What have I learned about my species that I can share with others?
What can I learn from others about their species?
What connections does my species have to other species within its habitat and watershed?
Overview
A culminating step in the scientific method is to share your results. Throughout the All My Watershed Neighbors Watershed Experience, students have worked in small groups and as a class to explore local watershed habitats, discover species living within them (We’re Going on a Species Hunt), and study in depth a species of their choice (Species Investigation).
Species Swap gives students the opportunity to share the results of their scientific research on a species that lives in their watershed. Working as a class, students make connections among the different species that they studied and draw conclusions about how these species interact within their watershed habitats. Connect the Species then guides students to make deeper connections as they explore how their species, and humans, are connected through the food web.
Students who have participated in the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’sLabVenture! program have had practice at sharing their results in a large group, with their peers, scientist mentors, and their teachers. Students who have not participated in LabVenture! may need additional structure and guidance.
Standards (MLR)
Science and Technology
C1. Understandings of Inquiry
3-5 Students describe how scientific investigations result in explanations that are communicated to other scientists
C3. Science, Technology, and Society
3-5 Students identify and describe the influences of science and technology on people and the environment.
6-8 Students identify and describe the role of science and technology in addressing personal and societal challenges.
E2. Ecosystems
3-5 Students describe ways organisms depend upon, interact within, and change the living and non-living environment as well as ways the environment affects organisms.
6-8 Students examine how the characteristics of the physical, non-living (abiotic) environment, the types and behaviors of living (biotic) organisms, and the flow of matter and energy affect organisms and the ecosystem of which they are part.
English Language Arts
C1. Research
3-5 Students create, identify, and answer research questions by gathering information from print and non-print sources and documenting sources and communicating findings.
6-8 Students propose and revise research questions, collect information from a wide variety of primary and/or secondary sources, and follow the conventions of documentation to communicate findings.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to develop and deliver a presentation about their work to an audience.
Students will understand how to be respectful and valuable participants during peer presentations.
Students will be able to participate in large group discussions to further student thinking and knowledge by answering and asking questions.
Students will be able to draw connections between their knowledge and what they have learned from others.
Materials
Computer access for students
Computer and projector
Time Needed
2 (40-minute) class periods
Activity Procedure
A culminating step in the scientific method is to share your results. Students worked in small groups (Species Investigation) to investigate in depth a species that lives in their watershed. Once students finish their scientific research on their species, it is time for them to share what they have learned with others with a Species Swap.
Prepare your Presentation:
1. Work with your species group to prepare a 5-minute presentation that shares your species with the class. While planning your presentation, keep in mind:
What key information do you need/want to share about your species?
What information did you find most interesting?
Do you have any stories from your research to share?
Did your research end in any unanswered or new questions about your species?
Here are some things to consider about the presentation of your content:
Do you have any multi-media such as photos, maps, drawings, and/or specimens that you could share?
Is there anyway that you can involve your audience? Any questions you can ask them?
Does everyone in your group have a speaking role?
2. Practice your presentation aloud in your small group! Get comfortable with your talking points, your visuals, and with your plan to involve your audience.
Note: If your students have participated in the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’sLabVenture! program, have them reflect on the concluding presentation when students shared their work with each other, their teachers, and GMRI’s scientist mentors. Consider:
What did you most enjoy about this?
How did you and your classmates contribute to make this successful?
What could you incorporate from this experience into your own presentation?
Prepare for your Scientific Conference:
1. Prepare for being a good audience. What things can you do to participate successfully in a scientific conference? Brainstorm as class.
Listen! (sit quietly, look at the speaker, focus on what the speaker is saying)
Ask thoughtful questions. Set expectations for audience participation. For example, ask each student to ask or write down 2 questions or comments.
Answer questions honestly. If you don’t know the answer, it’s okay. Instead think about where you might look or what type of study you might do to find the answer.
Share comments, new ideas, and encouragement.
2. Invite others to attend your Scientific Conference (teachers, school administrators, students from other classes/grades, community members, parents, etc.).
Scientific Conference
Note: During the Scientific Conference make note of questions that students ask, questions that are still unanswered, and new ideas that students have. These will all be useful to incorporate into the following group discussion.
1. Welcome and orient your audience to your Scientific Conference (do this yourself, or have a student(s) do this)
What have you been studying? Describe your study site (watershed habitats).
What are your goals for this Scientific Conference?
2. Begin the student presentations with 10 minutes for each group to present their work: 5 minutes for presentation, 5 minutes for question and answer.
3. Once all groups have presented, follow up with a group discussion. Allow time for and encourage all students (and audience members) to get involved and share their ideas. Here are some questions to guide your discussion:
Note: You can also refer back to the notes you took throughout the presentations about student questions and ideas.
What was the most interesting thing that you learned today?
Did you learn anything new about your own species?
Did you make any connections between your species and someone else’s?
Does your species rely on another group’s species for survival, or vice versa?
Even though species can look very different from each other, they can have a lot in common because of the habitats that they live in. How do species that look so different use the same resource(s)? Do they use it in different ways? For different reasons?
