Hello Margo,

You asked two great questions and let me respond them separately.
Many of video clips were taken from the fieldtrip on the Day 4 of our PD at the South Holston Dam (Homepage, Scouting Trip). On Day 2, we provided general technology sessions, project-based learning to all STEM and ELA teachers. On Day 3 we offered in-depth tech session (e.g. using GoPro, Vernier probeware, multi-media production), fieldtrip preparation (see South Holston Dam fieldtrip handout)  

The scenes at 0:51 and 1:27 were five HS Chem teachers who had PD at Vernier probeware prior to the trip. Between 1:32 and 1:54 our STEM and Lit faculty was working with HS STEM and Lit teachers. Specifically, Biology, Chem and Math teachers were main scientific explorers in the stream of South Holston Dam. ELA teachers were taking care of the documentary process. Here are two documentaries produced by ELA teachers: (1) I am Holston and (2) Grass and Water which were presented on Day 6. We were impressed their documentary work.

Second, student work has been shared in multiple ways (audience): (1) students presented at semester-end school event (students and teachers), (2) teachers presented in school board (members of school board), (3) teachers and students presented at school STEM night (people in their communities), (4) our team presented at regional superintendent meeting (directors of schools), (5) our team presented at regional supervisor meeting (district curriculum supervisors), and (6) we will bring students to present during our ETSU STEM Conference this summer.

We are excited about this video showcase which also gives the students a great opportunity to share their work with others and receive feedback.

Jonathan, thank you for your question. Our school teachers knew better than me about how to sit in the school's existing literacy and science curricula. Let me ask these experts then get this back to you very soon.

Thanks! I'm looking forward to hearing what they have to say.

Hi Jonathan,

Please see below from the teachers who was implementing this water quality (creek hunters) curriculum. I will share the student video work in another post. Sorry for the delay. They were out for a field trip yesterday. Thanks, Chihche

The water quality study was a collaborative project-based learning unit that developed over a six to eight week time period. The unit included the 7th & 8th grade students. In the ELA class, the 8th graders researched informational text that served as a basis for their writing and practicing content area skills. The 7th graders read

A Long Walk to Water by Lind Sue Park that guided them through the ELA standards expectations and in developing narrative writing skills as well as research. Each group also practiced media, use of technology, and 21st century skills such as collaboration and problem solving.

Students in both groups used measurement skills from math and science in measuring stream flow. Science students participated in stations that included content areas that were addressed during the PBL unit and testing with materials that were studied throughout the school year. The 8th grade focus at the time was on biodiversity and adaptations while the 7th grade students were studying the organization of life. Each group tested water quality looking a macroinvertebrates and measuring properties of the water such as turbidity, pH, and dissolved oxygen. The study provided support for units that were taught at later times.

We plan to repeat our unit again next year and add additional testing sites and begin to build a data base for the water study in our area. We have developed another unit that is a problem-based unit on the decline of the honey bee population and the effect on the local food producers in our farming community. As of this time, the unit is scheduled for the next school year. 

Please also find this video:
Water PBL in SLICE PD and School Implementation

The first part 0:00-0:53, a video section was created by teachers who participated our SLICE PD in summer 2017. The second part (0:56- 1:59), a video section was created by students who teachers implemented the project in the field on 9/28/17 and had a middle school-wide presentation (including video, report, comic books) on 10/5/17.

I had this work present at the regional superintendent meeting and hope to scale up this practice.

Sally,

I totally agree with you about the payoff of integrating poetry (ELA) and science. They are rhymes of life and sources of enthusiasm.

For your questions, we have some implementation done in middle school setting (please see a reply to Jonathan above). In high school, it would need more efforts to get it implemented. But I think there are two designs (1) Fish is Salad (the group from I am Holston) and (2) HS SLICE in Energy are promising in a regular school setting (the teachers designed them last summer, we will try to implement next year.) We are working on the school level this summer.

Currently, we have a couple of middle schools totally buy in this initiative (they have superintendent, curriculum supervisor, principal, school board members’ support). In high schools, we have some of teacher leaders are on board and will expand their teams as time progresses.

Sorry to get back to your questions late. I am also working on a SLICE STEM conference with 250+ teachers, administrators, educators, and business partners at the end of this Month. We hope to share what we have done and what we can offer to teachers and students for the region.