Who We Are
The Science Companion Story
We formed the Chicago Science Group to bring great science to more young children — as many as we can reach. The Group is made up of a diverse set of individuals, including prominent educators, scientists, experienced teachers, successful authors, and publishing experts.
Our Academic Advisory Board
The Science Companion Academic Advisory Board comprises a group of the nation’s leading educators and theorists on K-12 inquiry-based science. The Advisory Board has been charged with the dual challenges to help shape the Science Companion curriculum to reflect the very best ideas and practices in inquiry-based curriculum, and to further the work of inquiry-based science education around the country.
Our Methods and Philosophy
Find out what methods Science Companion uses in the classroom.
Acknowledgements
Our work is based on close collaboration with classroom teachers, scientists, researchers and writers. We gratefully acknowledge their contributions here.
The Science Companion Story
Thirteen years ago, Max and Jean Bell served as founding contributors to the reform mathematics curriculum, Everyday Mathematics, developed in conjunction with the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project.
The Bells then chose to use their experience and resources to create the science curriculum that they had always wanted to integrate with math. (No retirement relaxation here!)
They formed the Chicago Science Group (CSG) to bring great inquiry-based science to young children around the country. CSG is made up of a diverse set of individuals, including prominent educators, scientists, experienced teachers, successful authors, and publishing experts.
After several years of research, writing, and extensive field testing, it was time to bring Science Companion commercially out to classrooms. Chicago Educational Publishing (CEP) was born to launch Science Companion to market.
In April of 2004, Chicago Educational Publishing signed an exclusive distribution agreement with the world’s leading elementary publisher, Pearson Scott Foresman in order to effectively reach and support schools’ needs nationally
To read more about Science Companion Team Members, click here.
Our Pedagogy
The Science Companion curriculum, developed by the Chicago Science Group (CSG) is a hands-on learning program that takes advantage of children's extensive knowledge of - and curiosity about - how things work in the world. The purpose of the curriculum is not only to provide children with the opportunity to wonder about their world, but to teach them science processes as they explore, quantify, and interpret the world. The children are also given the time and encouragement to draw, write, discuss, and reflect upon what they have done. The program's approach to primary education balances discovery-based learning with teacher-directed instruction.
Our Curriculum
Science hasn't thrived in the elementary classrooms for multiple reasons. The following represent a couple of these issues and how our curriculum solves them:
- The main focus of most elementary classrooms is language arts and mathematics, and teachers find their days full enough without the addition of a regular science time.
In addressing the issue of making time for science, the approach of the Science Companion curriculum is to treat science not as a separate, discrete subject, but to use it to support other learning. Mathematics and language arts are essential tools in "doing science." Science provides the opportunity to apply and practice mathematics, language arts, social studies, art, and group cooperation in an authentic context.
- Many teachers feel that they lack the expertise needed to teach science.
In an effort to provide teachers who don't have science backgrounds with the information they need to teach confidently and accurately, the Science Companion curriculum includes "Teacher Background Information" for every unit. This information covers the major concepts that the lessons introduce, giving extra information that's not in the lessons so teachers can answer children's questions.
It also gives teachers a heads-up for what the children will probably find once they observe closely. Our hope is that teachers will learn along with the children, and feel comfortable with the process of exploration. In addition, we provide "Best Practice" ideas for how to pursue science, and a discussion area on this website where teachers can share concerns and solutions.
Call to Action
We believe that the very best education happens when curriculum developers, teachers, and parents all work together in partnership to shape children's learning experiences. We continue to stay in close contact with our colleagues in the classroom. But we also need the active participation of parents, both in supporting their own children's learning, and in improving science education for their children at school and at home.
Here's what you can do:
Our Academic Advisory Board
The Science Companion Academic Advisory Board comprises a group of the nation's leading educators and theorists on K-12 inquiry-based science. The Advisory Board has been charged with the dual challenges to help shape the Science Companion curriculum to reflect the very best ideas and practices in inquiry-based curriculum, and to further the work of inquiry-based science education around the country.
- Harold Pratt, Chair
- Marsha Barber
- Jeanne Century
- Michael Jay
- Page Keeley
- Michael Klentschy
- Jean May-Brett
- Mark St. John
- Jerry Valadez
- Marsha Winegarner
Harold Pratt
Harold Pratt is a private consultant working in all areas of science education. He currently is a Disciplinary Literacy Fellow in Science at the Learning Research and Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh. From May 1996 until July 1999, he was the Director of Science Projects in the Center for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education at the National Research Council (NRC). He has had extensive administrative and curriculum development experience at the local and national levels. Prior to joining the Center, he directed the revision of Science for Life and Living, at the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study in Colorado Springs, Colorado. From October 1992 to December 1994, he served as a Senior Program Officer at the NRC for the National Science Education Standards Project. From 1986 to 1991 he was the Executive Director of Curriculum for the Jefferson County (CO) Public Schools, the largest district in Colorado with an enrollment of over 80,000 students. Prior to that, he served the district as the Science Coordinator for 23 years. He has co-authored or directed the development of three science textbooks, a book on educational leadership, and published numerous articles and book chapters. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and was selected by the National Science Education Leadership Association (formerly the National Science Supervisors Association) as the first recipient of the Nation's Outstanding Science Supervisor Award. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) honored him with the Distinguished Service to Science Education Award in 1999 and the Carleton Award in 2005. He was president of NSTA in 2001-2002.
