Montana Science Content Standards and Resources

Professional Development Request Form

Science Instructional Coordinator: Michelle McCarthy| 406-444-3537
Return to the K-12 Content Standards home page.

Announcements and Opportunities

2024

 
 
Carnegie Corporation on the Call to Action
ICYMI: BOSE, NASEM: Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation Summit recording

 

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Grant or Paid Opportunities

Grant or Paid Opportunities

  • Society for Science Advocate Program

    The Advocate Program is a year-long professional development program that supports educators and mentors who are working to increase the number of students from traditionally underrepresented groups who enter STEM research competitions.

    Advocates receive:

  • Start an Invention Journey on National Inventors' Day!  LEMELS N-MIT INVENTEAMS
    • Application now open for the 2024-25 InvenTeam Grants Initiative  Do you know high school students who are ready for a real challenge? The InvenTeam Grants Initiative, created by the Lemelson-MIT Program, offers an opportunity for students to cultivate their creativity and solve real-world problems through experiencing invention. 
      • InvenTeams are teams of high school students, educators, and mentors which receive grants of up to $7,500 to invent working technological solutions to real-world problems.
      • High school educators and their teams may apply for the InvenTeams grant.
      • Each InvenTeam chooses its own problem to solve.
      • Up to 10 schools will be awarded the InvenTeam grant.

Being on an InvenTeam is a life changing experience. See for yourself what teens can accomplish when they think like inventors!

 

  • Want to spend a summer at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies conducting research with Cary Scientists? Apply now for our Research Experiences for Teachers program. More information can be found on our website. Paid travel and housing available for out-of-area teachers. Contact Rebecca Van Tassell (vantassellr@caryinstitute.org) with questions. 

    Through the Cary BIORETS program teachers will:

  • Increase their knowledge of ecology
  • Develop their skills in conducting original research, including research design, implementation, and data analysis
  • Increase their knowledge of effective pedagogy and curriculum design for building ecological and data literacy
  • Be part of a collaborative community of middle and high school teachers, scientists, and educational researchers

Cary BIORETS includes:

  • $8,800 stipend for full participation
  • Six weeks of collaborative summer research in the field of ecology
  • Four virtual school-year follow up sessions to support implementation of new curriculum
  • A culminating in-person, two-day writing workshop to support teachers in publishing their work

Teachers who are eligible:

  • Work as a middle or high school teacher in a STEM field (including biology, Earth science, physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, engineering)
  • Have worked in a classroom for at least one year
  • Have an interest in increasing your and your students’ ecological literacy
  • Be able to commit to the entirety of the program, including teaching new curriculum materials

We are particularly interested in teachers who: 

  • Work with historically marginalized and underserved students
  • Work in under-resourced schools, including those in rural and urban communities.
  • Have limited access to professional learning opportunities 
  • Want to engage in the translation of cutting-edge research into meaningful learning experiences for students

Stipend
Teachers will receive an $8,800 stipend for full participation in the program. This supports your summer research work, school year follow up sessions, work time to implement new curriculum, participation in evaluation surveys, participating in the writing workshop and travel and expenses for presenting at a regional or national conference.
Application deadline: March 15, 2024 

  • The Nanoscience Institute for Middle School Teachers (NanoSIMST) is a PAID workshop for teachers to engage in nanoscience and technology, discover nano lessons to engage students and learn about several resources in the field. The Montana Nanotechnology Facility (MONT) at MSU is sponsoring several Montana teachers' attendance at the virtual workshop, July 15-19MONT will provide a $500 stipend on completion of the workshop along with an additional $300 for classroom implementation.  This workshop is hosted by MONT's colleagues at nano@stanford. Stanford University's nano experts, with guest instructors from MONT and other universities across our network. The application deadline is April 26. To share the event, you can use this flyer!
  • Petroleum Resources Workshop Connects K-12 Teachers with Oil and Gas IndustryMontana Technological University will hold a free workshop in the summer of 2024 for K-12 teachers to learn about the petroleum industry and its impact on their local community. Hess Corporation will sponsor the free Montana Petroleum Resources Workshop, which will include room and board for the week. Participating teachers receive 31 License Renewal Units or two graduate college credits from Montana State University-Billings. Montana Tech’s Petroleum Engineering faculty will lead the workshop, which will be held June 10-14 in Billings - 

  • Humanities Montananot just for social studies, has started their new grant openings!  Check it out and see if you could combine science standards to meet those goals!

