Professional Development with Fusion
IMSA Fusion is a teacher professional development and STEM enrichment program for students in grades 3-8. By design, the IMSA Fusion curriculum is inquiry-based, problem-centered, competency-driven, and integrative. The learning experiences focus on helping students “learn how to learn” and emphasize collaboration, mathematical thinking, and experimental scientific thinking. Topics relate to the students’ lives, thereby arousing their curiosity and increasing their motivation to learn mathematics and science. Teachers from each participating school are supported with ongoing professional development for the delivery of the curriculum and the use of appropriate pedagogy.
In brief, the program goals are:
- Maintain or increase students’ interest, involvement, and literacy in science and mathematics
- Enhance the knowledge and skills of teachers in science, mathematics, and technology; stimulate excellence in schools
- Stimulate excellence in schools’ science and mathematics programs
- Help increase access to programming for students who are historically under-resourced in science, mathematics, and technology and for all areas of the state
School Memberships
IMSA Fusion programs are now offered as annual school-level subscriptions providing digital access to the curriculum, including teacher and student pages in English and Spanish. Schools that subscribe, have access to the following features:
- One day of face-to-face professional development by IMSA’s specialists
Training is optional but highly recommended!
- 1-year access to the IMSA Fusion online learning management system
These pages include additional professional development, digital resources, and access to the community of learners across the nation who are also teaching IMSA Fusion. - A full STEM-based curriculum aligned with NGSS Standards
Can be used to supplement lessons or host an after/before school STEM program. Materials are listed in each Fusion program or can be purchased as kits from Flinn Scientific. - The option to attend a field trip* at IMSA
Includes a 90-minute STEM lesson and 30-minute IMSA tour/admissions talk.
* For more information on field trips, contact our program specialist Karina at kvillarreal@imsa.edu.
Get Started!
Step 1: Review the curriculum choices for your grade band. Choose your curriculum topic(s)
Step 2: Subscribe to the Fusion curriculum choice(s) listed below. If you would like to pay with a purchase order, please contact us at kvillarreal@imsa.edu.
Topics Grade levels
What's the Story, Data? 3rd-5th
Medieval STEM 6th-8th
Material Science: Living in a Material World 6th-8th
Climate Change: the Future is Now 3rd-5th
Out of the Silo: Agronomic STEM 6th-8th
Mars: Manifest Destiny 6th-8th
Organized Sound: STEM in Music 3rd-5th
Take Flight 6th-8th
You Be the Judge 3rd-5th
Synthetic Score Card: Biotechnology 3rd-5th
Fighting Fire with STEM 3rd-5th
Biological Toolkit 6th-8th
Engineering: Design and Build 3rd-5th
Dive In: Oceanographic STEM 3rd-5th
Secret Communications 6th-8th
Step 3: Purchase materials from the list provided in your subscription or through Flinn Scientific.