Marsha Barber
Marsha Barber is a private K-12 science consultant currently working on two Math and Science Partnership grants sponsored by the Department of Education and NSF. Both of these projects involve teaching middle school teachers content courses to help them become "highly qualified." During the previous eight years, Marsha was the K-12 Science Coordinator for Jefferson County Public Schools in Colorado. Major projects in that position involved implementing a new elementary science program in 100 elementary schools with approximately 2,000 K-6 teachers; training teachers; writing new curriculum to complete the K-12 scope and sequence; and working on State-level standardized tests and performance expectation documents.
Prior professional work involved writing curriculum at the Colorado School of Mines in a project titled the Denver Earth Science Project and for two Earth Science textbooks published by Scott Foresman and Company. Marsha's teaching experience spanned 21 years in three school districts where she taught physical science, earth science, physics, and oceanography.
Jeanne Century
Dr. Jeanne Rose Century is the Director of Science Education and the Director of Research and Evaluation at the University of Chicago’s Center for Elementary Mathematics and K-12 Science Education (CEMSE). At the U of C, Century directs several NSF-funded research and evaluation efforts and leads CEMSE’s other science education work.
Before coming to the University of Chicago, Century was Senior Project Director and Senior Research Associate at the Center for Science Education at Education Development Center (EDC), Inc. in Newton, Massachusetts. Century has developed instructional materials for elementary and middle school teachers that have been published and nationally distributed. She has been part of numerous projects focusing on improving science education in urban schools during which she conducted professional development for teachers and school and district administrators across the country and provided technical assistance and strategic planning support to the leadership of comprehensive, systemic improvement efforts. For the past decade, Century has directed numerous research and evaluation efforts focused on effective science education, the impact of inquiry science instruction, strategies for improving utilization of evaluation, and sustainability of reform efforts.
Century has been a fellow at the National Institute for Science Education (NISE) at the University of Wisconsin, a consultant with the Netherlands Helsinki Committee as evaluator of human rights education programs, and conducted numerous talks and presentations in her areas of study and interest. Century holds a K-8 teaching certificate, an undergraduate degree in general science, and a masters and doctorate in Science Education Curriculum and Teaching.
Patricia Harmon
Patricia Harmon has been involved in education as a classroom teacher, teacher leader and staff developer for more than 15 years. Her involvement in science education reform began in 1995 as an Instructional Specialist working with the National Science Foundations Urban Systemic Program. The Urban Systemic Program addressed the issues and challenges of institutionalizing mathematics, science and technology reform across all schools in the district. In this role Ms. Harmon worked with staff to develop and implement professional development for San Francisco Unified School district teachers and worked closely with centralized staff to enhance the effectiveness of the program and its partnership with school sites and institutions of higher education.
In 1995 Ms. Harmon was selected to become a member of the systemic science assessment team. Together, with the California Systemic Initiatives Collaborative now known as the Partnership for Assessing Standards Based Science (PASS), under the direction of Kathy Comfort and West Ed, she assisted in developing standards based science performance assessments, scoring rubrics, scoring these types of assessments and in training other teachers.
Through her involvement with PASS, as well as having participated in many district designed professional development trainings, she has developed a deep understanding of the National Science Education Standards, the AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy, district adopted science curriculum, district standards and assessment strategies related to effective science instruction.
Recently Ms. Harmon participated as a fellow in the National Leadership Academy, under the direction of Susan Loucks-Horsley and served as a member of the National Academies Committee on K-12 Science Education (COSE). In 2003 she received her M.A. in Education from the University of California at Berkeley and is currently serving as an Administrative Intern in the San Francisco Unified School District.
Michael Jay
A long time educator, Michael taught Science in San Jose, California where he also worked in developing the first set of Technology in the Curriculum materials for the State of California. He left the classroom in 1986 to join Apple Computer's Classroom of Tomorrow (ACOT) research and development project, serve as Apple's Education Competitive Analyst, and lead major curriculum related marketing initiatives. During his tenure at Apple, he remained a contributor to science education through many projects including being one of the authors of California's Science Framework of 1990.
