by Eric Lewis

“It’s just that time of the year again.”  I hear that all the time as I travel from school to school and from teacher to teacher.  Between state testing, APs, finals and projects, teachers and students alike are moving at a swifter pace than all year.  My experience is that this pace is only going to continue into the summer and next year.  I hope that folks will all find interesting things to do in your area – we’re lucky to have so much great science in our region.  Also, there are many great summer opportunities for work/professional development for us, too.  Of course, many of us just need some time to recharge over the summer – enjoying family, traveling and reading the stack of books that built up over the school year.  I do hope that you all have a great end-of-year and fantastic summer vacation. (more…)

by Eric Lewis

Happy Spring everyone!  I hope that you have had a restful Spring Break (or will have one shortly) and that you’re ready for the last bit of the school year.  Incredibly, we are into the last stretch!  I’ve already started planning out my summer – between trips, work and PD, it’s turning out to be pretty full!

I hope that some of you were able to submit your ideas for workshops for this year’s Education Conference in Palm Springs in October!  And, please let me know if there are things that you’d like to add to our Region’s offerings.  Don’t forget to encourage your colleagues to join CSTA.  I’m hoping that we’ll have the opportunity to grow our organization and expand to meet your needs and your colleague’s needs.  To that end, please feel free to email me directly so that I can represent your questions and concerns to the CSTA Board of Directors. (more…)

by Eric Lewis

Happy February everyone!  Things are looking pretty good for science right now.  Finally, we have a balanced budget for our state and education is NOT on the chopping block.  And, the requirement for two years of science for high school graduation will be maintained.

I hope you had a chance to review the Next Generation Science Standards during the three-week review window.  I am excited about the new standards, but I’m also surprised each time that I review them how challenging they are to navigate.  They are SO very different from our current standards, but I keep thinking about new teachers who will never know any other sets of standards.  Certainly, there are many changes coming our way! (more…)

by Eric Lewis

After a long wait,  the Next Generation Science Standards will be released on January 8, 2013!  It will be important for as many of us as possible to review them and provide feedback.

In general, I’m excited about the new standards though I’ve grown quite fond of our old standards.  Well, perhaps “fond” isn’t the right word… it’s more like I have grown comfortable with them.  I’ve been teaching with our current standards for my whole career.  I’ve never had to teach anything else and I’m excited and nervous about the changes that are coming to our science standards. (more…)

by Eric Lewis

You can now start to submit your ideas for workshops for next year’s Education Conference in Palm Springs!  And as always, please let me know if there are things that you’d like to add to our Region’s offerings list. Don’t forget to encourage your colleagues to join CSTA.  I’m hoping that we’ll have the opportunity to grow our organization and expand to meet your needs and your colleague’s needs.  To that end, please feel free to email me directly so that I can represent your questions and concerns with the CSTA board as a whole, at lewise2@sfusd.edu.

Upcoming Events in Region 2: (more…)

by Eric Lewis

Eric:  What exactly is IISME?

Shari:  IISME is a non-profit organization founded in 1985 that seeks to transform teaching and learning through industry-education partnerships. IISME exists to address the critical need for a strong, highly skilled workforce in math, science and technological fields. This industry-education partnership focuses on teachers as the primary agents for effecting meaningful change in mathematics and science education.  (more…)

by Eric Lewis

I hope that you take the opportunity to attend the California Science Education Conference in San Jose this year, and don’t forget to encourage your colleagues to join CSTA. I’m hoping that we’ll have the opportunity to grow our organization and expand to meet your needs and your colleague’s needs. To that end, please feel free to email me directly so that I can represent your questions and concerns with the CSTA board as a whole, and let me know if there are things that you’d like to add to our Region’s offerings.

Check out the events calendar to see all that is happening in our region this month: http://www.classroomscience.org/events.

Curriculum developers and education researchers at the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley are working together to design and develop a new generation of middle school science curriculum for use across the country.Our team is seeking to conduct student interviews in 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th grade classrooms in the Bay Area and nearby counties during the first two weeks of October. Participating teachers will receive a $150 stipend. (more…)

by Eric Lewis

Welcome back to school everyone!  I hope that you had a great summer and had a chance to do some valuable professional development.  I also trust that like me, you’re re-energized for another school year and that you’re excited to meet your new students and families.

