Testimonial from Aidan Baller
For Aidan Baller, a teacher at Oak Canyon Junior High in Lindon, Utah, Research Quest has been a valuable way to engage students in deeper scientific thinking. Aidan’s 7th-grade class had the opportunity to use Research Quest this year, and it quickly became a favorite resource.
“Research Quest is a great resource to use in class! My 7th graders loved it, and it required them to use critical thinking in order to work through the investigation. My favorite part is that it helped them think like scientists.”
Using Investigations to Spark Curiosity
This school year, Aidan placed a strong emphasis on giving students more opportunities to solve scientific problems through critical thinking. Research Quest supported this focus by offering authentic investigations that encouraged students to dig deeper into the evidence.
“This school year, I had an increased focus on giving my students opportunities to use critical thinking strategies to solve scientific problems. Research Quest was an excellent resource to do this.”
Exploring Evolution and Fossils
One of the highlights for Aidan’s class was the investigation How Did Triceratops Evolve? Students explored questions about evolution and fossils, which challenged them to go beyond surface-level learning. “My 7th-grade students used the How Did Triceratops Evolve? investigation to help do some research about evolution and fossils. It opened up their minds to deeper thinking, which is exactly what I was looking for.”
Helping Students Think Like Scientists
Aidan’s experience shows how Research Quest brings science to life by making students active participants in the process. Combining engaging investigations with opportunities to think critically helps learners view themselves as scientists solving real-world problems. As Aidan sums it up, “It opened up their minds to deeper thinking, which is exactly what I was looking for.”
Research Quest is a program of the Natural History Museum of Utah in partnership with The Utah Education Network
