Modeling in the classroom

My classroom model was to demonstrate seismic waves with the students. The students stood in the front of the room and produced shear waves and compressional waves. Then we used a huge slinky stretched across the floor to view how those waves changed with energy. Students were able to identify the change in frequency and energy. They were able to understand and describe the movement of the waves and how they affected the ground with buildings on it. It was a successful model for most students. The students were engaged and learning. The students were able to experiment with smaller slinkys' at there desk after the first demonstration. It was a wonderful model to use. The student model in front of the class assisted student understanding of what to look for when using slinky.

Natural Disasters

The world around students is the area that touches their lives in the most personal way with real meaning. Teaching students about real world disasters assist them in becoming caring citizens of today and tomorrow. Some ideas I have about assisting students' to learn about natural disasters are have students to view videos of natural disasters then research some that are close to people they know and care about. They could conduct research similar to the one we were required to do that shows what types of disasters are the worst and why. Then they could meet as small group and produce a presentation for the class. This presentation is productive because students learn more when they teach others. Conducting class discussions to find which students that have been effected by disasters.

Some ideas how students' can assist with disaster relief are by collecting needed supplies, volunteering to organize and package supplies, and some may help rebuild homes and clear debris. When hurricane Katrina came through Students assisted the Red Cross and churches in gathering supplies, organizing and packaging those supplies. I had four young men that went to work with their parents in clearing and rebuilding the first few weeks after the disaster. I had two students that housed pets. I was proud to see them want to help others. Given the assistance students can be the productive citizens needed for the future.

Welcome to my blog. We now have a new group, and I am excited to be taking classes with you all. Thank you for visiting. I was intrigued by some blogs I visited.

Biome Brochures or Stories

Students like to be creative. Sometimes they like to use their own images and hand writing, and sometimes students want to use computers. Here are some examples of Biomes my students created to show mastery of knowledge.

The students are given options for assessment. Her are a couple of examples. One student creates a Biome story for the Tundra.
The next page was sent via e-mail.

Tundra Biome Project by: Alyssa Holmes
I am the coolest bear on the planet! My name is Bob, and I’m a polar bear. I live in a cold biome called the tundra in northern Alaska. I have extremely thick, white fur which is my adaptation to the tundra. The thickness allows me to stay warm in the cold climate and the white fur helps me blend in so I can sneak up on my prey. I don’t want my food to see me and run away because then I’ll be hungry! When I wake up on an average day in my habitat, I see mounds and mounds of snow. It’s kind of cold when I wake up, but I ignore it because what polar bear is afraid of the cold??? It’s very normal for it to be cold because the temperature, which is an abiotic factor, is usually -20 to -30 degrees Fahrenheit. There isn’t much precipitation here only about 6-10inches a year, that including melted snow.
I’m hungry and I don’t feel like waiting forever for an animal to show up, so I walk to where I can find my favorite berries, which is a biotic factor, called Bearberries and I eat some of those to hold me off. Now that I have something in my tummy I walk to go find some food. As I’m going to find some yummy food I hear a something, I turn and look, there’s an Arctic Fox coming this way. Finally I find some food I start chasing after it and he’s running very fast but I eventually catch up with him. When I do, I attack him. I ‘grrrr’ and ‘rawr’ and I have a nice meal. I am his predator and he is my prey (yummy!) I am at the top of the food chain in the tundra, so no other animal can beat me up. My only real predator is the human, but I can probably take them out too. On my way around my habitat I see an air hole for the Arctic Seal, which happens to be my favorite food of all time. I lay down right beside it waiting for a seal to come up for oxygen. When it does I pounce on it and kill it in 2 or 3 swipes of my paws. When I kill it, it falls back into the water so I dive in to catch it. I can stay under water for about 2 minutes. While I am down there I munch on some seaweed which is pretty good too.
When I am done in the water I walk around and I pass an Arctic Willow. It’s a plant with oval shaped leaves, a wedged shaped bottom, and a little stalk. I am not a producer because I cannot make my own food. But I am a consumer because I get my food from other organisms (I eat them!). I am an omnivore which is a cross between a herbivore- a plant eater- and a carnivore- a meat eater.
I usually wouldn’t see a Snowy Owl until around nighttime but since we’re in the tundra, and everything is all weird here, there isn’t darkness in the winter so he has to go out and hunt during the day. While I am on my way home I see the Snowy Owl flying over me. I would totally eat him but polar bears don’t fly.
I have a niche or a job just like all other living organisms. My job is to make sure there isn’t an over populated species so I eat them. I eat Arctic Foxes, Arctic Seals, and some plants. But in my job the only organism that eats me is the human. I turn my food into energy so I can move around all day. And I reproduce sexually by fertilization, but the females only give birth to 1 or 2 cubs at a time.
There aren’t a lot of plants in the tundra that I live in. That is because it’s cold and because there is permafrost, a layer of frozen ground, under what little soil there might be. So I rarely get to eat plants. But that’s ok I prefer eating other animals anyway because they’re more of a challenge to eat. I have made my way around my habitat eating, swimming, eating again, and living a normal day. I am very tired so I will walk back to my cave and sleep for a while before I do this all over again.

