CDM BioSITE Blog for Teachers

It's Wonderful Wildflower Time!

2011-11-22T15:55:00.000-08:00

Fall rain and cool weather mean it's safe to start sowing wildflowers! Wildflower seed can be planted any time between November and early March. For those of you who have already received "Wonderful Wildflowers" activity materials, you are good to go!

If you have not yet, but would like to receive some high quality wildflower seed and instructions for doing the "Wonderful Wildflowers" activity with your class, we still have some available.

Email Biret at badden@cdm.org to request a packet while supplies last. Masters and instructions will arrive with your packet, or click on the following links to download: instructions, envelope, and slideshow. Happy planting!

BIOS.I.T.E. 2011 - 2012

2011-11-13T19:58:00.000-08:00

November Update
Fall has been quick-- and productive! The entire BioSITE calendar is full- and we are looking forward to the work ahead of us. Over 1,000 river guardians will be engaged this year at more that five watershed study sites.
Pioneer-
Always stellar and always finding new ways to engage students.

Leland and LelandPlus-
We have an amazing group of high school mentors that already have proven that they are up to each task! Along with the Friday Field program, Leland is partnering with us to offer a mentor experience to ACE elementary classes.
ACE teachers can sign up to have their ACE Day 3 at Leland and have the trained mentors work with their students.

ACE-Yahoo!
As we fine tune what we offer as the ACE experience- we are also reminded that the core of our program is ultimately successful because we engage students in real hands on- minds on thinking. In the classroom or in the field- BioSITE students are finding out more!

BIC-
This week BioSITE staff, partnering with the City of San Jose Environmental services department and their Creeks Come to Class program, will be starting a new program at Independence High School. BIC, BioSITE, Independence Teaching Academy, and Creeks Come to Class will be facilitating in class watershed lessons for elementary students using the 'Enviroscape' model and engaging these young stewards in field monitoring.
ACE teachers can also sign up to have the Creeks Come to Class program for their classes!

ACE Program Strands--
This year we have fine tuned our ACE days to better meet the needs of the different elementary level classes we serve, and the specific science teaching goals of our individual teachers. The core mission of ACE, as always, is essentially and most importantly to provide students with an authentic field study experience in water quality monitoring and watershed science. By the end of the three day experience, every ACE student will have participated in field study methods, journaling, water quality testing, and surveys to study the health of the local riparian community. How we do this may vary slightly as teachers choose which of the three strands they would like us to focus on with their students. As we develop these strands, more information and tools will be posted for our ACE teachers, and we hope to gather feedback from all participants so we can continue to develop successful outcomes for all!
ACE Teachers-- below you will see the objectives for each of the strands. We have a full gallery of materials and lesson plans for our BioSITE teachers, so we want to design a three day expereince that will best serve your students needs. We also are workign on a tool to help you see how each strand connects to State Standards and Environmental Education Principles and Concepts. Look for that to be posted under important docs..soon.

Watersheds:
Students will learn the features of a watershed and the specific landmarks of our Guadalupe River watershed.
Students will learn how organisms in our watershed are interconnected.
Students will become aware of the specific issues and concerns in our watershed and how they can make a positive difference in the health of our watershed.

Being a Naturalist:
Students will learn how a field scientist conducts investigations in the field.
Students will practice the skills of observation and data collection to gain a better appreciation of the diversity of living things.
Students will study the interconnections of the flora and fauna of riparian communities and be introduced to current environmental issues.

Scientists and Research:
Students will be engaged in scientific studies of their local natural history and how changes over time have been influenced by development.
Students will practice data collection, field surveys, and team research.
Students will learn skills and methods of analyzing field data and practice interpreting their work to form good questions and further learning.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2011-11-13T18:53:00.000-08:00

Good News! There WILL be a STEP (Salmon and Trout Education Program) Training this January!!
We just got the official go-ahead so let me know ASAP if you are interested in this fantastic workshop. This program supports our BioSITE year in many many ways and your students will be able to directly apply lessons learned to current watershed issues and concerns.
Salmon and Trout Education Program
http://www.mbstp.org/.
Interested teachers should contact sderby@cdm.org

It's not too early to start thinking about student projects that you would like to display at Children's Discovery Museum this April.
We would greatly appreciate the chance to showcase reflections, artwork, or journaling from your BioSITE students. Let's start now to plan something special!
River of Words
http://www.riverofwords.org/
Interested teachers should contact sderby@cdm.org.

Mark the date! GROWING UP WILD WORKSHOP
@ Childrens's Discovery Museum: January 21, 2100
Please forward this important information to all who may be interested in this great opportunity.
Growing Up Wild
http://www.projectwild.org/growingupwild.htm
Interested teachers should contact badden@cdm.org.

BUILDING COMMUNITY

2011-11-13T17:24:00.000-08:00

John Muir Exhibit at Oakland Museum
A Walk in the Wild: Continuing John Muir's Journey
August 6, 2011 - January 22, 2012
Docent tours of the exhibition are offered every Saturday at 3 p.m.
Explore the legacy of John Muir's life and how he continues to influence our relationship with the natural world in the first-ever museum exhibition of its kind.
info @ http://museumca.org/muir

Watershed Exhibit at Los Altos History Museum
Shaped By Water
October 8, 2011 - April 22, 2012
Water shaped the history of Santa Clara Valley, and how we use it will shape our future. Come experience and learn about our unique connection to our precious and finite water - past, present, and future.
info @ http://www.losaltoshistory.org/water_events.html

11/19/11
November Green Day at Children’s Discovery Museum
12/26-30/11
December Giving Back Days at Children’s Discovery Museum

BUILDING COMMUNITY

2011-10-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some upcoming events that you might be interested in….just contact us if you want to find out more!

Bay Area Science Festival
100 Days. 100 Events.
October 29th – Nov 6th
Unleash your inner Scientist! www.bayareascience.org/festival

November Green Day at Children’s Discovery Museum
Good Food and Good Compost
Come to CDM to learn more about how to grow your own and use the rich compost right from your kitchen waste! www.cdm.org

December Giving Back Days at Children’s Discovery Museum
Are you interested in giving back to your community? Do you know of an organization that helps families work together to give back to those in need? Let us know your ideas!!
From December 26th – December 30th Children’s Discovery Museum will be hosting an array of engaging activities to help visitors and families provide needed materials for community programs all around our county. Some organizations that have been a part of this effort in the past are: Project Linus, Half the Sky, Families First, and Veggielution. Come be a part of the giving back! www.cdm.org

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2011-10-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

River of Words
http://www.riverofwords.org/
Interested teachers should contact sderby@cdm.org to stay updated on classroom visits, special materials, and to participate in the River of Words artwork/poetry project to be on display at CDM for this years’ BioSITE Open House in April.

Salmon and Trout Education Program
http://www.mbstp.org/.
Interested teachers should contact sderby@cdm.org for the latest info on STEP 2012/ Trout in the Classroom programs.

Growing Up Wild
http://www.projectwild.org/growingupwild.htm
Interested teachers should contact badden@cdm.org .

BioSITE Teachers are the best

2011-10-18T11:58:00.001-07:00

** Reminder**
RSVP today please,
BioSITE Teachers:
Teacher Training and Kick Off Open House
The 2011-2012 BioSITE Teacher Training/ Kick-Off Open House will take place on October 29th, here at CDM, from 9am – 3pm.
• From 9am- 12pm we will be helping all NEW teachers orient to the BioSITE curriculum and pedagogy, share in the work to establish program goals and clarify logistics, and then top it off with a thank-you lunch!

