This award-winning educational program
has reached over 20,000 students in Chicago since 1990!
Take advantage of our easy-to-use Teacher's Guides to add your students to the list--
The Chicago Science Explorers Program
Ready to Print Now and Use in Your Classroom!
These Brand-New HYPERTEXT Teacher's Guides
Are Now Available from the Chicago Academy of Sciences:
On a Wing and a Prayer
What Darwin Never Saw
Here are Sample Activities from Our Best Teacher's Guides of the Past:
Flight for Survival
Journey to Save a Crane
From Beneath the Ashes
Children of the River
River of Doubt
In the Footsteps of
Dr. Livingstone
All Teacher's Guides are copyright © The Chicago Academy of Sciences
About The New Explorers
In 1991, Bill Kurtis created a new series of outstanding documentary television
programs called The New Explorers to profile, as he says, individual scientists
and innovators "on the cutting edge of discovery." Produced for
WTTW/Chicago and Kurtis Productions, Ltd., the series has been wildly successful.
It is now in its sixth season and is seen on Public Broadcasting Stations
across the country. The New Explorers has been awarded the prestigious Peabody
Award for excellence and, due to popular demand, its episodes have recently
been expanded from the original 30 minutes to one hour. Viewers around the
country now eagerly accompany Mr. Kurtis on his televised adventures, both
in their own communities and around the world.
About "The Chicago Science Explorers Program"
The New Explorers videos have also ventured into the classroom in the form
of "The Chicago Science Explorers Program." With the support of
the Department of Energy, through Sam Bowen at Argonne National Laboratory,
this landmark program combines a New Explorers' videotape with the resources
of a local cultural and scientific organization, called an Explorer Partner. The goal of the program is to introduce students to science as a career possibility for themselves. There are opportunities throughout each curriculum for rich discussions of career preparation for students of all ages. Often there is even a trip to the partner institution where students can meet and talk with the scientists as they work!
The Explorer Partners in the Chicago area are:
Any class may participate in "The Chicago Science Explorers
Program!" Sometimes, there is even a special inservice training
session at one of the Partner sites to help teachers get started. The inservice is an important component
of the program, and is integral to its success. Teachers learn how to effectively
engage their students in discussion and hands-on investigation in multi-disciplinary
activities after viewing the videotape. The activities follow the constructivist
model: they begin with a student's experience and build on that base. The
activities, experiments, and discussions are designed to take advantage
of the particular resources of the Partner and the videotape.
The Teacher's Guides, based on the Chicago model, may be adapted to the
resources available in cities across the country, and the curricula may
be implemented in any community. Partnerships with universities or colleges,
hospitals, businesses, etc., may be developed where museums, zoos, and other
cultural institutions are not available. The U.S. Department of Energy's
scientific research laboratories are also available as resources for the
teachers and students.
What Do You Get in a Teachers' Guide?
Teaching materials for each videotape have been prepared by a videotape
support group consisting of teachers, scientists, and Explorer Partner staff.
The result is a specially-prepared Teacher's Guide with a unique combination
of inviting hands-on science activities and many examples of local people
with varied backgrounds involved in related sciences.
These materials may include:
For more information on
Chicago Science Explorers
videos and guides, contact:
Public Media Education,
800.343.4312
Return to The Chicago Academy of
Sciences