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Current IC Challenges
IC Challenges are content rich, authentic learning experiences. All challenges are standards-based and have been built in collaboration between curriculum and content experts. They are FREE to participants. They use an inquiry-based approach to learning and build skills such as critical and creative thinking, collaboration, and communication. Below you will find a description of on-demand challenges.
If you are an educator:
Please Create an Account as a teacher. Use the Join Code for the desired challenge found below. Once you log-on to the challenge you will find a Create a Class button, click this button and enter the number of students and teams. This will generate a Class Code. Give this code to your students to create accounts or register your students on your teacher dashboard.
If you are a parent:
Your kids can access a challenge from home! Please Create an Account as a teacher. Once you log-on to the challenge you will find a Create a Class button, click this button and enter a class name. Click the Guided Mode checkbox. This will allow your child to access all of the content.
Please note: Any work submitted on the IC Challenge platform should not have ANY personally identifiable information. Use first name, last initial or a team name if necessary.
Need Help?
We have a project manager standing by: email educationteam@inspiredclassroom.com
IC Challenge Topic Menu
Elementary MPG Ranch Mountain Lion Challenge
Connecting Science and Literacy
This past winter, Joshua Lisbon, a researcher who has been studying mountain lion behavior for years was shocked when he and his team of trackers found a real-life mystery! Tracks, photos, and videos of a mother mountain lion on MPG Ranch revealed that she was struggling to provide food and shelter for six mountain lion cubs! They had never seen that many cubs in the wild before.
You and your team will use the videos, photos, maps, and data from MPG researchers to learn about the characteristics, habitat, food sources, and family groups of mountain lions on MPG. You will use this information to write a scientific mystery from the mountain lion’s point of view, explaining how the mother mountain lion and her young family survive. The mystery story will help explain this important science to other students your age.
Join CODE: NK9P5KS6
Middle School MPG Ranch Mountain Lion Challenge
MPG Ranch is very excited about getting the word out in a positive manner about the scientific discoveries on the ranch. They are asking for YOUR help! You will be responsible for analyzing the new data, learning about mountain lion behavior, reading the field notes from MPG’s team, and asking questions. You will make some inferences about the impact of mountain lion population on the ranch. Your research will be synthesized in a communication project using the ABT framework. It must be understandable for your chosen audience.
You can identify which audience your communication will target. For example, young students, upper-grade students, adults? You will create a final communication project for review by MPG staff. The final project could be a press release, infographic, news story, video, photo journal, or skit.
Join CODE: UIZ2PMHZ
High School MPG Ranch Mountain Lion Challenge
You will analyze the data provided from the ranch scientists including information about this new large family to determine how environmental conditions, including human interaction, can impact the family groups on the Ranch. You will develop Phase I of a multi-year management plan by creating range maps for known MPG Ranch mountain lions and a narrative describing the carrying capacity of mountain lions on the ranch and the elements of sustainable population management for the family groups.
Join CODE: YEIRMOHW
Museum as Megaphone: FGAE Virtual 2020-20201 sponsored by Missoula Art Museum
Grades 4-6 (but can be adjusted)
Welcome to Museum as Megaphone, a distance learning platform from the Missoula Art Museum (MAM)! This course invites 5th graders to tour three exhibitions and make art inspired by the ideas and issues of our time.
The art project can be done with any materials you have on hand: paint, markers, crayons.
Join CODE: 8W8I9EGM
Montana World Affairs Council Geo-Quest
Grades 4-8
GeoQuest 2020 will be focusing on Geography, History, Culture, and Current Events. Students will be challenged to submit a project about the similarities and differences between Montana and their community and the countries of focus.
This year we will be focusing on:
•South Korea
•Egypt
•Ireland
•Chile
Join Code Coming Soon!
S.C.A.M.P.E.R. Creative and Inventive Thinking
Grades 1-6
Liam, Emma, Noah, and Olivia are siblings. Their school is currently closed and they are really trying to stay busy and still have fun but it is difficult. They have played board games, read books, watched TV, and even done school work. They are looking for something new to do. Liam remembered learning about inventors in school so he taught the others about SCAMPERing a new idea. All four of them looked around the house for materials they could use. The four of them used SCAMPER to create a new board game that combined chess, checkers, and charades. They loved it!
YOUR CHALLENGE:
After learning how to SCAMPER an original idea, use your creativity to invent a new game, toy, or activity from common household items. Write some rules and a description of your new invention and include a photo of it. Upload your idea for others to enjoy or build on their own.
