[T.A.R.D.I.S]

Do any of you guys use Amplify? We just adopted it so this is my first year with it. Just wondering if there are any tips out there?

TIA

[mom23kids]

Our first year too! Looks very interesting. Something about a train that floats in 3rd grade Sorry I can't help you, well learn it together. ARe you a science teacher or a classroom teacher. Who has to teach it?

[T.A.R.D.I.S]

I’m a classroom teacher who has to teach it. I’m looking forward to it because we’ve had FOSS for years (all 15 I’ve been in the district) and I don’t like FOSS.

[frogdogs]

It's the first year for us, too. We are only required to do one unit this year--the inheritance one. Is there time given in your schedule to teach science?

[T.A.R.D.I.S]

Frog dogs, I wonder if we are in the same district. We only have to teach one as well. And it’s the inheritance (wolf) one.

No, we don’t get extra time for science. With all my district mandates, I have about 20 minutes for science four days a week.

[frogdogs]

T.A.R.D.I.S. we don't get extra time for science either. I'm considering using the Wonders review week time to teach it but not sure that would work very well.

What has your Amplify training been like?

[T.A.R.D.I.S]

We had a half day training that was pretty lame. We then went back to our school and unpacked the boxes. I’m hoping to start the unit around mid-October. My team doesn’t do the sixth week of Wonders.

[illinoisteach]

We got it this year and there are things I like and dislike. There is a LOT to teach, so after this year, my team will look at how to compact the lessons. We are in the Environments and Survival unit and there is a lot of repetition. To make my life easier, I have worked on making slides for each lesson/activity. It helps the flow of my teaching (although it is extremely time consuming).

[T.A.R.D.I.S]

We only have to do the Inheritance and Traits kit this year. I haven’t yet gotten to it. I’ll start it right after Thanksgiving.

[bronxpaddler]

I am working on opening a new middle school in NYC. Looking at all the Lawrence Hall of Science curricula (FOSS, Lab Aids / SEPUP, and Amplify). Can I ask: What don't you like about FOSS?

[T.A.R.D.I.S]

I felt FOSS was too hands on. There wasn’t enough teaching/learning in their lessons. I would get done with an activity and have the kids reflect on what they learned and they wouldn’t know. Also, the FOSS we had, which is seven or more years old, uses live animals for investigations. For third grade, this is crawdads and land snails. If we order them from out of state (which we had to for snails, they weren’t in Oregon) we had to kill them. I’m not ok with teaching kids it’s ok to kill an animal just to learn from them. And they were a pain to have in the room.