This summer I took part in many worthwhile professional development opportunities.  While I really enjoyed building my skills for my English Language Learners through QTEL from WestEd and learning about (and creating!) digital curriculum resources at the Exploratorium, my favorite was as Educator-at-Sea on E/V Nautilus.  After a four day training in Rhode Island where I learned about the types of exploration happening this summer and fall on the ship, the types of resources that support Nautilus’ underwater explorations, and the ins and outs of using the Nautilus website, I was flown out to Turkey to start my work on the ship.  (more…)

Organization Description: The Tuolumne River Trust is a San Francisco-based environmental nonprofit, with the following mission:

The Tuolumne River Trust is the voice for the River. We promote stewardship of the Tuolumne through:
• Education, community outreach and adventures
• Collaboration with a diverse array of stakeholders
• On-the-ground restoration projects
• Advocacy and grassroots organizing to demonstrate public support for our work

Position Description: We are currently recruiting volunteers to help with “That’s the Tuolumne in my Tap,” a bay-area based environmental education program. (more…)

by Eric Lewis

While summer has been on for nearly a month already, I am just starting to have a chance to relax.  I’m excited that I’ll be doing some science research over the next few weeks on the Nautilus.  In my role as Educator-at-Sea, I’ll be a part of the Corps of Explorers (scientists, teachers, shipmen, students, etc.) that will be investigating everything beneath the surface of the Southern Black Sea!  Be sure to see what we find by visiting Nautilus Live. (Click here for information on how interact with me and ask questions while I am at sea.)

As a part of my summer activities, I have been taking the time to reflect on science education and our role as teachers. I encourage you to read and comment on my editorial Summer Reflections.

I hope that you take the opportunity to attend the CA Science Education Conference in San Jose this year.  And, please let me know if there are things that you’d like to add to our Region’s offerings.  Don’t forget to encourage your colleagues to join CSTA.  I’m hoping that we’ll have the opportunity to grow our organization and expand to meet your needs and your colleague’s needs.  To that end, please feel free to email me directly so that I can represent your questions and concerns with the CSTA board as a whole.

Click here to view the event calendar full of great events in our region!

Eric Lewis, lewise2@sfusd.edu

Eris Lewis is high school area science support in the San Francisco Unified School District LEAD office and is CSTA region 2 director.

by Eric Lewis

As I’m starting to write this, it’s officially the last week of work in my school district.  I’ve been attending graduations every day and it’s not even June yet.  When I grew up, summer was more of a July and August affair; now it seems like summer is starting earlier and earlier (not to mention summer weather, but that’s a whole other story).

This summer is the first time in a while that I decided to take some time off.  No IISME this year, even though I had an amazing time last year working at KQED thanks to IISME’s summer program.  Of course, like most teachers, I spend a lot of time over the summer thinking about my practice, changing up my labs, adding new activities and projects to my curriculum, and seeking out professional development (short and paid, please) to help me to improve my practice.   (more…)

A’s outfielder Josh Reddick to launch program at Lincoln Elementary School in Richmond Tuesday

Young people in the Bay Area may wonder how Yoenis Céspedes can hit a baseball 462 feet. Now they’ll know. The Oakland Athletics and Chevron Tuesday will launch “Science of the Game,” a unique educational program that deepens interest and understanding among Bay Area youth by applying science to baseball.

A’s outfielder Josh Reddick and the team mascot Stomper will launch the program Tuesday, May 22 at 1 p.m. at Lincoln Elementary School in Richmond (29 Sixth Street). Reddick will pass out “Science of the Game” workbooks to more than 130 fifth and sixth graders and work through a few of the science problems with the students. (more…)

by Eric Lewis

I have always loved science. And, I like to think that I’m pretty good at science, too.  So, I was pretty rocked to my core while attending a professional development recently and finding giant holes in my knowledge.

The topic we were covering in the PD was energy.  And, I’ve taught about energy.  Maybe I have haven’t taught a lot about potential energy or kinetic energy, but I’ve taught about the energy from fusion, the energy from photosynthesis, and the energy from metabolism.  At this PD, we were discussing energy that I had not named in quite some time:  gravitational potential energy, chemical potential energy, heat energy…I had a vague recollection of connecting calories and joules and how kinetic and potential energy were connected. (more…)

by Eric Lewis

How incredible is it that we’re already in April. Testing will soon be upon and not long after that it will be summer time! I know that this is a tough time of year; especially with so many budgets so impacted. I hope that you all are focusing on being the best teachers that you can, regardless of the challenges that are put before you. It’s likely that you have either just had a Spring Break or will have one shortly; hopefully you’ll have a chance to get reenergized about your teaching. If possible, take advantage of some of the amazing science events going on in our region.

