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Thursday, April 29, 2010

Webinar Notes: Peep and the Big Wide World


Focused on kids 2-7 - 'Anywhere Science and Math'.

Goals model inquiry process skills
Encourage parents and caregivers to support childrens' hands on science and math

Half hour format
Narrated by Joan Cusack
110 animated stories
110 live action segments
97 offline anywhere science and math activities
New epsiodes exlusive to public television

Measurable Impact on Kids
- making predictions
- Making observations
- Applying problem solving strategies and successfully solving problems

Measurable Impact on Teachers
- Teachers become more involved over time with science
- More confident in teaching science topics
- Better able to create instructional environment supportive of science
- Easier to teach math,
- Easier to ask open ended questions

Educational Outreach
- WGBH worked with series advisers to create resources intended for informal educators and classroom teachers respectively.
- wanted to motivate parents to help them become more comfortable and let them understand they don't need to know everything about a topic in order to teach their youngsters
- This year special focus on Spanish speakers. Latinos very underrepresented in Science careers. Website has a spanish speaking portal.

For Families
- Neighborhood Safari - contains a parents guide and childrens activity pages. 9 Investigations in the Safari, ranging from documentation to how to use natural materials.
- Large library of anything science and math activities - eg. measuring distances with steps. Activities relate to a child's immediate environment.
- Teachers use this activities to help round out teaching principles in the classroom as well.

Explorers guide for Classrooms -
+ Field tested in 52 Head Start classrooms.
+ With 3 thematic units published originally,
+ Embraced by teachers from NHSA, NEA, and NACCRRA.
+ Now expanded to 6 topics.
* Go to peepandthebigwideworld.org/resources

Event Kit for discreet events, useful for PBS Stations.
+ 3 Separate events - shadows, structures and ramps.
+ Informative readers guides
+ Promotional fliers and press release
+ Evaluation form.
* Go to peepandthebigwideworld.org/resources

Station Support at
resourceroom.wgbh.org
+ Station toolkit
+ Web assets
+ NEW costume characters
+ Free tattoos
+ Coming: HTML postcard and e-blast to promote new Peep Explorer's Guide.

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