GabrielleFrancis

Owl Pellets: Interactive Science Lesson

7953francig — Tue, 08 May 2007 01:34:40 +0000

Group Project Lesson Plan

1) Learning Outcomes/Objectives:

By the end of the lesson students will be able to:

a) Construct a food web.

b) Connect previous knowledge of digestive system and food chains to the owl pellet.

c) Determine the origin of the owl pellet and contents in reference to previous knowledge of food chains and the digestive system.

2) This lesson plan and the material at hand is an age-appropriate and exciting lesson. Not only does this lesson give the students a hands on, concrete experience, which is extremely helpful to all children, but it also asks them to make logical connections and perhaps even think a bit abstractly. While these are difficult cognitive tasks, Piaget would say that these students, as 7^th graders at about the age of 13, are in the Formal Operational stage, and are thus, capable of this type of thinking. This lesson is beginning to test that ability, and is putting those skills to use, as the students will need to be able to make connections between their previous background knowledge, for example of the digestive system, to a new experience which will produce new information.

3) Procedure:

a) Introduction Concept Map for Food Chain/Food Webs

This portion of our lesson plan is intended to help bring out previous knowledge and already existing background knowledge on the subject of the food chain and how to make food webs. During this activity, all of our lesson will essentially be outlined by class discussion. Within this activity, we hope a few key terms will be uncovered, such as predator, prey, carnivore, omnivore, and herbivore. These terms are key to understanding the food chain and how it operates, which leads back to our own understanding of the owl pellets. For the lab activity to make sense, our students must first be able to understand the relationship between predator and prey, and how that comes into the nature of the food chain. When these terms come up in the student’s additions to our concept map of the food chain and food web, we will define them by asking the students themselves what they know as the definition. We find this way of introducing the necessary terms most efficient and most memorable, since they are coming from the student’s own vocabulary and previous knowledge on the subject.

i. Defining Terms Questions:

a) “Predator, do you know what that word means?”

b) “Prey, do you know what that word means?’

c) “Omnivore, herbivore, carnivore. Do you know what those words mean?”

d) “How do these words relate to making a food web?”

e) “Can you give examples of a predator, prey, omnivore, herbivore, or carnivore?”

b) “What Did You Eat For Lunch?” Activity

In order to help introduce and model how to make a food web, and use the new vocabulary to help engrain it in the student’s minds, we will be doing a class discussion activity. We will begin by asking the students what they ate for lunch, using that as a jumping off point for making a food web. From there, we will ask the students what kind of food the animal eats that they ate. For example, if a student says he or she had beef, we would then ask where beef comes from. They would answer that it comes from a cow, and we would further the discussion to ask what a cow eats. We would continue this until the students can longer come up with ideas, and feel that they are at the bottom of the food web. This not only keeps the students actively involved, but it also connects it to their own life, helps model, and thus scaffold what they will soon be asked to do alone and in groups, and uses the new vocabulary in an authentic setting.

c) Owl Food Web Puzzle

We will have cut out pictures of an owl, and multiple animals that an owl eats, such as voles, moles, mice, or birds. We will ask the students to arrange the animals in a food web similar to the one we did as a class in the “What did you eat for lunch today” activity. This will be used later to help the students during the lab activity and will help them to see the concept of a food web. It will also be used as a beginning assessment on the student’s understanding of food chains, as well as a summative assessment to see how the student’s understanding may have changed, or is after they have the understanding of the food chain and food web through the owl pellet labs. They will be asked to record it on a worksheet, so that they can use it later to compare their two different understandings.

d) Owl Pellet Dissection

This is the crux of the lesson, but it will be presented in a discovery method. The student’s will be told that they are called owl pellets and nothing more. They will complete a worksheet, which will help guide their understanding of the contents of an owl pellet. They will be asked to document the amount and type of bones that they find. As well, the worksheet will help challenge what they believe the owl pellet to be, such as either regurgitation or feces of the owl, in connection with their previous knowledge of the digestive system that they have just studied in depth.

e) Review Food Web Puzzle and Concept Map

This point of the lesson will consist of the review of the owl pellet dissection in a class discussion format. We will ask the students to look one last time at their initial food webs and make changes as they see fit, after having dissected their owl pellet, filled out the chart on the worksheet and answered the questions. After they have done this, we will talk about why these changes were made and how their thinking changed over time and with knew knowledge. Finally, we will wrap-up the lesson with a final look at the concept map that we began with. From there, we will ask for any necessary additions, and discuss any new connections made.

f) Materials Needed

i. White Boards

ii. Owl Pellets

iii. Dissection tools (Toothpicks and small plates)

iv. Food Web Puzzle Pieces in individual plastic bags

v. Dissection Worksheet

g) Safety Requirements

i. Goggles would be needed. While we will not be working with chemicals, we are working with small particles that when being dissected may pop up into the students eyes.

ii. If working with small knives/cutting tools, then a student would need to wear gloves. Since we are only using toothpicks in the dissection of this object, gloves are relatively unnecessary, though it would still be a good idea to go through some safety tips with the students, such as pointing the toothpick away from the body, and being aware of where your fingers are in reference to the toothpick

4) Teacher’s Role:

