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2/4/2021

Mission: Penguins? Week 6 Vote

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What does the evidence show?

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To help evaluate the evidence, we're offering five bonus livestreams on Friday, February 12th.   You can join us at 9:00, 9:30, 10:00, 10:30, or 11:00 AM Eastern Time!  We'll review the evidence and work with classes in the livestream to determine the importance and meaning of each clue. The sessions will last about 20 minutes.  We'll look at photos of the evidence and organize that evidence on a virtual poster. 
If you can't join us on February 12th, you can use the google slides version of our virtual poster to organize the discussion in your class whenever you choose.  ​ Just make a copy and go from there!  The vote will remain active and open until March 24th so your students have time to do some quality thinking!  We also hope you are able to share why your class voted the way it did on our Publish It page.  Simply snap a photo or screen shot and upload your images!  We'd love to see what your students are thinking!
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Click to access the Google Slides virtual poster!
click to get this week's Google form to copy, adapt, and share

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2/4/2021

Mission: Penguin? Lesson Ideas

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Tips for Adapting Lessons for Distanced and Remote Learners!

Each week, we provide two new lesson opportunities.  Some will be very easy to adapt to a distanced classroom setting while others may require a bit more thinking.  We're here to help with that!  Remember, you can skip any lessons you choose and still provide your students with a great mission experience.  Even under normal conditions, it is rare that a class does EVERY lesson associated with a mission, so be kind to yourselves.  Less really can be more!

That being said, I'll add to this page weekly so you can find adaptation ideas for the lessons you DO choose to do. ​

Day 1: To the Galapagos
In person with distancing: This lesson sets the stage for the mission with a mapping activity as well as setting up data collection protocols.  Your existing protocols for handling papers should be all the modification needed.
Remote learning:  Use tools like Google Maps to support your online discussion.  Share pdf maps, journal pages, and data collection pages through your learning management system so students can access them digitally!
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Day 2: Sounds Different
​In person with distancing: For the opening demo, use the variation where you are the one touching the string.  Use gloved hands and/or sanitize between students.  Students will be able to work in socially distanced pairs by providing a longer length of string and taking turns attaching objects.  Each partner holds one end of the string to their ear.  They can swing the object to tap it against a desk or chair leg.
Remote:  This is a great raid the recycling bin sort of activity.  The materials, even for the bonus design challenge, are flexible and easily scavenged.  The only must have item is some sort of string or yarn.  After introducing the lesson during a class session or though your learning management system, have students complete the challenge and report out with videos  or during your next class session.
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Day 3: Beaks, Beaks, Beaks
​In person with distancing: Provide each student their own baggie of "food" to have at their designated workspace.  If possible gather enough "beaks" for each student to have one.  Have students work with gloved hands, or sanitize hands and "beaks" before trading them with a partner.
Remote:  Encourage students to gather their own materials at home!  Challenge them to get creative with the different types of "beaks" they gather or assemble.  Remind them to ask their adults before using any food or small objects for this activity.  After students explore independently at home, gather for a group discussion or share reflections on your LMS.  Be sure to talk about how the different "beaks" and "foods" they gathered may have produced different results!
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Day 4: Same and Different
​In person with distancing: This lesson has students assemble and compare life-size animal posters.  Instead of working in collaborative groups, share page seven of the lesson with students so they can complete the Venn diagram portion of the activity by comparing the animal outlines.  If time and space permit, students can assemble their own six page life size penguin puzzles.
Remote:  If students are able to print at home, a life size animal poster could become a wonderful family project.  Share a link to download the posters!  Alternatively, have students use the images on page seven of the lesson as a reference as you collaboratively create your triple Venn diagrams.  The life-size animal posters are also visible in Mobile Headquarters and Virtual Mobile HQ slides so those images could also be used to complete the Venn diagrams.
Click to Access Virtual Mobile HQ slides
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Day 5: Blubber (La Loberia)

​In person with distancing
: Have students sanitize their hands prior to trying the blubber glove.  Consider having students bring materials from home to construct their insulating alternative.  Provide a collection of additional materials for students who were not able to bring things from home.  If needed (to ensure social distancing) students can work independently rather in teams.

