You don’t need to be a great coder to teach computer science. You only need to be a great teacher. That is the experience of Jaime Gilligan of Washington University in St. Louis’ Institute for School Partnership (ISP). Through the Code.org professional learning program, Gilligan and other ISP instructional specialists are teaching local middle and […]
David L. Kirk, professor emeritus of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, died Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018, at Dougherty Ferry Assisted Living in St. Louis after a long illness. He was 84. Kirk, who was an active and passionate member of the university community for nearly 50 years, spent a […]
Activity: Pick a tree to watch during the fall. When the leaves start changing colors, try and predict how long it will be before leaves starting dropping off the tree. Notice from which side of the tree leaves fall first. Are all the trees losing their leaves at the same time? Try and see if […]
Activity: Compare a football with other kinds of sports balls; baseball, tennis ball, etc. Observe what happens when you throw them. Try throwing them straight up in the air and then a forward pass. Next try bouncing them on a hard surface (Not in your living room!) Also try catching them. Observe the differences. Questions […]
Activity: Look for an oak tree with acorns. Sometimes as you are walking along the sidewalk you see many acorns lying on the ground, under a tree. Sometimes they are still attached to the tree. Notice the leaves and bark of the tree where you find the acorns. Look carefully at one of the acorns, […]
Activity: Autumn is a great time to notice how the shadows from the sun on earth are changing. Shadows become longer starting in the fall. In the morning or afternoon, trace your shadow at the same time in the same place with a piece of chalk over a couple weeks.If your child is not familiar with […]
From the playground to the pool to the ballpark, science is all around us. Through Everyday MySci activities, the Institute for School Partnership at Washington University in St. Louis helps parents nurture their child’s natural sense of curiosity, wonder and discovery. The debut 30-second video, Everyday MySci: Introducing Plant Life, shows parents how a walk […]
It’s often the case that teachers go to seminars and workshops and get really excited, but then life takes over and that energy fizzles out. That’s exactly what Lisa Graham, a K-4 special education teacher at Coverdell Elementary School in the City of St. Charles School District, and Jessica Lawrence, who teaches fourth-grade at Harris […]
How many times have you heard people say, “I’m not good at math!” It’s become such a common refrain that the statement usually draws laughs or nods of agreement. But why is it socially acceptable to say you’re bad at math but not to say that you’re bad at English or reading? Most people would […]
The Institute for School Partnership is taking its mySci program to the next level, introducing a new initiative aimed at building teacher leaders in school districts. The mySci Leader Certification Program will train mySci teacher leaders to support their colleagues in implementing the innovative mySci science curriculum. “We think this can be transformational for the […]