The teacher plays an important role in this lesson, though a more guiding role. In this lesson, it is important to note that while the teacher’s role is very important, it is a more active role of guidance to help the student discover the answer and make the connections necessary for themselves. This idea begins with the concept map class discussion and activity. In this part of the lesson, while the teacher is leading the activity, the students are driving it with their own background knowledge. Furthermore, the important vocabulary is introduced here not by the teacher, but the student. If the students are not specifically saying vocabulary that is necessary, the teacher may then guide the discussion, but only introducing the word to the student’s vocabulary if it is obvious the students do not know it. As well, the teacher is leading the “What did you eat for lunch?” activity, but it is the student that is driving it, with their own personal experience. As well, this activity is helping model the activity of making a food web, which the students are asked to do soon after. This is a good example of scaffolding of what can be a difficult concept to understand and perform. Thus, it is an important role for the teacher to fill.

Furthermore, the teacher in this lesson is leading the activities and helping guide the students in making important connections. The worksheet to be completed during the dissection is of particular importance. The questions were set up specifically to help guide the student’s understanding and to show the importance of the earlier activities, such as the Food Web Puzzle, and how they connect importantly to the dissection and the concept of the food chain at large. As well, in the carefully planned questions on the worksheet, as well as the making of the initial food web puzzle, and the following final version of the food web puzzle, the teacher is checking for understanding on the student’s behalf. If these connections were not clear, the teacher can use their results and struggles on the worksheet, or during the food web puzzle to assess and adapt the lesson as needed. Questions that the teacher asks, both in the worksheet and aloud are all carefully formulated here to continue the guiding role the teacher plays. All questions are listed in the above section of the procedure of the lesson.

5) Student’s Role:

The student’s role in this lesson is one of high responsibility. The student here is actively engaged in the discovery process and the understanding of the science content. This is shown in various activities, such as the concept map activity, the food web puzzle activity, and particular, the dissection of the owl pellet. First, in the concept map activity, they are creating their own understanding of the topic at hand. Instead of the usual teacher in the front, professing knowledge, the student is actively involved in the unearthing of their background knowledge and the connection of that with new knowledge. The food web puzzle activity is similar. With very little direct instruction, though a bit of modeling, and thus guiding from the teacher on how make a food web, the student is asked to use their own knowledge in the creation of one with specific animals. Furthermore, during the owl pellet dissection, the student is fully engulfed in the discovery process. Being given very little information, the student is asked to dissect an object, which they know little about, and find the origin and contents of it. While the worksheet gives the students questions to help guide their understanding and discovery of the origin of these pellets, it in no way ever gives them the information directly. While this will later be discussed as a class, the students here have a great deal of responsibility in making their own connections to other topics they have previously learned, such as the digestive system, and ideas they have on the food chain.

More specifically during the dissection of the owl pellets, the students are asked to make very important observations and data records of their findings. In this portion of the lesson, which is essentially a lab, the student is not mimicking the instructor, but instead using their own observations and understandings to discover the origin of the owl pellet and it’s contents. This worksheet that they answer questions on serves as an important assignment for the students, that is both helpful in their learning, and in our assessment as their teacher. It will help us to determine the student’s level of knowledge and understanding so that we may adjust our lesson accordingly. Furthermore, the initial food web puzzle made, as compared to the final version of the food web will help us view the student’s progress and thus, growth throughout the course of the lesson. By seeing their initial thoughts of the idea of a food web, which is essentially a small, ungraded pre-test, we can compare their final understanding, which resembles a small, ungraded post-test. This will help us as educators to fully understand the level of our students after our lesson has been taught.

It is also important to note the high level of cooperative learning in this lesson. If the students are not actively involved in class discussion, they are being asked to work in small cooperative groups of 2 or 3. They are constantly being forced into social learning situations where they must work together with other students and use and bounce ideas off of one another to fully understand the concepts at hand. This is an important component to this lesson, and most lessons in general.

6) Scientific Content Involved:

This lesson, while covering and involving quite a bit of scientific content, is mainly based on the idea of the food chain and the predator/prey system. While the students will need to know the digestive system and have a bit of background knowledge in that, this lesson is covering the above content most thoroughly. Through the activities, the lesson is introduced, and a bit of background knowledge is built, which all leads up to the lab activity. While fun and exciting, the lab activity serves as a time for the students to test their knowledge and thinking, and analyze the results they are finding. To complete this exercise, and the other activities, students will need to be familiar with the vocabulary of predator, prey, food chain, and perhaps the ideas of a carnivore, omnivore, and herbivore. It is important to be aware of certain allergies some students may have to the owl pellets. The feathers, bones, dust and other remnants found in the pellets can irritate students’ allergies. As a precautionary measure, students should be told of the activity in advance and asked if they have any special allergies (or other circumstances) which would negatively impact their health. Also, a note should be sent home to parents telling of the owl pellet activity and warning, yet again, of the potential hazard that can be posed to students with allergies.