  • OPI INDIAN EDUCATION FOR ALL (IEFA) EVENTS & PD

    Indian Education and Computing for All | 1 evening per month Sept 2023 - May 2024 | Zoom

  • A curriculum and professional development project designed to bring together social studies, IEFA, and computing content standards for middle school students.
  • 18 hours of online PD | $1000 stipend | Earn up to 40 PD Units
  • Educator Academy in the Amazon Rainforest 

    Dates: July 1-11, 2024 (door to door) 

     

  • The Educator Academy in the Amazon Rainforest provides powerful professional development designed to transform student learning. Immersed in the Peruvian Amazon, teachers learn about this key global ecosystem while building their ability to engage students in scientific research, engineering design, cross-cultural connections, and stewardship projects. Field workshops support NGSS 3D learning, STEM, 5E and more.  With specialized tracks for elementary, middle, and HS/AP educators, participants will:  

    • Work side-by-side with scientists and researchers on citizen science projects and field studies on the ACTS Rainforest Canopy Walkway in one of the world’s most biologically diverse environments.  
    • Explore conservation and sustainability via hands-on workshops with indigenous communities.
    • Spend a day in an Amazon village and explore the role of education in creating a sustainable future for Amazon children.
    • Work in grade-level cohorts to develop strategies for using the Amazon as a vehicle for incorporating standards-based inquiry, STEM, and sustainability education into the classroom. 
    • Academy Fee of $3250 includes a pre-departure prep course, resource kit, on-site workshops & in-country land costs (air is not included). 

      ~ Submission deadline is December 15, 2023.  Space is limited to 26 educators.  Get the details and download a syllabus and scholarship application at: www.morphoinstitute.org/educator-academy

  • 21st Century Community Learning Center Competitive Grant Update  The 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant provides funds to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) and community-based organizations (CBOs). Grantees are awarded a minimum of $50,000 each year for 5 years. The 21st Century Community Learning Centers provide opportunities for academic enrichment during out-of-school time in a community learning center environment.  Services reinforce and complement regular academic programs and offer literacy and educational development to students and families. You can apply, see the timeline learn a little more on the website

  • CSX Community Service Grants (includes schools) with suggested ranges from $1,000 to $5,000

  • Aldrin Family Foundation Map Package Grant Application Aldrin Family Foundation has worked with donors to make Giant Mars and Moon Map packages available for distribution to individual schools, school districts, and informal education organizations throughout the country in areas where we believe they can do the most good, especially in under-served communities.

Challenges and Competitions

Challenges and Competitions

  • DNA Day Essay Contest for High School students around the world!  Three winners will receive up to $1,000 and a matching lab equipment grant, 10 honorable mentions will win $100.00 each.  Entry is free
  • Destination Imagination is a STEAM competition for K-12 students
  • Montana Envirothon Competition:   Event dates are April 22 & 23, 2024 in Great Falls for students in grades 9-12 Teams of five members from the same school/organization, or association, with no more than two teams from the same place.  The topic is "Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Future."  

  • The Montana Science Olympiad State Tournament will be held at MSU-Bozeman on Friday, April 19, 2024.     

    Middle and high school students from across Montana will compete in 28 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) events including Anatomy & Physiology, Fossils, Optics, Wind Power, Wheeled Vehicle, Codebusters, and more. 

    In addition to enhancing STEM knowledge, the Science Olympiad is a great opportunity for students to learn resilience, problem-solving, collaboration, and leadership.  For many, the tournament is a lens into campus life, with events held in MSU labs and classrooms, and students engaging with event supervisors and volunteers who are MSU faculty, researchers, and students. A free STEM event for all Science Olympiad teams will be hosted at the Museum of the Rockies on the evening before the tournament (Thursday, April 18). 

    The deadline to register a team is Feb. 3, 2024, but we encourage coaches (especially those who are new to Science Olympiad) to register early. The Montana Science Olympiad team will offer monthly online office hours for coaches and are also available to answer any questions you may have. 

    Please reach out at mtscioly@montana.edu or (406) 994-7476, or visit the Montana Science Olympiad website [montana.edu]. We hope to see you at MSU-Bozeman this April! 

  • Lemonson-MIT Invention Challenges, sign up for their Newsletter.  

  • Ongoing Challenges: 

 

Student and Classroom opportunities

Student and Classroom Opportunities

Scholarships:

  • 2024 Scholarship Cycle Now Open!  AWIS is now accepting applications for our 2024 scholarships. We offer scholarships for undergraduates, PhD students, and career re-entry. New for 2024, AWIS will award up to four scholarships for First-Generation College Students in their Freshman through Junior year whose parents and/or guardians did not complete a four-year degree. Learn more and apply.

K-12

  • February 15, is Digital Learning Day! This year, our #DLDay spotlight is on YOU – the trailblazer, the visionary, the educator. You've harnessed digital tools to bridge educational divides, cultivated genuine bonds, and tailored unique learning experiences for every student.  Remember, while #DLDay celebrates technology, it's about much more than just the gadgets and apps in our classrooms. It's about the educators making connections with students every day to advance their learning.  Share what you are doing and add it to the map

  • National Girls Collaborative Project

The Moonshot has launched a nationwide search for the 2024 Flight Crew - a group of youth advocates promoting the value of out-of-school STEM learning and equity in STEM for young people across the nation. 

Encourage girls, non-binary or cis-gender youth, ages 13-18, with experience in afterschool and summer STEM learning, to apply!

If you have any questions reach out to heather@mtafterschoolalliance.org

  • The Achievery, a free online digital learning platform has free cybersecurity practices lessons.