Students learned about biomes, their climates, and organisms. They really enjoyed learning about the types of ights, sounds and smells in the different biomes, and worked really hard to learn the climates. The fun part for my students was the culminating project. The students had choices of creating a travel brochure for their favorite place or writing a story for a Journal as an animal or a biologist.

Students create Brochures.

Inside the brochure.

They had to include the biome name, vegetation, climate, sights, and scenes of the area. The students included things you might want to bring to show they had knowledge of the biome. Students did have an interest in creating the brochure. Many like designing their own work. Sometimes they barely know they are working. They were able to present their project to the class. This seems to assist with encouraging good work. A few of the students did not complete their work. Some created written projects about being an animal in a specific biome.
My students learn better when given options. The backward design is useful because it assist in putting the end goal in mind first and creating steps to get the outcomes wanted for student learning. I will continue to use this method for teaching science to my students.

Ask A Scientist Experience

My experience with ask a scientist did not go well in my opinion. In fact it never went anywhere, these are the questions I submitted. How will the oil affect the offspring genetically of wood storks living in the oily marshland? Can oil residue left behind cause cancer or other mutations in the wood storks? What types of genetic mutations will the oil spill cause for all life including humans? Can genetic disorders occur because of things ingested from the parent to the offspring during pregnancy?
Each question gained the same answer stating; “Congratulations!Your question has been submitted Successfully. We will send a confirmation via e-mail and get back to you with a response as soon as we can.”
I have not received an e-mail confirmation or response from any of my questions. Therefore, I am frustrated. Maybe my questions were not suitable for the type of assistance provided from this particular web site. As I view other responses from colleages about their topics; I noticed their questions were more generalized about genetics and I revisited the site with this question; What are genetic disorders caused by? My response finally has some action. There is still no answer to my direct question; however, these are the related type of questions.
Is it possible to cause depression, bipolar disorder, and other such mood disorders by thinking? Could people who have larger numbers of synapses firing at once—more than the average person—be overusing or using up neurotransmitters in their brains, causing the proper proportions of these chemicals to change?
In the movie Lorenzo's Oil , parents were able to stop the progression of their son's genetic illness by using a refined complex lipid from olive oil. Is it possible that the function of complex lipids is impaired in people with autism? If so, could that be linked to vaccinations?
What is the genetic mechanism of Huntington's disease? What genetic tests are available that detect predisposition to Huntington's disease?
What kind of genetic tests are available that detect predisposition to heart arrhythmia?
What is the genetic mechanism of fragile X syndrome?
If protein aggregation is the main cause of both prion diseases and Alzheimer disease, why are prion diseases transmissible and Alzheimer is not?
How do the hippocampus, glutamate, and dopamine work in the brain?

