ImagineIT Round 2 Timeline
For this semester I have planed more collaborative, long-term projects to engage my students and build their science identity. I realized that while I had been asking them to take on the role of different scientists, I was not having them look at the different ways that science plays an active roll in their daily lives. We will be starting a brand new project, #HipHopScience, inspired by Instagram user maydemusic. The project asks students to identify scientific concepts in their favorite contemporary songs.
Another project, STEM Career Penpal, has two parts. First, students will identify and research a STEM career that they are interested in. Next, we will work together to connect them with someone in that field that lives in Chicago to act as a penpal. My goal is to have the penpals attend our fall Cycle 4 20% presentations in May to meet the students face to face.
We are continuing with our 20% projects this semester. The second round of presentations were even better than the first and more and more students are deciding to build or demonstrate a concept rather than just giving a PowerPoint presentation. I will also be working on my own projects during this time along with a student. In her reflection from the last cycle one student wrote: "I also, like how Mr.Kosko is actually participating in the projects with us. This shows the class that he’s eager to share something different with us." Another said that she really likes the presentations since she now finds "everything" about science interesting. I can't wait to see what they come up with the next two cycles!
Last of all, students will be working on two, long-term content projects. The first is they will create bottle ecosystems and measure pH and dissolved oxygen over the course of two months. The ecosystems will contain snails, elodea, shrimp, guppies, succulents and worms. The second project will ask students to study an industrial city, identify specific areas of concern for the people that live there, and redesign it to be a smart community.
Another project, STEM Career Penpal, has two parts. First, students will identify and research a STEM career that they are interested in. Next, we will work together to connect them with someone in that field that lives in Chicago to act as a penpal. My goal is to have the penpals attend our fall Cycle 4 20% presentations in May to meet the students face to face.
We are continuing with our 20% projects this semester. The second round of presentations were even better than the first and more and more students are deciding to build or demonstrate a concept rather than just giving a PowerPoint presentation. I will also be working on my own projects during this time along with a student. In her reflection from the last cycle one student wrote: "I also, like how Mr.Kosko is actually participating in the projects with us. This shows the class that he’s eager to share something different with us." Another said that she really likes the presentations since she now finds "everything" about science interesting. I can't wait to see what they come up with the next two cycles!
Last of all, students will be working on two, long-term content projects. The first is they will create bottle ecosystems and measure pH and dissolved oxygen over the course of two months. The ecosystems will contain snails, elodea, shrimp, guppies, succulents and worms. The second project will ask students to study an industrial city, identify specific areas of concern for the people that live there, and redesign it to be a smart community.