ACLIPSE Course Sessions

This introductory session of the course begins with participants sharing and discussing their ideas and prior knowledge about some of the themes around which the course was designed. These themes include: Local Ecological Knowledge & Place-based learning, Developing skills to effectively teach with data in the science classroom, Conceptual shifts in teaching and learning as…

This session focuses on learning conversations, the purpose and value in learning and ways to support students engaging in academic discussions. Participants explore ocean currents through multiple activities that include a hands-on investigation and observing a computer animation. They construct an explanation for what causes ocean currents and consider evidence-based responses to alternative explanations that…

This session probes into how learning happens – specifically, how learners construct an understanding of the world around them through experiences, social interactions, and making connections with their prior knowledge. Participants engage in a series of activities to gain a deeper understanding of the concept of the ocean as a heat reservoir and then apply…

Participants first refer back to research on learning and are asked to discuss their own experiences as learners in this session. Participants consider the challenges in bringing real and near-real time data into the classroom in authentic ways, and strategies that support data use in the classroom. They also consider and discuss the tremendous value…

In this session, participants examine their understanding of how the ocean and atmosphere are interconnected. They write their initial ideas, and are then presented with a puzzling weather phenomenon. As they apply their understanding of science concepts about ocean and air currents, participants explain the phenomenon. As an optional activity, participants move from observing a…

In this session, participants gain insight into the nature and practices of science in the best way possible—by doing and reflecting on science. They take a critical look at what is and is not an accurate view of science by attempting to define it. Participants experiment with a “mystery tube” in an investigative activity designed…

The content focus of this session also reflects the progression of ever-deepening understanding of the Crosscutting Concept of Energy and Matter in both physical and life processes through a deep dive into the carbon reservoirs and flows of the carbon cycle. Participants write their first ideas about 1) how do organisms use carbon? and 2)…

In this session, participants continue to explore the carbon cycle through multiple experiences and discuss how the structuring and sequencing of activities about the carbon cycle can promote deeper understanding. Participants consider carbon flows between land, ocean and atmosphere reservoirs, including flows caused by human activities. They construct a model of the carbon cycle with…

In this session, participants gain experience with the difficult task of narrowing a topic area down to a more focused question. They also learn strategies to identify the best-fit line and calculate annual rate of change, and why those are important scientific skills to have when interpreting data. In the process, they learn about the…

This session focuses on the causes and effects of ocean acidification, the crosscutting concept of cause and effect, making and interpreting graphs, and how graphs are useful to make predictions. Through hands-on investigations, the development and interpretation of a data visualization, and some brief readings, participants explore the causes and effects of ocean acidification. They…

Participants examine evidence of the effects of sea level rise on a local and global scale, and engage in an activity that explores the causes of sea level rise, allowing them to make claims as to the causes. They consider additional pieces of evidence, working collaboratively to make evidence-based cause and effect connections. They then…