This indicates that the questions I posed were not specific enough for the scientist for certain types of disorders. This experience spiked my curiosity. It made me ask several questions and keep going back for more. It has assisted me with the knowledge that when students ask questions they do not get answers for creates frustration and interest for knowledge.
I will use this site with my students as a class and for individual lessons. I will show them how sometimes you have to search more than your original question in hopes of countering their frustration levels. I believe it will be a good tool for students to use and learn from real world scientist. It will also assist in non traditional gender stereotype issues with science and technology careers.




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Presentation Tools Review

I tried several websites including Prezent it, My Brain Shark, and Prezi.
The use of Prezent it was very agonizing. I could not find a tutorial. I usually like tutorials, so I became frustrated quickly. I would rank Prezent it as unfriendly. Therefore, I moved on to My Brain Shark.
I browsed my brain shark some. I thought it would be a great tool to use. I was excited about being able to voice over the power points I already have. I like the idea of being able to embed videos in the PowerPoint also not just a link to a website that may not be available when you need it. I still think this will be a great tool, but feel it will possibly take more time than I currently have to learn. Therefore, I will be checking it out more during the next break. I did notice that there fees with My Brain Shark if you want your material secured from the public and even more if you want their website to store your work.
I went to the Prezi website next and decided to try it. I downloaded the software and proceeded to work on a short presentation. It is user friendly, and has great effects. I did have a bit of trouble with the actual show after I placed my path. I will have to try to work on that detail. Although having a minor set back , I enjoyed using this site. I would rank it user friendly and enjoyable. I like the open canvas type style to work on. I hate everything in one position. I am not sure this has very much option for collaboration because I did not see any reference to it. I know it is accessible from home and I am still checking to see if the school will let me use it. There is a block on anything like this unless approved by the board of education. Just a bit of red tape, but reasonable. I think it will get the students attention with the movement and progression of views. Keep it short and sweet. Add lots of color and action. I did not find where it would do short videos or sound, but will be looking to see if I can use those with it. It does have fees; however, it seems to be free for educators. This site deserves a plus in my book.

21st-Century Technology in the Classroom

Creating areas of 21st century technology for students seems to be something students are already to engage. Most students love to explore computers and what can be accomplished on them. I found two new exciting websites contributing to force and motion. The first website connects to previous information from this physical science course http://classroom.jc-schools.net/sci-units/force.htm#8 where there are opportunities to construct a roller coaster. However, I found many other areas to explore on this site such as a skateboarding video with force and motion information as well as STEM career information. I found where there are gradient and speed and velocity areas too. This is an interactive site with teacher lesson plans and activities available. The second site I found was from a high school website www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/. by a teacher who has it interactive with animation. I found interesting and engaging. I will be able to incorporate it in my classroom. I found some power points and other demonstration type of websites that I will include at the bottom. However, I think we have been exposed to many good sites from this course we are taking.
I problem I may have in implementing these website is the new school I will be at will have limited access to technology in the classroom. There is no LCD in my room and only seven for the entire school. I will find a way.
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000084
http://www.practicalphysics.org/go/Topic_3.html
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/forcesandmotion/http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/project706_57.html