• From 1pm – 3pm we will facilitate a Kick Off Open House in CDM’s outdoor ampitheater. During this time we will share resource materials and showcase kits that are available for teacher check-out. We will have a check-out calendar available so you can sign up in person, or later online.

**All 2011-2012 participating teachers are invited to our thank-you luncheon on October 29th, from 12pm – 1pm. Please plan to attend so we can meet, share stories, and make connections across programs. We would appreciate an RSVP today. (to: sderby@cdm.org )
We need to know by Friday 10/21/2011 to order lunch

BioSITE 2011-2012

2011-10-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

Programming:
As we move into the beautiful crisp days of fall, our BioSITE field programs are moving right along for Pioneer and Leland. Our high school mentors have once again amazed us with a strong committed start taking on this important job as role models and science mentors. Leland and Graystone students have completed their first field days and Pioneer students are beginning their second unit of study for the year.
This unit at Pioneer involves learning first-hand about the importance of riparian communities and native oaks. For the past four years, as part of our BioSITE Program at Pioneer, participants have collected, sorted, and planted acorns that sprout and are cared for by the Pioneer students working in the BioSITE native plant greenhouse. The final happy ending to this story is that the healthy young oaks are distributed and planted throughout San Jose by the re-greening efforts of the Our City Forest Program.
In addition to our successful BioSITE Friday field program at Leland, that is in its fifth year, we will also be engaging five other Biology classes at Leland as mentors to several of our ACE BioSITE classes. As part of the three day ACE program that focuses on a watershed tour experience for the participating elementary classes, this year these classes will be able to elect to attend one field day at Leland and have their students work in small groups along Alamitos Creek with the new Leland mentors.
Starting with the October 29th training here at CDM, we will begin to schedule all of the ACE field days for our 20 participating ACE elementary teachers. We are looking forward to the great experiences to be shared by all in what will be the amazing watershed tour of 2011-2012.
AND more news next month on our latest program starting at Independence High Teaching Academy!
Stay tuned!
To share our thanks and enthusiasm for the great efforts and support of BioSITE!...once again we would like to acknowledge….
Our river stewards for the 2011-2012 school year include:
ACE BioSITE Program:
Del Robel Elementary, Don Callejon Elementary, Miner Elementary, Oakridge Elementary, Sakamoto Elementary, Sinnott Elementary, Stipe School, and Taylor Elementary
BioSITE /Independence/City of San Jose Partnership:
Independence High School Teaching Academy, and participating Elementary Schools
Leland High School Program:
Leland High School and Graystone Elementary
Los Gatos Program:
Lost Gatos High School, Louise Van Meter and
Pioneer High School Program:
Pioneer High School, Allen @ Steinbeck, Almaden Elementary, and Reed Elementary

AND…..our BioSITE Lead Team
ACE BioSITE Program- Sandy Derby, Biret Adden, Patti Workover, Megan Lee
BioSITE/ Independence/City of San Jose- Sandy Derby, Carol Bolund, Jane Narveson-Brusin
Leland High School Program- Patti Workover
Los Gatos Program- Biret Adden, Amelia DeLaPaz
Pioneer High School Program- Biret Adden

SEPTEMBER UPDATES---

2011-09-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

BIOSITE 2011-2012
Programming:
Welcome back.. to our returning teachers! And welcome in.. to our new BioSITE teachers!!
We are looking forward to sharing a full year of discovery with you and your students- and hope by now you are already off to a great start. Our mission is to support your vision and we appreciate all of your hard work in building BioSITE into your classroom learning. Our partnerships are continuing to serve San Jose students and beyond- helping them to see how active scientific thinking enriches their lives and encourages them to build positive paths to the future.
We want to brag about our wonderfully dedicated and active group of river stewards-- teachers, students, and community members all working to connect and protect our communities and watersheds.
Our river stewards for the 2011-2012 school year include:ACE BioSITE Program:
Don Callejon Elementary, Miner Elementary, Oakridge Elementary, Sakamoto Elementary, Sinnott Elementary, Stipe School, and Taylor Elementary
BioSITE /Independence/City of San Jose Partnership:
Independence High School Teaching Academy, and participating Elementary Schools
Leland High School Program:
Leland High School and Graystone Elementary
Los Gatos Program:
Lost Gatos High School, Louise Van Meter and Blossom Hill School
Pioneer High School Program:
Pioneer High School, Allen @ Steinbeck, Almaden Elementary, and Reed Elementary

AND…..our BioSITE Lead Team is fully engaged, back in the saddle, and ready to make a great year happen! We have a strong team of dedicated environmental educators that are ready to engage your students in unique experience of inquiry, learning, and stewardship. Our program coordinators for the 2011-2012 year are:
ACE BioSITE Program- Sandy Derby, Biret Adden, Patti Workover, Megan Lee
BioSITE/ Independence/City of San Jose- Sandy Derby, Carol Bolund
Leland High School Program- Patti Workover
Los Gatos Program- Biret Adden
Pioneer High School Program- Biret Adden

BioSITE Teachers are the best

2011-09-09T16:19:00.000-07:00

BIOSITE 2011-2012
BioSITE Teachers:
Teacher Training and Kick Off Open House The 2011-2012 BioSITE Teacher Training/ Kick-Off Open House will take place on October 29th, here at CDM, from 9am – 3pm.
• From 9am- 12pm we will be helping all NEW teachers orient to the BioSITE curriculum and pedagogy, share in the work to establish program goals and clarify logistics, and then top it off with a thank-you lunch!

• From 1pm – 3pm we will facilitate a Kick Off Open House in CDM’s outdoor ampitheater. During this time we will share resource materials and showcase kits that are available for teacher check-out. We will have a check-out calendar available so you can sign up in person, or later online.

All 2011-2012 participating teachers are invited to our thank-you luncheon on October 29th, from 12pm – 1pm. Please plan to attend so we can meet, share stories, and make connections across programs. We would appreciate an RSVP (to: sderby@cdm.org ) by September 1st.

Thank you to all or our wonderful BioSITE Teachers—and looking forward to a great year!

Children’s Discovery Museum’s Teacher Night at the Museum! September 15th, 5:30-7:30 pm, 180 Woz Way, San Jose
http://www.cdm.org
K-4 teachers are invited to eat, drink, play, enter to win a free field trip for their class and learn all
about how CDM can serve them!
RSVP to teachersclubevite@cdm.org or 408.298.5437 ext 259 by September 9th to attend this fun back to school event.

Inspired by your learning!

2011-09-09T16:15:00.000-07:00

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
During the BioSITE year, we hope to introduce you to some amazing resources and professional development opportunities that will further your learning. We also will be inviting you to attend short courses at CDM that will deepen your understanding and use of the BioSITE curriculum content.
Please let us know if you have other ideas as to how we can help you bring your science teaching to life for your students!

River of Words
http://www.riverofwords.org/
River of Words trains teachers, park rangers, youth leaders, and other educators around the world to incorporate nature and the arts into their work with children and teens. The BioSITE Team is joining in this effort!! We have integrated the River of Words vision into our BioSITE evaluation plan so that your students can have a chance to express their river experiences in a way that will show the creative nature of a river guardian. These writings and works of art will be showcased during our Spring BioSITE Open House!

Salmon and Trout Education Program
MBSTP seeking support for the Salmon and Trout Education Program (STEP). This program has been running for 24 years and has inspired thousands of K-12 students to become enthusiastic supporters of steelhead restoration. The program uses a richly detailed curriculum that covers the importance of the salmonid spawning and rearing habitat, the life-cycle of steelhead, and stresses the critical nature of salmonid habitat restoration. Get involved and find out more @ http://www.mbstp.org/.

