Jul 29
Jul 29
Final Project
For my final project, I've created a wiki that I will use in the classroom next year. It can be found at http://wilczakearthscience.wikispaces.com/.It is definitely a work in progress! I did, however, incorporate some web tools. I created a Screencast for accessing the online textbook and using Create a Graph. I also embedded an Earth science Wordle and an Animoto video. I also have a science supplies Screencast image there too. I plan to continue working on my wiki throughout August. Any feedback would be appreciated.
One problem, I can't seem to figure out how my students will join my wiki. Any ideas?
Jul 29
Week 6 Reflection
I have really enjoyed the Web tools class and have found it very beneficial. I've learned so many great tools to incorporate into the classroom next year. To be honest, I have always strayed away from the technology because I didn't know how to use it and I didn't have the time. Taking this class has given me the time to learn the wide array of web tools out there! For my final project, I created a wiki. I have incorporated some of the other web 2.0 tools into my wiki and will continue to do the same. Hopefully, this will be a great tool in my classroom!
Jul 24
Week 6 Web Tool Exploration
This week I explored embedding, podcasting, flickr and voicethread. I am so excited that I learned how to embed videos into a power point! It's so simple to. I also found a tutorial on youtube which explains it. It's at .I like flickr, but I kinda feel that it would be of more use to me than the kids. I would like to take tons of pictures in my classroom next year. Pictures of all of the inquiry based and project based activities and labs. Then I would like to create a presentation on prezi or flickr for the parents at back to school night. I think this would be much more engaging than me standing up there nervous talking about the curriculum.
Podcasting can be used to reinforce and study science vocabulary. I plan on having the students do vocabulary podcasts and then uploading them onto my teacher page so that the students can study them at home.
I do not feel that voicethreads are good for me at the middle school level. This technology is good for college and maybe highschool.
All in all, it has been a very productive week!
Jul 17
Week 5 Tool Exploration
Create a Graph - http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspxWhat a great tool! Absolutely love it and the kids will too. Very easy to use.
Glogster - http://www.glogster.com/
Looks pretty cool, but seems like there could be a lot of distractions. I would assign this as an at home project.
Project-based learning - http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning
Love the idea, but just haven't found the time to incorporate a lengthy project like this into the classroom. Would love to end a unit with a project-based learning assignment. Maybe next year.
Haven't used any of these yet, but there is some sample problem-based activities here:
There are also a lot of PBL activities about global climate change. Here's one:
Jul 17
Generate an Argument Activity
Step 1: Question
Have you ever heard of an earthquake happening? If so, where have they occurred? How about volcanoes? Do you know of any volcanoes? In New Jersey? Lastly, think of some mountains that you know of. What is the tallest mountain in the world? Do any of these have anything in common with each other? Or do they just randomly occur throughout the world. In other words, do earthquakes, volcanoes and mountains have anything in common?
Step 2: Generate a Tentative Argument
With your group, develop an answer to this simple, but important, question. Make sure you have good evidence and a rationale to support your claim. Record any observations or notes you make as you work.
Step 3: Interactive Poster Session
Once your group has developed an explanation that answers this question, prepare a poster board that you can use to share and justify your ideas. This poster board represents your argument, which includes your claim, supporting evidence, and a rationale. Your poster board should include all the information shown in the diagram below:
| Group Members’ Names |
| The Question:
|
| The Argument |
| Your Claim: What is your conclusion, explanation or answer to the research question? |
| Your Evidence and Rationale: How do you know? |
To share your work with others, we will use a round robin format. This means that one member of the group stays at your work station to share your groups’ ideas while the other group members go to the other groups, one at a time, to listen to and critique your classmates’ explanations. Remember, as you critique the work of others, you have to decide whether their conclusions are valid or acceptable based on the quality of their explanation and how well they are able to support their ideas. In other words, you need to determine if their arguments are persuasive and convincing. To do this, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Is their explanation sufficient (i.e., It explains everything it needs to) and coherent (i.e., It is free from contradictions)?
2. Did they use genuine evidence (i.e., They organized their data in a way that shows a trend over time, a relationship between variables, or a difference between groups)?
3. Did they use enough evidence to support their ideas (i.e., They used more than one piece of evidence, and all their ideas are supported by evidence)?
4. Is there any counterevidence that does not support their explanation?
5. How well does their claim fit with other theories and laws that are used in science to explain or describe how the world works?
6. Is their rationale adequate (i.e., They explain why the evidence was used and why it supports the explanation)?
7. Is their reasoning appropriate (rational and sound)?
Step 4: Write to Learn
The Argument Writing Prompt
What is your argument?
In the space below, write a multiparagraph essay to persuade another scientist
that your claim is valid and acceptable. As you write your argument, remember to do the following:
1. State the conclusion you are trying to support.
2. Include appropriate evidence and an adequate rationale.
3. Organize your paper to enhance readability.
4. Use a broad range of words, including vocabulary we have learned.
5. Make sure your writing has an easy flow and rhythm.
6. Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.
Background Information
Earth’s Layers
Earth is divided into layers based on their physical properties. These layers from outside in are the: lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere, outer core and inner core.
Tectonic Plates
The earth is divided into roughly 11-20 tectonic plates.
These plates move around on top of a semi-solid, plastic layer of earth called the asthenosphere.
These plates move around on top of a semi-solid, plastic layer of earth called the asthenosphere.
