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Sweet Briar College

Spring 2009 Workshops

Academic Year Program
Our academic year Saturday workshops run from 9:00am to 3:00pm, with a 1-hour break for lunch. Participants will get 5 continuing education hours that may be translated into recertification points.

Experiencing Probability (February 7)
Instructor: Steve Wassell
This workshop will introduce teachers to fun and accessible activities for exploring probability with grades 3-8. We will discuss basic principles for finding theoretical probabilities, and we will compare experimental probabilities from in-class activities. As we will see, experimental results will exhibit variation but validate theoretical probabilities in the long run. Essentially all of the Probability (though not the Statistics) Standards of Learning for Grades 3 through 8 will be involved.
SOL Mathematics: 3.23, 4.19, 5.17, 6.20, 7.14, 7.15, 8.11

Don't be Dazzled by Data! (February 21)
Instructors: Beth Williams and Gigi Sweeney
Graphs and statistics bombard us and our students as advertising, opinion polls, reliability estimates, population trends, health risks, and student' progress in schools. How can we make sense of what we read?  Come learn how data can be categorized and displayed in various graphical forms. Try out new ways to teach statistical concepts of mean, median, and mode, and investigate ideas of representation in stem and leaf plots, box and whisker plots, and scatter plots.
SOL Mathematics: 3.21, 3.22, 4.20, 5.18, 5.19, 6.18, 6.19, 7.16, 7.17, 7.18, 8.12

What is Inquiry? (March 14)
Instructor:  Jill Granger
Learning by doing, hand-on/minds-on, constructivist, active learning... these are all ways in which teachers describe inquiry approaches to math and science in their classrooms. What are the essential elements of an inquiry lesson? How can you add elements of inquiry to a traditional lesson? How do inquiry approaches support the content objectives? In this workshop, we will inquire into Inquiry—looking at the features of this type of lesson and comparing the approach of inquiry to other teaching/learning strategies. Please note that this workshop is designed as an introduction for teachers with no prior experience with inquiry. 

Rocks in Context (March 28)
Instructor: Rebecca Ambers
Looking for more active ways to teach about rocks, minerals, and plate 
tectonics? In this workshop, we’ll practice rock and mineral identification with lab specimens and other samples that you bring in.  We will also investigate the theory of plate tectonics using maps and Google Earth and will explore its relationship to the distribution of rock types around the world.
SOL Science: 5.4, 5.6, 5.7, 6.4, ES.1, ES.2, ES.3, ES.5, ES.6, ES.8, ES.11

Water Analysis: Matter, Measurement, and Graphing (April 4)
Instructor: Rob Granger
Limited to 6 participants, grades 6-8 teachers only.
This workshop will include investigations in water analysis that are
engaging to students in a variety of contexts. Teachers will test and
analyze water samples using a simple, hand-held probe, the PASCO
Xplorer GLX. We will analyze the data we collect using grade-appropriate techniques that address multiple math standards. In addition to basic concepts in science (pH, solubility, conductivity), topics explored can be used to study environmental issues such as biological oxygen demand, thermoclines, and stream flow. The probes will be available to teachers for use in the classroom supported by the Instructional Support Specialist.
SOL Science: 6.1, 6.5, 6.7, LS.1, LS.4, LS.7, LS.12
SOL Mathematics: 6.18, 7.5, 7.17, 7.18, 8.12

Living in the Sea: Adaptations of Marine Animals (April 11)
Instructor: John Morrissey
How do marine mammals, turtles, and birds, which all require air to breathe, dive to great depths for two hours or more?  How do animals survive the rapidly fluctuating conditions within a tidal pool? Why can’t you focus your eyes underwater, while a sea lion can? Did you know that sharks have a true sixth sense? Join us to discover the anatomical, physiological, and behavioral adaptations that enable animals to survive in a marine environment. SOL Science: 3.1, 3.5, 3.6, 6.1, 6.5, LS.1, LS.4, LS.10, and LS.14.

Robotics (April 18)
Instructor: Nick Swayne
Robots capture students' imaginations. In this workshop, learn how to use robotics to teach SOL content.  We will learn the basics of programming and discover ways to integrate this technology into your science and math curriculum. SOL Science: 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, PS.1, PS.10

All Virginia certified grade 3-8 teachers are eligible for our courses. Participants 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