PLI #3

About the Session

Have you ever spotted the Moon in the middle of the day, or wondered why some constellations disappear for months at a time? These are the kinds of questions that stop students in their tracks—and they're exactly what this unit explores. Come experience a unit from the Elementary OpenSciEd curriculum and see how phenomenon-driven science turns everyday sky observations into deep investigations of Earth's place in the universe.

You'll see what it looks like when elementary learners do real science: arguing from evidence, revising their thinking, and driving the storyline with their own questions. You'll also leave with a clear picture of what it looks like to bring OpenSciEd into your school or district—and get introduced to free, high-quality materials designed to support professional learning communities while teachers are actively teaching the curriculum.

Come ready to be curious, think alongside colleagues, and imagine what becomes possible when rigorous materials meet the brilliance of elementary learners.

Key Takeaways

• The OpenSciEd Elementary curriculum units are designed using a storyline approach, providing students with a meaningful experience motivated by their own desire to explain something they don’t understand or to solve a problem their classroom has come to care about.
• Explore ways to make time for science in an elementary schedule and the math and ELA opportunities incorporated into units.
• Leave this session with free, ready-to-use Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) resources built to help teacher teams implement OpenSciEd Elementary materials with confidence.

Presenters

Amy Belcastro

Amy Belcastro is a BSCS Science Educator, supporting professional learning and curriculum development focusing on supporting three-dimensional science teaching and learning in elementary and middle school settings. Prior to BSCS, she taught elementary school, experiencing the curiosity and joy in discovery of elementary learners.

Guy Ollison

Guy Lamont Ollison, Ed.D. is a Science Educator with BSCS Science Learning who designs and facilitates professional learning focused on 3D, inquiry-based, and culturally responsive science instruction. With over 25 years of experience in K–12 education, he supports teachers and leaders in implementing high-quality instructional materials and strengthening equitable science teaching practices. His work centers on advancing student sensemaking and building educator capacity in diverse learning environments.

Dr. Yanira Vasquez

Yanira Vazquez has over 20 years of experience working to improve student educational STEM outcomes. As the Elementary Curriculum Project Manager, Yanira manages the development of our elementary curriculum and professional learning. Previously, she was the state supervisor for math and science in New Mexico, where she oversaw the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards and the NM Computer Science Standards, and supported professional learning for educators in all areas of STEM. Under her leadership, the state added teacher license endorsements for elementary math specialists and computer science for secondary educators, and supported implementation of high-quality math and science