  • Air Quality Flag Program. This program is funded by the Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Flags, onsite training, and educational materials are free.  If you would like to get involved, contact mac.nollde@ontanahphc.org, (406) 763-1006.
  • Bugs, bugs, bugs!  Field trips, Classroom visits, Distance Learning, all available through Missoula Butterfly House, scholarships are available.
  • Coding: CS Ed Week, Computer Science for Educators-resources
  • EPA Region 8 (Mountains and Plains) offers virtual presentations to the general public, teachers and students on a variety of environmental topics. Presentations can be tailored for any age group and are offered during the school week. EPA also has lesson plans, activity books, pre-recorded presentations and games available.  EPA Region 8 offers informal mentorships to young people who are interested in finding out more about environmental/conservation issues, projects and careers. Students are matched with a subject matter expert who can discuss with the students their environmental questions or career paths. Mentorships can be one-time visits, a phone call, virtual meetings or last a few months depending on the student’s needs/interests. Mentees can be of any age. Teachers or parents interested in finding out more about these offerings should contact Wendy Dew at dew.wendy@epa.govor 303-877-0428
NASA:

When scientists and engineers want to communicate with spacecraft in deep space, they turn to the Deep Space Network, NASA’s international array of giant radio antennas. Next month marks the 60th anniversary of this communication network, and you can celebrate in your classroom with these new STEM resources.

Decoding Space Images

Grades 4-9

Exploring the Doppler Effect

Grades 9-12

Learn more about the Deep Space Network with STEM Lessons for Educators  and Activities for Students.

 

K-5

4-8

6-12

  • Re: Ideas for making learning more relevant (and providing perspective on current issues)

    Teacher Leaders in Montana History Cynthia Wilondek and Dylan Huisken (former MT Teacher of the Year) led a dynamite professional development workshop a few weeks ago on "Connecting Past to Present." They created a Google Doc with links to many resources and lesson plans. I'll only highlight a few here.

    • In the 2023 case Held vs State of Montana, kids sued the state of Montana over not doing enough to prevent climate change, claiming that the state's inaction violated the Montana constitution's guarantee of a "clean and healthful environment."  You can use this as an entry into discussing Montana's 1972 Constitution.
    • Digitized newspapers are a great way to research the history of current events, for example, the closure of a local business or bridge.
    • There have been a number of recent articles on trying to document all of the students who died at Indian boarding schools and returning the remains to their communities. This obviously connects to a study of the boarding school era. 
    • Discussions of dark money in politics today tie nicely with a discussion of the Clark-Daly feud, fight for the state capitol and decision to pass the direct election of senators after William A. Clark successfully bribed his way into the U.S. Senate in 1899.
  • City College at MSU Billings to host Women in Automotive Events:  City College at Montana State University- Billings will host free Women in Automotive events where participants can learn about basic car repair and maintenance. Both introductory and advanced classes will be available.

    • The introductory classes will teach participants how to maintain oil, coolant, and brake condition, and how to change a tire and measure tire pressure. The dates of the intro level classes are:

      • February 24, 2024

      • March 30, 2024

      • April 20, 2024

    • The advanced classes, meanwhile, will focus on fuel systems, emission systems, and electrical systems. Attendees will have the opportunity to bring their personal vehicles into the lab and will work with the instructors to identify specific components. The dates of the advanced level classes are:

      • January 6, 2024

      • May 11, 2024

    • All classes will take place from 10 am-1 pm; participants need to attend only one class. The Women in Automotive events will be instructed by Amy Hunt, an automotive technician at a local repair facility, and Kat Pfau, one of the automotive instructors at City College.All events are free and open to the public; participants are encouraged to register in advance. Lunch will be provided. 

  • NASA Graphing Global Temperature Trends for 5-12 
  • Climate Emergency Feedback Loops, 5 short Climate Change videos with curriculum guides, as seen on PBS
  • PBS LearningMedia: Grades: 6-12

9-12

  • Veterinary Medicine Careers Exploration: A Virtual Workshop for HS Students, Saturday, March 9, 2024 from 12:00pm to 2:00pm sponsored by the Humane Rescue Alliance. Registration is now open.

  • The Montana Aerospace Scholars (MAS) is a two-phase program for high school students to take part in an extracurricular experience that immerses them in aerospace-related activities. MAS is offered through NASA partnerships with the Montana Learning Center at Canyon Ferry Lake and the Northwest Earth & Space Sciences Pathways program.

    Phase One is a remote portion where students will make an introduction video and complete a research essay. These assignments help students build general space technology and career knowledge while allowing them to develop skills such as problem solving, creativity, proposal writing, and critical thinking.

    Students who pass Phase One will be invited to the in-person experience at the MLC campus, Phase Two. They will work as a team to plan a detailed mission to either the Moon or Mars, depending on their program. Other activities provided at this residency include learning how to fly a plane, engaging in engineering challenges, partaking in aerospace-industry tours, and interacting with NASA personnel. Students will also spend time observing objects in the night sky at our state-of-the-art observatory, featuring the largest public access telescope in Montana (weather permitting).

