21st Century Topics and Tools

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Education is moving to incorporate 21^st century skills.  Children need to be exposed to and practice many cross-curricular disciplines.  Each day, students should be building on critical thinking skills, technology, and collaboration with their peers (Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, 2009).  Implementing inquiry and STEM lessons can help use reach our goal.  However, there are many methods of networking and PLCs to help teachers plan effective science curriculums.

At the moment, I am teaching a forces and motion unit that has a lot of emphasis on energy.  An enduring understanding I am working towards mastery with my students is changes take place because of the transfer of energy.  I would like to share a few resources I found that would help me to embed 21^st century skills into my instruction.

First, NSTA learning center has excellent resources and recommendations for lessons.  There are seminars teachers can take (some are free, some are not) to improve understanding on the concept.  Here is a link for energy: http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/stlouis07/energy/webseminar.aspx

I have also found PhET.org to be an excellent method to engage multiple learning styles.  I have used this website as a whole class and individually on laptops.  To demonstrate the transfer of kinetic and potential energy, I use the simulation with a skate boarder.  The link: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/energy-skate-park-basics  I can click the a pie graph to display while the skate boarder is moving.  Students can observe when potential energy transfers into kinetic and vice versa.  When students interact with the website, they are demonstrating their knowledge of technology and the enduring understanding. 

                                           Here is an introduction about the website!

                                           

Interactive read alouds are proven to enhance students’ understanding of vocabulary and literacy (Bircher, 2009).  I read in October’s addition of Science and Children a book that will promote inquiry, vocabulary practice, and engineering.  The interactive read aloud is called The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkawamba and Bryan Mealer.  This book can be used to enhance diversity, spark curiosity, and inspire hands-on learning.  In the biography, a 14-year-old boy uses scraps from a junkyard to build a windmill to harness energy.  This would be a great addition to my science unit.

                                          A video to supplement the book!

Finally, I believe reaching out to the community would help to apply the content students are learning in science.  Throughout the year, I try to invite guest speakers to my fifth graders to show my students the purpose of developing a deep understanding of science.  

Reference

Bircher, L. S. (2009). Reading Aloud: A springboard to inquiry. Retrieved on September 23, 2012 from

https://esc.tricountyesc.org/cos/scienceresources/Resources-Article-Reading-Aloud-A-Spring-Board-to-Inquiry.pdf+interactive+read+alouds+for+science&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESi0Sv65JqawhJvW5O0RkR0-sF8cizIiXnPl9GnKpGta7Rp--djRPlGPMvNiSzzCbFwwJmDTwDMv-h

Partnership for 21^st Century Skills. (2009). 21^st Century Skills Map: Science. Retrieved on October 6, 2012 from www.p21.org/storage/documents/21stcskillsmap_science.pdf

Heat Transfer

I begin my guided inquiry with a question: Which material do you think would make the best insulator?  I know that a conductor allows heat to travel through it.  Therefore, an insulator is going to reduce the heat from escaping a container (Elvidge, 2012).  With this in mind, I went searching for materials in my house that may be insulators.  Since this is a guided inquiry activity, I know I can design the investigation using materials I choose to answer the teacher question (Banchi & Bell, 2008).  The materials I choose to use are foil, plastic wrap, cardboard, and parchment paper.  

 

 

My hypothesis in the investigation is the foil will keep the most heat in the container.  In order to test the insulator, I will use ceramic mugs.  I line up four ceramic mugs on the counter.  Then, I pour in hot water at equal amounts in each mug.  The water is at 38°C at the start of the experiment.  Quickly, I cover each mug with a different material and set a timer for thirty minutes.  At the end of the thirty minutes, I found that the parchment paper held the most heat in at 35°C.  The weakest insulator turned out to be the cardboard.  I thought this would be true since it may have absorbed some of the water vapor taking heat with it.  At the end of the activity, I continued to think about what I knew about heat and convection to justify my outcome.  Convection is the transfer of heat through liquids and gasses (Tillery, Enger, & Ross, 2008).  The foil and parchment paper had the higher temperatures, so they were insulators to keep the heat from escaping.

