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Video Contests Give 7th Graders and National Scientists a Way to Share Research

Tower Hill Video Contest in Partnership with the St. Jones Reserve

In December, the 7th grade science classes visited the St. Jones Reserve near Dover, as part of their study of ecosystems and populations. Students got to observe the estuarine life on the two-mile nature trail that features a boardwalk over the salt marsh. This year, teacher Ms. Marie Vayo-Greenbaum challenged students to reach beyond by creating videos on four selected topics about salt marshes. Taking footage from their trip, students created two-minute WeVideos with the help of technology teacher Ms. Meghan Donlon. The videos were subsequently judged by peers, faculty and scientists at the St. Jones Reserve based on content and how well they communicated the message. Congratulations to the following winners!
 
“What is a Salt Marsh?”
by Julia Prendergast, Lucas Zheng, Dean Saridakis, Anna Garonski

by Lily DeSantis, Ted Hughes, Grace Wenzel, Ryan Van Vechten
 
by Simi Olurin, Jake Spruance, Dylan Palma, Abby DeMeo
 
by Delina Irgau, Abigail Gilbert, Case Rohrbacher, Dylan Nitsche, Brian Brown

The study of salt marshes in 7th grade is an integral part of the Middle School Delmarva curriculum, which includes the Brandywine River stream watch in 5th grade, the Chesapeake Bay study in 6th grade and the Cape Henlopen ocean study in 8th grade.

Ocean 180 Video Challenge for National Scientists, Funded by the National Science Foundation
 
Going beyond the curriculum, 7th graders participated with 42,000 middle school students in an international competition judging scientists' ability to share their discoveries through video. The inaugural Ocean 180 Video Challenge was designed to inspire scientists to communicate the meaning and significance of scientific research with a broader audience. Ten videos from across the country were selected by a panel of science and communication experts and then evaluated by Middle School students. Winners were announced February 25. Ocean 180 is sponsored by the Florida Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence and funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation. To view the wining videos by scientists:http://ocean180.org/
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