Sep28

Bits and Pieces for September

Rather than competing with the commercial hoopla around Halloween, perhaps we science teachers could do our own special celebrations that relate to science concepts. For example, it's not too early to plan events for Mole Day, celebrated on October 23 (10/23) from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. The timing of this event celebrates Avogadro’s number -- 6.02 * 10^23 For more information on the concept of a “mole," enter Avogadro into the SciLinks keyword search. You’ll get a list of websites related to moles and to the work of this scientist.

This day is also used to celebrate the science of chemistry and its applications. The National Mole Day Foundation’s website has background information, themes, and some suggested activities. The American Chemical Society has embedded Mole Day in its National Chemistry Week events. The ACS site has many resources for students and teachers of all grade levels.

The September issue of Learning and Leading with Technology has a product review of handheld digital field recorders to create high quality sound files.

I've read of some websites that are worth a look: Biovisions from Harvard University has video clips and animations related to biology. Learn Bird Songs includes recordings to help you identify common bird by their songs. And Tech How-To: Podcasts has suggestions for creating and hosting original podcasts.

An online conference sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution focuses on the evidence, impact, and response to climate change. It features Smithsonian scientists, curators, and collections examining the issues surrounding climate change from a variety of perspectives. The conference is scheduled for 9/29/2009-10/1/2009 and it will be archived for later use.

Published: Sep-28-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Sep16

Critical Thinking

Two items titled "Critical Thinking" are on my desktop right now: the September issue of Science Scope and an op-ed piece in the Boston Globe Critical thinking? You need knowledge. In this article, the author Diane Ravitch discusses "21st century skills" such as critical thinking and cooperative learning and suggests these are being emphasized to the exclusion of "knowledge." It's an interesting article, and the comments that have been submitted are diverse and thought-provoking, too.

One thing I looked for in the article was a definition of "critical thinking." It seems like a phrase we all use but may have different interpretations. Does the term refer to questioning, synthesizing, problem-solving, creating, reflecting, judging, evaluating? Something else? We also should consider what we mean by "knowledge" Is knowledge information from the outside that gets absorbed (memorized?) or does it also involve a deeper level of understanding that comes from making internal connections? How do we determine what information and experiences should be internalized as knowledge? Just some rambling thoughts.

I'm sure we've all had experiences in classrooms where the teacher emphasized the acquisition of facts and definitions, with few opportunities to use the information in any context. On the other hand, there are classrooms that focus on projects and activities but the students don't really understand why they are doing them. We often hear "They are having so much fun, they don't know they're learning." Maybe we should help students know that they are learning, how the activity is helping them learn, what content is important, and that learning can be enjoyable (and challenging).

But as I read the articles in Science Scope, I have the impression that these teachers use critical thinking and cooperative learning, not as isolated skills, but as ways of helping students learn science through investigations, discussion, readings, and writing. The activities they describe integrate essential content with experiences that help the students internalize and apply what they are learning in creative ways

The Internet is changing the way we locate and share information, so I'll put in a plug for SciLinks as a tool for finding relevant science content!

Published: Sep-16-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Sep10

Chemistry for a Changing World

Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year! I was excited by the theme of this kick-off issue. I loved chemistry as a high school student (Thank you, Sister Maureen!), majored in the subject in college, and taught it as part of a physical science course. Even today the smell of a chemistry lab gets me psyched up.

Some students do not take chemistry in high school; those in a traditional course may never realize how what they are learning applies to the real world. And some of my students would have the misconception that chemistry is about blowing things up and is the domain of nerds in stereotypical white coats and plastic pocket protectors! The outside world is not the only thing that is changing. The authors of these articles describe how the teaching and learning of chemistry is changing in their own classrooms.

The activities in Shrinking Our Footprints are built around a real-world problem and use an interesting online calculator, the Ecological Footprint Quiz. The online nature of the quiz enables students to test their ideas about reducing carbon consumption.

Project-based learning was the focus of in What Happens to Cemetery Headstones? Students applied their learning of acids and bases to a study of a local environment. Wouldn't it be interesting to incorporate this into an interdisciplinary project involving social studies? Check out How to Read a Graveyard or History Comes Alive in the Graveyard from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Not all learning in the classroom is done by students! The authors of Teacher Research: Challenging Our Assumptions describe their own inquiry into what student do or do not understand about the gas laws. (Their findings are interesting. Would they apply to your students?) If you're logged into SciLinks, you can search for websites that may help your students understand the laws conceptually, in addition to doing the algebra to solve problems!