Michael left Apple Computer to pursue the development of a technology of his design that dynamically indicates the relationship between curriculum, curriculum standards, and instructional resources for which he received patents in 1998. As founder of Mediaseek Technologies, Inc. he laid the groundwork for many of the innovations in standards implementation and instructional resource integration that followed. He continued the development of tools for children and educators as Director of Education Business Development at N2H2 and VP and GM of Brainium Technologies in the following years where he worked on challenges associated with sustainable 1:1 computing in schools.
As founder of Educational Systemics Inc., Michael and his associates create lasting change in how we learn and educate through their work with corporations and educational institutions. Their clients have benefited through increased efficiency, improved understanding of the K-12 market, improved ability to identify and reach their core customers, and the development of innovative yet sustainable solutions. Their diverse expertise representing educational and corporate leadership, market analysis, development, instructional design, and tested knowledge of all facets of K-12 education are married with a vision that generates success for their clients while advancing their vision for education.
Michael remains active in the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) of which he was an Education Board member for eight years -- co-chair for three and he has helped guide the development of the Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF) Association as he begins his sixth year on its executive board. Michael also has an appointment at Western Washington University as a Research Associate in Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education and has worked with Larry Lowery, Ann Brown, and Kathy Metz on various science curriculum development and research projects.
S. Page Keeley
Page is currently the Senior Program Director for Science at the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMS) where she consults with school districts and organizations throughout Maine and nationally, as well as the incoming 2008-2009 President of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Her work centers primarily on leadership, professional development, and the development of tools and resources to support science teaching and learning. She is the principal investigator and project director of three National Science Foundation funded projects including Curriculum Topic Study- A Systematic Approach to Utilizing National Standards and Cognitive Research, The Northern New England Co-Mentoring Network, and PRISMS: Phenomena and Representations for the Instruction of Science in Middle Schools. She is also the Project Director of the L-SILL Project: Linking Science, Inquiry, and Language Literacy. She is also the primary author of Science Curriculum Topic Study- Bridging the Gap Between Standards and Practice (Corwin Press, 2005), Mathematics Curriculum Topic Study- Bridging the Gap Between Standards and Practice (Corwin Press, in press), and Probing Students' Ideas in Science- Volume 1 (NSTA Press, in press).
Page serves on several regional and national committees and advisory boards for science education. She is a Fellow of the first cohort of the National Academy for Science Education Leadership and serves as a mentor and learning colleague for new fellows. She has also taught inquiry science as an adjunct instructor for the University of Maine. Prior to working at the MMSA, Page taught middle and high school science for fifteen years. During that time she served two terms as President of her state science teachers association, District II Director for NSTA, and two terms on the NSTA Executive Board. She received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Secondary Science Teaching in 1992, the Milken National Educator Award in 1993, and the AT&T Governor's Fellow for Technology in 1994. Prior to entering teaching, she was a research assistant at the Jackson Laboratory of Mammalian Genetics in Bar Harbor, Maine, where she worked for Dr. Leonard Shultz on Severe, Combined Immunodeficiency Diseases.
Michael Klentschy
Michael Klentschy is currently the Superintendent of Schools of the El Centro School District in El Centro, California. He has served in this capacity since February 1994. He has also served in teaching and administrative positions in the Los Angeles Unified School District from 1966 to 1985 and the Pasadena Unified School District from 1985 to 1994. He received his doctorate degree in educational research and evaluation from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Dr. Klentschy is currently the Principal Investigator of the Imperial Valley CaMSP Science Project and is Co-Director of the California Science Subject Matter Project Regional Center in Imperial Valley. He was the Principal Investigator for the NSF funded Valle Imperial Project in Science LSC. Dr. Klentschy served as Co-PI on several NSF funded elementary science initiatives with CAPSI at the California Institute of Technology. He serves on several advisory boards including CAPSI, National Science Resources Center-LASER, Center for Assessment and Evaluation for Student Learning, and the Exploratorium.
Dr. Klentschy serves as an instructor at San Diego State University Graduate School of Education, teaching and conducting research on alternate forms of assessment in elementary science. Dr. Klentschy is part of a university research team studying the longitudinal effects of inquiry-based science programs on student achievement including the science-literacy connection. He has authored several research articles on these topics. Dr. Klentschy is also working with Dr. James Stigler from the University of California, Los Angeles in the development of video-based technology for pre-service, professional development and lesson study applications.
Dr. Klentschy was named the Southern California Superintendent of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators in 2001. The California Science Teacher's Association also acknowledged his efforts by naming him the Administrator of the Year in 2001. In November 2004, an international jury in Saint Etienne, France named Dr. Klentschy as co-laureate for the inaugural Le Prix Purkwa -- (International prize for the scientific literacy of the children of the planet). The National Science Education Leadership Association named him Administrator of the Year for 2005.
