Until students have the CCCs well internalized, provide these bookmarks.
We live in a golden age of science journalism and media. Here are some of my favorite sources.
You may want to start with one of the pre-built stories in the index.
You might also consider pulling something out of the 'motivation' section of your old lesson plan
Here's a story-spine template that some teachers have found helpful.
Keep revising until you can tell the story in under 3 minutes.
Personally, I would use a science story to switch gears after finishing Matthew Kay's burn five routine, but you and your school might not be ready for that yet.
Here is EL's 1-pager on the back-to-back, face-to-face protocol. Depending on time, students might only engage in a single round.
It could be helpful to provide them with one of these bookmarks.
Listen in to students' discussion to identify who you might call on to share.
Ask students to share why they selected their CCC, ask them to consider some of the grade-level aspects of their chosen CCC(s) in their analysis.
Highlight a connection between the story and the lesson you are about to teach. i.e. "I heard a few of you notice that the structure of the Mantis shrimp's arms are essential for the function of it's powerful punch. Today I want you to pay special attention to the structures that contribute to the function of an electromagnet..."
When my other research settles down, I'd like to write an article or two on this practice and would appreciate learning from your experiences.