Explore the scientific principles of force and motion, magnetism and more while learning how to incorporate hands-on activities for early elementary students. NYSCI staff will model creative techniques and sensory rich exploration from racing vehicles down zip-lines to painting with magnets. Learn how to incorporate hands-on engineering activities for early learners that are aligned to the Common Core and NYC Science Scope and Sequence.

From soil exploration and using flowers and fruits for natural dying to recreating the rock cycle using colorful playdoh, participants will use scientific processes and tools to explore the qualities of earth materials and build science inquiry skills including observation, making predictions, experimentation and communication. Learn how to incorporate hands-on activities that introduce earth materials science to early learners. Connections will be made to the Common Core standards and the NYC Science Scope and Sequence.

Learn how to incorporate playful and interactive activities for early elementary students that demonstrate animal adaptations across various biomes. Participants will learn how to utilize designing and making strategies that investigate the differences in animals including predator/prey relationships and how animals have adapted to survive in the environments that they live in. Connections will be made to the Common Core and NYC Science Scope and Sequence.

Explore different types of electricity, investigate how to use everyday materials as an avenue into understanding conductivity, and engage in hair-raising, design-based activities that effectively demonstrate and engage students in learning about electricity. Special emphasis on connections to Common Core ELA, NYS 4th Grade Performance Exam and the NYC Science Scope and Sequence.

Discover how biology and nature can inspire inventions by exploring form, function, and adaptations of plants and animals through a series of hands-on, design-based challenges. Conduct various activities that illustrate how animals adapt to their environment and how these adaptations can be used in a series of engineering challenges. Connections to Common Core ELA and the NYC Science Scope and Sequence will be made.

Using an assortment of simple materials, participate in a series of challenges to build and design strong, stable structures. The structures built will range from large freestanding structures to small tabletop structures that test weight, durability, and ability to withstand extreme environmental conditions. Special emphasis on connections to Common Core ELA and the engineering design process will be made.

Learn how to apply concepts of force and motion to meet a variety of engaging design challenges including marshmallow catapults, “ski jump” rollercoasters, and launching straw rockets. Explore how these activities help students better understand Newton’s Law of Motion and how they can be modified for various grade units. Connections to Common Core ELA, NYS 8th Grade Performance Exam and the NYC Science Scope and Sequence will be made.

Explore various design challenges that can be replicated in the classroom to learn about the properties of light (including reflection, absorption, refraction and diffraction) and how light interacts with different types of matter. Connections to Common Core ELA and the NYC Science Scope and Sequence will be made.

Learn the history and philosophy behind the Maker Movement, Maker Faire, and maker spaces. Participants will experience the 4D method (Deconstruct, Discover, Design/Make, Display), a successful strategy used to develop maker learning experiences that fosters creative problem solving and critical thinking skills. NYSCI staff will model hands-on activities using everyday materials that encourage experimentation and demonstrate how a maker curriculum can integrate STEM content and link to curricular standards.

Making does not need to rely on expensive materials or equipment; it just needs to be centered around a mindset that encourages materials exploration. In this workshop, participants will focus on modeling maker activities that use simple materials to create meaningful and engaging learning experiences. Explore how various materials (cardboard, duct tape, scissors, etc.) can transform your classroom into a dynamic makerspace and align with cross-disciplinary subjects. Materials featured will be based on your resources and needs.

Learning to use hand tools builds confidence and creative problem-solving skills as well as provides a platform for innovative thinking. In this workshop, participants will learn how to use basic hand tools such as pull saws, rasps, files, sandpaper, and hot glue guns to create student-driven projects. We will explore how these tools can enhance your classroom curriculum. Techniques for proper tool use, care, and maintenance will also be discussed.

New to making? Already doing making and want more? We offer personalized consultation or coaching to schools or organizations seeking maker integration from vision building to full-scale implementation. Consultation or coaching can be customized for any region, locally or abroad.

• Makerspace Start Up Consultation
• Maker Showcase Planning and Implementation
• Weekly or Monthly Maker Coaching
• Corporate Creative Thinking Team Workshops

Through lesson modeling, the Science Coach helps teachers increase their science content knowledge. Teachers observe exemplary teaching techniques and “hands-on” inquiry-based approaches, and they are expected to prepare and follow up on that lesson (pre-and post-lab) as well as master the demonstration lesson so they will be able to confidently use these hands-on methods with students.

Educators are expected to provide hands-on lessons, yet many of New York City’s classrooms are not equipped with the tools to facilitate these activities. The Science Coach brings NYSCI portable exhibits, science equipment, and activities to the participating schools so that students can have the opportunity to use equipment or see demonstrations, such as a cow’s eye dissection, that would otherwise be unavailable to them.

Schools receive comprehensive 4th and 8th grade state science test preparation for the performance (lab) component. Observing the Science Coach as she performs lab procedures for specific grade levels, teachers have a model for how to set up the stations, facilitate the practice activities, and guide students to think critically while incorporating appropriate vocabulary and explanations.

In some schools, the Science Coach provides science-fair project guidance.
NYSCI Class Trips. The Science Coach provides trip-planning advice and museum-learning worksheets for teachers who schedule visits to NYSCI with their students. Trip itineraries and agendas are based on age appropriateness, content relevancy, and teacher requests.