AAAS » Project 2061

An electronic newsletter for the science education community

January/February 2008

Project 2061 on the Slate for 2008

Are you looking for guidance as you align science assessment with content standards? Do you need instructional resources that target key ideas and address student misconceptions? As you work to improve science teaching and learning this year, we invite you to find out more about Project 2061’s standards-based approach to curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

Meet Project 2061 staff as they share their latest research and tools at national conferences this spring. Or register for a “Using Atlas of Science Literacy” workshop. This popular workshop will show you how to use the nearly 100 strand maps collected in Atlas 1 and Atlas 2, along with other Project 2061’s resources, to enhance your understanding of science literacy and to take into account your students’ growth of understanding.

We hope to see you in 2008!

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting

February 14–18, 2008, Boston, MA

Project 2061’s Exhibit Booth

Visit AAAS Project 2061 in Booth #116 in the Exhibit Hall. Learn about Atlas of Science Literacy, Volume 2— and enter a drawing to win a free copy of this new collection of strand maps.

Understanding Obesity and Childhood Nutrition:

A Special AAAS Public Engagement Event

February 17, 2008, 1:15 p.m.–5:30 p.m.

Teachers, school health professionals, parents, students, scientists, and the public are cordially invited to take part in a free town hall-style event on understanding the science behind obesity and childhood nutrition. The town hall will explore key questions, including:

• What does science tell us about children’s nutritional needs worldwide?

• Is there enough time in the school day for exercise?
• How can nutrition instruction fit into the K-12 science curriculum?
• What roles can communities, schools, culture, and people play in addressing the problem of childhood obesity?

Program updates and more information about this event are available at www.aaas.org/obesity.

National Science Education Leadership Association (NSELA) Professional Development Institute

March 26, 2008, Boston, MA

Using Project 2061’s Tools for Science Literacy (Presentation)

Ted Willard, AAAS Project 2061

• Learn how to use the Atlas of Science Literacy and other Project 2061 tools to improve the focus and coherence of the science curriculum.

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) National Conference

March 27–30, 2008, Boston, MA

Project 2061's Exhibit Booth

Visit Project 2061 in the Exhibit Hall throughout the conference.

Aligning Science Assessment Items to Content Standards (Symposium)

George DeBoer, Natalie Dubois, and Cari Herrmann Abell, AAAS Project 2061

Friday, March 28, 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

• Learn about the Project 2061 Assessment Analysis Procedure, which helps educators judge the effectiveness of an assessment task in measuring students’ understanding of a particular learning goal.

Aligning Science Assessment Items with Content Standards (Workshops)

George DeBoer, Cari Herrmann Abell, and Natalie Dubois, AAAS Project 2061

Saturday, March 29, 7:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Advanced Registration Deadline: February 29, 2008

• Two workshops will be presented at the NSTA Research Dissemination Conference, Science Assessment: Research and Practical Approaches (For Grades 3–12 Teachers and School and District Administrators).

Standards-Based Astronomy Resources (Presentation)

Ted Willard, AAAS Project 2061

Saturday, March 29, 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

• AAAS Project 2061 is identifying and developing sets of resources for use in standards-based instruction. Come see our work on K–8 astronomy topics.

Phenomena and Representations for the Instruction of Science in Middle School (PRISMS): Digital Resources for Teaching Earth and Space Science (Presentation)

Chad W. Dorsey, Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance; Ted Willard, AAAS Project 2061; Lori Agan, Bath Middle School, Bath, ME

Friday, March 28, 8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m.

• Learn about an NSF-funded NSDL project to help middle school teachers select and use content-appropriate and instructionally sound digital resources for teaching earth and space science.

Phenomena and Representations for the Instruction of Science in Middle School (PRISMS): Digital Resources for Teaching Physical Science (Presentation)

Joyce B. Tugel, Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance; Ted Willard, AAAS Project 2061; Chad W. Dorsey, Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance

Saturday, March 29, 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

• Learn about an NSF-funded NSDL project to help middle school teachers select and use content-appropriate and instructionally sound digital resources for teaching physical science.

National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Annual Conference

March 29–April 3, 2008, Baltimore, MD

Assessment Linked to Middle School Science Learning Goals: Development and Use (Symposium)

George DeBoer, Natalie Dubois, Cari Herrmann Abell, and Kristen Lennon, AAAS Project 2061

An Analysis of Field Test Results for Assessment Items Aligned to the Topic of Atoms, Molecules, and States of Matter (Paper)

Cari Herrmann Abell and George DeBoer, AAAS Project 2061

Probing Middle School Students’ Understanding of Ideas about Matter Transformations in Living Systems through Content-Aligned Assessment (Poster)

Natalie Dubois and George DeBoer, AAAS Project 2061

Probing Middle School Students’ Understanding of Ideas about Interdependence in Living Systems through Content-Aligned Assessment (Poster)

Kristen Lennon and George DeBoer, AAAS Project 2061

Using Evidence: What Are Students Able to Do and How Do We Best Support Them Across Elementary, Middle, and High School? (Presentation)

Carrie Beyer, University of Michigan; Barbara Hug, University of Illinois; Lisa Kenyon, Wright State University; Leema Kuhn, Northwestern University; Kate McNeill, Boston College; Ted Willard, AAAS Project 2061

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For more information, please contact the Project 2061 staff members listed above.

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