Science Notes

Science information and resources for ASD-N

Notes

Posted: September 17, 2020

Free/Sponsored Water Testing Kit for Grade 5-12 classes!

 
Grades 5-12 Teachers: Request a FREE/sponsored Water Testing Kit for your class!
Safe Drinking Water Foundation (SDWF) is a registered Canadian charity. Its primary purpose is to educate community leaders, politicians, engineers, health officials, students and the general public about drinking water quality issues and solutions. The SDWF accomplishes this by developing and distributing high quality, hands-on educational programs to thousands of schools, delivering webinars, and maintaining a massive website with lots of information available free of charge.

Posted: September 15, 2020

Forestry Education Opportunity and Survey (& $50 Gift card draw!)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Please see the following information below from Science East concerning an important survey and an opportunity to win a $50 gift card!
 
Hello Atlantic Teachers,
We know the last few months have been challenging, and we hope that you are keeping well, despite the uncertainty that remains in the months ahead. This is normally the time of year that the Forests Worth Knowing - Atlantic Teachers Tour (https://teacherstour.com/en/home/) is out in the woods with educators, teaching them about the forestry sector and how to bring forest education into the classroom!
 
We're asking for your guidance and suggestions via a short survey that should take less than 10 minutes to complete. And as a thank you, you can choose to be entered into a draw for one of five $50 gift cards.
 
Please see the survey here: Survey
 

Posted: May 4, 2020

Youth Science Canada Online STEM Fair - Submissions Open!

Youth Science Canada Online STEM Fair submissions are open!

See: Online STEM Fair Guide 2020 and keep an eye on YSC Facebook for more details!

Register HERE

Posted: April 27, 2020

Virtual Science Fair Opportunity

As you are aware, our District had to make the hard decision to cancel our District STEM Fest events in Bathurst and Miramichi in March 2020.

 

We understand how hard our students and teachers worked to be prepared and were disappointed with the lost opportunity to showcase these amazing projects.  We encouraged and hoped that students would keep their project ongoing for future learning and showcasing.

 

An opportunity has arisen for grade 7-12 students if they wish to showcase their project virtually at a national level.  Youth Science Canada has announced a virtual fair for May 2020. They understand that many regional fairs were cancelled so this opportunity is open to any interested student from grades 7-12 (whether they were attending district/regional fairs or not). 

 

** Update:

Today, May 4, 2020, is the launch day for the Youth Science Canada (organizers of the Canada-Wide Science Fair) Online STEM Fair. 
Submission website:
https://makeprojects.com/ysc/ 
 
Students across Canada, currently in grades 7-12, are eligible to submit their completed science fair project to this "low competition" online project board. The website is fairly easy to use and includes with a video help guide. No qualifying district or regional fairs are required for students to submit their projects. 
Projects will be judged and could receive regional and national virtual ribbons. 
 
Timeline:

 

  • Monday, May 4 - Open for project & STEM Expo entry
  • Tuesday, May 19 - Open for public, home learning & judging
  • Thursday, May 21 - Region judging deadline
  • Wednesday, May 27 - YSC & Sponsor judging deadline
  • Friday, May 29 - Ribbons awarded & announced
 
Please feel free to contact Becky Geneau (Director of Programs) at Science East with any comments or questions. 
 
 

Posted: April 5, 2020

Science and STEAM Home Learning Resources

 

Science and STEAM Home Learning Supplementary Resources

 

The primary focus when facilitating Science and STEAM Home Learning should be on promoting and instilling a love for Science, STEAM and a general curiosity and wonder about ourselves and the world around us (and beyond!). When we can facilitate the acquisition of Science skills for students, we are empowering them to continue their learning on their own. 

 

The resources suggested are a small sample of what is at our fingertips so we have attempted to shortlist this for teachers.  If you have a great site or strategy you use, or have come across, please feel free to share it with a member of our team!

 

Keep in mind, as well, the multitude of opportunities there are for interdisciplinary learning. When a student keeps a scientific journal, they are also often meeting outcomes in literacy and numeracy. When learning about and discussing Climate Change, there are Social Studies outcomes being met.  When designing or prototyping there are many technology outcomes being met.  When students are exposed to interdisciplinary learning, their learning becomes more streamlined, relevant and personalized.

