Hi All,
Welcome back to week 2. Be sure to read Ready, Set, Science Chapters 1 and 2 and download the reading guide to word and complete it. Also, Blog about our activities in class as well as the video below by Friday at midnight.
Isn't Evolution Just a Theory?Click on this link to view the video before posting your response. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/11/2/e_s_1.html
Take care,
Dr. E
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Throughout our history there has always been mysteries that spark the innovated human mind to seek an explanation to the question why. Today in class we learned about what constitutes the scientific term "theory". Theory in the non-scientific terminology can mean just a simple guess or hunch to determine a reason why, but theory in the scientific community is so much more. Theories in the scientific world are elaborate logical underpinnings backed up by countless and strenuous research to gather data for support! The amount of work put into collecting data through research will help develop a solid scientific theory, an in-depth explanation to a mystery among countless mysteries of the world.
ReplyDeleteJoe Barth
Ashley Buhr
ReplyDeleteScience Blog January 19 & 21
3 Web resources for science grade 5-8th
One of the web resources I found interesting was at discovery education and one this page of the web site you can find several science fair projects and other projects you could use in the classroom to make science fun and engaging. The web site also tells you as a classroom teacher how you could coordinate a science fair!
- http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/
I also found a web site that would be a good one to have at a center in the classroom. At this center students could work independently or in a small group to solve science problems or explore on the web site.
- http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids/
As a student I always enjoyed watching Bill Nye the science guy and found his videos fun and very informational. I found this web site where you can download several of the Bill Nye videos to show in the classroom. This would be a great way to introduce a new topic or to end a topic.
- http://www.billnye.com/for-kids-teachers/episode-guides/
Video—Isn’t Evolution Just a Theory
This video introduces the term “theory” and states that is the heart of science. Also a theory is described as a prediction or something yet we have to discover fully. In addition, to definition of theory the video talks about Darwin’s theory of evolution and how his theory will not change. The video also stresses that theories are constantly changing and being amended and that we use theories to make sense of the natural world that we live in.
Tuesday January 19th
Today in class we learned about the importance of teaching science and the scientific term "theory". We learned that with scientific knowledge we are empowered to become participants rather than merely observers and also that it is important that we get our students experimenting and exploring in science. At the end of class we also did an activity with “The Fish Story” and we came up with our own conclusions and then worked as teams to come up with one explanation to share with the class.
Thursday January 21st
We talked about the importance of the four learning strands today and how we could use them in our own classrooms. In addition, we also talked about content and processes and the difference among the two being the accumulated results apposed to the skills that the students are expected to gain. We also did an activity during class where we worked in our groups to solve a nature of science problem with few directions. I found our results to not be very accurate because we did not use a height distance nor did we use the same water sprinkler.
Brooke Edman
ReplyDeleteIn class this week we learned about theories and how important it is to teach science. We learned that it is important to become a participant and not just an observer. We also learned about the four strands of learning and how to use them in our classroom. We also did an activity that was designed to get us thinking in a different way. There were very few directions and we had to change some of the directions in order to get the activity to work. Our results were pretty accurate since we used the same sprinkler and we all stood in the same spot.
I found the video on theory to be very interesting. The video explained more in depth about the term theory and how it is the heart of science. It talked about how we always use theories to make sense of the things around us.
The 3 websites that I found are:
brainpop.com which allows students to learn about all different types of science areas. There are videos they can watch and also read about different areas of science. This website also has other content areas, so it would be possible to incorporate throughout the rest of the classroom.
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/ is another one that I found. This website has games, animals, videos, and activities on it. This website I would use as a center in my classroom.
Another website that I would use would be www.discoveryeducation.com This website has information for parents, lesson plan ideas, and activities for the students. This website would not only help the students but also the teacher and their parents.
On Tuesday, I learned several different teaching methods that could be used in the classroom. For example, we discussed using a minute paper to allow students to give feedback or report what they have learned. I believe the One Minute Paper would be helpful as a teacher to check for student understanding. As a future teacher, I may have my students complete a One Minute Paper every Friday to check if the students could understand the basic concepts of each content area.
ReplyDeleteOn Thursday, we completed an activity about the Process of Scientific Inquiry. I found this activity to be difficult because the instructions were not clear. Also, I tried to follow the instructions exactly, but later I understood that this activity needed to be modified to each group’s understanding. The activity was much easier to complete when my group formulated a plan that made sense to each of us. Following the activity, we were able to discuss our results with each other and understand the variation in our data. I believe teachers should allow their students to explore and discover when completing science experiments and activities. As a future teacher, I will allow my students to demonstrate their understanding of a concept in various ways.
