Curricular Materials

Philly Scientists - Biodiversity Project

Description

The Philly Scientists project is dedicated to developing innovative science curriculum for in-school and out-of-school programs for middle school students in the West Philadelphia Promise Zone. The website contains insight on curriculum development and an example lesson.

The Philly Scientists mobile app was modified from a safari animal tracking tool and walks students through identifying and cataloging neighborhood plants and animals. Local scientists visit the school sites to engage students in discussions about how scientists make good observations and aid in data collection of neighborhood biodiversity.

Students use their data and online resources to generate a solution to increase biodiversity in their neighborhood. The lessons culminate in students presenting their solutions to local peers, scientists, and city planners at a student summit. The data students collect are aggregated on the Philly Scientists website for large-scale data display and analysis. Digital badges for animal classification, data collection, and solution generation were designed for 4-6th graders’ engagement. Teacher badges support professional development, technology use, and NGSS curriculum completion. The session will describe the project including the app, curriculum, and, online resources; and conclude with implications for future lesson and technology design modifications.

 

Curricular Materials

STELAR is not the author of these materials and cannot provide permission or access. For more information click the “Related Projects” link below.

Project Curricula Details

Topic(s)
Informal Learning and Afterschool
Sustainability and Scale-Up
Teacher Professional Development and Pedagogy
Youth Motivation and Interests in STEM
Target Setting(s)
Elementary school (K-5)
Middle school (6-8)
Target Participant(s)
Youth / students
Educators
Girls (or women)
Black/African American participants
English learners
Students eligible for free lunch or reduced-price lunch
Additional Target Participants
Students
Discipline(s)
Environmental sciences
Life sciences
Additional Disciplines
Environmental Science - general
Environmental Science - climate modeling
Environmental Science - ecological research and analysis
Environmental Science - GIS/GPS
Environmental Science - remote sensing technology