Heat Insulators

In the experiment exploring heat transfer, I used four identical mugs, four rubber bands, a four-cup measuring cup, and the microwave. The insulators I decided on were a chamois cloth, freezer baggie, printer paper, and heavy-duty foil. I chose these thinking they would be close because of the thickness of material. I hypothesized that the aluminum foil would be the best insulator. I found two comparative results in my experiment. I first used the microwave to individually heat up each cup, but they did not come out to be the same temperature. I had to start over and use the four cup measuring cup to get them all the same temp. I did the experiment three times. I discovered the paper and plastic were close in comparison when temperatures were taken with an average of 84 degrees F, as well as the foil and the chamois cloth with an average of 98 degrees F. I found my hypothesis was true the foil was a better insulator three out of three tries. However, I noted that the chamois cloth was the same temperature as the foil two out of three tries. This knowledge assist in recognizing the chamois and foil are both good insulators for heat transfer during the cooling process (Tillery, Enger, & Ross, 2008 p.83).
Observations I noted on each time I checked the experiment was the chamois cloth would absorb the condensation from the molecules that had been evaporated in contrast to the foil and plastic which collected the condensation on the insulator. I had expected the chamois to trap more heat than the paper; however, I had not expected it to insulate as well as the foil. I realize the thickness of the cloth assisted in the insulation for this experiment, and the types of insulator used affect heat transfer.
I specifically want students to learn the differences in conduction, convection, and radiation. I think I now understand it better since I teach seventh grade Life science. When I had to write it in my response for class, I had to be able to understand it. I think this is a good experiment to get the students to understand the differences and I think I reached my goal to understand them. I would like student s to be able to connect this information to their everyday life whether they are cooking, trying to keep food from spoiling, taking a trip to friends; I think understanding the differences in the insulators and how heat is transferred will assist them in taking care of personal needs.
I concluded there were three types of heat transferring energies in this experiment starting with conduction where the water particles respond to other particles in the cups and insulators where heat transferred to the solid. The second came as convection happening in gases and liquids only rolling the molecules that are cohesive (Tillery, Enger, & Ross, 2008 p. 77). The third type of heat transfer was radiation happening in the empty space between the water and the insulator where water vapors are free to move around rapidly bouncing off one another (Laureate Education 2007).

Swinging Pendulums

The question I chose was which pendulum will come to rest more quickly a lighter or heavier pendulum? I created a test using the materials from the science kit from Walden materials. The materials include three washers of varying masses, nylon string one meter in length, one broom handle, two chairs, data table, and stopwatch. I created a data table to record findings and used a stopwatch to determine the period for each pendulum in motion. I began by placing the broom handle balanced between two chairs, a string 17 centimeters long tied to the broom handle in the middle and a washer tied to the other to create the pendulum. I raised the washer to 22 centimeters high and let it swing. I used a stopwatch to time the movement of the different washers. I tried the experiment with three different mass washers, and tried the experiment three times for each washer. I recorded each washer’s movement time. To my surprise, the washer with the least mass came to rest quickest. This required me to do a bit more research in my book. I thought the mass had to be part of the missing link for me. I found force equals mass times acceleration, but could not understand how gravitational pull had not stopped the larger mass quicker. Then upon reading over the second law of motion, I found that inertia was the factor I had not accounted for in my hypothesis, “The greater the mass the greater the resistance to change in velocity” (Tillery, Enger, and Ross, 2008 p. 41). What I discovered was that the more mass something has the more force it takes to move it. However, it also takes more force to stop its momentum, which was the answer to why it takes the washer with more mass longer to stop its momentum. As I realized I was trying to use the wrong equation, I discovered the momentum equals mass times velocity or p=mv; therefore, the answer makes perfect since that the washer with more mass will stay in motion longer because it has more momentum” (Tillery, Enger, and Ross, 2008 p. 43).The experiment went well as a whole. I think it is simple enough for students to get the understanding. The only problem with the experiment is getting the string the same length every time you change the washers. It is difficult to perform the experiment by oneself, so I would use partners.Since I learned much from the experiment and had little difficulty the set up and performance of the task I would not make any changes. I would have to explore if I needed to give more instructions to my students. I came up with the experiment; therefore, I am not sure if the students would devise a different plan. I would try it and then revise accordingly. Since I teach Life Science and very little physics, I would have to try it with students before I could make specific changes.I would set this experiment up using the internet site from this week’s resource by having students predict what the outcome of the swinging motion results from different lengths of a mass. I would also have students do some reading about inertia and momentum. These are particular helpful in this assignment.An area this affects students personally is potential energy changed to kinetic energy. They could transfer knowledge that even though once the washer is let go and there is kinetic energy it lessens with each swing. We would discuss why one should not step out in front of a child that is swinging. We could discuss what size child the student might be able to stop swinging without being hurt. Then students could develop a model of a ride in an amusement park that used the energy from a pendulum motion.

