This school year, Chapin School teachers brought in scientists to teach lessons to their kindergartens via Skype
Chapin faculty members Linda Howarth, Shelley Rogener and Pauline DiMauita collaborated and delivered an innovative and interactive learning environment for their students by connecting them to Mary Kate Rogener, who is a biogeochemist pursuing her doctorate degree at the University Georgia.
Rogener works with Dr. Samantha Joye, an expert in biogeochemistry and microbial ecology who works in open ocean and coastal ecosystems at the University of Georgia’s Department of Marine Sciences. Rogener has joined Joye’s team of scientists to uncover the progress of marine life recovery in the Gulf of Mexico since the BP Oil Spill four years ago.
Via Skype, Chapin students could hear directly from Rogener about her discovery and research in the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and experience in ALVIN, the three-person deep submergence vessel owned by the U.S. Navy.
Prior to the Skype session, Howarth along with her two kindergarten colleagues, Leah Cutler and Mary Jo Thompson, prepared their students by having them read and discuss Dolphins at Daybreak, part of the Magic Tree House book series, writing about and drawing sea animals, discussing the ocean in lessons, and visiting the Adventure Aquarium in Camden.
From their studies, the students learned about the 2010 oil spill incident in the Gulf of Mexico, marine life affected by the spill and their responsibilities to keep their environment clean.
Howarth generated questions with her students during science class and then sent those questions directly to Rogener for her response during the Skype session. The 30-minute Skype session was filled with questions from “How did the oil spill?” to “What’s the midnight zone?” to “Do you see dolphins in the bottom of the ocean?”
Following the fun interactions between students and Rogener, Joye encouraged Rogener and her team to continue communications with Chapin students and reach out to even more students in the future.
Founded in 1931, Chapin School is an independent, co-ed pre-kindergarten to eighth grade school located in Princeton, New Jersey.
More information is online at chapinschool.org.