    If you have any students who are interested, please encourage them to apply! This program is FREE. Applications are due by March 1st.

    A description of the program, a FAQ document, and the application can be found here:
    https://montanalearning.org/apollo50/ [montanalearning.org]

    If you or students have any questions, contact Executive Director Ryan Hannahoe at MontanaLearningCenter@gmail.com.

  • Girls Who Code’s Free Virtual Summer Programs

Ready to shape your future and join an empowering sisterhood? Become a coder this summer with Girls Who Code! 

Girls Who Code’s free virtual Summer Programs empower you to build skills, community, and a professional network for your future, in the ways that work best for you. Choose your adventure with two free programs:

  • Curious to create your own computer games? In our two-week Summer Immersion Program (SIP), you’ll learn how to design your own games using p5.js, a JavaScript library for creative coding. Join classmates and our dedicated Teaching Teams in live virtual classrooms hosted by industry-leading companies like MetLife, Bank of America, Logitech, and Synchrony. We’ve got three rounds to fit your schedule: June 14 to June 28, July 8 to July 19, and July 29 to August 9.

    SIP is for current 9th-11th grade girls and non-binary students with beginner or intermediate coding experience, including program alums. Eligible students can even apply for a $300 SIP Student Grant [t.yesware.com] and laptop and hot spot access [t.yesware.com]!

  • Excited to explore the biggest topics in tech at your own pace? Our six-week Self-Paced Program offers tracks in Web Development, Cybersecurity, and – new for 2024 – Data Science + AI! From July 1 to August 9, you get to decide how and when to build your coding skills, and you can always ask questions in our Discord server or optional Student Hours.

    The Self-Paced Program is for current 9th-12th grade girls and non-binary students with beginner to advanced coding experience, including program alums.

  • Calling All Educators! 

    InvenTeam Applications open February 11th!

    Applications are open for the 2024-2025 InvenTeam grant year. The Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam initiative offers an unparalleled opportunity for high school students to cultivate their creativity and experience invention. The deadline for submitting applications for the first round of consideration is April 23, 2024. 

    Launching InvenTeam applications on February 11 is part of a larger celebration of National Inventors’ Day and International Day of Women and Girls in Science. We hope the creative and inventive forces are with you that day because inventing is fun! 

    If you are interested in learning about the InvenTeam application and process, LMIT is offering two webinars (March 19, and April 9) with Invention Education Officer Leigh Estabrooks and former InvenTeam teachers. For more information about those webinars, visit our website.

    HS Students interested in pursuing a career in education!  MSU Rural Pathways Program is starting a Bridge to College initiative whereby current high school students are invited to be part of an online professional learning community called the Future Rural Educators' Club, led by Glendive Superintendent Stephen Schreibeis.  The club will meet virtually 1-2 times per month and participation in the club enables students to apply for additional opportunities such as paid campus visits.  Informational and student flyers are attached.  If you have any questions, please contact Marcie Reuer at marcie.reuer@montana.edu
  • SD Pathways [solardecathlon.gov] is back this year, with more opportunities to bring a STEM in-person or virtual career talk into your high school classroom, club, or other student group. SD Pathways aligns with the following career clusters: Architecture & Construction, Information Technology, Manufacturing, and STEM fields. Sign up here to get a presenter in your classroom this Fall!

    There are a few great things about our program:

    • Students will be introduced to career and education paths they might not have known about before
    • SD Pathways also includes option pre or post activities
    • Our presenters go through training on how to work with high school students, as well as presentation slides and school visit guidance

We worked with over 1,000 students last year and are ready to work with yours too. Sign up here [forms.office.com] to get started, and then a team member will reach out to you to schedule a STEM career talk.

Teachers

Apply here [t.yesware.com] by the early deadline, February 14, 2024 for priority consideration or apply by our general deadline, March 22, 2024. Don't miss this incredible opportunity to level up your coding skills, kickstart your future, tap into lifelong career support, and have fun along the way!
Need help? Learn more with our program flyer [t.yesware.com], webinars [t.yesware.com], or FAQs [t.yesware.com], or email us at summer@girlswhocode.com.

 

 

 

Conferences and PD

Conferences and Professional Learning

  • In Person Lecture: An Archaeological Perspective on High-Altitude Stone Alignments

    Thurs., Mar. 21 ~ 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Lewis & Clark Library, 120 S. Last Chance Gulch St., Helena

    The rich history of this region goes back thousands of years before Montana became a state. Join U.S. Forest Service archaeologist Jen Ryan for a presentation on her current research into high-altitude stone alignments, unique rock features that are located primarily on ridgetops. Ryan will share an archaeological perspective on how these provide information about people’s use of and movement across mountainous areas in the past.   Unless noted otherwise, recordings will be posted on the MTHS YouTube channel.