I hope that you will have the opportunity to attend the CA Science Education Conference in San Jose this year. I’m thrilled that so many of you have provided workshop proposals for our upcoming conference. I look forward to seeing you there!

Please let me know if there are things that you’d like to add to our Region’s offerings. Also, encourage your colleagues to join CSTA. I’m hoping that we’ll have the opportunity to grow our organization and expand to meet your needs and your colleague’s needs. To that end, please feel free to email me directly so that I can represent your questions and concerns with the CSTA board as a whole.

Eric Lewis, lewise2@sfusd.edu.

Click here to view the updated event calendar with a wealth of science learning opportunities in April.

by Eric Lewis

Spring is in the air; a time to start getting excited about longer days and warmer weather.  It’s also a wonderful time to be thinking about all that you’ve accomplished this year with your students and to reflect upon what you’d like to do different (or the same) in your next year of teaching.

It’s been a few years since my first year of teaching.  I remember thinking that I was doing OK my first year.  Sure, I had plenty of students failing my class, but that was because they were absent too much and didn’t do any homework or study for exams.  I had pretty good classroom management and had a handle on what I wanted to teach when.  (more…)

by Eric Lewis

Please let me know if there are things that you’d like to add to our Region’s offerings!  Also, encourage your colleagues to join CSTA.  I’m hoping that we’ll have the opportunity to grow our organization and expand to meet your needs and your colleague’s needs.  To that end, please feel free to email me directly so that I can represent your questions and concerns with the CSTA board as a whole.

You may also want to consider leading a workshop at our San Jose 2012 Education Conference.  For more information and to submit a workshop proposal, click here!  Proposals are due by March 6, 2012.

Eric Lewis, lewise2@sfusd.edu

SETI Institute Colloquium Series: Dispersal of Protoplanetary Disks
1/4/12, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
189 Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, CA
Protoplanetary disks originate during star formation and evolve rapidly, to form planetary systems before they disperse in a few million years. Dr. Gorti will describe disk evolution and discuss disk dispersal mechanisms in the context of recent theoretical models. Theory will be compared with observations to summarize our current understanding of how disks evolve and the constraints they set on the time available for planet formation.
Speaker: Uma Gorti, SETI Institute
For more information visit http://www.seti.org/talks, email info@seti.org,or call 650.961.6633 (more…)

by Eric Lewis

January is here and things seem just a little bit off in the Bay Area. While I’ve been enjoying the weather, I keep wondering why I’m still watering my backyard. And, for all the folks that have been heading up to Tahoe – I’m glad the drive has been easy, but didn’t you want to see some snow? Actually, things seem a little off pretty much everywhere. I just got back from a trip back to New York to see my family. Over the past few years, I’ve hit plenty of different types of weather back East, but this year was the strangest. Not only wasn’t there any snow on the ground, but I also was at a playground with my daughter wearing just a long sleeve T-shirt. Now, the last time I was back East – over the summer – I was lucky enough to get an earthquake AND a hurricane. Then, in October, the East Coast was pummeled with snow – which has had a huge effect on all sorts of birds and other animals that lost their homes. (more…)

by Eric Lewis

Unbelievably, it’s already December and we’re practically half way through the school year.  This is a great time of the year to take a minute to review all that you’ve accomplished so far this year and all that you still hope to accomplish. (more…)

by Eric Lewis

While the glow from being around over 1,400 science teachers from across California is still pretty bright, I’m finding myself missing Pasadena and the myriad workshops that I didn’t get to attend.  If you’re like me, you might be wondering about all the things that you missed.  Well, be sure to continue looking under the science conference tab on the CSTA homepage.  If you click on the Sessions with Handouts you will be able to access some of the resources that were created and used for the conference.  Sure it would have been better to see the workshop in person, but I’ll take whatever I can get. (more…)

by Eric Lewis

As always, it’s an exciting time for Science!  I’m not sure how many of you have had an opportunity to look over the new Framework for K-12 Science Education (download the FREE pdf here), but it seems to be a great move forward for Science Education.  I know that there is a lot of excitement over the new California Common Core Standards for English/Language Arts and Mathematics.  I hope that our standards are also so well received.  I’m also glad that California will be one of the lead states that will be working on creating the Common Core Standards for Science. (more…)

