Scope of lesson plans for STEER fellows and REU students
Towards the end of the STEER program, the teacher fellows will develop a short lesson for 10-15 middle school students. This lesson will then be implemented during the Junior Curator Camp, which is a summer enrichment program for 5th-8th graders organized by the Auburn University Museum of Natural History (AUMNH). The junior curators learn about biodiversity surrounding Auburn and participate in museum-related activities (e.g., specimen identification, collection). STEER fellows will use this program as a “field test” to demonstrate the process of science to students before they return to their classroom and before mentoring student science fair projects. |
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The lesson plan does not need to be on reptiles or amphibians per se, but on some aspect of organismal ecology. Teacher fellows will received a guide of activities that develop higher order thinking and scientific literacy, which will be used as a tool during STEER, in their classroom, and when mentoring student science fair projects. Additionally, each fellow will receive the AUMNH’s established curriculum template to develop student learning outcomes for their lessons. Because fellows are middle school teachers, they are well-positioned to mentor other students in the Warner Laboratory on conveying science to children. The lesson will occur at the Davis Arboretum or the Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve at Auburn University, which are excellent outdoor classrooms.
Teacher fellows are encouraged to be creative when developing lesson plans. One possible approach is to guide students on an educational natural history hike. Afterwards, teacher fellows will lead a group activity that encourages the students to raise questions based on their observations (e.g., what animals might inhabit a pond vs a stream?). The group will then focus on one question, which will form a foundation for teaching the process of science. Junior curators will then be asked how they might answer that question, which should lead to a spirited discussion about what scientists do. The lessons will also be included in the AUMNH curriculum guide for future use.
Teacher fellows are encouraged to be creative when developing lesson plans. One possible approach is to guide students on an educational natural history hike. Afterwards, teacher fellows will lead a group activity that encourages the students to raise questions based on their observations (e.g., what animals might inhabit a pond vs a stream?). The group will then focus on one question, which will form a foundation for teaching the process of science. Junior curators will then be asked how they might answer that question, which should lead to a spirited discussion about what scientists do. The lessons will also be included in the AUMNH curriculum guide for future use.