By Kate Kobany & Alex Sackett
8th Grade Science Teachers and 2024-25 Xplorlabs Educator Fellows
Edina, Minnesota

It was the summer of 2023, and we had a new principal leading our school. Because we do everything together, our eighth grade science team decided to jointly meet with our new principal. There, the principal told us about an opportunity to partner with our local fire department and teach a unit called fire forensics from Xplorlabs. The opportunity to teach our state standards in an authentic, phenomenon-based way while partnering with the fire department was incredibly appealing. We couldn’t resist bringing this unique learning opportunity to our students.

Within a week, we had our first meeting with Megan O’Keeffe, an Xplorlabs senior education specialist with ULRI’s Institute for Research Experiences & Education. We were excited to learn more about the fire forensics pathway and bring it to life. A former eighth grade teacher herself, she shared how the fire forensics resources could challenge students to apply concepts like energy, transformations, heat transfer, and chemical reactions to the real-life work of a fire investigator.

The Edina Fire Department’s presence has increased the authenticity and fun of the fire forensics experience. Students are able to see how science is a subject that is not confined to the classroom, nor is it something only practiced by doctors and researchers. The fire team is able to share their expertise and personal stories, which has improved student engagement. We are looking forward to our continued friendship and work with the Edina Fire Department in future academic years.

The spring of 2024 was our first time implementing the fire forensics unit with students and immediately, we received lots of positive feedback from students, their families, and firefighters alike. The response was so amazing, our school administration reached out to the other middle schools in our district to help them incorporate Xplorlabs into their eighth grade science classes. The fire department was thrilled to expand the partnership within our school district, and we are excited to see how this program will continue to grow in the future.

Personally, we plan to expand our use of Xplorlabs’ materials to include more resources and pathways within our classrooms. Because the fire forensics module hit every mark from authentic learning to phenomenon-based science, community partnership, and hands-on activities, we know other Xplorlabs pathways will benefit students too. During our yearlong educator fellowship, we learned more about Xplorlabs’ science of safety and sustainability resources for students.

We chose to use the Extraction to E-Waste pathway with our accelerated students studying Earth science. This unit taught students about the impacts of the battery supply chain on Earth. Much like fire forensics, the work was authentic and engaging. We also invited students to take steps toward sustainability by researching ways to resolve problems associated with the supply chain. In the future, we would like to push students toward action; creating opportunities for kids to not just research solutions to human impacts on Earth but implement them as well. We both feel lucky to work with each other. Our team values innovation — seeking new opportunities for students, and improving learning experiences for our students every year so all students can succeed. We are very grateful to have found our way into the work we have experienced with Xplorlabs.