Change Beyond My Classroom

Going beyond my classroom to ensure that all students are receiving a high-quality science education is important. One example of this is how I utilize district resources to bring science activities into our school.  Specifically, I rented Star Lab, an inflatable planetarium. I used the Star Lab to engage my students in a unique experience that helped them learn about our earth and solar system.  In addition, I worked with other science teachers in my school to use the Star Lab during a school-wide science night. The science night was aimed at bringing parents into the school, and helping them understand more about our science program.  My initiative to bring Star Lab to our school gave all students and their families an opportunity to gain knowledge about science education.

An additional action I took to bring high-quality science instruction into my school was attending a class focusing on combining science with the common core state standards.  With the information I gained, I was able to share with my school’s science department. I was able to communicate unique strategies for using more writing and reading in the science classroom.  Sharing these resources and information gave my colleagues an opportunity to plan lessons that are both rich in science content and language arts skills.

There are always challenges when trying to implement new approaches in teaching. Some of my coworkers have not been supportive in wanting to apply hands-on activities or fully incorporating other subjects into the science classroom.  I believe that students must become involved with science activities to learn the concepts behind them.  Science is about asking “why” and discovery how things in our world work.  Sitting at a desk does not tap into this natural curiosity. Luckily, my administrators are supportive of my efforts to bring more lab experiences into the classroom. As a result, I will continue to implement these activities regardless of the lack of participation from my colleagues.  Hopefully my coworkers will see the benefits of this experience from my modeling. 

Global Competition

I was surprised by the content of the article “What’s Our Sputnik?” I was expecting commentary focusing on the technology of our time.  Instead, Friedman discussed many political choices that have affected the culture of our country. He used Sputnik as an example to illustrate how competition with the Soviet Union inspired Americans to become aware of our deficit in science education.

Sadly, we have returned to a time where the emphasis on the importance of science education has dwindled. There is a greater concern for personal identity and possessions than for education. Until families begin to value education over superficial desires, we will struggle more and more with national improvement and global competition. 

So, what can be done to reignite the interest in science and technology that Sputnik provided?  Well, Friedman suggests we adopt an attitude like that of the people of Taiwan; “who, through hard work, have amassed the fourth-largest foreign currency reserves in the world. They got rich digging inside themselves, unlocking their entrepreneurs, not digging for oil. They took responsibility. They got rich by asking: "How do I improve myself?" Not by declaring: "It's all somebody else's fault. Give me a handout" (Friedman, 2010). Once Americans realize that individual responsibility is at the heart of change, we will begin to transform the values of our nation.

As a teacher, I am in a unique position to discuss these important character traits with my students to instill positive changes. I am able to inform my students about the need for careers in science.  I can encourage them to take on the personal responsibility of working hard to help benefit their classroom, school, homes, and community. I am concerned about the educational state of our country, but hopeful that individuals in America will choose to make a change that will benefit the greater good. 

Reference:

Friedman, T. L. (2010, January 17). What’s our Sputnik? [Op-Ed]. The New York Times [Late Edition (East Coast)], p. WK.8. 

Modeling Earth Science: Soil Layers

The Earth Science Model lesson provided me with an opportunity to work in a different educational setting than I am used to, therefore, broadening my perspective of how different students learn. I typically implement my lessons at a public middle school, so teaching to a small group of elementary home school students was an interesting change. The students I worked with were in kindergarten, first, and third grade. 

Constructing the soil layer model.

After brainstorming things they knew about soil, and writing information about the layers of soil in a flipbook, students created an edible soil layer model.  This was sort of a spin-off of the classic dirt-in-a-cup dessert. The difference in this lesson activity was that students purposely chose and layered edible materials to represent how soil layers appear on earth. Students referred to their written notes as a guide for building the model. 

The completed soil layer models.

As the students built their model, I required that they talked through their thought process, and justified their reasoning for the materials they chose at each layer.  They explained their use of materials as follows: an Oreo cookie was used for the bedrock because it was solid, crushed graham crackers and mini m&m candies were used for the subsoil because of the pebble and sand content at that level, and chocolate pudding was used for the topsoil because it was soft and dark. After building the model, students told me the name of each layer (topsoil, subsoil, and bedrock) and the size of rock that would be found at each layer.  The kindergarten student was able to complete this informal assessment with prompts from the flipbook, and the older students were able to recite the information from memory. Students were excited to be able to eat the finished project after all portions of the assignment were completed.

