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ERIC Number: EJ1115475
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Oct
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-8148
EISSN: N/A
From Droughts to Drones: An After-School Club Uses Drones to Learn about Environmental Science
Gillani, Bijan; Gillani, Roya
Science and Children, v53 n2 p50-54 Oct 2015
An after-school enrichment activity offered to sixth-grade students gave a group of 10 students an opportunity to explore the effects of the California drought in their community using an engaging scientific device: the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). Although this activity was specifically designed for a small after-school enrichment group, it could be modified to a whole-class setting by using grouping strategies. The students participated in three two-hour workshops entitled "Drones and Environmental Science." The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) emphasizes that students should learn the ideas of science through actually doing science and calls for full integration of science practices with other subjects, such as math and engineering. NGSS also clearly emphasizes that there is an urgency to train and make younger generations aware about the catastrophic consequences of human effects on the environment. The NGSS recommend an integrated approach to teaching Earth science with other STEM disciplines. With this activity, the goal was to help students understand the science behind how a UAV works, in addition to gaining an understanding for how UAVs can be used for scientific purposes. In this case, the class explored how the UAV can be used to help understand the devastating effects of the drought in California.
National Science Teachers Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: http://www.nsta.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Junior High Schools; Intermediate Grades; Elementary Education; Grade 6
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A