  • Montana Environmental Education Association (MEEA) Annual Conference - March 15 - March 17, 2024: Billings, MT  "Creating Connections: Weaving the Many Threads of Environmental Education"

  • OPI Summer Institute - June 17 - 20, 2024, Bozeman, MT

  • STEM Summer Institute -  August 5 - 7, 2024 Bozeman, MT

  • MFPE Educators Conference - October 17 - 18, Bozeman, MT

  • Save the Date: LMIT Summer Professional Development Workshop

    Meet expert speakers, educators, and colleagues who will share activities and techniques that enable students from all walks of life to develop confidence in their ability to engage in STEM. Our evidence-based model, backed by published research and case studies, gives educators the tools to evolve their teaching and facilitation of K-14 student learning. Invigorate your teaching at this three-day event on the campus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earn 20 professional development points.

    From June 12—14, 2024, join us as we create the future together. 

  • On Monday, April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Join NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Office of Communications, and Office of STEM Engagement for an informational webinar on Tuesday, Jan. 23, at noon EST, to learn about the solar eclipse and get an update on NASA’s plans for public and student engagement. Participants will learn about the science behind solar eclipses, how to safely view a solar eclipse, and connections to NASA’s study of the Sun. Registration is open to attend. 

  • Join the MSU Math and Science Resource Center along with the Montana Afterschool Alliance for a closer look at exploring Montana’s land uses. Register by January 22nd to apply for a free place-based science explorers kit to use at your site.

    • Free for Attending: Land Use Explorers Kits: Tuesday, January 30, 2024 - 10-11 am

  • Techbridge Girls Applications Open:  Techbridge Girls is recruiting out-of-school time (OST) educators to participate in STEM and equity training, curriculum, resources, and ongoing support. Services equip educators with gender- and culturally responsive teaching tools and program materials to support youth persistence in STEM and expose girls to BIPOC peers and role models from STEM fields. You can visit the Programming Information Session and Application to learn more about how to participate in this program. Resources include curriculum, materials kits, training, ongoing support, and access to mini-grant funding. All OST program partners who serve Black, Indigenous, and Latina girls and gender-expansive youth are encouraged to apply.

  • 2024 NEED National Energy Conference for EducatorsJuly 7-11, 2024 Philadelphia, PA

  • Interested in becoming part of "Green Schools?"  Subscribe to the Dept. of Ed and choose the newsletters that will help you!

  • Miami University’s Project Dragonfly is accepting applications for 2024 Earth Expeditions graduate courses that offer extraordinary experiences at global field sites in 15 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. http://EarthExpeditions.MiamiOH.edu [earthexpeditions.miamioh.edu]

    Earth Expeditions can build toward the Global Field Program (GFP), a master's degree that combines summer field courses worldwide with web learning communities so that students can complete the GFP master's part-time from anywhere in the United States or abroad. Applications are now being accepted until January 28. Courses begin in May 2024. http://GFP.MiamiOH.edu [gfp.miamioh.edu]

    Project Dragonfly also offers the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) master's degree that combines web instruction from Miami University with face-to-face experiential learning and field study through several AIP sites in the U.S. Applications for Miami's 2024 cohorts are being now being accepted until February 28, with place-based experiences provided at zoos and botanical gardens in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Jacksonville, New York, San Diego, and St. Louis. http://AIP.MiamiOH.edu [aip.miamioh.edu]

    Graduate tuition for all programs is greatly reduced because of support from Miami University. NEW for 2024 Applicants: To help make a Miami education more accessible and affordable, the Miami University Graduate School will waive the $50 application fee for those who attend an Information Session preceding the fee payment step of the application process. https://miamioh.edu/cas/graduate-studies/project-dragonfly/highlights-and-digital-media/informational-webinars.html [miamioh.edu]

    Project Dragonfly reaches millions of people each year through inquiry-driven learning media, public exhibits, and graduate programs worldwide. Project Dragonfly is based in the biology department at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Established as a state university in 1809, Miami is one of the eight original Public Ivies and has a distinguished record of excellence in research and teaching in science and science education.

  • Supercharge Your Classroom

    Supercharge Your Classroom with Montana Field Science Data is a free, self-paced course for educators that consists of five modules. Through these modules, educators will learn to incorporate datasets from authentic Montana research projects into their own classroom.  The Supercharge Your Classroom course is sponsored by Montana NSF EPSCoR and was originally taught by Montana Partnership with Regions for Excellence in STEM (MPRES) educators Chris Pavlovich and Bill Stockton through the Montana Office of Public Instruction's (OPI)  Teacher Learning Hub

    Getting Started:  The Supercharge Your Classroom course takes educators through research-based approaches to complete an applicable product, a unit or lesson, for their classroom. Each topic is composed of a building background knowledge portion and an inquiry portion. These steps are designed to mimic best practices in the classroom of inquiry and explicit instruction. By progressing through the modules below, educators will deepen their understanding of Montana research and better refine their end product. Simply click each module title below to access content. 

