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Essential Info

• Cost:
  $35 per participant. Includes a light breakfast and lunch.
• Register:
  Call Central Reservations at (212) 769-5200, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.
• Deadline:
  Registration for each session will close one week prior to the session.
• Contact:
  Dave Randle

Curriculum Topic Study at the Museum

Curriculum Topic Study at the Museum is a day-long class designed to help K-12 educators focus on what adults and students at all grade levels should know about specific scientific content areas. The Curriculum Topic Study (CTS) approach clarifies the intent of standards and core-curricula for which teachers are accountable. In addition to making extensive use of the resources of the American Museum of Natural History &mdash its Education Department, exhibits, and the work of museum scientists &mdash CTS draws upon resources from the National Resource Council and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

What will I do at a CTS session?
You will engage in a scholarly exploration of a science topic through reading and discussing popular science literature, national and state standards, cognitive research, and state-of the-art science resources &mdash from websites to physical specimens. The focus will be on the connections between standards and benchmarks, research on student learning, and the design of instruction. Facilitators will make explicit connections between Museum resources and science content, and model teaching in an informal setting.

What will I learn?
Each session focuses on a different science topic. You will learn:

• about the science content you teach;
• how a developmentally appropriate grade-level hierarchy of concepts leads to adult science literacy;
• ways to take advantage of AMNH media and exhibits;
• how local standards and curriculum relate to national standards and benchmarks;
• effective strategies for teaching concepts and skills;
• how to identify potential learning difficulties, common misconceptions, and developmental considerations;
• how to use curriculum topic study as an effective tool for curriculum design.

You will come away with a deeper understanding of the material you teach and a set of strategies for instructing your students in developmentally appropriate ways, both in the classroom and at the Museum.

• Come with a team of three or more teachers from your school and receive an Atlas of Science Literacy set for your school.
• Attend three different CTS sessions this fall and receive a free museum membership.

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