Enhance iBlocks and Classroom Learning with Killer Snails 

Imagine being able to put the excitement of making new scientific discoveries in students’ hands. Well now you can make your dream come to life, with Killer Snails! Through extended reality experiences and games, students are able to connect with real-world issues in a fun, engaging, and immersive way. This is the perfect complement to a variety of Teq’s own iBlock solutions.

We designed iBlocks as project-based learning pathways to enhance students’ problem-solving & future-ready skills through a sequence of lessons and activities that culminate in a capstone project. After a brief demo of Killer Snails with co-founder, Jessica Ochoa Hendrix, I couldn’t wait to try these experiences and enhance iBlocks and classroom learning with Killer Snails!

An overview of Killer Snails

Each of the following products in Killer Snails includes interactive activities and a personalized digital science journal. Augmented reality experiences that users can view with a mobile device or using webVR on a browser also exist.From an educator’s perspective, I delighted in the easy-to-use assessment dashboard.I could effortlessly monitor student work, give feedback, and support classroom learning. Educator’s guides with NGSS alignment are included as well. Further, these activities were all funded by the National Institutes of Health or the National Science Foundation.

WaterWays

In WaterWays, students are empowered to become sustainability advocates. In these experiences, participants take on the role of a scientist in Chimhe City. This product includes a total of five, 40-minute modules. They explore the concepts of air and water quality, plastic pollution, marine biodiversity, and the Urban Heat Island effect. The Hudson River Park, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and Mount Sinai’s Transdisciplinary Center for Early Environmental Exposure collaborated to develop WaterWays.

Although this curriculum was written for students in grades 3-5, I could see this platform being included in middle school classrooms and beyond. The content gives insights into important topics such as sewer overflows, plastic pollution, and the benefits of oyster reefs. These activities further enhance iBlocks and classroom learning with background research and planning. Each topic perfectly aligns with iBlocks pathways, such as “River Management: Assessing Health,” “Engineering for Hazardous Weather: Taking Flood Control to New Heights,” “Clean Water and Sanitation,” “UN Sustainability: Managing Microplastics,” and more. Additionally, you can build a whole iBlock sequence to provide even deeper connections to these concepts!

BioDive

BioDive is geared for students in grades 6 and up. I felt like a marine detective as I got to dive into the world of venomous marine snails. In my experience, I collected abiotic data, made observations, and even built virtual models. I learned about turbidity, trophic levels, and ocean zones. In BioDive, I explored the importance of ecosystems and biodiversity. I loved that there were newspaper articles, maps, and a variety of interactive elements that brought the mission to life. BioDive was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Venom CoLab

While I enjoyed all of the experiences, Venom CoLab really impressed me! The experience seamlessly enables students to take on the role of a scientist. VenomCoLab enhances the classroom learning experience by allowing students to collaborate with other “professional peers” through solo and joint research, lab meetings, XR experiences, and even poster creation. I learned about how different organisms’ venom can be used to create medicines for a variety of human health issues, from pain to high blood pressure to diabetes and other health-related problems.

What is Venom CoLab?

So what exactly is Venom CoLab? It’s a collaborative experience designed for small groups of middle school students. Venom CoLab lets students analyze venom from a variety of animals to determine new health-related uses. These animals include snails, snakes, scorpions, and sea anemones. Each student in the group has a different role: zoologist, biochemist, molecular biologist, and pharmacologist. Together, they’ll learn about the peptides and proteins found within the venom as inspired by real research and experiments.

For instance, the drug Captopril was the result of 20 years of work. Researchers identified a molecule in snake venom that could lower blood pressure, while a peptide from the venom of the Magician’s Cone Snail (Conus magus) led to the development of Ziconotide (Prialt), a chronic pain medication.

Killer Snail’s modules take a complex process and present it in a way that anyone can understand. It also enables students to envision themselves in the role of a scientist, so that they can explore potential career pathways.

Co-founder, Jessica gave me several anecdotes of students truly getting into their roles, joking about “waiting for the pharmacologist,” and simply understanding the true nature of group work in real-world settings. In fact, students get to provide an overall rating of group collaboration in each section.

Additional products and facts

Killer Snails also has card games to enrich student experiences including “Assassins of the Sea” and “Biome Builder,” along with other immersive reality experiences such as “Scuba Adventure.”

Co-founders Mandë Holford, PhD and Jessica Ochoa Hendrix, along with their team have leveraged their professional experience to partner with a variety of leading institutions including Google, the American Museum of Natural History, New York Hall of Science, C & A Scientific, Mount Sinai, and others. They’ve both presented for TED as well.

These partnerships, along with features in Forbes, the New York Times, and Bloomberg Businessweek highlight the impact of using Killer Snails as a resource to enhance iBlocks and take classroom learning to the next level!

For more tips, tricks, and tools for teaching in and out of the classroom, check out more content on the Teq Talk blog or our YouTube channels OTIS for educators and Tequipment.

We also offer virtual professional development, training, and support with OTIS for educators. Explore the technology and strategies that spark student success — no matter where teaching or learning are happening!

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