Elementary Science Newsletter
March 2024
Elementary Science Updates
Flytraps and Frogs Free Weekend PD for DPS Teachers!
Time to order live organisms for your school!
Step 1: Select organism point person for your school.
Step 2: Fill out the request form
Step 3: Receive the voucher numbers from science specialist.
Step 4: Order organisms and select delivery date through Carolina Biological.
Step 5: Set up enclosures and teach DPS Investigations lessons!
Kindergarten: Ants
1st Grade: 16 Pillbugs, 8 Bessbeetles
2nd Grade: 30 butterfly larvae and food
3rd Grade: Seeds and plants and substrate already delivered in August consumable kits
4th Grade: 16 Millipedes, 3 moss mats
5th Grade: Ecosystems kit (30 elodea, 1 duckweed, 3 algae jars, 30 guppies, 30 aquatic snails)
DPI Released Field Test Questions
In July 2023, the North Carolina State Board of Education adopted the 2023 K-12 Science Standards. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is embedding field test items aligned to the newly adopted content standards for grades 5 and 8 and biology in the spring 2024 test forms. Assessments aligned to these content standards will be implemented in the 2024-25 school year. To support this development, some field test items will be included in a new science item set. Like a reading selection with questions, students will read a scientific text and respond to questions. This item set is at the end of the test form. To familiarize students with the science item set, a practice set is available in the tutorial item section of NCTest (app, secure browser, or North Carolina Testing System).
Opportunities and Resources
NC New Science Standards
New science standards were approved to be adopted in the 2024-25 school year. Click the flyers below to find out more information about the upcoming changes!
DPS Hub Farm
Hub Farm Events Calendar - Registration links and Fall schedulenow live!
Field Trip Requests are now open! You can request a variety of field trips at the DPS Hub Farm. Interested in learning more? See some of our new resources below!
Free Fieldtrips and Transportation with Eno River Association!
The Eno River Association can pay for bus transportation and has free programming at the Eno River!
Duke Gardens- Free Fieldtrips!
- 11 topics for students in PreK-12th grade (covering math, ELA, science, history, and art strands)
- Field trips can be self-guided or guided
- Guided field trip programs for any Durham Public School is FREE
- Capacity for each field trip (guided or self-guided) is 90 students
- Registration is required for both guided and self-guided field trips using our Program Request Form.
- Field trip instruction occurs outdoors in the gardens, year-round
- Fall is a beautiful time to visit. Spring is very popular and already filling up- so schedule early!
- If you have a special topic you’d like us to create a program for, let us know and we will work with you.
- Programs are designed to welcome EC classrooms and students with IEPs
More information is on our website (https://gardens.duke.edu/learn/school-group-programs ) .
I hope you will consider using Duke Gardens as an extension of your classroom this year. Please reach out to Liani Yirka with any questions you may have.
Liani Yirka:
919-668-5309 (Office)
984-278-0746 (Cell)
Pets in the Classroom Grant
Pets in the Classroom is an educational grant program that provides financial support to teachers to purchase and maintain small animals in the classroom. The program was established by the Pet Care Trust to provide children with an opportunity to interact with pets—an experience that can help to shape their lives for years to come. The Pet Care Trust also established the Dogs in the Classroom program, which provides teachers with the opportunity to bring animal-assisted therapy to their classroom – an experience that also can help shape the lives of children for years to come.
The Pets in the Classroom grant program is now taking applications for the 2023-24 school year. Begin Application Process Here.
Science Resources
DPS Investigations
DPS Investigations are hands on science lessons are designed for K-5 with all consumable materials for the lessons delivered at the beginning of the school year. **1 Non-consumable kit per grade level is were delivered at the beginning of the 2023 school year!**
Questions or training on DPS investigations can be directed to Amanda Bowers.
Science A-Z
Science A-Z is available for DPS as a resource. Science A-Z includes texts available grades K-6, in addition to hands on lessons, project based learning, quizzes, games, vocabulary cards and more!
Log in through the Learning A-Z icon in NCEDcloud.
Mystery Science
Mystery Science contains hands on lessons, videos, experiments and digital resources for DPS grades K-5. Lessons can even be assigned to students to complete independently or as a class. Mystery Science can be accessed through ncedcloud.
Questions: contact Amanda Bowers at amanda_bowers@dpsnc,net.
CIBL (5th Grade)
Individually-packed STEM student materials for a safe, equitable, hands-on learning environment! DPS 5th Grade packs include Weather, Force and Motion and Ecosystems! https://ciblearning.org/lesson-materials/student-activity-packs/
DPS Resource Feedback
We are revamping our DPS K-5 science curriculum to align to the newly approved science standards. Please provide feedback on our resources (curriculum maps, DPS Investigations, pacing etc.) using the form below.
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