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Remote:  Send the blubber glove assembly directions home to adults.  If they are unable to construct a glove, demonstrate the use of a blubber glove during your class meeting or with a video on your LMS.  Then challenge students to create two or more insulating designs as described in the lesson and compare them to find the most effective solution.  Encourage them to be creative in their materials choices and use what is on hand.  Remember to check the recycling bin too!
Day 6: Relative Abundance
(The Rookery)

In person with distancing: This card game can be modified to play at individual desks by splitting up the draw pile so each student has their own.  Instead of trading cards with one another, students can select from their face up discards or face down draw cards when they roll a “T.”  To simplify things further, have just one die and all students adapt their cards based on each roll of the die.
Remote:  To keep printing to a minimum, families who are able to print the game cards, boards, and die at home can print just a single game board.  If it is impossible to get game parts to students, focus on the ELA integration instead as this can be done without any special materials.  
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Day 7: Buoyancy (Kicker Rock)
In person with distancing: Instead of having students work collaboratively, give them small set of materials and small containers of water to create and test their own designs.  Have students share their successes and struggles and then redesign their own small, neutrally buoyant objects. 
Remote:  This lesson offers another opportunity for creative scavenging!  Encourage students to share their collections of materials as well as their design attempts through your learning management system.  Direct the adults at home to cut the top off of a water or soft drink bottle so students have a deeper water column in which to test their designs.
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Day 8: Blue-Footed Booby
​(Punta Pitt)

In person with distancing: This lesson can be completed with only slight modifications in your classroom using any art supplies you wish.  They will decorate their own “foot” as per the lesson, but instead of working directly on the “foot” of a classmate, flip each student’s second foot template over and color the back with the side of a crayon.  Each student should use a unique color.  Cut that foot into pieces to create a puzzle for each student.  Distribute these puzzle pieces to classmates making sure they know who each piece belongs to.  Alternately, cut the pieces and write that student’s name on the back of each piece.  Once students have decorated their classmates’ foot puzzle pieces, those pieces should be retuned to their “owner” who will re-assemble the foot for display.  This activity can happen throughout the week so papers have time to sit between students. 
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Remote: Begin the lesson by brainstorming positive attributes about one another during a class meeting or through your learning management system.  Students can use their classmates ideas to decorate their own “feet” at home.  Encourage students to get creative with art supplies, try cutting up old magazines for collage or creating mixed-media feet using whatever is on hand! ​

Day 9: Tortoise Special

​In person with distancing
:  Have students work independently rather than in groups.  Share work by projecting photos or using a document camera so that students can get a closer look without getting closer to one another!
Remote: Once again, encourage families to use materials they have on hand for this activity.  Empty cereal or shipping boxes make great raw materials.  Share student work in your LMS or the Go2Science Publish It page!  Also, share the arts integration with families as it makes a great family craft activity.
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Day: 10 Ocean Currents: Go with the Flow (Santa Cruz)
In person with distancing:  If at all possible, take this active game outdoors.  Note that two long lengths of rope are optional materials for this activity.  To ensure distancing, use the rope variation and make knots or tape marks at socially distanced intervals.  Then, have fun modeling and discussing currents!
Remote: During your class meeting or in a short video talk about or demonstrate mixing hot and cold water in a bathtub as described in “Setting the Stage.”  Instead of adapting the active group game, focus on the arts integration.  It is a perfect activity to do at home under close adult supervision.  Have students show the representations of currents they create.  Discuss how,  like the wax, water of differing temperatures can flow past each other without completely mixing.
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Day :11 Rafting North Seymour)

​In person with distancing
:  Instead of working in teams, pair students so that one records results and the other manipulates the model.  If needed, have each pair test just some of the animals so that you can alternate groups at a limited number of water tubs.  Compare results across groups to build consensus about the likely outcomes.
Remote: Share page five of the lesson pdf with the adults at home.  If they do not have any styrofoam trays available, encourage them to test alternative materials.  Craft foam, lids from small plastic containers, or a square piece of plastic from a lettuce box are all possibilities.  Be sure the adults understand that the raft should not support the penny collection for all of the animals.  Only some animals will be successful. 
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Day 12: Publishing
In person with distancing: After a group planning session determine which students will make which elements for the final display.  Students can complete components individually, then add them to the group display.  Remember to share your results on the Publish It! page.  We’d love to see what you create.
Remote: Instead of creating a physical poster, try creating a slide show or even a BitMoji style poster session.  Students can take screen shots of the evidence or write and draw about it in their journals.  Have students determine which elements they will contribute to the collective final display.  Remember to include a statement of the hypothesis, a description of the testing method, the evidence collected, analysis of that evidence, and conclusions!  We can’t wait to see what you create!

