Congrats to Hollydale Elementary School for their recent win of the KSU Math Bowl!  This makes two times in a row that Hollydale students have won this event!

Just the  name "NASA" inspires STEM confidence!  Well they certainly deliver.  There are many different STEM challenges you can download for FREE from the NASA site.  These challenges support STEM practices in Science & Math as well as connecting to literature and careers.  Thanks to Freda Gather, Science Lab Teacher @ Bryant ES, for sharing!

Direct Link to NASA Educator's Site - 

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/k-4/index.html#.UycEoKhdXh4 

List of Links from A-Z - 

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/A-Z_Pubs.html#A

Metro RESA and Southern Polytechnic University are collaborating to offer Virtual Professional Development during the week of The Atlanta Science Festival.  Teachers are invited to participate in free virtual sessions on Problem Based Learning, Differentiated Instruction and Using Formative Assessment.  These interactive sessions will be held from 4:30 to 6:00 pm on Monday, 3/24 (PBL), Tuesday, 3/25 (Differentiated Instructional Strategies), and Wednesday, 3/26 (Formative Assessment Strategies).  Donna Barrett of Metro RESA and Jan Nourollahi of Southern Poly will host these interactive “Go To” sessions.  Space is limited, so register today at http://bit.ly/1hjSN4v  

Metro RESA is also hosting a Project WET training on Monday, March 24.  For $25, participants receive a Project WET curriculum guide and lunch.  Project WET includes K-12 activities that engage students in an understanding of the properties of water and the importance of water in our lives. Activities will include the Incredible Journey and Water Olympics.  You can register at: http://bit.ly/1hjSN4v.  Space is limited.

Science department is going alittle crazy with birds!  We even have a couple of great Bird related STEM Challenges that you can use with your students!  Try STEM, who knows you just might like it!

STEM Challenge 1 - Fantastic Feeders

This sample lesson challenges your students to design a bird feeder to attract birds to your campus.  This lesson is correlated to 4th grade standards, but could easily be adapted/modifed to fit other grade levels.  

Download FantasticFeeders   

STEAM Challenge 2 - Bird Puppetry

We collaborated with Judy Condon, Art Supervisor, to create this STEAM challenge.  A STEAM challenge includes the arts!    In this sample lesson students design a bird puppet and write a script and create a puppet show.   This would be great to create and put on for students in lower grades. 

Download STEAM Bird Puppetry

STEM Challenge 3 - eBird Project

This STEM challenge is a little more open ended.  Students collect data about the different types of birds they see on the school campus.  They input this data using the online eBird software.  Your media specialsits have created a user account and will collaborate wit h you and your students to learn how to enter the data. Then students analyze the data they have collected looking for patterns.   Students at Milford Elementary completed a similar project this spring.  Here's a resource they created to collect data as well as a quick start guide to eBird.  

Download Ebird_starter_lesson_final

Download Milford Area Bird Coun1

Looking for a lesson to teach during the week of the Atlanta Science Festival?Try Birds!  Birds can be used to teach several standards in grades K-5!  Cobb partnered with the Atlanta Audubon Society to provide teachers with great ready to use resources they can use to teach their standards. Here are some of the lessons  specially selected for grades 3-5.

3rd Grade - Use to teach S3L1a.c.d and S3L2a.b.

Download Birds and Their Environment - LAB Teacher Guide

Download Birds and Their Environment - Student LAB English

Download Birds and Their Environment - Student LAB - Spanish

4th Grade - Use to teach S4L1a.b.c.d 

Download Feeding Birds - LAB Teacher Guide

Download Feeding Birds - Student -English

Download Feeding Birds - Student - Spanish

Can also use Birds and Their Environment (from 3rd grade resources) to support S4L1.

5th Grade - Use to teach S5L1a

Download Groups of Birds - LAB Teacher Guide

Download Groups of Birds - Student LAB - English

Download Groups of Birds - Student LAB - Spanish

Looking for a lesson to teach during the week of the Atlanta Science Festival?Try Birds! Birds can be used to teach several standards in grades K-5!  Cobb partnered with the Atlanta Audubon Society to provide teachers with great ready to use resources they can use to teach their standards. Here are some of the lessons  specially selected for grades K-2.

Kindergarten - Use to teach SKL1a.b.; SKL2a.c.d.

Download What Makes a Bird a Bird - LAB Teacher Guide

Download What Makes a Bird a Bird - Student English

Download What Makes a Bird a Bird - Student Spanish

Download What Makes a Bird a Bird - Parts of a Bird worksheet and key

1st Grade - Use to teach S1L1b.d.

Download Ten Common Birds of Atl - LAB Teacher Guide

Download Ten Common Birds of Atl - Student - English

Download Ten Common Birds of Atl - Student - Spanish

Download 10 Common Birds of Atlanta Picture Cards

Can use What Makes a Bird a Bird resources from Kindergarten as well by focusing on the basic needs of a bird. 

2nd Grade - Use to teach S2L1a. - focusing on characteristics of birds and integrating informational writing.

Download What Makes a Bird a Bird - LAB Teacher Guide

Download What Makes a Bird a Bird - Student English

Download What Makes a Bird a Bird - Student Spanish

Download What Makes a Bird a Bird - Parts of a Bird worksheet and key

The elementary Media Specialists have jumped on board the STEM train!  They are only too eager to collaborate with classroom teachers to support STEM iniatives.  Here's one way they're working right now!

Cobb Birding Project

Cobb teachers can use birds to teach many different standards at the K-5 level.  The media specialists have been pulling books to assist and support learning about birds.  They've even agreed to be the main points of contact for the e-Bird project.

Talk to your Media Specialist about collaborating today!  

 Concept Collections

Media specialists across the county have been working to pull a variety of resources from different collections to support teachers using birds in the classroom.  Doing something on a differnet topic?  Reach out to your media specialist for help.  They can pull resources and point you in the right direction to find even more! 

We want Cobb teachers to be a part of the Atlanta Science Festival.  Our participation will be virtual and take place in our classrooms, but we're still taking part!  See how below!

http://atlantasciencefestival.org/

The first event of its kind in the Metro area, The Atlanta Science Festival is a weeklong celebration of local science and technology that culminates with an all-day interactive Exploration Expo at Centennial Olympic Park. Scientists, experts and educators from local schools, colleges, universities, museums, and corporations will uncover mysteries and explain discoveries in hands-on activities, facility tours, stimulating presentations, and riveting performances at venues across the city. Our mission is to celebrate the inherent integration of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in our lives today, share the impact they have on our community, and inspire us all to wonder about our future. The Festival, which runs March 22-29, is produced by a collaboration of science, cultural, and educational institutions, led by Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology and the Metro Atlanta Chamber. To learn more, visit AtlantaScienceFestival.org

 Educator Toolkit

The online Educator Toolkit has everything educators need to engage with the Atlanta Science Festival: cash incentives to attend the Expo, classroom flyer, volunteer opportunities, and links to relevant Festival events including teacher workshops and a web design challenge. Learn more at: http://atlantasciencefestival.org/educator-toolkit.