    • After you have completed this course, please share your feedback and we will send you a free STEM kit for your class! If you'd like your survey responses to be anonymous, please email smrc@montana.edu to let us know you have completed it; otherwise, you can include your name, email and shipping address on the survey. Thank you!  Give us your feedback here

  • Interested in teaching about Climate Change?  Climate Generation is a nonprofit providing interdisciplinary climate change educator professional development.  Register for their newsletter and learn more!
  • More Self-Paced Science Courses:
    • Place-based Education: Your Local Watershed  STEM inquiry will guide you through problem-based learning with real-world authentic data. Engage your students in their community and see an exemplar curriculum that meets standards!*

    • Exploring NASA with Inquiry:  Earth and Space Science lessons and activities reinforced with NASA website!*

    • "Backpack Science" Inquiry Activities: Mapping:  Hands-on mapping activities and resources that can be integrated into science class, as well as, other disciplines!

    • Science Fair 101: Using Science Fair Projects in your Classroom:  Using Science Fairs in the classroom to meet MT Standards and 3 Dimensional learning!

    • New Montana Science Assessment This course presents an overview of the New Montana Science Assessment that was implemented in 2022 and provides guidance on how to best prepare your students for the science assessment by teaching you how to access and administer preparatory materials in your classroom. There are many opportunities for you to engage with the content and actually test out the practice questions before you introduce them to your students. Student-facing videos are included.

  • Are you missing Walt's Science eBlast?  I know I have been, and was so glad to see it back up and running as of January 2022!  However, in order to get back on the list please follow these steps:
  1. Go to NSTA (nsta.org)

  2. If you have an account, login and skip to step 9

  3. Click "Join" in the top right

  4. Scroll down and click "Create a Free NSTA User Account"

  5. Click "Continue and Complete Your Profile to Get Started"

  6. Enter our Name, Email and Password, click "Continue"

  7. Complete the form, click "Continue"

  8. Select your Areas on Interest, click "Get Started"

  9. In the top right click "menu" and then "My Account"

  10. Click "Manage Subscriptions"

  11. Select the "Montana Science Matters Listserve" is the one you want to subscribe to, click "Save"

NASEM: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering

NASEM Opportunities/Information

Subscribe to the NASEM Climate Resources at the National Academies Newsletter

Subscribe to the NASEM Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

Other News:

Past Coffee Talk Recordings:
Coffee Talk #1:  A Review of the Numbers
Watch the first in the series as Sean Smith from Horizon Research, Inc. provides an overview of the landscape of implementation described in a number of reports produced by Horizon. 
Watch the archived video

Coffee Talk #2:  Rural Science Standards Implementation
The second webinar in the series, moderated by Tom Keller, hones in on implementation efforts within rural communities. A panel discussion with small group think time was used to allow the science education community to reflect on and discuss how to best support rural science standards implementation efforts.
Watch the archived video


Coffee Talk #3:  Informal Ed Science Implementation
The third webinar in the series, moderated by Elizabeth Mulkerrin, includes panel discussion to consider the opportunities that exist within informal education spaces.
Watch the archived video

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STEM Community

Vetted Curriculum

Finally some curriculum that "Meets Expectations" from EdReports  for MS & HS


Amplify 6-8 Science Curriculum Meets Standard Alignment, Meets Usability per EdReports

OpenSciEd 6-8 Curriculum meets standard alignment and meets usability per Ed Reports
 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BSCS Biology Life High School meets EdReports on aligning with standards and usability

 

Approved Montana Distance Learning Providers

Curriculum Case Study: A Massachusetts Town Boosts Students’ STEM Learning by Letting the Students Do the Talking, ‘It’s Real Life’

Can you believe it?!  Free science curriculum from OpenSciEd.  Currently they have middle school curriculum available and the High School curriculum is currently being piloted.  They are also scheduled to have an EdReports review.  When this data becomes available, it will be reflected here.

To be completely transparent, below is a response to my questions about this curriculum from Casandra Gonzalez, Science Content Support Specialist from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education where they have been using OpenSciEd for over two years in middle schools:

"OpenSciEd is an NGSS-designed curriculum where students use the science and engineering practices to figure out a scientific phenomena. There is a big emphasis on discussion, use of evidence, and what I have heard called “minds-on” learning. So the students do lab activities and experiments in each unit, but they are very much connected to the overall themes that they are figuring out. They don’t necessarily do a lab every day – some days are more dedicated to discussion or making sense of data. There is a lot of writing as well.

The biggest shifts are pedagogical. The content is usually well within the wheelhouse of the teachers. But it’s a shift from starting each class with “ok, this is what we’re going to talk about today” to “hey, who can tell me what we figured out in our last class? And what questions will still have to answer about our anchoring phenomenon?” The students are really co-piloting the unit.

The biggest challenges we have run into are – 1-the first time around, teachers take a longer time than estimated to do the unit. It usually stresses them out a bit. But by the second time around it is much easier and smoother. And 2-the students are often not used to the teacher really turning around on them and saying “no, I’m not going to tell you the answer, you tell me what the evidence says”, but if the teacher sticks to it and really makes it a classroom expectation, the students do rise to the occasion.

