Modeling the Unseen

This past week, I had my students working through the Theory of Plate Tectonics.  I have always had difficulty getting students to understand the different plate boundaries and the land features created by the movements.  This year, I decided to try modeling those plate boundaries instead of just showing pictures or animations.

Students were given 6 graham crackers and cake icing.  They spread a thin layer of the icing on a sheet of waxed paper, then placed the crackers on top of the icing.  Depending on the directions of movement, different landforms were created, and students recorded their observations and predictions.  Afterwards, we visited http://www.sepuplhs.org/middle/iaes/students/simulations/SEPUP_Plate_simulation.swf in order to determine if the predictions were correct and discuss some of the reasons for what we saw in the demonstration.

My students and I had a great time with this activity!  I feel like it was as beneficial as it was enjoyable, so there isn't much more I could ask for in a lesson.  That isn't to say that there weren't things I would like to change next time.  Though I did ask questions throughout the lesson, I want to incorporate more opportunities for the students to self-assess.  I think discovery and self-correction are valuable teachers, and I like for my role to be more of a facilitator.  Either way, I think everything went well, and my students are already excited for the next unit.

Natural Disaster Awareness

I teach in an interesting school with a very diverse population.  We have students who live in public housing sitting beside students who's parent make six figures each year.  Whenever we would have fundraisers or money collections, our less fortunate students always seem to be at a disadvantage as they are unable to fully participate; however, this was not the case last year.  We had several student organizations who worked individually and cooperatively to provide relief for the Japanese disaster.  Many of our economically disadvantaged students were able to take a more active role in the fundraising efforts and were thrilled that they could contribute in a non-monetary way.  It was truly amazing to watch the students take the reins and put forth so much effort to help others.

I think that it is important for students to develop empathy for others, and I think that showing them eyewitness accounts of disasters could be one way.  I do not mean that they see real-time footage but interviews with survivors or footage of the damage.  I want my students to understand that there are many different groups and ways that can be affected by natural disasters.  I love animals, and they are an often forgotten group when natural disasters strike.  While this is my own passion, I hope that my enthusiasm will help my students find their own.

Ask a Scientist

I don’t visit my own blog very often, so I did not notice until today that this post was not up.  Apparently, I hit the preview button instead of the publish button.

I did not receive a response from the website.  While I did not expect to, I was hoping that maybe my question would be attention-grabbing.  Interestingly enough, I learned many of the answers to my questions through the responses to my own discussion post and those of others.  I still went to a few websites just to verify the information and found some great information on the American Cancer Society website.  Not only did it verify what my colleagues had already told me, but it also provided more information I had not considered.  Tumor suppressor genes keep cell division under control, and when these do not work properly, tumors can develop.  Reading through this information and gathering more information on my own probably made a bigger impact than just having someone provide the answer for me.

American Cancer Society.  (2009).  Oncogenes, Tumor Suppressor Genes, and Cancer.  Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/geneticsandcancer/oncogenesandtumorsuppressorgenes/oncogenes-tumor-suppressor-genes-and-cancer-mutations-and-cancer

Course Project Programs

The first presentation tool I explored was My Brain Shark.  The description on the website states “With Brainshark’s cloud-based solution, you can easily transform static content such as PowerPoint® documents into voice-enriched online and mobile video presentations that can be accessed anytime, on-demand...and tracked so you can measure the effectiveness of your communications.”  Thus far, I have found the program to be extremely user-friendly with great tutorials and step-by-step directions.  Ironically, this is the same program that my district uses for training such as sexual harassment and blood-borne pathogens.  I think that this would be an excellent tool for the Course Project seeing as you can upload any types of document, video, picture, or presentation.  The voice-over tool helps make the presentation more dynamic without bombarding the audience with too much text like you may encounter in a PowerPoint presentation.  The best part of this program is that it makes your presentation accessible to any device (iphone, ipad, smart phones, MAC OS, or Microsoft OS).

The other tool I experimented with is called Ahead.  I found it to be almost identical to Prezi as both are non-linear maps of information.  While I like the Ahead software for its ease of use, it is a Flash-based program which means that it will not play on Apple devices.  Considering most of us are mobile and so many use Apple products, this could be a problem.  Other than that, I think that this would be a good tool for the Course Project.  Personally, I do not think that I will use it as I am a linear thinker.  It is difficult for me to use and be comfortable with working on so many tangents.  If you are a person who thinks in different directions, Ahead would probably work well for you.

http://www.brainshark.com/

http://ahead.com/#view/lilaspaces/main/welcome?scene=HOME

Learning Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum

There are many different topics to be covered under the “big idea” of light, so I chose to narrow it down to light and the electromagnetic spectrum.  There are many websites out there, but the following sites proved the most beneficial:

http://missionscience.nasa.gov/ems/index.html

                This website is created and maintained by NASA.  It contains numerous links to each part of the electromagnetic spectrum and does a terrific job explaining how they are all related.  I especially like the fact that the site is student-friendly and offers an array of media presentations that accommodate all learning styles.

http://www.brainpop.com/science/energy/electromagneticspectrum/preview.weml

                This website requires a subscription, but I feel like it is well worth the fee.  These 4-6 minute videos are engaging yet informative and are an excellent way to introduce a topic.

http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/eoc/special_topics/teach/sp_climate_change/p_emspectrum_interactive.html

                This site allows students to manipulate the spectrum while showing the frequency of the wave, the energy, and facts about each type.  There are also discussion questions at the end that can be used to prompt dialogue among the students.

