Elementary Science

ES Science Fair Schedule Feb. 2, 2013

Download Science Fair Schedule                   Download Directions to Kennesaw Mtn. HS

Free Trip to Space Camp!

Do you know an  educator (K-12) who would love the opportunity to bring an exciting field experience to their classroom? As part of Rockwell Collins’ commitment to STEM education, four teachers will have the opportunity to go to Space Camp. Each year, Rockwell Collins sends a number of teachers to the Space Academy for Educators in Huntsville, Ala. This five-day program includes activities designed to be taken into the classroom as well as astronaut training simulations. Read more about this and other opportunities from Rockwell Collins.

Application deadline is March 1, 2013.  Here's the Application Link.  Submissions should be sent via email to Kim Beals, senior community relations specialist, at kjbeals@rockwellcollins.com.

Step Outdoors with Cobb Parks & Rec

Nature and Conservation Programs for Elementary Schools

The Natural Resource Unit of Cobb County Parks and Recreation Department offers a variety of hands on science programs that help students and teachers meet curriculum requirements. We offer field trips for grades K—5 to Hyde Farm and the Wright Environmental Center in East Cobb, Cato Nature Park in Austell and Heritage Wetlands Park in Mableton. However, if there is a county park near your school with a natural area and restrooms we can adapt programs to that park. We encourage teachers to participate in the field trips to get the students outdoors, but we can adapt most of our programs for the classroom as well.

Field trips include 2 hours of programming including an hour long nature walk. Students can bring sack lunches and enjoy a picnic after programming. Most schools are at the park for a total of 3 hours with lunch. Without lunch, 2 hours 15 minutes is usually the time spent at the park.

A classroom program would be an extended version of one of the 30 minute activities. Most K -2nd grade classroom programs are 45 minutes and 3rd—5th grade classroom programs are 1 hour.  Each class is taught separately by one of our naturalist.  Cost for field trips is $3.00 per student and classroom programs are $1.50 per student. We also offer a 5 part series for 3rd grade and a 3 part series for 5th grade.

For more information contact Kaye Wilson at 770-528-8824 or kaye.wilson@cobbcounty.org

Volunteers needed for Elementary ESO

The Elementary Science Olympiad (ESO) is a science competition (Feb. 2^nd @ Big Shanty ES & March 2^nd @ Walton HS) for students in grades  3-5.  Students compete in 18 different events ranging from water rocket to straw egg drop to disease detectives.  The events occur in three one hour sessions. Students typically compete in 2 of the three sessions, but have one session with nothing to do.  We need  volunteers to help with this down time and run some of the events.   Each of the events come completely ready to go.  All volunteers will need to do is show up and run the event. Volunteers receive a free t-shirt and lunch.

Willing to volunteer?  Great! 

Sign up online http://tinyurl.com/ard8a34

Spend your Science Consumable Funds!

It's that time of year again!  The deadline to spend your science consumable funds is just around the corner.  Don't let it sneak up on you and your team.  Think about the items you need and place your orders now.  Need items that are hard to find this time of year?  Here's an idea:

• Visit your local Wal-Mart or home supply store and ask a manager to special order a large quantity of the items you need.  Most stores can do this easily and are more than happy to help.  This would be helpful if you need 90 small clay pots, or motors, or other such items.

Not sure which items you can purchase with consumble funds?  Check out the memo we sent to schools.  It will answer most of your questions.  Still not sure?  Shoot me and email and ask - Sally.creel@gmail.com or my secretary Ellen.Glantzberg@cobbk12.org.  We're only too happy to answer any questions you have.

 

Consumable Funds Deadlines

• Final date for procurement card use February15, 2013
• Final date for check requisitions March 9, 2013
• All science supply funds allocated expended/encumbered before March 31, 2013

New Next Generation Science Standards Update

New national science standards are currently being written.  These Next Generation Science Standards, NGSS, will be the science version of Common Core.  A public draft of these standards will be released in Jan. 2013.  Teachers are encouraged to review the draft standards and make suggestions/comments for the writers.  The NGSS writing committee will finalize the standards by April 1, 2013. 

The final NGSS standards will be in grade level bands, K-2, 3-5, etc.  A Georgia NGSS team will place specific standards into grade levels over the summer of 2013.  These grade level specific standards will be submitted for state board approval in the fall of 2013.  The current plan is to make 2014-2015 a look & learn year for the new standards and implement in 2015-2016.  To learn more about the New NGSS standards please visit www.nextgenscience.org

NEW Starlab Training Just Added!

The CCSD science department is fortunate to have 4 Starlab mobile planetariums for schools to check out. These are only available to schools with starlab trained teachers. We have had several inquiries about offering an additional starlab training date. We are happy to report that we will be offering one on the morning on Jan. 7th from 8-11 AM @ Russell Elementary. If you are interested in attending this training, please register online at:

www.SignUpGenius.com/go/60B054BA4AD229-starlab

CCSD Elementary Science Olympiad

State ESO - May 18, 2013 @ Kennesaw State University

District ESO - March 2, 2013 @ Walton HS. 

Title I ESO - Feb. 2, 2013 @ Big Shanty ES.

County & Title I events will be held from 7:45 AM -12:45 PM. 

NEW for 2013

-Transitioned to new 6th edition ESO Manual

- 2013 ESO Events

- ESO Event Supplies - A box of supplies to support coaches in many of the ESO events has been provided to each school. 

- Top 14 scoring teams from CCSD ESO will advance to state.

- Asking coaches to share any "tests" they've created to practice for events.  I will pull questions from each school's tests to create the events we use at the county.  Please send sample ESO event tests to Sally Creel.

- No schools will be running events at the State ESO.  (Exception - Mt. Bethel & water rockets.)

- Download ESO Event Clarifications

 

Registration & Event Sponsorship at CCSD & Title I ESO Events

Click here to register to participate

Click here to sponsor an event or help in other ways at the County ESO.  I will contact you to see if you'd be willing to do run the same event at the Title I ESO.  You are not signing up to automaticallydo both.   

ES Science Fair Information

The 2013 ES Science Fair will be held on Feb. 2nd at Kennesaw Mtn. HS.   Participation is open to all Cobb Elementary schools.  Each school may send up to 3 projects per grade level 3-5.  The attached flyer provides additional information about the county fair.  Also attached is the rubric we will be using at the county level to judge the projects.

Science Fair Flyer -  https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_UFsD4lIcLYNG5kZWRCOFlYYUk

Science Fair Rubric - https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_UFsD4lIcLYZklBQ3dWTmxQNG8

Coordinators: Please complete the online registration form for each project by visiting: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K-5SciFair2013  or http://tinyurl.com/ESSciFair13 (3 per grade up to 9 per school) by Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013.

Writing, Science & Assessment Training

The science department has provided Cobb teachers with new science formative assessments probes.  Many schools have been using them with great success.  Due to their popularity and alignment with the move to more open ended, higher order thinking types of assessments, we will be bringing the author of the series, Page Keeley, back to Cobb.  

The elementary training will be held on Nov. 28^th from 8:00-4:00 at the KSU Center.  First sub provided by local school, funding for a second sub provided by science department.  Contact Sally Creel for information.

Visit http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B054BA4AD229-science to sign up and reserve a space.