It is critical to have the PD along with the curriculum, and OpenSciEd has certified providers that do it. I also strongly recommend that whenever possible, building administrators or whoever is in charge of evaluating teachers also attend the PD, so that they know what to expect and are on board with the changes. OpenSciEd classrooms are not necessarily going to be quiet and orderly, so admin need to know that is not a bad thing.

One legitimate critique of the curriculum is that, in appealing to a national audience, there may not be locally/culturally relevant phenomena or connections for every place in the country. I think this is an important concern. My recommendation would be that if the teachers & students feel this way, they spend the first year trying to teach the curriculum “out of the box” so that they get used to the pedagogical shifts, which are critical and important. Then spend some time, maybe in PLCs or with support from experts on culturally relevant teaching, thinking about how they could modify the phenomena, the transfer tasks, or other components of the units to make them more relevant, but still staying true to the rigor and coherence of the units. I do also know that the middle school student materials are available in Spanish. I am hopeful that they will add more languages soon."

 

NextGen Science, NGSS, and Edreports release on, "Critical Features of Instructional Materials Design for Today's Science Standards: A Resource for Science Curriculum Developers and the Educations Field"  Released July 2021

NSTA's Daily Do Playlists are suggested instructional sequences of NSTA Lessons that can be used to help students coherently build science ideas over time.
 

Grant Funded NGSS Aligned 9th Grade Curriculum

  • Physics and Chemistry Course, The Montana Office of Public Instruction worked in conjunction with Washington, Idaho, and Oregon in the Northwest Earth and Space Science Pipeline (NESSP) grant that was sponsored by NASA.  One product to be shared among the states (if you so choose), is the following:
  • High School Integrated

                      High School Integrated Physics and Chemistry Course

                   Overview

                    The High School Integrated Conceptual Science Program (ICSP) is a NGSS-aligned curriculum that utilizes the conceptual progressions model for bundling of the NGSS, High School Conceptual Model Course 1 and strategies from Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) to focus on teaching practices needed to engage students in science discourse and learning. 

                    Course 1 is the High School Integrated Physics and Chemistry Course.   The goal of these units is to encourage students to continue in STEM by providing engaging and aligned curriculum. The focus of this year long course is on the first year of high school (freshman).  While the course is designed to be taught as a collection of  the units, each unit could be taught as a separate unit in a science course.  

                    A video about the new course shared its unique approach to learning and teaching. Wenatchee School District, one of the participating districts, wanted a way to share the program with the community. https://youtu.be/9AGk19YUi2o

                    Course 1 of the ICSP development was funded by Northwest Earth and Space Sciences Pipeline (NESSP) which is funded through the NASA Science Mission Directorate and housed with Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium at the University of Washington.

 

Article:

 

2024

 

Name & Link

Dates

Participating Grade Levels

Registration

Montana Tech Sci & Engineering Fair

Mar 2, 2023

9-12

Division 1: 9-12 Registration OPEN

MSU-Billings Science Expo

Important Dates and Times

March 3 & 4, 2023

Elem, 6-8, 9-12

Elem & Middle School Registration

High School Registration

U of M

Apr 4 & 5 2024

6-12

OPEN

Great Falls College MSU Elementary School Science Fair

Mar 5, 2024

K-5

OPEN

Flathead County

Set up Mar 6,

Fair Mar 7, 2024

3-12

Open January 2024

Great Falls College MSU 6- 8 & 9-12 Science Fair

Mar 7, 2024

6-8 & 9-12

OPEN

Big Sky High Regional School Science Bowl

Mar 8, 2024

6-12

October 2, 2023

 

Intermountain Science and Humanities Symposium

Symposium Dates February 9, 2024

9-12

Deadline for Applications is January 20, 2024

Application Page

Montana Science Olympiad

April 19, 2024

6-12

OPEN

National Science Bowl

National Finals

April 25 – 29, 2024

6-8 & 9-12

 

March 2024

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1

2

Montana Tech Regional Science & Engineering Fair Grades 9-12

3

MSU-Billings Science Expo

4

MSU-Billings Science Expo

5

Great Falls College Elementary School Science Fair

6

Flathead County Science Fair: Set up

Grades 3 through 12

7

Flathead County Science Fair: Set up

Grades 3 through 12

 

Great Falls College 6-8 & 9-12  Science Fair

 

8

Big Sky High Regional School Science Bowl

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 2024

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1

2

3

4

U of M Montana Science Fair MS grades 6-8 (Division II) and HS Division I

5

U of M Montana Science Fair MS grades 6-8 (Division II) and HS Division I

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

Montana Science Olympiad

20

21

22

23

24

25

National Science Bowl: 6-8 and 9-12

26

National Science Bowl: 6-8 and 9-12

27

National Science Bowl: 6-8 and 9-12

28

National Science Bowl: 6-8 and 9-12

29

National Science Bowl: 6-8 and 9-12

30

 

2023

     Please notify me if I have neglected to mention a science competition in Montana!

