Registration and Materials

Essential Science for Teachers: Physical Science is a video course for K-6 teachers, consisting of 8 video programs, a print guide, and this Web site. Use these components for professional development in two-hour weekly group sessions, or on your own.

Registration and Credit

Participation in this workshop is free, but you must register with the Annenberg Channel to receive Certificates of Participation that may be used for inservice or recertification credit. (Note: It is very difficult to validate the number of sessions attended or the work completed by individuals working alone. Therefore, Certificates of Participation will only be granted to those working in a group.) If you are taking this course with a group, only one person needs to register the entire site. Graduate credit is available at a reasonable cost.

Getting the Materials

The video programs are broadcast free on the Annenberg Channel. You may choose to watch a live broadcast or tape the programs to watch at a more convenient time. Find out more about the Annenberg Channel, and see the broadcast schedule for this workshop. If you do not have access to the Annenberg Channel, you may watch online via Video on Demand (VoD) broadband streaming, or purchase videocassettes and the print guide from our online catalog. The guide is also available as a PDF under Support Materials (PDF) on this Web site.

If you are participating in a group session, your facilitator will give you a copy of the print guide or request that you print the PDF for yourself from this Web site. Your facilitator will give you any instructions concerning meeting time and place, what you should bring to sessions, and work you should do outside the group sessions.

Using the Materials

The guide and Web site provide background, activities, discussion questions, homework assignments, and resources to supplement the video programs and provide a robust professional development experience. They also provide information for facilitators to plan and structure group sessions.

Workshop sessions generally are held weekly for at least two hours. If you are watching a real-time broadcast of the video program on the Annenberg Channel, plan to begin 30 minutes prior to the broadcast. The workshop guide describes pre- and post-viewing activities and discussion to fill out the remainder of the session. The guide also provides homework to expand on what you have learned and prepare you for the next session. Note: If you are taking the workshop for graduate credit, there is additional required coursework.

If you are facilitating a group session, read our Facilitator’s Guide and the workshop guide for more information on planning and facilitating this workshop, and don’t forget to register your site.

Use Channel-TalkPhysics, the workshop’s email discussion list, to continue exploration of ideas outside the workshop session.