Jean May-Brett
Jean May-Brett is State Coordinator for Louisiana's "Building a Presence for Science." Jean served as the Assistant Director of Educational Television Technology at Louisiana Public Broadcasting, Baton Rouge, Louisiana from 1998-2003 and was the Project Director for the award winning SERC Enviro-Tacklebox and Literacy and Learning projects funded by the US DoE. During her 25-years of classroom teaching Jean taught Earth Science, Environmental Science, and Mathematics to students in New York and Louisiana at the middle and high school levels.
Jean is a Past President of the Louisiana Science Teachers Association (LSTA) and serves as the State Coordinator for the Exxon/NSTA Building a Presence for Science Program. Jean is a past president of the Southern Association of Marine Educators (SAME) and the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA). A former President of Louisiana Environmental Educators Association (LEEA), she is currently serving on the Louisiana Environmental Education Commission. She is a members of several agency, foundation, and organization education committees.
She has served on the writing team for numerous curriculum projects. She completed the Train the Trainer and Initial Preparation of Environmental Educators courses provided by the EPA at the National Conservation Training Center and secured EPA funding to provide two Tools for the Non-Formal Educator workshops to introduce standards and benchmarks to informal educators in Louisiana. Jean is a facilitator for Project Learning Tree, Project Wild and Aquatic Wild, Project WET and Healthy Water Healthy People and a Peer Trainer for Project Maury.
Mark St. John
For over 25 years Dr. Mark St. John has been the leader of Inverness Research Associates. In this role he has developed an approach to grantmaking and evaluation that has become widely known and valued in the field. Serving as a liaison between projects and funders, he has helped projects better understand their purpose and design, refine their work, and make their case to funders. He has also helped foundations better understand the contributions made by their funded projects and the role their projects play in the broader educational landscape.
While the projects of Inverness Research vary in nature and scale, they all focus on research that seeks to provide a better understanding of investments made in the improvement of education. . The portfolio of Inverness Research includes projects that focus on policy, curriculum, teacher education, assessment, research and informal learning. In terms of disciplines the work of Inverness Research includes mathematics, science, technology education, informal leaning and writing.
In the past two decades Dr. St. John and his colleagues at Inverness Research have designed and implemented over 200 project evaluations. Their work ranges from the study of large scale initiatives undertaken by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education to the evaluation of individual science museum exhibits. They have been involved in studying professional development and teacher leadership networks, curriculum design projects, informal science education efforts, multi-institutional partnerships and centers, and systemic reform initiatives.
Some Inverness research studies focus more broadly on understanding the educational landscape and identifying the role of grantmaking within that landscape. Inverness Research has been involved in national and state studies of new teachers; of the status of teachers and teaching; of the quality of classroom instruction; of curriculum adoption, selection and implementation; and of the capacities existing in districts and schools that are requisite to the success of local improvement efforts.
In addition to his evaluation and research activities Dr. St. John also advises philanthropies about ways they can better understand and improve their investments in educational improvement. Over the past decade he has helped to advise the National Science Foundation, the Stuart Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Annenberg/CPB foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the US Department of Education.
Dr. Jerry Valadez
Dr. Jerry Valadez is the K-12 Science and After School Coordinator for Fresno Unified School District and President for the National Science Education Leadership Association. He has been professionally involved with science or science education for the last thirty years. He is a former medical technologist, microbiologist, high school and middle school science teacher and school site administrator.
Professional Preparation: Ed.D.-Doctorate in Educational Leadership: University of California, Davis and California State University, Fresno -- 2003; Professional Administrative Services Credential: CSU Fresno 1991; MA -- Educational Administration and Evaluation: CSU Fresno 1991; Secondary Single Subject Teaching Credential, Life Science and Chemistry-1980; BS - Animal Science with Biology Option; Minor in Chemistry: CSU Fresno 1979; Cross-cultural, Language and Academic Development (CLAD) Certificate, 1989; He holds credentials in biology, chemistry, and professional administrative services.
Jerry has also served and serves on numerous State, National, and International committees and advisory boards, including an appointment to the National Academy of Science from 2000 - 2003. In 2001 he also served as special advisor to South Korea in developing the first joint international high school summer science academy, which was held in Seoul, South Korea during summer 2002. Jerry also serves as chair of the Toyota Tapestry Grants for Teachers program and helped create the newest category, Literacy Connections in Science. In addition he is also a contributing author on a number of successful grants funded by the National Science Foundation, CPEC, CDE, and the U.S. Department of Education. Other honors received by Jerry include the Cal Alive 2001 Educator of the Year, the National Science Administrator of the Year in 2000, the California Science Administrator Supporting Science in 1997, and the ACSA Region VII Curriculum and Instruction Administrator of the Year in 2003.
