Welcome to the CAL:BLAST Project, a partnership between the OUSD Science Department, Lawrence Hall of Science, Bay Area Writing Project, and the Department of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley. This project is designed from the ground up to support schools to improve both science and English language development.

The project will work with teams of 3-5th grade teachers to achieve the following goals:

  • Increase teachers’ interest in science
  • Increase teachers’ ability to make science accessible to linguistically diverse students
  • Increase all students’ science learning
  • Increase ELL students’ proficiency with academic language use
  • Reduce the achievement gap in science and English language arts

The three year project will include the following activities each year:

  • A weeklong Summer Institute - content includes current science issues, field research experience, academic language development, leadership, and family engagement.  First session takes place June 27 – July 1, 2011.  Days 1, 4, and 5 will be at Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland. Days 2 and 3 will be in Bodega Bay at UC Berkeley's research facility with over night accommodations. ($625 stipend)
  • Four Saturday follow up meetings during the school year ($600 stipend)
  • Five after school PLC support meetings during the school year ($30/hr stipend)
  • Content coaching during the school year
  • Classroom visits from UC Berkeley science graduate students

Click here for a brief project outline of key topics over the three years.

Participating teachers are expected to:

  • Attend the orientation meeting on May 17, 2011, 4-6 pm at Chabot Space and Science Center
  • Participate in all project activities listed above
  • Return to the same school site, teaching 3rd-5th grade
  • Commit to teaching the FOSS science curriculum in your classroom weekly.

Participating schools agree to the following:

  1. Send a team of three or more teachers from grades 3rd- 5th to participate in the project each year.  Teacher will be provided with stipends ($1525 total for all activities), food, coaching, and a wealth of classroom materials and resources.
  2. Provide PLC time once a month during the school year for project teachers to meet and plan for science instruction.
  3. Partner with project coaches who will be working with the teachers on-site through modeling and observations in their classrooms, and during the PLC meetings.
  4. Provide project teachers with at least 90 minutes a week to teach science.

To apply, principals can contact Caleb Cheung at 510-336-7613 or caleb.cheung@ousd.k12.ca.us.

Participating teachers need to register using this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/calblast.

More information will be posted here in the near future.