Swinging Pendulums

The question I chose was which pendulum will come to rest more quickly a lighter or heavier pendulum? I created a test using the materials from the science kit from Walden materials. The materials include three washers of varying masses, nylon string one meter in length, one broom handle, two chairs, data table, and stopwatch. I created a data table to record findings and used a stopwatch to determine the period for each pendulum in motion. I began by placing the broom handle balanced between two chairs, a string 17 centimeters long tied to the broom handle in the middle and a washer tied to the other to create the pendulum. I raised the washer to 22 centimeters high and let it swing. I used a stopwatch to time the movement of the different washers. I tried the experiment with three different mass washers, and tried the experiment three times for each washer. I recorded each washer’s movement time. To my surprise, the washer with the least mass came to rest quickest. This required me to do a bit more research in my book. I thought the mass had to be part of the missing link for me. I found force equals mass times acceleration, but could not understand how gravitational pull had not stopped the larger mass quicker. Then upon reading over the second law of motion, I found that inertia was the factor I had not accounted for in my hypothesis, “The greater the mass the greater the resistance to change in velocity” (Tillery, Enger, and Ross, 2008 p. 41). What I discovered was that the more mass something has the more force it takes to move it. However, it also takes more force to stop its momentum, which was the answer to why it takes the washer with more mass longer to stop its momentum. As I realized I was trying to use the wrong equation, I discovered the momentum equals mass times velocity or p=mv; therefore, the answer makes perfect since that the washer with more mass will stay in motion longer because it has more momentum” (Tillery, Enger, and Ross, 2008 p. 43).
The experiment went well as a whole. I think it is simple enough for students to get the understanding. The only problem with the experiment is getting the string the same length every time you change the washers. It is difficult to perform the experiment by oneself, so I would use partners.
Since I learned much from the experiment and had little difficulty the set up and performance of the task I would not make any changes. I would have to explore if I needed to give more instructions to my students. I came up with the experiment; therefore, I am not sure if the students would devise a different plan. I would try it and then revise accordingly. Since I teach Life Science and very little physics, I would have to try it with students before I could make specific changes.I would set this experiment up using the internet site from this week’s resource by having students predict what the outcome of the swinging motion results from different lengths of a mass. I would also have students do some reading about inertia and momentum. These are particular helpful in this assignment.
An area this affects students personally is potential energy changed to kinetic energy. They could transfer knowledge that even though once the washer is let go and there is kinetic energy it lessens with each swing. We would discuss why one should not step out in front of a child that is swinging. We could discuss what size child the student might be able to stop swinging without being hurt. Then students could develop a model of a ride in an amusement park that used the energy from a pendulum motion.

Digestive System Experiment Reflection

Digestive System Experiment Reflection

The Cheeto’s experiment kept students engaged while learning about the route food takes through the digestive track and processing through organs. Allowing students to participate and not just stand by to watch assisted in engaging them in the activity. They became enthusiastic and willing to participate in the open discussion about the experiment. It enticed them to discuss prior knowledge, and infer new possibilities raising the energy level in the room. The discussion provided inquiry about other organs and systems within the body as Dr. Robert Yager indicates students need to do the inquiring (Laureate, 2009). The open discussion created an opening for me to assess understanding and address misconceptions. Most all middle school students like or enjoy seeing, touching, and smelling gross things. This experiment used three sensory elements for student motivation as indicated by Scott Houston to enhance student engagement (Laureate, 2009). I found that the one time experiment assisted in memory transfer for most students during the online digestive process quiz. The website for students also assisted in correcting any misunderstanding of the organs or their functions as it provided an opportunity to visualize the information in a different mode. Students enjoyed using technology, drawing diagrams, and organizing information with this lab. The second insert is a diagram by Jordan Allen.