Marsha Winegarner
Marsha was the K-12 science program specialist in the Bureau of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment of the Florida Department of Education for the past 11 years. In this position she provided leadership in state initiatives that include implementation of curriculum, development of standards and assessment, laboratory safety monitoring and professional development in these areas. Marsha earned a Masters degree in zoology from the University of South Florida with research in reproductive physiology of mammals.
Prior to her position at state science consultant, Marsha was a science teacher and a part-time science researcher. She has participated in a Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program as delegate to Japan, in a Leadership Institute of the National Research Council, and as a teaching fellow at the Research Science Institute in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, and George Washington University. Her honors in teaching include the Florida Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching and Outstanding Biology Teacher for Florida Award. She has served as a board member and secretary of the Council of State Science Supervisors (CSSS) and is currently is the Florida coordinator and CSSS facilitator for the Building a Presence for Science initiative of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Marsha has served as the District V director for NSTA (2001-2004) and is currently a member of the executive board of the Florida Association of Science Supervisors, Florida Association of Science Teachers and the Florida Foundation for Future Scientists. She is an active member of the National Safety Indexing Project.
Philosophy & Methods
We believe that young children have inherent abilities to observe the world carefully and draw accurate conclusions about it. We also believe that with proper guidance, teachers who do not have science backgrounds can be trained to lead children in the exciting process of science exploration, not by telling the children "scientific truths," but by becoming co-investigators with the children - observing, questioning, measuring, discussing, and learning together. Further, we believe that the skills a child learns in science exploration are invaluable analytical tools for any discipline.
A Science Companion classroom should be a collaborative learning environment, where children work together in groups and share their ideas.
A Science Companion teacher is a facilitator for the explorations of the classroom. Her role is to provide opportunities for investigation, to stimulate the children to share ideas and ask questions, and to help the children acquire the practical and thinking skills they need to delve deeper. She should know enough about the topic not to lead the children astray, or be able to say she doesn't know.
Everything a child learns in school enhances science skills. Science, in turn, provides motivation and practical applications for other disciplines. The Science Companion curriculum provides ample opportunities for science to be used in support of mathematics, language arts, art, and other disciplines.
Unlike other programs, where these connections are developed separately as additional reading material and then bundled with the science materials, the connections found in Science Companion are developed along with the lessons, and are consequently an integral part of the scientific topics.
The Science Companion experience is hands-on. First graders learn about the weather by measuring it daily and graphing its monthly patterns with the data they collect. They explore seat belt safety (and, incidentally, inertia) by rolling toy cars with belted and unbelted doll passengers into walls. They observe and compare how insects, fish, and humans breathe to get oxygen. The children reflect on what they observe, draw conclusions, and systematically record what they learn.
See also
Acknowledgements
Our dream of creating a science curriculum that is a forerunner in the science education reform movement can be achieved only with the help of the teachers, administrators, support staff, children, and parents involved in developing the Science Companion curriculum.
We greatly appreciate your willingness to work with and learn through our program. Through our mutual efforts, we can make a product that inspires curiosity and motivates science learning in children across the country.
Contributing Teachers
| Ali Finkle | Donna Anderson | Mary Jean Kreusler |
| Allen Henkin | Doris Irvin | Mary Mingo |
| Amanda Ketterling | Elaine Hill | Mary Roux |
| Amanda Lagoski | Gina Bongiorno | Meaghan Malloy |
| Amy Hamilton | Gretchen Mars | Melissa Weis |
| Amy Lane | Heather Meszaros | Michael Klann |
| Amy Soltys | Heather Teske | Michele Trentz |
| Amy Zerlaut | Helen Baker | Mike Landgraf |
| Angela Slevin | Jackie Fox | Mindy Lass |
| Ann Rolo | Jaime Sievers | Molly Haggerty |
| Antonella Tomashek | Jane Hurst | Mona Harvey |
| Arlene Taylor | Jane Johnson | Nancy Gordon |
| Barb Clancy | Jason Goldberg | Nicole Lucyk |
| Barbara Larkin | Jeanette Dabrowski | Noelle Kennedy |
| Bernie Flynn | Jennifer Bensfield | Pamela Jackson |
| Bob Geniusz | Jennifer Ramirez | Patti Connell |
| Bonnie Seidel | Jethra Rivera | Patti Ptak |
| Brenda Sohlich | Jim Woltman | Peggy Wysocki |
| Carla Richardson | Judy Burrow | Rebecca Jarosh |
| Cassie Molyet | Julie Lieby | Renice Konik |
| Celia Rosenzweig | Julie Phillips | Sandy Handrick |
| Charlene Dunn | Karen Freidlander | Sara Kopacz |
| Cheryl Bair | Karen Humann | Sarah Davis |
| Cheryl Smith | Kate Bronson | Sharon Quinn |
| Cheryl Spencer | Katie Morris | Sherry Jepsen |
| Christi Rice | Kelley Owen | Stephanie Besel |
| Christine Kesman | Kerri Konie | Christy Hagedorn |
| Kerry Wylie | Sue Henderson | Christy Jansen |
| Kim Jackson | Sue Laremore | Claudia Edwards |
| Kristen Padgett | Sue Westermeyer | Colleen Whittington |
| Kyle Schulten | Susan Giles | Courtney Kilgallon |
| Laurie Wesorick | Suzanne Gagnon | Dana Haseotes |
| Lila Mazzone | Suzanne Siko | David Tesseyman |
| Linda Thompson | Suze Bodwell | Debbie Folk |
| Lisa Flook | Suzie Carder | Deborah Duecker |
| Mandy Lagoski | Tammy Chladny | Deborah Haines |
| Mandy Yuille | Tanya Lubomudrov | Deborah Wilson |
| Margaret Constance | Terry Kayne | Denise Kolar |
| Margie McCarthy | Tricia Leet | Diana Altenhoff |
| Marlene Ego | Valerie Powell | Diana Warmuskerken |
| Mary Cortez | Vickie Priessman |
Contributors
We are indebted to many scientists and science educators for their advice and counsel. We also greatly appreciate the efforts of all the individuals who have reviewed the content of our curriculum.
