A Better Way to Have Scientist Guests
A Better Way to Have Scientist Guests
A Better Way to Have Scientist Guests
If you are inviting a scientist to speak in your classroom, here’s my advice:
Be crystal clear with the person about what you are looking for. Is it a cool demo? It is how they became a scientist? Is it the coolest parts of their job? Help them know what to focus on.
Make sure that you know exactly what they will say and do beforehand. Ask to see the slides, if there are any.
Pick someone who puts a positive, upbeat, and energetic spin on their work.
Ask if they’ve ever spoken to a classroom before. (And maybe how it went!)
Limit their time to 15 minutes. This is plenty of time to pique kids’ interest without dragging it out.
In my opinion, the best way to bring the science community into your classroom is to invite local conservation groups to come into your classroom. The free website EnvironmentalGroups.us has an awesome clickable map of the U.S. that pulls up environmental groups by state.
Find one near you to learn more about what classroom resources they have. In my experience, groups like this are excited and prepared to share their work with students! And because they do it often, they’re pretty good at it. Added bonus: Many of them have programs that tie into specific state standards.
https://flyingcolorsscience.com/what-does-a-scientist-look-like-activity/