Institute for Inquiry Participant Portal

Currently Recruiting

As a part of the Exploratorium's statewide intiative to support CA NGSS implementation, the Institute for Inquiry is leading workshops for professional learning providers from educational service regions across California. We are currently partnering with county office leadership to recruit lead teachers and professional learning providers in Regions 4, 5, and 9 for workshops in spring, summer, and fall of 2020. 

CA NGSS Resources

Cross-Regional Online Workshops
Recordings, guides, and other resources shared with participants across the state.

Supporting Sensemaking: Analyzing and Interpreting Data (Snails Investigation)
Supporting Sensemaking: Modeling
Science and Literacy: Phenomena and Writing (Ice Balloons)
Supporting Sensemaking: Arguing from Evidence (Mystery Boxes)
SCASS/Exploratorium Workshop: Science Snacks and the CA NGSS

Facilitators’ Guides
These CA NGSS-aligned workshop activities were designed for professional learning providers to use with elementary educators. They're based on activities that participants experience during an immersive workshop at the Exploratorium, though they may vary slightly in timing and format. All files are provided in a downloadable and editable format so you can adapt them for use in your classroom or workshop.

Educator’s Guides for Integrating Science and English Language Development
These K–5 classroom guides were developed in 2013 as a part of an initiative to integrate science and English language development in the Sonoma Valley Unified School District. They pre-date the CA NGSS and were introduced incrementally through a two-year program of professional learning. If you're interested in adapting them for use, we recommend that you read this preface for notes on aligning them with the CA NGSS.

CA NGSS Activity Guides for the Classroom
These K–5 classroom guides are being developed to help teachers translate Exploratorium activities and phenomena into classroom experiences aligned to the performance expectations in the CA NGSS. New topics will be added here throughout 2019.

Regional Resources
Slides, handouts, videos, and other resources shared with professional learning providers at regional workshops at the Exploratorium and online follow-ups.  

Region 1
Region 2 
Region 3
Region 5
Region 6 and 7 
Region 8
Region 9 (Imperial and Orange) 
Region 9 (San Diego)
Region 10
Region 11  
K-12 Alliance

Resources for Bay Area Participants

Master Group Seminar Series, Participant Resources
Enrollment for the current school year has closed. Workshop dates are:

October 28, 2020
December 5, 2020
March 6, 2020

Upcoming Events

Region 5 Online Workshops (three sessions)
October 8, 2020, 3:30pm-5:30pm
November 12, 2020, 3:30pm-5:30pm
December 10, 2020, 3:30pm-5:30pm

Region 4 Online Workshops (three sessions)
November 5, 2020, 10am-12pm
January 21, 2021, 10am-12pm
March 11, 2021, 10am-12pm

Region 10 Online Workshops (four sessions)
Grade TK-2: October 20, 2020, 3pm-5pm
Grade 3-5: October 22, 2020, 3pm-5pm
Grade TK-2: January 26, 2021, 3pm-5pm
Grade 3-5: January 28, 2021, 3pm-5pm

Please email us at ifi@exploratorium.edu if you have questions about an upcoming workshop.

Users who wish to duplicate these materials must ensure that the Exploratorium Institute for Inquiry is properly credited, and the original copyright notice must be included. Institute for Inquiry® is a registered trademark and service mark of the Exploratorium. Exploratorium® is a registered trademark and service mark of the Exploratorium.

For more information, please see the Exploratorium’s Use Policy.