STEM News Splash

Montana Office of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 09/11/2019 04:02 PM MDT

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September 2019

STEM News Splash

Congratulations to the 2020 Montana Teacher of the Year:

Linda Rost, High School Science Teacher in Baker, Montana!

Calendar of Events & Opportunities

Keep updated with new opportunities, professional development, and the best science resources at the Montana Office of Public Instruction Science Page.

Call for presenters for the upcoming Montana Environmental Education Association conference at Chico Hot Springs, Pray, MT, on March 26-28, 2020. The theme this year is "Montana's Many Voices: Exploring Equity and Inclusion in Environmental Education." The focus is on providing educators with resources to ensure their environmental education is promoting environmental literacy to all demographics and incorporating the varied perspectives from across our state.
Free curriculum resources are now available for middle school teachers! These resources meet the Montana K-12 Framework aligned science standards. To share ideas on how you can incorporate IEFA into these lessons, contact MMcCarthy5@mt.gov. All three units were reviewed by Achieve's Science Peer Review Panel and are listed as examples of quality materials on the nextgenscience.org website. All teacher and student materials are free and openly licensed. See the unit materials and corresponding EQuIP Rubric for Science reviews here:

STEM career awareness is important for students. Superheroes of Science are podcasts intended to highlight careers in STEM fields, particularly the careers of current researching scientists. Find links to the podcast below.
- iTunes
- Google Play
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is piloting a new science literacy program utilizing FWP’s MT Outdoors (MO) magazine. The program provides a science literacy evaluation tool, access to a carefully chosen article on Montana fish and wildlife management, and occasionally an additional tool that focuses on math to go with one article that is published quarterly. For information on the program or to sign up, contact Laurie Wolf, FWP Education Bureau Chief, LWolf@mt.gov; (406) 444-9945.
Inspired Classroom has challenges for all students. These challenges include scientists' interaction with students and students working with real data, which is a great way to implement place-based learning for your students. Look into their current challenges and find one that may work for your classroom.

Contact information, Content Standards and Instruction

Science Coordinator - Michelle McCarthy 406-444-3537

The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, TTY 406-444-0235.