I would use the following websites in my classroom to teach various science concepts.
http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=9762
This website could be used in my classroom to teach students about Newton’s Law. The website shows how NASCAR can be related to science topics such as speed, acceleration, friction, conservation of energy, etc. http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=9419
I would use the next website to teach my students about light. Students in 6th-8th grade could learn about wave length, different types of waves, and movement of light.
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/lsps07.sci.phys.energy.heattransfer/
Finally, I would suggest using the following website to teach a group of 6th-8th grade students about the transfer of heat. Students could learn about conduction, convection, and radiation by completing this activity and explore the different places where heat may be transferred.
Isn't Evolution Just a Theory? Click on this link to view the video before posting your response.
Similar to other theories, scientists use inferences to infer about possible causes to scientific information and concepts. Even though most scientific concepts are challenged, scientists are continuously studying every theory (gravity, evolution, etc) to continue to make sense of the world in which we live in. Since theories are constantly changing, scientists are continuously updating their theories. The video states how a theory is based on a prediction, much like an inference, but always changing, because theories will always have new information to discover.
I found a bunch of really great resources at http://thephysicsfront.org, what a great resource for science teachers! There were links to a lot of other really great sites and tons of lesson plans. I found a really great one on motion for grades K-2. I can defiantly see myself using this in the future. They had 18 really great unit topics that I know could be extremely useful when I have my own classroom. I especially enjoyed all the tools they have for teachers to use on their site such as the file cabinet which is great for keep everything you find on the site organized so you can easily find it again when you want to use it for class.
ReplyDeleteThe Video:
I thought that the video was really interesting. I think it was really well put together and that it would keep the interest of children. The video did a really great job explaining what a scientific theory was in a way that children could understand however, I don’t know if it is something I would show in my classroom.
Class Thursday:
The water activity we did in class today was a little frustrating in the beginning, but as we talked about it was meant to help us develop as independent thinkers and draw our own conclusions from the information we are given.
We didn’t have much luck with the water dropper we had from the start but when we got out plastic animals we were in business!
Class Tuesday:
I feel the activity we did on Tuesday was something I would use in my classroom. It’s a really great way to record the thoughts of every member of a group instead of just the person writing. I also think that it helps children develop ideas and express their individual opinions and develop them as a group. It’s a really great group project that can be used in a variety of ways and in all classes not just science.
-Courtney Lerew
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWebsite:
ReplyDeleteThe website is a great place for teachers to find lesson plans, ideas and other references for the classroom. One great website I found on the website is called Welcome to the Planets (http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/), which would be great to use with middle school students learning about the planets. I also found a great lesson plan on Newton’s First Law and Inertia (http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/phy03.sci.phys.mfw.lp_galileo/). I like how it involves videos that students can watch plus an interactive simulation that the students can do. It makes a difficult concept more fun! The third page I found which would be helpful and give me some great ideas was on color vision (http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=4592). I like this lesson because it has a simulation for the students to do also. This page would be for 5th through 8th graders. I like how students can have a visual on this concept as well since it does have to do with vision. I also like this lesson involves the students and has them learn by doing not by listening. It will help more students understand the concept. It was awesome that physicsfront.org has links to other websites and lessons that could be helpful in the classroom. I like that all of the lessons and websites I picked had visuals for students to look at.
Video:
I liked the video on theories and evolution. I like how they brought the two together and made them work together. I liked how they showed how a theory relates to evolution. I also like how the video explained what a theory and evolution are. I also like how they give examples of many theories not just evolution. I would use this video in my classroom. I think it is a good student friendly video that would be helpful for students.
Class on Tuesday:
I like the ideas we discussed in class on Tuesday. I thought the Fish Story was a fun way for students to learn and respect other people’s opinions. I also thought this activity was helpful because students will have to work with other students in their group and come to conclusions as a group. The group had to agree to everything in the middle, which made the students learn together.
Class on Thursday:
Today’s activity was extremely difficult for me. The directions were vague and confusing. All through out the lesson I did not know if I was doing it correctly or not and it frustrated me. It shows me that when I am writing up labs and the activities for my students that I need to be precise and give clear directions. I think this activity was important for us future teachers to do because we saw how students feel when they do not get something taught in class. I think it is important for teachers to remember how it feels to be frustrated like students do. It helps them remember what it is like and helps them become better teachers.
Websites:
ReplyDeletehttp://sciencespot.net/Pages/classearthlsn.html This is a website I could see myself using in the future to get ideas for lessons while I teach science.
http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/interact-science.htm this website is for the students to get interactive with science, if there was any spare time I think this is a great website for students to browse on.
http://www.kidsites.com/sites-edu/science.htm This is also a great site for students to look at and explore. There are different things that I could teach the students and have them interact with the lesson.
Video:
I thought that the video was very interesting, and it made me think. It was very benefical and informational. It gave a good definition of what a theory is and what evolution is. This is a video that I would feel comfortable showing my future students.
