September 23, 2014

Understanding the Science

Sustainable Chemistry Center CenSURF, the South Coast Science Project and Science Matters lead professional development workshop for teachers in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties

UC Santa Barbara Staff

UC Santa Barbara’s Center for Sustainable Use of Renewable Feedstocks (CenSURF) and the South Coast Science Project teamed with Science Matters and District Teacher Leaders to create a week of hands-on learning opportunities for 35 elementary school teachers in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Meeting at Carpinteria Middle School, the teachers immersed themselves in the Next Generation Science Standards through lessons involving the disciplinary core ideas of Molecules to Organisms and Ecosystems.

Based on the Framework for K-12 Science Education developed by the National Research Council — the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering — the Next Generation Science Standards are designed to provide all students an internationally benchmarked science education.

At UCSB, teacher leaders worked with faculty members, highlighting lessons that integrated the English Language Arts Common Core Standards and language development for English-language learners with the Next Generation Science Standards.

Headquartered at UCSB, CenSURF is a Center for Chemical Innovation funded by the National Science Foundation.

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The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.