USCHS welcomes Pennsylvania science teachers
Nov. 18, 2022
USCHS welcomes Pennsylvania science teachers
Nearly 100 middle and high school science teachers, department chairs, curriculum leaders and administrators attended the day-long event. Most attendees represent schools from Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Fayette, Indiana, Mercer, Montgomery, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Dawn Mostowy, an USCHS biology teacher who has been a member of PASCC for 10 years, served as this year’s site host.
“This annual conference gives biology teachers the opportunity to collaborate and share effective methods of both science instruction and assessment – including the implementation of the new science state standards,” Mrs. Mostowy said. “Teachers of elective courses, such as AP Biology, are also given the chance to collaborate and share ideas.”
Three break-out sessions were offered in the afternoon: Advanced Placement Biology, Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) 5E Lesson Development, and Using Games as a Daily Review. NGSS are K–12 science content standards that set the expectations for what students should know and be able to do. The 5E model of science instruction is an inquiry-based approach that allows students to understand a concept over time through a series of established steps, or phases, which include engage, explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate.
In addition to Mrs. Mostowy, Upper St. Clair High School science teachers Ben Cramer and Lynn Kistler, who serves as the science department curriculum leader, participated in the conference. Mr. Cramer presented a lesson titled, “Classifying Solutions Using Water Beads,” on the concept of homeostasis and transport.
Jen Henney, a biology teacher at Penn-Trafford High School, served as the 2022 conference coordinator. PASCC is led by Andrea Redinger, a biology teacher, science department chair and coordinator of gifted education at Greensburg Salem High School. For more information about PASCC, contact Ms. Redinger at andrea.redinger@gslions.net.