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This thread evolved as part of the sessions in Strand 1 from the NSTA Area Conference in Salt Lake City, which focuses on thinking about how science helps us make sense of observable natural phenomena, predicting future occurrences, and using them to help students navigate their learning.
We invite all to share your thoughts, ideas, and questions on this topic. Conference strand presenters will join the discussion too!
Jen
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What do you notice? What do you wonder?
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I wonder if these are magnets.
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It was hard for me to put them down! I was very curious to figure out why they would literally flip without me even trying. I kept thinking how much fun students would have trying to figure this phenomenon out!
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I love these resources! Thank you very much for sharing. I am going to be completing my student teaching in the fall and am currently learning about NGSS standards in my science teaching methods course. We have recently been discussing phenomena quite a bit. I have realized how important resources like these are because it is very hard to come up with phenomena on your own.
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For what earth and space science phenomena is using digital media particularly useful?
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I put the Hubble link below.
My favorite NASA lesson for observing and predicting - and then checking our predictions is Toys in Space. https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/microgravity/home/toys-in-space.html
Eyes on the Solar System is great for getting an idea of how big everything is and how far apart. It also provides satellite orbit paths and each one has a series of real data to look at -- check Aquarius for ocean information!
My kiddos would do anything to build on the smart board with Rocket Science 101
#teachon
Wendi
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WGBH has a collection as well https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/universe/
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What strategies do you use to actively engage your students in phenomena when using digital media?
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Great question -- I use the same patterns with digital media - but always with a discussion of where the media came from, what we think is original or unaltered.
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Sometimes it's hard to find phenomena videos that do not have a narrated explaination of what's happening. I just turn the volume off.
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What advantages/disadvantages are there to using digital media to engage students with phenomena?
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What challenges have you experienced when engaging students with phenomena using digital media and how did you overcome them?
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There were many inaccurate images students would find -- so I really appreciate sites like PHET!
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eBird Patterns & Trends Resources
Citizen science projects can offer teachers a great way to build students' connection to their local habitats, build observation skills, and see phenomenon in action. Citizen science outputs, such as eBird graphs, animated maps, and trend data can provide students with a global perspective that builds data literacy.
eBird Citizen Science
Cornell Lab K-12 Resources
All About Birds (online bird guide) Merlin Bird ID (search for this free app, downloadable in the iOs and Android store) Cornell Lab YouTube channel (wide range of videos)
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Thanks Jennifer! These are 'phenomenal' resources for Citizen science! Very exciting for students to make connections with the world around them!
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Thank you all so much for attending! I never expected so many people to drop in! In our last activity you left with a blank book to watch the moon. Let us know how your observations turn out.
Mine were slow to start - it snowed here last night. But I had an app to check and I knew where it normally pops up over the mountains. But I started to wonder how much cloud cover will obscure the moon.
Stay tuned.
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I promised to put in a link to the Chicago Art Institute's Zoomify
https://www.cnet.com/news/chicagos-art-institute-offers-super-zoomed-look-at-iconic-paintings/
For space
https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/archive/zoomable/
#teachon
Wendi
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So many great resources for helping students connect through phenomena-driven instruction! And such outstanding presenters! Thank you for sharing these great resources! I'm excited to hear what our participants thought and what resources they're finding helpful...
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In our 'eBird Patterns & Trends' session, we talked a bit about how to implement citizen science and outdoor observations. What are your strategies for taking students outside to experience science phenomenon?
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Some of our students really connected with an activity that our curriculum program takes them through analyzing camera trap data to find out what types of animals live in a certain area. They extended this idea by bringing in their parents trail cams and placing them around the school to see what animals live around their school in comparison to the animals that live in their backyard.
There are some great websites that support citizen science:
eMammal https://emammal.si.edu/ eMammal is a Smithsonian-run website that allows groups to share and identify camera trap images.
The Science of Camera Traps http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/science-camera-traps Alexandra Sanson, PhD, University of Oxford, and Roland Kays, PhD, North Carolina State University, discuss the use of camera traps in ecological research.
Gorongosa National Park https://www.wildcamgorongosa.org This website is where citizen scientists can help scientists identify animals in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique.
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I was introduced to 2 FREE apps this year when I attended the Smithsonian Science Teacher Academy on Biodiversity that students can use to help study the biodiversity of an area and gather information about the species.
1. iNaturalist
'Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. We share your findings with scientific data repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe.'
2. Seek
'Take your nature knowledge up a notch with Seek! Use the power of image recognition technology to identify the plants and animals all around you. Earn badges for seeing different types of birds, amphibians, plants, and fungi and participate in monthly observation challenges with Our Planet on Netflix.
Get outside and point the Seek Camera at living things. Identify wildlife and plants you see and take pictures to earn badges Learn fun facts about the organisms all around you'
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