Watershed-Integrated Sciences Partnership (WISP) between UMassBoston and Local School Districts

七所中学的教师-研究员团队（波士顿公立学校的Harbor、McCormack、Woodrow Wilson、刘易斯和Gavin中学;米尔顿公立学校的Pierce中学; Dedham公立学校的Dedham中学）位于Neponset河流域内的一所学校正在修改现有的教学材料，如FOSS工具包，以使用当地流域的研究作为中学的统一主题科学 正在从学校操场、学生后院和参与学校周围的更大社区收集数据。 学校间的信息交流使每所学校的学生能够将他们的情况与更大的情况联系起来，学校社区可以合作，了解整个流域的情况。 我们强调量化的例子和活动，以磨练学生的数学技能，强化现有的数学课程，并展示数学与科学和日常生活的相关性。 研究员接受暑期教师培训讲习班在教学法，国家和国家框架，有效的课堂管理。然后，每个研究员与一名中学教师一起参加为期一周的夏季环境科学内容研究所，该研究所使用流域内的具体实例和实践活动，以加强教师和研究员的科学内容知识和概念理解。 除了他们的课堂职责，研究员必须采取一个专门开发的课程，教学环境科学和技术。（TEST），提供持续的教学和内容培训。 在学年期间，为所有研究员和教师举办了为期五天的讲习班，以交流信息和经验，并提供额外的内容和教学材料。 一个1学分的春季研讨会被用作一个基地，让一个研究员队列传递他们的经验和知识到下一个。 独木舟之旅、河流清理、波士顿港巡游和公民科学活动等特殊活动有助于培养跨越城市边界的连通感。WISP将由一名科学教育学教员进行内部评估，并由教育发展中心进行外部评估。牛顿，MA。 该方案的更广泛的好处是为研究员、教师、中学生和有关机构带来的。 研究员正在培养他们的兴趣，技能和承诺，以便在整个科学生涯中积极参与K-12教育。 教师们正在获得环境科学内容的知识，提高他们教授科学课程和反思教学实践的能力。 中学生对科学和数学有了更深的理解和欣赏。 一系列在规模、种族和社会经济方面各不相同的学区和波士顿马萨诸塞州大学正在建立一个注重共同需求和共享资源的共享学习社区。 标题：流域综合科学伙伴关系（WISP）机构：马萨诸塞州-波士顿大学PI/co-PI：Robert F.作者：William E.罗宾逊，迈克尔Shiaris，克拉拉詹宁斯和玛丽莲德克尔，合作伙伴学区：波士顿公共，米尔顿公共，戴德汉姆公共资金：$1，497，458 3年共研究员人数/年：10研究生和3-5本科年级乐队：中学设置：城市，郊区：地球科学，生物学，化学，计算机科学

PROJECT SUMMARY Teacher-Fellow teams in seven Middle Schools (Harbor, McCormack, Woodrow Wilson, Lewis, and Gavin Middle Schools in the Boston Public Schools; Pierce Middle School in the Milton Public Schools; Dedham Middle School in the Dedham Public Schools) located within the Neponset River watershed are adapting existing instructional materials such as FOSS kits to use a study of the local watershed as a unifying theme for middle school science. Data is being gathered from the school playground, the students' backyards and the larger community surrounding the participating schools. Inter-school information exchange enables the students at each school to relate their situation to the larger picture and the community of schools can collaborate to gain a sense of conditions within the entire watershed. Quantitative examples and activities are being emphasized in order to hone students' mathematics skills, reinforce the existing mathematics curriculum, and demonstrate mathematics' relevance to science and everyday life. Fellows receive a Summer Teacher Training workshop in pedagogy, state and national frameworks, and effective classroom management. Each Fellow is then teamed with a middle school Teacher in a weeklong Summer Environmental Science Content Institute that uses specific examples and hands-on activities within the watershed to strengthen the Teachers' and Fellows' science content knowledge and concept understanding. In addition to their classroom duties, Fellows are required to take a specially developed course, Teaching Environmental Sciences and Technology. (TEST), that provides continuing pedagogical and content training. Five daylong workshops are held for all Fellows and Teachers during the school year to exchange information and experiences and provide additional content and pedagogical material. A 1-credit spring seminar is used as a base to allow one cohort of Fellows to pass on their experiences and knowledge to the next. Special events such as canoe trips, river cleanups, Boston Harbor cruises, and citizen science activities help foster a sense of connectedness across municipal boundaries. WISP will be evaluated internally by a science pedagogy faculty member and externally by the Educational Development Center, Inc. of Newton, MA. The broader benefits of the program accrue to the Fellows, the teachers, the middle school students and the institutions involved. The Fellows are developing the interest, skills, and commitment necessary to be actively engaged in K-12 education throughout their scientific careers. Teachers are gaining environmental science content knowledge and enhancing their ability to teach science curricula and to reflect on their teaching practices. Middle school students are gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation for science and mathematics. A set of school districts diverse in size, ethnicity and socio-economics and the University of Massachusetts, Boston are developing a shared learning community focused on common needs and shared resources. Title: A Watershed-Integrated Sciences Partnership (WISP) Institution: The University of Massachusetts--Boston PI/co-PI: Robert F. Chen, William E. Robinson, Michael Shiaris, Clara Jennings, and Marilyn Decker, Partner School Districts: Boston Public, Milton Public, Dedham PublicFunding: $1,497,458 total for 3 yearsNumber of Fellows/year: 10 Graduate and 3-5 Undergraduate Grade Band: Middle School Setting: Urban, suburbanDisciplines: Geosciences, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Sciences