Modeling Earth Science Instructional Plan

The instructional plan that I implemented focused on the movement of the Earth.  Students focused on the vocabulary terms, rotation and revolution, through hands-on investigations using models.  The use of models allowed students to create and observe how these movements affect the Earth and what we view when we look at the sky. 

First, students used models to show how day and night occur.  The students labeled a post-it with an “X” and placed it on the globe.  Using the projector to represent the sun and the globe the Earth, they rotated the globe and noted that only one half of the Earth got light at a time.  The students concluded that the side facing the sun was experiencing day, while the dark half was night. 

 During the second lesson, the students focused on the phases of the moon.  For their exploration of the phases of the moon, they used a Styrofoam ball as the moon, themselves as the earth, and a lamp as the sun.  The students observing from Earth would shade the moons on their graphic organizer in order to show what they saw on the Styrofoam ball. 

Finally, to summarize their learning, the students acted out the Earth’s rotation on its axis and revolution around the sun.

  

This lesson was very successful and the students were very engaged due to the use of models.  The students were able to get a more concrete understanding of the differences between rotation and revolution, and why we have different moon phases.  The models helped to differentiate for visual learners because they provided students with a visual demonstration of how the Earth moves and how the moon reflects the sun’s light.  The students were actively engaged by performing these investigations and working with a small group.             

Helping Out when Disaster Strikes

It is important for students to make real-world connections to the content that they are learning.  The Stop Disasters game, http://www.stopdisastersgame.org/en/home.html, allows students the opportunity to play a game in which they will prepare for a natural disaster.  Through this game, the students learn about being proactive by building sound structures and putting emergency procedures in place in order to limit the loss of lives and capital resources.  I feel that this is an engaging way for the students to see the impact of these natural disasters.  Additionally, the students should also be making the connection from the game to real-life events.  The students can watch videos of past disasters and their impact on people.  Furthermore, when natural disaster do occur, it is important for students to discuss these current events and the devastation that has been caused.  At these times, it is important for students to learn about empathy and offering aid to those in need. 

In the past, when natural disasters have struck, our school has encouraged students to become involved.  In addition to learning about the facts about a natural disaster, the how it began and the devastation it caused, it is important for students to build on their character education and lend a hand to those in need.  After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the student government sold spirit chains.  The spirit chains were simply made from construction paper and purchased for a dollar.  Each grade level decorated their hallways with these chains in order to show school spirit and support for the people in Haiti.  The money raised was then sent to support relief efforts in Haiti.   In the past, we have also had school supply drives in order to collect school supplies to send to areas impacted by natural disasters.  In 2013, when schools were impacted by the tornado in Oklahoma, our students really wanted to get involved.  Because they feel a connection to the students that have been affected, students want to support these efforts.    

Reference:

Playerthree & UN/ISDR. (n/a). Stop Disasters: International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. Retrieved from http://www.stopdisastersgame.org/en/home.html

Evaluating Web 2.0 Presentation Tools

Presentation Tool	VoiceThread http://voicethread.com/
What does it do?	VoiceThread allows people to create slides similar to PowerPoint.  VoiceThread provides the option to add images, and to either type or voice record information for each slide.  When people view the VoiceThread presentation, they have the opportunity to leave a comment in the same formats.
Why would I recommend it? ·	·         VoiceThread is easy to use.  AS you upload each slide, you have the option to add text or a voice recording.  You can also rearrange the sequence of the slides as needed.  ·         After you save the VoiceThread, you can request a link to share with those you want to view the presentation.   ·         This is a great way to present information in the classroom.  ·         VoiceThread is free. ·         This tool will be highly engaging for students.  The choice of text or voice recording will allow students to be able to choose the method which they most feel comfortable.  This will be a great tool for students that require a scribe.

Presentation Tool	Glogster http://edu.glogster.com/what-is-glogster-edu
What does it do?	This tool has the benefits of a blog for presenting information and creating a poster for a presentation.  People are able to add text, graphics, and links to videos or other websites that will provide related information to the topic.
Why would I recommend it?	·         Glogster is easy to use, they provide templates for you to use.  There is an option to add text, links, images, or videos.  When adding text, you can change the font and color of the text.  There are some images available, but you can also upload your own.  ·         I did not find a tutorial, however the templates available were easy to navigate through. ·         This is a great way to present information in the classroom.  The Glog can be set for private or public viewing.  ·         There are options to purchase a membership, however Glogster still has a free option. ·         When viewing the Glog, the images, text, and videos engage the viewer.  I think students would enjoy creating and viewing the Glogs because they are visual and interactive.

Science Journal Blog: 21st-Century Topics and Tools

As I explored the internet looking for useful websites to engage my fourth grade students, I came across a great website for students to practice vocabulary for the heat transfer unit.  Students would be able to use the games found at Learning Games for Kids, http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/heat-energy-games.html , in order to practice and become more familiar with the vocabulary in this unit. 

