Jennifer Kleinknecht, the librarian at H.B. Whitehorne Middle School, and the HBW science department are the latest recipients of a grant from the Verona Foundation for Educational Excellence (VFEE). With it, they have added Science Flix from Scholastic, a curriculum-driven science database with integrated and interactive features and intuitive navigation. It provides students with a better understanding of science concepts and ideas thru hands on projects, articles, videos, teacher lesson plans and rubrics. There are three reading levels and a read-aloud feature. The emphasis is on the latest thinking in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and the Next Generation Science Standards.
After surveying many of the HBW science teachers, Kleinknecht determined that this database would be a perfect fit for the school. In just the last few months it has been used by the entire fifth grade to build background knowledge of endangered species before embarking on their individual research projects.
Melissa Slavin, who teaches sixth and eighth grade math, is using it in her classes and is especially appreciative of the different reading levels available for the students. It was also widely used by students researching their projects for the HBW Science fair.
“It’s a great resource for parents if they want to quickly brush up on what their children are learning in science,” says Kleinknecht, and invites any parent to contact her for further information on how to access the system.
Check out Verona Foundation for Educational Excellence on Facebook or go to VFEE.org to learn more about our grants, make a donation, or join us Thursday March 19 at Bella Gente Trattoria for our annual soiree!