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2/4/2021

Mission: Penguin? Field Video Links

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Share content though your learning management system

Each week, we'll post links to field videos on this page so you can push them to student devices or post to your learning management system without having to set up accounts or passwords for your students.

The internet is a wonderful way to explore the world, but kids need to be safe!  That's why we're sharing links for our videos via Video.link
 to support your distance learning this mission!  You can send parents here to collect the links or copy and paste them and share via the platform of your choice.  The videos are also visible by clicking on the video thumbnail.   To ensure kids' safety, we advise teacher and parents not to share this page directly with your young students if they are unsupervised.  Children should also be supervised if watching videos or livestreams directly on the site.  ​
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Hypothesis Video
Hypothesis
Dr. Steinfurth wants us to find out if there are undiscovered penguin colonies on any of the islands in the Galapagos archipelago. While we are there, she'd also like us to to keep track of the animals we see. We need your help!

link: 
https://bit.ly/PenguinHypothesis
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Day 1: Galapagos Bound!
Beth and Curtis travel to the Galapagos Islands. They are excited to test Dr. Steinfurth's hypothesis about penguins!
​link: bit.ly/PenguinFieldVideo1
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Day 2: The Search Begins!
​Curtis and Beth take to the water in search of penguins. There are so many amazing animals to see!

​link: bit.ly/PenguinFieldVideo2
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Day 3: Puerto Chino
Curtis and Beth visit Puerto Chino today! They discover a very famous bird...but is it the one they're seeking? Come along and find out!
link: bit.ly/PenguinFieldVideo3
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Day 5: La Loberia
Join Curtis and Beth as they investigate a very interesting animal on the way to La Loberia! They find a feather floating in the water, but is it evidence of penguins?
link: bit.ly/PenguinFieldVideo05
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Day 4: Punta Carola
​Curtis and Beth check out another beach on San Cristobal and meet LOTS of babies! What kind of babies were they? Did they find evidence of penguins?
link: bit.ly/PenguinFieldVideo4

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Day 6: The Rookery
Curtis and Beth explore the Rookery on San Cristobal island as they search for evidence of penguins. Along they way, they find a creature that sneezes salt!  How interesting!
link: bit.ly/PenguinFieldVideo06
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Day 7: Kicker Rock
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Day 8: Punta Pit
Curtis dons S.C.U.B.A. gear to dive deep, while Beth surveys the surface while snorkeling. There are amazing animals at this new location, but do penguins call this remote rock home?
​link: bit.ly/PenguinFieldVideo07
Beth and Curtis take a boat ride to the far end of San Cristobal as they continue searching for penguins. They find some birds with very unusual feet!

link: bit.ly/PenguinFieldVideo08
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Day 9: Tortoise Special
Beth and Curtis found LOTS of Galapagos tortoises and learn a bit about how people here are protecting these amazing animals.
link: bit.ly/PenguinFieldVideo09
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Day 10: Santa Cruz
Curtis and Beth traveled by boat to visit the island of Santa Cruz. They found lava tunnels and a very unusual forest! But what about penguins?
link: bit.ly/PenguinFieldVideo10
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Day 11: North Seymour
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Day 12: Isabela!
link: bit.ly/PenguinFieldVideo_11
Beth and Curtis set off to see if they can find a penguin on an island where they've been spotted in the past. Will they be able to catch a glimpse of the rarest penguin on earth?
link: bit.ly/PenguinFieldVideo12

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1/30/2021

Go2Science in the News!

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Classrooms are getting attention and accolades! 

Woolwich, ME (March 31, 2020) – How can schools take advantage of the ever-expanding digital world? With iPhones and other devices popping up in the hands of more students, it can be tempting to see screens as a distraction from learning, but Woolwich Central School (WCS) has found a way to make the Internet a tool for engagement.
​
Click here to read the full article!
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PORTLAND (WGME) -- An elementary school in Portland is using a web based educational tool that uses real science adventures to help students learn reading, writing, math and much more.
At Lyseth Elementary School, three times out of the year, kindergarten students go on virtual missions all around the world.
It's an online program called “Go 2 Science.”
See the video here!
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PORTLAND — After they learned about a school in Kenya that didn’t have ready access to clean drinking water, kindergarten students at Lyseth Elementary School decided they had to help.
They raided their piggy banks and donated their tooth fairy money. One enterprising student set up a lemonade and cupcake stand in her neighborhood. In all, the kindergartners raised more than $650.
The money will go to the Wishing Well campaign at the HIP Academy in Kimilili, an impoverished rural area of Kenya, to help cover the cost of drilling a well and installing a pump. The goal of the online campaign is to raise at least $14,200.
​
​Read the full article here!
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Global Science Education and Go2Science
May 15, 2019
 