 

As always, the primary resource for Science is our provincial curriculum documents: NB Curriculum (Anglophone Sector)

 

The new Grades 3, 4, 5 Science curricula have been released.  You are welcome to use it as a resource now however it is not mandatory at this time:

Science 3: Our Local Environment

Science 4: Properties and Uses of Earth Materials

Science 5: Living and Technological Systems

 

Smarter Science can also be used as a primary resource.

Smarter Science is a framework for teaching and learning science in grades 1–12 and for developing the skills of inquiry, creativity, and innovation in a meaningful and engaging manner.

Smarter Science

Éduca Sciences

Posters and PDFs

 

Supplementary Science Resources for Home Learning by Grade Level (these resources will be updated on an on-going basis):

K-2

3-5

6-8

9-12

 

Supplementary French Science Resources for Home Learning by Grade Level (these resources will be updated on an on-going basis)

 

We will be posting ASD-N Weekly STEAM with the goal of promoting and instilling a love for Science, STEAM and general wonder about the world around us.  This weekly publication can be used how you see valuable. Please feel free to tag @stemnorth on twitter with your pictures, videos or comments.  You can also follow STEAM in ASD-N on Facebook.

Posted: December 9, 2019

STEM Fest 2020

**Registration is now LIVE (deadlines are listed below but please register as soon as projects and student attendance at STEM Fest are confirmed)

Campbellton/Dalhousie/Bathurst area project registration   - Saturday March 14th 2020

Miramichi/Rexton area project registration - Saturday March 21st 2020

 

STEM Fest 2020 will take place mid March 2020 with one event in Bathurst and the other in Miramichi. Please see below and other links throughout STEM North for resources.  We have had some very exciting years so far and look forward to another great year!

Bathurst/Campbellton/Dalhousie area STEM Fest
Event Date: Saturday, March 14th 2020
Location: Terry Fox Elementary, Bathurst 
Registration Deadline:  Thursday, March 12th 2020 
 
Miramichi/Rexton area STEM Fest
Event Date: Saturday, March 21st 2020
Location: James M. Hill High School, Miramichi
Registration Deadline: Thursday, March 19th 2020  
 
Maximum number of projects (with a max of two students per project) per grade that can be registered from your school:
K-2: 4 projects
3-5: 8 projects
6-8: 8 projects
9-12: 8 projects

The judging rubric for March 2020 was developed at the provincial level and is based on the Canada Wide Science Fair rubric.  The rubrics from previous years will be left available as they contain a detailed summary of project expectations and components. Please be sure to read the exhibit guidelines, safety and ethics information provided by Youth Science Canada.  There are also planning documents that could be useful when helping students organize their projects.

Schedule of the day (Both events):

Time 

Activity  

9:30-10:00 

Project arrivals and set up 

10:00-10:20 

Welcome, introductions and instructions 

10:30-11:15 

Judging A and Activity Rooms 

11:15-12:00 

Judging B and Activity Rooms 

12:00-12:30 

Lunch (pizza for students/teachers/volunteers) 

12:30-1:15 

Judging C and Activity Rooms 

1:15-2:00 

Judging D and Activity Rooms 

2:00-2:40 

Public Viewing (while Judges meet)  

2:40-3:00 

Presentation/Door Prizes/Closing  

*students will be assigned a group letter for judging the day of the event

 

STEM Fest Project Information

·        STEM Fest Exhibit Guidelines: http://www.exposciencesnb.ca/info.asp

·        STEM Fest Project Safety: http://youthscience.ca/safety-science-fair-projects

·        STEM Fest Project Ethics: http://youthscience.ca/node/835

·       STEM Project Comparison Table

 

STEM Project Resource PowerPoint 

 

Primary/Beginner (K-2)

·        Project Planning: STEM Project Planning Document - K-3

 

Elementary (3-5)

·        Regional Judging Rubric: NB Regional Science Fair Judging Rubric

·        STEM (Engineering Focus) Project Planning: STEM Engineering Project Planning Document - Elementary

·        STEM Project Planning K-3: STEM Project Planning Document - K-3

·        STEM Project Planning 4-5: STEM Project Planning Document - 4-5

 

Middle/High School (6-12)

·        Regional Judging Rubric: NB Regional Science Fair Judging Rubric

·        STEM Project Planning: STEM Project Planning Document - 6-12

·        Engineering/Innovation Focus Project Planning: STEM Engineering Project Planning Document

·        Experiment Focus Project Planning: STEM Fair Planning Document - Scientific Method Based

