SEPUP NEWS
SEPUP News
Click here for the Spring 2009 SEPUP NewsletterScience and Global Issues Field Test in Full Swing
This past January, SEPUP’s field testing went into high gear with the introduction of three new units and two revised units for our latest high school curriculum project, Science and Global Issues. More than 60 teachers and center directors traveled to Berkeley for a two-and-a-half-day training on the units. The biology group focused on the revised "Genetics: Feeding the World" and "Evolution: Maintaining Diversity" units. The chemistry group worked with the new "Earth’s Resources" unit, and physics teachers were trained on the "Mitigating Risks from Waves" and "Generating Electricity" units.
We had teachers from 17 states, and from schools ranging from small rural to large urban districts. Earlier this year, these teachers used the units in their classrooms and sent SEPUP their feedback and student work to be used in revising the units and preparing them for publication, which are scheduled to be ready next year.
Staff Changes at SEPUP
SEPUP is pleased to announce the appointment of John Howarth as a new Instructional Materials Developer. John has a B.S. In Biochemistry and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education both from the University of Liverpool in England. He also has an M.A. in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University. John was a secondary science teacher for 10 years in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. In the U.S. he spent 10 years teaching in Jackson Hole, Wyoming before moving to Michigan in 1996 where he worked as a science teacher, a science curriculum supervisor, and as a curriculum director.
In addition, SEPUP has appointed Chris Keller as a new Instructional Materials Developer. Chris's prior experiences include undergraduate and graduate degrees in the field of physics, experience teaching physics at the college level, and research on the use of technology-enhanced physics instruction. SEPUP is excited about the expertise Chris will add to the development of Science and Global Issues, SEPUP's high school integrated science program.
SEPUP workshop materials available for download
SEPUP at NSTA - Phoenix Area Regional
Phoenix, AZ 2009
Saturday, December 5
“Alternative Energy for Transportation: Hydrogen and Fuel Cells”
Chris Keller, SEPUP Instructional Materials DeveloperSEPUP at NABT
Denver, CO 2009
Thursday, November 12
“Integrating Sustainability Issues Into a Biology Classroom”
Laura Lenz, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer
Maia Willcox, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer“Integrating Biodiversity Issues into an Evolution Classroom”
Laura Lenz, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer
Maia Willcox, SEPUP Instructional Materials DeveloperSEPUP at CAST
Galveston, TX 2009
Friday, November 6
“Teach Chemistry with Hydrogen and Fuel Cells”
Barbara Nagle, Director of SEPUPSEPUP at STANYS
Rochester, NY 2009
Tuesday, November 3
“Alternative Energy for Transportation: Hydrogen and Fuel Cells”
Chris Keller, SEPUP Instructional Materials DeveloperSEPUP at CSTA
Palm Springs, CA 2009
Friday, October 23
“Teaching Chemistry with Hydrogen and Fuel Cells”
Barbara Nagle, Director of SEPUPPresentation Slides
Activity 4: Modeling the Fuel Cell ReactionSaturday, October 24
“Teaching Ecology Concepts Through Sustainability Issues”
Maia Willcox, SEPUP Instructional Materials DeveloperSEPUP at Connecticut Science Education Conference
Hamden, CT 2009
Saturday, October 17
“Hydrogen and Fuel Cells”
Barbara Nagle, Director of SEPUPPresentation Slides
Activity 4: Modeling the Fuel Cell ReactionSEPUP at NSTA
New Orleans, LA 2009
Wednesday, March 18
“NSTA Professional Development Institute, Issue-oriented Science: Engage, Motivate, Educate”
Barbara Nagle, Director of SEPUP
John Howarth, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer
Sara Dombkowski, SEPUP Instructional Materials DeveloperMaterials
Presentation Slides
Tools to Support Issue-oriented Science
Issue-oriented Science Design TemplateThursday, March 19
“Developing Literacy and Addressing Content Standards Through Issue-oriented Science”
Laura Lenz, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer“Integrating Biodiversity Issues into Biology Units”
Sara Dombkowski, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer
Laura Lenz, SEPUP Instructional Materials DeveloperFriday, March 20
“Ethanol: The Cleaner Burning Alternative”
Barbara Nagle, SEPUP DirectorEthanol Activity
Slides of Presentation“Alternative Energy for Transportation: Hydrogen and Fuel Cells”
Barbara Nagle, SEPUP DirectorActivity #4
Slides of Presentation“Integrating Sustainability into the Science Classroom”
John Howarth, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer
Laura Lenz, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer“Using Issues as a Context for Teaching Science Content and Inquiry”
John Howarth, SEPUP Instructional Materials DeveloperSaturday, March 21
“Teach Chemistry with Hydrogen and Fuel Cells”
Barbara Nagle, SEPUP Director
John Howarth, SEPUP Instructional Materials DeveloperActivity #4
Slides of Presentation“Leading Discussions about the Societal Impacts of Advances in Nanotechnology”
Sara Dombkowski, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer
Darrell Porcello, Director of CTI at the Lawrence Hall of ScienceSEPUP at CSTA
San Jose, CA 2008
Thursday, October 30
“Learning Biology Through Global Issues”
Laura Lenz, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer
Maia Willcox, SEPUP Instructional Materials DeveloperFriday, October 31
“The Chemistry of Hydrogen Fuel Cells”
Barbara Nagle, SEPUP DirectorSEPUP at NABT
Memphis, TN 2008
Friday, October 17
“Learning Biology Through Global Issues”
Maia Willcox, SEPUP Instructional Materials DeveloperSEPUP at NSTA
Boston, 2008
Wednesday, March 26
“Issue-Oriented Science: Engage, Motivate, Educate”
Barbara Nagle, SEPUP Director
Sara Dombkowski, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer
Kathy Burke, Buffalo Science Teacher Network
Donna Markey, Vista Unified School District, CAThursday, March 27
“Getting Kids Invested with Stories: The Car of the Future”
Laura Baumgartner, Science Teacher Robinswood High, Bellevue, WA
Jud Hill, EDC’s Center for Science Education
slide presentation“Developing Literacy Through Issue-Oriented Science”
Laura Lenz, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer
Donna Markey, Vista Unified School District, CA
Maia Willcox, SEPUP Instructional Materials DeveloperFriday, March 28
“Teaching with Hydrogen Fuel Cells”
Laura Baumgartner, Science Teacher Robinswood High, Bellevue, WA
Barbara Nagle, SEPUP Director
slide presentation“Ethanol: The Cleaner Burning Alternative?”
