Invitations to Learn
Grade Level		Prospective and Practicing K-8 Teachers; may be adapted for use in elementary classes.
Time		Requires approximately 2 1/2 hours.
To Ponder		Students are to generate their own ponder questions.
Supplies		miscellaneous materials to be determined
Objectives		The goals of this exercise are for you to use your knowledge of the topics included in labs 1 - 8 and your creative energies to design and set up a series of 'invitations to learn' for K - 8 students.
Background Information		Invitations to Learn The 'invitation to learn' is a station that K - 8 students can visit to explore a particular phenomenon and learn about a given topic through discovery. The phenomenon should be relatively simple and age-appropriate, and should amplify one or more of the ideas in labs 1.1 - 1.8. Each 'invitation to learn' should be accompanied by a clear and simple set of directions and some questions to stimulate thinking. Class members are encouraged to incorporate prediction in the exercise where appropriate, by prompting students to predict what will happen before the exploration.
Exercise 1		1.	Class members will work in pairs to design and set up an invitation. Each invitation should address a single phenomenon. Topics may range from (a) setting up a series of "smell bottles" to explore aromatic organic compounds to (b) observing diffusion in viscous media to determine the effects of viscosity on diffusion to (c) who-knows-what? Your cleverness and imagination sets the limits.
		2.	Planning, preparation, and material purchase should be done prior to class. Students should save and submit receipts for reimbursement. Each station should be self-contained. You will have half an hour of class time to set up your station.
		3.	During the remainder of the time, class members will visit and explore other stations. Critiques and suggestions for improvement will be welcome.
		4.	These stations will be used next semester as an initial exercise for the incoming 412 class. Thus you might want to put your names on the poster to take credit for the activity. You should provide a box if possible in which your materials can be packed. Each poster and box of materials will be given unique and matching numbers. If your activity requires materials that must be obtained fresh, a note about such requirements should be included.
		5.	These sessions will be videotaped if possible so that we can evaluate the success of each 'invitation to learn' and observe the ways in which class members interacted with each station.