Using Cosmos - Student Quick Start Guide Follow
🚀 Don't see Cosmos? No worries! That just means your school or district decided not to turn this feature on. You don't need to ask for help—everything is working just fine!
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Using Cosmos - Student Quick Start Guide
What is Cosmos?
Cosmos is your helper in Penda. If you get stuck, Cosmos can help you understand and keep going!
Step 1: Find CosmosÂ
Click the glowing astronaut icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen.
Note: Cosmos is disabled during assessments.
⚠️Don't see Cosmos? No worries! That just means your school or district decided not to turn this feature on. You don't need to ask for help—everything is working just fine!
Step 2: Get Help
Choose a button (like "Give me a hint" or "Summarize this").
The Golden Rule: Cosmos helps you learn—it will not give you the final answer!
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Using Cosmos in Activities
On Reading Screens
When you're reading a passage, use Cosmos to:
Summarize this: Get the "big picture" of a long text.
Explain this another way: If the wording is confusing, Cosmos will rephrase it.
On Question Screens
If you are stuck on a problem, ask Cosmos to:
Help me understand the question: Breaks down what the question is asking.Â
Give me a hint: Get a nudge in the right direction.
Coach me through it: Walk through the logic step-by-step.
Give me a strategy: Learn how to tackle this type of science question.
Mastering the Toolbar
| Â | Icon | What it does |
| Calendar | View chat history to revisit prior learning steps | |
| Speaker | Listen to Cosmos read the help aloud. | |
| Full Screen | Expand the window for easier viewing side-by-side | |
| "X" | Close the Cosmos window when you're ready to answer. |
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Language & Translation (The "Deep Dive")
There are two ways to translate in Penda, and they do different things:
Cosmos Help & Menu Translation
- Go to Profile Settings → Language → Select your language
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Translates Cosmos help into your language: You can switch the main menu prompts between 6 different languages:
- English
- Español (Spain)
- Español (Mexico)
- Francais
- Tagalog
- Kreyol Ayisyen
- Translates buttons and menus in Penda
- đźš« This does NOT translate the science lesson content
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Translates Cosmos help into your language: You can switch the main menu prompts between 6 different languages:
Activity Translation - Immersive Reader/Language Translator
- Click the headphone icon in the bottom left corner of the activity screen
- Translates the activity reading passages, questions, and answer choices
- Click here to learn more on How to Use the Immersive Reader and Language Translator Tools for Students
- đźš« This does NOT translate Cosmos Help and Menus
Pro-Tip: If you need everything in your native language, remember to check both settings
💡 Remember
- Profile Settings = Cosmos help + menus
- Headphone icon = lesson content
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Tips for Success
- Try your best firstÂ
- Use Cosmos when you feel stuckÂ
- Read the help carefully
Good to Know
- Cosmos helps you learn
- It doesn’t do the work for you
- It only gives activity-related help
- It’s safe and built just for students like you!
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