Science in the news!

Explore this article!

Ever wonder how plants protect themselves, or even if they can protect themselves from these crazy creatures that surround them? 

This article investigates this amazing plant that is actually able to protect itself from predators!  It's no surprise, plants have no eyes, no ears, no mouth and no hands.  They don't even have muscles.  They are just stuck where they started, sucking up nutrients that comes their way.  Yet, somehow this mustard plant finds it possible to fear off the predators using light.  In the video example, a caterpillar is making its way up the plant when all of a sudden, a wave of calcium flows through its leaves.  Through all the research, they used a glowing green protein to trace calcium and accompanying chemical and electrical messages in the plant.  They watched beneath a microscope as warnings transited through the leafy green appendages, revealing the plants aren't as passive as they seem.  

Karl, Get Out of the Garden!

Book Trailer Project 

When I was searching for a creative book to use for this project, I knew this one would be perfect! Carolus (Karl) Linnaeus started off as a very curious child who loved exploring the garden.  Even though he was extremely intelligent, he was a poor student because he always preferred being outdoors admiring the plants and bugs around him.  As he grew up, Karl’s love of nature led him to explore something almost impossible. He was determined to scientifically name every living thing on earth.  As a result, the Linnaean system was developed. This is the basis for the classification system used by biologists around the world. Since the topic of classification was what my group during field work, this was a perfect base. The book contains beautiful pictures and great detail. I also had a lot of fun creating the actual trailer! I used screencast to create the trailer with the voice over. This app was extremely easy to use and made my trailer much more interesting. I really loved this project. Check out my trailer!

Role of Pre-Assessment

Why Pre-Assess?

-Gives the instructor knowledge regarding what the students know and what they need to work on.

-Gives the instructor a good base as to where to start with the lesson and their students.

-Helps the students get a general idea of what will be taught in the lesson and what they are going to learn. 

-Helps students recognize their improvement from the beginning of the lesson to the end.  Comparing the pre-assessment and the final independent practice will show the students growth. 

Why is it important to learn about your students?

-In order to connect with your students, the teacher must know their strengths and weaknesses.

-The teacher must know what they need to work on with each student to further their growth in their classroom.

-Teachers have to have an understanding of what their students are misunderstanding/ their misconceptions to be able to address and correct.

-Teachers need a strong foundation with their students to succeed.  When students are comfortable with their teacher, they will want to further themselves and push their efforts to their fullest potential. 

Reflection: Field Work

Understanding of student learning:

In the classroom, each child learned differently and at different speeds.  Some children needed more attention then others.  Each teacher had to help them focus and stay on task.  It is important that each lesson can connect with each student in the classroom.  Therefore, each lesson needs to contain different ways of teaching including direct instruction and inquiry.

How students learn:

Students connect with the direct lesson and the inquiry lesson on different levels.  The direct lesson plan is geared towards students who are able to maintain their focus and interest while being taught.  The note packets help the students that have a harder time staying focused follow along with the information.  The guided practice in the direct lesson plans help the visual learners connect their thoughts and new information.  The inquiry lesson helps the students that need a hands on approach.  This is interactive and can help students that may not collect everything that was taught in the direct lesson.  

How this experience helped my understanding of teaching science:

Before this experience, I had no background knowledge of teaching science.  I learned new approaches to teaching such as direct and inquiry lessons.  Inquiry lessons were really new to me.  I also was able to get an idea of what students like and dislike.  The inquiry lessons seem to always have a positive impact on the students.  They were fun and interactive which made it easy for the students to focus while learning and exploring.  The inquiry lessons also help the students gain and test their knowledge on the scientific method.

The 5 Groups:

I felt that each group did a great job with their topics and presenting their information.  All of us are learning and getting our feel for the field.  Each group had different teaching styles and I felt that every group was successful and learned a lot.  Students seemed to be very excited during all of the inquiry activities.  They loved the hands on approach and being able to research their hypothesis.  I also think the students were excited during the guided practices and animations/videos in the slides.  I felt that the students often became distracted during the direct lesson presentations for every group. The students would get bored listening to information for a long period of time but the note packets definitely helped with their focus.

Reflection: How to teach in general:

This experience helped my teaching style overall in many ways.  I learned how to approach new topics that the students are unsure about, using guided practice and independent practice, and I will be able to apply these new methods to my teaching style.