Predator: an animal that lives by preying on other animals

Prey: an animal that is hunted or caught for food

Food Chain: a community of organisms where each member is eaten in turn by another member

References:

Owl Pellet Dissection Kit

1 Apr. 2007.

7) Visual Aids

Lab Activity
Concept Map
Food Web Example

8 ) Motivational Quality

We find the motivational quality of this lesson to be an important part of why it was so successful when implemented and why we saw such growth in the student’s understandings. By beginning at the student’s level of knowledge and building off of it with the concept map, we are starting at a point that is not intimidating for the students. By starting the lesson here, the student’s immediately become interested it the subject topic as they feel somewhat competent in it already, even though they may know very little about it. Furthermore, they are being given a large amount of responsibility in the lesson. When students feel that their contributions are important to their learning and are worthwhile, they are more motivated to participate. If, however, a lesson could go on successfully without including them, the student may retreat. Here, this opportunity for retreat does not exist, as the students are constantly being challenged to think for themselves, and critically analyze the topics they do know to connect it with a new and exciting lab activity.

The lesson is also quite motivating for learners because it is a discovery process. There’s always a natural curiosity with new things. Students here are given a object, told it’s name, and are asked to uncover it’s origins and contents. Without knowing what they may find, the students took off into the lesson, eager to find interesting artifacts. This motivation is essential to this lesson, but is easily elicited and found, as the students’ eagerness only grows when they discover bones, feathers, and other interesting artifacts. This lesson is also applicable to real life. It involves the Scientific Method, which will be useful throughout the rest of their academic careers. Students are challenged to observe the owl pellets, make assumptions and record their findings and conclude facts about owl pellets and that certain owl’s diet. This particular activity helps to instill excellent observational skills and helps the student to develop excellent analytical skills. In an activity like this, it is important that students are tested for understanding in some capacity. The worksheet that accompanies the owl pellet dissection is one way that students are held accountable for their learning. The worksheet gives students a picture, name and description of the various bones they may find in their pellet. It is up to the student to properly identify these bones and conclude meaning from them. Another way which the students are assessed would be the food chain activity both at the beginning of the lesson and at the end. Students are challenged to first organize their own food chain with various animals given. Students are not given the right answer until the end of the activity, when they are given the correct food chain to compare theirs to. Although both of these assessments are not traditional, they still allow the students to gage what they have learned and allow the instructor to track students’ understanding on the activity.

9) Learning Styles Addressed:

Many important learning styles are addressed in this lesson. Kinesthetic learners are well represented in here in various ways. During the food web puzzle activity, students are able to physically manipulate the pieces to arrange and rearrange according to their own liking. This activity gives them a chance to question their thinking without wasting time with unmanageable manipulatives. The pieces are easy and simple to move around, allowing for mistakes to be made and minds to be changed. As well, the dissection of the owl pellets themselves allows for a lot of learning for the kinesthetic learner. The physical ability to see, discover, and play with the contents of the owl pellets will really help them make the necessary connections of the origins of the owl pellet that are necessary to understand the food chain.

Auditory learners are not left out of this lesson either. The concept map introductory activity is done completely by class discussion. Furthermore, the students are constantly working in a group, either as a class, or in a partnership. This creates ample opportunities for discussion, and thus learning for the auditory learners of the class. As well, in actuality, this class discussion and group work is helpful and useful to all learners, as multiple learning theories suggest strong ties to understanding when done in a social setting.

Finally, visual learners are also considered highly in this lesson. The concept map activity presents the necessary information in a helpful and organized way. This may serve as an important aid in a visual learner’s understanding of food webs and the food chain in general. This concept map would help the student visualize the information in a more useful and memorable way, which will help them later on when they are asked to recall the information for assessments or in other life experiences.

Students may have various misconceptions prior to participating in this activity. Students may not know what the owl pellet is. They may thing that the pellet is an owl’s excrements or throw up. They may not realize that the pellet is the owl’s regurgitation. Through discovery learning, students will make conclusions about the owl pellet: what the owl pellet is, where it came from, why certain things were found within the owl pellet, etc.

10) Assessment

During the lesson, there will be various forms of assessment, such as the pre and post-test activities of the food web puzzle, and the worksheet created for the dissection lab. While these assessments are all fairly informal, they are most important for us in our need to assess our student’s understanding of the topic and their ability to critically analyze and make connections with other topics and with previous knowledge. The food web puzzle during the lesson is going to serve as a pre-test/post-test type of assessment. We are asking them to build the food web with creatures they are fairly unfamiliar with. However, we have modeled the process for them, and thus are testing them in an authentic way. Since one of our goals is to make sure the students are able to create a food web, there is no more authentic of a way to do so other than a procedural assessment. Furthermore, we are using this pre-test as a means of which to compare their final food web and assess changes in thinking, which is important to consider as well. The pre-test and post-test type of assessment really help illustrate the change or lack of in the student’s understanding, which helps us as educators to adjust our teaching to better serve the students, and ensure that our objectives have been met. The food web serves as a great introduction to many of the concepts that will be covered in the owl pellet activity. It covers many of the basic ideas dealing with the food chain and much of the vocabulary necessary to understand the concepts surrounding the owl pellets.

The worksheet that we created for the dissection activity as well, is serving as a useful form of assessment. The questions were designed to help guide the students in discovering the origins of the owl pellets and the contents within it, which is one of our objectives, yet it also guides the students in connecting their findings with their previous knowledge and determining how the two fit together and connect. This is also an important learning objective that we hoped to cover with our students. While this worksheet will not be graded, it will give us a strong understanding of our student’s capabilities in critically analyzing new information and synthesizing it with previous knowledge.