For middle and high school students, ages 13-18, who attend school in the San Francisco/Bay area-the NSTA/Applied Materials Clean Tech Competition offers a real-world problem to solve that demonstrates the powerful potential of clean technology. The inaugural year’s challenge will involve students in two of the world’s most historic centers of innovation-the San Francisco/Bay Area and Xi’an, China. The competition will engage youth of all skill, ability and interest levels in a common challenge to highlight the roles that science and technology and the strategy of design play in solving problems that transcend national boundaries and to help prepare students for success in life.  Teams in each region will compete for $17,000 in cash prizes. (more…)

by Eric Lewis

So school is underway here in San Francisco and will be underway across the state in the next week or two. I hope that you had a great summer and that you are fresh and ready to take on a new year! Did you spend time this summer doing professional development? This was my first year participating in IISME. I had heard about it for a long time and was thrilled to be placed at KQED for the summer working with QUEST. I really enjoyed my experience with IISME and will hopefully participate again in the future. What were some of your favorite professional development opportunities? I’d love to hear about some of the things that CSTA members engaged in this summer. Please email me with your experiences and I’ll try to highlight some of these programs in the future! (more…)

by Eric Lewis

It’s unbelievable that August is already upon us. In San Francisco Unified, school starts in just two weeks; so much for summer!

As you are all gearing up for the coming school year, take some time to think about what parts of your curriculum you’re hoping to improve and what parts of your curriculum you’re going to throw away! I know we are all guilty of reusing some of our old activities and labs – and we should, since much of it is great. That said it’s our duty as teachers to meet the needs of our students. Sometimes that means putting ourselves into situations where we’re the learners and our students are the experts. (more…)

NSTA is collaborating with Applied Materials, headquartered in Santa Clara, CA, on the newly launched Clean Tech Competition.  The competition engages youth in real world problem solving activities that illustrate the powerful potential of clean technology to address critical global challenges impacting humankind.  The inaugural year’s Challenge will involve young people in two of the world’s most historic centers of innovation—the San Francisco/Bay Area and Xi’an, China.   The competition will engage youth of all skill, ability and interest levels in these regions in a common challenge to highlight the roles that science and technology and the strategy of design play in solving problems that transcend national boundaries and to help prepare students for success in life.  Teams in each region will compete for $17,000 in cash prizes. The competition is open this year to students ages 13-18 who live and attend school in the San Francisco Bay area. (more…)

by Eric Lewis

Summer is upon us – a time to get relax and gather our thoughts about the school year that just finished up.  Of course, many of you take the summer to revise curriculum, participate in professional development, and collaborate with colleagues to strategize about meeting the needs of students at your site.  For those of you that tend to take the summer as a time to improve your curriculum the work never seems to stop.  Though everyone should be grateful for the extra effort that many of you take, I applaud the fact that you continue to improve your practice, even though our current system does little to recognize the work that you do. (more…)

A science lab class is about to begin at Ronald McNair Academy in East Palo Alto on a recent Tuesday morning and the universal seventh-grader’s mien says, “I couldn’t care less.”

Visiting scientists Paul Sauer and Mary Varghese from the Redwood City-based biotechnology company OncoMed are telling the students about natural selection. (more…)

by Eric Lewis

The summer is upon us, though we’re still grappling with our lingering winter weather. As a person who is critical of weather forecasting – especially living in San Francisco where there weather can be vastly different a mile in any direction – I’m always listening when I hear people talk about the weather and their own predictions. (more…)

by Eric Lewis

If you are anything like me, you’re probably wondering when this winter weather is going to stop already. Not only have I been so surprised to see rain in the forecast so late in the spring, but I am also missing the hot days that usually occur regularly this time of year. Regardless, it’s a great time to get outside and into nature – just be sure to bring an umbrella…

As always, there are many great opportunities happening throughout our region in the coming months. Besides PD opportunities during the school year, there are opportunities for summer learnings as well! Be sure to look over prior months’ information too, as there are plenty of resources that are still valid. (more…)

Project ASTRO is looking for 3rd-9th grade teachers in the San Francisco Bay Area to work with volunteer astronomers who have a keen interest in sharing the wonders of astronomy with students. Together, you and your astronomer partner attend a free 2-day summer workshop to learn hands-on, (more…)