We're excited to share the story of Kartika Aposhian, a 7th grade science teacher at Utah Virtual Academy, who has found Research Quest to be an essential component of her curriculum.
Despite the challenges of online education, Ms. Aposhian has found a unique way to connect her students with their local environment. "Instead of going unit to unit, we go place to place in Utah and use what we see in Utah to teach the 7.2 Utah SEEd/NGSS MS-LS4 & ES1 curriculum," she explains.
One of the standout features of Research Quest for Ms. Aposhian's class is the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry exploration. She uses this module to guide students in creating a CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) – a crucial skill in scientific thinking.
"We use the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry [investigation] to help guide students to create a CER," Ms. Aposhian shares. This hands-on, virtual exploration serves as the cornerstone for their Earth unit, bringing paleontology to life in a way that textbooks alone cannot achieve.
Kartika doesn't just use Research Quest for serious study. She's found a way to make learning fun, especially during those restless days before winter break.
"On the final days of our class in December before the winter break, we will do the 'build a dinosaur' simulation as a fun activity that is related to what we have been talking about," she says. This creative approach keeps students engaged and learning, even when minds might be drifting towards holiday plans.
While Kartika notes that they use only a few of the Research Quest investigations, she emphasizes its importance: "There are only a few things that we use Research Quest for but it is pretty essential in our curriculum." This statement underscores the quality and relevance of the resources provided by Research Quest, even when used selectively.
Kartika's experience highlights how Research Quest is helping to bridge the gap between virtual learning and hands-on experience. By providing engaging, location-specific content and interactive simulations, it enables teachers like Kartika to create immersive learning experiences, even in a fully online environment.
Research Quest is a program of the Natural History Museum of Utah in partnership with The Utah Education Network