On a smaller scale, check out articles on Investigating Membranes, The Science Behind Nanosunscreens, and Teaching with Crystal Structures. And use SciLinks to search for resources on membranes, nanotechnology, and crystalline solids.

Published: Sep-10-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Jul17

Classroom Management

"Would you like to be a student in your classroom?" This month's guest editorial says it all when it comes to classroom management. A well-organized science lab with students that are engaged and enthusiastic--it doesn't get any better than that! But it takes a lot of planning, effort, and reflection to make it so. The articles in this issue have variety of suggestions from many perspectives. I would encourage teachers at the upper elementary and high school levels to browse the contents, too.

The best way to solve discipline problems is to prevent them from happening. We science teachers have an advantage--interesting content and hands-on investigations to keep students focused and engaged. In Managing Inquiry-Based Classrooms, Classroom Management and Inquiry-Based Learning, and Classroom Management, Rules, Consequences, and Rewards! Oh, My!, the authors share their teacher-tested strategies for making the science classroom an engaging and safe place for learning. Classroom Management: Setting Up the Classroom for Learning illustrates several ways to configure a classroom for various learning activities. For information on laboratory safety, I'd recommend the NSTA publication Inquiring Safely: A Guide for Middle School Teachers and the NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities.

In addition to the resources suggested at the end of the articles, check out SciLinks for more information on classroom management. I'd also recommend the work of Robert Marzano and his book Classroom Management That Works, in which he synthesizes current research on the topic and provides practical suggestions based on this research. If you or any of your colleagues are members of ASCD, you can read the book and the companion handbook online for free!

When students are off-task, our first question should be "what's the task?" Most middle school students are motivated by interesting assignments and being able to work with each other. Science Scope always has suggestions for interesting and challenging activities and assessments, such as Cartooning Your Way to Student Motivation (I've also seen teachers ask students to respond in a haiku format or as a tweet.)

I was surprised by the content of the article Teaching: A Reflective Process. After using an asseement probe, the teachers developed an an interesting activity to model the water cycle and address the students' misconceptions. SciLinks has more activities and information on the water cycle.

Published: Jul-17-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Jul08

Summer Reading

As I head off to the beach next week, along with a few mystery novels, I'm going to pack some of the books I ordered at the NSTA conference last spring, a few back issues of NSTA journals I want to review, and several of the resources listed in Current Research: Summer Reading Suggestions in this issue. It will be a full bag, but armed with my highlighter and sticky notes, I'm looking forward to catching up on my reading!

The connection between reading and science is a professional interest of mine, so I was especially interested in the article Reading Aloud: A Springboard to Inquiry. The author makes a compelling case for the value of reading trade books aloud in the classroom, especially if the class has many struggling readers. She provides a list of suggested titles of content-rich books that are written for students through grade 9 (or age 15). She also has suggestions for how (and when) to use the read-aloud strategy.

I was visiting a high school science class where, rather than using a "round robin" style of oral reading by students, the teacher read aloud sections of the textbook. The class had many struggling readers in it, and the advantage was that the students heard the text read fluently as they followed along. The teacher modeled what a good reader would do - stop and reflect, make connections to the graphics on the page, note the text clues, and highlight or add questions to the margin. When I asked the students what they thought, one said "It’s like a live podcast." The teacher did not read aloud the entire chapter, just those sections with essential concepts or that were vocabulary-dense. For more information on think-alouds and other content reading strategies, check out the SciLinks Reading and Writing in Science websites.

Some research suggests that the quality of a mentoring program can affect teacher retention. The article Helping New Science Teachers has practical suggestions for mentoring teachers, beyond helping them with paperwork and school routines. These suggestions are directly related to science instruction. This article would also be helpful to new teachers whose mentor is not another science teacher (NSTA's MsMentor is ready to assist with questions and there is a forum for new teachers on the NSTA Community site. New high school teachers could also benefit from reading Science Scope, the NSTA journal for middle school, especially if they are teaching students whose experiences in science have been minimal. And more ideas can be found in SciLinks' New Teacher Resources list of websites.