Although the experiment was engaging, it has room for improvement. I found that some students had a tough time staying in their seats. I setup seating so everyone could see; however, one student with preferential seating had to be redirected on four different occasions. I adjusted the lesson by stopping more often for students to write. When students were instructed to discuss with partners about how nutrients could get to cells in your fingertips, some groups still wanted to talk about the actual experiment. One other problem became apparent upon entering the computer lab, the amount of letters and numbers needed for students to sign in on the web page created a barrier for students to get started quickly. I will extend the time for writing in journals, since several students seemed to be rushed or did not finish.
As I consider the designing of this experiment, I gathered state and national standards as well as benchmark data needed to provide frameworks as a guide, not just mandates for the lesson (Pratt, 2001). Developing an instructional inquiry was fun and interesting. I designed the digestive system quiet easily with the help of a health teacher from another school. The next step was to create questions I wanted my students to be able to answer by using the standards. Then I worked with the science collaboration group at school to narrow and reword several questions to better focus on the standards. It took several hours to prepare this lesson. I was the first of the group to use the lesson, and I am eager to find out what my colleagues decide on the outcome.
In addition to designing the experiment, the implementation took a bit of preparation. There was the computer lab to check out, instructions to type, design the graphic organizer, make copies, and gather the materials to have a lab. I gathered safety equipment complete with a list of possible safety issues (Buxton and Provenzo, 2007, (p. 146). As I looked over the structured inquiry by Banchi and Bell (2008), I realized I had covered the basics with this experiment by using observation while collecting data during the process of the flow of food through the digestive track (p. 27). Then with guided questions, I elicited student responses and pair sharing to assist with inferences to the next level. I also provided another level of inquiry when we went to the computer lab for students to gain knowledge individually. I used open ended questions to get students to connect information from prior knowledge and new information to infer where and how nutrients travels as well as what other systems are involved. These types of questions are considered higher order thinking questions according to Blooms taxonomy (Bloom, 1956). This embedded work is from Jordan Allens’ second page questions.

In conclusion, I will continue to build on this experiment. I believe the interest it gained from students assisted with inquiry and lit a fire for some students to understand how these processes work. The students were engaged and enthusiastic. It was enjoyable for me as well. I have begun designing other opportunities for inquiry for my students. Sometimes the students complain it is too hard, but I am using their interest to get them involved. When they had to describe how to throw a baseball, dribble a basketball, kick a soccer ball, or dance step using muscles and bones they were much more willing to try to find the actual parts of the body that moved. Inquiry has assisted me in finding new ways to reach my students using their interest. One process I will continue to use is the five E’s lesson plan discussed by Hammerman, (2006) as it provides an in depth outline to create and develop high quality lessons (p.82).




Resources
Banchi, H., & Bell, R. (2008). The many levels of inquiry. Science and Children, 46(2), 26–29.
Bloom B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain. New York: David McKay Co Inc.
Buxton, C. A., & Provenzo, E. F., Jr. (2007). 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.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program Two. The Nature of Science. [Motion Picture]. Interview with the Experts. Baltimore, MD: Author
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program Five. The Nature of Science. [Motion Picture]. “Science Inquiry: Classroom Demonstration”
. Baltimore, MD: Author
Pratt, H. (2001). The Role of the Science Leader in Implementing Standards-Based Science Programs. Retrieved April 7, 2010, from http://learningcenter.nsta.org/my_learning_center/my_library.aspx?type=bc

As the polar ice caps melt, they provide fresh water in streams and rivers providing for people, animals, and crops. Looking into the near future as these glaciers continue to recede to the point of no return our world will change forever. The lack of this important resource continues to create problems in areas of the world already under great pressure for survival. India where the work is hard and producing enough crops to sale is essential for many to survive is one such area hit hard. Once the Ganges River dries up causing more drought and famine in this already improvised country, the world market will be more inclusively affected by food prices driven upward.
This environmental issue crosses curriculum in seventh grade in Science and Social Studies. I am a Science teacher teaching about global warming, and how it affects the coral reef and other animals in the ocean. I am also a Social Studies teacher teaching about the Ganges River, and the people who depend on it for survival. Another area I will be able to incorporate is the fact that China and India are both producing coal power plants to modernize their countries and keep up with their growing population, yet the use of these carbons are exactly part of the problem placing more fossil fuels in the air (PBS, 2009).

