MYSTIC STEP 2

STEP 1

Preparation for Mentoring

STEP 2

School Visit #1

STEP 3

School Visit #2

STEP 4

School Visit #3

STEP 5

Attend Science Fair

Goals for STEP 2

  1. Attend MySTic BRIEFING SESSION
  2. Attend SCHOOL VISIT #1 on the scheduled date and time
  3. Meet and greet ALLOCATED STUDENT GROUP/S
  4. Facilitate student group/s to select: FOCUS/TESTABLE QUESTION, VARIABLES, PREDICTION / HYPOTHESIS, METHOD and EQUIPMENT
Scroll down for more information.

STEP 1 – Plan Ahead

  1. BRIEFING SESSION: attend
  2. SCHOOL VISIT #1: attend correct location, on scheduled date and time
  3. STUDENT GROUP/S: get to know them
  4. INVESTIGATION PLAN: ensure student group/s have a ‘testable question’ and know what to do once you leave

STEP 2 is in Week 3 of School Implementation

 

STEP 1 – Information

Briefing Session

One of your School Science Teachers or one of the Primary School Teachers or a MyScience facilitator will hold a BRIEFING SESSION about what you will be doing as a Mentor.

Most of this information is covered in the website MySTic Implementation Steps but the session will provide you with:

  • awareness of the physical layout of the primary school and classrooms (if held at the primary school),
  • a chance to ask questions about the program, your role, the class theme, student needs etc.,
  • an opportunity to meet teachers and other Mentors/MyStics who will be working with the primary students, which will promote a sense of belonging and focus around the purpose for coming into the school,
  • awareness of the location of the School Office where you need to ‘sign in’ and ‘sign out’.
School Visit Information
  • Check that you know the: NAME, TELEPHONE NUMBER, LOCATION and TRAVEL TIME to the primary school so that you arrive 10-15 minutes before your scheduled visit time. This may be organised for you by your Science Teacher.
  • All schools require visitors to register their presence at the SCHOOL OFFICE, where you will be required to ‘sign in’ and to wear a ‘Visitor Badge’ while on the school premises during working hours.
  • You will likely be met by senior primary students who will then take you to your contact teacher/classroom.
  • Your school visit will be co-ordinated with other class Mentors/MySTics so that you are all in the class at the same time.
  • At the conclusion of your school visit, return your badge to the School Office and ‘sign out’.
Student Groups

By the time of the first mentor visit your students should:

  • each possess a LOGBOOK in which they have recorded their science activities, thoughts and ideas,
  • have practised conducting ‘fair test’ scientific investigations related to the class theme with the support and guidance of their class teacher,
  • understand that when conducting a fair test they need to use ‘Cows Moo Softly’ where COWS stands for CHANGE ONE THING, MOO stands for MEASURE SOMETHING and SOFTLY stands for KEEP EVERYTHING ELSE THE SAME,
  • have participated in a class brainstorm around a THEME,
  • have joined a student group who all agree to work on the same TOPIC, and generated a number of possible questions for their investigation – some of which may be ‘testable’.
Investigation Plan

Student groups need a clear plan for how to do their investigation.

By the end of Visit #1 each group should have recorded in their logbooks:

  • a clear idea of their QUESTION,
  • how they will CONTROL THE VARIABLES,
  • a PREDICTION OR HYPOTHESIS,
  • the METHOD OR STEPS that they will follow, and
  • the EQUIPMENT that they will require.

Use the following RESOURCES for additional information about how to support your primary students in this phase of MyScience.

  • Student Planned Investigations
  • Testable Questions
  • Predictions & Hypotheses

SCAFFOLDS/PROFORMAS that support student planning:

  • Classroom Poster
  • Student Scaffold #1 = BASIC
  • Student Scaffold #2 = ADVANCED

REMEMBER:

  • You are guiding and supporting the students – not telling them what to do.
  • Challenge their questions and ideas, ask them for clarification such as:
    ‘What do you mean … ?’
    ‘What do you think will happen if …?’
    ‘If we change TWO things (e.g type of soil AND pot colour), how will we know …?’
  • Your discussion and questioning is demonstrating what scientists do when they design a plan to answer their questions.

Resources

2.1 Student Planned Investigations
2.2 Testable Questions
2.3 Predictions and Hypotheses
2.4 Classroom Posters
2.5 Student Scaffold #1
2.6 Student Scaffold #2