| Laura Arnow* | Sandy Lambacher* |
| Janet Blanford* | Mary Jean McDermott* |
| Suze Bodwell* | Trina McMahon* |
| Nick Cabot* | Rick Mikula* |
| Paul Ehrlich* | Erick Ramon* |
| Therese Gibson* | Monica Ravin* |
| Randall C. Hitchin* | Mary Ruckelshaus* |
| Stephen S. Harlan* | Cathy Tietjen* |
| David Kopp* | Toni Woodruff* |
| Cherin Lee* | Jenny Williamson* |
* Indicates a scientist or science educator who contributed advice or expertise, but who is not part of the Chicago Science Group. Ultimately, responsibility for what is included or omitted from our material rests with the Chicago Science Group.
We are committed to acknowledging the contributions of our peers, customers, and collaborators whenever possible. If your name has somehow been omitted from this page, please contact us so we may review our records and correct the oversight.
Science Companion Elementary Science Advisory Board
| Harold Pratt (Chair) | Marsha Barber |
| Joe Exline | Mary Gromko |
| Patty Harmon | Michael Jay |
| Page Keeley | Mike Klentchy |
| Jerry Valadez |
The Chicago Science Group
| Andy Isaacs | Annie Holdren |
| Anthony Lewis | Belinda Basca |
| Bill Reiswig | Bob Ward |
| Catherine Grubin | Cindy Buchenroth-Martin |
| Colin Hayes | Colleen Bell |
| David Innes | David Sherman |
| Debbie Leslie | Debra Garcia |
| Diana Barrie | Diane Bell |
| Dorothy Freedman | HT Nguyen |
| Jan Archer | Jean Bell |
| Jean Denker | Jeffrey Canfield |
| Jim Flanders | Jim McBride |
| Kevin Bell | Lance Campbell |
| Lauren Satterly | Martha Sullivan |
| Max Bell | Pam Johnson |
| Penny Atcheson | Rachel Burke Cusack |
| Robert Ward | Susan Taddei |
| Wanda Gayle |
Science Companion Team Members
Chicago Science Group and Chicago Educational Publishing
Max S. Bell – Co-Chairman
Max S. Bell is Professor Emeritus in Education and in the Physical Sciences Division of the University of Chicago, and a Principal Investigator at the University of Chicago Science and Mathematics Education Research Center. His research and development interests are in the science and mathematics capabilities of children, science and mathematics curriculum reform, and the teaching and learning of school mathematics including exploring "new media" technologies. An experienced K-12 mathematics teacher, he was an NSF Science Fellow at University of Michigan, where he received his PhD in mathematics education, and was one of the founding faculty members of the University of Chicago Master of Arts in Teaching program. He has been involved with developing mathematics materials for educators and children for four decades, with emphasis on mathematical modeling and practical connections to everyday experience. He has pioneered the use of embedded technology for mathematics education in elementary classroom environments; and acted as project director of several innovative educational technology initiatives. Dr. Bell was the founding Director of the Elementary Materials component of the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project (UCSMP), and one of the founding principal authors of Everyday Mathematics.Jean F. Bell – Co-Chairman
Jean F. Bell is a microbiologist by training (University of California at Los Angeles) and early experience. A founding master teacher at the Waterford Institute, she was a pre-school and elementary school teacher for seven years before embarking on basic research of the mathematics capabilities of young children, and the development of elementary level mathematics curricula. She is one of the founding principal authors of Everyday Mathematics, where she initiated the use of balanced assessment tools for evaluating student achievement. Ms. Bell received her Masters in Science in Teaching (MST) degree from the University of Chicago. She is President of Chicago Science Group.
