| Calculator Policy for Grade 8 Science STAAR
Beginning with the May 2018 administration of STAAR, calculators will be required for STAAR grade 8 science. Districts must ensure that students have access to a calculator with four-function, scientific, or graphing capability when taking the STAAR grade 8 science assessment. The updated calculator policy is posted on TEA's Student Assessment Division website at http://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment/staar/.
Texas Gateway Resources for Science
Additional resources were added to the Texas Gateway over the summer. In addition, some current resources have been reformatted to be more user-friendly. The following resources have been recently updated, are commonly used to begin the school year, or have been recently posted.
OnTRACK Biology Lessons
The Biology lessons have been re-built within the Gateway system. This means they are now more accessible and device agnostic so that they work well across multiple platforms and devices. This makes them much easier to view and use on mobile devices. These lessons are available at www.texasgateway.org.
OpenStax Open-Source Instructional Materials
OpenStax (Rice University) open-source instructional materials will be available at https://www.texasgateway.org/. The products are organized into units and chapters and can be used like traditional textbooks as the entire syllabus for a course. OpenStax open-source instructional materials will be fully available in September. For assistance in locating sample materials, contact the Instructional Materials Division at (512) 463-9601 or instructionalmaterials@tea.texas.gov.
Study Edge Open-Source Instructional Materials
Study Edge open-source instructional materials for chemistry and physics are available on the Texas Gateway. The products created by Study Edge are delivered in short videos with master teachers presenting the material. The videos can be used to teach an entire course or as supplemental material to help students be more successful in these challenging courses. For more information about Study Edge open-source materials available through TEA, visit https://www.texasgateway.org/node/227231. For additional assistance, contact the Instructional Materials Division at (512) 463-9601 or instructionalmaterials@tea.texas.gov.
Scientific Process Skills
These resources have also been to the Gateway to be more user-friendly. The Scientific Process Skills resources can be accessed as individual lessons individually or in a binder of seventeen different lessons. These lessons are available at https://www.texasgateway.org/binder/ontrack-scientific-process-skills.
Science Safety Training
The Texas Gateway courses are provided as a courtesy to educators.
Find out more at https://www.texasgateway.org/resource-index/Science%2520Safety%2520Training.
The "Let's Get Started" features are also new and helpful for teachers. Additional information is available at https://www.texasgateway.org/node/94716.
Streamlined Science TEKS
The streamlined science TEKS are available on the TEA website until their scheduled effective date, August 27, 2018.
Once effective, the TEKS will be incorporated in the Texas Administrative Code with "Adopted 2017" in their title. Additional information and links to the adopted rules will be included in future communications through the science bulletin.
Please note: The current TEKS are the required TEKS until the 2018 -2019 implementation of the streamlined TEKS.
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Skype a Scientist
Skype a Scientist is a program that uses video conferencing to connect over 1700 volunteer scientists with classrooms for 30-60 minute interactive conversations. Additional information is available at https://www.skypeascientist.com/.
National Oceanic and Atmosphere Association (NOAA) Resources
NOAA provides resources dealing with oceans and the atmosphere. To view these resources, please visit http://www.noaa.gov/education.
Earth Science Resource
The Google Earth Engine is a tool for analyzing geospatial information. It stores satellite imagery of Earth, organizes the data, and provides it in a searchable format in a data catalog. Students can interact with and analyze real data in Earth science. The resource is available at https://earthengine.google.com/.
Lone Star Leadership Academy - Call for Outstanding Student Nominations
The 2018 Lone Star Leadership Academy is accepting nominations for outstanding 4th-8th graders for the summer academy. Participants travel to the Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin/San Antonio, or Houston/Galveston area to join delegations of other distinguished students from across Texas for a week of fun, learning, leadership development, and visits to significant Texas destinations. Each day, participants explore notable Texas sites, learn about unique careers from professionals, and work in small groups to develop specific leadership skills. In addition to improving their leadership abilities, participants gain self-confidence and independence and develop new friendships with other high-achieving students from across the state. Nominees must be in 4th-8th grade, maintain an 85 or higher average, demonstrate leadership ability, and be involved in school/community activities. Teachers can nominate a student at http://educationinaction.org/nominate-leaders. The nomination deadline is Friday, November 3, 2017.
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K-12 STEM Specialist
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