Collaboration seems to produce the best learning results for both the students and teachers. It brings together different minds and experiences. We share and understand each other's situation.
- SFUSD teacher
Being a member of the team allows me an opportunity to work with my colleagues to plan, develop, and implement the new FOSS Science curriculum. It makes the task of learning a new curriculum a bit less daunting when working within a team.
- SFUSD teacher
Overview
One of the most widely-felt sentiments among teachers is that there is not enough time to meet with colleagues! Schools Focused on Science (SF Science) offers support to teachers to meet, share new ideas, collaborate on lesson planning, and work together to improve science teaching and learning at their school sites. SF Science is funded by the Genentech Foundation.
Teachers involved in the program have cited the chance to work collaboratively with their colleagues on science education, learning how to plan better science lessons, and becoming better science teachers as critical reasons for participating in SF Science. There is a wealth of information and expertise within any teaching group, and SF Science taps that professional expertise for the advantage of the group, for the professional development of the teachers, and for the enrichment of the science learning on the part of students.
Program Details
Teams of 3-6 teachers, including one teacher serving in the role of facilitator, collaboratively identify and work towards the achievement of a science teaching or program goal for their grade-level or school site at ~ 5 meetings during the school year. SF Science begins with an orientation meeting where all the teams come together to understand goals and expectations. Facilitators have a mid-point check-in meeting to share ideas and challenges with one another, and teams meet at the end of the school year to share their work. All teacher participants receive a stipend.
Examples of team goals/foci include:
- implementation of science notebooks
- exploring, planning for, teaching and debriefing FOSS units
- articulating science skill goals for students across the grades
- identifying and integrating key English language learner strategies into the science curriculum
- collaboratively reviewing student work/science notebooks for student understanding
Interested in the Program?
Contact: Patricia Caldera at patricia.caldera@ucsf.edu
or Jean MacCormack at jean.maccormack@ucsf.edu
Resources Developed by past SF Science Teams
FOSS Resources
CA FOSS Materials Lists
- Material Lists for Kindergarten & 4th Grade Kits
- developed by teachers at Tenderloin ES
2nd Grade
- "Insect and Plants"
- "Balance and Motion"
- "Balance and Motion" Helpful Hints
- Pacing Guide and Supplemental Worksheets
- Teacher Tips for "Balance and Motion"
- developed by 2nd grade teachers at FS Key ES
- "Pebbles, Sand and Slit"
- "Pebbles, Sand and Silt" Helpful Hints
- developed by 2nd grade teachers at Spring Valley ES - Planning Guide and Student Pages
- developed by 2nd Grade teachers at Grattan ES
- "Pebbles, Sand and Silt" Helpful Hints
5th Grade
- "Mixtures and Solutions"
- Vocabulary
- developed by 5th grade teachers at Fairmount ES (English/Spanish) - Spanish Investigation Worksheet for "Mixtures and Solutions"
- Reaching Saturation Student Worksheet
- developed by 5th grade teachers at Fairmount ES
- Vocabulary
Science Notebook/Journal Resources
- Rubric for Science Journaling and Student Participation
- developed by 5th grade teachers at Clarendon ES - Sentence Starters Science Notebook Page
- Sentence Frames
Family Science Nights/Science Fairs
- How We Put on a Science Night - Miraloma ES
- Science Night for Families and Agenda from Science Night - Feinstein ES
- 4th & 5th Grade Student Science Fair - Sanchez ES
Resources for English Learners/Bilingual Students
- Descriptive Word Bank
- Spanish Investigation Worksheet for "Mixtures and Solutions"
- Sentence Starters_Science Notebook Page
- Sentence Frames
Curricular Integration Resources
- Science & Math Integration Curriculum Guide
- developed by 1st Grade Teachers at Grattan ES