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From Hamline University:

Free Hybrid Workshop for Teachers: Mississippi River Virtual Institute

Our natural affinity to water makes rivers and watersheds a useful and familiar context for teaching and learning. Join us from home this summer, as CGEE presents its acclaimed Mississippi River Institute as a hybrid model combining online content and outdoor hands-on investigations close to home. 

The virtual River Institute is a live, interactive three-day professional development opportunity taking place July 20-22, with modules online and outside from 8 am - 4 pm. It inspires, educates, and prepares 3rd - 8th grade teachers to engage students in STEM disciplines through experiential, inquiry-based investigations of local watersheds. 

Full scholarships are provided for teachers admitted to the program, as well as 18 CEUs, classroom resources, and the option to purchase two graduate-level credits at a reduced rate. 

We have limited space for this unique learning experience, so sign up soon! Learn more and register here. 

OBJECTIVES

• Through their work in the River Institute, participants will:
• Understand the science, engineering, and literacy opportunities represented within their watershed.
• Practice specific skills of science literacy.
• Learn specific natural science content relevant to the river and their local watershed.
• Investigate strategies for teaching literacy skills through watershed-focused content.
• Explore the natural overlap between science and engineering processes, literacy skills, inquiry-based instruction, and STEM integration.
• Engage in critical thinking that connects the content and practice of science, engineering, and literacy skills into an interdisciplinary system of thinking.

HIGHLIGHTS

• During the River Institute experience, participants will:
• Explore the Mississippi watershed with a virtual boat tour, offering a unique experience from the vantage point of the water.
• Articulate field investigations through accurate, richly described scientific observations from live interaction with experts, video, and field based activities at home.
• Participate in learning activities using Waters to the Sea® and several other classroom tools well-suited for distance and in person teaching.
• Conduct inquiry-based virtual investigations of flood plain forests, including explorations of unique geology features, macroinvertebrates, and engineering with water as a context.
• Create plans to implement science, inquiry, and literacy investigations in their classrooms.