Discoveries about yourself:

I learned a lot about myself in this experience.  I learned my strengths and weaknesses.  My strengths being confidence in front of a class, strong teacher voice, and being able to present information to the students in a successful way.  My weaknesses include saying guys!! I was able to further develop my teaching knowledge and approaches that will help me in the future.  

How will this impact your future teaching of science in my own classroom:

This will greatly impact my future teaching of science in my own classrooms.  I will be able to utilize direct instruction with a new topic that my students are unfamiliar with.  I will then construct an inquiry lesson regarding the information provided in the direct lesson.  The inquiry lesson will be fun and interactive for the students to complete.  I will switch often between group inquiry lessons and individual inquiry lesson.  The class will then share their findings and further their research.  I can't wait to take my own approach to teaching science in my own classroom! 

Mystery Bag

Mystery Bag Activity

• What comes to mind when you look at the bag?
• What questions do you have about the bag?

Each person then has 5 seconds to handle the bag and gather information

Guesses:

• rattles
• soft
• squishy
• squeaks
• ball
• dog or baby toy?

Categorize:

• formulated a statement: what you think is in the bag (hypothesis)
• hypothesis- tentative explanation
• create a method to obtain information
• How do we figure it out
• two possibilities: the hypothesis is correct, the hypothesis is incorrect
• restate the hypothesis
• will not prove but support
• have to test several times to prove
• the more test results, the more results
• hypothesis- not a guess, a tentative explanation for the problem/question based on some type of observation
• Have to support hypothesis!!

Actually in the bag:

• rattle
• rock
• softball

Why we need to use inquiry in science:

• No direct answers in science because science is always evolving. 
• Principle concept: scientific knowledge is fundamentally uncertain
• Science is uncertain because it is a human activity
• Science explanations seem less certain when they are based on indirect information
• Scientific uncertainty can be reduced through collaboration
• the scientific argument is based on justified evidence

Why this activity?

• Stimulates creativity
• Develops creative thinking
• Helps students understand the scientific method
• Gives students a better understanding of a hypothesis

FIELD WORK: Group 5 Inquiry

Group 5: Inquiry Lesson

Group 5 presented their inquiry lesson to the class today.  This was one of my favorite lessons that I have seen during our field work time.  The teachers prepared a review of what was previously taught and their problem.  They created Mrs. Smarty Plants.  I thought this was adorable!  Mrs. Smarty Plants had gone to each one of the different biomes and collected tons of research but unfortunately lost her findings.  It was the students job to help Mrs. Smarty Plants collect new research about each biome.  The teachers then set up a station, each with a different biome.  The station included a book or two on the biome and the iPad with a few articles for the students to look through and collect data. The students loved this activity.  I thought the use of multiple resources was a great way to really portray the research method.  The group did a great job during this lesson.  

FIELD WORK: Group 5 Direct

Group 5: Direct Lesson

Today in field work, group 5 taught the 4th grade class about photosynthesis and how plants survive in different environments.  I feel this is one of the more important lessons that should be taught about plants.  It is the essential key to a plants life.  This group did a great job of getting the information to the students.  The group also had several interactive activities throughout the lesson.  The kids seemed to LOVE this style.  Students need to be able to get up and out of their seats during a lengthy lesson.  The group taught the process of photosynthesis and how the plants survive in the four different biomes.  The group also taught the key details of each biome and their environments.  This was a fun topic!  If I could have picked one, this would have been my choice.  

FIELD WORK: Group 4 Inquiry

Group 4: Inquiry Lesson

Today was our inquiry lesson!  We had a rough start to our inquiry lesson idea but after creating a new base it seemed to go very smooth!  Before presenting the problem, we reviewed what was previously taught and the scientific method that the students would be using throughout the lesson.  The general idea of our inquiry lesson was that the students had to help our alien friend!  Our alien friend has just dropped down to earth and has no idea what these green things on the ground are.  It was the students job to go to each group and discover what plant is there and all the information that comes with that plant.  Each station had one teacher, a real plant (one of the four that were discussed in the lesson), and research articles.  The students received a packet that included a question sheet for each station.  They had to create a hypothesis, find three facts, and discover what plant they were dealing with.  At the end of the lesson, the class shared their findings with each other.  Each group discussed what they found and what plant was being represented.  After their discovery, the students were assigned to write a tweet to our alien friend telling him their findings and what plant was their personal favorite.  The students seemed to love the idea and going to each station learning more about the different plants.  Overall, I think we did a pretty good job! The group tried our best. 