Place

Dates

Participating Grade Levels

Registration and more information

U of M Adams Center

April 3 & 4

6-8 and 9-12

https://www.umt.edu/montana-science-fair/

Intermountain Science and Humanities Symposium

Mar 2 & 3

9-12

https://jshs.org/region/intermountain/

Mont Tech Sci & Engineering Fair

March 3

9-12

https://institute.mtech.edu/science-fair/

Flathead County Fairgrounds

March 9

6-12

https://www.flatheadcountysciencefair.org/

Great Falls Coll MSU Science & Engineering Fair

March 7

Elementary

https://www.gfcmsu.edu/sciencefair/

Great Falls Coll MSU Science & Engineering Fair

March 9

6-12

https://www.gfcmsu.edu/sciencefair/

MSU Billings Science Expo

March 3 & 4

1-12

https://www.msubillings.edu/scienceexpo/

Science Olympiad MSU Bozeman

March 8

6-12

https://www.montana.edu/smrc/mtso/school_teams.html

National Science Bowl

April 27 – May 1

6-12

https://science.osti.gov/wdts/nsb

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helpful Resources

*Covid-19 Toolkit for Montana Child Care & Out of School Programs 

Montana Science Assessment (MSA) and MSA Alt

New Self-paced Hub Course:  New Montana Science Assessment

     The state of Montana implemented the summative Montana Science Assessment (MSA) field test and the Alt MSA that aligns with the current science standards for the first time in the spring of 2022, as a scored test. 

Summative Assessment Preparedness and Resources Available

     The assessments measure the three dimensions of the science standards, the Science and Engineering Practices, the Disciplinary Core Ideas, and the Crosscutting Concepts.  

 

Science Alternate Assessment Information

MONTANA ALTERNATE ASSESSMENT FOR SCIENCE – NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS (NGSS)
ESSENCE STATEMENTS

Purpose of the Alternate Academic Achievement Standards in Science (AAAS)
The Montana Board of Public Education (Board) is responsible for adopting standards of accreditation for Montana schools including challenging academic achievement standards (see §20-2-121 and §20-7-101, MCA). All Montana public and non-public accredited schools are required to follow these standards of accreditation and participate in state assessments (see ARM 10.55.603):
Montana was a member-state of this consortium and leveraged the grant to help design, develop, and deliver the OPI’s Alternate Assessments that assess student proficiency and progress on Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (AAAS) in mathematics (math), English Language Arts (ELA), science, and English language proficiency (ELP) for students with significant cognitive disabilities (NCSC Brief 1 and ARM 10.53).
The AAAS set expectations of performance that differ in scope and complexity from grade-level achievement standards. In Montana, the AAAS are not adopted separately by the Board because they are the “same but different” standards-based expectations for students with significant cognitive disabilities. For students who, because of their disability, cannot participate in the state’s general assessment, the OPI has constructed and implemented guidelines for participation in the Alternate Assessment, including eligibility criteria (see Appendix A). The OPI meets the requirement of providing Alternate Assessments aligned to the State challenging academic achievement standards through its selection of the state assessments.
The decision to move a special education student to an Alternate Assessment has significant implications for the path that a student will take in their K–12 school career. It means the student is not able to participate in the general education curriculum even when provided with accommodations. A student who participates in an Alternate Assessment requires a modified curriculum. In addition, the IEP team for a student shall determine if the student meets the eligibility criteria for the Alternate Assessment. All students enrolled in accredited schools are expected to take part in state assessments in one of three ways:
1. Participate in the general education assessments without accommodations (ARM 10.56.104(1)).
2. Participate in the general education assessments with accommodations (ARM 10.56.104(1)).
3. Participate in Alternate Assessments when the participation criteria are met (see Appendix A and ARM 10.56.104(2)).

Formative assessment is valuable to teachers in the classroom.  Below are examples of formative assessment that align with the 3 Dimensional science standards. 

What does formative assessment look like in 3D Science?

Want to learn more about…

…how NGSA designed and developed 3-dimensional assessments using evidence-center design?

…how NGSA developed 3-dimensional scoring rubrics for formative assessment tasks?

  • Designing NGSS-aligned Assessment Tasks and Rubrics to Support Classroom-based Formative Assessment. We describe how principles of evidence-centered design inform the development of classroom-based science assessment tasks and rubrics that integrate three dimensions of science proficiency addressed in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The rubric development approach centers on the development of multiple rubric components, each of which corresponds to distinct aspects of proficiency of interest to teachers for classroom assessment.

…the NGSA 3-dimensional tasks?

…how NGSA designed and developed formative assessment tasks to promote equity?

Montana Science Standards

Comparison NGSS to Montana Science Standards

K-12

Standards and Resources

Model Curriculum Guides   

​​​​

Grade Level and Grade Band

Tech Directors: To access a machine readable version of the official Montana Content Standards for Science, please visit the 1EdTech CASE Network site.  Create a free login, select Montana Office of Public Instruction, and view or download the standards. The CASE version of the standards can be uploaded to student information systems, curriculum mapping programs, and a variety of other uses. Learn more about the CASE Network CASE Network FAQ