Growing Up Wild
http://www.projectwild.org/growingupwild.htm
Growing up Wild is an early childhood education program that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them. Sound familiar? Do you know of a teacher at your school that may be interested in completing a Growing Up Wild Workshop?
We are planning a Growing Up Wild Workshop that will be offered to teachers January of 2012. Just RSVP to badden@cdm.org to get on the list and we will do the rest!

CREEC
Visit online at www.creec.org/region5 to find a searchable Resource Directory of
environmental education programs in your area, a current Events Calendar,
funding opportunities, and teacher Professional Development opportunities.

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History’s Educator Open House
October 27, 4:00-6:00 pm
http://www.santacruzmuseums.org/
1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History welcomes educators to the Museum for an afternoon Open House toget to know their educational resources and programs. They will have their Education Kits, slideshows andspecimen available to explore, and docents on hand to talk about their school and field programs andinterpret the displays. Free for formal and informal educators. Afternoon snacks provided.

Bay Area Earth Science Institute (BAESI) Teacher Workshops
Workshop dates and descriptions below.
http://www.baesi.org/
BAESI workshops for teachers of grades 4-12 are free, address California science standards, and present a blend of earth science concepts and ready-to-use classroom activities for teaching them. Each workshop or field trip meets from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm and will take place in room 306 Duncan Hall on the San José State University (SJSU) campus unless otherwise noted. If you need SJSU credit, you may combine any two sessions to earn 1 unit of Geology 104 for $50. Questions? Contact Ellen Metzger at 408-924-5048 or ellen.metzger@sjsu.edu TO REGISTER go to www.baesi.org/ and click on Fall 2011 Workshop Schedule.

California Institute for Biodiversity’s Nature Journaling Workshop
October 8 & 15, San Francisco North Bay
http://www.johnmuirlaws.com/event/nature-journaling-sf-north-bay-teacher-workshop-part-2
Learn the skills necessary to have your student observing and recording the natural world through field
sketching and complementary English Language Development activities. Over consecutive Saturdays,
naturalist and artist Jack Laws will stress the importance of asking scientific question, observing the natural world and carefully sketching these observations.

Project WET: Santa Clara Valley Teacher Workshop
October 14, 2011
This FREE Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) training includes hand-on demonstrations of the
lessons and activities in the Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide. Participants will become “immersed.”in the world of water and experience it firsthand. Upon completion, participants will receive the Project WETCurriculum and Activity Guide free and be able to supplement classroom science work with hands-on water activities. Contact Kathy Machado at (408) 265-2607 x2331 or kmachado@valleywater.org

Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI) Curriculum Update
CREEC Coordinators in every region of California have been working with the Office of Education and the
Environment (OEE) and CDE to support implementation of the EEI Curriculum. Over 14,000 students have experienced the curriculum in over 100 schools since January. Cal/EPA will create case studies when the school year ends to document the most effective implementation practices. The resulting guide will help all California school districts implement the landmark environment-based curriculum.
Currently, the OEE is happy to offer:
•Grade level DVD’s of the EEI Curriculum for teachers. Call 916 341-6769 to place your request.
•Letters of support for grant applications that support EEI Curriculum implementation
•An updated EEI Curriculum Catalog is now available on the “Learn More” page at http://www.CaliforniaEEI.org

Out and About in the Bay Area!

2011-09-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

BUILDING COMMUNITY
We are fortunate to live in an area where community is as diverse as our landscape and people of every community are dedicated to making this a great place to live! Hope you are able to get out there and enjoy this amazing and unique place! A couple of ideas to inspire you!!

Coastal Cleanup Day
WHAT IS COASTAL CLEANUP DAY?
California Coastal Cleanup Day, an annual beach and inland waterway cleanup, is the state's largest volunteer event. In 2010, over 82,500 volunteers removed more than 1.2 million pounds of trash and recyclables from our beaches, lakes, and waterways. When combined with the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by Ocean Conservancy and taking place on the same day, California Coastal Cleanup Day becomes part of one of the largest volunteer events in the world.
We are hoping to see BioSITE students at both our downtown clean-up site and at the Leland Alamitos clean-up site. Make a difference!! Contact sderby@cdm.org for more information.

Chalk 4 Peace
http://www.chalk4peace.org/
Come out to CDM on September 18 to be a part of this amazing community art project! RSVP to sderby@cdm.org for more information.

Los Gatos BioSITE a Success!

2011-06-14T11:03:00.000-07:00

This year, BioSITE has been excited to pilot a new program at Los Gatos High School to bring hands-on environmental science to Los Gatos students. Los Gatos Creek has an interesting story to tell, and it has been exciting for high school mentors and elementary students alike to discover the river ecology of their own back yard!
Congratulations Amelia DeLaPaz, AP Environmental Science Instructor, for your hard work and dedication in bringing this program to your students. Thanks to support from the Administration and Science Department at LGHS, Mrs. DeLaPaz was able to engage all four APES classes, roughly 120 high school students, plus 220 elementary BioSITE participants in learning about the river.

This program would not be possible without the cooperation of our community partners who have gengerously granted the use of their space. We extend our appreciation to the following:

Caltrans (California Department of Transportation)

Town of Los Gatos

Federal Realty/Old Town Los Gatos

History Museum at Forbes Mill

Thank you again to all who have supported Los Gatos BioSITE. We are looking forward to a future of rich learning along the river!

2011-04-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

Mammoth Discovery! Summer Institute for Teachers
Tuesday, June 21 and Wednesday, June 22
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Materials fee: $75

Are you a teacher, or do you know a teacher who would like to receive a free Children’s Discovery Museum class field trip? We are looking for Kindergarten to fourth grade teachers who are interested in learning more about mammoths and who would like to help us develop Focus Field Trips for our new Mammoth Discovery! exhibit. Each participating teacher will receive a free field trip for their students during the 2011-12 school year and a paleontology classroom kit including fossils, teacher-tested activity ideas, resources, and links to the CA Content Standards.

The workshop will be available to the first 25 teachers (Grades K-4) who apply. Registration deadline is May 27. Call (408) 298-5437 ext. 261 or e-mail lupe@cdm.org for details; spaces are limited and filling up fast!

BioSITE Open House

2011-03-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

It is time to think Spring! And Spring Break!! And BioSITE Open House!!!
Flyers, emails, annoucements just mean one thing-- talk to your students and encourage them to attend this event that is designed especially to honor them. We appreciate our River Guardians!! Come join in the celebration of their teaching and learning!
Where: Children's Discovery Museum
When: April 14, 15, 16
Time: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Who: Our BioSITE students and their families- FREE!!

Raindrops keep falling on my head..........

2011-03-25T15:24:00.001-07:00

Here is a new resource you may want use in your classrooms........looks easy and would be a good connection to all this rain!

http://www.groundwateradventurers.org/

NSTA- March 10-13

2011-01-20T09:23:00.000-08:00

The National Conference on Science Education is in San Francisco this year! From March 10 - 13th there will be some interesting speakers and workshops. Looks like some great topics, seminars, and short courses too. A one day visit- to our beautiful San Francisco- would be a great way to welcome in spring!

River of Words flows with BioSITE!

2010-11-07T22:15:00.000-08:00

I know we all are amazed at what young minds can create! If you are interested in having a special- River of Words Day- in your classroom- let's see what we can create!! The inspiring student creations will be a special part of our BioSITE 2010 Open House. See the link below to find out more, and contact Sandy if you want to plan something special for your class.

River of Words
Teaching Poetry to Young People

Milkweed Editions and River of Words have created a free, downloadable teaching guide to help teachers and students learn to write great poetry.

