Trey Smith's Visit on 7/25



NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) is pushing for students to be able to make statements in the following format: “Claim-Evidence-Reasoning”. I think Trey Smith’s idea of analyzing primary sources is a great way to introduce students to this style of written argument-making.

It’s also a really fun way to hook students into a lesson. In the past, I’ve started my carbon cycle lessons by showing a clip from the Lion King where Mufasa teaches Simba about the cycle of life, but I think I’ll switch it up this year and instead introduce the topic by showing students pictures of recent natural disasters that scientists have linked to climate change (ie. Hurricane Harvey; Hurricane Irma; California's 5-year drought and then subsequent flooding episodes). From their analysis and discussion of the pictures, students will begin to wonder why this is all happening and hopefully ask questions that will guide the lesson forward.

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