 Although the experiment was straight forward, I believe I could make it better.  First of all, I only used one thermometer.  I do not think my results were completely accurate due to this fact.  While I measured the temperature of one mug, another sat losing heat until I could reach it.  Also, the thermometer itself was difficult to use since it did not have measuring lines on it.  I actually needed to measure the temperature, than place it along the paper it was glued to in order to record the degree.  I am sure I lost some valuable data in this process.  Also, I did not have enough rubber bands to wrap each material onto the mug.  I did this for cardboard and parchment paper only.  The benefit of guided inquiry is the learning experience and the making sense of the results.

 This would be a great experiment for my students.  I would begin using a video from Teacher’s Domain (I will include the site in the reference section).  This video demonstrates students experimenting with materials to keep an ice cube cold.  This would launch us into our guided inquiry lab.  Students need to test materials to determine the best insulator.  I would allow students to use four cups of various materials.  For example, I will provide Styrofoam, plastic, ceramic, aluminum, etc.  Students will choose their materials and fill with hot water.  Thermometers will be available to each testing material.  Students will record the beginning temperature along with temperature readings every five minutes for a twenty-minute period.  This activity will require consistent observation and teamwork. 

 

References

Banchi, H., & Bell, R. (2008). The many levels of inquiry. Science and Children, 46(2), 26–29. Retrieved on July 8, 2012 from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?sid=f218157f-411e-4b18-a5ee-9c8577f37f96%40sessionmgr11&vid=1&hid=21&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ehh&AN=34697743

Elvidge, S. (2012). Keeping Warm or Cold: Insulation and Conduction. Retrieved on September 23, 2012 from http://www.scienceprojectideas.co.uk/keeping-warm-cold-insulation-conduction.html

Tillery, B. W., Enger, E. D., & Ross, F. C. (2008). Integrated science (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Teachers' Domain. (2004). Testing Insulators: Ice Cube in a Box. Retrieved on September 23, 2012 from 

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/phy03.sci.phys.mfe.zice/

 

Engaging in Guided Inquiry

Science education is a combination of questioning, problem solving, and discovery. Therefore, it is essential that students play an active role in their own learning.  Inquiry will allow students to complete hands-on investigations to master science concepts.  While planning my experiment, I immediately put myself in my student’s shoes.  I developed a hypothesis, materials list, procedure, and examined my results.  I will share my experience.

The question I chose to investigate was “how do different surfaces affect the momentum of marbles?” My hypothesis for the investigation is I believe on all surfaces the light blue marble (21 g) will go further then the dark blue marble (8 g).  Since the light blue marble has more mass, it will move further.  “It takes a longer time to stop something from moving when it has a lot of momentum” (Tillery, Enger, & Ross, 2008). To design this experiment, I need to use three surfaces of various textures to help me understand momentum and its relationship to friction.  I will use a smooth granite counter, carpeted area, and grassy section of my yard.  After brainstorming, I decide to use a ramp to release each marble.  This will give me the best results.  As I record data from the experiment, I will need a tape measure and a stopwatch. 

After I completed my experiment, I evaluated my results.  I realized that the more mass an object has, the longer it takes to stop, and therefore it will go further.  This holds true even on different surfaces.  I found both marbles had very similar results on the smoothest surface, the granite counter.  As the surfaces changed and got rougher, the light blue marble went further.  I do agree with my hypothesis reflecting on the lab.  Different surfaces can have an affect on momentum of a marble depending on its mass. Momentum is closely related with Newton’s laws of motion since it involves both inertia and velocity (Tillery, Enger, & Ross, 2008).  This lab demonstrated Newton’s first and second law while the marbles were in motion until an outside force (friction) acted on it.

