Leadership State Experts: Denver Museum of Nature and Science Trainers, Time Blesse and Brandon Davis Intended Audience: 8-12th grade science teachers Dates/Times: Jan.27th, Feb. 27th, April 3rd, and May 12 / 8:00-11:00 a.m. Course Description: Come join us for a series of collaborative hands-on workshops that focus on evidence-based strategies that you can use tomorrow in your classroom to get students using models in ways that scientists use them and excited about “sense-making” as they develop their own explanations for the phenomena they investigate. The shift to three-dimensional science teaching called for by the new state standards expects that our students are spending less time in class “Learning About” scientific phenomena and more time “Figuring Out” what causes them. Transforming science education into a method of discovery, not only imitates what real scientists do, but it adds a sense of student agency and ownership that “cookie-cutter” labs never did. But how do we make this happen when students have had little experience doing this? We as educators were not taught using this approach either. In these sessions, we will learn practical scaffolding strategies that will allow you to weave the science and engineering practices of modeling and explanation into your current lessons and labs. Registration link for Sessions 1 and 2 Session 1 - Friday 1/27 - Modeling Part I Session 2 - Monday 2/27 - Modeling Part II Registration link for Sessions 3 and 4 Session 3 - Monday 4/3 - Explanation Part I Session 4 - Friday 5/12 - Explanation Part II Charter employees, if you are unable to access the registration link, please use this form to register instead.