Museum of Science and Industry

How will my teachers benefit from an MSI graduate course?

The Museum’s science teacher education courses can provide your teachers with science content and teaching strategies directly relevant to their classroom curriculum. Courses provide a broad background in science, are designed in accordance with Illinois and national science education standards and complement Museum exhibits and resources.

Since the program’s inception, teachers at over 225 schools – mostly Chicago Public Schools – have participated. Six schools have participated for all five years: CICS-Bucktown, Gallistel Language Academy, Hanson Park Elementary, Locke Elementary and Sawyer Elementary in Chicago and Heritage Middle School in Berwyn.

Museum courses target fourth- through eighth-grade educators with limited experience teaching science and are offered at no cost to teachers selected to participate. Academic year courses meet six times during the school year. Summer courses meet over five consecutive days for three graduate credits. During academic year courses, the Museum reimburses schools for the cost of a substitute teacher for sessions held on school days.

During each course, teachers receive lesson plans and materials to replicate activities back in the classroom. Teachers in the academic year courses also receive a free field trip, which includes funding for a bus and a Learning Lab program for students. See a sample session agenda and classroom lesson.

Teachers can also earn a Master of Science Education degree or a middle-school science endorsement in as little as two years. Learn more about our master's program.

To participate in MSI courses, teachers must apply and be selected to enroll. Teachers are recruited in pairs to ensure shared resources at schools. Applications are accepted in the spring and late summer. We currently are offering these courses:

Get Re-Energized (physical science)

Experiment with concepts related to energy such as energy transformation and conversion, potential and kinetic energy, light, heat, electricity and more. 
Group A session dates: Sept. 27, Oct. 20, Dec. 1, Feb. 2, April 19, May 18
Group B session dates: Sept. 27, Oct. 21, Dec. 2, Feb. 3, April 20, May 18

Great Lakes Rocks (Earth systems science)

Explore the interconnected systems of Earth through our unique Great Lakes perspective, and learn how climate has changed and continues to change through time.
Group A session dates: Sept. 30, Nov. 15, Jan. 10, Feb. 14, May 1, May 25
Group B session dates: Sept. 30, Nov. 18, Jan. 13, Feb. 17, May 4, May 25

Learn more about our other courses:

All About You (life science)
Expedition: Green (environmental science)

Teachers credit MSI courses with showing them how to make science fun and exciting for their students. Here’s just some of the feedback we’ve received:

“Because of the ample supplies the Museum has so generously provided, I feel well equipped to provide hands-on instruction with the science concepts we are learning. The student success stories are endless, as rarely a day goes by that I do not hear, ‘I love science now.’ “
    -- Julianne Riedele, Hans Christian Andersen Academy, Chicago

“I cannot get over the lab materials we receive after each session.  It demonstrates how complete the program is, given that you give us curricula, guide us during the workshops in how we may teach many of the lessons, and give us everything we need to put them to use in the classroom. “
--  Melissa Resh, Young Women’s Leadership Charter School, Chicago