STARTALK 2009 - Programs in CO
Global Village Academy: Adams-Arapahoe School District J-28 (teacher)
Chinese Science Immersion (CSI) Teacher Training Program
The Chinese Science Immersion (CSI) Teacher Training program is sponsored by Global Village Academy, a K-8 immersion charter school in Aurora, Colorado. The program is opened to teachers of Chinese with an interest in content-based immersion pedagogy. Teachers will increase their capacity to use content-based full-immersion strategies, further develop immersion-based curricula tied to Colorado Model content standards, and increase the language immersion time in oral and written Mandarin of students in grades 2-5. Each teacher will be responsible to complete a one-week training program (June 15-19) and a one-week hands on practicum (July 6-10, 13-17, or 20-24). Teachers will work in cohorts with a science curriculum developer and a Chinese immersion specialist to design hands-on lesson plans in science using Chinese immersion strategies. All teachers will be responsible to deliver one lesson and to participate in their cohort in giving feedback to teacher peers. A stipend of $1,000 will be given to teachers who complete the program.
Global Village Academy: Adams-Arapahoe School District J-28 (student)
Chinese Science Immersion Camp (CSI)
The 2009 Global Village Academy (GVA) Chinese Science Immersion Camp (CSI) will offer students in grades 2-5 a three-week non-residential full-immersion Mandarin camp that focuses on thinking and communicating like a scientitist in the target langauge. Enrollment is limited to 60 students in grades 2-5 who possess novice to novice-high Mandarin skills. Students will use functional language tied to thinking like a scientist and will be introduced to hands-on inquiry-based explorations that reinforce the scientific method. Each week will culminate with a field trip in the Denver Metro region, such as the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Energy Research Lab (NREL), and the Natural History Museum. Teachers from the GVA and from the Colorado Consortium of Chinese Teachers, will offer three work shops tailored for each age group. Curricula will be developed in partnership with Science Matters, a Colorado science resource center. Topics are as follows: Leonardo’s Toy Chest: Many of Leonardo da Vinci's great inventions were scientific marvels...and they would make excellent toys. Fill your toy box with wooden creations of your own. The morning session will be filled with clockwork cars, attacking a castle with your own catapult,creating a camera obscura, and showing your artistic side while making a revolving stage. The afternoon will be filled with other inventions including the improvised car, creating a pinball machine, designing a robot drum, and racing a paddlewheel boat. You'll explore the mind of one of the world's greatest people—Leonardo da Vinci! Amusement Park Science: Ever want to design your own amusement park? Master circuits and motors as you create the rides of your dreams. Harness the forces of gravity to construct a room-sized roller coaster. Twirl, ride, bump, and dive your way into this thrill ride of a camp! Experiment and see how things can flash, fizz, stick, and glow while building your own fun physics carnival with mini rides and games. Experience "techno-candy" that chemically reacts in your mouth and explodes with flavor. Investigate solar sunglass science and flashing LED polymer squish balls. The fun never ends when you take this carnival home and challenge your friends. After lunch, step out to the wild side of science. Meet "Speedy," a real desert tortoise, as you create your own wild animal park complete with an awesome ocean, a radiant rainforest, and a dry desert. This camp is so hot, it's cool. Robot Monster Garage: Gear up for the next generation of robot transformers! Use the power of science to build your own monstrous creation, ready to battle and race in our monster robot pit. That's up to you! Join the great "Electron Rip-off" as you make an electro-powered robot bug and meet our superhero, "Mini Magneto." After lunch, design your ride! Use Newton's Laws to create your very own crazy cool set of wheels, souped up for speed and ready to race. Step up to a supersonic rock and roll sound studio, the beautiful bat cave, and the slimy polymer Olympics. Up to 60 full student scholarships are available.