Written by Louisiana master teachers Harriet Maher and Connie MacDonald (2006 River of Words Teacher of the Year), this full-color, 75-page guide, which uses the River of Words anthology River of Words: Young Poets and Artists on the Nature of Things as a text, will help students get beyond pre-conceived notions about poetry, inhibitions and fears, excessive reliance on rhyme, and the thorny host of other impediments to creativity and expression that a poetry assignment often invokes.

Connie and Harriet have created a fun, investigatory, challenging set of classroom activities that we hope will help you to inspire your students to explore both their "inner" worlds and the complicated, endlessly fascinating "outer" world around them.

Find out more about River Of Words here.

Time to sign up for STEP!

2010-11-07T21:34:00.000-08:00

STEP – The Salmon and Trout Education Program is a thematic curriculum designed to enable a teacher to provide students with information about our native salmon and steelhead populations.

STEP Training will provide the teacher with:
• focus of life cycles, habitat preservation, water conservation, and use of natural resources
• field experience in a local stream ecosystem
• ways to create a successful program in the classroom
• a copy of the K-12 STEP curriculum (includes alignment with State Science Standards)
certification for classroom incubation.

CEU credits available

Besides an incredible training, you also get to walk away with your self-made aquaviewer and fishprint T-shirt! Science Resource Kits available for nominal charge (includes CD’s, DVD’s, slide displays, poster)

Registration form can be found here or contact sderby@cdm.org.

Wonderful Wildflowers Now Has A Slideshow

2010-10-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

Fall rains mean that the conditions are right to get your wildflower seed started! Wonderful Wildflowers is an activity that will help teach students about the importance of plants, and especially native plants, to our ecosystem. Your students will create their own wildflower seed packets which they can fill with a few spoonfuls of soil and a few pinches of wildflower seed to scatter at home or school.

Winter and early spring are the best times to sew wildflower seed, so you have plenty of time to plan for this activity. Wonderful Wildflowers would also be a great rainy day activity.

New this year, we have a short powerpoint slideshow that you can share with your students to help introduce this activity. Click on these links to access and download your Wonderful Wildflower materials: Instructions , Envelope , Slideshow

Have fun!

ACE Teachers - For Your Eyes Only

2010-09-30T16:06:00.001-07:00

Dear ACE teachers,

I am so glad you have made it here to check out the info for the BioSITE ACE program and to schedule your lessons. Please note that the right side of this blog page is full of helpful information for you, including links to see the offerings for both the morning class lessons and the afternoon field visits.

Once you have decided which lessons you would like to schedule, there is also a link in the right column that will take you to Doodle to sign up. Please sign up by November 1, 2010. The earlier you schedule your visits, the more likely you are to get your first choice time slots. If you do not schedule your BioSITE ACE lessons by November 1, I will contact you to assign you your time slots.

I am really looking forward to working with you to immerse your students in enriching, hands-on science experiences. Thanks to you and your students, I know this is going to be a great BioSITE year!

NEW..EEI Teacher resources on the web...

2010-09-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

This came across my desk...so now on to you!

The Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI) Curriculum

Famed naturalist John Muir captured the vital importance of education about the environment when he said, "Tug on anything at all and you'll find it connected to everything else in the universe." Imagine the possibilities if that understanding began, for students, as early as Kindergarten and continued through high school. With the Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI) Curriculum, that vision is well on the way to becoming a reality.

Field-tested in Kindergarten to 12th grade classrooms from San Diego to California's North Coast, the 85 EEI Curriculum units cover selected academic content standards in both Science and History-Social Science. Each EEI Curriculum unit is designed to teach one or more standards to mastery.

A link for each grade level, and check out the materials. Great CA maps! Biodiversity, natural regions and peoples, water.......good stuff:-)

Go to: http://www.calepa.ca.gov/Education/EEI/Curriculum/Default.htm#CurriculumUnits

STEP 2011

2010-09-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

As many of you know- STEP (Salmon and Trout Education Program) is a great companion program for the BioSITE experience. Every year, new teachers come on board- they complete an amazing two day training over in Santa Cruz, and then they are able to incubate steelhead eggs (from the eyed egg stage to fry stage)in their classrooms- linking fish life science to their field experiences! This year the training is expected to be in February (not the MLK weekend as in the past) but the exact date has not been set yet.

If this sounds like something you might be interested in......the best way to get the latest info is to email hmiller334@aol.com.

Teacher Trainings

2010-09-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of our new Teachers who were able to be here last Saturday. We had a great day!
Our next training day is set for October 23rd, here at CDM, from 10 - 3. This is for all Teachers. We will spend the morning expanding on the BioSITE curriculum and exploring ways to integrate BioSITE into the classroom and enrich the experience for our students. We will provide a yummy lunch and the finish the day with a share and tell of resource kits and materials. You can sign up for kits- and we hope to make sure our ACE teachers are completing their field days sign ups.
Please RSVP so we can make the lunch count and plan for materials!! I will send out more details on Oct 15th.
See you soon.

BioSITE 2011....Here we go again!!!!!!

2010-09-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

Just a quick enthusiastic message for all.......we have another BioSITE year ahead and I think it is going to be an amazing year. We have the best of the past years to guide us and we have new adventures on the horizon. Thanks for being a part of the experience-- and let's work together to change the way our students are learning and growing! Be the change you want to see in the world!
Sandy

2010-09-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hi! I'm Marianne and I recently joined the BioSITE staff. I'm so excited to be a part of this awesome program. I can't wait to meet all the wonderful teachers who get their students involved in investigating their environment.

I moved to the South Bay from Austin, Texas, but I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have worked both as a classroom teacher and an environmental educator. I love being near the water and teaching students outdoors. I am looking forward to a fabulous BioSITE year with you and your students!

Neighborhood Creeks Meet and Greet

2010-06-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

Neighborhood Creeks Meet and Greet
Join us to gather and grow our watershed community!

With special Guest Erick Burres:
Citizen Monitoring Coordinator of the California Clean Water Team

When: June 22, 2010 5-7 pm
Location: Roosevelt Community Center, 901 E. Santa Clara St. 95116

Wondering about your Watershed? The City of San Jose wants to help you find out! We’re starting up water quality monitoring programs for citizens and students, and seeking volunteers for World Water Monitoring Day in September.
Come find out what it takes to start up a monitoring project from special guest Erick Burres. See what’s going on in San Jose’s watersheds and learn how to get involved.

For more information, contact Carol Boland, email carol.boland@sanjoseca.gov or phone (408) 277-2697

Extra BioSITE ACE Day if you're willing to be a guinea pig

2010-03-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

* Do you and your students want one more BioSITE classroom visit this year?

*Would you be interested in exploring more parts of our watershed virtually using high-resolution panoramic photographs on the computer?

*Do you have a relatively small class? (closer to 20 than 30)

*Do you have 30-60 min of classroom time available between 9am and 1pm on a Wed or Thur in May?

There are many parts of the watershed that we'd like to take students to investigate, but don't always get the chance. As a result, we've been taking large-format digital panoramas of some of them for use in the program. We're working up a new lesson using these photographs to further explore our watershed that I can bring into classrooms on our museum laptops. No network access is required.

Contact me at biosite.river@gmail.com if you're interested in helping us test out this lesson. I can schedule the first three interested classes in May. Thanks!

If you want to explore one of the online example photos, here's a shot of Guadalupe Creek in the fog near where it starts on the slopes of Mt. Umunhum.

Double-click on a part of the panorama to zoom, drag it to move around, or click on one of the snapshots at the bottom to see where it is located in the bigger picture. This one's online, so it may take a minute or two to load fully.