Tuesday:
We worked on the fish experiment, which I think would be fun for students to work on because they get to explore different parts of nature. It is always a great way to get the students to interact with one another and learn team work skills.
Thursday:
I thought our class learned a lot today about instruction. We are all so used to the teacher saying "this is what you will do..." but Thursday we had to do it the way we thought, and that bothered me because I am used to the teacher giving directions, but it was a great experience and I think that students need to learn on to do things on their own, it helps them learn.
Tuesday
ReplyDeleteIn class on Tuesday we took some notes and examined the difference between what is evidence and what is theory. We also did the fish story activity. Then we compared what we thought the story meant to the rest of the people in our groups. The benefits of working in a group are that it helps you look at things from someone else’s point of view and may help you build and add to your own ideas.
Thursday
Thursday we did some more notes discussing the four strands of science and how it is important to put the students into the shoes of a scientist and urge them to think on their own and outside the box. Then we did the lab activity. I was a little confused exactly about what to do. What I took out of it is that there can be multiple ways to conduct an experiment. If there was only one precise way then it wouldn’t really be an experiment.
Video
I think the video was good. It would be great for students. When it explained a definition it used visuals and examples to help make the connection. It also showed some of the hard work and dedication that goes into creating theories and studying science.
Websites
http://scorescience.humboldt.k12.ca.us/fast/kids.htm this site is great for kids to go to. It has links to many activities and is complete with pictures and videos. http://www.kids.gov/ this site was great because it had links for both educators and students. The teacher could pick a lesson and then have the students use the resources online to compliment it. http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/pages/teacherzone/websites.asp I really liked this site. It had so many different types of science you could choose from to learn about. It also had games and activities for the stuents.
Video: The video on evolution was interesting. I think it defined more clearly what we are going to be learning and have been learning in science methods class. I think it was good to see the links they made between theories and evolution and how they explained each in detail to add further meaning. Overall i thought the video clip was a good way to connect the dots with what we are learning and are going to be learning.
ReplyDeleteWebsites:
http://sciencespot.net/Pages/classroom.html
The first web resource that i found was the science spot.It had a lot of valuable resources for teachers and students to use. You can find science trivia, puzzles, lesson plans, and nature centers. I think that all of these options available on this website could be useful for teachers and very interesting for students to explore with.
http://www.kids.gov/
The second web resource i found was Kids.gov and i think this site would be fun for students and helpful for teachers. It has all of the science levels sorted according to grades and it allows students to research about scientists, living things, energy, our planet, and space and flight. I think these are all topics that would interest students. Offering your students websites like this allows children opportunities to experiment and have fun with science.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/games/levelfour/KC_Spinoffs_Hidden_Pictures.html
The third website i found was the NASA kids' club and i found this website to be very interesting. This site allows you to pick the level to which you want to get engaged and it allows you to do all sorts of activities. Some of the activities i found interesting were the ones about building your own rocket, reading about expeditions, and to search for spinoffs clues.
Class on tuesday was a different way to get involved with science. By reading the story and putting what we thought the story meant in our own opinions it allows you to view the story in different ways which i feel is very important. If you can give students the opportunity to learn from one another they will learn to respect and value one anothers opinions and ideas.
Class on thursday was a little bit frustrating. When we were given the handout on the experiment that we were supposed to do i was confused and had no idea where to start but after we played around with the activity we learned that there was not one "right" way to do the experiment.I learned by this activity that we need to let our students know what they are expected and to give them guidance so they do not get frustrated and give up. By doing this activity it will help me become a better teacher because i will always remember the times i was frustrated and did not know what to do without my teachers assistance.
3 websites for science
ReplyDeleteThis site offers a lot of information on various topics in science. The site offers not only information on different science topics, but also has games and activities for the students to play, as well as links to other educational sites on different topics that students or teachers can use. http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/index.html
This site takes a detailed look at the celestial bodies in our solar system. It covers everything from the planets and sun, the moons surrounding the planets, and even goes on to give information about planets and other bodies outside our solar system. This website would be a god place for teachers to get detailed information about the planets or could probably be used for middle school students to do research on the planets. http://www.nineplanets.org/
This website has a lot of information on agricultural science and presents it in an interactive and fun way for students. Teachers can go through the many links on the site with the class or students can go through it individually for research or for fun. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids/
In class this week we learned about the reasons to teach science well and how because of this need the way science is being taught has begun to change. We also learned the definitions of the terms theory and hypothesis, and how their meanings can differ from the scientific world and the regular world. We also learned the definitions of content and processes and how one is the accumulated results of science, while the other is the skills students must master. We were also presented with the four strands of learning that students must acquire in order to become proficient in science. For activities we did a mat activity for the fish story where we worked as a group to come up with ideas and then shared them with the class. For the other activity we had to figure out how to hit a target with water 50% of the time from various distances. The instructions provided left a lot for us to decide so most groups went about it differently.