Layers of soil flipbook.

 The model was a wonderful way to engage students in the learning process, and allowed them to make a direct connection from written notes to a physical representation.  My lack of differentiation for the multiple ages within the group created the biggest challenge for me.  This was evident as the students wrote notes in their flipbooks.  The flipbook contained a cloze-style sentence, which worked well for the kindergartener, although it did not provide enough stimulation for the older students. This is something I could easily change if I were to re-teach this lesson. Overall the lesson went well, and I was pleased by the enthusiasm and interest my students demonstrated. 

Compassion in Science

Creating a classroom environment that encourages compassion can be formed through lessons on natural disasters. Students not only benefit from learning how our world works, but they also have the opportunity to understand the effects of such events. How do teachers promote compassion? Compassion comes through experience; knowing how an event feels, and all of the physical and emotional strains that come with a challenging situation. If we want our students to understand what a natural disaster encompasses, we must help them experience that event at an appropriate level. When it comes to natural disasters, helping students understand the magnitude of the occurrence can be accomplished through videos, interactive programs, hands-on labs, stories of personal experiences, and outlets for helping others.

Activities that give students a choice will empower them to learn at a deeper level. Requiring students to research videos and animations of a natural disaster they choose will lend to an interest in the subject. Further research could be done to answer questions about their chosen topic. During students’ journeys through the assignment, they should be prompted to think about the multiple affects of the disaster. Students usually understand there is damage to property, but what about the human and animal lives lost? Students may not think about basic amenities that people are left without, or the impact a disaster has on the environment. What about the natural and manufactured resources the location provided? In a world that is so connected, many natural disasters affect other countries, our nation, and our personal lives. Once students have located answers to these questions, an extension activity would be to find an organization that helps and supports relief of their chosen natural disaster. This final activity will connect a sense of empathy to the information they researched.

It is easy to connect with organizations that help those in need, which is greatly beneficial for giving. I believe that when much is given to a person, much is expected from them; if I have been fortunate enough to have financial and material excess, I should give to those who have less. This is a personal thought, but a statement like this could open up great conversations in the classroom. Conversations become a catalyst for change. When students begin to talk about making a difference, they influence their peers in a positive way. As a middle school teacher, I work with students who are old enough to understand much of what is going on in the world. Students of this age are capable of accomplishing many great things with some support from an adult. One disaster-relief organization that is easy for students to connect with is Soles4Souls. This organization takes donations of new and used shoes for those in need. Most students have an old pair of shoes available to donate, and could easily encourage others to do the same.  Through the Soles4Souls web site, students can learn how their giving helps people who have experienced natural disasters. Without shoes, people living in an area struck by a disaster risk their heath. Helping students understand this could also be linked to a conversation about the human body. Through compassion, many lessons can be learned about natural disasters and caring for others.

Reference: Soles4Souls. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.soles4souls.org/

Ask A Scientist

Last week I submitted a question to the Ask a Scientist website at http://www.hhmi.org/askascientist/. The question I asked was: “Is there fossil evidence that supports the proposal that eukaryotic mitochondria are derived from prokaryotic cells?”  I have not yet received an answer to this question, although I look forward to any information that will transpire from this inquiry.

The Ask a Scientist website is extremely helpful in answering any science-related question, and if a question has already been asked that is similar to the one being searched, there is an answer available immediately.  This website is a wonderful resource that could be accessed for learning in the classroom.  My students are always asking questions that evoke curiosity.  Taking advantage of these questions and requiring students to take on the responsibility for searching out an answer is a great way to facilitate self-learning.  This website provides a resource that is reliable, which is an important model for students as they learn to find research sites online.  The experience of connecting with a scientist that works in the field is an element that is important in encouraging STEM-related careers.

Reference

Howard Hughes Medical Institute. (2012). Ask a scientist. Retrieved from http://www.hhmi.org/askascientist/

Evaluating Web Presentation Tools

For my web-based presentation program reviews, I explored Prezi and VCASMO. I was able to experiment with each website program and discovered the benefits of using an online format for presenting. Both programs required use of a computer and access to the Internet.

