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Collaborative forSTEM Education and Outreach

Science Kits Usage

Our Building Name: Six Magnolia (formerly Home Economics)

Our Address: 134 Magnolia Circle; Nashville, TN 37203 (let us know if you want to drive to the alley behind instead)

Hours of Operation: 7:30am – 6:00pm, Monday through Friday

In general, SCP fellows should be able to pick up kits from Six Magnolia. Teachers should coordinate with Desmond and Greta for pickups. 

We will leave kits outside our storeroom, Room 015. While picking up kits, you can park nearby Six Magnolia by placing your temporary parking permit on your dashboard.

Kits are designed for 7th- and or 8th-grade curricula, but if you are working with a different grade, you may want to be familiar with them anyway; you can modify them to be appropriate for the grade level. 

Information 

https://www.vanderbilt.edu/cseo/services/stem-resources/science-kits/ has links to kits listed in by subject/grade/standards, as well as full lessons you should read before requesting. Many kits do not come ready-to-go, and it is your responsibility to plan accordingly and familiarize yourself with the materials and steps before teaching it. 

Scheduling 

  1. Please request kits with as much notice as possible; minimum of two weeks ahead of time. Due to kit limitations, only one person will be able to reserve the same kit per week. 
  2. Please fill in the partner information sheet today with who your partner is, what day of the week you use the kits, how many classes you have, and how many students per class. 
  3. You will receive an invitation to the google Kits Calendar – refer to it when making requests. Reserve your kit for the day you would like to pick it up until the day you expect to bring it back. In the actual event please put: “Kit name – Fellow name/Teacher name, School name” 
  4. In the event that you need to change your kit request, contact the Kits Director at Desmond.L.Campbell@vanderbilt.edu as soon as possible to request changes. Even if the schedule allows, changes with less than three weeks’ notice cannot be guaranteed, due to time needed to order and prepare supplies. 

About VSVS…The Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science designed many of the original kits ours are based on, and they publish full lessons for them on their website. However, their library is more comprehensive than ours; our available kits are listed on the following pages. Many thanks to VSVS! 

https://studentorg.vanderbilt.edu/vsvs/lessons/ 

Kit Pick-Up 

  1. We will make every effort to have your kit ready a few days in advance of the day you are teaching it, because you will need time to familiarize and organize the materials. Please make appointments to pick up and drop off. 
  2. Review the lesson prior to pick-up. This can be done here: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/cseo/services/stem-resources/science-kits/lesson-plans/a-z/ 
  3. When receiving the kit, do a quick check to make sure you have all your materials and in the correct quantities. 
  4. It is highly recommended that you do the lesson yourself to make sure that everything works properly and that you are familiar with the explanations and potential problems. 
  5. You may need to purchase extra supplies immediately prior to use (ie. perishable items). Desmond will give you more instructions on that. Do not return kits with items inside that are prone to rot.

Kit Use 

  1. Master copies of handouts should be provided in the kits. They may be included in the lesson itself, but if not we can send you a scan of those pages. 
  2. Supplies may need to be prepared prior to use. For instance, a lesson may require you to cut potatoes, make a solution, etc. 

Kit Return 

  1. Kits should be returned as soon after use as feasible. Within a day may be necessary if it is being checked out again within the following week or two. It is your responsibility to check the schedule and get it back clean, complete, and in working order with plenty of time to be replenished for the next person. A fellow who fails to return the kit clean, dry, and organized will not be allowed to check kits out for the rest of the year. 
  2. Return all materials that are not consumed in the course of the lesson. 
  3. Please rinse out and dry all used cups, plates, and containers (even if they look disposable). There are some kits where disposing of bags and cups is necessary, but please double check the instructions. Leave time for your students to clean up their own equipment! 
  4. When returning the kit please send an email what needs to be replaced or improved before it can be used in another classroom. Also, sign the kit back in on the clipboard. 

Kit staff

Greta Clinton-Selin, Program Coordinator, Greta.C.Selin@vanderbilt.edu, 413-505-9737

Desmond Campbell, Program Manager, Desmond.L.Campbell@vanderbilt.edu, 615-390-1477