I can certainly use this experiment with my students.  I would give them a question to explore along with various materials.  I would like to give them some guidance and review expectations before they start.  I would quickly review background knowledge of Newton’s laws, mass, and friction.  This activity did take some time and in the classroom I am confined to forty minutes.  I could make it more interesting for students to bring in their own materials to test.  I could give them the assignment the day before to begin thinking about materials to use and how to test.  I would like my students to walk away from this activity feeling in control of their learning.  I want them to have a memorable experience while developing a deeper understanding of science.  

References

Tillery, B. W., Enger, E. D., & Ross, F. C. (2008). Integrated science (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

 

 

Friction Science Lesson

Friction Science Lesson

This week, the lesson I developed was a structured inquiry lab for friction.  The objective of the lesson was for students to apply the definition of friction, resistance in change of motion.  Students experiment using weights and different speeds to determine if motion changes. The outcome of the lesson was for students to evaluate which surface (pencils, rocks, or flat surface) will produce more friction while using a spring scale.

 

Here is the background for the lab. First, students viewed a short video clip (I will stop after 5 minutes) of Bill Nye explaining friction. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps72bcp4XNY&feature=related This is a great way to engage students and get them excited for friction.

Next, I introduced the On a Roll friction lab. Students kept track of the experiment on a lab worksheet, which also serves as the procedure. The big question for this inquiry lab is: Can pencils or rocks as a surface change the motion of a shoebox? Students will individually develop a hypothesis to test in the lab. As a whole class, we reviewed the materials, procedure, and expectations together. Then, students form their cooperative learning groups and begin. Students are in a heterogeneous mix with one IEP student in each group. ELL students are placed with students that are patient and demonstrate leadership skills for guidance. As students complete the experiment, they begin to realize friction changes as different surfaces touch. The spring scale with measure more force over the rock and flat surfaces than with the pencils acting as a conveyor belt. Students record their observations and answer three to four open-ended questions to reflect the evidence found. 

 

Through the experiment, students used a shoebox filled with three one-pound weights and three wooden blocks. The purpose was to weigh down the box to observe friction over three different surfaces. As an extension, students are be able to change a condition to the experiment and determine if the friction changes. Students can create a new surface to test (rug, flooring, wet, dry, etc.) or take away weights from the box. This will allow students to explore and take ownership of their understanding of friction.

 

As the lesson comes to a close, we meet together as a whole class discuss the outcome. Students found rocks to be the most difficult surface, which produced the most friction. The pencils act as wheels and accelerated the box faster and easier. Students check over their work on the lab sheet, which will be collected for a grade. Students will complete an exit pass describing the condition they changed and the outcome of this change. 

In conclusion, I felt this was an effective lesson. The combination of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic stimulation reached all learners. This inquiry lesson had a connection to real-world circumstances.  Students we able to understand the purpose of learning friction and can apply to their daily lives. Students were excited and had fun learning about friction. I believe using inquiry in daily science lessons helps to foster curiosity and develop a deeper understanding of concepts. 

Melting Icebergs Experiment

Global warming is a largely researched topic.  Research shows humans contribute to global warming by increasing the amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and changing the composition of our climate (EPA, 2012).  When presented with the Melting Icebergs Experiment, I could not wait to get started.  Of course, I am thinking how my students would respond to this experiment. 

This experiment is considered confirmation inquiry.  Confirmation inquiry is providing students a question and procedure when results are known in advance (Banchi & Bell, 2008).  The question for the experiment is what happens when ice cubes (icebergs) melt in a bowl of water?  My hypothesis is I believe as the ice cubes melt; the water level will rise and flow over the rim of the bowl.  I place a lump of ice cubes in a glass bowl and put in an area where it will not be disturbed.  Carefully, I pour water in the bowl to the rim.  I observe for several hours until all ice melts.

