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Wild Science Fest

Wild Science Fest is an annual nature and science festival, encompassing school activities, interactive science exhibits, films and science-oriented stage acts. The event spans two days, including a classes-only science festival day attended by up to 1,000 elementary and middle school students; a public science festival day with typically more than 30 interactive exhibits and activities for all ages; and screenings of award-winning nature & science films. For 2019, at the request of the TCSD, the school day of the science festival will target 3rd-graders as a priority, as well as 2nd-graders.

Science Standards This Program Meets

2-ESS1-1 Earth’s Place in the Universe

  • Grade: 2nd Grade
  • Discipline: Earth & Space Science
Requirements:
Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly.
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2-ESS2-1 Earth’s Systems

  • Grade: 2nd Grade
  • Discipline: Earth & Space Science
Requirements:
Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land.
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2-LS2-1 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

  • Grade: 2nd Grade
  • Discipline: Life Science
Requirements:
Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow.
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2-LS2-2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

  • Grade: 2nd Grade
  • Discipline: Life Science
Requirements:
Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.
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2-LS4-1 Biological Unity and Diversity

  • Grade: 2nd Grade
  • Discipline: Life Science
Requirements:
Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
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2-PS1-2 Matter and Its Interactions

  • Grade: 2nd Grade
  • Discipline: Physical Science
Requirements:
Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.
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2-PS1-4 Matter and Its Interactions

  • Grade: 2nd Grade
  • Discipline: Physical Science
Requirements:
Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot
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3-ESS2-1 Earth’s Systems

  • Grade: 3rd Grade
  • Discipline: Earth & Space Science
Requirements:
Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.
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3-LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures & Processes

  • Grade: 3rd Grade
  • Discipline: Life Science
Requirements:
Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
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3-LS3-1 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

  • Grade: 3rd Grade
  • Discipline: Life Science
Requirements:
Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms.
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3-LS4-1 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

  • Grade: 3rd Grade
  • Discipline: Life Science
Requirements:
Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago.
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About Wonder Institute

Wild Science Fest is an annual nature and science festival, encompassing school activities, interactive science exhibits, films and science-oriented stage acts. The event spans two days, including a classes-only science festival day attended by up to 1,000 elementary and middle school students; a public science festival day with typically more than 30 interactive exhibits and activities for all ages; and screenings of award-winning nature & science films. For 2019, at the request of the TCSD, the school day of the science festival will target 3rd-graders as a priority, as well as 2nd-graders.

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Who Center of Wonder, in collaboration with 25+ local, regional and national science education exhibitors.
What Annual Wild Science Festival
When Fall (typically last weekend in September, but shifting this year to late fall; exact date TBD)
Where Center for the Arts (location may shift in 2019 due to timing and venue availability)
Why Science is more than just a class subject or data. Science is integrated into virtually every aspect of our lives, giving us the tools to explain the world around us. Yet national statistics for student achievement in STEM education are sobering and being addressed at every level of education. It is broadly agreed that increased and early exposure to STEM opportunities improves student performance. We aim to also inject the arts into traditional STEM education (to create STEAM) with a goal of enriching the learning experience, creating an integrated approach to learning that inspires and engages students and results in broader knowledge retention and improved student performance, across curricula. WILD Fest merges a broad range of disciplines with scientific exploration in order to allow all ages to improve be inspired, improve skill integration, and develop creative problem solving and strategy skills.