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Big Sky Science Partnership
The overarching goal of the Big Sky Science Partnership (BSSP) is to increase science achievement of American Indian students in grades 3-8 of partner schools. A cross-disciplinary team of the partner IHEs' Geoscience, Physics, Astronomy and Education faculty, along with professional developers from the SKC Indigenous Math and Science Institute, and the Center for Learning and Teaching in the West, K-8 teachers, and administrators will collaboratively design and facilitate year-round project activities. A total of ninety grade 3-8 inservice teachers will become Teacher Leaders in the BSSP, through two cohorts of 45 teachers each. Up to twenty preservice teacher candidates will also have the opportunity to participate in the summer institute and other selected academic year activities. Participants will be involved in two-week summer institutes during which IHE science and education partners will facilitate challenging integrated science content and pedagogy courses. Each of the three summers will focus on a different content area, astronomy, geoscience, and physics.

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Project Contributions

A Scientific Modeling Sequence for Teaching Earth Seasons
"A sequence for teaching Earth seasons is described. The sequence was designed with the use of guidelines for developing scientific modeling instruction. The presented sequence of activities differs from some…
Teaching Science From Cultural Points Of Intersection
"This study focuses on a professional development program for science teachers near or on American Indian reservations in Montana. This program was framed by culturally relevant pedagogy premises and was…
Windows into Cultural Competence: Developing Culturally Competent Science Teacher Leaders in the Big Sky Science Partnership
This paper addresses the following claim(s): "Educators who participate as partners in the BSSP will show significant increases in their culturally competent classroom practice. Valid and reliable tools and methods…
Balancing Validity Claims in MSP Assessments
This paper addresses the following claim(s): "Using well developed assessments developed by RETA projects requires the principal investigators to address the alignment between the grain science of RETA-developed assessments and…
Understanding Elementary Teachers' Use of Science Teaching TIme: Lessons from the Big Sky Science Partnership
"The Big Sky Science Partnership (BSSP) serves grades K-8 science teachers in schools on and near three American Indian reservations in Montana. The BSSP is led by Salish Kootenai College,…
A Culture of Understanding
Posted by: Kathleen Harper. "The key to building positive relationships is discussion and learning, and those ideas took center stage at the Big Sky Science Partnership Culture Camp last week at the Blue Bay...