Greetings. The staff at Authentic Exploration Matters truly hopes that you are having a wonderful summer! This past week, we worked with Mote Aquarium and Laboratories to host our inaugural Discovery Day workshop.
The event introduced educators to the topic of Blue Holes. A Mote scientist who has been studying them spoke with the group about blue hole basics, questions they have, challenges they face, and ways they are collecting data to explore this unique phenomenon. Following his presentation, we had a chance to connect with a way to transfer this information into the classroom. Brad Tanner, Mote’s Manager of School Programs, highlighted a lesson that engages students in the engineering process as they are challenged to design an ROV that must meet very specific criteria. The group portion of the day ended with participants getting their feet wet as they explored the bay to explore some of its biodiversity. The afternoon was provided as free time to explore the aquarium and marine mammal center. We enjoyed meeting new teachers and learning about ways to engage students in a local topic. Check out our website to explore more upcoming events including our July 6 bioluminescence kayak Leading Light, an August Discovery Day with ORCA that centers on data collection, and a Discovery Day in October with Marine Discovery Center where we will explore coastal ecosystems.
This week's Resource Roundup was suggested by AEM Educator Ambassador Jessica Sarduy who is a teacher at Blankner K-8 in Orlando, FL. She chose the topic of “Think Global, Act Local”. This is an innovative process that supports student-led inquiry, initiatives, and action as they engage with a local topic and uncover its connection on a global scale. This type of learning elevates the ability for students to develop viable solutions to sustainability challenges, increases the visibility of a topic across various scales and perspectives, supports the processes of research and experiential learning, and often leads to some form of action that will address the topic. It is an amazing way to authentically engage and empower students, the school-wide community, and beyond.
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