The second website is called Science Kids, http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/.   This website offers great ideas for science investigations for students to try.  In order to motivate students and encourage their interest in certain science topics, this website has suggestions for investigations that the students could conduct, along with interesting facts they can read about, and videos to watch in reference to the science concepts that they are learning. 

Both of these websites can be used together in order to have the students learn more about heat.  Science Kids suggests an investigation for students to determine which color light produces the most heat.  This investigation will encourage problem-solving and collaboration skills.  The students will be able to use the procedure offered, or could develop their own for their group. In addition to these websites, I also have my students use Edmodo, https://www.edmodo.com, which is an education social media site similar to Facebook.  On Edmodo, the students can communicate and discuss their findings in a similar way to our class discussion board.  

Heat Transfer 

For this week’s investigation, my daughters and I gathered two of their winter hats to determine which one helped the cups to better retain heat.  We discussed how this would be similar to helping them stay warm when it is cold outside.  This investigation focused on conduction, which is heat transferred through direct contact.  However in this investigation, we wanted to prevent heat from transferring from the hot water.  We poured one cup of 40° water into each of the identical cups.  We then placed a knit hat over cup A and the fleece hat over cup B.  While we waited for five minutes, we discussed which hat we felt would help the water to keep its warmth.  We felt that the holes in the knitted hat would allow some heat to escape and that the fleece hat would be the better insulator.  After the five minute wait, we gathered the temperatures of each cup of water and found that the cup covered in fleece had a higher temperature than the cup covered with the knit hat. 

            If I were to repeat the experiment, I would want to investigate the difference between rubber and cloth pot-holders.  I have always use cloth ones, but I am curious if the rubber ones would be better insulators.  As a consumer, this would help me to make a better decision when purchasing them in the future.  I also thought it was an interesting suggestion to test something other than water to determine if they would react similarly.  I would be interested in testing to compare liquids to solids.  As I teach my students about the different states of matter, we learn that the gas molecules move the fastest, and that liquid molecules are faster in liquids solids.  We learn that heat is energy and that in conduction heat is transferred by direct contact.  Therefore, it makes me think that a solid would lose heat faster.

My fourth graders currently focus on heat transfer during the unit, Too Hot to Handle.   In this unit, the students learn about the scientific method as we apply it to an inquiry involving spoons in hot tea.  The students are interested in why the spoon becomes hot and wonder if all spoons become hot in tea.  During the investigation, the students test a plastic spoon, a wooden spoon, and a metal spoon.  They calculate the difference between the original air temperature of each spoon and the mean temperature after the spoons have been placed in the hot water for two minutes.  This investigation helps to prove that metal is a good thermal conductor.    

A fun real-world twist to this would be to have the students design the best insulator.  They could create a new style of hat or cup for coffee.  By doing these investigations, students understand how heat is transferred and that some materials are better thermal insulators and conductors.  Investigations allow our students to “gain a deeper understanding of content through the process of doing” (Ertmer and Simons, 2006, p. 47). 

             

References

Ertmer, P., & Simons, K. (2006). Jumping the PBL implementation hurdle: Supporting the efforts of K–12 teachers. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 1(1), 40–54. Retrieved from http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=ijpbl

Engaging in Guided Inquiry

            This week, I engaged in guided inquiry by designing an investigation to determine how different surfaces affect the momentum of marbles.  During the guided inquiry, I decided to observe how far the large and small marbles would roll on the carpet and on the wooden floor.  To begin, I needed to create a ramp in order to control how I released the marbles.  Both marbles went further on the wooden floor.  Since there is less friction, they had more momentum.  The large marble only went an average of 12 inches on the carpet and 36 inches on the wooden floor.  The small marble went an average of 8 inches on the carpet, and 46 inches on the wooden floor.  Based on my prior knowledge of friction, these are results I expected. 

            This process reinforced the need to be precise and accurate in order to be sure that our results are valid.  To do this I needed to control how I released the marble onto each surface by creating an incline and I made sure that the surface was clear of any obstacles that would interfere with the marble.  In addition to having the students learn about momentum and friction, I would like them to develop their observation skills.  They will also need to design a procedure to test their question and be sure that they control any outside factors.

Engaging in guided inquiry helped me to better understand the concepts of momentum and friction.  Hammerman (2006) states scientific inquiry engages students in “making observations, acquiring data, supporting their ideas, modifying their beliefs, and asking new questions” (p. 12).  Rather than just reading about various science topics, I was able to observe how the carpet created more friction and prevented the marbles from rolling as far as they did on the smooth wooden surface.  In order to make this inquiry more fun or exciting for the students, I could allow the students to bring in objects from home that they could test.  This would allow the students to have more of an active role in designing the investigation. 

