Teacher Institute on Science and Sustainability

Workshop type: Classroom Kit Training
Workshop price: $15

Evolution is happening all around us. Take part in a workshop that brings evolution to life. Workshop participants will engage in hands-on activities that explore genetic variation, natural selection, predation, adaptation, and other topics. Learn how to make these abstract ideas more concrete for your students, while exercising their observation and communication skills.

After taking this workshop, you will be eligible to use the Evolution Kit in your classroom.

To see activity descriptions, materials, and the science content standards covered by the kit, visit the Evolution Kit page.

Workshop type: Focus your Field Trip
Workshop price: $15

Explore the meaning of being "green" and experience the greenest museum in the world at the California Academy of Sciences! Visit our 2.5 acres of native California plants on our living roof and learn about the amazing diversity of life it supports.  Participants will leave with ideas in mind for how to structure a green adventure for students to enjoy on a field trip.

In these workshops you will have an opportunity to create and plan science curriculum using a combination of FOSS curriculum and other enhancements. Bring your planning book, areas of need, and ideas to this session. You may attend one or both sessions.

 

Workshop type: Classroom Kit Training
Workshop price: $15

An animal skull can be an amazing resource for exploring natural history and practicing skills such as observation and interpretation.  In this workshop, participants will investigate the skulls of seven Northern Californian mammals and learn some of the critical differences that distinguish herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores.  Discover the significance of eye placement and learn to infer what animals eat from the shapes of their teeth.

After taking this workshop, you will be eligible to use the Skulls Kit in your classroom.

To see activity descriptions, materials, and the science content standards covered by the kit, visit the Skulls Kit page.

Workshop type: Classroom Kit Training
Workshop price: $15

Explore the physical properties of rocks, minerals, and sand through hands-on observation and investigation. Discover the difference between igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, learn about the rock cycle, and trace the mineral resources used to manufacture objects that you use every day. While appropriate for grades 2 - 5, this kit emphasizes 4th grade science content standards.

After taking this workshop, you will be eligible to use the Geology (grades 2 - 5) Kit in your classroom.

Workshop type: Explore the Natural World, 3-Part Series
Workshop price: $35

Special Note: This is a three part workshop taking place on

• Thursday March 1,
• Thursday March 8, and
• Thursday March 15.

In order to participate, you must be able to attend all three sessions.

NEW! Are you interested in learning effective ways to teach the complexity of our atmosphere? Join us for hands-on activities and investigations that will help make weather and climate relevant to you and your students. Explore Bay Area specific examples of our own seasonal changes and collect data that will help you and your students understand the difficulty of being a meteorologists.

Spend the night at the Betchel House on Pepperwood preserve with your TISS friends. We'll eat drink and be merry.

Workshop type: Classroom Kit Training
Workshop price: $15

Join us to experience hands-on activities that illuminate the hidden processes of our planet. Learn about the Earth's layers, the movement of tectonic plates, and earthquakes. Take a look back over geologic time and check out some fossils from key points in Earth's history.

After taking this workshop, you will be eligible to use the Geology (grades 6-12) Kit in your classroom.

The details of this day are TBD but it will involve exploration of Ecosystems somewhere in Sonoma

Come Explore Pepperwood's ecosystems, life, and Geology.

In these workshops you will have an opportunity to create and plan science curriculum using a combination of FOSS curriculum and other enhancements. Bring your planning book, areas of need, and ideas to this session. You may attend one or both sessions.

 

Read short articles about a current science or sustainability topic and discuss them with colleagues over wine and cheese. Past topics have included: Nuclear Energy, Genetics, Biofuels, Cap and Trade.

Workshop type: Citizen Science Workshop
Workshop price: $35

NEW! Spend time outdoors, connecting to nature by focusing on the fascinating sights, sounds, and behaviors of birds citizen. By participating in this Birdsleuth workshop, you and your students can help scientists collect real world bird data which scientists use to understand and conserve birds. Workshop participants will learn how to identify birds commonly found in the Bay Area, collect data, and ask questions related to animal behavior, distributions, and diversity.

This workshop includes Birdsleuth curriculum materials needed to conduct the lessons covered.

Come join us for a night of food and drink where we will listen to a lecture from an area scientist about their current research and findings.

Dissect a squid and maybe more!

Learn techniques for classroom management in the garden, basic gardening skills, and simple science activities for students in the garden. These will either take place at the Academy vegetable garden or at one of our TISS school gardens.

Learn how to integrate music and chanting into your teaching. These strategies will help students be more engaged and will help them internalize their learning.

This is a 3-part series. If you sign up for this, you must attend all three sessions

This 3-part series is focused on developing activities for your field trip using the Academy’s exhibits.

Learn about exhibit design and categories of museum-based activities.

· Brainstorm and plan your own activities with colleagues.

· Take your class on a field trip and test your activities.

· Share your experiences and refine your activities.

Read short articles about a current science or sustainability topic and discuss them with colleagues over wine and cheese. Past topics have included: Nuclear Energy, Genetics, Biofuels, Cap and Trade.