I think the video did a good job of explaining how the definition of theory can change depending on who is using the term. It was nice that the video didn’t just stick with the theory of evolution, but also explained the theory of gravity, which was a good way of showing that a theory is based on fact and not just an idea. It was also nice that the video said that as new evidence is accumulated the theories are refined but they don’t change.
3 websites:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.popsci.com/ this is a cool site that talks about new and evolutionary things that deal with science and popular science. I would use this site to spark interest in the classroom about science and how it has changed throughout the years. This website gives you the latest and the greatest which I like and I think students would also like.
http://www.questacon.edu.au/ this is a great website for children that want to have fun with science it has games and also really neat pictures which draw children to this website. I would use this website if we had some free time so children could explore the vast world of science.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/ this website is really good for experiments in the science field. I would use this site all the time for making experiments. It shows you the materials you need to do experiments. Also the materials for these experiments are house hold materials which is make this website great for a small budget like in many classrooms.
Video:
This is a great video that talks about theory. Theories pull together laws, observations, inferences, and hypothesis. With all of these ideas being pulled together theories can be changed and manipulated when new findings or discoveries are made. Some of the theories that have been changed throughout the world are the sun revolves around the earth, when actually the earth revolves around the sun. the video describes in great detail the differences on theories in the real world and also in the scientific world.
Tuesday
On Tuesday we took notes over theory and why it is important to teach inside of the classroom. We also did an activity that involved the fish story. Where we read the fish story and then discussed in our groups what we thought the story meant to us. After we discussed in the group we had to as a group what we thought was the meaning of the story. This process of group work made us see why it is important compromise and come on common terms of what the main idea of the story was, it also brought groups closer together.
Thursday
On Thursday we looked at the power point over the four strands of science and why it is important for our students to think outside of the box when thinking about science. After we discussed the four stands we did a lab on squirting water on a target. The instructions for this lab were very lose in interpretation so you could really make the experiment any way you way you wanted to. This made me think of thinking outside of the box when thinking of science, there really isn’t a right or wrong way to this experiment as long as you were accurate with your squirting.
Jessica Wilson
ReplyDeleteClass 1/19-
From the PowerPoint we learned reasons to teach science well, about a new paradigm, what scientists really do, as well as some important terms. The new paradigm refers to the idea that students should be using more inquiry in science and answering their own questions rather than the teacher guiding them through everything. Along with this, students will learn that scientists use a process that begins with developing a hypothesis, and then forming an experiment to test their hypothesis. During the Placemat activity we read a passage from a story and then divided a piece of paper into portions for each table member to record their understanding of the passage. This activity was done to give us an idea of a strategy to use in our classrooms with our students to spark discussion and student engagement. Along with this activity we received a hand-out on the Minute Paper strategy. In this strategy students are given a few questions and asked to answer them and then turning them in with or without their names on them. Through these answers a teacher can see if students understand the lesson being taught or if they need more work on it.
Class 1/21-
From chapter 2 we learned about a new way of teaching student’s science. For a student to be successful in science, the book suggests that they need to understand the difference between content and processes, and then understand that they are inextricably linked. With this new way of thinking comes 4 learning strands. These four strands try to explain the necessary reasoning skills and knowledge that students need to be successful in science. The activity we participated in was The Process of Scientific Inquiry where we were given little instruction of how to perform the task, but while struggling through to solve the experiment practiced the four learning strands. We did this experiment to put ourselves into the shoes of our students so that we can understand that they may become frustrated with the task we give them, but it is important to continue to encourage them to try and solve it themselves.
3 Resources-
1)Taking Science To School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8 by Richard A. Duschl, Heidi A. Schweingruber, and Andrew W. Shouse
-This would be more of a resource for me on things to do with my students to guide them through their learning and keeping them engaged. Similar to our textbook for this class, it suggests strategies to use with students while allowing them to practice inquiry and answering their own questions.
2)Newton’s Law http://www.pitt.edu/~dwilley/Show/newton.html by David Willey
-This is a website that lists activities for student’s to explore on Newton’s Laws, Heat, Air Pressure, Electricity, and Energy & Pressure. I would use this website for ideas of activities to use to explain some concepts and theories to students. Some activities students can do, and some would need to be done as a demonstration, but having the students still solve why the activity turns out the way it does and applying the concept or theory to it.
3)PhET Simulation: Color Vision http://phet.colorado.edu/simulations/sims.php?sim=Color_Vision
-This interactive simulation explains how people see colors. It can be used to explain to students how we see color, and possibly why some don’t. It can be used with topics such as light, radiation, spectrum, photons, white light, and monochromatic. I would use this as a demonstration in class.
