Program Contact:
Kristi Dahl, Director - 303-492-0771
Program Website:
http://www.colorado.edu/ScienceDiscovery/
Program Overview:
Science Explorers is a professional development program for 5-8th grade teachers and their students. The science topics vary within physical science, earth science and biological sciences. The teachers attend a full day hands-on workshop with 5 students and take away a teacher kit and curriculum to complete the workshop back in their classroom with the help of the students who attended.
BVSD audience:
We have approximately 61 teachers and 315 students from BVSD each year. This year we had 80 teachers and 420 students from BVSD.
History:
The program has operated in BVSD for 23 years.
How do you advertise your program?:
The Science Explorers program is advertised on the web and through Science Discovery Materials. MESA of Colorado and PACE also promote the professional development that Science Explorers provides
Is your program available upon request?:
The program is available upon request
How do schools express interest? Who should they contact?:
CU Science Discovery has many classes and seminars that provide professional development for teachers and science enrichment for students.
How much does your program cost schools? How is your program funded?:
The Science Explorers program costs $425 per team and the program charges $200 per team.
Program Name:
CU Science Discovery, Outdoor Explorers
Program Contact:
Deb Kulcsar, Camp Director - 303-735-6628
Program Website:
http://www.colorado.edu/ScienceDiscovery/
Program Overview:
Outdoor Classroom Project
Through hands-on field experiences that meet Colorado Model Content Science Standards, students will explore, discover and enjoy the natural places of Colorado and learn to steward their natural environment.
Leadership Development – Full Day
Leadership Development introduces the Outdoor Classroom through interactive discussions, group challenges and goal setting. The activities for this session are focused on the concept of community as it applies to the classroom and to the natural world. This theme of community participation will be woven throughout the school-year long program.
Stream and Pond Exploration – Bluff Lake, location depends upon school
Local creek or pond near school
Introduction to ecosystems; riparian habitat, watershed, abiotic/biotic components
Determining health of the water by collecting and identifying aquatic insects,
testing for dissolved oxygen, ph, water temperature, and stream velocity
Mountain Exploration – Mt. Falcon, location depends upon school
Montane Forest Ecology - A look at grasslands, alpine and in-between
Fire ecology, adaptation, bird specimens, history as it pertains to Denver
The day begins with exploration of the forest through a Douglas-fir/Ponderosa pine ecosystem. Animal adaptations are discussed as we hunt for “Buford” a stuffed brown rabbit. The class will come upon a burned area, serving as a dynamic lesson on fire ecology and plant adaptations. After an eerie hike through the ghost forest and a discussion on how the fire started, students reflect in their journals.
Snow Wonder-Full Day at Echo Lake near Mt. Evans
Echo Lake near Mt. Evans, Denver Mountain Parks
Winter ecology on snowshoes, safety skills
Sub-alpine ecosystem, animal tracking and adaptation
The excitement and trepidation of trying something new, snow shoeing, fills the air as we arrive at Echo Lake, a 10,400’elevation mountain park. Once we’ve acclimated to the “tennis rackets” on our feet, off we hike into the sub-alpine trail around the lake, stopping to identify animal tracks. There’s much to see and learn at this elevation, and students are taken by the solitude of the white blanket on the ground, the still and very tall forest and the sun streaming through the pine branches covered with crystals. Winter ecology and safety are the topics for the day.
Environmental Education Field Experience-Two Day/One Overnight at Highlands Camp. CU Mountain Research can also be utilized.
CU Mountain Research Station OR Highlands Camp in Allenspark
Comparison study of ecosystems, water ecology in mountain stream
Plant and insect adaptation activities, night hike, astronomy, campfire
After settling in and participating in a recycling discussion, we’re off to the “Hidden Room” for a challenge hike. This discovery hike offers all kinds of natural wonders, including an unusual bog in the middle of a mountain meadow. After a snack, we discuss what “challenge” means to the students and identify types of challenges faced in school. We plan how to maneuver together through the rock crevice to the “Hidden Room”. Throughout the two-day experience, students participate in environmental awareness activities, comparing water quality of the mountain stream and the grassland wetlands, a night hike, star observation, a campfire and a host of community building activities. The trip ends with a sharing of camp highlights and ways students will incorporate environmental stewardship into daily activities.
BVSD audience:
The Outdoor Classroom is a partnership between Science Discovery, a program of the School of Education at CU Boulder, and area schools. Last year, as part of this partnership, 80 Denver Public School students had their first ever overnight in the mountains of Colorado. The Outdoor Classroom has the potential for wide application and can serve as a model for use in other locations with a similar audience.
This project began in 1997 and was initiated in response to the need to provide science and environmental education for economically challenged and minority students in an ongoing way as part of the regular school experience. Educating culturally diverse audiences about environmental issues advances environmental justice, the fair treatment of people of all races, cultures and income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.
History:
This project began in 1997 and was initiated in response to the need to provide science and environmental education for economically challenged and minority students in an ongoing way as part of the regular school experience.