You can use the controls to zoom in and examine quite a bit of detail -- one fun activity on this particular panorama is to see how many different spiderwebs students can find. We've taken snapshots of a few of them, but are sure you can find others!

ACE Day 2 Lesson Outline

2010-02-25T11:41:00.002-08:00

For those of you who have upcoming ACE Day 2 field trips, here is the outline of the lesson. We're looking forward to seeing all of you out at the river!

Wonderful Wildflowers

2010-01-21T12:18:00.000-08:00

New Plant Restoration Activity Now Available

The "Wonderful Wildflowers" activity will give your students the chance to help restore California native plants to our local landscape. With this activity your students will learn why native plants are important and then have the chance to plant some of their own! After folding and decorating their own seed envelopes, students will place a few spoonfulls of soil mixture into their envelope then add a pinch of local wildflower seed to take home and plant.

This activity comes with background information and instructions for teachers, an envelope-making sheet to photocopy for each student, and a small bag of wildflower seed. We can provide a bag soil mix (pictured) or you can use your own (you will need about 3-4 cups total).

Late winter and early spring are the best times to sow wildflower seed. Please let us know if you would like this activity for your classroom!

River of Words Workshop

2010-01-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

River of Words Workshop- Retreat

This workshop is designed especially for you!
Revitalize your teaching by revitalizing yourself!

Where: Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose
When: February 27, 2010
Time: 9 am – 4 pm with Lunch provided
Fee: $65.00

Included: * A 270-page “Watershed Explorers Educators’ Guide” (K-12) designed to build multiple literacies and to help students develop an informed "sense of place."
* Children’s Discovery Museum’s BioSITE (Students Investigating Their Environment) Environmental Science Curriculum for High School- Elementary Service Learning Program.

RSVP: By 2/1/2010
To Sandy Derby- 408.298-5437 x261
sderby@cdm.org
Details will follow RSVP

Facilitated by Pamela Michael, ROW executive director and co-founder

River of Words® (ROW) is a nature-based science, art and poetry program created to promote watershed awareness, literacy and the arts. Through our annual youth art and poetry contest and educator's tools, River of Words helps young people explore the natural and cultural history of their own communities.

The River of Words (ROW) workshop provides K-12 educators (classroom teachers and other non-formal educators) with ideas and inspiration for integrating nature exploration and the arts into core subject areas like science and math, social studies, and language arts.

Explore creek ecology and the natural and cultural history of the area's watershed, combined with a study of the "art of creeks” and the “language of landscape”
Learn to inspire nature-based art and poetry
Learn about your watershed and bioregion
Make and take your own journal
Explore new resources, from videos to books and websites
Inspire and spark students' imagination and sense of wonder

Retreat Reflect Revitalize

Salmon and Trout Education Project

2009-12-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

For any of you looking for a great teacher training opportunity, consider the Salmon and Trout Education Project Teacher Workshop on Feb 20-21 in Santa Cruz. Many of our BioSITE teachers have participated in the past and have found it a rewarding workshop. A registration form and more information can be found here and here -- registration is due on January 20.

Reminder for ACE Teachers -- Activity after Day 1 classroom visit

2009-11-24T09:10:00.000-08:00

Just a quick reminder for all of you who are involved with ACE -- Please have your students do the "Draw Yourself at the River" page after the Day 1 classroom visit. Have the students imagine themselves at the river site and draw some of the things they expect to see near the river when they come to the museum for their ACE Day 2. This makes a great transition between the two days -- and also reminds them about the program if there is a big time gap between your watershed lesson and your first field trip.

The journal page for this is about the 5th page in to the journal (the page just before the ones we wrote on when I visited the classroom).

Thank you to all!

Kit Showcase: Dissect a Feather

2009-11-12T09:26:00.001-08:00

"A Feather is a Letter From a Bird" -- So explore one!! Our feather dissection kit includes feathers, magnifiers, and feather diagrams to help students improve their obervation and diagramming skills. This kit allows an exploration of form and function, and after they've finished their investigation, you can encourage students to explain how it is that a bird can fly.

View the kit activity card and list of materials in the kit.

For those of you in the Pioneer and Leland programs, this activity ties in with the bird unit later in the year; for all, it's a great kit to encourage students to make detailed observations of part of our natural world.

Kit Showcase: Satellite Image Watershed Exploration

2009-11-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

A new kit for this week -- Exploration of our watershed using satellite images from Google Earth. Students discover what is to be found in our watershed by assembling a giant map of the watershed from 8 1/2" X 11" laminated Google Earth images of the south bay.

Some sample puzzle pieces include:
bottom of the watershed

middle of the watershed

near the top of the watershed

Kids can find the bay, local creeks, roads, schools, their neighborhood, parks, airports, mountains, gravel pits, and much more, and then see how the local water drains through it all.

ACE teachers will know this activity as their Day 1 activity in the classroom; our spare copy is now available as a kit for everyone else to check out for use with their classes. Please give it a try!

View the kit activity card and kit materials card. You can also get the .kml file for download to look at in Google Earth on your computer here.

River Of Words Contest

2009-11-02T13:27:00.001-08:00

Are you truly hoping that they learn what it means to be River Guardians this year?

Are you looking for something to spark their creative minds?

Check out the River Of Words Contest details-- and explore the beautiful selection of student poetry and art. You will be amazed!!!

If you decide to participate in this inspiring contest- let us know. We would appreciate the opportunity to showcase your students' work here at Children's Discovery Museum for the 2010 BioSITE Open House in April.

Also, we have invited Pamela Michaels, Travel author and Director of the River of Words Program to lead a workshop here at CDM this February- we will keep you informed as that shapes up.

So are you ready to be amazed by your students creative talents? The contest deadline is December 1st. Check it out!
http://www.riverofwords.org/contest/index.html

BioSITE SEED Restoration Project

2009-10-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

Pioneer BioSITE Native Plant Nursery

In the fall of 2008, with help from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the BioSITE program was able to embark on an exciting new project. In cooperation with Pioneer High School, BioSITE has created a Native Plant Nursery on the Pioneer campus.

Throughout the year, students helped propagate a variety of California native plant species while learning about their importance to the health of our watershed. In the spring, they gave away the plants they had grown to local residents at various community events in order to share what they had learned and distribute native plants across the valley. They gave away almost 3000 plants!

Fourth grade BioSITErs also contributed to the restoration of our local environment by planting wildflower seed and Valley Oak acorns. We were able to donate over 200 new oak trees to Our City Forest and the Santa Clara Valley Water District!

This year the Native Plant Nursery is still going strong. We are growing more species, building new partnerships, and finding more opportunities for students to participate in restoration all the time. If you have any questions or would like more information about the BioSITE Restoration Project, please contact Biret Adden, badden@cdm.org .

Kit Showcase: Sorting through Sediments

2009-10-28T09:38:00.000-07:00

What is down there under your feet? In just one tray of soil you can find a variety of things to test your skills of observation. We will supply sifting trays, magnifiers, and other materials to turn your students into soil scientists; you supply the soil and enthusiasm.
Sorting Sediment Journal Pages

Kit Showcase: Pollution Soup and Santa Clara Valley History

2009-10-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

This classroom kit helps students explore how our Santa Clara Valley has changed over the past few hundred years. Students learn how each step along the way has presented unique challenges to our water supply and perform a visual demonstration of what happens to clean water as contaminants are added.

Click the links to view the kit activity card and materials card.

This activity is based on Unit 3 Activity 3 in the BioSITE curriculum.

Field Guide to BioSITE staff

2009-10-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder about your BioSITE field staff? Want to know what your contact person looks like for your field days? Need some light reading? Visit the Field Guide to BioSITE Staff to see pictures and more.