FIELD WORK: Group 4 Direct

Group 4: Direct Lesson

This was my time to teach the 4th grade students! Our objective was to teach the students all about plant classification.  We began the lesson by reviewing what was taught by the teachers before us.  We also went over classroom rules, our quiet method, our check for understanding methods and what we were going to teach.  Since it is almost Halloween, we used the spell "Hocus Pocus" and the students reply with "Time to Focus."  The students responded really well to this fun way of getting them to quiet down.  The students were each given a note packet that went along with the powerpoint presentation.  The note packet was fun and color coded.  Each one of the teachers in my group rotated throughout the slides.  For our guided practice, we had the students come up to the board and connect the correct term with the correct picture of the plant.  Our independent practice was a work sheet with a word bank and a few questions that went over the lesson we had just taught.  Our closure was a few questions that had been taught throughout the lesson.  We did this as a class and checked for understanding after each question.  Overall, I think our lesson went really well.  We provided a lot of information to the students and had fun teaching.  We also learned a lot and will apply it to our future!  

FIELD WORK: Group 3 Inquiry

Group 3: Inquiry Lesson

The lesson began with a quick review over what the students have learned in previous lessons.  The group used the game site Kahoot.  This was a great way for the students to be interactive and having fun while reviewing what they have learned.  The group then reviewed the scientific method and each step with a supporting example for the class.  The group then began their experiments! The lesson was very well done and exciting for the students.  The group had great ideas and applied them well!  Any chance to have an experiment should be taken advantage of.  The students loved it.  

FIELD WORK: Group 3 Direct

Group 3: Plant Morphology and Reproduction 

Today in fieldwork, group 3 taught the 4th grade class about plant morphology and reproduction.  The central focus of this lesson is for the students to understand the vocabulary that make up the internal and external structures of plants as well as their reproductive cycle.  The group prepared a detailed presentation for the students to follow along with their note packets.  This lesson was well taught and interesting for the students.  The slides also included an interactive guided practice where the students would come up to the board and point to the correct parts of the plant like the diagram above.  Overall the lesson was informational and fun for the students. 

FIELD WORK: Group 2 Inquiry

Group 2: Plant Tissue

Group 2 presented their inquiry lesson today.  The lesson began with a review of what the students have previously learned and the scientific method.  The teachers then divided the students into groups.  Each group was presented with a different riddle from "Farmer Dave."  Farmer Dave was a cute character that needed help from the students.  The 4th graders were excited to help and interested in the lesson.  Throughout the period, the students had to figure out the riddle and report their findings.  This group also utilized the iPads which was a fun way for the students to continue their research.  They all responded very well to this activity! 

FIELD WORK: Group 2 Direct

Group 2: Vegetative Organs and Plant Tissue

Today in field work, group 2 taught the 4th grade students about vegetative organs and plant tissue.  The central idea of the lesson was to introduce new vocabulary and build off what was previously learned about botany and plant cells.  The group taught the properties of the new topic.  They handed out detailed note packets for the students to follow along with while learning the new material.  At the end of the lesson, group 2 had the students fill out a sticky note engaging students with answering one of three questions.  They will then place it on the red, does not understand, yellow, has somewhat of an understanding of the topic, and green which indicates the student fully understands the material.  This group did a great job keeping the students engaged and presenting confidence in their teaching. 

FIELD WORK: Group 1 Inquiry

Group 1 Inquiry

Today was group 1's inquiry lesson on the plant cell and its organelles. The central focus of the lesson was to have the students construct an argument describing the organelles of the plant cell and the organelles important function.  The group provided a fun and interactive video for the students to watch.  The video was a rap about the organelles in the plant cell.  The students then received a plant cell that needed to be filled out with the names of the organelles.  The teachers went group to group helping the students.  They were then assigned to create there own cell wall using the construction paper that was provided.  The students seem to have a really fun time during this inquiry lesson while the repetition helped them retain what they learned about the plant cell. 