 

Provincial Science Fair Documents

·        NB Regional Science Fairs (2020 information will be updated here soon)

·        NB Regional Science Fair Info Guide

·        Use of Graphs for Provincial Science Fair Information

 

Other Resources:

·        Teach Engineering

·        Science Buddies

·        Science Fair Central 

·        Smarter Science / Éduca Sciences

 

Old rubrics:

·        Old Version of Experiment Rubric (up to 2017): ASD-N Elementary STEM Fair Rubric - Experiment

·        Old Version of Innovation, Engineering & Coding Rubric (up to 2017): ASD-N Elementary STEM Fair Rubric - Innovation, Engineering, Coding Project

·        Old Version of Case Study Rubric (up to 2017): STEM Fair Rubric - Case Study

·        Old Version of Experiment Rubric (up to 2017): ASD-N STEM Fair Rubric - Experiment

·        Old Version of Innovation, Engineering & Coding Rubric (up to 2017): ASD-N STEM Fair Rubric - Innovation, Engineering, Coding Project

·        Old Version of Case Study Rubric (up to 2017): STEM Fair Rubric - Case Study

Posted: October 11, 2019

PocketLab Experiment of the Month! - October

PocketLab Experiment of the Month: The NGSS Seismic Basketball Challenge

In this lab activity, students place a PocketLab Voyager on the floor and drop a basketball from above their heads. PocketLab Voyager's accelerometer records the seismic waves from each bounce. Based on the collected data, students are challenged to find the original height from which the basketball was released. 

Bonus Challenge: Lab groups can swap data and try to determine the release point of the other groups' basketball

Posted: September 10, 2019

The Gaia Project - Climate Change Programs for your school

The Gaia Project is a non-profit charitable organization with the mission to empower youth to take action on climate change through education.

Check out some great programs offered by The Gaia Project:

Grade 3-5:

Trash Tracker (coming soon!)

Collect, measure, and find solutions to reduce your school’s waste footprint!

Energy Engineers

Introduce your students to terminology, mathematics and science-based principles related to energy production, transportation and use by humans

 
Grade 6-8

Energy Detectives

Investigate how to reduce energy consumption in and around your school

The Energizing Lab (coming soon!)

Introduction to renewable energy generation and smart consumption through hands-on stations and activities.

 

Grade 9-12

Electrify your Ride

Explore an electric car to learn about sustainable transportation and the smart energy grid

Sustainability in Action

Use experiential learning skills to investigate your school’s carbon footprint

 

 

Posted: August 26, 2019

Welcome Back!

Welcome back! Hopefully the summer gave everyone a chance to recharge and get excited about starting a fresh year. 

To help us better support you this year in your Science teaching, please take 3-5 min to fill out this information form: Science 2019-2020

The Science section of STEM North is meant to help organize important information and resources that are valuable to teachers.  As well, this section will be updated regularly with new information and resources as they become available.  Science is an inquiry-based/problem-solving environment.  It is important to keep this in mind and to always be learning about ways that we can engage and empower our students. If there is something in particular you are looking for, you can use the search function in the top right hand corner of this page.  On your right after you search, you will see that you can then filter according to grade level, topic, skill, etc.

Resources and information found on this site include:

-        Lesson Guides

-        Formative assessment resources

-        STEM Fair resources and information

-        Links to helpful science sites such as Smarter Science

-        Provincial Assessment information and resources

-        and more!

If you are looking for information that cannot be found here, or would like to talk about other support for your teaching, please contact Krista Hamilton at Krista.hamilton2@nbed.nb.ca

Looking forward to a great year in Science!

Krista Hamilton

Science Lead ASD-N

Posted: April 23, 2019

Grades 3-8 Science Lesson Guides / Ressources didactique en Sciences

Grade 3-8 Science Lesson Guides 

What are Science Lesson Guides?

With the shift in focus of science education in recent years, EECD has created Science Lesson Guides to offer teachers a set of guides based on the curriculum document.  Science Lesson Guides are designed so that teachers can start at the beginning of the document and each lesson builds on the next. All outcomes from the curriculum are accounted for and the learning takes place in the suggested order.  The guides have worksheets and rubrics for each lesson for teachers to use for Assessment purposes

Posted: April 12, 2019

Grade 4 Assessment Practice Questions

An assortment of files containing practice questions for the provincial science skills assessment in grade 4.  The best practice is doing science activities, it is also important to practice reading the types of questions asked on the provincial assessment.