An upcoming research adventure will take educator Beth Heidemann and scientist Curtis Bentley to HIP Academy, which is located in Bungoma County in rural Kenya. Ms. Heidemann and Mr. Bentley are co-creators of Go2Science, an online resource for Pre-K-to-second grade classrooms. They are going to Kenya to help HIP Academy Director Livingstone Kegode solve a problem that he says is interfering with the education of his students – the lack of clean, accessible drinking water. 
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At the moment, students must fetch drinking water from a distant river; this causes illness and cuts into academic time, says Mr. Kegode.
​​View full story here!

BRES K STUDENTS TRAVEL TO THAILAND
Tricia Campbell
SEP 16, 2019

This morning BRES Kindergarten students traveled to Thailand on a real science mission with educator Beth Heideman and scientists/explorer Curtis Bentley, co-founders of Go2Science. 
​See the article here!
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1/28/2021

Mission: Penguins? Week 5 Vote

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Big decision about the last day!

Beth and Curtis made a big decision.  On their last day in the Galapagos, they plan to head to an island where penguins HAVE been spotted in the past.  Maybe they can catch a glimpse of these endangered birds there!  Which island do you think they should look on?  


click to download pdf
click to get this week's Google form to copy, adapt, and share
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1/21/2021

Mission: Penguins? Week 4 Vote

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You direct the mission!

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Voting for Week 4 will close on Thursday, January 28, 2021 at 4PM (EST).  The two locations with the most votes will be where we go in week 5!  Use the buttons below to grab a pdf version of the vote choices to project or share with students or grab a google form to collect student feedback.
Click to Download the PDF
click to get this week's Google form to copy, adapt, and share

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1/14/2021

Mission: Penguins? Week 3 Vote

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Is it time to head to a new island?

Voting for Week 3 will close on Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 4PM (EST).  The two locations with the most votes will be where we go in week 4!  Use the buttons below to grab a pdf version of the vote choices to project or share with students or grab a google form to collect student feedback.
Click to Download the pdf
click to get this week's Google form to copy, adapt, and share
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1/14/2021

Scientific Process

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A rose by any other name...

​Scientists call it the scientific method.  The National Science Teacher's Association (NSTA) promotes the term scientific process.  We like to call it the most powerful tool ever invented!  No matter how you brand it, this process is the pathway to finding an emergent truth.  A process for determining facts.
​As we were creating The Science Song, we had to make discussions about terminology.  Best practice dictates that we support students and teachers in understanding not only the three dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards but also the process of doing science.   The NSTA moved away from the term method and towards the term process to help teachers understand that the time tested method for doing science and moving towards the emergent truth is not lock step or strictly linear.  
At any time during the process scientists might revise, circle back, or even abandon a line of inquiry all together.  Furthermore, this way of thinking can be applied beyond science to support evidence based decision making in many aspects of life.  To help you support your students in learning the components of this process, we've got some bonus materials to help you out! ​

​We have a series of mini posters that you can print and use any number of ways.  You could make a jaunty two sided pennant banner by double side printing the posters on card stock, then attaching the posters to a sting or ribbon.  Alternately you could bind it into a book and have children turn the pages and sing along to The Science Song! 
Download Science Process Mini Posters
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​Print and fold this little journal that outlines the scientific process and slips inside a pocket so budding science thinkers can take notes on the go.  If you've not folded this type of book before, check out the instructional video I found on Youtube.  Hopefully one or more of these tools will help you engage your students in process thinking!
Download Science Process Pocket Journal
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​We've also created some bonus journal pages for students to use during the mission or to structure their own inquiry.  Big thanks to 
Super Teacher, Kristen Tedesco of Maine for her idea!  She wanted her second graders to be able to follow the process along in their Go2Science journals!
Download Science Process Journal Pages

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1/13/2021

Go2Science is Growing!

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​Go2Science triples the number of classrooms using its unique approach to science learning

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Cushing, Maine — Go2Science, a web-based educational program, has enjoyed significant growth throughout Maine in 2020, as remote learning has increased the need for teachers to have engaging virtual content ready for their students. 

