The Hitchcock Center offers professional development courses to schools and districts throughout the Pioneer Valley. All the courses are hands-on, engaging, practical, and aligned with the Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework Standards. Courses will be arranged according to the schedule and needs of the schools and are presented either at your location or at our center.

Each course meets the requirement for 10 hours of Professional Development. The 10 hours typically include 3 sessions plus a home assignment, but this may be tailored to your needs. Ten PDPs are awarded for a completed course.     Click here to see our latest brochure.

FEES:
Professional Development Workshop = $175 per hour + travel fee*
Consulting Fee =  $110 per hour + travel fee*

     *Travel fees apply to visits to your school and are based on distance.

PLEASE NOTE: All of the courses listed may also be presented as a one session/three hour workshop. Call for more information.

“The Hitchcock Center staff possesses enormous knowledge of science with a contagious enthusiasm and commitment for teaching about science and the environment. The professional development offered by the Hitchcock Center staff provides classroom teachers with specific strategies, background knowledge and, most importantly, inspiration to address the MA science standards in a way that is meaningful and engaging for their students. Teachers invariably come away from the workshops energized and inspired to create meaningful science learning experiences for their students. The Hitchcock Center is a tremendous resource to educators throughout the Valley -- truly a gem.”
~ Louise Law, Director of Elementary Education Union #38 School District

For more information or to arrange a course, contact Micky McKinley, Director of Professional Development, at (413) 256-6006 or mckinley@hitchcockcenter.org.

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ENERGY INVESTIGATIONS
This award-winning curriculum will help you and your students understand where our energy comes from in Massachusetts and how it is generated. You will explore both renewable and non-renewable energy sources and generate electricity using a simple generator, solar collectors, wind turbines, and hydro turbines. There is an emphasis on sustainable technologies and carbon emissions, and making the connection between human activities and climate change. The materials used in the workshop are affordable and sturdy for use by students!
Grade levels 4-8

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USING YOUR SCHOOL GROUNDS TO MAKE SCIENCE COME ALIVE
The habitats and ecology surrounding our schools offer rich and varied opportunities for study related to many themes in science. Engaging and innovative activities for life, physical and earth sciences will be included. We will also provide information about creating a school garden, and help teachers develop a plan for maintaining and using it with students. Challenges of teaching outdoors will be addressed and teachers will leave with a repertoire of outdoor activities to enrich their curricula and excite their students.
Grade levels K-6

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CONNECTING SCIENCE AND LANGUAGE: USING TRADE BOOKS, NOTEBOOKS AND JOURNALS
This workshop models an integrated approach, using children’s fiction and non-fiction books to teach science. Participants will learn how to select appropriate books—those that teach both science content and science skills. Participants will learn to use science notebooks as tools for writing, data collecting, recording and communicating. Teachers will keep their own science journals and practice their own writing, sketching and observation skills.
Grade levels 1-6

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MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS: THE GEOLOGY OF THE CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY
Our region of the Connecticut Valley provides famous examples of geologic landforms created by important Earth processes: plate tectonics, volcanoes, earthquakes, glaciers, and erosion As part of the course we will take a hike up Mt. Holyoke at Skinner State Park to view evidence and clues of how these processes have formed our mountains and valley. Teachers will leave with an assortment of grade-level appropriate classroom activities to address Massachusetts Earth Science Standards.
Grade levels 3-6

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TEACHING THE ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS
The Engineering Design process is becoming increasingly important in MCAS test questions at both the 5th and 8th grade levels. This process can be made extremely appealing to students because of its creative and hands-on nature. In this workshop teachers will review the steps of the process. Building on this understanding, teachers will engage in designing inventions to meet a need or solve a problem. Elements of sustainable design will be woven into the process. As the designs unfold we will discuss classroom applications and approaches. Upon completion of this training teachers will be prepared to lead their classes through the process, and have fun too! A variety of curriculum resources will be provided.
Grade Levels: 4-6.

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SCIENCE AS INQUIRY
Learning the process of scientific inquiry is fun and intuitive. This workshop will help teachers develop a deeper understanding of the inquiry process through creative, hands-on investigations and experiments. Teachers will learn the steps of the process, carry out their own original scientific inquiries, and present their findings to their colleagues. Knowledge gained will lead toward the development of effective, grade-appropriate classroom investigations. Discussion will center on how to provide experimental settings for students that engage them in the creative process of scientific inquiry and enable them to progress toward mastery of the scientific method.
Grade levels 1-6

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS 2010–2011

Join the Hitchcock education staff for a day of engaging, hands-on science that inspires teaching and motivates learning. You will leave with practical, exciting curriculum for you and your students. All activities are aligned with the Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework. Each day-long session provides 10 PDPs through completion of a 6-hour workshop and a home assignment.

Fee per session: $125.00
Location: Hitchcock Center
Time: 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
For more information or to register, contact Helen Ann Septhon at (413) 256-6006 or helenann@hitchcockcenter.org.   Click here to see our promotional flyer.

SOIL: THE UNDERGROUND RAINBOW
Grade levels 3–5
November 6, 2010
Soil is essential for all life on earth and is a subject rich in content and hands-on opportunities. This workshop offers educators a wealth of outdoor and classroom investigations on subjects that include the physical properties of soils such as soil texture and the abilities of soils to hold or transmit water, soil formation, soil classification, food chains within soil, and soils and human technology. You will leave with activities that give your students a chance to practice essential science process skills.

ENERGY INVESTIGATIONS
Grade levels 5–8
January 8, 2011
Energy is both in the news and in the Massachusetts Framework. This award-winning curriculum will help you and your students understand where our energy comes from in Massachusetts and how it is generated. You will explore both renewable and non-renewable energy sources and generate electricity using a simple generator, solar collectors, mini-wind mills, and water wheels. The activities would be an exciting addition to a Forms of Energy Unit and are an engaging way to reinforce your science curriculum. There is an emphasis on sustainable technologies and carbon emissions, and making the connection between human activities and climate change. The materials used in the workshop are affordable and sturdy for use by students!

SCHOOLYARD ECOLOGY AND INQUIRY
Grade levels Pre-K–2
April 30, 2011
School grounds offer rich learning environments for life, earth, and physical sciences. They also offer excellent opportunities for carrying out inquiry investigations with your students. In this session we will explore topics in the Massachusetts Framework for grades PreK-2 through activities that can be done both outdoors and indoors. Seasonal ecology studies, tree changes over time, and original inquiry investigations are possible activities depending on grade level and teacher needs. You will come away with ideas about how to use the teaching resource right outside your school’s doors!

• Vernal Pools by Elizabeth Colburn
• Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms & Communities by David Sobel
• Mammals of the Eastern U.S. by John Whitaker, Jr.
• Nature All Year Long by Clare Walker Leslie

To schedule a tour of the Resource Center, call Micky McKinley, Resource Center Coordinator.

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PARTNERSHIPS AND GRANTS

We offer grant writing assistance and program partnership opportunities to strengthen your environmental education program. For more information, call Julie Johnson, Executive Director. Would you like to start a Citizen Science or Schoolyard Habitat project at your school? Call Jennifer Wiest and see how you can engage your students in active scientific research and investigation. We specialize in early childhood development and provide technical assistance to kindergarten and preschool teachers. For more information, call Colleen Kelley.

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ABOUT OUR EDUCATION STAFF

Five Hitchcock Center educators represent more than 80 years of experience in science and environmental education. Each brings incredible passion, strength and diversity to our educational programs.