What happens when you put 150 teachers from 23 states and three countries in the same room for three days with a team of instructors who are over-the-top excited about teaching science? Enthusiasm for making science fun spreads like a virus. Concerns about test scores, curriculum changes or the ever-changing pressures of being a teacher seem to vanish. For three days, these teachers put their worries aside and focus on ways to bring wonder, discovery and exploration back into their classrooms. Here’s a glimpse at what happened at Science in the Rockies this year…

Not all of the participants who come to Science in the Rockies start out loving science. Hilary Vanderveen admits she was a student who didn’t like science all that much, but this experience taught her how to avoid that attitude in her classroom. Vanderveen believes the key is raising the “I wonder factor” in her students’ minds as they approach various scientific questions.

To the untrained eye, it might look like teaching science is all fun and games, but there’s a serious side to all of this fun. Many of the participants at this year’s event shared the same fears and concerns that were raised even three years ago - science education is slowly becoming an extra-curricular activity in many schools across the country. With so much pressure being put on reading, writing and math scores on state achievement tests, some elementary teachers are forced to put science on the back burner until early Spring when state testing in other curriculum areas is finished. With help from the instructional team at Science in the Rockies, our goal is to help teachers focus their efforts on integrating science into their everyday

curriculum.

Wendy Liddell came all the way from New Zealand to Science in the Rockies to bring back ideas for the science class she teaches in Singapore. “When a teacher is inspired by science, the children are inspired. Children’s minds are the most wonderful gift that we have. The children that we teach today are our future. The ideas, the philosophies and the inspirations that we give them will be the world that we have in the next century,” says Liddell.

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Just look at these pictures from Science in the Rockies last year and you’ll see why we don’t consider this your typical summer science workshop for teachers. Do not plan to attend Science in the Rockies 2008 if you are motivated by PowerPoint presentation, like quiet reading time from an outdated science text, hate to get your hands dirty, or have a fear of flying potatoes. One teacher described Science in the Rockies as the science methods class she never had but really needed!

Science in the Rockies 2008 is scheduled for July 9-11 in Denver at the Sheraton Denver West conference center. Registration is still open, but as of this morning there are fewer than two dozen spots available. Years ago, teachers who took this workshop called it a “science boot camp” - an intensive experience designed to inspire, motivate and move you into action… and the concept stuck. This boot camp is for K-5 teachers who need creative science integration strategies… who are tired of trying to “squeeze” science into their already packed teaching schedule… and who want to make science even more fun and meaningful in their classroom.

Join us in Denver in July for a truly one of a kind experience.

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The crew from Modern Marvels on the History Channel visited our science lab back in July to play with some really cold science experiments. In other words, the liquid nitrogen was flowing and the onions were exploding! Mark your calendars… Modern Marvels: Deep Freeze will officially be airing on the History Channel on Tuesday, September 25th at 8pm EST.

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I love Halloween. One of my favorite activities is to “carve” pumpkins using a simple reation inside the fruit. First, you carve the face then carefully replace pieces. After creating a reaction by generating a gas inside and igniting it (ask your local chemistry teacher for the details) the face pieces are blown off with a small explosion.

Halloween is more than 100 days away and I just couldn’t wait. So I initiated the new weather anchor at the local Denver television station by introducing her to carving watermelons. The problem was, we didn’t really carve the watermelon, it exploded. Watch the Video to see how we skipped right over the carving and went straight to exploding.

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Only a very cool teacher gives this kind of homework to her students… “Using only construction paper and tape, I want you to design a rocket.” Lisa Heaton, the Gifted and Talented teacher showed her students a specially designed rocket launcher made out of PVC plumbing parts from the local hardware store. The idea for the PVC rocket launcher comes from U.S. Space Camp for Educators curriculum. I had the privilege of assisting Mrs. Heaton with the launch of the paper rockets. As the students will share in the comments below, the first launch revealed their design strengths and flaws. The five students with the best launch served as mentors for the rest of the students as they returned to the classroom to repair and redesign their paper rockets. The second launch proved to be the real learning experience - be sure to read comments from the young rocketeers below.

“This rocket launch activity coincides with the students reading Rocket Boys (also known as October Sky) by Homer Hickam. I want these kids to experience first hand the feeling of failure and success through the trial and error process of building their own rockets… and this air-powered rocket launcher does the trick,” says Lisa Heaton as she turns to help a 5th grader repair a rocket that didn’t fair well during the first launch.

These 5th graders are also using this hands-on science experience to learn about the science of blogging (pun intended). Student bloggers from Mrs. Heaton’s class in past years posted blog comments about their rocket experience that were even read by Homer Hickam (the author of October Sky) himself. Be sure to read the student comments below.

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A number of people have asked about origin of the National Hands-on Science Institute (NHOSI). The old website (www.nhosi.com) detailed much of the history of the Institute up to 2003, but the website was never updated after 2003 when NHOSI became Science in the Rockies. Dr. Jim Giulianelli was a great friend who taught me the value of creating teacher training programs that really worked. Much has happened to hands-on science training programs for teachers over the years, and I'm honored to have learned from an incredible science mentor.