Video-
This video discusses the fact that just because evolution can’t be seen necessary, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. Like gravity, it’s not something you can see, but with the theory it explains something within our natural world. Over time evolution can be seen as we and other living things adapt to the environment they live in. I enjoyed the video, it was short therefore I was able to stay engaged and gain something from it.
Three Awesome Websites:
ReplyDeletehttp://stardate.org/teachers/activities/
This is a pretty cool website that, I believe, will inspire the students to look up towards the stars and become deeply enthralled with the science branch of Astronomy! This site contains activities of the cooperative problem solving nature and is broken up into three grade branches: K-4, 5-8, and 9-12. I could use the problem solving actives such as scale models to allow the students to ponder about sizes and distances of objects in space! Students are congregated into many groups and must create two mystery objects based on their imaginations. After this they challenge other groups to measure the distances of these objects in the solar system, which can be scaled to be the classroom environment! I thought that was awesome. All activities within this site are scripted but set up to be modified to the best of your imagination!
http://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/waves.htm
Ah yes the waves produced in water. Everyone has experienced firsthand or through the television this magnificent phenomenon of nature. I believe that the 5th grade is an ample point in a child's life to learn about WHAT is actually occurring when this happens. Long ago I remember visiting the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit at the New York Museum of Natural History. Da Vinci was a well rounded individual in both linking art with science, and my jaw dropped when we came to his wave exhibit! This man studied the movement of water by having it somehow magnified up so you can vividly see the rippling motions produced by a single drop of water. I would very much love for my students to experience the thrill of discovering how and why this occurs. This is a rather informative, baseline foundation website... a great start on gathering answers for a good science activity to teach my class.
http://www.imss.fi.it/index.html
The Institute and Museum of the History of Science is located in Florence, Italy.
Florence. The cradle of scientific inquiry. The birthplace of one of the greatest movements that inspired innovated thinkers to push humankind out of the deep depths of ignorance towards a world of questioning and seeking answers. This is a great Italian (but in English!) website to serve as an educational resource. This combines history and science to produce the history of science! I think incorporating the copious amounts of ideas from this website is a great way to psych up your students towards a positive view on how science has constantly shaped humankind, for better or worst.
Joe Barth
Class on Thursday:
ReplyDelete"So ya thought ya might like to go to the show. To feel the warm thrill of confusion, that space cadet glow."
These lyrics from a Pink Floyd album best summed up our classroom experience last Thursday! Groups were given a set of directions to follow but chaos ensured once we all realized that the directions did not match the given materials. Once we got to the target creation step we were thrown into a state of confusion! Each group to the initiative and worked on it from their unique perspective on the scientific process for this activity. At the conclusion of the activity I think we were still confused but the class held reflection lifted the fog. An individual from another group suggested that shift from teacher centered to student centered classrooms with an emphasis on problem based learning approaches is going to be a lot tougher than we heard. No doubt I agree with that statement as it is imperative for students to learn to take the initiative, especially in the scientific classroom setting! We the teachers must be ever vigilant in making sure that we are seen for in-depth guidance; gently activating and guiding the students' metacognitional skills while being reluctant to just cave in and tell them how to do something. Defeat the ambiguities that arise from learned helplessness through teaching the act of taking initiative for one's own sake. Of course, in order to beat the confusion of learned helplessness I am going to have to enhance my ability to go beyond the rules and look at things from a different perspective and take initiative. A solid foundation to my philosophy of teaching.
Joe Barth
3 Resources
ReplyDelete• http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=6015
I would use the activity in the link above to teach eighth grade students about wind energy. This activity has students construct a wind turbine. This activity may take several days to complete, but I feel the students would really have a fun time with it, and the teacher could incorporate other types and sources of energy along with learning about wind energy. With all of the wind here in South Dakota, I think this would be a fun activity to help teach students about wind energy and alternative forms of energy as well.
• http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=6709
I would use the activity from the link above to teach students about rockets and astronomy. Most likely, I would use this activity for seventh grade students. This would be a great activity to help students learn more about how rockets have evolved. In addition, the teacher could introduce other topics related to astronomy, visit a space museum, and do other fun activities to go along with learning about rockets and how they have evolved over time.
• http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=9127
In the activity listed above, the students learn about infrared. It shows how heat radiation is emitted from things with temperatures and this radiation is captured using infrared photography. The pictures allow students to see how heat is given off by each object in the picture and also see the conduction of heat from objects. I think this would be a great activity to use with seventh or eighth grade students to help them see the heat being emitted through the use of photography.