Gettelman Project Summary

7953francig — Tue, 08 May 2007 01:24:07 +0000

Question 1:

Ms. Gettleman replied twice to two different statements I made throughout the different postings on D2L. First, she responded to this statement I made, “While I agree with you that there was some confusion regarding the results of the lab, I do not think that that is always a bad thing.” Ms.Gettelman stated that she agreed with what I said and, “In a situation like the one in the video, it is important for the teacher to keep in mind the objective of the lesson – which in this case was to give the students an opportunity to put the scientific method into practice. While the lesson was chaotic at times, the students did use science process skills to complete the lab, so the objective was met.” I completely agree with Ms. Gettelman’s input. Sometimes, especially in a science classroom, it is important that the students learn through discovery learning. It is through this that they will develop excellent observational skills and learn to truly analyze their findings. At the sixth grade level, students are just beginning to learn about many of the key scientific concepts. Therefore, confusion and various questions are bound to be a natural step in any lesson. For example, in my clinical experience, there was a group of eighth graders who came into Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful to learn about recycling and the various ways they can help their communities with trash and waste issues. The students started off by completing a worksheet that had them estimating the amount of time certain items would take to disintegrate in a landfill. Students did not know the answer, but together they came up with amounts of time that seemed appropriate. The students were wrong most of the time when we went over the answers. However, by having them guess an amount of time and then compare that to the actual amount of time it takes for a certain item to disintegrate in a landfill, the issues of reducing, reusing and recycling seemed that much more important.

The other statement of mine that Ms. Gettelman responded was this, “While it is still vital that the teacher remains a strong support and ultimately leads the discussion, when the students rely on prior knowledge and their own intelligence and reason, it is amazing how much they really do know.” Ms. Gettelman agreed with what I had to say and asked “What theoretical frameworks can you use to support this? Also, I agree that when students learn to rely on themselves, they can accomplish so much. How would you begin to foster this sense of self-reliance in your own classroom?” If students are forced to think for themselves, rely on prior knowledge and use their reasoning skills to come up with an answer, they will surprise not only themselves but also the teacher with how much they really do already know about a given subject. By having the students do this, it helps do develop their observational and analytical skills. This will be useful through out the rest of their academic careers and throughout the rest of their lives. By having the students take responsibility for their own learning and knowledge, they also gain confidence in their own abilities to come up with the right answer. It is natural for students to be unsure of themselves, especially when they are discussing a new, difficult concept. However, by giving the students more independence and yet still being available as a guide, a teacher establishes a wonderful and healthy way for students to think. In my own classroom there would be many ways that I would foster a sense of self-reliance. First, when beginning a unit, I would conduct a KWL discussion to try and engage the students and see what they already know about a subject. This was done at my clinical experience, again, with the eighth grade students learning about reducing, reusing and recycling. We would say certain ideas or vocabulary words, like “recycle”, and ask the students to come up with a definition for it. This was a helpful way to introduce topics because it not only allowed the students to prove what they already knew, but also helped to dispel any false preconceived notions. This way the students had the right information and were a big part of coming up with it. Another way that I would foster self-reliance in my classroom would be to have the students work in groups. This would be especially effective at a sixth to eight grade level, much like Ms. Gettelman’s class. Group work helps the students to become more independent in their learning. While it is important that the teacher monitors the students’ progress and is always available for any questions, group work is a great way for students to engage in discovery learning. They can have stimulating conversations that push one another to think and participate well in a group and together they can come up with answers.

Question 2:

One trend in the D2L prompt that I noticed was that most people focused on the various aspects of social learning demonstrated in Ms. Gettelman’s classroom. It was observed over and over how effective the KWL discussion and the group work seemed to be. One particular observation focused on the importance of working in groups, “Essentially though, whether or not they make friends in their groups, they learn to work respectfully with others. This is an important trait for all children to have, and random grouping allows for the possibility that students may have to work and talk with people they normally would not talk to, and this tends to make them more understanding and open by being introduced to people that are outside of their comfort zone.” This is very important point. Group work is highly essential not just for its academic benefits, but also because it helps students work well in groups and socialize with students whom they may normally not talk to. It was also highly observed how well Ms. Gettelman interacted with her students. She was wonderful with engaging the students in discussion, making them think for themselves and keeping the lesson interesting at all times. One student commented, “Mrs. Gettlemen did not stand up in front of the classroom the whole time and just lecture straight facts. Instead she incorporated the facts to the classroom by asking them questions and having them answer the questions by looking up the answers in their notes. I think it is very important for teachers to have an interactive classroom like Mrs. Gettlemen did. I believe that if she just stood there and lectured, the children would get very bored, distracted, and not interested in the subject.” I agree this remark completely. Ms. Gettelman’s lesson and teaching strategy was so effective because she did not just stand up in front of the classroom and lecture the students. She made sure that the students were actively engaged in their learning and were forced in many ways to take responsibility for it through group work. Another student commented, “During the activity, Ms. Gettlemen was very available to assist the students and guide them if they happened to come off task or had questions. She allowed them to come up with their own hypothesis, which gave them a sense of accomplishment and independence.” I also completely agree with this remark. Yet again, it is so important that the students find answers out for themselves. It helps to develop good reasoning skills and gives the students a great sense of accomplishment.