Launched in 2017, Go2Science makes it possible for teachers and parents, regardless of their science background, to use highly engaging, real-life science explorations to motivate young students in learning across disciplines. All they need is a computer and an internet connection.
Increasingly, educators are realizing the value of science instruction in the early elementary years. Not only does it lay the foundation for future science learning but, when integrated across the curriculum, it also has an impressive impact on literacy and math achievement. When schools rapidly transitioned to remote learning in the spring, teachers using Go2Science felt they had a leg up. 
 
Today, a growing number of PreK-2 homeschoolers and classrooms across Maine including the state's largest school districts, Lewiston and Portland have subscribed to this creative and engaging program. Districts such as RSU 2 and MDI were early adopters and quickly saw the value and quality of the program. The Perloff Family foundation was another early and ardent supporter, providing subscriptions to teachers across Maine, and also donating 3-D printers to the classrooms that brings a physical component to the instruction. 
 
Kristen Tedesco, a 2nd grade teacher at Lyseth Elementary School in Portland relied heavily on Go2Science when her school closed due to the pandemic. ​
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“Remotely, Go2Science was a game changer in my classroom! My students and I would have been lost without it! When they [my students] learned of a new mission starting, students who had not been participating remotely became active daily. They were coming BECAUSE OF Go2Science!”
Susan Williams, the Director of Instructional Support and Educator Effectiveness at Lewiston Public Schools considers Go2Science an “awesome resource.”  
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“Even when the schools in our very high-needs community [in Lewiston] were not facing the challenge of engaging learners during a pandemic, time for science instruction in our elementary schools would take a back seat to the time needed for core literacy and math skills. Having access to Go2Science has allowed teachers of our youngest students to connect science concepts with literacy and technology as they 'travel' the world to see and experience environments and phenomena the way scientists do. The high-quality, kid-friendly videos and resources provide much-needed support for teachers as they plan for remote learning, and the excitement and anticipation each mission brings helps build community and conversation among learners in any learning setting." 
The Go2Science team is striving to get their program implemented into classrooms nationwide. This winter, they will explore the Galapagos Islands looking for penguins, then, in the spring, travel to Namibia for a wildlife survey.  In the fall, Go2Science will launch a research mission right here in Maine! 
 
ABOUT:
Go2Science was co-founded by longtime Maine residents Curtis Bentley, a scientist and attorney, and Beth Heidemann, an award winning teacher. Their goal is to create a paradigm shift in how science is taught in early elementary that could be used by anyone no matter where they live.
​

Go2Science provides:
  • High quality science learning that supports literacy and math.
  • Thoughtful, transformational use of technology that inspires hands on learning.
  • Support for project based learning without hours of teacher training and planning time.
  • Flexible materials that meet the needs of diverse learners 
    in diverse settings. 
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To learn more about Go2Science or join upcoming adventures, visit Go2Science.com.

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1/7/2021

Quality Questions

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Quality Over Quantity!

We love answering student questions!  We know most kids love asking questions too.  We've all known the child, however, who gets so excited questions they begin to ask questions indiscriminately.  Our livestream sessions offer a great opportunity to focus on asking thoughtful questions.  Here are some tips to help students ask fewer, but higher quality questions.
  1. After a student asks a question have them reflect on in for a moment.  Is that question answered in the field video?  Can they find the answer easily somewhere else?  If so, awesome!  They do not need to ask it during the livestream.  Celebrate the fact that they can find their own answers to questions.
  2. Does anyone else in the class have a similar question?  If so, partner those students to create one stronger question for the livestream!
  3. Is their question helpful for the hypothesis or to understand a topic related to the hypothesis?  Will asking it help them evaluate the evidence better or count the animals more accurately?  If not, how can they revise it to be more useful?  Again having teams of students work to craft questions is a great way to focus on quality and clarity over quantity!
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Check out some of the awesome student questions that came our way during this week's livestream sessions!

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    Meet Beth and Curtis!

    Presidential Award-Winning teacher and hula hoop fanatic, Beth loves bringing real world science to kids! Beth is fascinated by engineering challenges, technology, and outdoor learning spaces. After 25 years teaching kindergarten, she’s excited to share her passion and experience on-line with classrooms from around the world!

    Curtis is a lot of things: a scientist, lawyer, explorer, drummer and Ironman. His brain is always churning. His paleontological finds are in museums across the country and he even has an extinct sea turtle named after him. He loves traveling the world and immersing himself in new environments and cultures. Curtis finds joy in sparking the imagination of young learners and making them think in new ways.

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