PD and student resources are now available
New science resources for teachers and students, especially young learners, is forming the cornerstone of a new partnership between PBS LearningMedia [1] and the Smithsonian Science Education Center [2]. At the center of the partnership: an animated series called Good Thinking!, available online, that features science educator Isabella Reyes as she explores “the science of teaching science.”
The series draws from peer-reviewed research in science, cognition, and pedagogy and distills valuable findings from journal articles to promote effective classroom practices. The series is available now on the SSEC’s YouTube channel [3].
“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with the Smithsonian, and to offer these valuable science resources for educators and students going back to school,” said Alicia Levi, VP of education, PBS. “PBS and Smithsonian share a common mission in developing high-quality learning resources and the new series and games will be a key addition to our science offerings and tools.”
In addition, there are also games and digital series for students, including:
- Shutterbugs: Wiggle and Stomp – a game that teaches students movement and motion concepts while visiting rare animals at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park (for kindergarten)
- Showbiz Safari – a game that teaches students about the diversity of plants and animals in different habitats by casting plants and animals in movies (for grades 1-2)
- Bumper Ducks – a game that teaches students what happens when two objects collide and how mass impacts the acceleration of an object by using animated rubber ducks (for grades 6-8).
Additional content will also be added throughout the year, including:
- Ada Asks – an animated and live-action video series that encourages students to join the curious Ada as she answers students’ biggest questions about science through some seriously amazing investigations! (for grades K-2)
- Morphy – a game that teaches students that animals have external structures that are important for survival. Students must guide an alien creature through an Earth-like planet while adapting different animal structures (for grades 3-5)
- Disaster Detector – a game that teaches students how to analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast disasters by becoming a “Disaster Detector” for a city (for grades 6-8).
Material from a press release was used in this report.