Engaging Your Students in Science and Engineering Practices Using Inquiry

2017 Dates:
Weekdays, July 10 – 14 or July 17 – 21


Participate in content and skill development sessions taught by professional educators and scientists at each collaborating partner organization. Daily activities include indoor inquiry-based classroom experiences and outdoor field experiences. Take home investigations you can use in your classroom and a collection of teaching resources and field trip ideas!

  • Learn how to use the Science and Engineering Practices in your classroom and how they relate to science inquiry.
  • Explore STEM resources in your community.
  • Discover how to adapt your current curriculum to meet the revised MA Science and Technology/Engineering Standards.
  • Become part of a network of teachers from your region and across the state.

Thank you for helping to make the 2017 Summer Professional Development Institutes a success! Learn more about what each region did this summer by clicking the links below!

Cape Cod Region: Educators Wade into Water Science During MITS Cape Cod Summer Institute
MetroWest Region: Educators Explore Climate Change Concepts During MITS MetroWest Summer Institute
North Shore Region: During MITS North Shore Summer Institute, Educators Investigate Local Effects of Global Change
Southeast Region: Teachers Energize Their Curriculum During MITS Southeast Summer Institute
Berkshire Region: Berkshire Region Teachers Explore the Berkshires from Top to Bottom


One-Week Institutes for Grades 3-8 and Middle & High School Educators

One-week professional development institutes for grades 3-8 educators combine content and skill development sessions. Visit each partner institution’s site for 1-2 days and participate in both hands-on inquiry investigations and content sessions. One-week professional development institutes for middle and high school educators combine content and skill development sessions taught by scientists, content specialists and professional educators.  These courses are based out of the lead institution with field trips to area research labs, field sites and local businesses with product development laboratories.

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Cape Cod Region
One-Week Institute for Grades 3-8 Educators
Making Waves: Exploring Water and Marine Science to Engage Your Students in Inquiry
Partners: National Marine Life Center, Thornton W. Burgess Society Green Briar Nature Center, Mass Audubon’s Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
2017 Dates: July 10-14 (8:30 am – 3:30 pm); Half Day Introductory Session June 10; Half Day Fall Call-back November 4
Learn more about the 2017 Cape Cod Region

MetroWest Region
One-Week Institute for Middle and High School Educators
New Visions for a Changing World: Towards a Pedagogy of Climate Change
Partners: Framingham State University College of STEM, McAuliffe Center for Integrated Science Learning, Center for Climate Change Education
2017 Dates: July 10-14 (8:30 am – 3:30 pm); Half Day Introductory Session June 10; Half Day Fall Call-back November 18
Learn more about the 2017 MetroWest Region

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North Shore Region
One-Week Institute for Middle and High School Educators
Research and Resiliency: Investigating the Local Effects of Global Changes
Collaborators: Mass Audubon’s Endicott Wildlife Sanctuary, Plum Island Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research, Ipswich River Watershed Association, US Fish and Wildlife Services, Ipswich High School, Boston University, Salem Sound Coastwatch
2017 Dates: July 17-21 (8:30 am – 3:30 pm); Half Day Introductory Session June 17; Half Day Fall Call-back November 4
Learn more about the 2017 North Shore Region

Southeast Region
One-Week Institute for Grades 3-8 Educators
From Solar to Polar: Designing Sustainable Solutions
Partners: Lloyd Center for the Environment, Battleship Cove, National Marine Life Center
2017 Dates: July 17-21 (8:30 am – 3:30 pm); Half Day Introductory Session June 10; Half Day Fall Call-back November 4
Learn more about the 2017 Southeast Region

Berkshire Region
One-Week Institute for Grades 3-8 Educators
Exploring the Berkshires: From the Top of its Mountains to the Bottom of its Ponds
Partners: Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA), Center for Learning in Action (CLiA, Williams College), The Trustees of Reservations
2017 Dates: July 10-14 (9:00 am – 4:00 pm); Half Day Introductory Session June 17; Half Day Fall Call-back November 4
Learn more about the 2017 Berkshire Region