Class Descriptions
1/19/2010
• Today in class we went over the importance of being active participants in science rather than observers. Additionally, we learned that it is important to teach science well and the four reasons to teach science well. Moreover, we learned that scientists use a variety of methods to develop hypotheses, models, and formal and informal theories along with collecting data using a variety of tools. Also, we learned some important vocabulary words that are used in science such as theory and hypothesis. Lastly, we did the fish story activity which showed us all how we have preconceived notions and bring with us prior knowledge on topics. Furthermore, we learned how to use the strategy of the minute paper to help students understand a topic before moving onto a new topic which is especially important. Overall, I learned a lot during this class period and believe that the minute paper will be a useful strategy to try in the classroom to get some immediate feedback on whether or not the class is ready to move on.
1/21/2010
• While in class today, we learned some important definitions that will come up a lot in science and how the definitions are alike. As a teacher, it is important for our students to think of science as a process of building theories from evidence to help them use scientific skills. Furthermore, we discussed the four learning strands. These are understanding scientific explanations, generating scientific evidence, reflecting on scientific knowledge, and participating productively in science. If students are capable of learning the knowledge and skills associated with these strands, they will be proficient in science. After completing the lecture portion of class, we conducted the process of scientific inquiry experiment. While this experiment was frustrating at first, our group soon realized that the directions were not laid out for us, and we had to modify them to our own understanding to make the experiment work. Our group was successful in completing the activity once we caught on and developed a course of action. Overall, I learned that trial and error is a huge part of science and teaches us to use our critical thinking skills.
-Melissa Ottenbacher
(sorry for 2 posts but it wouldn't all post in one)
ReplyDeleteVideo-Isn’t Evolution Just a Theory
• This video discussed how theories are the heart of science. I enjoyed the video and its discussion on how theories are used in science. Going back to Darwin, the video talked about natural selection and how living things adapt to new changes in the world in order to survive. Darwin compared evolution to a tree of life with all organisms having one common ancestor. I found it interesting when it was mentioned that a lot of times we feel we need to be able to see something in order to believe in it. The movie related this to the example of gravity and how we can’t see gravity, but we can see its effects on objects all around us. However, very few people don’t believe in the theory of gravity. Overall, I learned a lot about the definition of theory and inferences, which are conclusions that can be drawn from available evidence. Furthermore, I learned that scientists are always gathering data and collecting research to more fully understand our world.
-Melissa Ottenbacher
Three Web Resources
ReplyDelete1. www.sciencekids.co.n2/experiments.html - I would use this website to find many activities that I could do with my students and, hopefully, spark their interest in science.
2. www.brainpop.com/science - This website has a lot of topics that I will probably use when I am teaching, so therefore I can use this site to enhance my teaching. As well, it has some interesting things to read about and possibly videos to watch if one registers.
3. pbs.kids.org/zoom/activities/sci - This website has a wide variety of activities that students can do in the classroom. Therefore, I would use some of these activities in my classroom for the topics I would be teaching.
Isn't Evolution Just a Theory?
The focus of this video was to have people think about what a "theory" really means. As was mentioned, we use it in everyday language as being something that is just a hunch. However, in science, a theory means so much more. A theory is, in very general terms, an idea that has been supported and not discredited. Therefore, people cannot simply brush off the idea because a theory is powerful is science, such as with the example of gravity the video showed.
Class Discussions/Activities
Tuesday(01/19) - In class, the most important parts of the discussion we had was learning about the importance of teaching science, since it allows students to become knowledgeable participants in the world, and learning what a theory is "an idea that is supported so much that it is very unlikely to be discredited." For our activity, we read a story about a fish who made predictions of a world he had never seen based what he did know. So, people looked like fish who walked. As a result, we were able to understand that people take new ideas and connect them to knowledge they already have.
Thursday (01/21) - The most important part of the discussion was knowing what the four strands were: understanding scientific explanations, generating scientific evidence, reflecting on scientific knowledge, and participating productively in science. For our activity, we created targets and attempted to shoot at them on the floor with water at 50% accuracy. Through this activity, our group learned a different way to teach science by not having the directions so laid out for the students and giving them a chance to have to figure some things out for themselves.
Danielle Bolin
ReplyDelete1/19:
Class was focused on discussing a new vision of science. Previous views of science illustrate men in white coats, doing experiments, and talking above the average individual. It is necessary for students to create a new perception of this topic for a variety of reasons. According to our text, ‘science can improve the quality of life on a global scale. Science provides a foundation for the development of language, logic, and problem-solving skills. Science creates a demand for people to make decisions of their own, for their community and nation.’ Also, science vocabulary was discussed. An example discussed in class was theory – in day to day terms – refers to guessing, and making predictions. In science, the term refers to making educated description of, and predictor for phenomena.
