Both elementary and middle school teachers agree that the Twig-brand science curriculum should be adopted for Great Bend Public Schools grades K-8 for the next seven years. Teachers from the science curriculum committee piloted two programs earlier this year before making their recommendations at the March 10 USD 428 Board of Education meeting.
Assistant Superintendent John Popp said the committee has been researching materials for two years. Teachers from every grade and every school tried the materials for a semester.
“We wanted kids to DO science rather than read about science,” he said.
Mackenzie Nelson, Jefferson sixth grade teacher; Bailey Herter, Jefferson second grade teacher; and Casey Gatton, Riley second grade teacher, explained the K-8 recommendation. What they liked best about Twig were its hands-on approach and the real-world applications that could inform students about career readiness.
“It’s student-led with them asking questions at the start,” Nelson said. “Their questions are answered along the way. It’s very engaging.”
Herter agreed that the material “engages and excites the students.” There is support for teaching English language learners.
However, the curriculum comes with a hefty price, said JoAnn Blevins, USD 428’s director of teaching and learning.
The teachers had to consider whether they’d be willing to give up printed student workbooks to trim $200,000 from the cost. The digital versions can be used on screens and students’ Chromebooks, and copies of pages printed as needed (but only in black and white).
The cost for training and materials for seven years is $560,437.
For more information about Twig, visit the website https://www.imaginelearning.com/products/science/twig-science/.
High school teachers Andrea Sayler-Siefkes, Luke Maneth and Kimberly Lovesee recommend science curriculum materials from McGraw Hill.
The teachers shared copies of textbooks for topics such as biology and chemistry as they explained the features of the material. They include “smartbooks,” that they can use for homework assignments and other lessons. These are a digital platform that adjusts questions based on students’ answers. They are also adaptable for other languages (not just Spanish) and other special needs, such as spoken text. Maneth said the Spanish version is better than Google Translate, which teachers use now.
The cost of McGraw Hill materials is $164,492 for seven years. The teachers also recommend materials from Pearson for the physics courses. Those will cost $2,565 for seven years.
That brings the K-12 recommendation costs to $727,494 for seven years, Blevins said.
Because Monday’s presentation was a “first reading,” the board took no action. Approval will be requested at the April 14 meeting.