I learned a great deal from this lesson as I encountered many people who think this is not an important or relevant issue. These people include the multitude of American people as it came in last on the concerns list posted by the government, (PBS, 2009). At the current time I compost, recycle, and reuse. I teach my students the same context in my classroom. Another area I learned about is the Tundra ice contains enormous amounts of organic matter and as it thaws the decaying organic matter will accelerate, releasing stored carbon and methane (Pearce, Fred, 2007). This action will create acceleration in the global warming as I found that these carbons and methane’s release more warming power than CO2 by thousands. It is disconcerting the problems we create for ourselves. Can we really stop it, or is it too late?

Resources

PBS (2009). On thin ice. Retrieved October 16, 2009, from
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/516/index.html

Pearce, Fred, With Speed and Violence: Why Scientists Fear Tipping Points in Climate Change, Beacon Press, Boston, 2007, p.87

A Reflection on STEM Lesson Plans
In considering the lesson plan used this week, I used national and state standards, benchmarks, and several strategies from the Five E’s to accommodate my diverse group of students. I used activities that reached across curriculums and tied them to a unified theme with systems. I incorporated an opportunity to introduce STEM careers.
Initially I collaborated with a team of teachers that teach seventh grade science about the national and state standards to be addressed for this year’s focus. The national standard I addressed is diversity and adaptation of organisms in life science (AAAS, 2009). The state standard of Georgia addressed S7L5. Students will examine the evolution of living organism through inherited characteristics that promote survival of organisms and the successive generations (Ga.DOE, 2006). I used a lesson on natural selection with a lab on bird beaks and an investigation on the internet about the Galapagos Island animals and adaptations. The next stage is putting a project together that would include levels of difficulty and different interest to prove knowledge of natural selection. I created a rubric for grading and feedback purposes. This set of activities links to the benchmarks where individual organisms with certain traits are more likely to survive and have offspring; and changes in the environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual organisms (AAAS, 2009). The unifying theme has to do with how every part relates to other parts within a system. The second unifying theme any system is usually connected to other systems, both internally and externally; therefore has and is built of subsystems (AAAS, 2009).
In addition to analyzing the standards to plan this set of lessons, I had my students in mind. I have a diverse group of students with Individual Education Plans, multicultural, hearing impaired, and an English language learner. I have more females than males in my classes this year. According to Buxton and Provenzo (2007) experts, the following activities using collaboration, graphing, and non-linguistic expression are key for assisting underrepresented students and English language learners (p.110) Another area I used multiply representation in the forms of written, oral and charts; therefore, providing concrete data to write about (Buxton and Provenzo, 2007 p. 111) . As I considered student achievement levels, I have several that are quick to finish and need more challenging material often; therefore, I differentiated the project and research to include their level and I use a variety of grouping to accommodate the higher functioning with some of my struggling students as indicated by Buxton and Provenzo, (2007, p.113). I incorporated posters to include diverse scientist to accommodate my diverse students with Hispanic, African American and females (Buxton and Provenzo, 2007, p. 91). Two other tools I used were preferential seating and spatial arrangement for my hearing-impaired student. According to Dr. Yager personal curiosity causes students to want to learn more about the natural world, so I had skulls brought in from a local University (Laureate, 2009). As an extension to my lesson, advanced students can research different types of careers related to Darwin’s voyage and the exploration of adaptations in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The journal entry asks students to reflect on the types of careers they could have using their research in order to stimulate interest in the STEM careers of underrepresented population in the field (Traurig and Feller, 2009, p.2)
Another area I considered while planning this lesson is the space available to my students in my classroom and the technology lab. The space in my classroom is setup for labs with two person teams at long tables, two sections in the rear for a center for reading and individual study, two computers for internet exploration, and an area for creativity of varying degrees. I will also incorporate the technology lab that will hold thirty students with individual computers. According to Dr. Yager technology impacts science understanding and speed to great extents (Laureate, 2009).
Finally, I used the Five E’s to complete my lesson plan to assure the best development used for student success. I used a K-W-L and a variety of skulls to hook my students’ attention and ensure engagement (Hammerman, 2006 p. 82). Then I used a bird beak lab for a discovery phase. I created a graphic organizer with a place to collect data, graph data, and write a summary as indicated by Hammerman, (2006 p. 82). The next step in this lesson includes evaluation of the lab. The students answer posed questions using student-generated data in journals. After this is complete, there is a class discussion of questions to use for understanding and dispel of misconceptions (Hammerman, 2006 p. 83). They brainstorm ideas about natural and manmade items that have evolved to survive. Then there are topics of Global warming and others from students such as ice age. There is an extension to the lesson in the computer lab involving discovering who Darwin was, what he explored, his voyage, and the outcomes or theories developed. This is an opportunity for extension used to enhance, relearn, and clarify natural selection. The last component to the lesson is the evaluation of learning. I will use two tools for this data; a written exam required by current school, and a project. I will provide opportunity for students learning to be relevant broadened by creativity in their interest. The student can create a song, poem, rap, U tube video, or a power point. Their project presentation shows evidence of how natural selection supports survival for a species from generation to successive generation. I will provide differentiated rubrics and instructions for such project. Students are provided opportunity to choose type of project incorporating their interest for proof of knowledge.
In conclusion, there are more steps to this format than I have used when creating lesson plans in the past. I thought the format was disjointed in many areas. However, I found it lends to assure best setup for diversity in student population. It assists in developing a plan where teachers consider all populations, useful tools, and strategies that are appropriate for students. The five E’s were a strategy that assisted in the knowledge to keep all students’ involved, interested, and accounted for during the lesson, and seemed to fit nicely with this lesson. When I set up this activity, I will need to evaluate the rubric and project instructions carefully to differentiate at the correct levels for a variety of students to ensure all students succeed and mastery of the standards.









