Link to Facebook Events Calendar of Open Workshops
Email me to set up a workshop at your school, nature center, or organization!
Dragonfly Teacher Workshops
Presented by: Ami Thompson Consulting LLC in partnership with the Minnesota Odonata Survey Project.
This four-hour workshop for teachers of grades 5 – 12 examines dragonflies and damselflies in a new way; exposing their education connections to science, art, and social studies.
The workshops will include:
– An intro to dragonfly and damselfly life histories and anatomy
– Techniques for dragon and damselfly ID
– Outdoor hands-on field time capturing and examining as many Odonata (order name for dragonflies and damselflies) as we can catch
– Citizen science connections
– Classroom activities with handouts.
All materials are correlated with current standards; these activities will meld with your curriculum, not add to it.
Minnesota teachers can submit their ID’d Odonata species to the Minnesota Odonata Survey Project. The types and locations of dragon and damselflies throughout the state are very poorly known. There is a good chance that one of your students may catch a species never before recorded in your county. The data your classroom submits will help researchers understand how these indicator species are affected by human impacts and will give land managers important information needed to keep Minnesota’s wild lands healthy. After attending a workshop, teachers will earn four CEUs, and have access to check out a Odonata Research Classroom Kit for two weeks.
Workshop Cost: $65/teacher (kit checkout $25/ two weeks).
Workshops begin in March 2012. Email Ami Thompson (ami@amithompson.com) to set up a workshop at your school.
Open Workshops:
Sat. April 28th, 2012 8:30 am – 12:30 pm: Como Park Street Car Station
Bonus: Learn about the Como Woodland Outdoor Classroom! Email Ami to register. Checks accepted or use the secure Paypal link below to pay with a credit card.
Sat. May 5th, 2012 8:30 am – 12:30 pm: Fort Snelling State Park Visitor Center
NOTE: A $5 state park vehicle entrance fee is required at this location so the price per teacher for this workshop only is reduced to $60/teacher. Email Ami to register. Checks accepted or use the secure Paypal link below to pay with a credit card.
Sat. June 23th, 2012 8:30 am – 4:30 pm: Boulder Lake Environmental Learning Center, Duluth MN
This is a full-day double workshop including both the Dragonfly Workshop and the Digital Photography Bridge to Nature Workshop. Participants will earn 8 CEUs. To register, contact John Geissler at 218-721-3731 or jdgeissl@d.umn.edu Checks accepted at the workshop or use the secure Paypal link below to pay with a credit card. The fee is $65/participant.
Tues. July 24th, 2012 9:00 am – 1:00 pm: Itasca State Park
NOTE: A $5 state park vehicle entrance fee is required at this location so the price per teacher for this workshop only is reduced to $60/teacher. Email Ami to register. Checks accepted or use the secure Paypal link below to pay with a credit card.
A news report about the Minnesota Odonata Survey Project which inspired the creation of these workshops:
Laser Optics Teacher Workshops
Image: NASA
Presented by Laser Classroom and Ami Thompson Consulting LLC
This workshop, for teachers of grades 8-12, uses lasers and real-life case studies to make the study of physics, chemistry, geology, art, and biology more meaningful, relevant, and fun.
The workshop includes an intro to lasers and optics, laser safety tips, hands-on laser experiments, real-life case study details, and experiments with handouts to use in the classroom. All materials are correlated with current standards; these activities will meld with your curriculum, not add to it.
After attending a workshop, teachers will earn four CEUs, get a written description of the technological training provided to submit to their district, and be able to check out a laser classroom kit for two weeks.
Cost: $65/teacher (kit checkout $25/ two weeks).
Workshops begin in March 2012. Email Ami Thompson (ami@amithompson.com) to register for an open workshop or to set up a workshop at your school.
Digital Photography Bridge to Nature
Digital Photography Bridge to Nature
Digital Photography Bridge to Nature Program provides workshops to Minnesota teachers, of grades 3 -9, about using digital nature photography in the classroom.
The FREE four hour workshops include camera-use instruction, tips on getting great nature photos, outdoor practice time, web 2.0 integration techniques, and curriculum connections with sample activities.
After attending the workshops teachers will earn 4 CEUs and have access to checking out a free camera kit for their classroom.
Digital Bridge is generously funded by the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesotas Resources, Watchable Wildlife, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Nongame Wildlife Program
Please contact me if you would like to set up a workshop at your Minneapolis/St. Paul area school (a minimum of 10 teachers is requested). Minnesota teachers can attend any open workshop listed on the Digital Bridge website, or contact any facilitator to set up a workshop at their school.
NEW for the 2011-2012 school year: Need a kick start to use the digital nature photography kit in the classroom? Have a Digital Bridge Facilitator in your classroom for a day! Available free to all teachers who have completed a workshop. Email me to set up a date!
Do you have a workshop location you would like to suggest? Send me your suggestion!