Prezi

I began by exploring Prezi. This program is designed to create presentations that can include pictures, text, Power Point slide shows, and videos (including YouTube videos). It was extremely user friendly due to the fact that multiple tutorials were available for viewing. Prezi presentations can be embedded into a website or blog for anyone to view.

The best part of the Prezi presentation tool is the visual appeal of the design compared to the other presentation websites I visited. The design is contemporary, and although it appears modern and a bit random, presentations can be created is a sequential manner. There is a perfect combination of visual stimulation and anchored information. Because of this, the presentation is novel and somewhat unpredictable; it is very interesting for the audience to view.

Prezi is free after signing up with a user name. The free membership includes storage space for presentations and basic presentation tools. The membership can be upgraded for a fee, which includes tech support and a desktop version of the program (upgrades can be tried free for a month).

Prezi can be accessed from any Internet connection. All that is needed is an email account to set up a user name. There are privacy settings that allow the creator to either share the presentation publicly, or to keep the presentation private. Setting the presentation publicly will be helpful when sharing my presentation will fellow classmates. Prezi would also work well in my middle school science class, where students who miss the presentation or want to watch it again can do so from anywhere online. In addition, other Prezi account users have the option of editing a presentation when the creator chooses the appropriate settings. This option would be perfect for group projects in my classroom.

Bottom line: Prezi is versatile and easy to use. I would definitely recommend this for any class presentation.

VCASMO

VCASMO is an online presentation program that supports the upload of multi-media such as videos, pictures, Power Point slides, and audio. As I began to explore VCASMO, I found it was not so user friendly due to the fact that there was no program tutorial. The lack of direction made the initial discovery of the program difficult and time consuming to figure out. After digging deeper, I found that the format of the program allows the creator to place videos and slides side-by-side; combining different types of media into one space. Presentations can also be embedded into a website or blog. If the program is viewed from the VCASMO website, visitors can make comments about the presentation. I thought this was a helpful option.

This website program would be best suited for those who want to give their video presentation or PowerPoint presentation a little oomph. It is very basic as far as options for creating and sharing go. It lacks the bells and whistles that other programs include. Part of this is because the design and format of the website appear dated.

VCASMO is free to sign up, but many of the questions I had about the program could not be answered before I signed up. Once I signed up I found that with an annual subscription users can gain more storage space, friend grouping, and guaranteed faster video streaming. VCASMO is easily accessible from any computer with Internet. On the down side, reliability may be an issue; I could not figure out a way to download presentations for use independent from the Internet.

Bottom Line: I would not recommend this presentation tool for our class presentations.

What's the Matter?

Changes in matter happen all of the time in the world around us. These changes are important for students to understand and apply in their scientific learning. Students must understand what matter is to understand how the changes occur. The web resources I explored promote twenty-first century scientific literacy skills through interactive learning.

A web site I found useful for a simple introduction of changes in matter was

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/studyjams/matter_states/. This web video uses cartoon characters to explain how matter can change states and what is involved in the transformation. They also introduce vocabulary needed for students to understand the processes involved with changes in states of matter. I like the video because it is informative, yet entertaining enough to keep the students’ attention. Any factor that will increase motivation is important, especially for my sixth grade students. A second web site that introduces states of matter is http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/gases.html. This web site is a bit more interactive, where students are able to sort solids, liquids, and gases, and then experiment with the states of matter in relation to heat.

One website that takes the concepts further and allows students to be more interactive is http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/states-of-matter-basics. When the interactive tool is loaded, the solid, liquid, and gas form of various atoms and molecules can be explored. Heat can be added or subtracted to explore the changes. A second tab takes the interactive tool a step beyond, where pressure is added to the equation. Students are then able to observe how pressure and heat affect one another in terms of how atoms and molecules behave. I enjoyed this website as it offers a great deal of learning on the subject of changes in matter. Because this site is quite interactive, it promotes the inquiry process. Students are able to independently apply concepts through a mock experiment. I would like to introduce my students to this computer activity to help them understand what is happening when matter changes from state to state. A potential challenge may be their ability to stay focused on learning rather than playing. For this reason, it would be wise to provide my students with questions to answer based on the web experience.

