Metroplex Mini-CAST 2014

Need some new ideas for hands-on activities and literature connections that target K-2 Earth science TEKS? Come explore ways to develop concepts and build academic vocabulary. As always . . . door prizes and lots of cuttin' up

Need some new ideas for teaching moon phases, seasons, stars, and more? Come explore ways manipulatives can make learning about objects in space more engaging and memorable! As always . . . door prizes and lots of cuttin' up!

Visit the top of a mountain and look down without leaving the room. Join us and make a 3D topographic map using the spectrum of colors. Possible applications of this lab are: the spectrum, Doppler Effect, color and light properties. This is an ideal lab for 8th grade. Handouts will be provided.

According to the middle school science TEKS, educators should be spending at least 40% of instructional time doing lab activities to help enrich the content. This emphasis has been evident on the new STAAR as the process skills have been integrated into multi-stage questions. The problem at hand is how to truly assess that the students are able to manipulate these process skills with the content. Is it fair to give a paper and pencil test for kinesthetic activities? Does the 3-D, kinesthetic relationship get lost on a traditional assessment? This session will show how to use a lab practical to assess mastery of process skills with core content while using the kinesthetic skills from a set of lab activities. We hope to show that the correlation of a kinesthetic activity may be translated into a 2-D mental model, like the STAAR, while ensuring students are benefiting from lab experiences.