Elementary and middle school teachers are invited to register now to participate in the annual Virginia Region II Teacher Night hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility on April 14, 2021. The fully virtual event will allow educators to see demonstrations of new methods for teaching physical science concepts and safely meet and interact with their colleagues, all while they pick up one recertification point from the comfort of their own homes. Advance registration is required, and the event is open to all upper elementary and middle school teachers of physical science.
“Although Teacher Night will be hosted virtually, it will feature the same energy and intent to encourage participants with new resources and novel ideas for teaching physical science concepts,” said Lisa Surles-Law, Jefferson Lab Science Education group leader. ”And since the program will be virtual, this is the first year that teachers from locales outside of our region will be able to attend.”
Organized around the familiar science fair format, local educators will be presenting many of the activities that they have developed and used in their virtual and in-person classrooms this year. After spending many hours learning and perfecting new science and teaching methods, these colleagues are ready to share their fresh ideas and expertise in teaching physical science concepts.
The demonstrations will be provided by teachers participating in the lab’s after-school science enrichment program for teachers called the JLab Science Activities for Teachers program. Teachers participating in the 2020-2021 JSAT program will present activities in an hour-long program.
“During the program, participants will be treated to demonstrations given by JSAT 5th, 6th and 8th grade cohorts, have an opportunity to win door prizes and receive one recertification point,” said Carol McKisson, a Jefferson Lab Science Education group staff member and the lead organizer of the event.
Topics that will be addressed include atomic theory, the water cycle, exothermic demos, energy conservation, scientific investigation, sound, the periodic table, light, the solar system, renewable energy, compounds & mixtures and more.
A complete set of instructions and a classroom handout will also be available for download after the event for use in participants’ classrooms.
“It has been an honor for Jefferson Lab to support educators during this challenging year,” Surles-Law said. “We also hope that this year’s Teacher Night serves as a moment of normalcy and offers our teachers the opportunity to learn from, lean on and banter with their colleagues about challenges we have all faced this year.”
Surles-Law said that the event is also a great opportunity for teachers considering participation in the JSAT program to get a sneak peek of what the program has to offer and learn more from past participants.
“We are encouraged by teachers remaining committed to delivering a quality science education to their students,” McKisson added. ”And we are happy that we are able to continue to offer this activity for teachers to help them expand their skills, even in this challenging year.”
While the event is free, space is limited and advance registration is required. The registration deadline is April 13. More details and registration are available at education.jlab.org/teachernight/
This event is supported by Jefferson Science Associates, LLC, which manages and operates Jefferson Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
Further Reading:
Virginia Region II Teacher Night
Virginia Department of Education Regions
JLab Science Activities for Teachers program
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Jefferson Science Associates, LLC, a joint venture of the Southeastern Universities Research Association, Inc. and PAE, manages and operates the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, or Jefferson Lab, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.