Kit Showcase: Leaf observations

2009-10-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

All around you- there is something green happening! Our leaf observation kit will help your students become more aware of the nature right outside every door. This kit will give your students the opportunity to practice comparing shapes and patterns, using dichotomous keys, and identifying the trees found in our community and at the river. It's a great beginning-of-the-year activity to practice making and recording observations in your BioSITE journals.

View the activity instructions and the kit materials list

The complete list of kits, kit checkout procedures, and kit feedback form can always be found along the right hand side of the blog below the ACE sign-up links.

For ACE teachers: Day 1 outline

2009-10-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

For those of you participating in ACE this year who might be curious about what we will be doing during the Day 1 Watershed classroom visit, I have posted my outline here.

Please remember to sign up for your ACE Days using the links at the right hand side of the blog. We look forward to working with you and your classes!

Kit showcase: Snail Inquiry

2009-10-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

Periodically, we will be showcasing one of our supplemental kits that are available for all BioSITE teachers to borrow and use in the classroom. Contact the BioSITE staff member you work with for check-out details and availability.

This week's activity: Open-ended investigation of snails.

In this activity, students learn and use the processes of open-ended exploration and inquiry to investigate snail anatomy and behavior. Questions are formed, observations are recorded, and students learn the fun of acting like a scientist. The kit includes magnifiers, measuring tools, and various materials to explore snail behavior. You will need to supply the snails!

View the Kit Activity Card, including instructions and suggested guided discussion questions.

This is Unit 1, Activity 2 from the BioSITE curriculum.

NEW BIOSITE TEACHERS: BioSITE Teacher Training 2009-2010

2009-09-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

When: October 10, 2009
Where: Children's Discovery Museum
Time: 9 A.M. - 4 P.M.
** special Open House 2 P.M. - 4 P.M.
RSVP: to sderby@cdm.org

Welcome to our amazing world of BioSITE. We hope you are ready to engage your students in some real world, hands on - minds on inquiry! This training will help you prepare for a full year of science education you and your students are going to love.

In the morning, we will be sharing with you all the essential BioSITE Program materials that you will be using. We will work our way through a full BioSITE year, introducing the content of each unit and mapping out every field day. We will also walk you through student field journal pages so that you can begin to plan in class journal time for reflection and extension.

You will also have the opportunity to explore a few of the favorite activities your students will be doing. We will take this opportunity to brainstorm how to make this suit your students here and now. What is the most important content to focus on? What skills do your students need to practice? How can we make this a lasting process for our students?

Next, Anna George will be helping explore the BioSITE teacher Blog so that you know how to easily access important information and resources.

We will provide lunch- so don't forget to RSVP!

Right after lunch we will break into small program groups to make sure you don't have any questions left unanswered!

And last, from 2 - 4 p.m., we will have a BioSITE Open House to share the kit materials available for check out. During this time you can sign up for kits and sign up for ACE field days.

We hope to make this training the kick start that you need to set up your BioSITE year. Our goal is to make sure you are prepared to help your students understand the true meaning of being River Guardians- now and in the future.

RETURNING TEACHERS: BioSITE Teacher Training 2009-2010

2009-09-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

When: September 26th, 2009
Where: Children's Discovery Museum
Time: 9 A.M. - 4 P.M.
RSVP: to sderby@cdm.org

It's that time! We will be gathering for a meeting of the minds. We depend upon you, as veteran BioSITE teachers, to let us know how to make this the best BioSITE year yet.

In the morning, we will be working in small program groups to answer any logistical questions and make sure everyone is on the same page for the field days. Then, we will be working together to set goals and objectives for this year. We will start with our basic BioSITE plan, and brainstorm how to make this suit our students here and now. What is most important to focus on? How can we make this a lasting process for our students?

Next, Anna George will be helping explore the BioSITE teacher Blog and other resources on the web. We will even play with come gigapan pictures- very cool!

We will provide lunch- so hope you have RSVP'd...yummy selection of Sonoma Chicken Coop Salads!

In the afternoon, we will explore some of the unit materials we have prepared for our field days this year. By performing water quality tests and practicing some of the activities your fourth graders will be doing, we can share insights and ideas as to how we can extend the content through journaling, kits, projects, and evaluation tools.

We hope to make this training the kick start that you need to set up your BioSITE year. Our goal is to make sure you are prepared to help your students understand the true meaning of being River Guardians- now and in the future.

Welcome to the BioSITE 2009-2010 year!

2009-09-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

If you are reading this, you made it. Congratulations and hope our BioSITE Teacher Blog makes it easy for you to find information, explore resources and new ideas, and expand your BioSITE year to include additional class activities, projects, and fun!

We will have monthly updates and weekly ideas posted here, so you will be able to try all kinds of new ways to get your students learning about their environment. Whenever we come across some amazing BioSITE extension- we will let you know!

So bookmark this spot- and if you have any suggestions and contributions that will make this Blog more useful to all BioSITE participants- just let us know!

Thanks for being a part of BioSITE!!

June update

2009-06-05T11:54:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to June! The year has flown by as it always does. Thanks to every single BioSITE teacher, we had a fantastic 2008-2009 school year!!! From the new program changes we implemented in ACE that included in class introductions, and different Day 3 field study sites, to Leland stepping up and completing a second year of Alamitos Creek studies, to the additional Pioneer GPS/GIS projects!! We have been able to further develop our BioSITE Program in so many ways this year. We look forward to continuing with these great additions next year!

As for now- there are just a few last tidbits before you all sail off into the summmer....
1) We have received some great end of the year evaluation pieces from some of you, as well as journal samples from the Pioneer journals. Thank You! If you still can find time (this may be just what you need to break up crazy whorlwind of end of the year)- we suggest a few ways to reflect on the BioSITE year.
-Have your students write advice to next year's BioSITE 4th graders.
-Write a River of Words Poem
-Write a favorite memory of BioSITE
-Draw yourself at the river study site....
Any of this work I will be glad to pick up from you. We will be reviewing and saving samples of all this students work- to share at next year's fall training. Remeber- we will be here during the summer if you need anything--- or want to chat about next year...just email or call.

2) As for next years BioSITE, I will be sending out a request for a letter of intent to be returned by you or your principal. I am hoping that each participating school can contribute $500 for next year's program. Can you please email me and let me know where you stand on participation next year. That will give me a lead on planning. Cross your fingers that our Yahoo grant comes thru!

3) And to end this year properly..I am hoping you will be able to attend our BioSITE Teacher Thank You Tea. YOU ARE INVITED!!! Please attend our Tea, so that we can show you how much we appreciate all that you do! June 22 at 3:30 in the CDM Ampitheater. Please RSVP by June 17.

4) And last- but not least. Please complete the teacher surveys for us. All of your suggestions help us to better serve you-- next year!

STEP

2009-05-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

For all of you STEP Teachers out there......I expect the little alevin are burying themselves and you aren't seeing much these days. So now is the time to do some STEP activities.

Remember we have materials for you!
Salmon Survival, Fin Rummy, Fish Printing, Habitat Battleship.......
And look here for more ideas and resources! http://www.salmontrouteducationprogram.com/

And if you have any questions....or need help to plan the release- just let us know.

May Reflection!

2009-05-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

June is right around the corner- so before you get too busy here are some end of the year ideas and reminders:
---Posted here in the BioSITE Teacher blog you can find info on activities, kits, and links that will help you do more in your classroom.. Remember the more you do in your classroom- the more you students get out of their field experiences.

