Core Beliefs
The Science Department believes that every student is entitled to and deserves an excellent program of instruction in the content area that encourages each student to achieve at a high level. We believe that learning science requires an understanding and investigation of concepts. We believe that science is a way of thinking that includes observing, collecting, manipulating, and analyzing data as well as evaluating and interpreting results. We nurture the wonder and curiosity of the students as they engage in guided inquiry. Ultimately, the goal of our department is to prepare all children for college and career readiness.
Philosophy
Science is a systematic process for acquiring the knowledge essential for comprehending the natural world and every aspect of modern life. As students build on their content knowledge, we encourage the following practices to be linked to their learning: asking questions and defining problems, developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking, constructing explanations and designing solutions, engaging in argument from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating and communicating information. The department has embraced and implemented an Inquiry-Based Model, which allows students to explore and make sense of ideas, data, and explanations around a posed question or problem. In addition, we encourage students to make connections by publicly sharing their thoughts of the key idea to the overarching concept.
STEM Expo Resources
District Competition
Dec. 19th at the William Paterson University Commons Ballroom; 9:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
How to register for access to FOSSweb.
(District Subscription)
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Go to https://www.fossweb.com/home
Click on Educators: Register link at the bottom. Click the PURPLE button Register for FOSSweb
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After you have registered you can enter your ACCESS codes.
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Click on the blue tab “My Teacher Page”
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Click “Activate My Access Code”
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Enter Access Code(s) for Module(s) Activation
(GUEST Access)
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Go to https://www.fossweb.com/home
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Click on “Visit as Guest” (This subscription is very limited. You will not have access to many resources.)
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Click on the “Module Book”.
Materials Management
District Replacement List
FOSS Replacement List
Plant & Animal Care
Tech Support
NOTE: Please contact Tech support directly with any concerns regarding your account. They cannot resolve an individual technology problem through a third party. They will need information that only you can provide as the owner of the account. The number is 1 (800) 258-1302 ext. 7907
FOSS Units by Grade Level
2018 Science PD Schedule
NGSS Connections: Engineering in the High School Science Classroom
The Framework for K-12 Science Education and the NGSS present a new vision of science learning that integrates core disciplinary ideas, science and engineering practices, and cross-cutting concepts. These interactive full-day workshops will introduce teachers to content-specific exemplars in either Life Science or Chemistry along with strategies that embody the NGSS student performance expectations. The workshops feature content-appropriate lessons that integrate applied science content within an engineering context.
Flyer
Registration Form
“Essential Elements” Workshop for K-8 teachers
Essential Elements is a professional development workshop that provides K–8 educators with methods for teaching chemistry concepts through hands-on learning and real-world connections. It was created by the Chemical Educational Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to promoting science education. All workshop participants will receive a periodic table poster and an Activity Guide flash drive containing 50+ chemistry experiments with NGSS alignments.
Flyer
Summer Professional Development
Honeywell Institute for Ecosystems Education
Funding Opportunities
Good News! The Taub Foundation Sponsors Field Trip Grants Program
Field Trip New Jersey is pleased to announce that it will have two grant application cycles this year. Below are the dates for which the application will be open to applicants to complete online at fieldtripnj.org.
Application Cycle 2018
ORISE Lesson Plan Competition
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is hosting another lesson plan competition for educators! This one is targeted at K-8 teachers. Six teachers will win a mini grant for their classroom with the grand prize including a $1,000 mini grant, an iPad, and a math manipulative classroom kit. We would love for you to be one of the six winners! The theme of the competition is “Put the ‘M’ in STEM.” We are asking teachers to submit a STEM lesson plan that explicitly addresses mathematics standards.
The deadline to submit your plan is Monday April 30, 2018. Enter the competition by submitting your lesson plan here: https://orausurvey.orau.org/n/MathLesson.aspx. For more information about this contest and our previous contests, visit: https://orise.orau.gov/stem/k-12/competitions-for-educators.html .
K-8 Student Opportunities
Solar Jam 2018
Calling all student engineers! Mark your calendars for the 5th Annual Solar Jam event! Register by May 5, 2018
Flyer
Info and Registration
Getting Started
