Welcome Teachers!

To make your visit to the Challenger Learning Center of Lockport as enjoyable as possible, we’ve put together teacher information we know will be helpful to you, as educators. If you have any questions regarding our missions, planetarium sessions, or content please feel free to call us at (716) 434-3196.

The following is still UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND IS NOT OUR FINAL PRODUCT...thank you.

Curriculum and NYS Standards

A common misconception about a Challenger Learning Center is that it is solely for the purpose of studying astronomy or space science, which may be a narrow part of a teacher's curriculum. The space science here is just a context for studying broader, more universal curricula. Within the framework of space travel, students learn precise measurement with various interval scales at the isolation, life support, and remote stations. They learn data manipulation when they calculate mass given an object’s volume and known density. They practice latitude and longitude on different types of maps. They practice verbal and written communication skills for the Com and Data stations. They use dichotomous keys for rock identification and microscope field of views for estimation and measurement. They interpret graphs, make critical decisions on data, and suggest hypotheses to explain natural phenomena.

We’ve made a real effort to modify Challenger's curriculum to meet the needs of teachers and students in our area. Challenger has made great progress in aligning our tasks to New York State Learning Standards, and in incorporating activities that help prepare students for the NYS Intermediate Science Exam. We’ve gotten a very positive response from teachers who agree that we are practicing the very skills and content likely to be assessed on the exam.

SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS

Students at the Challenger Learning Center of Lockport get to practice science skills. By measuring, hypothesizing, questioning, inferring, classifying and interpreting, students apply the skills they're practiced in their own classroom in an authentic assessment enviornment.

Every single student is 100% engaged in hands-on science activities that help improve problem-solving skills and enhance creative and critical-thinking abilities.

TEACHER SUPPORT

Prior to the mission event, we offer training for teachers to give them some strategies for preparing for the mission. They are also supplied with activities and English Language Arts exercises for use in the classroom. A side benefit of the program is that after seeing their students collaborating at Challenger, teachers return to the classroom with many new ideas and techniques for their own pedagogy. Often, we see that students who struggle within the everyday classroom will come alive at our Challenger Learn Center – providing their classroom teachers with new strategies and ideas to motivate them.

TEAM WORK AND ESTEEM

But wait, there's more! Students must work together as a TEAM to accomplish their mission. Teachers will see students of all ability level, learning style, and personality working together to problem-solve, while at the same time, having the adventure of their lives in this immersive learning environment!

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