Conclude your Scientific Conference
Go around the room and encourage each participant to share something, such as “What is one thing that you have learned from this experience?,” or “What is something you will do as a result of what you learned today?” Allow participants the option to pass, or skip and share later.
Reflection/Formative Assessment Ideas
To help students listen and learn during the presentations, have them fill out a short evaluation form or a critique of each presentation. Groups could make their own evaluation forms ahead of time to solicit the type of feedback they want about their research, presentation style, visual aids, audience interaction, or how they answered questions from their audience.
In response to the feedback, have groups come up with a list of 3 things they would do to improve their presentation.
Extension Ideas
Have a great idea to share? Please leave a comment below.
Resources
Have a great idea to share? Please leave a comment below.
References
Have a great idea to share? Please leave a comment below.
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Species Swap
Author(s):
Gayle Bodge, Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Table of Contents
Question(s)
What have I learned about my species that I can share with others?
What can I learn from others about their species?
What connections does my species have to other species within its habitat and watershed?
Overview
A culminating step in the scientific method is to share your results. Throughout the All My Watershed Neighbors Watershed Experience, students have worked in small groups and as a class to explore local watershed habitats, discover species living within them (We’re Going on a Species Hunt), and study in depth a species of their choice (Species Investigation).
Species Swap gives students the opportunity to share the results of their scientific research on a species that lives in their watershed. Working as a class, students make connections among the different species that they studied and draw conclusions about how these species interact within their watershed habitats. Connect the Species then guides students to make deeper connections as they explore how their species, and humans, are connected through the food web.
Students who have participated in the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s LabVenture! program have had practice at sharing their results in a large group, with their peers, scientist mentors, and their teachers. Students who have not participated in LabVenture! may need additional structure and guidance.
Standards (MLR)
Science and Technology
C1. Understandings of Inquiry
3-5 Students describe how scientific investigations result in explanations that are communicated to other scientists
C3. Science, Technology, and Society
3-5 Students identify and describe the influences of science and technology on people and the environment.
6-8 Students identify and describe the role of science and technology in addressing personal and societal challenges.
E2. Ecosystems
3-5 Students describe ways organisms depend upon, interact within, and change the living and non-living environment as well as ways the environment affects organisms.
6-8 Students examine how the characteristics of the physical, non-living (abiotic) environment, the types and behaviors of living (biotic) organisms, and the flow of matter and energy affect organisms and the ecosystem of which they are part.
English Language Arts
C1. Research
3-5 Students create, identify, and answer research questions by gathering information from print and non-print sources and documenting sources and communicating findings.
6-8 Students propose and revise research questions, collect information from a wide variety of primary and/or secondary sources, and follow the conventions of documentation to communicate findings.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Time Needed
2 (40-minute) class periods
Activity Procedure
A culminating step in the scientific method is to share your results. Students worked in small groups (Species Investigation) to investigate in depth a species that lives in their watershed. Once students finish their scientific research on their species, it is time for them to share what they have learned with others with a Species Swap.
Prepare your Presentation:
1. Work with your species group to prepare a 5-minute presentation that shares your species with the class. While planning your presentation, keep in mind:
Here are some things to consider about the presentation of your content:
2. Practice your presentation aloud in your small group! Get comfortable with your talking points, your visuals, and with your plan to involve your audience.
Note: If your students have participated in the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s LabVenture! program, have them reflect on the concluding presentation when students shared their work with each other, their teachers, and GMRI’s scientist mentors. Consider:
Prepare for your Scientific Conference:
1. Prepare for being a good audience. What things can you do to participate successfully in a scientific conference? Brainstorm as class.
2. Invite others to attend your Scientific Conference (teachers, school administrators, students from other classes/grades, community members, parents, etc.).
Scientific Conference
Note: During the Scientific Conference make note of questions that students ask, questions that are still unanswered, and new ideas that students have. These will all be useful to incorporate into the following group discussion.
1. Welcome and orient your audience to your Scientific Conference (do this yourself, or have a student(s) do this)
2. Begin the student presentations with 10 minutes for each group to present their work: 5 minutes for presentation, 5 minutes for question and answer.
3. Once all groups have presented, follow up with a group discussion. Allow time for and encourage all students (and audience members) to get involved and share their ideas. Here are some questions to guide your discussion:
Note: You can also refer back to the notes you took throughout the presentations about student questions and ideas.
Conclude your Scientific Conference
Go around the room and encourage each participant to share something, such as “What is one thing that you have learned from this experience?,” or “What is something you will do as a result of what you learned today?” Allow participants the option to pass, or skip and share later.
Reflection/Formative Assessment Ideas
To help students listen and learn during the presentations, have them fill out a short evaluation form or a critique of each presentation. Groups could make their own evaluation forms ahead of time to solicit the type of feedback they want about their research, presentation style, visual aids, audience interaction, or how they answered questions from their audience.
In response to the feedback, have groups come up with a list of 3 things they would do to improve their presentation.
Extension Ideas
Have a great idea to share? Please leave a comment below.
Resources
Have a great idea to share? Please leave a comment below.
References
Have a great idea to share? Please leave a comment below.