One scientific related idea which was heavily discussed throughout the D2L discussions is the emphasis and importance of the Scientific Method. It is vital that students master observing, recording and analyzing data and making conclusions about what they have seen. One particular observation noted, “Before the lab activity, Ms. Gettleman spent a significant amount of time with the children reviewing the scientific method. While the students had obviously already talked about this before, and she allowed them and praised them for using their notes to tell her the answer, she offered hints to the children, such as looking around the room to a board that showed the scientific method to review the process. This in itself is also a help to the students, as during the lab activity they have something concrete to refer back to, such as the board in her classroom, to remind them what they should be doing and in what order.” While the students are probably somewhat familiar with the scientific method, it is important that the various steps are posted somewhere in the classroom as a reminder to the students. At the sixth grade level, students are just beginning to learn about the various components of the Scientific Method. For it to be conducted correctly and the students to really learn the steps, they must know what they are doing and a reminder would only help.

Question 3:

There are many things that I learned about teaching science from watching Ms. Gettelman’s class videos, discussing with my peers and entering dialogue with Ms. Gettelman. First, I learned that projects and labs will not always go as planned and that’s okay. In fact, it is then that the most learning takes place. As Ms. Gettelman said, “In a situation like the one in the video, it is important for the teacher to keep in mind the objective of the lesson – which in this case was to give the students an opportunity to put the scientific method into practice. While the lesson was chaotic at times, the students did use science process skills to complete the lab, so the objective was met.” In the lab, there was confusion amongst the students, which many observed, and it ultimately led to a more interesting and engaging discussion afterward. Second, I learned that students know much more about a given subject than the teacher may give them credit for. It is vital that they are given an opportunity to demonstrate this prior knowledge. The value of self- reliance was noted by many individuals, “By allowing the students to work independently the teacher instilled a sense of self reliance. Many of the students worked through their problem themselves which is important skill for students. After the activity the teacher offered support by reviewing what happened during the experiment.” Third, I learned that although it is of the utmost importance that students are given the opportunity to discover the answers on their own, the teacher must still play a role in the activity. The teacher must scaffold and ask the students questions that make them think about the bigger picture. Ms. Gettelman did a great job of doing this as was observed by one particular entry, “During the experiment, the instructor walked around to all of the groups multiple times to ask them further questions about what they had found, or to guide them in their investigation, yet constantly putting the responsibility on the student for constructing their knowledge by encouraging them to record all their observations to aid them later on in their analysis of the data and when they draw their conclusions.” It is important to strike a balance between being helpful, yet letting the students discover things on their own. Fourth, this experience has taught me that in science, the Scientific Method is a very important component of teaching a science lesson. At the sixth grade level it is important that students get the basic foundation for how the Scientific Method works: observations, analysis, conclusion, etc. Ms. Gettelman did a wonderful job of this as was noted in the D2L discussion. There were many observations of how the Scientific Method was reinforced throughout the experiment and how Ms. Gettelman made sure the students understood each step. The fifth thing I learned from the Gettelman project would be that there are advantages and disadvantages to group work. By mixing different personality types and learning styles, a teacher can create a wonderful, successful environment for learning or one which the students cannot thrive and learn in. It is important to monitor the groups and to watch out for students who are either doing all the work or none of the work. This was noted many times on the D2L discussion board. Group work can be a wonderful way to learn and discover new topics, however, there are certain ways that a teacher should go about it.

Assessment Tools

7953francig — Tue, 08 May 2007 01:00:24 +0000

Assessment is vital in ensuring a lesson’s effectiveness and that students understand many of the main concepts and ideas associated with it. When assessing students a teacher should always keep in mind the various types of learners who may be in their classroom. While it is vital that an assessment truly measures what students learned from a particular lesson or unit, it is of the utmost importance that assessments cater to various types of learners. Not all students do well on a true/false, multiple choice or matching exam. Assessments do not always have to come in paper and pen form, either. Students can effectively be assessed through verbal activities or active games, for example. The most important component of assessment is assuring that it properly measures what students have gained in knowledge, experience, etc. Assessments that achieve this help create a more successful learning environment for both the students and teacher.