---And to help us all know what they actually did take away this year- there are two pages in your student journals that you can use as reflection acitivities. Now is the time! The two pages we have created in your students journals for end of the year reflection are: 1)Draw Yourself at the River (some of you did this at the beginning of the year- this will be a follow up). 2)The second reflection page is found toward the end of the journal, and has two river channel sketches. This is for students to complete the two different drawings by writing (and drawing) comments on each sketch that show their understanding of what makes a healthy river and what might cause a river to be unhealthy. Both of these reflection pages are very open ended- but we hope to get all kinds of insights as the students write, draw, and share what they have learned.

---Please let us get copies of this student work as it is very important to our evaluation and of course ongoing funding search....

Happy May!

If your students want to see the headwaters of Guadalupe Creek

2009-04-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

There are many parts of the watershed that we'd like to take students to investigate, but don't always get the chance. As a result, we've been taking large-format digital panoramas of some of them this year so you can bring these places into your classroom or computer lab if you choose. Just as an example, here's a shot of Guadalupe Creek in the fog near where it starts on the slopes of Mt. Umunhum.

Double-click on a part of the panorama to zoom, drag it to move around, or click on one of the snapshots at the bottom to see where it is located in the bigger picture.

You can use the controls to zoom in and examine quite a bit of detail -- one fun activity on this particular panorama is to see how many different spiderwebs students can find. We've taken snapshots of a few of them, but are sure you can find others!

More photos of places in our watershed are available for exploration at gigapan.org -- search on "biosite" to find them. Specific activities using the panoramas will be developed for next year, but we wanted you to have the chance to explore them sooner if you would like.

Macroinvertebrate web games

2009-04-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

As many of you are learning about creek macroinvertebrates at BioSITE this month, you might find the following web games/activities useful and fun for your students:

Build-a-Bug game: Students can piece together different bug body parts and learn about useful adaptations in the process.

Virtual Pond Dip: Students can click on critters in the photograph to learn more about them. They also have a simple identification key and habitat activity here.

Macroinvertebrate match game: simple matching of names with critters

Enjoy!

April is here!

2009-03-31T19:47:00.001-07:00

April is always a busy month for BioSITErs, and of course as Spring blooms- it makes all of us happy to be outside! So get ready!!

BioSITE Open House

2009-03-12T16:49:00.001-07:00

BioSITE Open House is just around the corner! Open house at CDM is a great time to showcase student work, introduce our program to the community, and invite visitors to try some hands-on BioSITE activities. BioSITE families are invited to visit the museum for free during the week of open house, giving BioSITErs the chance to share their unique program with the rest of their family. This year will be particularly exciting as we celebrate BioSITE's 15th anniversary!

Saturday April 11 - Sunday April 19... Free CDM Admission to BioSITE families, student work and BioSITE posters on display all week

Monday April 13 - Wednesday April 15... Special BioSITE activity tables facilitated by high school mentors

To get kids excited about this upcoming event, we have created a simple classroom activity for you. Students can make "Save the Date" invitations for their families to let them know that BioSITE open house is on its way! Inside the card you'll find details about open house, but the outside is blank for BioSITErs to decorate themselves! We will be emailing the project to everyone as a Word file attachment, so keep your eyes peeled.

Lastly, be thinking about class projects that you might like to have on display during open house. It will be a great source of pride for students to see their work on display in the museum!

Green Vision/Green Schools Conference

2009-03-02T15:44:00.000-08:00

Have you heard yet about the upcoming Green Vision/Green Schools Conference hosted by the City of San Jose? The conference will be held Saturday, April 4, 2009, from 8AM to 5PM at the San José Fairmont Hotel, 170 South Market Street, San José. Teachers, parents, principals, students, counselors, and other community members from throughout the South Bay Area are invited to attend. School district superintendents, administrators, and school board members are especially encouraged to participate. The conference links the City’s Green Vision with the greening of San José’s schools and will showcase ways that schools and school districts can save money while protecting natural resources and fostering the next generation of environmental stewards. Sounds a lot like BioSITE, doesn't it? We will actually be there as part of a panel presentation!

Here are some of the themes the conference will be addressing...

· Gold from Green: Green School Facilities Saving Energy, Water, Waste and School Budgets – for school district superintendents, administrators, school board members
· Green Schools 101: Basic How tos for Beginners (recycling, composting, gardens, funding)
· Green Schools Beyond the Basics: Next Steps for Intermediate Green Schoolers
· Connecting Children with Nature: Environmental Education / Local Nature Field Trips

Best of all, participation fees have been drastically reduced for early registrants. Find out more at http://www.sjrecycles.org/gogreen/GoGreenSchoolConference.asp and spread the word if you know anyone else who might be interested!

BioSITE Feb Update

2009-02-16T15:16:00.000-08:00

BioSITE Field Programs are going great! Pioneer, Leland, and ACE Programs are well into the year- and spring is right around the corner. February and March are full for all programs- Pioneer and Leland field days focusing on birds and fish and also macroinvertebrates! A great way to teach food webs in the riparian community. For ACE- we have completed our Day 1s. Now we are facilitating Day 2s here at CDM. And we are beginning to schedule Day 3s. For our Day 3s we are venturing out to many different locations in our Watershed: Guadalupe Creek at Pioneer, Alamitos Creek at Leland, Guadalupe River at Guadalupe River Park and Gardens, Almaden Lake Park, Ulistac Nature Preserve, or Shoreline Park. As ACE Teachers finish their Day 2s- we are planning the last day of their Watershed Tour together.
Thanks for all of your efforts- BioSITE Teachers are the best! Let us know if you are ready for any in class activity kits!

BioSITE/STEP Workshop March 4, 2009

2009-02-16T14:45:00.000-08:00

Yes! With all this rain... the Salmon should be coming up! To add to the excitment, we will have our third BioSITE Training of the year to help you prepare for spring! You are invited!!
Come explore ideas on teaching and incubating Salmon in the Classroom- check out some favorite STEP activities, make the most of the BioSITE spring field days by bringing kits into your classroom, and brainstorming ideas on what special projects we will be able to display for our BioSITE Open House (April 11-15th).
The BioSITE/STEP Workshop will be March 4th here at CDM. The evening workshop will be from 4-8pm and we will provide dinner. This workshop is open to BioSITE Teachers and STEP TEachers- hope we can make it a fun night sharing acitvities and ideas for spring.
RSVP to sderby@cdm.org by Feb 25th so we can order dinners.

Some Online Fish Activites

2009-02-13T12:08:00.001-08:00

As many of you are heading into your salmon units, your class might find the following online fish game fun/useful.

Salmon Challenge from King County, Washington is a game to help you see how your decisions help or harm our environment and our salmon. Students get to name their fish and then answer a series of questions about human activities that affect the creek health as the fish works its way down to Puget Sound. If you play, be sure to click the "Checkup button" as you go to map out the salmon's growth and health.

Teacher Training March 4th

2009-01-21T10:35:00.000-08:00

Greeetings,
We are having our 3rd and last Teacher Training of the year. Hope you can make it! It will be Wednesday, March 4th, here at CDM, from 4-8pm and dinner will be provided. This training will be focused on the STEP (Salmon and Trout Education) Program, sharing STEP activities, projects, and demonstrations on how to set up and care for a STEP Aquarium. We will also be working on activities and project ideas that could be completed for the 2009 BioSITE Open House- April 11th - April 14th. And last, we will be covering some macroinvertebrate activities to enhance the last field days for your students. This training will include BioSITE teachers as well as STEP teachers- so let me know ASAP is you are planning on attending. RSVP to my email, sderby@cdm.org. Thanks all!

