MAYVILLE - Educators in the region have an opportunity to gain valuable insight from authors, literacy experts and a world-renowned paleoanthropologist through a workshop planned by Erie 2 Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES School Library System and National Geographic.
The workshop will take place Friday at Chautauqua Suites in Mayville.
The intended audience for this event is K-12 librarians, science teachers, ELA teachers, social studies teachers, curriculum coordinators, and administrators. Educators will gain the experience of how one book with supplemental materials can bring about collaboration across curriculums which undergirds the shift to nonfiction literature in the Common Core.
Article Photos
Marc Aronson
This event will feature internationally renowned paleoanthropologist Dr. Lee Berger, award-winning author Dr. Marc Aronson, literacy expert and author Dr. Mary Ann Cappiello and School Library System coordinator Susan Bartle.
This professional development opportunity focuses on using nonfiction in the Common Core classroom - specifically starting with The Skull in the Rock, a just released non-fiction book by Dr. Berger and Dr. Aronson. The book, published by National Geographic, traces the story of how a scientist, a boy and Google Earth opened a new window on human origins.
After extensive searches of the most studied and excavated fossil hunting ground in the world, Dr. Berger, a paleoanthropologist, searched the familiar terrain with a new tool-Google Earth. The screen yielded new caves and fossil sights that would lead to his 9-year-old son, Matthew, making a discovery that would transform the world of human evolution forever.
Many important fossil discoveries have been made near Johannesburg, South Africa, the area known as the Cradle of Humankind. Matthew's discovery of a new species Sediba (Australopithecus Sediba) in Malapa in 2008 provides a clue to a new understanding of human evolution while inspiring others to continue to seek knowledge and explore science.
Matthew's discovery led to the identification of two remarkably well-preserved, two million-year-old fossils of an adult female and young male, known as Australopithecus Sediba, a previously unknown species of ape-like creatures that may have been a direct ancestor of modern humans.
This discovery has been hailed as one of the most important archeological discoveries in history. The fossils reveal what may be one of humankind's oldest ancestors. This discovery was featured on the cover of Scientific American magazine in April 2012 and named as one of the "Top 100 New Scientific Discoveries in 2011" by Time Magazine.
Participants will learn about this book from the authors and experience non-fiction infusion in the Common Core from experts. The program will include how this book can lead into other activities and experiences in curriculum, which will include - science, ELA, math, and social studies.
"This is a phenomenal opportunity for educators to experience how a text can lead into classroom experiences across the curriculum enriching student learning and meeting the rigors of the Common Core. We are thrilled to be able to bring experts of this caliber together for a workshop to share science and literacy skills with educators and impact students throughout the region," Ms. Bartle said.
Dr. Berger is a professor at the Institute for Human Evolution, the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. An award-winning researcher, author and speaker, Dr. Berger is a fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa, and the winner of the National Geographic Society's first Prize for Research and Exploration. He has appeared in dozens of television documentaries and is a regular commentator on evolution and paleontology. Dr. Berger graduated from Georgia Southern University in 1989 and received his Ph.D. from the University of Witwatersrand in 1994.
Dr. Aronson earned his doctorate in American History at NYU and has made his career as an award-winning editor and author. He has also co-authored a set of books with other experts including Ain't Nothing But a Man (Jane Addams prize honor); If Stones Could Speak (Orbis Pictus honor) and the World Made New. He teaches at Rutgers University and frequently speaks to schools throughout the county and has presented workshops throughout the region.
"The Skull in the Rock details the events and adventures that brought Dr. Berger to the Cradle of Humankind and brings the adventure to us through biographical detail, skilled storytelling and phenomenal photojournalism. The story brings science, evolution and technology to life as we see the journey to discover more about the brown rock with a thin yellow bone stuck in it and how the story of a discovery of a lifetime has unfold edand shaped the lives of the Berger family," Ms. Bartle said.
Mary Ann Cappiello teaches content literacy and children's and young adult literature, including a course in nonfiction literature for children and young adults, at Lesley University. She spent over a decade teaching English-Language Arts in public schools and received her doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Cappiello has been a guest on public radio, and her publication credits include: English Journal, The Dragon Lode, Language Arts, and The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature. She is the co-author of Teaching with Text Sets (Shell Education, October 2012) and blogs with Lesley colleagues Erika Thulin Dawes and Grace Enriquez at "The Classroom Bookshelf" every Monday during the school year
Dr. Cappiello will present on using nonfiction in the Common Core classroom - specifically starting with The Skull in the Rock and how to lead this into other activities and experiences in curriculum which will include - science, ELA, math and social studies.
Mrs. Bartle is the coordinator of the E2CCB School Library System and a certified school library media specialist and school district administrator. She has more than 30 years of experience as a librarian, the last 13 as a system director for 99 school libraries. She has contributed to many article and journals and has presented in a series of national webinars. Friday's workshop at Chautauqua Suites in Mayville has limited seating and reservations are required. Call 1-800-344-9611 ext. 2023 to register.
"Ultimately, The Skull in the Rock is about the quest for adventure and knowledge - what better lesson could we offer our children?' Mrs. Bartle said.
