The eesmarts program offers Professional Development workshops led by the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) free-of-charge to K-12 formal and informal educators across the State of Connecticut. The eesmarts Summer Institute, held in July, gives educators an opportunity to attend workshops on various energy-related topics.
Why attend the eesmarts Summer Institute?
- Access free online curriculum and materials. All eesmarts lessons are fully aligned with Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core Standards for Math & English Language Arts
- Receive $50 stipend per workshop
- Gain knowledge, confidence and skills for teaching your students about energy, energy conservation, renewable energy sources and efficient technologies
- Collaborate with peers
- Receive lesson ideas, activities, and differentiated teaching strategies
2023 eesmarts Summer Institute Workshop
All workshops will be conducted from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 p.m.
Two weeks prior to each workshop, teachers will receive detailed teleconferencing instructions Technology requirements for full course participation are:
- Laptop, desktop, or tablet computer
- Broadband Internet access
- Web browser
- Audio input/output
- Recommended: Webcam
There are a limited number of openings available for each workshop, so register today!
Please note, registration will close 1 week prior to each workshop.
WORKSHOP | DESCRIPTION | GRADE | NGSS PE or eesmarts lesson |
|---|---|---|---|
Energizing Science for Grades K/1 | Educators are introduced to activities designed for younger students to answer the questions: How does sunlight affect the earth? What causes day and night? What causes sound? How are images created with light and varying materials? Links to some e-books will be provided. | K-1 | K-ESS3-3 |
Energizing Science for Grade 2 | Educators are introduced to activities designed to answer the questions: How do heating and cooling affect the states of matter and can plants grow without sunlight and water? Links to some e-books will be provided. | 2 | 2-PS1-1 |
Project Learning Tree (PLT) Workshop for Grades 3-5 | Participants are presented with activities designed to connect children to nature and increase young people’s awareness and knowledge about their environment. The lessons develop students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The hands-on explorations are suitable for use in formal classrooms and informal settings, and several are particularly suited to exploring urban environments. Participants will receive a copy of the updated PLT Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide, which includes NGSS aligned lessons on topics such as: trees and forests, wildlife, water, air, energy, waste, climate change, invasive species, community planning, and more. The activities encompass the economic, ecological, and social aspects of environmental issues. https://www.plt.org/curriculum/k-8-activity-guide-explore-your-environment/ | 3-5 | https://www.plt.org/curriculum/k-8-activity-guide-explore-your-environment/ |
Middle School Digital Energy Escape Room and Choose Your Own Science Adventures | This workshop features two interactive experiences developed to enhance the eesmarts curriculum or as a stand-alone to support NGSS. In the Escape Room, clues must be gathered, and puzzles solved using science knowledge to successfully complete the challenge. The focus of the content in this particular activity involves the transformation of energy and its impact on the environment. In the Choose Your Own Adventure, participants have the opportunity to meaningfully engage in design challenges and are provided complete data sets for a variety of tested variables that are accessed through the choices they make throughout the adventure. The examples offered showcase the efficiency of wind turbine blade designs, the strength of a variety of electromagnets, and how different surfaces on earth (arctic, desert, ocean, etc.) are impacted by the Greenhouse Effect. These two formats provoke high student interest and engagement due to their game-like nature. Participants will practice how to build and create their own interactive slides. The use of technology lends itself very well to both in-person and remote learning. | 6-8 | MS-PS2-3 |
Middle School/High School Climate Change for Grades 6-12 | Educators will be introduced to activities involving Earth's natural cycles including the carbon cycle and how Earth's climate has changed over time. They will look at evidence from the past through the study of proxies such as foraminifera, ice core data, and cherry tree blossoms. Other topics include the Albedo Effect, and phenology. Educators will also consider the impact of humans on the environment and what can be done to lessen harmful effects. | 6-12 | MS-LS2-4 HS-ESS2-2 |
