README.md

---
license: mit
title: Science Talk Adventure
sdk: gradio
short_description: interactive simulation for elementary teachers
---
# 🌱 Science Talk Adventure: Multi-Scenario Practice

An interactive simulation for preservice elementary teachers to practice facilitating equitable science discussions across multiple grade levels.

## 🎯 Available Scenarios

### Kindergarten: Weather Watchers ☀️
- **NGSS Standard:** K-ESS2-1 Weather Patterns
- **Phenomenon:** Why do puddles disappear on sunny days?
- **Students:** Diverse 5-6 year olds with different weather experiences

### Grade 2: Plant Investigation 🌱  
- **NGSS Standard:** 2-LS2-1 Environmental Plant Needs
- **Phenomenon:** Why do classroom plants look different?
- **Students:** 2nd graders with family gardening knowledge

### Grade 4: Energy Transfer ⚡
- **NGSS Standard:** 4-PS3-2 Energy Transfer  
- **Phenomenon:** Why do metal spoons get hot but wooden ones don't?
- **Students:** 4th graders with family mechanical and cooking knowledge

### Grade 5: Community Ecosystems 🌍
- **NGSS Standard:** 5-LS2-1 Environmental Matter Cycling
- **Phenomenon:** Why do different garden areas have different living things?
- **Students:** 5th graders with diverse agricultural and ecological knowledge

## 🎮 How to Play

1. **Choose your scenario** from the dropdown menu
2. **Read about your students** and their cultural backgrounds
3. **Type what you'd say** to start the science discussion
4. **Read student responses** showing their diverse perspectives
5. **Choose your teaching move** from the provided options
6. **Get immediate feedback** on equity and pedagogical effectiveness
7. **Watch engagement levels** change based on your choices

## 👥 Meet Your Students

Each scenario features 4-5 diverse students with:
- **Different cultural backgrounds** and languages
- **Varied family knowledge** about science topics
- **Unique communication styles** and participation patterns
- **Authentic elementary thinking** about scientific phenomena

## 🎓 Learning Objectives

Practice essential skills:
- **Cultural Asset Building:** Recognize and build on students' home knowledge
- **Equitable Participation:** Include all voices, especially quieter students
- **Scientific Discourse:** Facilitate authentic scientific thinking and argumentation
- **NGSS 3D Learning:** Integrate science practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas
- **Responsive Teaching:** Build on student ideas rather than just correcting

## 🌟 Key Features

- **Multiple Grade Levels:** K-5 scenarios aligned with NGSS standards
- **Authentic Student Voices:** AI-generated responses based on real student thinking patterns
- **Cultural Responsiveness:** Students bring diverse cultural and linguistic assets
- **Real-time Feedback:** Immediate assessment of teaching moves
- **Engagement Tracking:** See how your choices affect different students
- **Scenario Variety:** Switch between different science topics and grade levels

## 🔧 Technical Details

- **Built with:** Gradio for web interface, OpenRouter API for AI responses
- **Hosted on:** Hugging Face Spaces (free hosting)
- **AI Models:** Multiple language models for diverse student perspectives
- **Open Source:** Free to use and modify for educational purposes

## 📚 Educational Research Base

Based on research showing elementary teachers need practice with:
- Building on diverse cultural knowledge in science
- Creating equitable classroom discussions  
- Implementing NGSS 3-dimensional learning
- Supporting multilingual learners in science
- Developing confidence in science teaching

## 🚀 Getting Started

1. **Select a scenario** that matches your interest or course needs
2. **Read the student descriptions** to understand their backgrounds
3. **Start your science talk** - there's no "right" way to begin!
4. **Experiment with different approaches** - you can restart anytime
5. **Pay attention to engagement levels** - notice how different students respond to your choices

## 🎭 Scenario Rotation Suggestions

### For Teacher Preparation Courses:
- **Week 1-2:** Start with Grade 2 Plants (foundational equity skills)
- **Week 3-4:** Try Kindergarten Weather (youngest learners)  
- **Week 5-6:** Practice Grade 4 Energy (more complex content)
- **Week 7-8:** Challenge with Grade 5 Ecosystems (advanced discourse)

### For Professional Development:
- **Session 1:** Choose grade level you teach
- **Session 2:** Try unfamiliar grade level
- **Session 3:** Focus on scenario with most cultural diversity
- **Session 4:** Practice with content you find challenging

## 💡 Reflection Questions

After each scenario, consider:
- Which students did you naturally include vs. overlook?
- How did you respond to cultural knowledge that differed from textbooks?
- What surprised you about student thinking?
- How might you transfer these skills to real classrooms?
- What would you do differently in a second attempt?

## 🔄 For Instructors

### Classroom Integration Ideas:
- **Pre-Practice:** Have students predict what they'd do before playing
- **Post-Practice:** Debrief choices and discuss alternatives
- **Comparison:** Have students try same scenario with different approaches
- **Transfer:** Connect game choices to upcoming field placement goals

### Assessment Opportunities:
- **Reflection Essays:** Students analyze their choice patterns
- **Peer Discussion:** Compare strategies and share insights
- **Action Planning:** Students set goals for real classroom practice
- **Portfolio Evidence:** Include game sessions in teaching portfolios

## 🤝 Contributing

This is an open source educational tool! Ways to contribute:
- **Report bugs** or suggest improvements
- **Add new scenarios** for different grade levels or topics
- **Enhance student personas** with more diverse backgrounds
- **Improve cultural authenticity** of student responses
- **Translate scenarios** into other languages

## 🔗 Related Resources

### Science Education Equity:
- Culturally Responsive Teaching in Science
- NGSS Equity and Inclusion Guidelines
- Multilingual Learners in Science Education

### Teaching Practice:
- Science Talk: Language and Meaning (Zembal-Saul)
- Making Thinking Visible in Science (Ritchhart)
- 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Discourse

## 📊 Usage Analytics

Track your progress:
- **Scenarios Completed:** Try all 4 for comprehensive practice
- **Teaching Points Earned:** Aim for consistent equity-focused choices
- **Engagement Patterns:** Notice which students you include/exclude
- **Growth Over Time:** Compare early vs. later attempts

## ⚠️ Important Notes

### What This Tool IS:
- Practice space for developing equitable facilitation skills
- Safe environment to experiment with different approaches  
- Opportunity to reflect on unconscious biases and patterns
- Bridge between theory and real classroom practice

### What This Tool IS NOT:
- Replacement for working with real students
- Perfect simulation of actual classroom complexity
- Training for specific cultural groups (students are individuals!)
- Substitute for ongoing cultural competence development

## 🎯 Success Indicators

You're developing strong facilitation skills when you:
- **Consistently include** quieter or hesitant students
- **Build on cultural knowledge** rather than dismissing it
- **Create space** for multiple perspectives on phenomena
- **Support scientific thinking** while honoring diverse ways of knowing
- **Notice patterns** in your own facilitation choices

## 📧 Support

Questions or feedback? 
- Check the discussion tab for community support
- Report technical issues via the community forum
- Suggest educational improvements through issues

## 📄 License

MIT License - Free to use, modify, and share for educational purposes.

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*Remember: Every real student brings unique knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. This simulation provides practice, but authentic cultural responsiveness develops through genuine relationships with diverse communities.*