Published: Jul-08-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Jun08

Big Ideas in Earth Science

Many current approaches to the design of curriculum and instruction are emphasizing the use of "big ideas" (aka essential questions, overarching themes) as an organizing framework for courses or units. I've done several presentations on this topic, and some teachers find it challenging to identify the big ideas in their content areas.

But if you're an earth science teacher, check out a recent NSF press release that describes a new publication-- Earth Science Literacy Principles, which lists big ideas and supporting concepts which can be used for a variety of purposes: education, legislation, scientific endeavors. You can download the document, but here is the list of earth science "literacy principles" from the publication:

Earth scientists use repeatable observations and testable ideas to understand and explain our planet.
Earth is 4.6 billion years old.
Earth is a complex system of interacting rock, water, air, and life.
Earth is continuously changing.
Earth is the water planet.
Life evolves on a dynamic Earth and continuously modifies Earth.
Humans depend on Earth for resources.
Natural hazards pose risks to humans.
Humans significantly alter the Earth.

But wait - it gets even better. On the Earth Science Literacy Initiative website, use the link to "Complementary Projects" for similar documents in Ocean Literacy, Atmospheric Literacy, and Climate Literacy. Whether you teach an entire course or just a few topics, these are worth a look.

Published: Jun-08-09 | 1 Comment | 0 Links to this post

Apr21

Teaching with the Community

When I saw the theme for this issue, Teaching with the Community, what came to mind was students visiting community resources such as museums, zoos, and parks on field trips or students and teachers using the community as a classroom. But the articles in this issue have other interpretations of "community."

The State High Biodiesel Project describes a collaboration between the science department and the agricultural science program to turn fryer oil from the cafeteria into an alternative energy source. Perhaps other institutions in the community can learn from these students (and their teachers). On the web, you can find out how to Make Your Own Biodiesel and the authors provide the details of their lessons on Alternative Fuels

The community engaged in Collaboration at the Nanoscale consists of high school classes and university faculty. They formed a scientific community to study microbes and viruses safely, using advanced technology. For more information on the topic of microbiology, go to SciLinks and enter the term "micro" for lists of websites related to microbes, microbiology, microscopes, and electron microscopy.

Student research on a topic of interest to their communities, such as indoor air quality, is demonstrated in the article The Big Sky Inside.According to the authors, the data collected by the students is being used beyond the project to investigate other air quality issues. If you want to get some ideas for other projects, check out Solving Environmental Problems in SciLinks.

Use the article EQUIPping Teachers to learn how to change your classroom into a community of inquiry. The authors describe a tool/rubric that can help you improve the level of inquiry in your class activities. It's an excellent article that everyone should read. For more information on inquiry, see Making It Inquiry 9-12 in SciLinks.

Published: Apr-21-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Apr12

Astronomy

This is a timely theme, considering that 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy. And this month's Science Scope is full of relevant teaching ideas and lots of background information, such as simulating the vast spaces in the solar system, working with models of the Earth, incorporating movement into lessons, and finding video resources on Teacher Tube

I must admit that I never had the chance to formally study astronomy in high school or college. But it's been the focus of a lot of my informal learning - in museums, planetariums, observatories, and with my own telescope. It is certainly one of the oldest of human scientific endeavors in many cultures, as described in the article Solar Paths: An International and Integrated Look at the Sun and the Seasons.

Many of us have done lessons on the phases of the moon, but the authors of Inquiry, Argumentation, and the Phases of the Moon show how to embed this content into a lesson on scientific literacy, argumentation, and critical thinking.

For more information on astronomy, check out a special set of websites in SciLinks. One of my favorites here is NASA Quest, which has many learning activities in astronomy and the atmospheric sciences for grades K-12. One of my morning rituals is listening to StarDate program on my local public radio station. At the website, you can listed to the daily program, download a podcasts of the programs, read current astronomy news, and get lesson plans, classroom activities, and lots of visuals. Of course, if you have particular topics in mind related to astronomy, you can log into SciLinks and search for particular keywords.

I'd also suggest two other sources. One of my favorite sites is Windows to the Universe. This site (many sections of which are in the SciLinks database) takes a comprehensive look at the universe and Earth's place in it. There are many graphics, lesson plan ideas, and the site is available in Spanish, too. Another good source is Teachers' Domain. Use the index to get multimedia resources and lesson plan ideas on the topic of "Earth in the Universe."

