Teaching overview
Learning points
- Students have designed a snakebot to explore the Moon.
- Cockatoos have shown that they can solve problems using tools.
- Scientists have created synthetic skin to replace human volunteers when testing insect repellents for mosquitoes.
Curriculum keywords
- Snakebot
- Cockatoo Tools
- Synthetic Skin
This Week’s Kahoot Quiz
Each week we will be bringing you a free quiz that you can use with your students after they have enjoyed the episode.
Spark a discussion
Snakebot
- What animal inspired the design of the students’ robot?
- How does the robot move downhill?
- Do you know the name of the first person to walk on the Moon?
Cockatoo Tools
- What kind of cockatoos took part in the study?
- How many tools did the cockatoos use?
- Do you know some other animals that have been known to use tools?
Synthetic Skin
- How do scientists normally test insect repellents for mosquitoes?
- How is synthetic skin created?
- Do you know how mosquitoes spread diseases?
Classroom Resources
Use these resources to get the most out of the news update and engage your class in topical science!
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Video Viewing Guide
This simple guide helps your students to create their very own science news updates.
Make Your Own Science News Update
This simple guide helps your students to create their very own science news updates.
Language and Literacy Activities
This guide gives you ideas for how the news update can be used to support language and literacy activities.
Discover More About Topics Covered In This Week's Update
Twig Science: A Complete Pre-K–8 Program for the NGSS
Immersive Investigations with High-Quality Multimedia
- Investigating, designing, building, and understanding phenomena
- Hands-on, digital, video, and print investigations
- Synchronous/asynchronous distance learning