References

Hammerman, E. L. (2006). Becoming a better science teacher: 8 steps to high quality instruction

and student achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Structured Inquiry Lesson

            The purpose of this fourth grade science lesson was to have students learn about acids and bases.  They needed to use a litmus paper test in order to determine if a liquid was an acid or a base.  Students used their previous understanding of physical properties to recognize the similarity between white vinegar, water, and bleach.  The three liquids are all clear and appear to have the same density.  Through this lesson, students obtained an understanding of the need to be cautious with unknown substances amd discussed the dangers of tasting or inhaling substances.  The students were highly engaged in the investigation part of the lesson. 

This interdisciplinary lesson connected to the students’ health curriculum related to promoting safe living.  Students were required to write to inform about the importance of safety regarding acids, bases, and neutrals, and to warn others about tasting and inhaling unknown substances.  I feel that as we move forward with science education it is very important for content areas to be more integrated.   This lesson took required more time than usual, however, it covered three standards.  My students learned the sciene content, obtained more practice with identifying important details from non-fiction texts, and learned the health curriculum regarding safety with household materials. 

I have three examples of student work to share. 

·         Student A is a gifted and talented student.  She chose to create a VoiceThread (http://voicethread.com/share/5449679/) to inform about acids, bases, and neutrals.  She demonstrates a good understanding of the material.  She was very comfortable with the technology and was able to add more visuals to her presentation. 

·         Student B created a PowerPoint presentation.  I saved each slide as a PDF file and transferred them to the VoiceThread (https://voicethread.com/share/5449989/) to share with you.  This students benefited from being paired with a buddy during the research section and needed a graphic organizer to organize his thoughts.   He also self-differntiated by choosing to respond to a scenario regarding mystery liquids. 

Melting Icebergs

The investigation posed the question about what will happen if the polar ice caps melt.  The procedure was for us to put ice in a cup and then fill the cup to the brim with water and observe what would happen.  I hypothesized that the cup would overflow and therefore I added the step to place my cup in a larger bowl to catch the spill. 

During the investigation, I began by freezing a cup of water.  I marked the level on the cup in order to determine if water contracts or expands when freezing.  I noted that the water did expand when frozen.  This made me more curious about what would happen during the next step.  I put the block of ice in a bowl and filled the rest of the bowl to the brim with water.  Unfortunately, I had an uncontrolled variable, my daughter, who was also curious about the investigation and bumped the bowl so the water spilled over.  Therefore, I repeated the procedure two more times to observe what would happen.  In each of the next two trials, none of the water overflowed.

Therefore, my conclusion would be that if the polar ice caps melted they would not affect sea level. The polar ice caps are already in the water and therefore are already displacing the water.  When they melt, they would continue to take the space that they already occupy.

This investigation led me to ponder that our concerns about global warming effects on the polar ice caps are unfounded.  However, I began to wonder about the glaciers that are one land and the ice caps on mountains.  These ice formations are not currently in the water, therefore I believe if they melted they would add to the volume of the water and increase sea level.  I could compare this idea to our investigation; for example, if the cup was already filled to the brim with water and I attempted to place ice in the cup, then it would overflow. 

Science Journal Blog Week 2

STEM Strategy Lesson Plan Reflection

The lesson that I planned was for a fourth grade science class.  The students have just begun the chemistry unit.  They have previously identified the three states of matter and noted some physical properties of items representing the three phases.  For this lesson, students will be focusing on the physical property of mass.  Students will learn what mass is and that the mass of an object remains the same whether it is whole or broken, or in a different state. 

I have used the 5 E lesson plan format to plan math lessons.  I feel that this is a great way for students to construct their own thinking and learning about a concept.  Buxton and Provenzo (2011) state that “a good science teacher is not a conveyor of information but a provider of opportunities to engage in meaningful inquiry and exploration and a guide in helping students to make sense of those opportunities” ( p. 2).  Instead of the teacher giving the student the information and then having the students conduct a related investigation, the 5 E format allows students the opportunity to think about what they know first.  Additionally, I provide opportunities for “cooperative learning which focuses on having students interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, 2007, p. 139).  The students are encouraged to problem solve, make connections to their prior knowledge, and share their insights in order to learn from one another.  After the students have had the opportunity to inquire and wonder, then the teacher offers an explanation and provides opportunities to practice and use the concept.  The 5 E lesson format encourages students to actively engage in “inquiry, the process through which scientists make observations, acquire data, support their ideas, modify their beliefs, and ask new questions” (Hammerman, 2006, p. 12). 

References:

Buxton, C. A., & Provenzo, E. F., Jr. (2011). Teaching science in elementary & middle school: A

cognitive and cultural approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Hammerman, E. L. (2006). Becoming a better science teacher: 8 steps to high quality instruction

and student achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Pitler H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom

instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.