Acid Rain

My lesson was about pH levels and the effects of acid rain. Prior to this lesson students had read an article about how pH is determined using the GIST comprehension strategy. Students read an article in groups one chunk at a time. They then discuss the most important parts of each chunk and then write a summarizing statement about each chunk ending up with a complete paragraph. Students then did an activity where they found the pH levels of various household solutions and graphed their findings.

This lesson had two steps. The first was having groups of students read one of three articles using GIST about how acid rain is formed, the effects of it, and possible solutions. I found the articles from such places as HowStuffWorks.com. After reading the articles, students did carousel writing based on what they read. The first four pictures are examples of this. I had originally planned a worksheet, but wanted there to be more conversation among my students. I was glad that I made the switch because they began making connections between the previous lessons and this new information.

My second step was modified from my original plan because another teacher needed some of my supplies. I ended up creating a model of soil layers and the water table as a demonstration instead of as an activity for my students. It worked out okay because there was a lot of whole group discussion. The final four pictures represent responses from three of my students. They are getting better at using evidence in their responses. I was also very pleased with the drawings they made and how detailed they were.

I didn't even think to take pictures or videos while they were involved. Note to self to include that next time. I get so involved in observing them that I forget I have other work to do as well.

Polar Ice Cap Activity

I really enjoyed this activity. I liked the hands-on aspect of it and it reminded me about why my students get so excited about lab days. It was a nice change from all of the reading. It also gave me a clear visual referenct to connect tot he reading I did about global warming.  I now have an experience that I can use to relate to any further information I gather on this subject.

If the polar ice caps melt, there will be a definite rise in the water levels of our oceans. When I conducted the experiment, I thought there would be overflow from my ice as it melted and the bowl was completely full of water. I wisely put a plate under the bowl. I reasoned that part of the total volume was outside of the bowl and would add to the total volume of the water, leading to an overflow. This was contrary to a statement in the Time magazine article which stated, "Icebergs don't raise sea levels when they melt because they're floating, which means they have displace all the water they're every going to."(Kruger, 2006). Ummm, no. If an object floats on water, the water that is displaced is NOT the total volume of the object. A whole lot of the total volume of icebergs is above the surface and will add to the overall volume of water as it melts. At least, I think my logic is correct. The runoff from the polar ice caps will be similar to what happens to river levels as snow melts in the spring.

Additional questions I have are:
Will some students have varying opinions based on the research they do? They will be able to find information that supports both believers and non-believers of global warming. How do I guide students toward choosing one side or another on an issue?
What resources are available for finding activities similar to this where students are active participants in forming a conclusion based on content, observation, and scientific reading?

STEM lesson plan

I have worked on a committee that develops curriculum for the past twelve years. I am comfortable looking at benchmarks and standards and creating a lesson sequence that links concepts and uses the five E model. Someone may have thought this assignement would have been a piece of cake for me. That was definitely not the case. I spent a lot of time second guessing my content and I am still not sure that I hit the target using the STEM approach.

Instead of connecting my lesson plan to one of the Historical Perspectives, I designed the entire lesson around it. I chose Understanding Fire because it deals with chemical reactions which is part of the unit I am now teaching. I liked the way the standard describes the way students should know that there was a development of the science of chemistry from the time of Aristotle. Since our readings this week also dealt with historical and cultural perspectives, I thought my lesson would be a good way to see the progression of ideas and the way scientists built on the research of one another.

I use the Five E's when developing lesson sequences for my district. The difficulty I had with this assignment is that using all five of them requires several lessons instead of just one. As a result, my lesson turned into more of a project that will lastsseveral days. I am wondering if I took the lesson plan too far.

My other area of duress is the number of standards that I included. It seemed like I spent so much time trying to find all of the NSTA, NBPTS, NSES, and Project 2061 standards in addition to the state benchmarks that applied. I would get distracted by other links as I was trying to find the one that directed me to those standards.

My issues this week are the same ones I face each week. I wonder if I have enough information and then realize I've probably gone a bit overboard. That's probably true for this blog as well.

First Attempt

I think I have this set up correctly. I need to wait until my kids get home before I attempt anything more daring. I'm hoping they can help me with the RSS feed. : )