Kicking off MMSA’s summer workshop extravaganza was a four-day PSP Summer Academy in Orono June 23-26.
Titled Opportunities for Place-Based Education in Weather and Climate Curricula, the workshop led by MMSA Executive Director Ruth Kermish-Allen and STEM Education Specialist Joyce Tugel introduced middle school teachers to the research-based best practices of place-based education (PBE). Participants developed action plans to apply the PBE principles to their weather and climate programs. Participants also examined how PBE pedagogy can be integrated into the teaching and learning of other content areas.
Of special interest was the investigation of PBE weather and climate connections to middle school NGSS standards. Alignment of PBE with core ideas and integration of the practices into the overall plan were key elements of the educators’ final project, creating a presentation on the last day of the workshop.
The examples that participants developed that integrate PBE into existing curriculum showcase the flexibility and importance of PBE in this work. Students in these classrooms will have the opportunity to truly experience what they’re learning places that have meaning in their own lives, and to see the impact of the weather and climate they’re exploring in their own region of Maine.
Funded through a subcontract with the UMaine systems RiSE Center, the Maine Physical Science Partnership is a leadership development program to empower emerging science teachers to bring about systemic change in their region of Maine.
As always, please get in touch with us if youd like to know more.