Resources
American Association for the Advancement of Science. (2009). Benchmarks online, Chapter 10. In Benchmarks for scientific literacy project 2061. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://www.project2061.org/publications/bsl/online/index.php?chapter=10
Buxton, C. A., & Provenzo, E. F., Jr. (2007). Teaching science in elementary & middle school: A cognitive and cultural approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Georgia Department of Education, Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools 8/29/2006 2:52 PM Page 1 of 8 All Rights Reserved Retrieved on 3/12/2010. https://www.georgiastandards.org/Standards
Hammerman, E. L. (2006). Becoming a better science teacher: 8 steps to high quality instruction and student achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). The nature of science. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Traurig, A., & Feller, R. (2009). Preparing students for STEM careers. National Career Development Association. Used by permission of Knight Communications, Inc.

Another week

Saturday and all is well. It was a beautiful day here in Georgia. Sunny and about 58 degrees. I had to go for a walk. I finally got my laptop back after 38 days sent off for a new mother board. Reload software and I'll be ready to go. I hope all of you have had a great week.

I really enjoyed the NSTA website. I have been a member for four years and never taken advantage of near enough of what is offered. I am glad I finally took time to find out more about it.

Donna's Science Education Blog

I am excited to be in contact with others in the world of Science. I love Science as I hope many of you. I found a renewed excitement today after reading the first chapter of our textbook. It reminded me the reason I started teaching Science in the first place; getting students excited about the world around them. I know that teaching with questions and enthusiasm is the best way to get students excited. I have lost some of the excitement. I hope to spread it again in my school. What about you? Are you excited? How will you prove your love for science to the world?

I am ready for an exciting journey!