The following demonstrate four different types of assessment:

Interactive Science Lesson: During this activity, students are asked to dissect an owl pellet independently and, with the help of a worksheet, asked to identify the different bones they find within the pellet. They are then asked to make conclusions about the owl’s diet based on their findings. (click on “Interactive Science Lesson” link)

Critical Task Method #1: During this activity, students are asked to keep a weather log for a week’s time. It involves collection and organization of data, interpretation of results and a lot of independent work. Students will be assessed on completion of weather log, detail of individual logs, organization of logs and participation in class discussion following activity. (click on “Critical Task” link)

Critical Task Method #2: This activity involves group work on a “mini-project.” Students are asked to work together and use their collective knowledge about tornadoes to make one using liter bottles. This is a fun and engaging alternative to a formal exam, project or worksheet. Students are still expanding their knowledge about weather and, yet, having to work constructively in a group. (click on “Critical Task” link)

KGMB Field Work: Students were asked to use their knowledge about waste management to go through a pretend family’s trash for one day. They were asked to separate what was recyclable and what was not. For this activity, the had to use the information we discussed as a group earlier in the lesson and apply it in small groups. An activity like this allows the children to see for themselves how dire the trash problem really is and how even just one family can make a huge different by recycling. (click on “KGMB Field Work” link)

Technology

7953francig — Tue, 08 May 2007 00:58:56 +0000

Technology is a wonderful and powerful tool available to teachers in the classroom. It allows students to learn more about a certain topic, express themselves in countless ways and satisfies their curiosity to know and see more. Technology in can help to present a lesson in a more engaging and interactive way, which will only help to grab the students’ attetion and spark an interest. Technology also helps provide students with a myriad of resources on a given topic. It assures that students will never be at a loss for knowlege or material on a given subject. In Education 140 this semester alone, we utilized technology in many of our lessons. From PowerPoints to the online D2L discussion with Ms. Gettelman, technology helped to make our class more interesting, interactive and engaging. There are four methods of incorporating technology into the classroom that I have described below. Each method is different and unique in its own way.

Technology was implimented in the following assignments:

Schlitz Audubon Nature Center Field Trip: A PowerPoint helped to fully illustrate the beauty of the nature center through the use of digital photos and graphics. By using PowerPoint, our fellow students could enjoy the photos we took and have a better understanding of why the nature center would be a wonderful place to take a class field trip. Also, the PowerPoint helped to organize our material and thoughts on the field trip in an organized manner. Click on the link below to view the field trip PowerPoint.

Field Trip PowerPoint

Bugscope: Bugscope was a wonderful opportunity to impliment the use of technology into the classroom. Many misconceptions could be cleared by the use of this technology, because one is viewing an actual bug under great magnification. It gives great insight into various kinds of insects and, because of the magnitude the bug is viewed at, one is able to see things the human eye would never be capable of. In the PowerPoint that followed, students were able to incorporate prior knowledge, various National Science Educational Standards and outside resources relating to the topic. Click on the link below to view the Bugscope PowerPoint.

Bugscope PowerPoint

Gettelman Project: The Gettelman Project was made possible through an online discussion on D2L. We were able to communicate with Ms. Gettelman about various teaching stratagies and ask any questions and were given a quick and thorough response. Ms. Gettelman individually communicated with each of us and addressed any questions or misconceptions we may have had. This activity enabled our class to view Ms. Gettelman’s class and then engage in a discussion with a real teacher about teaching science, behavioral management, classroom diversity and group work. Click on the “Gettelman Summary” link to view an assessment of the activity.
KGMB Field Experience: Throughout all three of the “Waste In Place” lessons taught to various groups of students, a video was shown on reducing, reusing and recycling. The video helped to further emphasize many of the points talked about in the opening discussions and gave the students a visual representation of the recycling problem. The video was a wonderful resource because it featured experts and gave compelling facts. In many ways, it was like having an expert speaker on the topic. An interesting video also does a fantastic job of capturing the students’ attention and engaging them in a topic. In this lesson, the video was a great segway from one section of the lesson to the other. Click on the “KGMB Field Experience” link for more information.

National Science Education Standards

7953francig — Tue, 08 May 2007 00:57:54 +0000

National Science Education Standards are important because they help create a more scientifically literate population. They give guidance to teachers as to exactly what is expected of students at specific grade levels. They help to ensure that students are learning the particular skills, concepts, ideas and lessons at the appropriate age and grade level. These standards challenge both student and teacher to expand his or her scientific knowledge base, develop higher level thinking skills and learn the skills in order to conduct scientific inquiry. National Science Education Standards help to “demystify” science, create a thoughtful, thorough, yet challenging rubric for students and open students eyes to the wonders science has to offer.

http://books.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/

Benchmark Lesson:

The Benchmark Lesson addresses National Science Education Content Standard A and D (K-4). Content Standard D is addressed because the Benchmark Activity requires the students to observe the weather on a daily basis. Content Standard D states that all children (K-4) should understand both objects in the sky and changes in the earth and sky. While Content Standard A states that all children (K-4) should develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry and an understanding about scientific inquiry. The Benchmark Lesson is a great introduction into the fundamentals of the Scientific Method, which deals wholly with the principles of scientific inquiry. During this activity, students are asked to observe, analyze, record data and make conclusions–all based around scientific inquiry.

Critical Task:

The Critical Task addresses National Science Educational Standard D (K-4). The Critical Task asks students to, yet again, observe the weather conditions surrounding them, participate in weather related activities and become knowledgable about many weather related terms. Content Standard D states that students should be aware of objects in the sky and the various changes in the sky and earth. The Critical Task directly addresses Content Standard D through the weather observation activity. They are forced to become aware of the different weather conditions and objects in the sky.

