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SUMMER 2009

Find the Summer 2009 brochure here: Word or PDF.

All Virginia certified grade 3-8 teachers are eligible. Participants will get:
• graduate credit or continuing education hours
• supplies and materials for hands-on science in the classroom
• free lunch each day in the Sweet Briar College cafeteria
• free tuition
• continuing support and in-class assistance from the Instructional Support Specialist in implementing inquiry-based instruction in the classroom

Science and Math Courses, June 22 - July 1
Teacher-participants in these one-credit, three-day summer courses will engage in in-depth exploration of scientific concepts, linked to a broad range of SOLs in grades 3 - 8. They will conduct experiments and interpret and present the data they collect, gaining a deeper understanding of science and math while learning activities that they can transfer directly to their classrooms. Participants will be expected to complete online pre- and post-tests and nightly homework assignments. Class will run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm each day for three days, with a one-hour break each day for lunch.

Enrollment is limited to 16. Participants in the three-day courses will receive 1 graduate credit and a stipend of $180 per course completed.

June 22-24, Weather
PHYS 505 "Earth Science by Inquiry: Weather "
1 graduate credit in Physics
We will investigate weather phenomena through a scientific lens, exploring the physical and chemical principles that underlie the basic interactions of matter and energy, including density, temperature, phase changes, and gas laws. Teacher-participants will illustrate and measure weather phenomena with basic tools, including a variety of homemade weather gauges, and explore instrument design as part of a guided inquiry learning experience. Principles and practice of preparing and interpreting graphs will be emphasized. 
SOL Science: 3.1, 3.11, 4.1, 4.6, 5.1, 6.1, 6.3, 6.5, 6.6, LS.1, PS.1, PS.7
SOL Math : 3.3, 3.5, 3.7, 3.11, 3.12, 3.14-3.17, 3.21, 3.22; 4.2, 4.4, 4.9, 4.11, 4.12, 4.20; 5.1, 5.2, 5.4, 5.11-5.13, 5.16, 5.18-5.22; 6.1, 6.9, 6.10, 6.13, 6.18, 6.19; 7.16-7.18; 8.6, 8.7, 8.12
Syllabus

June 22-24, Animal-Plant Interactions
BIO 506 "Biology by Inquiry: Animal-Plant Interactions "
1 graduate credit in Biology
Animal-plant interactions include pollination, seed dispersal, seed predation and herbivory. Using these as our focus, we will explore food webs and ecological communities, adaptations and natural selection, and the relation between organismal structure and function. Combining field observations and field and lab experiments, we will examine how insects, birds and mammals affect the distribution, growth and reproductive adaptations of plants; and how the characteristics of plants affect the physiology, behavior and survival of the animals that eat them. Participants should come prepared to spend time outdoors. 
SOL Science: 3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.10, 4.1, 4.5, LS.1, LS.7, LS.9, LS.11, LS.14
Syllabus

June 25-27, Patterns, Functions, and Algebra
MATH 504 "Math by Inquiry: Patterns, Functions, and Algebra"
1 graduate credit in Math
Teachers will explore the skills needed for students to be successful in Algebra using hands-on and inquiry-based activities.  Topics will include identifying and describing patterns in models and numbers, visual representations of equations, and using mathematical models.   
SOL Math: 3.24, 3.25, 4.21, 4.22, 5.20, 5.21, 5.22, 6.21, 6.22. 6.23, 7.19, 7.20, 7.21, 7.22, 8.14, 8.15, 8.16, 8.17, 8.18
Syllabus

June 25-27, Seasons, Phases, and Tides
PHY 504 "Earth Science by Inquiry: Seasons, Phases, and Tides "
1 graduate credit in Physics
Teachers will investigate the causes of night and day, the Earth's seasons, the phases of the Moon, and the tides using simple and inexpensive objects. An emphasis will be placed on answering teacher-generated questions using data analysis regarding the Earth, Moon, and Sun system.
SOL Science: 3.1, 3.8, 4.1, 4.7, 6.1, 6.8, plus the .1's
Syllabus

June 29-July 1, Numbers and Operations
MATH 502 "Math by Inquiry: Numbers and Operations"
1 graduate credit in Math
How do children come to understand the fundamental mathematical concepts taught in grade 3 through 8? In this course, we will use many manipulative materials to connect concrete learning to the abstract, symbolic phase. Selecting appropriate mathematical tasks, asking good questions, and developing valid assessment tools will also be a part of the work.
SOL Mathematics: 3.3, 3.4, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 4.1, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5
Syllabus

June 29-July 1, Atoms, Bonding, and Reactions
CHEM 501 "Chemistry by Inquiry: Atoms, Bonding, and Reactions "
1 graduate credit in Chemistry
How did we come to our current understanding of atoms and molecules? By exploring the historical approaches and landmark experiments - beginning with the ancient Greek philosophers and working toward modern quantum mechanics - teachers will better appreciate the concepts and rules, and will learn to use the Periodic Table as a tool for further understanding and prediction.  Through hands-on activities, modeling, and inquiry investigations, teachers will explore the fundamental concepts of atomic and molecular structure, properties, and chemical reactions.  This course is ideally suited for physical science teachers in the middle grades; however teachers in upper elementary who initiate lessons on atoms and molecules may appreciate a deeper understanding of these concepts.
SOL Science: 3.1, 3.3, 4.1, 4.4c, 5.1, 5.4, 6.1, 6.4, 6.5a,b; 6.6a; LS.1, LS.6a,b; PS.1, PS.2, PS.3, PS.4
Syllabus

June 29-July 1, Plants
Bio 501 "Biology by Inquiry: Plants"
We will explore techniques for teaching botany in the classroom as well as outside.  Our goal is to increase students’ botanical knowledge, observation powers, appreciation and curiosity about plants within the context of their local environment. We will practice activities involving plant classification, reproduction, plant growth, transpiration and photosynthesis.  We will also explore experimental design, data collection, and graphing using the results of plant-based experiments. We will conclude with native tree identification and human uses of plants.
SOL Science: 3.6, 4.4, 5.5, 6.9, LS.4, LS.5, LS.6, LS.7, LS.12
Syllabus