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/phy03.sci.phys.mfw.spectrum/

                I like this site due to the fact that it is extremely user-friendly.  It is similar to the previous link but goes into more detail with more pictures and examples.

I believe that these sites can help develop my students into scientific literate citizens.  Not only are they using technology to access these topics, but also communicating their findings to peers and adults.  They will be exposed to charts and graphs which have to be correctly interpreted in order to engage in the discussion questions.  Students will also have to be self-autonomous as they explore each site and come across new ideas or topics.

As an activity, I would like to incorporate all of these websites into a webquest activity for the students.  I think that there is only so much a student can learn while watching me manipulate the software in front of the group.  If they are given time, students will be able to work at individual paces thus spending more time on areas of difficulty and extending the more familiar areas.

One of my biggest challenges will be securing computers for the length of time needed.  I would like for each student to have the opportunity to work alone but confer with their lab table; however, I may have to settle for the students working in pairs.  This may not turn out to be an issue, as some students are more comfortable asking questions when they are working with someone else.  Either way, I want to make sure that I have access to the computer lab or the laptops for as much time as possible, seeing as not all of my students have internet access.  

Heat Transfer

This week our challenge was to determine the best insulator.  I chose cling wrap, aluminum foil, a wool hat, and newspaper to test this question.  I hypothesized that the wool hat would be the best insulator while the cling wrap would be the worst.  Having tested materials with my students, I knew that wool should be the best insulator due to its many air pockets, while something with more compacted molecules would transfer heat faster.  (Tillery, Enger, & Ross, 2008)  I thought that the cling wrap would be the worst because it had been in my previous experiments, and newspaper is an insulator used by homeless people. 

Based on Tillery, Enger, and Ross (2008), the materials encouraged and discouraged different types of heat transfer.  All of the materials inhibited radiation to some extent, as radiation is the transfer of heat energy across space.  The materials covered the top of the water that is exposed to the air; therefore, some heat energy is trapped as it does not have an unobstructed path.  All of the mugs exhibited conduction as well as convection seeing as the water transferred heat energy to the mug through touch and fluid.

If I were to conduct this experiment again, there are several other materials I would like to test.  Paper towels, dish towels, or even ceramic covers would be interesting to use.  I think that the ceramic cover would probably lose the most heat energy due to the compact nature of the molecules.  The dish towel would most likely retain the most heat energy because of the air pockets and spaces in the material, thus making it more difficult for the energy to transfer throughout the towel.

Testing other materials could be interesting.  I think that hot dogs and spaghetti would probably cool faster depending on where you take the temperature reading.  The middle of the material will be able to retain the heat energy the longest, but they are both solid materials.  Because they are solids, the closeness of the molecules would allow heat energy to transfer much more easily than through a fluid or a gas.

Earlier this year, my students took part in a heat transfer unit where they had to test the insulating abilities of a variety of materials in order to determine which to use for their penguin igloo.  The goal of the inquiry exercise was to keep their ice cube penguin from melting.  The students loved it, and because it was a 5E lesson, we were able to teach the methods of heat transfer in a way that connected it to life.  We talked about why the upper levels of a house are always warmer and how to tell if your house is adequately insulated.  The students loved it and were eager to put their new knowledge into practice.

Tillery B.W, Enger E.D., & Ross F.C. (2008). Integrated Science 4th edition. United States of America: The McGraw-Hill Companies. 

Marble Mayhem

For this week’s blog entry, I decided to take on the conundrum of how different types of surfaces affect the momentum of a marble. My initial hypothesis was the more surface area of a material, the more friction the marble will experience thus slowing down the marble.  As soon as I started to set up this experiment, I realized that controlling all other variables would be difficult.  The first thing I did was to create a ramp using a textbook and a notebook.  This ensured that marble would be consistently traveling at one speed every time it was released.  The next step was to choose materials for the marble to roll across, and I decided to use different household surfaces.  Carpet, tile, concrete, and hardwood were the most readily available thus I went to work.

As I carried out this experiment, I discovered several things.  First, a marble rolls great distances on hardwood, tile, and concrete.  The procedure had to be modified to include a time in order to determine the momentum.  Unfortunately, I did not have access to a stopwatch or have anyone to help me, so my data is inaccurate.  Trying to watch the marble pass a certain point and watch the clock to determine that time was extremely frustrating.  This particular obstacle illustrated why it is beneficial to use partners and teamwork while performing experiments.  (TEACH Engineering)  My second realization was that my hypothesis proved to be correct.  I realize that my data was incomplete, but using what I did collect showed that the marble rolls furthest and fastest on hardwood.  It did not get further than 20 centimeters on carpet.  This was a perfect example of Newton’s first law where it explains that an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force, which in this case is friction.  (Tillery, Enger, & Ross, 2008) 

If I were setting this experiment up in my classroom, I would probably try to create a competition.  Seeing as the final result is the understanding of how momentum is affected by mass, velocity, and friction, I would give the students their choice of marbles along with a meter stick and a stop watch.  The students could go around the room or the building testing various materials and surfaces.  Once completed, the students would put this newfound knowledge to the test by playing a round of “marble golf.”  I would set up a number of holes, obstacles, and “greenways” and the students would have to choose different materials for the marbles to roll across, thus determining the speed needed to reach the hole.  Having never tried this, I am sure there will be some kinks to work out, but I think that the students would enjoy it.

