QUEST
QUEST and CONNECT-ED:
an inquiry-based summer institute in science and mathematics
for grade K-12 teachers
! Mark your calendar !
July 12-23, 2010
The Program in Teacher Preparation is pleased to offer our TEACHERS AS SCHOLARS membership districts a new summer professional development program for novice science and math teachers in grades 5-8. View the QUEST Scholars Program information.
QUEST is an institute for elementary and middle school teachers taught by Princeton University faculty and staff and scientists from neighboring institutions. CONNECT-ED is offered to K-12 teachers and is taught by teachers, administrators and content experts. Both are designed to enhance teachers' knowledge of science and mathematics through hands-on laboratory experiments and field experiences and to acquaint them with specific ideas and activities to use in their classrooms.
QUEST and CONNECT-ED engage teachers in doing science and math. Participants perform experiments, as well as discuss pedagogy and the underlying content with colleagues and the faculty. Educators develop skills for teaching inquiry-based science and math. They work in small, informal groups and establish close ties to their colleagues and to the faculty.
Districts are asked to budget $1300 per teacher, for the two week summer institute comprised of an $800 stipend given to the teacher at the completion of the summer institute in July and $500 for program expenses.
Teachers who attend QUEST are expected to also attend the Lemonick Symposium the following spring to share lessons with their colleagues.
Contact Anne Catena, acatena@princeton.edu, for more information.
Summer 2010 - Session Descriptions
The following sessions will be offered July 2010:
For grade K-12 Teachers
K-8 Teachers must attend both weeks of the summer institute.
High school Teachers may enroll in one or both of the CONNECT-ED weeks.
During the week of July 12-16, 2010:
CONNECT-ED Energy Connections in Physical Science
Explore how energy connects our own world to the Universe. Participants will investigate the connections between energy, light and gravity and how math can be used as a tool to organize and describe these ideas. With lead scientist Dr. Wil van der Veen, Raritan Valley Community College.
During the week of July 19-23, 2010:
CONNECT-ED Connecting Earth Systems
How are processes in the Earth's atmosphere, on the Earth's surface, and in the Earth's interior all connected? This week of inquiry lessons in the Earth sciences for K-12 teachers will enable participants to explore content connections within grades and across the grades. With lead scientist Laurel Goodell, Geosciences, Princeton University.
CONNECT-ED Connecting Earth Systems is designed as a stand-alone unit, and also coordinates with the QUEST unit on "Geohazards and Plate Tectonics."
For grade 3-8 Teachers
Teachers of Grades 3-8 must attend one session each week of the summer institute
During the week of July 12-16, 2010 (one of the following):
Geohazards and Plate Tectonics
Recent events in Haiti and Indonesia have focused attention on the vulnerabilities of human populations to geohazards. This week will focus on the occurrence and effects of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and landslides and on understanding the underlying processes responsible for them. At Princeton University with Laurel Goodell, Geosciences.
Life and Chemistry in the Ocean
Single-celled organisms are the dominant forms of life in the ocean. Using a combination of field work, lab studies and satellite data we will examine how these microscopic organisms, dissolved chemicals, and ocean currents interact to regulate the fertility of the sea and variability of seawater chemistry. At Princeton University with Prof. Michael Bender and Danielle Schmitt, Geosciences, Princeton University and Dr. Steve Carson, John Witherspoon MS, Princeton , NJ.
CONNECT-ED Energy Connections in Physical Science
Explore how energy connects our own world to the Universe. Participants will investigate the connections between energy, light and gravity and how math can be used as a tool to organize and describe these ideas. With lead scientist Dr. Wil van der Veen, Raritan Valley Community College.
During the week of July 19-23, 2010 (one of the following):
CONNECT-ED Connecting Earth Systems
How are processes in the Earth's atmosphere, on the Earth's surface, and in the Earth's interior all connected? This week of inquiry lessons in the Earth sciences for K-12 teachers will enable participants to explore content connections within grades and across the grades. With lead scientist Laurel Goodell, Geosciences, Princeton University.
CONNECT-ED Connecting Earth Systems is designed as a stand-alone unit, and also coordinates with the QUEST unit on "Geohazards and Plate Tectonics."
Weather and Climate
Explore the fundamentals of weather and climate with a variety of hands-on activities and demonstrations. Topics will include air pressure, temperature, seasons, the greenhouse effect, humidity, clouds, wind, the Coriolis effect, storms, and colors in the sky. Specific topics and activities will depend upon participants’ backgrounds and interests. At Princeton University with Dr. Steve Carson, John Witherspoon MS and formerly with the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory.
Energy in the 21st Century
This session will explore the feasibility of alternative energy sources such as solar, fusion, wind and fuel cells. This session will be held at the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, with Dr. Jerry Ross and Dr. Stephanie Wissel.
Lemonick Science & Mathematics Teaching Award
Professor Emeritus Aaron Lemonick was the director of QUEST and a life long supporter of teachers. In an effort to commemorate his devotion to QUEST, the advisory council agreed that Aaron would want the teachers to be recognized as well.