Convection Cells in the Earth’s Mantle
Major Mountain Ranges of the World
Earthquakes
Volcanoes
Jul 15
Week 5: Blogs and Wikis
I really like the idea of using blogs and wikis in the classroom. I started a blog on my teacher page last year, but did not find it very effective though I think this is because I made it optional and not many students participated. Next year I will make blogging a mandatory component of class. I usually have about 120 students every year, so I have to figure out a way to incorporate blogging without it being too much work for me to read all of the blogs. I am thinking of creating different blogs about relevant science topics through the year and requiring my students to blog maybe 4 times per marking period.I think I could incorporate wikis into my class as well. I would assign this as a group project and have the students build their own wikis. The wiki could be used as a final project at the end of each unit.
I am starting to realize that I need much more access to computers in school. It is hard to get access to the computer labs and the media center because it is usually booked well in advance for study island. We have a laptop cart, but there is only one for the whole school and it is pretty much falling apart. Hopefully we will eventually have more access to computers.
Jul 9
Week 4: Tool Exploration
Here is my review of the online tools I explored:Online Simulations:
Allow learners to observe, explore, recreate and receive immediate feedback about real things that they would not be able to observe without the use of simulations. The simulations are a way of using models to represent real-life things.
- I have used and been very successful with incorporating www.stellarium.org into a lesson. Usually I allow the students to pick a constellation to study and learn the mythological meaning of. Then when I show the class Stellarium, I have the kids tell all about the constellation.
- I liked exploring the geology simulations at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/tectonics/#. I would have the students predict what would happen if the simulation were played and then play it to see if they were correct.
- http://www.learningscience.org/esc2astructureearthsystem.htm has many great simulations for Earth science teachers.
- At http://kids.discovery.com/games/build-play/volcano-explorer you can build your own volcano, change the viscosity and gas content and then watch it erupt. Way too!
- There are many Earth science online animations at http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072528079/student_view0/animations.html#.
- Here is an interactive simulation on the greenhouse effect: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/greenhouse.
- Plate tectonics simulation: http://www.worldartswest.org/plm/guide/locator/tectonics.shtml.
- Lots of Earth science interactives at http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/ and http://webs.cmich.edu/resgi/topics.asp?mc=Other%20Resource%20Links&ca=95&cad=Earth%20Science%20Animationshttp://
- Interactive lesson on density: http://ww2.unime.it/dipart/i_fismed/wbt/mirror/ExplrSci/dswmedia/density.htm
Jul 8
Week 4: Online Data
Chapter six of the textbook was very informative in reference to the importance and effectiveness of incorporating online data into the science classroom. Incorporating online data can be very useful with inquiry science. Inquiry science requires students to pose questions, plan and conduct investigations, formulate data-based explanations, represent data, and communicate findings. Utilizing online data during investigations provides the students with an authentic and relevant experience.Guidelines for best practice includes:
- limiting student searches to targeted websites and simplified data sets,
- making the learning relevant by using online data that is meaningful to the students,
- integrating data into the inquiry process, and
- contacting educators centers to request help.
I have used some of these data sets in my classroom already. I've used online data for lessons in weather systems, tides, earthquakes, volcanoes and mountains. I completely agree that the students are more engaged when the content is relevant and meaningful and using online data sets that are meaningful to the students supports this. My goal for next year is to always incorporate online data whenever possible. I would also like to expand my lessons and have my students eventually formulating their own questions about the topics they are learning and the data sets they are interpreting.
The article titled "Generate an Argument" states that while participating in the inquiry process, more opportunities to engage in scientific argument are needed. The authors believe that science teachers need to focus more on the process of science than on the content. Teachers need activities that require students to discuss and critique the process, products or content of an inquiry; help students develop the skills needed for inquiry; and provide for more scientific argumentation. In response to this need, the authors developed the Generate an Argument instructional model. There are four steps to the model.
Step 1: Identify the task, problem or question.
- The teacher identifies this, grabbing the students' attention and interest.
- A handout can be given in order to organize the students tasks.
Step 2: Generate a tentative argument.
- The students should come to a conclusion using what was initially presented.
- Then they should explain their conclusion to the class. This may be done in a round-robin format.
Step 3: Interactive poster session.
- Students create a poster that reflects their learning.
Step 4: Write to Learn.
- Students discuss what they learned.
- Participate in a whole-group teacher-led discussion.
- Utilizing a rubric will give students guidance in writing a scientific argument.
- Students will write their scientific argument.
I like the idea of this, but I am unsure of how to really generate an argument. Sometimes generating an argument seems difficult in a guided inquiry setting. When using the guided inquiry process, the students should all eventually reach the same conclusion. Where is the argument in that? I like the example provided by the authors because the space bodies were not named and were not in any order. In order to come to a conclusion, the students would need to analyze the data. If they are given the definition of a planet, then the conclusion should be easy to find.
According to http://media4.obspm.fr/exoplanets/pages_definition/appellation-planete.html, this is the definition of a planet.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided in 2006 to change the definition of a planet in order to solve the problems arising with Pluto and Eris, and to use a definition based on physical concepts instead of being purely arbitrary. One now defines a planet as a celestial body that :
- is in orbit around the Sun,
- has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid bodily forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and
- has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.
I just don't know what exactly the students would have to argue about and what they would be able to learn from the other groups if all they have to do is analyze the same data. I guess some groups could miss a thing or two and then add the information into their conclusion, but I just don't see an argument.I guess the argument can lie in the second part of the definition of a planet. What exactly is sufficient mass, but I don't even see planets mass on the data table? I only see shape and diameter.
I also feel that there is a large amount of information (laws, theories, background info.) that is just provided for the students. Many scientific inquiry experiences may be missed if the students are provided with so much. In the authors example, the students were provided with a theory that explains how planets form and a summary of how gravity works. There are many inquiry activities that can be used to teach students about gravity. It is a very important concept. If they are just given this information without working through it themselves, then they might not be truly learning an important concept.