AttachmentSize
PDF icon asd-n_grade_4_fi_science_assessment_2016.pdf1.01 MB
PDF icon asd-n_grade_4_science_assessment_2016.pdf577.07 KB
File grade_4_science_sample_1_fi.docx141.88 KB
File grade_4_science_sample_1.docx138.23 KB
File grade_4_science_sample_2_fi.docx326.11 KB
File grade_4_science_sample_2.docx325.46 KB

Posted: April 12, 2019

Grade 6 Provincial Assessment Practice Questions

Practice questions shared from ASD-E and ASD-W.  The best practice is doing science activities, it is also important to practice reading the types of questions asked on the provincial assessment.

AttachmentSize
File grade_6_science_sample_1_fi.docx435.43 KB
File grade_6_science_sample_1.docx434.64 KB
File grade_6_science_sample_2_fi.docx699.88 KB
File grade_6_science_sample_2.docx366.29 KB
PDF icon science_practice_assessment_-_grade_6_french.pdf853.14 KB
PDF icon science_practice_assessment_-_grade_6.pdf1.11 MB
PDF icon constructed_response_answers_grade_6.pdf974.14 KB

Posted: April 12, 2019

Grade 10 Provincial Assessment Practice Questions

An assortment of questions to practice for the provincial assessment on science skills.  The best practice is doing science activities, but it is also important to practice reading the types of questions asked on the provincial assessment.

AttachmentSize
File science_10_graphical_analysis_practice.docx226.41 KB
PDF icon spring-2016-istep-released-items-and-scoring-notesgrade-10-sciencefinal.pdf1.68 MB
File grade_3-12_sample_skills_questions_from_various_sources.docx2.44 MB

Posted: February 18, 2019

STEM Fest 2019

We are pleased to announce information regarding our upcoming ASD-N STEM Fests taking place in March 2019.

 

There will be two STEM Fests, one in Bathurst and the other in Miramichi.  Documents (safety instructions, resources, judging rubrics, etc.) have been updated and posted to http://stemnorth.nbed.nb.ca/science/page/stem-fest-project-documents.  Registration information is available as well at http://stemnorth.nbed.nb.ca/science/page/stem-fest-2019-registration-and-information Dates, schedule and locations are below.  

 

Once again, K-2 students will have designated participation spots and there are resources on STEM North to help at this grade level.

 

Parents are encouraged to stay and participate with their child.

 

Bathurst/Campbellton/Dalhousie area STEM Fest

Event Date: Saturday, March 16th 2019

Location: Terry Fox Elementary, Bathurst

Registration Deadline:  Thursday, March 14th 2019 (Registration is now live)

 

Miramichi/Rexton area STEM Fest

Event Date: Saturday, March 23rd 2019

Location: James M. Hill High School

Registration Deadline: Thursday, March 21st 2019  (Registration is now live)

 

 

 

Activity  

9:30-10:00 

Project arrivals and set up 

10:00-10:20 

Welcome, introductions and instructions 

10:30-11:15 

Judging A and Activity Rooms

11:15-12:00 

Judging B and Activity Rooms 

12:00-12:30 

Lunch (pizza for students/teachers/volunteers) 

12:30-1:15 

Judging C and Activity Rooms

1:15-2:00 

Judging D and Activity Rooms

2:00-2:40 

Public Viewing (while Judges meet) 

2:40-3:00 

Presentation/Door Prizes/Closing  

*students will be assigned a group letter for judging

 

Maximum number of projects (with a max of two students per project) per grade that can be registered from your school:

K-2: 4 projects

3-5: 8 projects

6-8: 8 projects

9-12: 8 projects

 

The project judging will take place throughout the day and students will participate in STEM-related activities when not being judged.  

 

We are looking forward to another great year of celebrating our students’ accomplishments at STEM Fest 2019!

Posted: April 16, 2018

Next Generation Science Standards Classroom Resources

The NGSS classroom resources database has many lessons and activities that have been vetted by the NSTA as well as user submitted materials.  http://ngss.nsta.org/Classroom-Resources.aspx

The NGSS is more than a resource or someone's opinion on science education; it is the result of years of research and collaboration among education leaders and professional researchers.  If you would like help with any of these, or other activities, contact the district STEM team.

Pages