Sitting in Scientist Circles Builds Great Science Thinkers!

Funded Sep 15, 2022

When we learned that our new curriculum would frequently require students to sit in a "Scientist Circle" to discuss the science concepts they were learning, it was a bit of a challenge. First, I had to rearrange my classroom in order to have a clear space to fit all of the students. Then, we had to test out how well 30 student chairs would fit in the "new" space. Suffice it to say, they didn't! So, after hearing about how other teachers had had success with Donors Choose, I figured I'd give it a try.

My project was funded very quickly (thank you so much!), and the kids were very excited to help me unpack the boxes once they arrived. We unpacked them in a class before we went to lunch, and while I was doing hall duty after lunch, a couple of students had stacked them in rainbow order, and they've stayed in rainbow order ever since!

When we did our first Scientist Circle with the stools, it took about 2 minutes to set the circle up (much quicker than the 10 minutes it took the first time we tried it with student desk chairs). The students were able to all fit within the discussion space, and could fully participate in the discussion. Students regularly come into class and ask, "Are we doing a Scientist Circle today?" Not only does it get them up out of their regular seats, it truly does foster a strong discussion of the concepts we're learning. By the end of the year, I'm hoping that these discussions will be 100% student-driven. There was one class period where the discussion took on a life of its own, and several students looked to me for guidance. But, before I could say anything, a student piped up, "She said we could continue the discussion without her!" And, they did! It was a wonderful moment!

Honestly, without having the stools, several students wouldn't have been able to fit within the circle, and might have felt excluded from our discussions, so it really has had an impact in such a positive way. In the Scientist Circle, my students are more thoughtful, and respectful of what others are saying. We practice using phrases such as, "I'd like to add on to what X said," and "I respectfully disagree with that because..." and while it seemed a bit forced in the beginning, students started to use these phrases more naturally as we carried out our discussions. Students were allowed to use their notebooks as a reference during discussions, and would regularly flip through the pages to find the information they needed so they could contribute to the discussion.

Again, thank you so very much for your donation to my class purchase of stools for our Scientist Circle. It made a difference from the very first day we used them, and by allowing everyone to be included in the discussion, continues to make a difference every time we use them!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Gould