Science Newsletter-January 2022

1/7/2022

Virtual Meetups: Recording and Resources Now Available

The recording from portions of the November Science Meetup Open Forum featuring OutSCIder Classroom is available now on the Resources for Science page of the Ohio Department of Education’s website. Lesson resources from OutSCIder Classroom may be found on its Youtube Channel and the OutSCIder Classroom Instructional Materials page.

The Recording of the December Science Meetup entitled Teaching Science IS Teaching Literacy is available now on the Resources for Science page of the Department’s website.

Join the science team for its first meetup of the new year on Jan. 11 at 4 p.m. when the team will discuss Probing for Understanding and High-Quality Student Data in Science. Registration is required.

Ohio Science Educator Shoutout!

Members of the Department’s science team KNOW there is amazing science teaching happening in classrooms across Ohio. The Department would like to share examples of extraordinary teaching and learning with the larger education community in Ohio. Please share  exemplary science teaching taking place by completing this Ohio Science Educator Shoutout Nomination Form.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12
The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), in conjunction with the Children’s Book Council, has released its annual list of “Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12: 2022.” The list represents the best science trade books published in 2021 for students in kindergarten through grade 12.

Teachers, parents, librarians and anyone else who loves reading with children will want to check out these titles.

SECO Launches Book Study to Promote Culturally Responsive Science Teaching
The Science Education Council of Ohio will be launching a five-session book study on Jan. 12, 2022, discussing “Science in the City,” by Dr. Bryan A. Brown. In “Science in the City,” Dr. Brown examines how language and culture matter for effective science teaching. The book illustrates how science education can flourish if it is connected to students’ backgrounds, identities, languages and cultures.

The book study includes five, one-hour virtual sessions, with contact hour and graduate credit options. The first session, which will feature Dr. Bryan Brown, is Jan. 12, 2022, from 4-5 p.m. EST. Participants may register for the study and other FREE professional development on The GRID Method on the SECO website.

Civic Online Reasoning in Science
The Illinois Civics Hub has produced a webinar titled Civic Online Reasoning in Science with Dr. Joel Breakstone. Watch a recording of this webinar, along with the opening slide deck and chat notes. The notes include the links to the resources shared throughout the presentation.

Other sessions offered by the Illinois Civics Hub are available through its ICH Webinar Archive.

Ohio State University’s East Asian Studies Center offers Online Professional Learning
The East Asian Studies Center is partnering with the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) to offer free online professional development programs to educators in spring and summer 2022.

Feb. 19, 2022, 10 a.m.-noon (EST)
Explore (and play) a historical Japanese game that teaches children both the basics of physical science and world history through manga! Entitled “Atomic Sugoroku: Comics for Science Education,” this 1949 "snakes and ladders” board game has a colorful cast of characters personifying the traits of protons, electrons and neutrons. As players race to the final goal (in this case, World Peace), they learn how these particles act in the context of atomic science and post-war Japan. Participants in this seminar will not only explore the game of sugoroku (a centuries-old game that is still popular today), but also learn about the global history of peace politics, science and the Nobel Prize. In addition, workshop facilitators will share relevant teaching tools and discuss ways to incorporate these topics into wide-ranging and cross-curricular classrooms.

Mapping Past & Present: Spirits & Beasts of East Asia”
July 11-22, 2022, 1-4 p.m.
From the legendary characters of myth and manga to the figurative demons of disease and war, the contours of East Asia have been defined by its spirits and beasts, real and imagined, from time immemorial. Join in an online seminar to map the impact of these transnational forces in and beyond East Asia through the lenses of geography, art, religion, sports, literature and more! Focusing on the regions that comprise present-day China, Japan and Korea, participants will engage with experts and other educators in the field to explore major trends, global issues and historic foundations that shape East Asian society. This virtual journey will introduce the region’s diverse cultures and environment while building and enhancing each participant’s tool chest of teaching resources for the classroom.

Upon completion of seminar requirements, participants will receive a $200 stipend and $200 worth of resource materials.

Seminars fill quickly, so please register early. Applications must be received by April 30, 2022.

EPA Offers Informational Webinar on 2022 Recycling and Litter Prevention Grant
Interested in starting or expanding the district or school’s recycling program? Looking to replace a running track or walking path with ground tire rubber asphalt? If so, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may have funds available to assist.

The Ohio EPA recycling and litter prevention grant program provides opportunities for local schools and others to implement recycling and litter prevention programs. Public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities may receive funding for recycling efforts, as well as outreach and education, recycling equipment and conference sponsorships.

The 2022 grant application deadline is Feb. 4, 2022, at 3 p.m. For more information, view the recording, see previously funded projects for examples or go to: Ohio EPA Recycling Grants

Robin Deems, Science Consultant, robin.deems@education.ohio.gov.