Region 2

Resources

Donors Choose Grants for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties

Chevron has given us a grant to match funding to your next classroom project request(s) for math and/or science materials. This match donation to your project will encourage citizens to fund the rest. Teachers at high-need public schools anywhere in Alameda or Contra Costa county, where 40% or more of the student population is eligible for free or reduced price lunches. Special consideration is given to teachers in Walnut Creek, San Ramon, West Contra Costa, or Mount Diablo, regardless of the school’s level of need. Log in to your teacher account on DonorsChoose.org (if you don't have one, any public school teacher can sign up at www.donorschoose.org/teacher), then submit a project requesting $800 or less in materials to teach math or science. A few hours after your project is approved, you should see a Chevron logo on your project page. This means it has qualified for this match offer and now has an even greater chance of full funding by the other donors that visit the site.

Ocean Currents Radio Program

The Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary radio program, Ocean Currents, has moved to a new day and time. Ocean Currents is produced on KWMR 90.5 FM in Point Reyes, 89.7 FM in Bolinas, and live on the web at www.kwmr.org. For information on upcoming programs visit the Ocean Currents web site.

Point Reyes Bird Observatory (PRBO) Conservation Science: SEA Alcatraz

PRBO Conservation Science offers SEA Alcatraz, a multi-visit classroom and field trip seabird education program focusing on the seabirds of Alcatraz Island for 4th and 5th grade San Francisco classes. The program addresses several Science Content Standards for California Public Schools. For more information visit: http://www.prbo.org/cms/531.

California Coastal Commission

Prompted by the San Francisco Bay oil spill in November 2007, the California Coastal Commission created a web page about oil spills for teachers and students. On this web site you will find information about the Bay spill and oil spills in general, including environmental impacts, laws and regulations, glossary of terms, and links to classroom activities. www.coastforyou.org.

San Francisco Chronicle in Education

The San Francisco Chronicle in Education (CIE) encourages students to value newspapers as a trusted source for news and information, including the most up-to-date science and technology news. The new e–Edition combines the power of the press and the Internet. It’s an electronic replica version of the newspaper that is searchable, has a “watchlist” function, as well as a 30-day archive. It can be viewed on any computer with Internet access. And best of all, it’s available to teachers, librarians, and students at no cost, due to the generous sponsorship of our subscribers and Corporate Partners in Education. Learn how you can engage your students like never before. Check it out at http://cie.sfchron.com/sfc_nes_portal/.

RAFT (Resource Area for Teaching)

RAFT is a non-profit organization that believes hands-on teaching is the best way for teachers to teach and students to learn. They provide creative hands-on activities, educational resources, workshops, and inexpensive materials (many donated by local businesses) to enrich pre K-12 education. The goal is to assist teachers, non-profits, and community groups by providing materials and ideas for day-to-day teaching and for supporting professional growth. http://www.raftsac.org/.

The Tech Museum of Innovation

A hands-on technology and science museum In San Jose for people of all ages and backgrounds. The Museum offers a range of activities for K-12 school groups, including View From Space, a global weather exhibit where visitors can watch hurricane patterns and other meteorological events develop on a 6-foot globe; and Green by Design, an exhibit in the new Energy Gallery, where visitors design and race hybrid cars, play with solar power and experiment with renewable energy. IMAX films and Labs are also available at special group rates. Teacher memberships are available to all K-12 teachers and other district and county office employees. Receive free year-round admission, $2 IMAX tickets, members-only events and discounts, and more. Go to the membership desk at the Tech to take advantage of membership. For more information about The Tech Museum of Innovation, visit http://www.thetech.org.

Chabot Space and Science Center

The Chabot Space and Science Center offers teachers the opportunity to network with other Bay area teachers through their FEAST (Fun Exchanges and Activities for Science Teachers) and NEST (Network of Elementary Science Teachers) networks. You are always welcome to join to find out about this growing group of supportive teachers. There is usually no charge for FEAST and NEST sessions unless otherwise states. Visit Chabot's Teacher programs page at http://chabotspace.org/visit/programs/teacher.asp to find the links to FEAST and NEST.

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

Located in Moss Beach, San Mateo County (about one hour south of San Francisco), this spectacular stretch of coastline includes a shallow marine shelf that is exposed during low tides. Many interesting marine animals and plants are visible in the pools for watching, photographing, and drawing. Come study and enjoy this rich and complex habitat!.
For more information, call 415-363-4020 or visit www.sfgate.com/getoutside/1996/jun/fitz.html.

Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley

at UC Berkeley offers a wide range of homeschool and afterschool programs for individuals in astronomy, biology, physics, math, and chemistry. Also available are weekend workshops and family workshops. http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org.

Exploratorium, San Francisco
For more information go to www.exploratorium.edu.

Aquatic Outreach Institute, Richmond
To register or for more information, call 510-231-5778.

Coyote Point Museum for Environmental Education, San Mateo
For more information, call 650-342-7755 or go to www.coyoteptmuseum.org.

Oakland Museum of California

Walk Across California. Take a simulated journey through California's diverse ecosystems, observing plants and animals found from the Pacific coastline to the High Sierra and the inland desert. Exhibits contain approximately 2,500 natural specimens organized around the basic ecological principles highlighting relationships among plants, animals, geology and climate. The Aquatic California Gallery presents an overview of our aquatic environments, including the oceans, rivers, streams and estuaries. Permanent exhibition. For more information, call 888-OAKMUSE or visit www.museumca.org.

California Academy of Sciences - Free Admission for Teachers February 1 - March 15, 2010

The California Academy of Sciences at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, is a must-visit for Bay Area science educators and students. The complex includes the Steinhart Aquarium, the Morrison Planetarium, and the Natural History Museum, plus world class research and education facilities. The Academy's green design includes a living roof of 2.5 acres of native California flora topping two domes, one housing a new Rainforests of the World exhibit and the other housing the planetarium. Offerings for educators have been expanded, with students labs available for 2nd through 12th grade classes designed to address standards at the appropriate grade level. For more information, visit www.calacademy.org/teachers.

Information regarding field trip reservations for the 2009-2010 school year will be available in May at http://www.calacademy.org/teachers/plan_a_visit.php.

Clem Miller Environmental Education Center

The Clem Miller Environmental Education Center School Program at Point Reyes National Seashore is a nine-building green facility that provides a low-cost opportunity for you and your students to step outside the traditional classroom and have fun exploring nature's classroom. The center provides teachers with the training, support, and teaching resources needed to create their own environmental education program. For general information about the program, visit the website at http://www.ptreyes.org.

Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center

The Sanctuary Visitor Center provides unique and engaging programs that allow students to see their connection to ocean habitats and wildlife. Bring your class to the Gulf of the Farallones Sanctuary Visitor Center at the Presidio and you will open up an exciting learning opportunity for your students. Programs are two hours long, interactive, grade specific and correlate to state standards.

Students use hands-on exhibits inside the visitor center to discover how senses, life cycles, adaptations, and food webs function in the marine environment. Outside on the beach, students use observational skills to discover what makes this such a fragile world and actions they can take to help protect the ocean.

Project Astro

Project Astro is recruiting teachers in grades 3-9, particularly those in the benshmark years for astronomy science content standards in grades 3,5, and 8, for the 2010-11 cohort of partners. Public elementary, middle, and high school teachers, charter school teachers, and after-school programs associated with either are invited to apply. Contact Brian Kruse, lead formal educator, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, at 415-337-1100 ext 126, or bayareaastro@astrosociety.org

California Science Projects

The California Science Project (CSP) is a university-based professional development network for pre-K-16 teachers of science that utilizes highly skilled teams of educators and scientists drawn from universities and school districts across the state. This statewide network works toward the common goal of improving science education for all California students. The CSP has convenient sites across the state at campuses of the University of California, California State University, and independent colleges/universities. There are four science projects in Region 2:
Bay Area Science Project—Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley
University of California San Francisco Science Project
East Bay Science Project—CSU East Bay
Monterey Bay Science Project—UC Santa Cruz

Events

Ongoing
San Francisco, Berkeley, Palo Alto, and Silicon Valley, CA

Bay Area Science Cafés

Down to a Science (San Francisco): www.sciencecafesf.com

Ask a Scientist (San Francisco): www.askascientistsf.com

East Bay Science Café (Berkeley): bnhm.berkeley.edu/about/sciencecafe.php

Café Scientifique (Palo Alto): bloodcenter.stanford.edu/news/Scientifique.html

Café Scientifique (Silicon Valley): www.cafescisv.org

October 25-29, 2010
San Francisco, CA

Fundamentals of Inquiry

Offered by the Exploratorium Institute for Inquiry. For a detailed workshop brochure, visit http://www.exploratorium.edu/ifi/workshops. For questions, call 415-561-0397.

February 7-9, 2011
San Francisco, CA

Assessing for Learning

Offered by the Exploratorium Institute for Inquiry. For a detailed workshop brochure, visit http://www.exploratorium.edu/ifi/workshops. For questions, call 415-561-0397.