Great Discoveries Teacher Workshop 2009

Great Discoveries Professional Development Workshops were held in two locations during the summer of 2009:

• July 20th -25th at Pacific University* in Forest Grove
• August 3rd -14th at the Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston

*The July workshop was given in an intensive 10 hours per day, 6-day format. The August session was held Monday-Friday, 8 hours per day

Thirty-eight (38) teachers from around the state attended this training. The teachers explored each of the five curriculum units in depth and left the workshop with all of the materials to instruct one complete unit.

Meals and dormitory-style lodging were provided during the workshop. Upon completion, each participant received a $250 stipend and a mileage reimbursement. An additional $250 stipend was paid to participants after classroom implementation and evaluation of the curriculum. Graduate credits were available for purchase through Eastern Oregon University (EOU) at the individual’s expense.

Funding for the Great Discoveries Workshop was provided by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI): http://www.hhmi.org/grants/.

What is Great Discoveries?

Great Discoveries is a five-unit curriculum that combines science, health and literacy to meet the Oregon Common Curriculum Goals. Each unit in the curriculum explores the human body through inquiry-based hands-on experiments and lessons that delve into both life and/or physical science concepts. The curriculum units help teachers and their students investigate health topics such as hearing, vision, nutrition, human locomotion and prosthetics, and microbes. Additional information can be found at: http://www.eou.edu/grdiscov/