1/21:
The class time was spent discussing the four strands of science. These strands are important because they describe the new vision of science. Science focuses heavily on content and process, both of which have been viewed as two separate aspects of science. Previously, science viewed content as observations, facts, and theories. Processes are simply viewed as skills that students were expected to master. Now, these two concepts are intertwined under the ‘new vision’ of science. The strands suggest that students can gain conceptual knowledge of science when given the chance to “do” science. Students are better able to connect with the topic when they are actively engaged in the materials. The activity completed during class was used to help us as future educators imitate what students go through as they attempt to understand science at a deeper level.
Video:
The video was a great educational tool and very interesting. The video focuses on the fundamentals of science such as theories and inferences. The video is also interesting in that it discusses Darwin’s theories and discusses how theories change over time.
Websites:
http://library.thinkquest.org/3696/index2.htm - this website allows students to investigate the topic of genetics through games, lessons, quizzes, etc.
http://www.esa.int/esaKIDSen/SEM2WKXJD1E_Earth_0.html - this website teaches students about pollution, its effects and facts. It also uses labs and games to present his message.
http://scifiles.larc.nasa.gov/kids/Problem_Board/problems/weather/index.html - this website talks about meteorology/weather and takes students through a scientific process as they explore and learn.
3 Web resources for science grade 5-8th
ReplyDeleteOne web page I found interesting was this one called Cycles of the Earth and Atmosphere: Introduction to the Atmosphere. On this site there is a module for grades 5-8 about the Earth’s atmosphere. There is information for teachers to use for the module in regards to background information for teachers on atmospheric gases and their properties, explains how energy is transferred between the earth's surface and the atmosphere, and discusses the role ocean currents play in transferring heat. There are also links to classroom activities with labs on radiation, conduction, convection, and the water cycle. I think this site would be a good way to help my students explore what makes up the atmosphere of the Earth and how it can affect our daily lives.
http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_1_1.htm
This site was one I thought would be a good resource for my students because it would be a helpful tool for students to develop and finalize their research questions for project-based learning. With this resource, students can create outlines of their topics and subtopics, and narrow down their choices before they begin working on their project. With ThinkTank, my students would be able to write out the information for their projects in a fashion that encourages problem solving and higher order thinking.
http://thinktank.4teachers.org/
This website would be a great source for subject matter related to science in the middle school classroom. The Canada Science and Technology Museum: School Zone has 17 different lesson plans for the science classroom on topics such as astronomy, electricity, sound and music, energy, light, magnets, simple machine, structures and shapes, and space. The units on this site contain background information, hands-on lessons that emphasize problem solving. The site also has links to relevant reference materials on the theme of each lesson. In my classroom, I would use this site to find interesting lesson ideas for my students on many different areas of science.
http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/english/schoolzone/tellmeabout.cfm
Video—Isn’t Evolution Just a Theory
In the video, the term ‘theory’ is defined as the heart of science. It explains how a theory doesn’t necessarily mean that it isn’t true, like gravity. I liked how in explaining the components of a theory they stated that theories can be amended, but they will continue to exist regardless of new data. I felt the video covered the important parts that make up the theory of evolution and I would definitely show it to my students in the future.
Thursday January 21st
Today we covered the four strands of scientific learning. We went over how important it is to use these strands in the classroom, giving the student a chance to be their own scientist.
During the lab activity we worked in groups to solve the problem of hitting a target with a dropper of water. Since the directions were vague, the groups were given a chance to think outside the box and put their own spin on the activity. Each group interpreted the directions differently, so everyone came up with different results. Our results turned out to be quite accurate because we had the same person drop from each height and we dropped from above the targets on the floor and we didn’t shoot at them like a squirt gun.
-3 websites-
ReplyDeleteThe first website that I would use in a 5th-8th grade level classroom would be National Geographic because this website provides many articles, activities, and pictures about the planet earth which could aid in lessons on geography, earth science, and life sciences. The second website I would use in a 5th – 8th grade level classroom would be the Discovery Education website because it provides classroom resources for teachers, activities for the classroom, and lesson plans for the science classroom. The third website I would use in a 5th- 8th grade level classroom Science Channel website from Discovery because it provides games, videos, and articles regarding various areas and concepts of science.
-Video-
This video definitely visually portrays how scientists view and use the word theory and how I related to how often I use the term theory in everyday life, just as explained in the beginning of the video. I believe that evolution is a very interesting theory that is based on inferences which have been made throughout history and the most discoveries scientists are finding beneath the earth is constantly adding to those inferences. However, there are those that do not believe in evolution which leads to the controversy over science and religious beliefs. I believe this video was very interesting and effective in showing the different vocabulary usages of the term “theory”.