The ice starts to crackle and separate as time goes on.  After about three hours, the ice completely melts.  A very small amount of water trickled over the side of the bowl.  As I evaluate the outcome, I did expect more water to spill over the side of the bowl. To promote further thinking- would this experiment change if it were outside in a warmer temperature? What if I added salt to the water in the bowl and added fresh water ice cubes?

Overall, I found this experiment engaging and it would work great with my fifth graders.  I think researching global warming complimented the activity and added a real world connection.  I found a video to share from NASA to illustrate polar ice caps melting, which is directly linked to this experiment.

As I researched, I came across two terms: Global Warming and Climate Change.  I was interested why the terms were preferred to some scientists and not others.  According to NASA, global warming is describing an increase in surface temperature whereas climate change is explaining the change long-term to the climate (NASA, 2012).  An interesting bit of information you may not have considered. 

References

Banchi, H., & Bell, R. (2008). The many levels of inquiry. Science and Children, 46(2), 26–29. Retrieved on July 8, 2012 from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?sid=f218157f-411e-4b18-a5ee-9c8577f37f96%40sessionmgr11&vid=1&hid=21&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ehh&AN=34697743

EPA- United State Environmental Protection Agency. (2012). Climate Change Indicators in the United States. Retrieved on July 12, 2012 from http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/indicators/ghg/index.html

NASA. (2012). NASA finds thickest parts of Arctic ice cap melting faster. Retrieved on July 12, 2012 from http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/thick-melt.html

STEM Education Strategies

STEM Education Strategies

“STEM education offers students one of the best opportunities to make sense of the world holistically, rather than in bits and pieces” (Lantz, 2009).  Science teachers can teach across the curriculum with many inquiry-based activities.  There is a strong need for our nation to have more students interested in science.  We need to remind them how fun science can be, while learning.  Science sparks curiosity, determination, and problem solving (Laureate Education, 2010).  Following 5 E’s format is an efficient way to plan STEM lessons.

Engage- To engage students, I often use a video clip to hook them into the lesson.  This will peak students’ interest and play to various learning styles such as visual and auditory students. YouTube and KQED Quest websites are great resources for short video clips.

Explore- There are many interactive websites and animations students can use to apply, analyze, and evaluate particular science concepts.  I like using PhET, Teacher Domain, and Enchanted Learning websites for students to explore independently.

Explain- As I develop my lessons, I find the Activ or smart boards a great tool to display facts and notes.  Using the Activ board, I can further explain each lesson with detailed sentences or diagrams.

Elaborate- In order for students to understand the importance of science, they need to apply to real-world situations.  Students need to elaborate and challenge themselves by testing hypotheses and analyze results.

Evaluate- Teachers and students need to evaluate material learned.  I like to use an exit pass.  A simple index card can be used to allow students to answer a question or write a fact learned from the lesson.  Teachers can use this valuable information to alter lessons and revisit concepts.

By incorporating the 5 E’s into science lessons, students will be curious and interested.  Students need a purpose and understand how they will use this information in their lives.  We need more students to become interested and inspired about science, math, and engineering (Traurig & Feller, 2009).  Effective teachers research, plan, and prepare to develop appealing inquiry activities.  In doing so, we will prepare our students for the 21^st century workforce. 

References

Lantz, H. B., Jr. (2009). STEM education: What form? What function? SEEN Magazine. Retrieved on June 29, 2012 from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_1340244_1%26url%3D

Laureate Education (2010). Nature of Science Interview with the Experts: Dr. Yager. Retrieved on June 29, 2012 from

https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_1340244_1%26url%3D

Traurig, A., & Feller, R. (2009). Preparing students for STEM careers. National Career Development Association. Retrieved on June 29, 2012 from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_1340244_1%26url%3D

Introduction

Hello Fellow Science Teachers!

My name is Crystal Dyer. I am a 5th grade Language Arts and Science teacher in New Jersey. 

I look forward to sharing fun and engaging science activities with everyone. 

I wanted to share an inspiration video for all teachers. Enjoy!