Why Use This Tool

This is a general tool that helps learners prepare for, engage with, and reflect on a presentation from, information about, or activity with a National Geographic Explorer. The tool helps learners see the Explorer’s work through the lens of the Explorer Mindset Learning Framework and understand how the Explorer’s work illuminates and protects the wonder of our world.

The Explorer Mindset in Action tool is available for varied grade levels and can be customized to fit an Explorer’s presentation.

When to Use This Tool

• Stage(s) of Learning: BEFORE, DURING, AFTER - Use this tool to help learners organize information throughout all stages of a learning engagement.
• Time: 20 - 90 minutes - This tool could be used for preparation, note-taking, and reflection in any presentation or reading to emphasize the Attitudes, Skills, and Knowledge of National Geographic Explorers.
• Audience: Ages 3-18 - This tool has a version for very young audiences and one for older school-age audiences. It is best used for presentations to groups of learners.
• Ease of Use: Simple - This tool is an all-in-one worksheet that helps learners anticipate a presentation, take notes, and reflect. The tool can be used with many different kinds of presentations.

How to Use This Tool

Preparation

Review this worksheet and the Explorer Mindset Framework as you prepare your presentation for learners. Consider how learners might complete the worksheet based on the information you present. How will you provide information about:

• your inspiration for exploration?
• the questions you ask as you conduct your work?
• the problems you hope to solve?
• the ways you collect information and data?
• how you draw conclusions from what you learn?
• the actions you hope to take or inspire?

Directions

1. Choose the appropriate version of the Explorer Mindset in Action tool based on your learners’ age. There are three formats:
   1. Very young audiences for ages 3-8 (with a guide for educators)
   2. Older audiences for ages 9 and up (with a guide for educators)
   3. Customizable version that allows you to add information about yourself, your location, your project, and links to “background” for learners to consider before you engage with them.
2. Share the tool with the educators and learners before your engagement. There is an educator guide for the tool with directions for educators working with students.
3. Encourage educators and learners to complete and discuss 1: Explorers Learn About the World and 2: Explorers are Curious either before you begin your engagement with learners or before you begin showcasing your work in detail. If possible, collect some highlights from these discussions and provide extra emphasis to learner interest and questions in your engagement.
4. Engage with learners about your work. Give them occasional breaks to take notes in the tool.
5. Provide time for learners to reflect on your presentation and share their reflections. If possible, give learners a few quiet moments to reflect on their own before sharing with the whole group.
6. Extend learning by encouraging learners to relate your work to their lives in the final portions of the tool.

Modifications, Variations, and Extensions

• Some elements of the tool can also be used verbally as whole-group discussion topics.
• To add whole-body interaction at the beginning of the engagement, select some of the “Explorers are Curious” statements and have students indicate their level of curiosity by…
  • raising 1-5 fingers
  • sitting (low interest), standing (medium interest), or standing with arms above head (high interest)
  • walking from the left of the room (low interest) to the right side of the room (high interest)
• Younger students can write or draw in the Explorer Mindset in Action tool.
• This tool can be broken up, with only some portions used or with different portions used over a longer engagement, such as an all-day or multi-day learning experience.
• At the end of the sheet, learners begin to consider ways that they can take action. Learners can create clear, detailed action plans and implement their actions.
• Consider ways to collect and share information from learners about their actions.

The National Geographic Society is making this content available under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-SA license. The License excludes the National Geographic Logo (meaning the words National Geographic + the Yellow Border Logo) and any images that are included as part of each content piece. For clarity the Logo and images may not be removed, altered, or changed in any way.