About the Institute… In 1990, Dr. Jim Giulianelli, Professor of Chemistry at Regis University, and Dr. Geri Anderson, Professor of Education at the University of Colorado at Boulder, shared a common goal for science education in Colorado: To provide elementary and middle school teachers with hands-on science training and to give elementary students the opportunity to explore the excitement of conducting experiments in a laboratory setting. It was early in 1990 when Jim contacted ICE to talk about using the Fun with Chemistry curriculum at Regis University (incidentally, Jim did his post-doctoral work at UWM and this helped open the door of communication with Glen Dirreen).

With permission from ICE, Jim and Geri revised the ICE curriculum to meet their specific needs and created RICE, the Regis Institute of Chemical Education. The focus of the week-long summer training centered around the development of inquiry-based activities for elementary and middle school teachers. In the morning sessions, teachers were introduced to classroom science activities and strategies for incorporating a hands-on approach into their daily teaching routine. Then, teachers were trained to be group leaders for the afternoon Hands-on Science Camp for Kids for which children entering grades 4 to 6 were registered.

Under this model, teachers not only learned about science activities but actually tested out their presentation techniques as they conducted the experiments with children in the afternoon. ICE was interested in this component of the camp because few other institutions in the country were combining this unique teacher training model with a summer camp for children. The end result was that teachers returned to the classroom with tried and tested activities that could be immediately integrated into their present science curriculum. By practicing with children in our controlled setting, much of the fear of teaching new science concepts was circumvented. Over the years, this teacher training model has been so effective that satellite programs have been implemented by teacher participants throughout the country.

Steve Spangler joined the team in 1991 as a curriculum consultant and took a position with the Institute as a co-director in 1992. Steve is well known as an author and designer of science learning tools for some of the biggest names in the education industry. His charismatic style and high energy landed him a contract with NBC television as their "science guy" with a Mr. Wizard style of engaging his audience. Steve serves as a national ambassador for the Institute, recruiting teachers from coast to coast.

Jim and Steve had an amazing chemistry between them that truly inspired teachers to make science education a priority in their classrooms. The focus of the Institute changed in 1995 with a complete redevelopment of the curriculum based on the present needs of elementary teachers. The Institute was renamed the National Hands-on Science Institute (NHOSI) and the focus was solely based on fulfilling the needs and requirements of elementary educators throughout the country.

NHOSI suffered an incredible lost in July of 1995 with the death of Jim Giulianelli. Most people remember Jim not for his research work in physical chemistry or his published solar pond projects, but as an educator who was dedicated to getting people turned on to science. His enthusiasm for learning was contagious. In Jim's absence, Steve refocused the staff's efforts on continuing to offer teachers quality workshops, inspiring children to want to learn more about science, and expanding the opportunities that are available to our past teacher participants through future workshops, guest speakers, science showcases, and our annual gathering of graduates.

Soon after Jim's death, his son, Derek Giulianelli, made a commitment to never allow his father's passion for education disappear. Derek made the decision to enter the teaching profession and is currently a 3rd grade teacher at Willow Creek Elementary in Centennial, Colorado. Derek returns to the Institute each year as a visiting instructor and source of inspiration for the staff and workshop participants.

NHOSI continued to offer summer workshops from 1996 through 2001 at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Doug Hodous, a dynamic chemistry teacher from Littleton, Colorado, joined the staff in 1996 as an instructor. His 31 years of classroom experience combined with his incredible sense of humor and dedication to teacher training made Doug a perfect addition to the team. The "Doug and Steve" science shows have become a staple of the Institute and continue to get more crazy each year.

Over the years, NHOSI has received grants from the Annenberg Foundation, the National Science Foundation, Amoco, NREL, the Hach Foundation, the Honda Foundation, and many others who are credited on the list of sponsors.

Today, more than 840 teachers have graduated from the National Hands-on Science Institute. Front Range Community College hosted NHOSI in 2003 under the leadership of Dr. Geri Anderson (yes, the same Geri Anderson who help found the Institute in 1990). Geri and the dedicated team at Front Range Community College worked closely with Steve Spangler to obtain funding from a number of wonderful sponsors. Under Geri's leadership, NHOSI received the most financial support in its history and was able to fulfill the training needs of 96 teachers in summer of 2003.

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We promised that the three days in Denver would be a learning experience, but we never guessed that it would be so much fun. Science in the Rockies set a new record this year with 160 teacher participants representing over 27 states and 5 countries. One reporter called the three day institute a “Mr. Wizard-style” boot camp for teachers. The training targeted earlychildhood through middle school teachers who need creative science integration strategies… who are tired of trying to “squeeze” science into their already packed teaching schedule… and who want to make science even more fun and meaningful in their classroom.

Watch the News Story - NBC affiliate 9KUSA-TV featured the teacher training on Friday morning.

Our goal was to give teachers the necessary training and tools to do more science in their classrooms in the coming year. The problem is one of time: teachers want to do more science with their students, but many elementary teachers just cannot find the time needed to give students the opportunity to really do science. Some elementary teachers are even forced to put science on the back burner until early Spring when state testing in other curriculum areas is finished. Science education cannot withstand that kind of assault”¦ and this sort of ‘boot camp’ training is so important to the future of science education.

Click on the “comments” link below for a teacher perspective.

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