The goal of the experiment is for children to understand how mass, velocity, and momentum all interact in order for movement to occur.  Friction is an important factor in the equation.  I hope that the students will be able to take the information in the experiment and apply it to things like driving on different surfaces or why you can slide in socks on hardwood.  Maybe one student will be able to take the concept and create a car unaffected by friction!

TEACH Engineering: The Engineering Design Process: http://www.teachengineering.org/engrdesignprocess.php

Tillery B.W, Enger E.D., & Ross F.C. (2008). Integrated Science 4th edition. United States of America: The McGraw-Hill Companies.

The Colored Carnation Conundrum

I love teaching through inquiry, and my students seem to love learning even more.  The lesson plan I created was a combination of structured and guided inquires that involved dyeing carnations.  The first part of the lesson has students hypothesize as to how I was able to create a bi-color carnation.  After we discuss their theories, each group gets to test their hypothesis.  The groups will compare and contrast their results, and we will use this as a base for the second experiment of the lesson.  Each group will be given 3 or 4 carnations.  Using the provided supplies (food coloring, salt, sugar, baking soda), the students will set up an experiment to determine how a flower is affected by these additives.  Afterwards, the students can slice open their flowers to examine the vascular system, and use this information to build an understanding of environmental pollutants' affect on plant life.

You can see the learning that is demonstrated in the students' work samples.  In sample #1, two of their flowers bent over, and they realized that this impeded water consumption.  They redid the experiment by cutting the stems but then added too many variables in the second experiment.  The 2nd example shows a group of students who had a strong grasp on the scientific process.  They were able to recognize the need for a constant and identified several questions that came up when performing their experiment.  Given the nature of scientific inquiry and the goal of my class, this kind of thinking is exactly what I want from my students.  The 3rd sample is one of my favorites!  This group actually started their experiment with their carnations in the water upside down.  They had not finished their conclusion statement in time for it to be included, but I was able to talk with them.  They started with the flowers upside down because they thought that the green food coloring would be harder to see since the stem was green.  Once I had them walk around the room and look at the other examples, they realized that green does show up.  I also had them run their carnations under the faucet, and all of the green coloring washed off.  When I asked them about this, they told me that the flowers do not absorb most of their water through the petals; it has to come up through the stem.  Once they righted the flowers, their results were more along the lines of their hypothesis.

The Colored Conundrum Carnation

C3 Sample 2

C3 Sample 3

The Polar Ice Cap Conundrum

As I have been working through this experiment, I find myself in the typical position of a scientist.  I have ended up with more questions than I originally thought.  As of right now, I do not believe that the melting of the polar ice caps will cause worldwide flooding.  The destruction of habitats and the disruption of many species seems like a given, but I do not think there will be flooding.  Water is a unique substance.  When it freezes, its volume increases thus decreasing the density thereby enabling the solid form to float on the liquid form.  If the polar ice caps are floating within the ocean, melting should actually decrease the water level due to changing volume, not mass.  However, I do have questions.  

1. Not all ice is located in the water.  Would the melting of the ice that covers the land be enough to increase water levels?
2. Does the ice covering the land push the land down and have any effect on ocean levels?
3. Am I completely and utterly wrong about what I am basing my hypothesis on?

I am curious to see if my hypothesis is valid.

A Reflection on the Moon

My PLT has been using 5 E lessons for almost two years.  Our district provides up with a curriculum map and lesson plans for every unit, so we would take these resources and build on them.  I call this resource our "cookbook" because it is full of different "recipes" or lessons.  In other words, it provides us with a base.  I have never been one to leave well enough alone, so I am constantly perusing the pantry and cabinets looking for something else to throw in the pot.  I tend to be the exact same way with the provided lessons!

The lesson plan that I created for this week's application focuses on the phases of the moon and is one that I have already used (but with some new additions or "spices").  Instead of just having the students do the light-source-Styrofoam-ball demonstration, I wanted to include technology and a more student-driven aspect.  When I implement this new lesson, I may have some difficulty getting the room dark enough for my students to be able to see their moon phases.  I also worry about issues with the Flip video cameras, but both problems can be easily solved or taken care of before implementation.  I think that pre-planning something helps alleviate issues and stress thereby making lessons much more effective.  And if something does go wrong, that what first period is for-try it, fail, change it!  

Welcome!

This is my first blog post ever, and I am really excited about sharing experiences with my fellow science educators!