Making Place-Based Learning Phenomenal: A Virtual Institute for Grades 4-12 Educators

July 14, 16, 21, and 23, 2020
9am-4pm

Use phenomena to take place-based education to a new level! Whether remotely or in the classroom, blending phenomena with place-based learning allows you to leverage student curiosity and life experiences as they investigate questions and problems right in their own communities. Join the Hitchcock Center, the Wade Institute and our partners remotely to explore using phenomena as the foundation for place-based learning. Collaborate with your course peers to identify phenomena that can be used to explore the impacts of climate change on Massachusetts’ ecosystems. Explore how phenomena lay a rich foundation for engaging your students in the Science and Engineering Practices and develop your own proficiency in using both classroom and remote learning strategies to encourage collaboration and investigation of phenomena. We will mail you a kit containing materials to enable you to complete the inquiry-based, minds-on, hands-on investigations.

• Discover how phenomena can be used to spark wonder in students and frame inquiry-based science instruction.
• Investigate the impact of climate change on the marine environment and inland aquatic habitats.
• Experience phenomena-based investigations from the perspective of a learner as you investigate the impacts of beavers as the keystone species in the Pioneer Valley.
• Participate in place-based inquiry investigations that explore the impacts of climate change on the Massachusetts coastline.
• Connect with issues and resources in your own community to leverage the power of place-based learning for your students.
• Build your toolkit of instructional tools and strategies for creating equitable, student-centered, phenomena-driven learning experiences that can support remote learning.

We’ll provide you with the practical skills you need to integrate more hands-on, minds-on science learning into your curriculum. You’ll leave the course with a deeper understanding of inquiry, and new techniques to reinforce your students’ natural curiosity and spark their interest in STEM. Together, we’ll ensure that your students discover STEM content in an intuitive, impactful way. Learn more about all Summer 2020 professional development opportunities from the Wade Institute and download the brochure.

REGISTER HERE