Interactive Science Lesson:

The Interactive Science Lesson addresses National Science Educational Standard A (K-4). This Standard states that all students (K-4) should develop the skills necessary to conduct and understand scientific inquiry. The owl pellet activity challenged the students to think about not just what they found in their individual owl pellets, but also how that connects to the bigger idea of the food web. Students were not just handed answers. They were given the tools necessary and asked to investigate and come up with answers on their own. They were asked to analyze, question and think about their results and make conclusions from them.

Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful Field Work Experience

7953francig — Mon, 07 May 2007 20:02:46 +0000

Name of Pre-service Teacher: Gabrielle Francis

Name of School and Cooperating Teacher: Keep Greater
Milwaukee Beautiful with Education Coordinator, Emily Brown

Grade Level(s) Taught: 8-12, 6 and kindergarten

Title/Topics of 3 Lessons Taught: “Waste In Place”—covered the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling and what each individual can do to help. Included a tour of the Milwaukee Recycling Facility

As a whole, my experience at Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful was successful and beneficial to my future teaching career. Overall, my partner, Joceline, and I did a good job of keeping the different groups of students engaged and interested in what we were saying. It was very different, though, from my past field work experiences. We taught the same lesson, “Waste In Place” to students ranging from kindergarten to high school. Because of this, it was interesting to change the lesson for each grade level that we taught. “Waste In Place” was a lesson that emphasized the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling. We helped inform the students of their personal responsibility towards the environment and the different ways they could help the waste problem at home. An interesting part of the lesson was taking the students to the Milwaukee Recycling Facility next door to Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful. Our biggest challenge throughout all three lessons was keeping the different groups occupied and engaged. With the middle and high school students, conversation (not lecturing) was the most effective method for getting our points across. When we engaged them in conversation and asked them to share their own personal experiences, they livened up and seemed more interested in what we had to say. With the kindergarteners, the most effective method seemed to be constant activity. With students that young, their attention spans tend to be very short and they are distracted easily. We made sure to keep them occupied with activities such as a craft, video, group activity, etc. One specific activity we had them do was decorating toilet paper rolls as a way of “reusing” them. There were markers, stickers, glue, buttons, etc. for the kindergarteners to use. They seemed to really enjoy it and understood that they were reusing materials and therfore doing their part to help save the environment.

Emily Brown is the Education Coordinator at Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful. While she is not a teacher, persay, she leads many of the classes that come to the facility for a field trip. First, I learned a lot about recycling and waste management in Milwaukee from her. She is very knowledgeable about the environment and the importance of recycling and she opened my eyes to what the recycling process is really like and many of the problems Milwaukee specifically faces with waste management. Emily was great with the way she talked to the students and sparked their interest. She seemed to know how to correctly address each age group appropriately. She made a very convincing argument, as well, for why reducing, reusing and recycling are very important to do. She drew on the students’ background information and expanded the lesson from there. She did a wonderful job of connecting the lessons to everyday life and how the students can take personal responsibility for their environment. I would use and did use many of the tactics Emily used to engage the students. The most important component of the lesson is the emphasis on personal responsibility. It is most important that students realize that they can a lot to help reduce the waste problems in their own neighborhoods and Emily did that in a very effective and engaging manner.

Connection To Critical Task:

Knowledge Indicators:

“Waste In Place”, the lesson that we taught, focuses mostly on NSES Standard A. Standard A focuses on students’ ability to do and understand science as inquiry. This is applicable to this lesson because we were asking students to think about the recycling problems that faces Milwaukee. We asked them why it was an issue, what every individual can do about it, what is going to happen if it does not get better, etc. Students were not simply given answers. They were asked to think and question many of the concepts surrounding recycling for themselves. We found that all three groups of students were incredibly intelligent and willing to learn. The high schoolers, obviously, were more informed and could talk more about reducing, reusing and recycling, only because they were so much older. They had been exposed to many of the issues and ideas we were talking about and could speak from previous experiences. The other two groups of third graders and kindergarteners, though, were not so aware of the issues surrounding recycling. They had heard of many of the terms we were talking about and had an idea of what they meant, but were unable to apply them. Also, when asked what kinds of items they throw away at home, many said recyclable goods (not knowing any better). It wasn’t until later discussion that they realized items like plastics, glass, paper, etc. needed to be recycled.

Disposition Indicators:

The groups of students who came to Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful represented a diverse population. Most of these students have grown up in an urban environment and have not been exposed to many environmental issues—simply because they do not see them on a daily basis. It was important to me that the students walk away from their experience at Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful being aware that we must help take care of our planet. I wanted to instill a sense of personal responsibility in them. I wanted them to know that there are many thing that they as individuals and their families can do to help. It’s just a matter of students being exposed to the information and well aware of the issues. I took time to answer all student questions and tried to engage each student as best as possible. I was excited about being there, and I think my excitement was contagious. Students’ attitudes are a reflection of their teacher’s attitude. It is so important that a teacher is friendly, warm and inviting to his or her students—it is an automatic way to capture their attention. All the students came in with positive attitudes and seemed very eager to learn more about what Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful does for the city. They were engaged in conversation and had opinions, stories and ideas to share. Emily Brown was wonderful at posing questions for them that made them think. I learned a lot from the way that she engaged with the students so effortlessly. She presented the material in a fun and interesting way. And, yet, the students still walked away knowing that it was a serious matter and they could do something about it.

