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The Office of Science
Teaching Activities (OSTA) was formed by the college of Arts and
Sciences in 1983. The function of OSTA is to coordinate all activities
related to science and mathematics teaching within the College of Arts
and Sciences and to serve as the College's liaison with the College of
Education. Over the years OSTA has initiated many science activities
for K - 12 teachers and students, and for undergraduate students at FSU.
Most notable among these are:
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The Office of Science Teaching Activities
is a National Network Center for Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS).
GEMS is a resource for activity-based science and mathematics developed at the University of California
at Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science. Through our GEMS Center professional development courses are
offered for K - 8 teachers to enhance the teaching and learning of science in the classrooms.
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Motion, Forces, and Energy I: is a two-week
professional development course for 3rd through 5th grade teachers that is
designed to aid in the preparation of lessons and activities that address the
motion, force, and energy benchmarks for grades 3 - 5 in the sunshine state
standards. Upon successful completion of the course, each participant will be
awarded two graduate credit hours.
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Motion, Forces, and Energy II: is a
two-week professional development course for middle and high school teachers that is
designed to aid in the development of lessons and activities that address the motion,
force and energy benchmarks for grades 6 - 12 in the sunshine state standards.
Employment of the learning cycle in lesson design and emphasis on guided inquiry
are prominent features of this course. Upon successful completion, each participant
will be awarded two graduate credit hours.
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The Young Scholars Program is a six
week, residential summer program for high-potential high-school juniors and seniors who are interested
in science and mathematics, and computer science.
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The Sea-to-See program
takes hardy marine animals into regional elementary (second and fourth grades) classrooms for
hour-long sessions of guided discovery and exploration.
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Saturday-at-the-Sea is
a program in marine science for regional middle-school students that runs from April through
November. Each Friday and Saturday students from the panhandle area spend the day at the FSU
Marine Laboratory participating in field and laboratory science discovery.
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Saturday-at-the-Sea Summer Camp
is a week of research and exploration in the marine habitats of north Florida for rising seventh, eighth
and ninth graders. The camps are designed to educate students about Florida's coastal resources and stimulate
their interest in environmental and marine sciences.
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Science on
the Move brings all of the resources needed to conduct high-tech physical science lessons directly
to regional K - 12 classrooms.
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The Capital Regional
Science and Engineering Fair is sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences each
February for regional middle and high schools. About 135 College faculty
and graduate students serve as judges each year.
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The Science for Life workshop
was developed to educate secondary-school teachers about first what is basic research
and why is it necessary, and second, the responsible use of animals in biomedical research.
It was administered in every interested school district in Florida for
middle- and high-school science teachers from 1991 - 1994. Resource binders
for educators on the subjects covered by the workshops are available currently
from OSTA. AAAS is currently working to bring the program to other states.
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A special section of non-majors biology
(BSC 1005C) is offered by OSTA and the Department of Biological Science each fall semester for
prospective elementary education majors.
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