Thus, in 2004 we named the spring symposium in honor of Aaron and created the Lemonick Science & Mathematics Teaching Award, to help teachers implement inquiry-based science in their classroom. The Program in Teacher Preparation and Ilene Levine, an integral part of the QUEST team and a special friend of Lemonick, support the teaching awards which are presented at the symposium.
The Lemonick Symposium for QUEST and the Science & Mathematics Teaching Awards are a proper tribute to a wonderful mentor, teacher and scientist. This annual event reminds us of the many contributions Aaron Lemonick made to the Program for Teacher Preparation at Princeton University.
The Lemonick Science & Mathematics Teaching award recipients are as follows:
Spring 2010
Carmel Meyer, Hillsborough High School received a $300 grant to implement a hands on inquiry based activity leading to the understanding of the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion Theory for determining the shape of molecules. This lesson will help students make the leap from 2 dimensional interpretations of Lewis structures to the 3 dimensional interpretations.
Donna Falk, Manalapan-Englishtown Middle School received a $200 grant for her Forensic Science unit. She will use a "CSI” theme in her classroom to solve fictional crimes. Students will use fingerprinting, blood-typing and ink chromatography techniques to learn the scientific principles behind it.
Terry Foltiny, Orchard Hill Elementary School, Skillman, received a $100 grant to improve her classroom library by purchasing nonfiction science books. The books will support the life science and organisms unit while integrating literature and reading into the first grade science curriculum.
Spring 2009
Carol Houghton, B.C. Gregory Elementary School, Trenton received a $300 grant to purchase Galileoscope kits for 15 students on her Princeton Plasma Physics Science Bowl and Fuel Cell Car Builders Teams. The 6th-8th grade students will use the telescopes to observe and report short-term and long-term changes in the positions of the constellations in the night sky.
Nicole Carmichael, Math Coach, Trenton Public Schools received a $200 grant to enhance an integrated lifecycle unit she created for her fifth grade classes using The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. She will use the money to purchase butterfly kits so that students will analyze caterpillars’ eating habits and measure their growth and development prior to metamorphosis.
Heidi Wachtin, Millstone River School, West Windsor-Plainsboro received a $100 grant to further her school recycling program by setting up a vermicomposting bin in her classroom. Her fourth grade students will contribute fruits and vegetable food scraps from their lunches to the composting bins. They will observe how worms convert organic waste into humus.
Spring 2008
Karla Peroni, Sayen Middle School, Hamilton received a $300 grant to extend her Chemical Reactions unit for 40 5th grade students. The students will design their own experiments, use graphing software to test their hypothesis and analyze the data.
Gwen Komyati, Village School, West Windsor-Plainsboro received a $200 grant to purchase maps and science resources for her integrated geology and literature unit that will be used with 50 4th grade students.
Sashi Gundala, Brooks Crossing, South Brunswick received a $100 grant to enhance her 5th grade sound unit on understanding sound waves and their application in sound, light and seismic activities.
Spring 2007
Jeff Grabell, Dutch Neck School, West Windsor-Plainsboro received a $300 grant to extend his human body unit to make connections to chemistry, rock & minerals and mathematics. Jeff plans to create this unit for his 3rd grade class and then present it as an in-service session for all 3rd grade teachers in the district to potentially reach 700 students.
Dr. Georgia Fisanick, Watchung Hills High School received a $200 grant to purchase Vernier probes for her forensic science classes that will be used by 80 students in grades 11 and 12.
Helen Chang, Millstone River School, West Windsor Plainsboro received a $100 grant to develop a chemical reactions unit for 800 students, grades 3-5.
Spring 2006
Heidi Watchin, Millstone River School, West Windsor-Plainsboro received a $300 grant to extend a unit on electric circuits for approximately 17 fourth grade classes.
Liv Bowring, Amsterdam Elementary School, Hillsborough received a $200 grant to purchase and build weather instruments with approximately 100 fourth grade students.
Kelly Kramli, Auten Road Intermediate School, Hillsborough received a $100 grant to develop a unit on ecosystems during which her fifth grade team of approximately 50 students will work with a K-2 special needs class.
Spring 2005
Laura Capriotti, Burlington City Jr. School, Burlington City received a $150 grant to implement a chemistry and environmental science unit with her seventh grade classes.
Suzanne Merrill, Lore School, Ewing received a $150 grant toward the purchase of an incubator and brooder pack to enhance her life science unit with 5th grade students who shared with other grade levels in the school.
Spring 2004
Jennifer Errickson Patriarca, Wilbur Watts Intermediate School, Burlington City received a $300 grant to create a school garden for students in grades 4, 5 and 6.
Colleen Lanigan, Robbins School, Trenton received a $200 grant to develop an inquiry-based chemistry unit for the 3 rd and 4th grade students.
Suzanne Merrill, Lore School, Ewing received a $100 grant to support a life science project for 400 fifth grade students.
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