VAST Center Support for Local Districts

The Grant Wood AEA Van Allen Science Teaching Center (VAST) is committed to providing:

Opportunities to learn in a hands-on, minds-on oriented classroom using research-based, comprehensive curriculum for ALL students.
The structure to experience science with the integration of reading, writing and mathematics.

Districts and educators receive assistance with:

Curriculum

Curriculum that embraces best practice and is aligned with local district standards and benchmarks, the Iowa Core Science Standards, and the Next Generation Science Standards

Literacy links, writing to learn and informational text opportunities are embedded in the units

Alignment to the K-8 Iowa Core

Instruction

Research-based high quality instructional materials that are continuously updated to current versions.

Classroom materials for every student to experience hands-on, minds-on science learning opportunities.

Grade-to-grade learning progressions that build on each other to offer every student the opportunity to learn the key concepts that lead to science literacy.

Assessment

Classroom summative and formative assessments are included in the curriculum units.

Professional Development

Access to high quality professional development classes that are directly relevant to teachers’ classroom science teaching responsibility and targets new teachers

Access to GWAEA science consultant support for assistance in implementation

Technical materials assistance from the VAST Center staff