You don't have to wait for a Science Scope themed issue for update in astronomy. The monthly column "Scope on the Skies" has information and suggestions for classroom activities. The author has his own website Current Skies with monthly star maps and other resources.

But getting back down to Earth…. Who would think playing with a pen (something that I do at meetings that once made my supervisor go crazy!) would inspire a science activity described in Everyday Engineering: What Makes a Bic Click? If you're thinking of including this activity in a study of writing technology, check out the SciLinks topics for pencils and paper. Right now, SciLinks doesn’t have much on how to actually make paper. We'll work on adding some (if you have any suggestions, put the URL in a comment, and we'll take a look at it) but here are some directions for making handmade paper from the Exploratorium.

Published: Apr-12-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Mar22

Data Collection, Display, and Analysis

Cockroaches, fast food, roadkill, rainfall -- the articles in this issue of Science Scope show that middle level science students and teachers can use inquiry skills in studying almost any topic. Collecting, organizing, and analyzing data are important components of inquiry activities and these articles have great teacher-tested examples of how students can organize their observations and findings.

The article Chow Down describes studying the diets of Madagascar hissing cockroaches. I've been in classrooms that had these interesting insects, but most students didn't go beyond the "Ewww" or "Oh Wow" observations. This article has some great ideas and resources for ongoing inquiry activities. These can be supplemented through the SciLinks topic Insects. I especially like Bugs from Museum Victoria in Australia. (I used to get concerned about the use of the word "bugs" until I worked on a project with a research entomologist who used the term all of the time!)

To supplement Big Macs and Healthy Teens? check out Calorie Count from About.com (if you don't mind a few ads). This searchable site has nutritional information on individual food items as well as on menu items from fast food and chain restaurants.

OK, so your state does not have the roadkill records that the students in Roadkill Data Analysis could access. You could replicate this type of investigation with other data sources such as eBird.

SciLinks can provide additional data resources, with websites on a variety of topics such as Collecting Weather Data and Presenting Scientific Data. One of my favorite online tools is Create a Graph from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Let's not forget that we collect data in order to answer questions. The article A Land-Use-Planning Simulation Using Google Earth shows how students investigate questions with state-of-the-art data, and the simulation could be customized for anywhere.

Record Keeping in Science was the theme of the January 2009 issue of Science Scope. Some of the ideas in this journal may also be appropriate or adaptable for older students.

Published: Mar-22-09 | 1 Comment | 0 Links to this post

Mar09

Science for All

Reading this issue's articles on English Language Learners (ELLs) -- Challenges and Solutions for ELLs and Making the Connection -- brought back memories of many students in my classes, but especially of Philippe, who moved to my town from Haiti. Philippe spoke a little English, but no one in our school spoke French or Haitian Creole. He must have felt very lonely and isolated. But one day on a field trip as we were collecting and studying aquatic arthropods, his eyes lit up and he began to share his experiences with crabs and other marine animals. Science provided a connection between Philippe and the other students.

I wish I would have had more resources to share with Philippe -- but this was BI (before the Internet), so we were limited in what materials we could access. This is not the case in 2009! For example, the libraries at Visionlearning have resources that would supplement science units on a variety of topics -- and this website and the resources are available in both English and Spanish. Spanish teachers may be interested in this site, too, to provide reading materials for SLL students (Spanish Language Learners).

And for students who struggle with reading, try searching for topics in SciLinks at a lower grade level. For example, if you're looking for sites for a high school course, also search for the topic at the middle school or upper elementary levels. Many of these are very appropriate for any age group in terms of readability and interest.

Language diversity is not he only kind of diversity in our classrooms. The article Teaching with Multiple Methods in Mind describes ways to address the various learning styles and preferences that students have. There is also a topic in SciLinks with resources on working with Learners with Disabilities.

SciLinks also includes resources for reading and writing in science (although most of the sites at this time deal with reading). For example, LabWrite guides students through the process of writing lab reports. But the article Reflective Writing discusses the use of writing to help students to go beyond lab reports to reflect on what they are actually learning. This type of writing is often recorded in a Science Notebook.

As a sidebar, also check out SciLinks for Dichotomous Keys to supplement the article Classification and the Dichotomous Key. For example, the website What Is the Key to Classification? has more suggestions for helping students to create (as well as use) these keys.

Published: Mar-09-09 | 1 Comment | 0 Links to this post

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