Find out what’s cooking at Science Companion!

Coming to the Indiana Textbook Caravan?

We’re looking forward to meeting you!

Stop by our booth and try your hand at inquiry science, take away a sampler to share Science Companion with your colleagues, and check out our presentation to find out how you can get your classrooms cooking with Science Companion.
(And ask us how you can win a chance at your own Let’s Get Cooking! apron…)

Can’t make it live? Join us for a Virtual Caravan!

For those of you who are unable to join us OR for those who just can’t get enough Caravan, come one by to find photos, presentations, science teaching tips, Virtual Field trips, recipes from friends and colleagues, and chances for an apron as well, all on our website. We’ll be updating it daily, so stop by to see what’s cooking!

Click here to visit the First Ever Annual Science Companion Virtual Indiana Textbook Caravan!

A great resource for teachers and administrators curious about inquiry-based science.

Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards: A Guide for Teaching and Learning (2000)

Calling All Educators!1

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Are you looking for professional development experiences?  Have you looked at the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)?  Their 2011 Summer Programs in the Humanities for Teachers offers funding opportunities.  March 1, 2011 is the deadline for summer 2011.  Click here for information from the NEH website.

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A Virtual Rock Walk through Indiana

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In honor of all of our teachers participating in the I-STEM Resource Network‘s wonderful pilot program, we invite you to join us as we check out some of the rocks in Indiana — and where they came from in our latest Virtual Field Trip.

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These field trips are a”Science in Real Life” Series from Science Companion, pairing a lesson from one of our modules with a special place or current event.

Click to Download your Copy.

Check Scribd for Other Virtual Field Trips!

An Innovative Free Online Pilot Program!

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We know that both time and financial resources are limited for school districts these days. So, we are delighted to introduce an exciting new digital opportunity for you to try Science Companion materials at no cost, at a scale that is easily manageable.  And it’s high tech, too!

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Come to our Online Pilot Website and find:

• Sample lessons from eight of our modules.
• Conversation and support from content and teaching experts.
• Free digital teacher materials and student resources.
• Directions on how  to order  ‘lending library’ for kit materials.
• A pilot that will give you a rich taste of inquiry science but requires no more than a handful of classroom sessions.

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“I think this is an awesome resource for doing science.” Field Test Teacher

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There are a limited number of online pilots available, so contact us now to  find out how you can explore Science Companion at your pace, for free. (And, of course, we have traditional pilots available too. Just ask!)

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Click here to visit the Science Companion Online Pilot Website!

Email us at pilots@sciencecompanion.com for more information.

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We’re  are honored to have been chosen by MMSA, the Maine Mathematics & Science Alliance as the inquiry science curriculum for the ongoing L-SILL Project (Linking Science, Inquiry and Language Literacy).

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What L-SILL is working towards:

The goal of L-SILL is to improve student achievement in science by supporting sustained professional development and the implementation of science-authentic classroom strategies that incorporate reading, writing, and speaking in the context of inquiry-based science. L-SILL provides school-based support with a variety of workshops and conferences open to any K-6 science teacher or administrator in Maine.

What they have to say about Science Companion:

Science Companion is the K-6 science curriculum program selected for L-SILL because of its focus on inquiry, developmentally appropriate content, pedagogical strategies, focus on the big ideas of science, and strong integrated literacy components. Science Companion incorporates children’s literature to model processes of science as well as to illustrate concepts and ideas. Scientists’ notebooks are an integral part of each kit, integrating a writing component. Questions and discussions are scaffolded in the Teacher’s Guides to assist teachers in guiding science discourse that will enhance students’ conceptual understanding of the targeted concepts. Reading, writing, and speaking are the essential components of literacy and Science Companion uses these to support science learning. Visit the MMSA to arrange a workshop at your school.

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We think the MMSA is pretty cool, too!

Click here for their 2010 Maine STEM Summit Report!

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Wednesday, April 7
4-6 pm
Enola Office, Meadow Room
55 Miller Street, Enola

Nurturing the child scientist in your classroom…

Please join our author and educator Belinda Basca for a hands-on, minds-on professional development workshop that will explore the philosophies and best practices of inquiry-based science learning. Bring your questions about how inquiry can make science sing!

Belinda Basca, MEd

Belinda began her career in the classroom in the Downingtown Area School District and then expanded her knowledge of science education as an educational researcher at Harvard’s Project Zero. She has worked with Science Companion as a lead author of several modules and currently manages company operations and pilot programs. She has a BS in biology and education from Penn State and a MEd in education from Harvard.

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To Register:
· Click here to register online at 48CARATS
· Or click here to email Steve Davis at sdavis@caiu.org

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**Would you like your Intermediate Unit to host a presentation like this? Just contact us at info(a)sciencecompanion.com — we’ll be happy to help you set one up!

We hope you had  a great time at Virtual SECO 2010!

Did you enter our raffle?  Make sure you do so you have a chance to win materials from our Habitats module!

Click here to find out more!

First of all, it’s Ohio’s state tree, that provides a nut by the same name. Native Americans in Ohio believed it looked like the eye of a deer.

Buckeyes are also a delicious peanut butter and chocolate candy that look a lot like the nuts.
Click here for the recipe!

Buckeyes are also basketball players, swimmers, football players, tennis players, lacrosse players – student athletes at Ohio State University in Columbus, OH.

Ohio State Buckeyes

Want to know more about buckeyes (the trees)? Visit this great site.

Flamingos

In Mr. Darwin’s honor, we thought we’d share our Virtual Field Trip checking out some great birds at the Santa Barbara Zoo, combined with a Lesson from our Habitats module on how bird beaks have been shaped by their evolution to match their habitats.

You can download it here!

Check our some of our recommended reading on Habitats.

We have new Student Reference Books for Habitats!  For more information click here!

For tips on how to use Student Reference Books effectively in your classroom, click here.