Teaching Outside the Box: Sparking Curiosity and Sense-Making in Elementary Classrooms
Ever wish you could breathe new life into your science lessons or turn routine kit activities into moments of genuine discovery for young learners?
In this online course, K-5 educators will learn practical ways to develop engaging, standards-based lessons driven by children's natural curiosity, using local everyday phenomena. Participants will learn how to transform student observations into high-leverage questions, facilitate sense-making that sticks, and integrate the three dimensions of NYS P-12 Science Learning Standards. Because science offers an authentic context for reading, writing, and mathematical reasoning, we'll explore how to make meaningful literacy and math connections without adding more to your plate.
The course blends live Zoom sessions for collaboration and discussion with flexible asynchronous work, giving you time to try strategies in your own classroom between meetings. Whether you teach with science kits or digital platforms, you'll leave ready to unbox, adapt, and elevate any science curriculum.
Level: Planning for Continuous Improvement
FORMAT: Synchronous online learning
DATES: Mondays, 2/22/27, 3/8/27, 3/22/27, 4/5/27, 4/19/27, 5/3/27
TIME: 4:30PM-6PM
GCRTC FACILITATOR & CONTACT: James St.Denis, GCRTC Teacher Leadership Coach for Science
FEE: None. Registration is required.
CTLE HOURS: 15
REGISTRATION: https://tinyurl.com/3swadc5b