Rita Ferrandino — Chicago Educational Publishing CEO/Publisher
Rita Ferrandino offers more than 18 years of experience building strong revenue in the higher education and K-12 markets. She has led the sales, acquisition, alliance and marketing efforts for traditional print, technology, and online products for some of the industry’s largest publishers.
Ferrandino leads the team at Chicago Educational Publishing which is the exclusive publisher and distributor of the Science Companion Series, a K-5 Elementary Science Curriculum. Science Companion is developed by Max & Jean Bell, the founding authors of Everyday Mathematics.
Career highlights include selling over $100 million of products to the higher education and K-12 markets, leading the acquisition effort for more than 50 titles, and forming revenue-producing alliances with over a dozen of the industry’s largest publishers and distributors. Ferrandino has been responsible for double-digit sales growth for at least four years at two different major publishers.
Most recently, Ferrandino was a Senior Partner at KnowledgeQuest Education Group where she worked with clients including WebCT, Carnegie Learning, Education Publishing Services, and W.H. Freeman Publishers. Earlier, Ferrandino was responsible for all aspects of marketing and sales at Technotects, a technology consulting firm that provided e-business solutions to the publishing industry.
Before her technology consulting experience, Ferrandino held roles at Thompson Publishing and Addison Wesley Longman Publishing, a Pearson Education company.
Ferrandino has her master’s of business administration and her bachelor’s of science in business management from Pennsylvania State University.
Science Advisory Board
Harold Pratt – Chair
Harold Pratt has served as the Director of Science Projects in the Center for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education at the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences, and as a Senior Program Officer for the NRC National Science Education Standards Project. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has co-authored or directed the development of four textbooks and a book on educational leadership, and was selected by the National Science Education Leadership Association as the first recipient of the Nation’s Outstanding Science Supervisor award. He is a retired president of the National Science Teachers Association.
Marsha Barber
Science Coordinator, Jefferson City, Colorado Public Schools
Joe Exline
Joe Exline is Executive Secretary of The Council of State Science Supervisors and a private education consultant.
Mary Gromko
Title I Director / Science Kit Resource Center Director, Colorado
Patty Harmon
Teacher on Special Assignment, San Francisco Unified School District
Michael Jay
Michael Jay, MA is an expert in standards alignment and curriculum and classroom product development. Highlights of his career include the designing, packaging and marketing of over two dozen curricula and classroom products for major companies including Apple Computer, Chancery Software, and MediaSeek. A sought-after international speaker, Jay holds two patents for methods of correlating educational curriculum.
Michael Klentchy
Superintendent of the El Centro Elementary School District, El Centro, CA
Page Keeley
Maine Math & Science Alliance
Jerry Valadez
K-12 Science Coordinator for Fresno Unified School District and the Co-director of the Central Valley Science Project.
Research Associates
Kevin Bell – Researcher
Kevin Bell has extensive experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors as a hydrologist, project manager, analyst, instructional designer, and consultant. He received his Bachelors degree in energy engineering from Evergreen State College, and his Masters degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, with a focus on models for sustaining innovation and large-scale systemic reform.
Jim Flanders – Evaluation and Technology Consultant
Jim has over 25 years of experience as a mathematics education and computer science faculty member, mathematics teacher, department chair, academic dean and curriculum developer, and has held positions at Western Michigan University, Colorado College, and University of Chicago. He is currently a researcher at the University of Chicago Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education. Dr. Flanders received his PhD in mathematics education from the University of Chicago.
Catherine E. Grubin – Operations and Peer Review Support
Catherine Grubin is a research immunologist by training and professional experience. Dr. Grubin has worked for nearly a decade in the biotechnology industry, and has taught science at the graduate and undergraduate levels. She was most recently involved in an elementary-level informal science education initiative based at Emory University. She received her PhD in immunology from the University of Washington.
James McBride – Research Consultant
James McBride is the Director of the Science and Mathematics Education Research Center at the University of Chicago. He has held academic teaching and research positions at Princeton University, Cornell University, and the University of Chicago. He has had more than a decade of experience as senior research director and senior mathematical statistician at Response Analysis Corporation, responsible for overall project management and key advisory roles for numerous private and public statistical surveys and assessments. He was senior writer and statistics consultant for the NSF supported development of grades 4-6 of UCSMP Everyday Mathematics as well as Project Director for the planning and development of the second edition of UCSMP K-6 Everyday Mathematics. Dr. McBride is Principal Investigator in a current large-scale impact evaluation of NSF-funded elementary mathematics initiatives. He received his PhD in statistics from the University of Chicago.
