Information for Educators

SESB Benefits Students, Teachers, and Schools

Science and technology generate jobs, profits, and inventions and are important for the future of our democratic society. Students in our schools today need to be scientifically and mathematically prepared so that they can fill the jobs and meet the challenges of tomorrow's society. Current school reform efforts have focused on firmly implanting science in schools where there is often little time for science or inadequate materials and equipment.

The SESB gives teachers science content assistance while they are teaching as part of their school day. SESB industry professionals provide real world expertise during content discussions and will form relationships with teachers to answer pressing content questions that will ultimately enhance their science teaching.

Teachers: If you are interested in having a guest speaker visit your classroom please fill out this SESB Teacher Application.pdf and fax to (858) 455-0022 or email to kgrover@biocom.org

What is Involved – Teachers

The partners of the SESB conducted focus groups with life science teachers who provided input on standards-based science concepts that are"difficult to teach" and/or "difficult to learn".  Their feedback and comments have informed the lessons for the SESB and are included on the SESB lesson matrix.

Middle school teachers will identify a window of time during an instructional sequence that is appropriate for infusion of relevant content from an expert in the field.  The teacher will also chose one of seventeen lessons from the program’s learning matrix for industry professionals to utilize in middle school classrooms.  Each lesson is aligned with the conceptual development of the science standards and will showcase an applicable research or industry example. The lessons are web archived and lab supplies or manipulative kits will be prepped and shipped to the teacher one week prior to the class.

You can schedule your guest speaker today by completing the following steps:

1. Complete the Teacher SESB application
2. Register to preview lessons.  On the left hand side of the home page you will see the logo for the Science Education Speakers Bureau click on the link below that says create account. Once you have registered you can log in and see the resources that the SESB has to offer.
3. We will be hosting a workshop on 8/25/2010 from 10:00-12:00pm at BIOCOM (address below) to go over the lessons and answer any questions that you may have about the program. Lunch will be provided. If you are interested in attending please RSVP to Kristie Grover at kgrover@biocom.org

Teachers participating in the SESB program will:
1. Host a scientist guest speaker in your classroom to support a concept currently being taught
2. Identify SESB topics of interest
3. Identify the approximate date/week/time to schedule the visit
4. Will assign pre-visit project and view industry media clip in the week before the guest speaker visits
5. Prep for lesson to be taught in class
6. Collaborate with the speaker before the lesson presentation
7. In class visit: Will co-teach the lesson work (1 day or 1/2 day: 1-2 50 minute class periods)