Donna Parker, APES & Biology Teacher, Dublin Coffman High School, Dublin, OH
Barbara Nagle, SEPUP DirectorSaturday, March 29
“Using Issue-Oriented Science to Integrate Writing and Science Literacy”
Laura Lenz, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer
Maia Willcox, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer“Assessing Students’ Understanding of Science and Societal Issues”
Donna Markey, Vista Unified School District, CA
Barbara Nagle, SEPUP DirectorSEPUP at NSTA
St. Louis, 2007
Friday, March 30
“Connecting Science, Societal Issues, and Middle School Students”
Middle Luncheon Presentation, Barbara Nagle, SEPUP Director
“Formative Assessment in Secondary Life Science”
Barbara Nagle, SEPUP Director
“Improving Small-Group Discussion”
Sara Dombkowski, SEPUP Instructional Materials DeveloperSaturday, March 31
“Teaching Chemistry with Hydrogen Fuel Cells”
Barbara Nagle, SEPUP DirectorSEPUP at CSTA
San Francisco, 2006
Friday, October 20
“Improving Group Talk”
Sara Dombkowski, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer, and Donna Markey, SEPUP teacher Associate
Slide presentation
Workshop materials
Saturday, October 21
“Teaching Chemistry with Hydrogen and Fuel Cells”
Dr. Barbara Nagle, SEPUP Director and Jim Zoellick, Schatz Energy Research Center, Humboldt State University
Slide presentation
Fuel cell simulationSEPUP at NSTA
Anaheim, 2006
Friday, April 7
“Literacy Strategies in Earth Science”
Janet Bellantoni, SEPUP Instructional Materials DeveloperSunday, April 9
“Formative Assessment in Secondary Life Science”
Barbara Nagle, SEPUP Director
Workshop materials
Slide presentationSEPUP at NSTA
Dallas, 2005
Wednesday, March 30 to Thursday, March 31
Professional Development Institute: “Understanding Student Learning Through Assessment in Science,”
Lawrence Hall of Science leaders from SEPUP, GEMS, FOSS and other programs
Workshop materials (Barbara Nagle's session)Friday, April 1
“Assessing Inquiry in Middle School Science,”
Barbara Nagle, SEPUP Director, and Lee Amosslee, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer
Workshop materials
Slide presentation“Assessing Inquiry in High School Science,”
Barbara Nagle, SEPUP Director, SEPUP Instructional Materials Developer
Workshop materials
Slide presentation
News: 2006 and earlier
Spring 2006: Focus on Literacy
Strategies for supporting literacy are highlighted in this issue, with particular emphasis on their role in formative assessment. Several examples are provided including a writing frame, an anticipation guide, and concept mapping. There is an article about the use of literacy strategies to address the needs of diverse learners. In addition, details about SEPUP's new middle school course, Issues and Earth Science, are presented along with a description of SEPUP's development of materials on hydrogen fuel cells for the Department of Energy, in conjunction with the Schatz Energy Research Center at Humboldt State University.
Click here to download a pdf version of the Spring 2006 SEPUP News.
Spring 2005: Focus on Issue-Oriented Science
This issue provides both conceptual background and practical information about issue-oriented science—the core of SEPUP's approach to science education. In addition to a useful overview of the issue-oriented curriculum, there is an article about the role of evidence and trade-offs, the role of issues in the SEPUP instructional model which is exemplified by a sample activity, teaching tips for the issue-oriented classroom, pointers for developing media literacy among SEPUP students, and more.
Click here to download a pdf version of the Spring 2005 SEPUP News.
Fall 2004: Focus on the Classroom Learning Environment
The broad range of articles in this issue provides teachers with guidance, resources, and suggestions for using SEPUP with their students. Featured in this issue are an overview of types of learning environments, a sample activity highlighting SEPUP's 4-2-1 approach to cooperative learning, suggestions for materials management, and an examination of questioning in the classroom.
Click here to download a pdf version of the Fall 2004 SEPUP News.
Spring 2004: Focus on Inquiry
This issue, just in time for NSTA, addresses a variety of aspects of inquiry in the science classroom including a description of the SEPUP approach to inquiry, how to use current events to promote inquiry, a sample SEPUP activity, and implementation of inquiry and the National Science Education Standards.
Click here to download a pdf version of the Spring 2004 SEPUP News.
Fall 2003: Focus on Assessment
In Fall 2003, we decided to devote each issue of the SEPUP News to a specific topic related to SEPUP instructional materials and SEPUP's approach to science education in order to build a reference library for SEPUP teachers.
This first “focused” issue provides a range of articles about the SEPUP Assessment System including classroom examples, a selected bibliography, teacher experiences, background information and useful diagrams.Click here to download a pdf version of the Fall 2003 SEPUP News.