Students Ask Scientists: Video Chats
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Provided by: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant|Published on: May 15, 2026
Activity - ClassroomScientist Reviewed
5-12
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Synopsis
- This program allows teachers in the Great Lakes area to schedule a 30-60-minute live student-facing call with a scientist.
- Teachers have the option of a student-driven Q&A session or a short presentation given by the scientist, followed by a brief discussion.
- Teachers can schedule lab or office calls year-round or shipboard calls in the late spring and early summer.
Subjects: Science
Authors: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
Region: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This is an incredibly engaging way for students to gain exposure to careers in science.
- Students will love getting to pose their questions live to a real scientist!
Prerequisites
- Teachers will need to fill out a form and set up a test call before they can have the student-facing call.
- Because calls are based on scientists' availability, teachers may want to collaborate with students' other teachers to allow for flexibility in the schedule.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Before the call, teachers can implement a mini-lesson to build students' background knowledge about the scientist's field of study if this has not already been covered in the curriculum.
- Teachers may wish to have students get their questions pre-approved before having the call with the scientist.
- To make connections between the Great Lakes area and climate change, students can check out this video.
Students are able to engage with scientists in the Great Lakes region via video chat in either a live Q&A or a research vessel tour. This resource connects science classrooms to subject matter experts in the field who conduct important research, and is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
