Ask A Scientist~

Ask a scientist, http://www.askascientist.org/ is a website that connects someone to some of the top scientists in the country, and each of them is connected to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. They can answer questions about medicine, human biology, animals, biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, or evolution. During the second week of my class I posted a question about how the human brain cells regenerate. I have waited for the last five weeks to hear back from a scientist, but still have not got an answer.

The idea behind this website is one I like because it can connect our students to real scientists. It also features other people’s questions and answers, science fair projects, careers in science, and homework help. I would give my students this link at the beginning of the year so they can use it as a resource when needed for homework help or other ideas.

Water Cycle Lesson Review

The objective of this week’s lesson was for students to understand the water cycle and be able to explain how it affects out area. This was done by giving students a blank handout of the water cycle and their task was to label and fill in facts while watching a video and through class discussions. We then created a model of the water cycle by using a large bowl, coffee cup, and plastic wrap. When put out in the sun the water from the bowl should evaporate and then condense on the plastic wrap and fall into the coffee cup. Their final assessment was to write a story of a drop of water as it moves through the water cycle including each phase using PowerPoint.

Overall I could consider this lesson to be a success. Students were able to fill out their handout on the water cycle with important facts after watching the video and through class discussion.  Students were able to create the model and explain how the model represents the water cycle. I know students were able to do what I wanted because they have correctly labeled their handout and were able to explain how their model worked using the new concepts they learned.

Students enjoyed the video because it showed computer images created by NASA on the water cycle. Unfortunately, it did not give very much information. Through discussion as a class and a review game of the water cycle I found students were able to get the information they needed. Next time I teach this lesson I would still show the NASA video, but I would also find another one that provided students with more information. I also noticed that my students need more work on their note taking skills. They were provided with definitions that they either did not write down or wrote it down word for word. Students need to learn to get down important facts quickly because some teachers will not wait. They also clearly need to work on their spelling. Even though the words were written in the video and on the board they still did not spell them correctly. Next time I will plan ahead and add these words to their spelling list for the week.

Overall, using the backward design process worked well for me. I liked thinking of what I wanted the students to be able to do by the end of the lesson, the questions asked to lead them there, and what they will be able to do. It was hard to think of an assessment before coming up with the learning process that would lead up to that. However, in the end I found it was easier to write the learning activity when I knew where it was going to lead. Overall it was a successful lesson and with small adjustments it will be more successful next year.

Earth's Layers Lesson Review

The objectives of this lesson was for students to be able to identify the crust, mantle, outer core and inner core, describe the crust, mantle, outer core and inner core, and create a model of the layers of the earth. The lesson was introduced by students using knowledge they gained prior to think of how an apple can be used as a model of the earth. Students then constructed a graphic organizer during the lesson that contained the layers of the earth, labels, and a place to write extra facts. Students then showed what they had learned by creating their own model of the earth using ay supplies they could find in the classroom.

Overall I would consider this lesson a success. Students were actively engaged and participating in the activities and discussions. Students were intrigued by the idea that an apple can be used as a model of the earth. Students seemed to enjoy creating their own graphic organizer. They showed this by staying on task, following directions, and we using the new concepts correctly as they were putting it together. Students seemed to pick up on the new concepts quickly and those that were struggling were able to discuss any confusion they had with a friend and get an understanding. At the end of the lesson when I told students they were going to create their own model of the earth using the new information given they were surprised that I did not give any more specific directions. When given the go ahead students quickly jumped up and began looking around the room for any materials they wanted to create their model.

After the lesson was over and students handed in their graphic organizers and model I was pleasantly surprised with what they had created. Overall students put together and labeled their graphic organizers correctly. They were then able to transfer this information into creating their own model. One thing I found very important was to have students share their own models. Originally looking at the models they created it was easy to interpret it different then what they intended. Once the student explained the model, told which layers was which, and why they chose it, it was clear how their model looked like the earth. It was interesting to see how differently students took the freedom to create their own model and what final products they came up with.

Even with students meeting the lesson’s goals there is one thing I would change. My IEP student appeared to struggle with putting together the graphic organizer and labeling the parts. With the guidance of her neighboring students and me she was able to put it together. Next time I would print out the main ideas for each layer and have them cut out and glue to the correct place. I have found I also need to review note taking skills with my students. Some students write down word for word everything I put on the board. In the future I have found that no teacher is going to wait that long for students to take notes, and they are going to have a more difficult time studying them for a test. Other students would only write down a few words and leave out some important information. I feel the students would benefit from a quick note taking review which will also help them in the future.

Unfortunately we currently do not have a way to see inside the earth and no exactly what it looks like under the crust. It can be hard for students to understand something they cannot see which can lead to misconceptions or quickly forgetting the information. A scientific model is a representation of a system that includes important parts of that system to help us think about the phenomena (Kenyon, Schwarz, & Hug, 2008). Giving students a way to see what each layer of the earth looks like and what happens in each layer gives students a visual understanding of what they are learning. When students can use a model they are able to notice patterns and develop and revise representations that become useful models to predict and explain making their own scientific knowledge stronger (Kenyon, Schwarz, & Hug, 2008).

Overall I feel this lesson was successful because students were able to meet the lesson’s objectives using models and graphic organizers. In the future I would consider giving the students the tools they need to create their own graphic organizer as well as giving them more freedom to show what they learned during the lesson.

Reference:

Kenyon, L., Schwarz, C., & Hug, B. (2008). The benefits of scientific modeling. Science&

Children, 46(2), 40–44.