Teachers > Upcoming Teacher Workshops

Upcoming Teacher Workshops

Teacher Workshops

The Academy will have some exciting new opportunities for teachers in the 2011-2012 school year! We will offer new three-part workshop series to deeply explore science topics, providing content knowledge, hands-on activities, and opportunities to collaborate with peers. We will also offer new citizen science workshops, giving you the tools to involve your students in real-world data collection. Our exciting exhibit-based workshops and popular Classroom Kit trainings are also continuing. Please join us for some fun and meaningful professional development!

Click the button below to download the complete schedule of teacher professional development.

Download Schedule

Registration

Beginning May 15, 2011, teachers can register for workshops by calling the Contact Center at (877) 227-3311, or by purchasing a ticket online. Ticket prices for each workshop are listed below.

Purchase Tickets

Time: 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Location: California Academy of Sciences

Workshop type: Classroom Kit Training
Workshop price: $15
Evolution Fish Game
Evolution is happening all around us. Take part in a workshop that brings evolution to life. Workshop participants will engage in hands-on activities that explore genetic variation, natural selection, predation, adaptation, and other topics. Learn how to make these abstract ideas more concrete for your students, while exercising their observation and communication skills.

After taking this workshop, you will be eligible to use the Evolution Kit in your classroom.

To see activity descriptions, materials, and the science content standards covered by the kit, visit the Evolution Kit page.
Time: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Location: California Academy of Sciences

Workshop type: Classroom Kit Training
Workshop price: $15
Skull
An animal skull can be an amazing resource for exploring natural history and practicing skills such as observation and interpretation.  In this workshop, participants will investigate the skulls of seven Northern Californian mammals and learn some of the critical differences that distinguish herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores.  Discover the significance of eye placement and learn to infer what animals eat from the shapes of their teeth.

After taking this workshop, you will be eligible to use the Skulls Kit in your classroom.

To see activity descriptions, materials, and the science content standards covered by the kit, visit the Skulls Kit page.
Time: 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Location: California Academy of Sciences

Workshop type: Classroom Kit Training
Workshop price: $15
obsidian rock
Explore the physical properties of rocks, minerals, and sand through hands-on observation and investigation. Discover the difference between igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, learn about the rock cycle, and trace the mineral resources used to manufacture objects that you use every day. While appropriate for grades 2 - 5, this kit emphasizes 4th grade science content standards.

After taking this workshop, you will be eligible to use the Geology (grades 2 - 5) Kit in your classroom.
Time: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Location: California Academy of Sciences

Workshop type: Explore the Natural World, 3-Part Series
Workshop price: $35

Special Note: This is a three part workshop taking place on
  • Thursday March 1,
  • Thursday March 8, and
  • Thursday March 15.
In order to participate, you must be able to attend all three sessions.
Weather and Climate
NEW! Are you interested in learning effective ways to teach the complexity of our atmosphere? Join us for hands-on activities and investigations that will help make weather and climate relevant to you and your students. Explore Bay Area specific examples of our own seasonal changes and collect data that will help you and your students understand the difficulty of being a meteorologists.
Time: 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Location: California Academy of Sciences

Workshop type: Classroom Kit Training
Workshop price: $15
Geology Kit
Join us to experience hands-on activities that illuminate the hidden processes of our planet. Learn about the Earth's layers, the movement of tectonic plates, and earthquakes. Take a look back over geologic time and check out some fossils from key points in Earth's history.

After taking this workshop, you will be eligible to use the Geology (grades 6-12) Kit in your classroom.
Time: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Location: California Academy of Sciences

Workshop type: Citizen Science Workshop
Workshop price: $35

BirdsleuthNEW! Spend time outdoors, connecting to nature by focusing on the fascinating sights, sounds, and behaviors of birds citizen. By participating in this Birdsleuth workshop, you and your students can help scientists collect real world bird data which scientists use to understand and conserve birds. Workshop participants will learn how to identify birds commonly found in the Bay Area, collect data, and ask questions related to animal behavior, distributions, and diversity.

This workshop includes Birdsleuth curriculum materials needed to conduct the lessons covered.

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Teacher Institute on Science and Sustainability (TISS)

Happy visitors
Become a life-long science learner, improve your science instruction, implement green practices in your classroom, and ignite in your students a passion for science by applying to the Institute today! TISS is an empowering and transformative 2-year teacher professional development opportunity for 3rd-5th grade teachers. Program features & benefits include:

  • $2,000 annual stipend
  • Immersion in a community of other motivated Bay Area Teachers
  • Monthly school site coaching by Academy educators
  • Complimentary Academy Membership
  • One district supported release day per year (SFUSD)
  • Three graduate level credits per year from San Francisco (SFSU fee paid by participant
  • A class set of science notebooks
  • Guaranteed Academy field trips for students

TISS Home

BIOFORUM

As of spring 2011, BioForum will no longer be offered at the Academy, though resources from past events, including videos from renowned scientists, will continue to be available online for teachers to access.

MEMBERSHIPS

Become an Academy member, and enjoy a full year of unlimited admission, reserved Planetarium passes, access to special events, Academy discounts, and more. Teacher Memberships are available through this application.

CONNECT TO YOUR FIELD TRIP

Happy visitors
Keep in mind that most of our workshops prepare you for a field trip by arming you with content knowledge, grade-specific activities, and a deeper familiarity with our exhibits. Our goal is to provide teachers with resources that can be directly applied in the classroom!

QUESTIONS?

Please contact:
Helena Carmena
(415) 379-5105

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