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
IMSA Fusion Program Registration
With each Unit of Study, you will gain access to:
- Access to our online learning management system, Canvas, where detailed instructional pages with student-friendly learning objectives and associated learning standards, a comprehensive materials list, and interactive virtual professional development are conveniently located
- RSVP to save your spot to attend in-person professional development training(s) during Summer 2023.
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
When purchasing, please select if you will be attending the in-person professional development at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, IL, or virtual, asynchronous professional development for each Unit of Study.
Step 3: Purchase materials from the list provided in Canvas or through Flinn Scientific.
Topics Grade levels In-Person PD Date In-Person PD Time
What's the Story, Data? 3rd-5th August 3rd 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Medieval STEM 6th-8th
August 1st 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Material Science: Living in a Material World 6th-8th July 27th 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Climate Change: the Future is Now 3rd-5th August 1st 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Out of the Silo: Agronomic STEM 6th-8th August 3rd 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Mars: Manifest Destiny 6th-8th
August 2nd 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Organized Sound: STEM in Music 3rd-5th
July 26th 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Take Flight 6th-8th July 25th 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
You Be the Judge 3rd-5th July 24th 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Synthetic Score Card: Biotechnology 3rd-5th July 25th 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Fighting Fire with STEM 3rd-5th
August 2nd 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Biological Toolkit 6th-8th
July 26th 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Engineering: Design and Build 3rd-5th
July 27th 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Dive In: Oceanographic STEM 3rd-5th July 31st
8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Secret Communications 6th-8th July 31st 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
