LPI scientists who conduct the workshops have a wealth of expertise in both Earth science and Earth sciences education. Furthermore, they have expertise with regard to current solar system missions - Genesis, Mars Rovers, Cassini, Deep Impact and StarDust - which offer extraordinary platforms for imaginative, exciting teaching geared to 21st century Earth and space sciences.

Science Fiction and all other workshops are provided to teachers on a no-fee basis. Grants to the Education Foundation provide this direct benefit to teachers and students. Any local area philanthropist, foundation or business can support one or more workshops per year - call us! Or, donate now...