Fantasy Baseball Math: A Hit With Region 3 After School Programs for a Fourth Year in A Row

On April 18, 2015 Raley Field was once again filled with energetic players and cheering fans, but the action was academic instead of athletic. Region 3s Fourth Annual Fantasy Baseball Math Tournament was held at the minor league ballpark of the Sacramento River Cats.

The 2015 Fantasy Baseball Math Tournament was sponsored by the City of Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation, Elk Grove Unified School District, Folsom Cordova Unified School District, PSA Apparel, Raley Field, Sacramento City Unified School District, Sacramento County Office of Education, Sacramento START, Subway, Twin Rivers Unified School District, West Sacramento Parks,  Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center, Wilson Trophy Company, Sports Authority, Washington Unified School District, Roberts Family Development Center, Center for Fathers and Families, Giants Community Fund, STEMfinity, Sacramento River Cats, and Safeway.

The exciting tournament featured 32 teams of fifth to eighth grade students representing school districts from the Sacramento area. In the competition, students used statistics from specially designed baseball cards to analyze data, compare players, complete circle graphs, and ultimately play simulated baseball games where they may even lead their team to a Fantasy Baseball World Series Championship.

The champion of the 4th Annual After School Fantasy Baseball Tournament was a mighty team of two from Stonegate Elementary School in Washington Unified. 

The view from the Legacy Club at Raley Field.

The After School Fantasy Baseball Tournament is under way.

The tournament is in full swing. 

The teams are calculating their results. 

Photo Opportunity for these rising after school all-stars.

The trophies are ready.

Thank you to our sponsors!!!!

Click here to see the highlights from the tournament that appeared on the local news cast.

NGSS: Things to Know for May

1) Appendix A - Conceptual Shifts in the NGSS (Resource)

2) Looking to hear more about lessons learned from working with states on NGSS 

    adoption and  implementation? Watch this excerpt from Stephen Pruitt's presentation 

    at NSTA's 2015 National Conference in Chicago: "The Top 10 Things I learned 

    in 2014." (Video)

3) Interested in learning more about professional development that supports the new 

    vision for science education? Check out this new two-page brief from STEM Teaching 

    Tools. (Resource)

4) Science fair night a community project at Lansdowne Elementary 

    (Katie Jones, Baltimore Sun)

5) California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Tolakson visits McCaffrey 

    Middle School in Galt. ( Jennifer Bonnett, Lodi News-Sentinal)

Name of Out-of-School-Time Provider: Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center

Name of District: Sacramento City Unified School District

School Site: Kit Carson International Baccalaureate Candidate School

Grade Level of Activity: 6th thru 8th

Number of Students who took part in the activity: 20

Type of Activity: Engineering Everywhere: Put a Lid on It (Free to Download)

Learner Outcomes: Students will:

• that they can use the Engineering Design Process to help solve problems
• earn that engineers design technologies to help people and solve problems
• learn that they have talent and potential for designing and improving technologies
• they can be biomechanics engineers
• be engaged in open ended challenges that are directly tied to NGSS standards
• also learn to work in collaborative groups

Students designed a new hard hat.

Students designed a new bicycle helmet.

Students designed a new football helmet.

Some students even designed new gladiator apparel.

STEM / Expanded Learning / and Other Pertinent Educational Articles

1) Quality Standards Mini Webinar (Webinar hosted by Dr. Kim Boyer, Executive 

     Director of the Central Valley Afterschool Foundation)

2) After School Guide to the SNAP-Ed Program (Resource)

3) NSLA National Summer Learning Day June 19, 2015 (Resource)

4) The Second Issue of the Journal of Expanded Learning Opportunities (JELO) 

    (Resource)

5) My First NGSS Lab (Tanya Katovich, Next Generation Chemistry) 

6) Perfecting the NGSS Engineering Dance ( Marsha Ratzel, Reflections of a Techie) 

7) What Happened to the Scientific Method? (Hallie Mills, CORElaborate)

8) 9 Quick Tips for Taking Ownership of Your Professional Development (Edutopia)

9) Stanford Study Describes How Diverse High Schools Successfully Implement 

    Social Emotional Learning (Ed Brief)

STEM (and other interdisciplinary core content) Activities / Videos / Websites / Podcast

1) Real-World Math: A Bit of Trig and Hay for the Horses (NPR Audio)

2) Boosting Education for Babies and their Parents (NPR Audio)

3) Collaborating to Develop Mathematical Ideas Series (Teaching Channel) (Video)

4) Informational Texts: Reading for Inquiry (Teaching Channel) (Video)

5) Click 2 Science (Free Online STEM Training and Resources)

6) Exploratorium (Digital Resources Library)

STEM Educational Grants:

1) Grant Wrangler Website (Grants for different content areas)

2) Power of Discovery Grant Databases

3) Power of Discovery Funding Opportunities

4) CREEC Grant / Resource Database

5) Project WET Grant Database

6) Kids in the Game Go! Grant (Deadline: June 1, 2015 $1,000 to $5,000)

7) American Honda Foundation Invites Applications for Youth Education Programs 

    (Deadline: Rolling Grants Up to $75,000)

8) California After School Funding Opportunities

STEM / Other Content Area Professional Development / Misc. / Events / Contest

1) Articulating Your Story (Free CASRC Webinar May 21, 2015 11:00 - 12:30 PM)

    Learn about the impact that expanded learning programs have on a community

2) Skillastics Physical Activities (Free: June 2, 2015)

3) Techbridge Chemical Engineering Activities (Free: June 3, 2015)

Thanks again for all that you do in the field. Please keep us posted about STEM events/activities in your area. Please feel free to contact us at any time.

Monica Gonzalez-Williams (SCOE: Region 3: After School Regional Lead):
mgonzalez@scoe.net

Phil Romig (SCOE: Science Curriculum Specialist): promig@scoe.net

Mark Drewes (SCOE: Project Specialist II: After School) mdrewes@scoe.net