Heat Transfer Just Right

I could definitely see how this lesson could be used in my middle school class. To get my students motivated I would start with the real world example of the McDonald's customer that sued over the temperature of the hot coffee that they spilled in their lap. Isn't that the reason there is now the warning on the cups that the contents may be hot. In my students' eyes it's a no brainer, but exploring the ridiculous is a great motivator for 7th graders.

To begin, I would start with the Goldilocks story and begin with the question "What is just right?" I would let my students offer answers that begin to develop a set of just right criteria. Then I would introduce the McDonald's lawsuit. I would have my students do research about the temperature of coffee after it has been brewed and what ideal temperatures are for drinking warm liquids. They could also investigate the different kinds of cups are used for serving hot takeout drinks. I hope this will lead my students to develop a scientific question like "Does the type of cup influence how long it takes for a hot beverage to cool enough to drink?" Instead of using coffee, we would test with hot chocolate.

Thirty minutes of wait time for measuring temperature is too long in a 50 minute science class. There will have to be modifications in the serving size or students will need to test the temperature more freuqently, at 3-5 minute intervals. Testing at time intervals will give the students data for analyzing. At the end of the total test time, students will use their data and knowledge of heat transfer to formulate a conclusion about which beverage container retains heat the best and what the wait time is before it is safely drinkable.

I think the real world application will be the motivator for my students to see how this affects them. It may also lead to conversation and questions about design. The ability to drink all of their test samples will also be a motivating factor...seventh graders like free food.

Marble Momentum

When first reading the question choices, I thought the answers seemed very obvious and did not know how I would be able to think about how inquiry would be at work. I was very wrong and probably ended up with more complexity than was necessary. I chose the question "How do different surfaces affect the momentum of marbles."
The first problem I encountered was how to apply the same amount of force on the marble to propel it across the surface. I started by flicking my finger against it, but realized there was no way to know for certain how much force was exerted each time. This meant I had to come up with some kind of launcher. I started looking through some of my kids old toys, like Hot Wheels race track, but none of them was an ideal fit. This meant I had to design my own marble shooter.

Designing the shooter fit in with the engineer design process because I had to plan, design, construct and test. I used a rubber band stretched across two nails in a board. I had to adjust how far apart the nails were and find an optimal point for stretching back the marble. It was actually kind of fun and my teenage kids got into helping me with it. Once construction was complete, I tested momentum on a hard floor, carpet, and bed. The results were what I expected, but I realized a lot more thought had to go into setting up the test.

I also learned more about impulse, the amount of time the force applied to an object. This was how long the marble was in contact with the rubber band the more it was pulled back. The more contact time between the two equalled great force and momentum. This was a bit of an "Aha" moment for me because I had a hands-on example of what had been explained in our text.

Through this inquiry experience, I saw how something I thought was very simple can actully turn into a more in-depth learning experience. For my seventh graders, I could have a bunch of materials for marble shooter building. This would incorporate EDP with inquiry. Even though I didn't go any further than momentum and impulse, the question could include further study of Newton's Laws. The possibilities are endless, but that can also be a problem. I would need to set limits on the number of concepts included in answering the question so it does not become too overwhelming or time consuming. However, students would definitely be encouraged to study further on their own.

Any time toys are used in the classrom, students see the relevance to their lives. It also makes learning more fun. From this activity I would like them to learn to ask questions that are testable, design a possible solution and draw conclusions based on their results. This turned out to be a lot more fun than I expected.

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. : )