FIELD WORK: Group 1 Direct

Group 1 Presentation:

Today in field work, group 1 did their lesson on the plant cell.  The group taught the students about botany and the different parts of the cell.  They taught the students important cell parts including: 

Cell wall
Cell membrane
Chloroplasts
Mitochondria
Nucleus
Endoplasmic Reticulum
Vacuole

 The teachers gave detailed descriptions of each part and why it is important to the cell.  They also compared these structures to everyday items that the students can relate to in the classroom.  For example, comparing the cell membrane to the classroom door because they are both the barrier to what comes in and out of the cell/classroom.  The teachers had the students come up to the board for guided practice.  Students were assigned to place the correct cell structure term to the picture.  This group used a cute idea for check for understanding.  They handed out flowers on popsicle sticks with red, yellow and green pedals.  Red indicates confusion, yellow indicates some understanding but still a bit confused, and green indicates the students are completely understanding the content.  Group 1 did a great job during their direct instruction lesson! 

FIELD WORK: Week 1

Today we met the students! 

For our ice breaking activity, group 4 designed a big flower made out of paper.  The flower had several colorful pedals around the white center.  Each pedal had a question on the inside.  When the students would come to our station, they would get the chance to pick any color pedal they want.  The teacher would then read the "get to know you" question on the inside of the pedal.  These questions were a mix of personal questions like "What did you do this summer?" and questions to ease them into our lessons like "What is your favorite flower?".  The students reacted extremely well to this activity.  It was fun to watch the students having fun while we were getting to know them.  This was a great start to field work. 

The Climate Reality Project

The Climate Reality Project 

• Lives are shaped by this issue
• Many efforts to erase this issue
• Science exists in a social world 
• Many efforts to restrict science because people don't want the outcome
• Dr. Michael Edelstein of Ramapo College, NJ 
• Scientific AND political issue
• Total convergence on this topic 
• should not be a political issue 
• created by Al Gore, Vice President
•  If we acted on Gore's protocol, we would not have the issues we do today
• Bush blocked the project 
• Amount of Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere 350 parts per million, can't go past. The tipping point 
• Actually, have sailed past 400
• Can't reverse going over the tipping point. Everything relates to it.  
• Face new challenges as time goes on. 
• Climate mitigation: efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and reduce this issue
• Climate adaptation: How are we going to live with this
• Forces relocation 
• Hydrological cycle: (water cycle) water is always moving. solid, liquid, gas. Always takes its own course. Water shapes the land. Limited and final. Whatever we have is it, always cycling.  
• Systems: Open system, opens up every single thing (bagel and cream cheese example) everything affects everything else
• Matter vs Energy. Matter: anything that has mass or takes up space. Energy: what allows you to do work
• Earth: Closed system regarding the matter, open system regarding energy
• People aren't aware of that idea
• 2 exceptions to the closed system of matter; 1. Earth imported matter. Ex: meteors. 2. Contamination (changing), pH balance. Quantity and Quality
• Open system: Energy comes from the sun. Extreme amounts. Solar radiation in the form of lightwaves passes through the atmosphere. Constant, unlimited source of energy. Most are absorbed from the earth.
• Nonrenewable energy: fossil fuels 
• People can profit from fossil fuels. Solar energy is free energy. 
• (Systems theory) Consequences of relying on fossil fuels; contamination. run out of them
• Troposphere: atmosphere surrounding us 
• Stratosphere: Where weather happens. 
• All the atmosphere is very fragile. 
• Tipping points: Why can't we go back: as glaciers and the atric and Antartic melt, much less ice on earth. instead, have water exposed to radiation. The more ice that melts, more abeto, the more the earth warms, the more ice melts, never-ending cycle. Can't go back because we already past the point 
• Where zone 5, ten years ago became zone 6. Much warmer 
  
  

Let the Journey of Teaching Science Begin!

August 28, 2018
First Day of Class:
When I first walked into the Science and Technology methods course, I really had no idea what to expect.  After about ten minutes, I knew it was going to be fun and exciting.  We discussed how and why science and technology is so important to our students.  Through the videos we were presented with, we also learned that technology can be just as hurtful as it is helpful.  Students are allowing technology to take over their learning skills and practices.  It is important for the future educators to find the balance between teaching technology to give our students an equal opportunity in this era and also not allowing technology to take away from the basic fundamentals.