-Tuesday-
In class on Tuesday, January 19th, we were able to begin discussion on how to begin thinking like a scientist and engage in the “Fish Story” activity. It was so interesting to see how everyone at my table came up with a different interpretation of the story! It was a good portrayal of the differences in thinking and critical thinking that occurs at my table. I also thought it was interesting how the table next to us drew their interpretations; another very creative critical thinking approach to interpretation. There were many directions that interpretations could have gone through this activity and to me it seemed like an appropriate lower elementary approach to identifying and making predictions through text.
-Thursday-
On Thursday we continued taking notes which focuses primarily on scientific content and processes and understanding the difference between the two. The activity we were able to do was the engage as a group in “The Process of Scientific Inquiry” activity. This was an interesting activity because we were not given many directions from the instructor. We were informed as to the materials we were required during the activity and the instructor took a step back and watched the students; allowing the students to work more independently. It was interesting to see how frustrated students got during the activity because there were questions as to how to begin, conduct, and complete the activity without the step-by-step instruction from the teacher. I recognized how students felt the activity was unstructured, but it is activities like this that show how much we have to learn as future teachers. We need to learn how complete a given activity independently if we expect our future students to be able to do the same. I liked the activity and thought it was interesting to be in control of the lesson.
From the Evolution video:
ReplyDeleteThe video talked about theories which are hypotheses, inferences, laws, and observations that are constantly challenged. Some people believe you need to see it for it to be true, but like gravity you cannot see, but its effects are obvious. Scientists make predictions to travel, heal the sick, and explore the universe. The video also talked about inferences which are conclusions drawn from available evidence.
In Class Activities:
On Tuesday we did the placement activity and the minute paper. We read the fish story which talked about how teaching and learning needs to relevant and relatable. When someone is taught something new, they relate it to what they already know like the fish does with the bird and the cow. On Thursday, we did the Process of Scientific Inquiry activity. We set up three targets and shot water at each target set 3 meters apart. Our group decided that the experiment depends on variables such as size of the target, droppers, distance, and amount of water in the shooters. The further the target is out the harder it is to aim and make.
Video:
ReplyDeleteI thought the video was very relevant to what we are talking about in class. The video gave a good definition and example of the term theory. Although some theories may seem very believable and they are still theories and may or may not be correct. Using evolution to explain this definition was very appopriate. I thought this video was interesting, however, I am not sure I would use it in my classroom because of the controversy it may cause.
Websites:
The website I found had multiple links to other websites. The original link is KidSites.com and linked to many other websites that allowed students to explore with physics, play science related games, and find answers to questions they may have. I think this is a great website and could be very useful in the elementary classroom.
Tuesday:
On Tuesday we took notes about the important reasons to teach science and how science education is changing and being taught differently today than it ever has. We also did an activity with "A Fish Story." This activity involved each group to read the story and then discuss what we learned. We divided a sheet of paper in three ways leaving a triangle in the middle. Each of us used a section of the paper to write our thoughts about the story. The middle section was for us to write what we thought as a whole group. Our group concluded that the story related to the classroom. When someone is taught something new, they relate it to what they already know. Both teaching and learning should be relevant and relateable to teh student otherwise he or she most likely will not grasp the information. I thought this was a great group activity and helped to put things into perspective.
Thursday:
In class we continued to take notes about the new way of teaching in Science. Dr. Ezrailson mentioned that the hands-on approach is more effective to students. I completely agree with this idea and I believe that Science should always be taught with a hands-on approach. We also completed another group activity called "The Process of Scientific Inquiry." This activity involved measuring and drawing targets on paper and throwing drops of water towards the targets. At first, our group was very frustrated because we did not understand the directions on teh paper and encountered problems measuring the targets. After we looked around and sort of figured out what was going on we were able to continue. Our aim was pretty accurate on our targets. Although we were frustrated to start out with, I realized the point to this activity was for us to discover and investigate on our own. By taking risks we were able to learn. This is definitely a method I would like to relay in my future classroom. With practice and patience, the students will be able to learn and grow from their mistakes.
N. Meghan Weeg
tuesday we read the fish story and discussed how prior knowledge is what we build all new knowledge on. thursday we did the tear dropper experiment. everyone had their undies in a bundle. frustration and confusion were driving forces that got most groups to question each other and Dr. E until each group figured out a way to go about doing the project. apparently this was all a ploy to get each of us to see how people learn and adapt to situations. also, it showed us what situations NOT to put our future students in.
ReplyDeletewww.epa.gov/recyclecity
i have based a lesson off of this website. it's a great interactive site to use when covering environmental science. i used it in a 4th grade classroom.
www.billnye.com/for-kids-teachers/home-demos/
i love bill nye. pretty much the only lessons i remember from science were bill nye based. here's his website!
http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/
zoom is a great show too- it is interactive and intriguing to students.
isn't evolution just a theory?:
the video was interesting to watch. it gives a very good explanation of theory/theories.