An additional website that I visited while researching resources for the states of matter was http://www.explorit.org/scienceonline/teacher-resources/InquiryLabTERP_Matter_web.pdf. This website provides teacher lessons relating to matter and their changes. One of the lessons suggested that students work in groups to make a visual representation of how each state appears (students in charge of the solid group would stand close together, those in the gas group would move around and bump into each other). A second lesson that came from http://www.teachnet.com/lesson/science/icecream051999.html gave an outline of how students can make ice cream to explore how salt reacts with ice to change its freezing point. This is an experiment that could easily be applied in the science classroom. It is an activity that can promote collaboration, communication, and problem solving. I like the fact that students can eat this experiment, which would provide a great deal of motivation. Learning about physics can be so much fun!

Hot Stuff!

During week four of SCIE-6661S-1, I was challenged to find the best material that would insulate a mug filled with hot water. I chose four materials to test: plastic cling-wrap, foil, newspaper, and a cotton terry cloth. After choosing the materials, each was placed on top of a mug filled with hot water. The materials were secured with a rubber band over the mugs, and the water temperature was tested after thirty minutes.

I predicted that the cling wrap would be the best insulator after doing some research. The best insulators are “materials such as plastic, wood, and rubber [that] hold tightly to their electrons and do not readily allow for the flow of charge” (Tillery, Enger, & Ross, 2008, p. 130).

To my surprise, after thirty minutes the mug covered with plastic wrap measured forty six degrees Celsius. This was less than the newspaper which had a temperature of forty eight degrees Celsius. Both the terry cloth and foil measured fifty degrees Celsius. A factor that may explain the plastic wrap holding the least amount of heat may be related to the thin structure of the plastic. I realized I relied solely on information from the text for my prediction, and did not apply information I already knew. This was a valuable lesson in trusting my own judgment.

This experiment is one that could easily be applied to a classroom setting. To make this relevant to my students’ lives, I would conduct this experiment using a cold liquid rather than a hot liquid. We live in the dessert, so keeping cool and hydrated in the summer is a commonly addressed safety issue. A way to make this experiment more fun would be to have students take part in a “lemonade challenge”. Students would be required to design and test materials that would keep a cup of lemonade the coolest at lemonade stand. Students would study heat transfer in items such as coolers and insulated cups to prepare for their design.

Reference

Tillery, B. W., Enger, E. D., & Ross, F. C. (2008). Integrated science (4th ed.). New York:

McGraw-Hill.

Exploring the Physical World: Engaging in Guided Inquiry

For the assigned guided inquiry experiment, I chose to test the question: “how do different surfaces affect the momentum of marbles?” To create an experiment that would answer this question, I began considering the concepts related to momentum and varied surfaces. Momentum involves mass and velocity. Including velocity in my experiment meant that I needed to have a marble moving in a consistent direction and speed. To do this, I built a simple ramp out of a board of wood propped on a small box. The question I chose asks how different surfaces affect momentum, so I completed two trials; one on carpet and another on tile flooring. To assure the mass was consistent, I used the same marble during each trial. Researching concepts of momentum previous to creating the lab made the design process more efficient.

During the experiment, the marble traveled the furthest on the tile floor. I expected this outcome, as I predicted the carpet has more friction than the tile. The marble traveled only sixty-three centimeters on the carpet. The tile floor had less friction and allowed the marble to travel three point three meters.

The design of the momentum experiment went well, although a challenge I faced was connecting the science concepts to what was happening in the experiment. Physics is not my strong point in science, so I needed to review the concepts involved. This helped me appreciate how my students feel when they are learning new material. I feel that this experience was important for understanding how my students work through the learning process.

Something I appreciated about this assignment was the ability to choose the question I wanted to test. As a student, choice is important to me. It is good to be reminded that choice is a powerful motivator for my students. In the classroom, a modification I would make to this experiment would be to test different marbles or balls that vary in mass. This would provide more evidence that mass is an important factor in momentum. If I were to teach these concepts to my students, I would want them to understand how momentum works. While using a ramp, it would also open up an opportunity to talk about potential and kinetic energy. The experiment I designed would allow students to experience the science behind motion.