Robert T. Ward – Principal Content and Standards Consultant
Robert Ward is Emeritus Associate Professor of Physics and Science Education at the University of Northern Iowa, where he taught for over two decades. Early in his career he was a writer on Science, A Process Approach, one of the first NSF supported elementary science projects. A specialist in inquiry-based science education, he has spent the last two decades developing and implementing courses for the pre-service preparation of elementary school educators in the area of science. He has served as Director or Co-director on three NSF supported teacher preparation curriculum development efforts, the most recent one being the Preparation of Elementary Mathematics and Science Educators Project. Dr. Ward was a science content consultant for the second edition of Everyday Mathematics. He received his PhD in physics from Harvard University.
Development and Evaluation Associates
Belinda B. Basca – Writer
Belinda is a curriculum developer with CSG. She is a former high school science teacher and educational researcher. Ms. Basca’s focus is on the complex causal models underlying specific science concepts and misconceptions. She has extensive experience designing interviews, inventories, and curriculum materials to measure and further upper elementary level students’ understanding of biology and physics concepts. Her involvement with Harvard Project Zero includes work as a researcher in the Understanding of Consequences Project, examining the long-term efficacy of direct intervention strategies for addressing common science misconceptions in elementary and secondary students, and as a professional development trainer for Project Zero. She received her Masters degree in education from Harvard University.
Colleen Bell – Writer
Colleen’s career has crisscrossed between the software industry and education. After a job writing online mathematics lessons, she worked as a writer and project lead at Microsoft Corporation. She later worked as integration manager for Mindsai, a children’s multimedia developer. She has taught at the preschool and post-secondary levels in the United States and Kazakhstan. She received her Bachelors degree in history from Brigham Young University and a Teacher Certification for elementary education from Pacific Oaks College.
Diane Bell – Writer
Diane is chief curriculum architect for CSG. She has considerable experience in marine research and undergraduate teaching across North America. Ms. Bell received her Bachelors degree in biology from Reed College, and has completed coursework and initial research for a PhD in marine biology from Northeastern University.
Cynthia Buchenroth-Martin – Evaluation Manager
Cynthia is the formative evaluation manager for CSG. An experienced science and mathematics secondary school teacher, she has also worked as a curriculum developer for the Bishop Museum of Hawaii, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. With Chicago Science Group since 1996, Ms. Buchenroth-Martin has been a writer for Science Companion and is currently director of field testing of that curriculum. Ms. Buchenroth-Martin received her Bachelors degree in biology from Lewis and Clark College, and her Masters degree in science education from the University of Arizona.
Rachel Burke Cusack – Editor
Rachel is a content editor for CSG, with a diverse background in technical writing and project production. Her previous experience includes a decade of project management work at Microsoft, and infrastructure development work as Director of Development Services for Evergreen State College
Lance Campbell – Writer
Lance is an experienced elementary and secondary teacher with nearly a decade of experience as a technical writer and courseware developer at Intel and Microsoft. He received his Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering at Stanford University, and his Masters in teaching with endorsements in elementary education and secondary science at Antioch University.
Dorothy Freedman – Writer
Dorothy has a Bachelor’s degree from Reed College and an MST from the University of Chicago. She was a teacher at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools 23 years, and was one of the authors of the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project (Everyday Mathematics) working on the Kindergarten, first, and second grade levels.
Wanda Gayle – Editor
Wanda has edited educational and training curriculum, technical documentation, programming and user guides, and even a mystery novel during the past 15 years. She also has experience as a technical writer, an on-line help developer, and a computer-based training designer and writer. She has a Bachelors degree in sociology and history from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA and a partial Masters degree in Library and Information Science from Simmons College in Boston, MA. She is based in Salt Lake City, UT.
Annie Holdren- Writer
Annie received a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1998. With a specialty in archaeology, she developed a strong background in geology and natural history. She is an experienced writer, skilled at making the complicated clear. For over 10 years she has consulted as a writer and editor of books, articles, and brochures on topics ranging from historical geography to human evolution.
David Innes – Online Services Manager
David is a former project manager from Microsoft, specializing in the design and implementation of self-documenting computer based education and online help systems. His training includes extensive work in usability design for online technologies.
Deborah Leslie – Writer
Debbie is a curriculum developer with CSG. She is an elementary master teacher at a school in the First in the World school consortium in suburban Chicago, and was a developer for the second edition of Everyday Mathematics. She received Bachelors degrees in biochemistry and biophysics from Yale University, and her Masters degree in teaching from the University of Chicago.
Lauren Satterly – Writer
Lauren is a curriculum developer with CSG. She is an award-winning master teacher with prior experience as a science curriculum developer. She received her Masters degree in education from California State University at Fullerton.
Martha Sullivan – Writer
Martha is a curriculum developer with CSG. Her teaching specialty is secondary school biology, focusing on gifted and exceptional children. Ms. Sullivan received her Bachelors degree in biology from the University of Maryland (Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa), and is currently completing her Masters in teaching at Heritage College, University of Washington.