Curriculum Design Intensive:
Co-Create Your Civics Project with Students
Saturday, March 18, 2023
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Co-Hosted by students and staff of Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science at WPI and Educational Justice Coach, Lindsay Lyons
Session Description
By the end of this workshop, participants will be introduced to a justice-centered framework for unit design and coached to outline a project-based unit specific to their academic program that challenges, affirms, and inspires 100% of students. Unlike typical workshops, this session supports teachers and students to engage in a “design sprint” during our time together. We will use student, teacher, and team-specific breakouts to support each participant’s needs. We will leverage the brilliance of the students and educators in the room to offer feedback and insight on unit ideas throughout the session.
The resulting unit will support the six stages of action civics and provide a flexible structure for each student to pursue questions, conduct research, and take action on an issue that is meaningful to them. Dr. Christopher Emdin has said, “[A good learning experience] makes you want to dance.” We’ll design projects so good that the students and the teachers will dance.
By the end of the day, each teacher or team will have outlined a civics unit that includes:
- Lesson-level protocols—students talk and grapple for 75% of each class
- A compelling driving question
- An activist project—students apply what they know to advance racial, gender, ability, and linguistic justice through a political, social, and/or economic context in their communities
Who is invited?
All educators interested in designing a project-based unit that invites students to take action against injustice. This session will be particularly useful for eighth grade and high school Social Studies teachers in Massachusetts whose students are required to complete a civics project for graduation.
You are welcome and encouraged to bring:
- Students who are interested in co-authoring a civics project-based unit.
- Colleague(s) interested in working on an interdisciplinary civics unit.
We will cap registration at 50 participants for the event. To allow a high number of schools to participate, we suggest youth-adult teams consist of 5 people or less. Individual registration is $250. Teams of up to five people (youth and adults) can register for $500 for the team.
Student Opportunity
Students will provide their own input in the development of this civic unit, creating a truly student-centered civics project. In addition, students will have the option to tour WPI’s campus during the morning! Massachusetts students can also tour Mass Academy.
Ready to co-create the most exciting civics unit of all time?
Click here to save your spot.
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Teacher Resource Center, Visits, and Classroom Observations
Mass Academy is pleased to announce the opening of the Teacher Resource Center! Visit us to check out this collaborative space filled with books, instructional materials, and STEM kits available for your use while you visit or to borrow for your classroom or program. If you are looking for a hands-on, interactive task, activity, or lesson, let us know! If we don’t have what you need, we would be thrilled to design a kit to match your goals. Educators are welcome to book the Teacher Resource Center for lesson planning, curriculum writing, or meetings. If interested in reserving this space, please email mams@wpi.edu
Mass Academy is accepting requests for visits by individuals and groups of educators. All visits are by appointment only. If you would like to visit Mass Academy, tour the building, observe classrooms, access our Teacher Resource Center, and/or interact with our faculty and staff, please email mams@wpi.edu.
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Join us for our STEM Speaker Series
Educators are invited to join Mass Academy students to hear directly from WPI professors about their research in various STEM fields. All sessions are scheduled for 1 hour and include a presentation and follow-up discussion. Events are free and in person at Mass Academy. Space is limited and prior registration is required.
| Day/Date | Time | Speaker | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday September 27, 2022 |
12:45 pm | CARLO PINCIROLI Assistant Professor Robotics Engineering Department, WPI Swarm robotics |
Registration Closed |
| Friday October 7, 2022 |
8:45 am | WILL BABINCSAK WPI Undergraduate Mass Academy Class of 2021 |
Registration Closed |
| Wednesday October 12, 2022 |
1:45 pm | CRAIG A. SHUE Associate Professor and Department Head Computer Science Department, WPI Computer networking and security |
Registration Closed |
| Wednesday October 26, 2022 |
12:45 pm | TIAN GUO Assistant Professor Computer Science Department, WPI Modeling large scale systems behavior |
Registration Closed |
| Monday November 7, 2022 |
12:45 pm | CHRISTOPHER LARSEN Professor Mathematics Department, WPI Applied analysis in materials with mathematical models |
Registration Closed |
| Monday November 14, 2022 |
12:45 pm | ELIZABETH F. RYDER Professor Biology and Biotechnology Department, WPI Bioinformatics and Computational Biology |
Registration Closed |
| Monday November 21, 2022 |
10:15 am | SARAH D. OLSON Professor Mathematical Science Department, WPI Mathematical Biology |
Registration Closed |
| Monday November 28, 2022 |
12:45 pm | MARCEL Y. BLAIS Professor Mathematical Science Department, WPI Liquidity Modeling and Volatility Derivatives |
Registration Closed |