What is the Scientist Challenge?
The Scientist Challenge was adopted and adapted from a teacher in Oregon named Heather Renz. Mrs. Renz is a fourth grade teacher and has been teaching for 32 years. Mrs. Renz developed what she calls a Mastery Club and has been using it in her classroom for many years. Please click here to learn more about Mrs. Renz's Mastery Club. I love the idea of this and wanted to use it in my science classroom for those students that find themselves wanting more of a challenge. Our Scientist Challenge is a collection of questions that are categorized into three labels: Junior Scientist • Scientist • Senior Scientist. Each level has 25 questions, all of which get progressively more difficult. Students that wish to participate in the Scientist Challenge will be allowed to do so on their own time. Students will be quizzed either at recess or lunch, or any time that the class is not involved in other projects or instruction. Students will not be quizzed during lab experiments or while instruction is being given, so please do not ask. As students complete the first level, their names will be placed on the Contender sheet on our Scientist Challenge bulletin board. After levels 2 and 3 have been successfully cleared, students will then be labeled Senior Scientist and their names will permanently be placed on the Senior Wizard Wall in our classroom. In order to clear a level, students must answer every question with 100% accuracy. No exceptions!
This challenge is designed so that students have to look up, study, and be able to answer the questions all on their own. There will be resources in our classroom that will help students find the answers to the questions, but no explicit instruction will be given for the types of questions that are included in the challenge. The purpose of the challenge is to expand students' knowledge of science, not merely to review what we have already learned in class. I also wanted to provide students with a challenging activity that they could work on as they finish their required work for class. It is a perfect solution to the "I'm Done" epidemic that we teachers often face. Participation for this activity is NOT required and students will not receive a grade for it.
Are you up for the Challenge?Click the respective links below to take the challenge.
The Scientist Challenge was adopted and adapted from a teacher in Oregon named Heather Renz. Mrs. Renz is a fourth grade teacher and has been teaching for 32 years. Mrs. Renz developed what she calls a Mastery Club and has been using it in her classroom for many years. Please click here to learn more about Mrs. Renz's Mastery Club. I love the idea of this and wanted to use it in my science classroom for those students that find themselves wanting more of a challenge. Our Scientist Challenge is a collection of questions that are categorized into three labels: Junior Scientist • Scientist • Senior Scientist. Each level has 25 questions, all of which get progressively more difficult. Students that wish to participate in the Scientist Challenge will be allowed to do so on their own time. Students will be quizzed either at recess or lunch, or any time that the class is not involved in other projects or instruction. Students will not be quizzed during lab experiments or while instruction is being given, so please do not ask. As students complete the first level, their names will be placed on the Contender sheet on our Scientist Challenge bulletin board. After levels 2 and 3 have been successfully cleared, students will then be labeled Senior Scientist and their names will permanently be placed on the Senior Wizard Wall in our classroom. In order to clear a level, students must answer every question with 100% accuracy. No exceptions!
This challenge is designed so that students have to look up, study, and be able to answer the questions all on their own. There will be resources in our classroom that will help students find the answers to the questions, but no explicit instruction will be given for the types of questions that are included in the challenge. The purpose of the challenge is to expand students' knowledge of science, not merely to review what we have already learned in class. I also wanted to provide students with a challenging activity that they could work on as they finish their required work for class. It is a perfect solution to the "I'm Done" epidemic that we teachers often face. Participation for this activity is NOT required and students will not receive a grade for it.
Are you up for the Challenge?Click the respective links below to take the challenge.