Join CODE: 4CIKLN7S
Love the Wild Upcycle Challenge
After learning about upcycling and plastics, create your own upcycled product. Be inventive! Be creative! Be useful! Look around your house for items that are no longer needed, especially those made of plastic. Create a new product that can either be used by animals or helps people appreciate animals. Then come up with a clever name for your product. Remember, this is something that people might want to buy or make themselves.
In addition to building something new, write directions on how to make it. Your directions and photo of the product might be added to a Green Kids Upcycling Project book so that others can use their old junk to build something useful and make better use of plastics.
Join CODE: 5TLTTHCI
Upcoming Challenges
MPG Ranch Golden Eagle Elementary Challenge:
Connecting Science and Literacy
You and your team are challenged to research and write your own chapter to help spread awareness about golden eagles and other migrating birds and the dangers facing them. With the help of MPG and RVRI scientists, you must learn about golden eagles, habitat, and risks.
Observe habitat and birds in your area. Brainstorm the many problems that golden eagles and other migrating birds might face in your community and surrounding land. Pick one problem to focus on and write your own bird story from the 'eagle eye' point of view. Create an eagle avatar to tell the story of your area and what you think can be done to make it a better habitat for eagles and others. Your story should include: drawing of your eagle, map of your location, description of the birds and habitat in your area, description of the problem you want to solve and what your proposed solution is. The final product will be a chapter in an ebook with Xerxes and friends to be given to school libraries in the flyway.
2nd Semester
MPG Ranch Golden Eagle Middle School Challenge:
Connecting Science and Science Communication
You and your team are challenged to research information provided by RVRI and MPG Ranch to design and build a prototype of a game. The game must be based on your location and include at least one stop along the flyway in your area. The purpose of the game is to teach the players about golden eagle habitat, the decline of the population, and the biggest risk to the migrating birds in your area and a possible solution. The game must be for players 8-adult.
In addition to creating a board game, card game, or app, etc. you must include a pitch deck of 4 slides giving basic natural history of eagles, why they are declining, risks to the population, description of your game and rationale for the design (what problem and solution are you highlighting) rules of play, and why your game is the best way to build empathy for the birds and build understanding of what your team thinks is the biggest risk.
2nd Semester
MPG Ranch Golden Eagle High School Challenge:
Connecting Science and Problem Solving
After analyzing the data and researching, create a visual graphical abstract similar to those in scientific papers to interpret the data and support your recommendation for eagle stewardship in your area.
Your graphical abstract should be persuasive in nature, clearly use the ABT framework to summarize key points and be backed by factual evidence. It should appropriate to present to policymakers in your area, region, nationally, and internationally.
2nd Semester
MT FWP Sage Grouse Challenge
Connecting Science and Problem Solving
Grades 5-12
You and your team are part of the student group that will develop unique recommendations for the conservation easement to conserve Winifred's ranch and the sage grouse habitat on it. You must use these resources to help you understand the issues and make recommendations to the wildlife biologists and Ms. Wilson.
Once you have studied the map, data points, and completed the steps in the IC Challenge Platform, your team should develop recommendations for a conservation easement.
2nd Semester
Why Did the Bear Cross the Road?
Wildlife Connectivity and Crossing Structures
Grades K-3 and 4-8
A mother grizzly bear tries to move across a large river valley, but a road is in her way. Roads like this slice and dice large landscapes around the world; however, mitigation measures such as wildlife crossing structures can help to maintain wildlife populations. Grizzly bears are one of the most susceptible species to the barrier effects of roads unless wide crossing structures such as overpasses and big, open span underpasses are present. Female bears with young, in particular, are wary of crossing busy highways without safe passages. Scientific evidence shows that wildlife crossings are a win-win conservation solution that improves public safety (i.e. fewer wildlife-vehicle collisions) and benefits animals (e.g., less roadkill, more connectivity).
Students are asked to learn about grizzly bears and the importance of connectivity, then create a real or imagined scene involving a mother and her two cubs. Some images will become part of an e-book to help teach other kids!
Join CODE for K-3: 0WGUL3YI
Join CODE for 4-8: VIO48ERC
Clark Fork Coalition Snow and Tell Challenge
High School Science; Connecting to the real world through data analysis; science communication
Mountain snowpack impacts everyone—even if you don’t live in a mountainous region. As the climate shifts, scientists closely monitor snow levels, run off schedules, temperatures and dates to learn more. However, scientists aren’t the only group interested in this Data. During this Challenge you will be asked to pick a stakeholder group, learn how their livelihoods are connected to mountain snowpack, analyze data using Snotel sites, and create a graphical abstract to relate your findings to a larger audience.
2nd Semester