Los Angeles Unified School DistrictLos Angeles Unified School District

Marlene Felix, DirectorMarlene Felix, Director

LAUSDLAUSD

Elementary Science Elementary Science Immersion WorkImmersion Work

2005-20082005-2008

Science ImmersionScience Immersion• Immersion Units provide a coherent series of lessons Immersion Units provide a coherent series of lessons

designed to guide students in developing deep designed to guide students in developing deep conceptual understandingconceptual understanding

• Aligned with standards and key science conceptsAligned with standards and key science concepts

• Students learn academic content Students learn academic content by working like scientists:by working like scientists:

• ObservingObserving• Asking questionsAsking questions• Doing further investigations to explore Doing further investigations to explore

and explain natural phenomenaand explain natural phenomena• Communicating their results based on Communicating their results based on

evidenceevidence

Primary Goals for ImmersionPrimary Goals for Immersion

• Improve science teaching and learning for Improve science teaching and learning for all students through:all students through:• Inquiry-based and standards-centered Inquiry-based and standards-centered

instructional materialsinstructional materials• Research-based professional development to Research-based professional development to

support Immersion Unit implementation and support Immersion Unit implementation and transfer to strengthen all science teachingtransfer to strengthen all science teaching• Immersion model for professional learningImmersion model for professional learning

Science Lead TeachersScience Lead Teachers

• Receive professional development focused on the Receive professional development focused on the 5 Essential Features of Inquiry5 Essential Features of Inquiry

• Provide professional development on Inquiry to Provide professional development on Inquiry to every 4every 4thth and 5 and 5thth grade teacher in over 450 grade teacher in over 450 elementary schoolselementary schools

• Science Lead Teachers support implementation Science Lead Teachers support implementation of Immersion Unitsof Immersion Units

Rot it Right: The Cycling of Matter Rot it Right: The Cycling of Matter and Transfer of Energyand Transfer of Energy

• Developed in collaboration Developed in collaboration with the Bottle Biology with the Bottle Biology Program at UW – Madison, Program at UW – Madison, LAUSD, and CSUsLAUSD, and CSUs

• Transforming isolated Transforming isolated activities into inquiry-activities into inquiry-based, coherent units of based, coherent units of studystudy

• Instructional materials to Instructional materials to support all teachers and support all teachers and learnerslearners

Past WorkPast WorkJuly 2005 – June 2006July 2005 – June 2006

• Three 5-day Three 5-day Rot it RightRot it Right Immersion Unit Immersion Unit InstitutesInstitutes• Cadre of 4Cadre of 4thth grade grade Rot it RightRot it Right facilitators facilitators• 3-day conference to deepen cadre’s ability to 3-day conference to deepen cadre’s ability to

facilitatefacilitate• Fifteen 2-day professional development Fifteen 2-day professional development

sessionssessions• Two series of three 2-hour follow-up workshopsTwo series of three 2-hour follow-up workshops

Present WorkPresent WorkJuly 2006 – June 2007July 2006 – June 2007

• Five Five Rot it RightRot it Right 5-day Immersion Unit Institutes 5-day Immersion Unit Institutes• Two Saturday follow-up workshopsTwo Saturday follow-up workshops

• Eighty Rot it Right 2-day professional development Eighty Rot it Right 2-day professional development sessionssessions

• Nine series of four 2-hour follow-up workshopsNine series of four 2-hour follow-up workshops• One One Weather Forces and PredictionWeather Forces and Prediction (5 (5thth grade) grade)

Immersion Unit InstituteImmersion Unit Institute• Pilot/focus groupPilot/focus group

• Professional development for K-12 facilitatorsProfessional development for K-12 facilitators• Leadership trainingLeadership training

By the Numbers…By the Numbers…

• Over 500 teachers trained in Immersion Over 500 teachers trained in Immersion Unit Institutes and 2-day professional Unit Institutes and 2-day professional development sessionsdevelopment sessions

• Over 700 teachers projected to be trained Over 700 teachers projected to be trained by June 2007by June 2007

Future WorkFuture WorkJuly 2007 – June 2008July 2007 – June 2008

• Three Three Rot it RightRot it Right Level I 5-day Immersion Unit Level I 5-day Immersion Unit Institutes - TPC study to determine the impact.Institutes - TPC study to determine the impact.

• Two Two Rot it RightRot it Right Level II 4-day Immersion Unit Level II 4-day Immersion Unit InstitutesInstitutes

• Four Four WeatherWeather 5-day Immersion Unit Institutes 5-day Immersion Unit Institutes• Begin full implementationBegin full implementation

• Two Two Analyzing AnimalsAnalyzing Animals (Kindergarten) Immersion (Kindergarten) Immersion Unit InstitutesUnit Institutes

• Pilots/focus groupsPilots/focus groups

Future WorkFuture WorkJuly 2007 – June 2008July 2007 – June 2008

• Continue 2-day Continue 2-day Rot it RightRot it Right professional professional development sessionsdevelopment sessions

• Begin 2-day Begin 2-day WeatherWeather professional professional development sessionsdevelopment sessions

• Continue Follow-up workshopsContinue Follow-up workshops

Immersion Units Immersion Units

allow all studentsallow all students

to think and actto think and act

like real scientists.like real scientists.