“Why are some days cloudy?”

“Why can a cactus survive without water when a willow tree can’t?”

“Why does the light on the ceiling go on when I flip the switch on the wall?”

Our kids’ “why” questions provide near-constant reminders of their curiosity about the world. California’s new approach to science instruction, called the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) recognizes and encourages that natural curiosity. Research shows that doing so can ignite students’ interest in science and engineering, especially if science in school is introduced at an early age.

When teachers start with a question like “Why can a cactus survive without water?” they are using a technique called phenomenon-based instruction. The lesson starts with a question about something students can observe. Teachers then build one or many lessons to take students from that simple question into serious scientific inquiry. Our cactus question, for example, forms the basis for various student activities in a first grade classroom, including:

• Examining cactus needles and discussing how they might provide shade and protection for the plant.
• Thinking about and listing the different parts of plants more generally (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits) and using examples to understand how they help plants survive and grow.
• Comparing a willow tree and a teddy bear cholla cactus to discover how their different parts help them survive and grow in very different environments.
• Creating a picture that illustrates how a cactus’ spines and water-storing stems help it survive in the desert.

Coincidentally (or maybe not) this is an example from a free first-grade lesson available through the California Education and the Environment Initiative. You’ll find it here: https://www.californiaeei.org/curriculum/unit?unitid=4. The initiative provides a wealth of ideas for how teachers can start with questions about the environment and use them to help students explore questions of science, engineering and much more.

As a parent, you can use the same kind of question-based approach to explore science and environmental topics with your kids, even if none of you think of yourselves as scientists. The lessons on the EEI website, which cover a wealth of topics and grade levels, can give you some ideas. There is a full list at https://www.californiaeei.org/curriculum/.

As a parent leader, you can ask district officials or your school principal what is happening around science instruction and environmental education, and whether teachers are working with the new standards. And how can that best be shared with parents? Could teachers present a sample lesson to parents or make science instruction a special feature of the school’s next open house? If your school has a science fair, should the new standards be reflected in student projects?

Want to learn more about Next Gen Science as a first step? Try this page on CAPTA.org: https://capta.org/focus-areas/education/next-gen-science/

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PTA is an inclusive organization. Although you want everyone on your campus to participate in PTA events, often times certain groups are unintentionally forgotten during event planning.

For example, individuals with disabilities. Some disabilities are obvious, like those that require a wheelchair or crutches. But some people have “hidden” disabilities such as mental health issues, autism, cognitive and learning disabilities.

As you begin to plan your activities this year, here are some things to keep in mind so that you are fully inclusive:

• Are we being culturally inclusive? Think about food, music, entertainment — are all cultures on your campus included?
• Are we linguistically inclusive? Are you translating your advertising, the posters that point the way to various activities, and do you have native speakers on hand to help make everyone feel welcome?
• Are we being accessible to those with mobility needs? Is your event held on a grass field that limits participation, or upstairs in a building without an elevator or easy ramp access?
• Did we provide areas/activities to include those with sensory issues (noise, light, touch)? Is it possible to open the activity early without loud music or large crowds to accommodate students or families with sensory issues?

California State PTA welcomes all!

We welcome:

• All races and ethnicities
• All religions and creeds
• All gender identities
• All countries of origin
• All sexual orientations
• All immigrants and refugees
• All abilities and disabilities
• All spoken and signed languages
• All ages

EVERYONE!!

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Below is an excerpt from Marilyn Cachola Lucey’s blog post “Schools Should Include Everyone,” on Ed100.org. Click here to read the full post.

When students with disabilities are educated alongside their peers without disabilities, outcomes improve for students both with and without disabilities. This approach to education is known as inclusive education.

The term inclusion captures, in one word, an all-embracing societal ideology. It is a mindset that drives actions to demonstrate all people are to be valued, appreciated, and included.

By law, students are to be educated in the least restrictive environment in which they can meaningfully benefit from their education, and for most that is the general education classroom.

In California, we like to think that we are a state of innovators, creative thinkers, and the most progressive and accepting state. When it comes to inclusive education, we are not. According to a 2015 report from a Statewide Special Education Task Force Report, we have “a failure in schools and classrooms to consistently use the very evidence-based practices that are being used successfully in other parts of the country.”

Why Include Students With Disabilities in a Class If the Academic Content Isn’t At Their Level?

There are measures of success and educational values other than academic levels.

For students whose disability impacts their social, communication, attention, or regulation skills, segregating them into a class of students, with the same difficulties, robs them of positive and appropriate peer models. Placing them away from their peer community segregates them and sends a message to the larger community that it is acceptable to exclude them. The underlying message is ‘You don’t belong in here with us’ or ‘I can’t handle your difference’ and just like that, they become second class students.

Currently, exclusion exists in the very institution charged with teaching our children. Imagine if inclusion was rule of the day in schools, and our children learned to naturally expect inclusivity in college, career, and community because it was what they experienced in their PreK – 12 school.

Education is intended to develop the whole child and, by law, students can receive supports and services for functional and academic needs in a general education class.

Click here to read the rest of this blog post on Ed100.org.

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Today is National Internet Day! California State PTA has some great resources on our website to ensure you and your family to have a positive and safe experience using the internet.

This article lets you learn more about the benefits, risks and tips for internet use. My favorite tip is to have an internet safety contract that you and your child both sign. That way they will understand your expectations for internet use and the consequences if they violate those expectations.

This issue of The Pulse from February 2018 also addresses issues of cyber safety. One best practice suggested is to instruct your child to never use their real name, address, or other personal information in their email or on internet games/chats.

This article gives concrete examples of ways to practice cyber citizenship on social media channels including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Cyber bullying is becoming more and more of an issue among teens. This article gives parents and teens some suggestions of things to do if they are being bullied online, including blocking the bully, telling a trusted adult, and not responding to or retaliating against an online bully, which often just makes things worse.

We hope you and your family use these resources to have a safer online experience.

Schools play a critical role in educating children for democracy. In fact, a core purpose of public education is to teach children how to be good citizens.

There are lots of ways schools can prepare our children. In fact, there are actually six proven research-based practices that schools should be using.

So here is a quick quiz. How many of the strategies below is your school using to help students be good citizens? Does your school:

• Incorporate current issues and events in the classroom, particularly those that young people view as important to their lives?
• Provide instruction in government, history, law, and democracy – beyond dry listings of facts and events?
• Give students opportunities to apply what they learn through community service that is linked to the formal curriculum and classroom instruction?
• Offer extracurricular activities that give opportunities for young people to get involved in their schools or communities?
• Encourage student participation in school governance?
• Encourage student participation in simulations of democratic processes and procedures (i.e. mock trials and elections)?

How’d your school do? Here is why I ask.

These six proven strategies are measured by the California Civic Learning Award program. Schools that win this award are celebrated and recognized for their efforts to engage students in civic learning. Co-sponsored by the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court and the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the program also identifies models that can be replicated in other schools.

Here’s a nudge. Ask your school to apply. It’s a great way to see how your school measures up. Applications are due January 17, 2020.

Want more ideas on what your school can do? Read Learning to Vote in the Ed100.org blog.