C&I Science Communication for Teachers and Administrators

SFUSD Science Announcements!

1. SFUSD Science Teacher and Science Student Teacher Social! Thanks for coming out to Spark Social last Wednesday! We had a blast! The next Science Social - for all Science Teachers (K-12) - will be on Thursday, November 30th at After Dark at the Exploratorium. The first 50 teachers to register will get free admission. The registration form is here. Additional information to come!
    
2. Science Department Chairs/Leads/Reps: The next HS Science Chair/Leads/Reps meeting will take place virtually tomorrow on Tuesday, 11/14 from 4-5:30pm. Check your calendar invite for the Zoom link!

3. Living Materials for Biology: Gather with your content colleagues and place a site order for fall semester living materials. The next deadline is 11/17/2023. This will ensure that materials are delivered to your site by 11/29. This is the last opportunity to order for the Fall Semester! Order form link: https://forms.gle/p5stgasey6UgLMko6.
    
4. Spring 2024 Consumable Materials: The materials your site ordered at the end of Spring semester 2023 will be delivered to your sites during the month of December. Keep an eye out in your site’s main office! Be on the lookout for the consumable order form for fall 2024 - coming soon!

5. Equipment Exchange sheet! Have extra materials at your site that you’re not using? Looking for some random science equipment for your class? Check out our SFUSD Science Equipment Exchange sheet. 

1. Chemical and Biological Waste: Pickup dates are being scheduled for the Fall Break for 10 sites. These sites have already been confirmed and should expect to be contacted by Clean Harbors. Other school sites should have their waste picked up during Winter Break. Please keep all waste generated this semester separate from the waste waiting to be picked up! Thank you! If you have any questions, please contact Eric Lewis (lewise2@sfusd.edu).
    
2. Safety Materials: Please make sure to request any labels or containers that you might need for newly generated waste.  You can also request class sets of goggles or broken glass containers. Also, please make sure you update the status of safety equipment in your classroom. 

3. Science Safety Resources (student contracts, letters, assessments, etc.) are available to you. Safety is an essential part of all sciences classes. All students should be provided with a contract, participate in safety lessons, and pass a safety quiz at the beginning of the year. Please note this requires use of a district login. 

Teacher Opportunities!  Be sure to check the Bay Area Science Calendar for additional science-related events and activities. 

1. NOAA Teacher at Sea Program: Offers educators a unique opportunity to join NOAA scientists aboard an ocean research vessel as a member of the science team. Since 1990, more than 850 teachers have sailed on NOAA surveys monitoring our nation’s fisheries, measuring physical and chemical ocean trends, and charting unknown regions of the seafloor.Participants return to their classrooms with first-hand accounts of what it’s like to live and work at sea, illustrated by photos, blogs, and lesson plans. Their personal connections to NOAA’s science and stewardship help Teachers at Sea communicate the importance of NOAA’s mission to communities across the nation. The 2024 application closes 11/30. More information and application access.
    
2. Cal Academy of Sciences Teacher Workshops: 
   • Saturday, December 2, 2023, 9 am - 12 pm: Exploring Phenomena: Using Science to Figure Things Out: How can we anchor science and engineering learning in real-world phenomena? In this workshop, you will build your understanding of what phenomenon-based science can be, why it matters, and how to start making it happen in your classroom. Attending can count toward your 18 Paid PD Hours! More information & registration.
      
3. Tour the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer on Saturday, December 9, 2023: You are invited to tour the ship while it is docked at the Exploratorium Pier (#15/17)  in San Francisco, CA. Ship tours will be part of  NOAA Ocean Exploration’s efforts to engage with various partners and stakeholder groups in the San Francisco area and in the American Geophysical Union (AGU) community. 
   • Tours will be one hour long, taking place between 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM local time, and will provide a look at our nation’s only federal ship dedicated to ocean exploration, NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. 
   • Attendees will have the opportunity to view operational spaces and ocean exploration vehicles, as well as speak to scientists, the expedition coordinator, technicians, engineers, and NOAA Corps officers (subject to change based on operation constraints). Visuals from the current and previous expeditions, including short videos of discoveries, and maps of previously unexplored seafloor, will also be on display.
   • Tour group slots are as follows: 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm, and 4:00 pm.  Please RSVP to Shellby Johnson-Rodney at shellby.johnson@noaa.gov by December 1st, 2023 with two different time slots that work for you. 

4. Ventures Foundation Grants for Teachers are small - easy to get - grants for teachers. You can apply for more than one grant at a time. If you get a grant you need to do a small impact report (like you might have to do with Donors Choose). Check out the grant website here. 

