Science Exploration - CSI Newsletter

WHAT?
CSI stands for Curious Science Investigators. The students collect data at five different places in the museum: the dock shop, pond, aquarium, water clock, and dinosphere. Our group focused on the aquarium. We investigated the properties of water – temperature, density, volume, and color. Students observed and made inferences based on what they were seeing and doing. We also compared our site to others. They were also trying to discover where the “mystery stain” came from. The mystery stain was something that they had discussed in the pre-visit material.

WHO?
I worked with Samone, Alec, Gage, and Jazzmyn. They were a great group of kids and had a lot of fun! Alec was curious about how dinosaurs become extinct and discovered that a dinosaur he was learning about died from a brain tumor. Samone used the touch screen video in the dinosphere to learn about climate change. Jazzmyn told us, “I bet the crocodile ate Richard and Donna Deer”, when she saw there was a sign with their name on it (for donation purposes). All of the students were excited when they realized that the stain was from the aquarium where we were observing and testing density.

HOW?
I taught using inquiry-based methods. I asked the students a lot of questions and had them learn by being hands on and trying everything themselves. The classroom management aspect was handled as if we were the only ones there. The students were engaged enough that we did not have trouble with distractions in the museum. We got the data collection done first thing so they had time to walk around and see everything else afterwards. The students used pipettes, a thermometer, and hydrometer to do their data collection. It says in The Integrated Curriculum,” The world is not divided into things scientific and things social. Humans are in constant interaction with the world around them and have been throughout history.” This is what CSI should teach the students. Science is part of their daily lives and connects with all kinds of things.
Standards:
3.1.2 Participate in different types of guided scientific investigations, such as observing objects and events and collecting specimens for analysis.
3.2.4 Appropriately use simple tools such as clamps, rulers, scissors, hand lenses, and other technology, such as calculators and computers, to help solve problems.

ALSO
Adaptations for the group included allowing everyone to use tall of the tools. We only had to have 3 different recordings but each student wanted to try it which was great! I included all students by asking them questions and prompting them to participate in all activities and parts of the data collection. To make sure no one was “left behind” I walked around and talked individually with each student. I monitored their work and made sure they were on task, focused, and understanding what was going on. To accommodate all learning needs I made sure I said the directions, showed them, and wrote it down.