Teacher leader training time

GrowNextGen works with a special group of teacher leaders, educators who are excited about using our resources with their students and taking advantage of all that we have to offer. About twenty members of that group met in January for in-depth training and collaboration.

Maggie Lewis, entomologist at The Ohio State University, spoke to the group about her research in soybean aphids. This is an invasive pest that reduces plant growth and affects yield. Its rapid population growth in recent years has led to an increased use of insecticides. Soybean plants with Rag traits have natural resistance to these aphids, so they are being selectively bred with other varieties to produce resistant, high yield cultivars.

Teachers had the opportunity to look at aphids on plants and consider how they could develop classroom experiments with soybeans and soybean aphids.

Next, the group did a Dinosaur Dig, gathering papers with parts of a dinosaur skeleton and working in groups to construct the skeleton. Teacher leader Jane Hunt connected the activity to the key components of How Science Works: discovery, community analysis and feedback, and benefits and outcomes, with continual testing of ideas.

Several teachers talked about the activity’s value in encouraging perseverance and helping students understand that things are not immediately easy. The groups had to work together and use trial-and-error to create a complete skeleton.

Interested in learning more about our teacher leader group? Start by attending a workshop! The current events being offered are found here.