“Get a Notion—It’s all About Motion”
 Science Institute Summer 2003 Course Description
Teacher/Program Designer: Sue Speirs, Grosse Pointe Schools K-12 Science Specialist
 

(A multi-age course designed for elementary and early middle school students)
         

Get a Notion--It's All About Motion

Imagine your student in the Summer Science Institute!

Students will link with pilots and flight instructors at Willow Run Airport—flying in DC-9 simulator; join environmental science researchers—slithering with Michigan’s very own Massasauga Rattle Snakes ; connect with neuroscientists—riding brain waves; soar with local astronomists—viewing planetary motion; design battery cells—the power for propulsion; learn from geology experts—shaking along the earth’s fault lines, erupting with lava and gliding on the glaciers; and journey on a kayak trip—riding the waves of the Lake St. Clair.

Students will learn about the basic rules that govern the motion of all objects—from aircraft to snakes to stars. The course will include several field trips—Willow Run Airport--Active Aero/USA Jet Airlines Inc., Indian Springs MetroPark, Grosse Pointe Farms Pier Park, the Detroit Science Center, Yankee Air Force Museum, ECD Ovonics and the Detroit Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. These experiences, established community links, and classroom collaborations will provide growth opportunities for students.

During this course, students will experience how the scientific method is applied during actual field research; discover the value in question asking; learn the power of observation; collect, analyze, and synthesize data; and work as a collaborative team in creative problem-solving. Students will join in classroom activities in order to refine and practice skills and techniques needed to apply science concepts as tools and triggers for discovery. Students will reorganize understandings; deepen their insights and commitments; reexamine underlying assumptions and beliefs; integrate new learning with prior knowledge; and challenge thinking by teaching others.

The students’ learning cycle will finale as friends, family, community members, teachers and administrators gather for this final stage—presentation. The Summer Science Institute 2003 Symposium, “Get a Notion—It’s all About Motion” serves as a perfect platform to provide closure to important aspects in learning.

 



Important Notes

Please Note: While we are attempting to develop the field trips noted in the course description, no guarantees can be absolute.

Permission Slips Safety: basic field trip stuff, kayak/water safety, DC-9 simulator, EEG tests--Please complete these forms below, due the first day of class--Monday June, 23rd
                    Form D -- Behavior, Searches, Waiver
                    Form E -- Student Medical
                    Form F -- Adult Medical
                    Form H -- Transportation
                    Form I  -- Drivers
                    Form J -- Walking
                    Permission to Appear in a Video
                    Permission to Appear on a School Website
 

Parent Connection— drivers, serving as chaperones, fan-out calls, symposium organization and learning partners--you are the essential connection!
 

Student Population—multi-age elementary middle school, working together to build a learning community (spaces limited)
 

Schedule: Flexible due to field trips, Class sessions dates and times are tentatively planned.
 

Fees in Addition to the course: Detroit Science Center Visit about $10, Yankee AirForce Museum about $3, the cost of gas for transporting the students on each field trip, a vehicle day permit for entrance into the Metro Park, and a fee for parking at Detroit Science Center.

Preparing for Field Trips: dress, snacks, sac lunches, drivers, bottled water, student behavior, permission slips, safety, returning home

Staff Development Hours for Grosse Pointe teachers are available. This course exemplifies Learning Community Theory In Practice—Linking students' learning with community and business partnerships. Spaces Limited to attend: Class Sessions, Field Trips. Please contact Jane Nutter's Office of Staff Development for more details.

If you are interested in designing a "notion/motion" lesson as a guest or team teacher, please feel free to contact Sue Speirs, K-12 Science Specialist.