The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is extending free admission for self-guided tours to all school groups for the 2012–2013 school year. Additionally, the museum is still offerering funding to cover bus fuel costs and scholarships to reduce fees for onsite labs and classes. To learn more, visit www.dmns.org/teachers.
In science, we stress the use of activities and skills that focus on the active search for knowledge or understanding to satisfy a curiosity. Structured and facilitated discussions based on shared understanding of rules of scientific discourses must be the rule to enhance our science disciplinary literacy (e.g., justifying understandings, basing arguments on data, critically assessing the explanation of peers). Both aspects of understanding—explaining and representing—are required to meet standards and prepare our students for the technological world they will enter. Science should include activities focused on the following main ideas.
According to Board Policy IKF—Graduation Requirements, beginning in 2011, all students will be required to complete 30 semester hours (3 units) of science credit; 20 semester hours (2 units) must come from earth science, biology, chemistry, or physics.