Reflection Activities

2009-01-14T20:41:00.000-08:00

We need you! And your students' creative efforts!!
I am hoping that we can gather some student work to be displayed here at Children's Discovery Museum-- show visitors what BioSITE is all about!
We have a couple different opportunities to showcase BioSITE student work: First, we have a new exhibit opening in February titled "Out On A Limb". This exhibit is a celebration of trees...just our kind of celebration! So help us!!
We need poetry, creative writing, and just descriptive impressions of how your students think and feel about our precious green giants of field and forest! You can use the River of Words page in your journals or design your own page. Let me know if you can help!
Second- we need collections...nature collections. Also to be on display in "Out On A Limb". At our last teacher training we introduced this idea, by sharing treasures in a shoebox, letting individuals choose something special, and allowing time to draw in detail. This would also add so much to our upcoming exhibit- how our students are connecting to nature!!
And of course- in the spring we will be displaying BioSITE student work of all different kinds- so think about what your students or what your class as a whole might like to showcase.
We are looking forward to making a great showing of our 2009 BioSITE River Guardians.

January Update

2009-01-14T19:58:00.000-08:00

January is moving right along. Upcoming field units for Pioneer and Leland will be Birds and then Fish. That means S.T.E.P. season is right around the corner! In fact, last weekend was the 2009 STEP Training, so if you are a STEP Teacher it is time to get ready. If you need any help or want to check out any of our several STEP activities- just let us know.
We will be having our 3rd Teacher Training for this school year late February or first week of March- and part of that training is a STEP refresher course- so look out for more info on that. Also, please be on the snail mail lookout this week -I was finally able to send out stipends to your schools, for those of you that attended our December Teacher Training. Thank-You!
As far as our ACE Program, we are moving thru to Day 2's- and looking forward to it! For the next few months the ACE students will be monitoring the Guadalupe river and adding to our water quality data. They will be learning how we determine a water quality index and how we use macroinvertebrates to determine a pollution tolerance index! Look for all of our data to be posted soon- use the BioSITE online link found here, on the Teacher Blog!
Thank you to all of our BioSITE Teachers-- hope 2009 is a great year for all of you!

Online activity for bird unit

2009-01-13T10:55:00.001-08:00

BioSITE programs at Pioneer and Leland are heading into the Birds unit soon -- the link below is a fun online owl pellet dissection activity that can be done to support the activities we do in the field. Click on the link below and then select "NEW Beta Version: Virtual Owl Pellet Dissection v.4" Enjoy!
http://www.kidwings.com/index.htm#

Kit Check Out

2008-12-16T10:21:00.001-08:00

Hello BioSITE Teachers,
Ready to bring some BioSITE into your classroom? Leah has been doing some great work on our kits, as those of you who attended our second training were able to see first hand. We would like to encourage you to check it out!
Favorite kits: Snail Kit (exploring inquiry), Sorting Thru Sediment Kit (observing details), Map Explorations (locating our watershed), Animal Cards (finding out who lives near our river), Leaf Observations (observing and drawing), Photosynthesis Pencils (amazing trees)
More ideas: Water Quality Extension Kits (pH, DO, Turbidity- with more explanations), Dissect a Feather (amazing birds)
And more to come! Let us know what you would like to try and we will help you enhance your students BioSITE experience! We welcome ideas too-- what kits would you like to see us create?
Just a reminder- we schedule for kits to be checked out for one week-each school. Please let us know as soon as you are finished with a kit, and we will make sure it gets back here for the next school.
Thanks all!
Sandy

ACE Day 2s

2008-12-16T09:25:00.000-08:00

Greetings ACE Teachers,
Yes, we are moving along! We have completed several Day 1 classroom visits, and we will be beginning Day 2 visits here at CDM. Looking at January, these days are scheduled: 1/13- Hathway- Day 1, 1/15- LoForti- Day 2, 1/21- Snelham- Day 1, 1/21 Emerson- Day 1, 1/22-Pham, 1/29- Civitell. Let me know if you have any questions about these dates. If you have not signed up for your ACE Days- we need to do that.
Details for Day 2s and Day3s will be completed on an individual basis, thru emails. Those teachers scheduled for January Day 2s will be receiving an email this week about where, when, etc. Looking forward to seeing you here at the Guadalupe!
Sandy

Journal Reflections- River of Words

2008-12-16T08:37:00.000-08:00

Here we are- moving into winter! 2008 has gone by very fast! As we approach 2009, we would like to find out how our BioSITE students are feeling about their role as young field scientists and river guardians. First, if you were able to complete the Draw Yourself at the River page in the student journals, we would like to save some samples of that work. We will be copying some of those pages as we collect journals for review. Or you could select some samples for us and we can pick them up- just let me know. Second, we would like you to do another special reflection piece as we move into the middle part of our year. This page is in the BioSITE journals and is titled River of Words. We do not expect you to participate in the contest but if you would like to- the contest info can be found at : http://www.riverofwords.org/contest/index.html. A sampling for you---
If I Could Be Water
If I could be waterI wouldn't be a pondMuddy and brown,
I wouldn't be an oceanBig and alone,
I wouldn't be rainFalling again and again,
I wouldn't be iceCold and frozen,
I would be a riverLong, wide and free.
Bailey Bystry, age 11
2008 FinalistGlen Ellyn, IllinoisWriters' StudioTeacher: Naazish Yarkan

We would like to collect your students' work for this exercise also- so let me know when you have completed this reflection. Of course we look forward to reading what your students have to share- and we also look forward to showcasing their work for our BioSITE Open House-- Mark that date! April 11-15th!!

December-January BioSITE Update

2008-12-15T08:57:00.000-08:00

Hello Teachers
Glad you are reading this- that means you have linked to our new BioSITE blog for teachers! We will be using this for program information that will be easy for you to check and access any time. Today I am posting the usual monthly update- and I have broken it into several different posts- so happy reading!
General information: Thanks to those who attended our second BioSITE training of the year. I appreciate all of your efforts and support. We had a inspiring and productive evening. I will send out stipends this week so if you want me to send them to a home address, let me know by Friday. I am hoping you could have the extra bonus for some holiday fun.
Fall has gone by so fast! All programs moving along very strong- with many new ideas and strategies falling into place- we are having a great year!
Field Days: Rain is happening, so we will make sure our rainy day plans are all in order. For specific ACE Day information- see that posting. For Pioneer and Leland, now that everyone has had a few field days- we would like to have you conduct an mid-year reflection piece. See River of Words posting for that info.
Kits: Yes, we heard your encouragement! We are working on standardizing the favorites, creating some new ones, and posting all the kit information here for you- So hope this makes is super easy! See that post for all the latest!!
Thanks all!
Sandy

Coming soon!

2008-12-01T11:19:00.001-08:00

We're in the process of developing more online resources this year -- an example is a series of high resolution panoramic photographs of our creek sites for rainy-day or in-classroom scavenger hunts. You can see examples of these at the following links: upstream at CDM, upstream at Pioneer High School, or at the bottom of the watershed at Alviso. Try using the controls to pan around the photo and zoom in on details -- you might be surprised at what there is to find!

We will be following these up with activity documentation in the coming months, and would love your feedback as the new activities are rolled out.

Welcome to the BioSITE Blog for Teachers!

2008-11-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

Greetings Teachers,
If you are reading this, then we are on our way to a new and easier avenue of communication for all BioSITE participants, and we have Anna George (and technology) to thank for that! Our hope is that this makes your BioSITE experience stronger, our connections easier, and this quick and easy way of keeping up to date will make you feel that BioSITE resources are right here whenever you need them! Thanks for helping us build a great program!
See you soon-
Sandy