|
Teacher Information
Exhibit Category Student Assignments
Pre-Trip Activity Plans
Strategies for Student Participation at High
Tech Fair
Please visit the San Diego Science Alliance web
site for High Tech Fair updates at: www.sdsa.org/HTF
- Complete Pre-trip activities with students, including
assigning students to designated exhibit areas (form provided). Students
should create a schedule of the 5-7 companies they will visit at
the High Tech Fair.
- The High Tech Fair exhibitors will be organized into
categories. Until February you will find an alphabetical list of the
exhibitors. In mid February you will find the list of exhibitors organized
into categories. Each exhibitor has planned a 10-15 minute interactive
demonstration.
- On March 11, 2009 when you arrive at Wyland Hall
for your scheduled one and one-half hour visit you will be met by a
High Tech Fair greeter and be given a packet of information for each
of your students to use during their visit. Teachers are responsible
for getting students to their designated areas of the exhibit hall.
- No food service will be available at the fairgrounds.
Please make your own arrangements.
- A public address system will be utilized for announcements
at designated time intervals, however teachers are responsible for
organizing students to disperse and reconvene at designated locations
and times to accommodate the scheduling of approximately 2500 students
visiting the fair.
- Dignitaries, government officials and their aides have
been invited to attend the fair.
- High School students will visit the HTF between 8:30
and 12:00 Noon. 7th & 8th
Grade students between 12:00 noon and 2:00 PM
For information, contact:
Nancy Taylor, Executive Director, SDSA, ntaylor@sdcoe.net
Danine Ezell, Science Coordinator, SDCOE, dlezell@sdcoe.net
John Spiegel, Science Coordinator, SDCS, jspiegel@sandi.net
TEACHERS: Please assign students categories so that
your group of 50 students is equally distributed among the categories.
Bring this form to the fair. We anticipate a large number of students
in the hall during the 9:30 –
11:00am. Your help in getting students engaged in the variety of exhibits
that are planned is appreciated.
Aerospace/Transportation
Agriculture
BioTech / BioMedical / Pharmaceuticals
Computers & Software
Conservation / Environmental Science
Electronics/Engineering
Energy
Healthcare
Robotics
Semiconductor/High Tech
Telecommunications/Satellite Communications
Thank you for planning to bring your students to the San Diego County
Educational Technology Fair or the High Tech Fair!
Before your students visit it is requested that you spend
some time preparing them so that they will not only enjoy their visit,
but learn as much as possible, as well. More than fifty companies and
institutions using science, mathematics and high technology in some capacity
will be represented at the fair. Companies will be grouped according
to the type of research or development in which they are engaged.
Each exhibitor has planned a 10-15 minute interactive demonstration
appropriate for high school students. Students will participate in the
entire presentation at each exhibit they visit and be able to ask questions
and talk to representatives of each company or institution.
Due to the number of students attending the High Tech Fair
and the quality of interactive exhibits that have been assembled for
this extraordinary event, it will be possible for students to visit approximately
5 to 7 exhibits. Effective planning with your students using the suggested
plans will provide your students with a broad range of experiences that
can be shared out when you return to school. We regret that it is not
possible for every student to visit every exhibit. The planning committee
greatly appreciates your assistance with pre-trip preparation and organization
of students prior to arriving at the High Tech Fair.
- In pre-visit preparation class sessions or meetings,
divide students into groups of 2-4 students based on their science
and technology interests and the exhibitor categories. Give students
a list of their companies. Ask students to prepare a schedule of
5-7 companies they plan on visiting. Your class should be equally
distributed among the exhibitor categories;
- Ask students to create a chart to record their pre-trip
knowledge of the companies or institutions they will be visiting. A
suggested format for this chart is a three-column poster to record;
1) What students already know about the category, exhibitor and the
science and technology applications that may be used.
2) What students want to learn about the category, exhibitor and the
science and technology applications.
3) What students did learn about each exhibitor. (to be recorded after
the visit)
- Each student group should develop several questions
about the technology the exhibits they will visit. Students should
include affective questions as well as technical questions.
Sample questions:
1) How will the technology used by this company affect me at school
or in my daily life?
2) Does the research at this company have immediate or long- term practical
applications?
3) What kind of background is important for scientists, engineers or
technicians in this industry.
Have student groups agree upon a number of key questions which every
group will ask of their companies. This will ensure some uniformity
of information about the exhibitors that will be helpful when you debrief
the fair. Beyond that, each student group could ask questions which
are specific to the science technologies of their exhibits.
- Visit the website of the San Diego Science Alliance
at: http://www.sdsa.org/HTF Links to questions exhibitors have developed
for students are on-line. A “Q”
following the exhibitors name indicates that questions for students
are available on that link. Links to the exhibitors’
websites are also available for further investigation.
- During their visit to the exhibits, student groups should:
a) remain at the exhibit during the entire presentation, b) participate
and take notes on the presentations, c) gather any literature from
their category of exhibits, d) ask as many of their questions as possible
and take notes on the answers to share back in class.
- Upon returning, plan on conducting a follow up discussion
or activity to extend the learning experiences. For example each student
group should prepare a short oral report on what they learned. The
oral report can be presented before the other groups so that students
will be aware of the many high technology industries and institutions
that were represented at the fair. The three-column chart can be completed
for each category of exhibits. A notebook containing company literature
and a synopsis of the findings of each group could then be put together
to serve a future reference. Additionally, letters or comments to the
San Diego Science Alliance High Tech Fair committee and/or exhibitors
are most welcome.
While the above are only suggestions, pre-planning and
preparation for your students are essential to ensure a quality experience
at the San Diego County Educational Technology Fair. Please share the
strategies you use with your students for the pre-trip preparation and
post-trip follow-up with the High Tech Fair planning committee. We will
incorporate your ideas and suggestions into future planning. |
