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  Making Sense of SCIENCE

Making Sense of Science and Literacy an Investing in Innovation (i3) project

WestEd, a nonprofit organization with a track record of innovative solutions to education challenges, won a $13 million Investing in Innovation (i3) validation grant to work with schools and teachers in Milwaukee (WI) and the greater San Joaquin County area (CA). This 5-year project began in 2015 and will ultimately serve approximately 800 teachers and over 20,000 students in these regions through the implementation of Making Sense of SCIENCE (MSS) professional development.
The fundamental goal of the project, entitled Making Sense of Science and Literacy, is to deepen students’ understanding of science and improve their literacy skills — especially for English learners and low-performing students — by strengthening the content knowledge and instructional skill of their teachers.
Making Sense of SCIENCE courses are designed to strengthen science teaching, increase literacy integration, and help teachers make the shift to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The professional development focuses on elementary earth and physical science concepts.

​Participating teachers will:
  • Build in-depth knowledge of concepts related to earth and physical science
  • Examine how children make sense of those concepts
  • Analyze and improve their teaching practice
  • Learn ways to support science learning through literacy 
The project includes a large-scale study that will make important contributions to the educational community. We also invite science teachers and education partners to apply to join the MSS Leadership Cadre — an exciting opportunity to build leadership capacity in your region.

Downloads
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PROJECT OVERVIEW
To learn more about the project, benefits to teachers and students, eligibility requirements, and study responsibilities, download the Project Overview (PDF).
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POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
Download this PowerPoint presentation (PPT) as a way to easily share information about this project with others. 
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LEADERSHIP CADRE INVITATION
(REGIONAL)

To learn more about this leadership opportunity, eligibility, and benefits,
please download the Leadership Cadre Invitation for regional leaders (PDF).
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LEADERSHIP CADRE INVITATION 
​(SCHOOL-BASED)

To learn more about this leadership opportunity, eligibility, and benefits,
please download the Leadership Cadre Invitation for school-based leaders (PDF).
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STEM for All Video Showcase
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MSS joined hundreds of other federally-funded programs in the 2019 STEM for All Video Showcase. This week-long video showcase featured over 200 STEM projects and provided a forum to discuss our work. Our video, Next Generation Science for Next Generation Kids, highlights what one district in California is doing to support NGSS implementation with support from MSS.
Learn more

Watch these videos to see 
what 
people are saying about 
Making Sense
of SCIENCE!



Partner Organizations 
Empirical Education, Inc.
Heller Research Associates
Milwaukee Public Schools

San Joaquin County Office of Ed.
Lodi Unified School District
Manteca Unified School District
​Racine Unified School District
Stockton Unified School District
Sylvan Union School District
Turlock Unified School District
Teaching Channel

Questions?  
If you have questions about the project, study requirements, or application process, contact:
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Kirsten Daehler
Making Sense of SCIENCE, Director
kdaehle@wested.org
650.381.6417
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Subscribe to e-MeSSage for the latest news on Making Sense of SCIENCE events, resources, and more.
For more information about our project, services, materials, and event registration, contact Patrick Moyle at ​mssevents@wested.org or 510.302.4219.

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Other links: MSS Errata • 
e-MeSSage registration • End User Lisence Agreement (2019)

Making Sense of SCIENCE is a project of WestEd, a research, development, and service agency promoting excellence, achieving equity, and improving learning for children, youth, and adults. Since its inception in 1966, WestEd has been a leader in moving research into practice.

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