5. STEM Teaching Tools: Free online professional development modules in myriad aspects of STEM Education made available through grants from NSF and ACESSE Project (Advancing Coherent and Equitable Systems of Science Education). Attending can count toward your 18 Paid PD Hours!

6. KQED Resources for Educators! Check out these FREE media literacy teaching and learning resources for educators and students.

7. E/V Nautilus Science Communication Fellowship - The Science Communication Fellowship immerses formal and informal educators in the Nautilus Corps of Exploration as communicators for exploration and empowers them to bring the excitement of ocean exploration - specifically in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) - to students and public audiences around the world. Fellows share accounts of ocean research, expedition operations, STEAM careers, and daily life with audiences of all ages through live audio commentary on the Nautilus Live website and through outreach to classrooms and communities via ship-to-shore live interactions. Applications for the 2024 season are now open! 

Learn more and apply now in the 2024 SCF Application Packet. 

Apply by January 2, 2024 to be part of the season ahead!

Many SFUSD teachers have done this before! Want more info? Contact Eric Lewis.

Current Opportunities for Science Students - Please share with your students asap! 

1. Launched in early 2023, the Academy Naturalist Teen (ANT) is a three-month long volunteer program for teens ages 15-17. The program is designed to introduce teens to the field of informal education; using interactive activities to engage with guests of all ages, particularly with young children. Our Fall program is currently underway. Applications for the Spring 2024 session will open on November 15, 2023 and close on December 21, 2023.
   Teen Volunteer Application (opens 11/15)
    
2. The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC) Upcoming Virtual & In-person events

• Marine Science Sundays: Join us in person at the TMMC hospital and visitor center in Sausalito on the second and fourth Sunday of each month. Anyone can participate in the program, but you must reserve a general admission ticket to visit The Marine Mammal Center that day.
  1. Nov 26 at 12pm or 2pm  |  An Ocean Feast
  2. Dec 10 at 12pm or 2pm  |  Seal and Sea Lion Superstars of 2023!
      

3. California Coastal Art & Poetry Contest! CA students in grades K-12 can submit artwork or poetry about California’s coast and ocean. Ten winners will receive a $100 gift certificate to Blick Art Materials or a bookstore, plus four tickets to Aquarium of the Pacific. Each winner’s teacher will receive a $50 gift certificate from Acorn Naturalists. Winning art and poetry will be part of a traveling exhibit through the end of 2024. 
   1. More information 
   2. Flyers in English and Spanish
   3. Deadline: January 31, 2024
       
4. The 2024 Science Without BordersChallenge is now open! The theme for this year’s Challenge is “Hidden Wonders of the Deep.” The international art contest invites students worldwide to showcase their creativity by depicting the mysterious and unique creatures or ecosystems found in the deep sea. Through their artwork, students will have the opportunity to highlight the beauty and diversity that often goes unnoticed in these fascinating underwater worlds. Learn about the theme. The Science Without Borders^â Challenge is open to all students worldwide who are 11-19 years old and enrolled in primary or secondary school (or the home-school equivalent). $500 prize!! Deadline: March 4, 2024. More information here.
    
5. San Francisco State University has 18 scholarships for entering Freshmen majoring in Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry.  The objective of these scholarships, sponsored by the Genentech Foundation, is to prepare individuals from underrepresented groups, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities for successful careers in the biomedical field. Recipients of this 2-year scholarship will receive comprehensive academic support, stimulating research experience, full California resident tuition coverage at SFSU, and a monthly stipend. The total value of the scholarship, including the stipend, exceeds $25,000. The due date for the application is March 24, 2024 and students must also apply to SFSU.  There is no fee to apply for this scholarship. Here's the website for more information on the scholarship and the link to apply: https://seo.sfsu.edu/incoming-freshmen

Accessing HS Science Curriculum 

All staff with sfusd.edu email addresses have access to the SFUSD Science Core Curriculum. 

Students must be logged in to their SFUSD student accounts to access their science books. Link: https://www.sfusd.edu/learning/curriculum/high-school/science. Do not share teacher links with students. They will be denied access. 

If you have a student teacher or know of a new teacher without an SFUSD email that needs access, please email Eric Lewis (lewise2@sfusd.edu) with their google email and the circumstances. 

Teacher Editions (TEs): You can access all student and teacher editions electronically via Google Drive. If you are new to a site, please check-in with your science department chair/lead about a printed teacher edition.