Performance Indicators:

As a result of teaching at Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful, I realize that the method of teaching is very important. Our clinical work at KGMB, was very unique because I did not simply teach elementary school students, I also taught a few high school and middle school students, as well. “Waste In Place” was the lesson we were told to teach all three groups of students who came into the center. It was quite challenging to adapt the same lesson to fit both high schoolers and kindergarteners. All three lessons had the same basic components: opening discussion about reducing, reusing and recycling, video, tour of the Milwaukee Recycling Facility, activity and wrap-up discussion. The first lesson taught was to a youth group of kids ranging from 7^th grade through high school. I was quite intimidated to start off leading a high school class, but it ended up being a great way of getting my feet wet. I found that with older kids, engaging discussion is key. I started out by telling them why places like Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful are important and asked them to discuss with me some of their own habits when it comes to recycling: “Does your family recycle at home?”, “Who knows what materials are recyclable here in Milwaukee?”, etc. These kids weren’t much younger than I was, so I found it pretty easy to engage in conversation with them. High school students are old enough to have solid and worthwhile opinions and ideas. A teacher or instructor must allow them to share and express those ideas in order to capture their attention and get them interested in a topic. The second lesson we taught was to a group of third graders. We had to adapt the same lesson to fit and interest a group much younger than the previous one. While the third graders still enjoyed the opening discussion and had much to contribute, we found that it was very important that we (the instructor) kept it briefer and took more of a leading role. We asked questions such as, “Tell me one way that you can help save your environment” or “Why are landfills such a problem?” These questions made the third graders think and engaged them in their own learning. The third graders needed more structure and got bored after a while with it. They, unlike the high schoolers, needed more activity and less conversation. Finally, the last group we taught were kindergarteners. The kindergarteners needed constant activity, or they grew very restless and bored. We had a brief discussion about reducing, reusing and recycling and, during that, we used props and visuals to keep their attention. They grew restless after a short while, though. The most effective strategy for them was the arts and crafts activity. They were to decorate a toilet paper roll—this was a matter of “reusing” something. The activity sparked their interest and helped to reinforce the lesson and ideas we were teaching.

Read more about my classroom philosopy by clicking the “Critical Task” link.

Critical Task

7953francig — Mon, 07 May 2007 18:46:55 +0000

Weather

I chose weather as my critical task topic for many various reasons. First, weather is a phenomenon which affects every human being. It is inescapable and can always be a topic of discussion. Weather is also a great lesson in which to build a student’s scientific academic career on. Some of the basic lessons involved in weather (observing, analyzing, experimenting, etc.) help to develop a students’ critical thinking skills, which will come in great use through out his or her academic career. With the critical task, I hope to illustrate effective ways of teaching elementary students (fourth graders, specifically) about the many components of science, convey the many misconceptions students may have about weather and provide background to the topic of weather itself and the academic standards that should guide a lesson.

As stated above, one of the most valuable lessons to be learned in science by elementary education students is weather. It is vital that from a young age students learn the basic foundations of what weather is, how it works, how it changes and how it affects mankind. An elementary level (kindergarten through fourth grade) lesson for weather is covered by Content Standard D: Earth and Space Science, in the National Science Education Standards (NSES).

Content Standards:

According to the National Science Education Standards (NSES), the following content should be covered in classrooms between the ages of kindergarten and fourth grade:

*Properties of Earth Materials:

*Earth materials are solid rocks and soils, water, and the gases of the

atmosphere. The materials have different chemical and physical properties

Earth resources provide many of the resources that humans use.

*Soils have color and texture, the ability to retain water, and ability to

support the growth of many kinds of plants (many of which are in our food

supply).

*Evidence for the plants and animals that lived long ago is provided by

fossils. Fossils also give clues to the nature of environments long ago.

*Objects in the Sky:

*The sun, moon, stars, clouds, birds and airplanes all have properties,

locations and movements that can be observed and described.

*The sun provides both light and heat. This is necessary to maintain the

temperature of the earth.

*Changes in the Earth and Sky:

*The surface of the earth changes, due to both slow processes and rapid

processes. Slow processes include both erosion and weathering and rapid

processes include, landslides, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

*Weather is an ever changing phenomenon. It changes from day to day

and over the seasons. Weather can be described by measurable quantities

(such as temperature, wind direction and speed and precipitation).

*Objects in the sky have a pattern of movement. Examples include the

sun’s movement across the sky every day and the observable changes in

shape the moon goes through on a day to day basis.

These standards help to provide a useful framework for classroom lessons concerning earth and space science. Weather is a very important component of science and between the grades of kindergarten and fourth grade, it is key that students establish a firm foundation of knowledge on the subject. Students will learn through the process of science inquiry. They will be forced to develop their observational, experimentation, communication skills, as well as, heighten their thought processes.

Objectives:

The objectives of this unit for a fourth grade classroom directly correspond with Content Standard D of the NSES Standards.

*Students will understand the basic components of weather (temperature,

wind speed, conditions such as snow or rain, etc.)

*Students will understand that weather is always changing

*Students will understand that weather also changes over the seasons.

*Students will understand that weather and climate vary, too, depending on

the location one is living in.

*Students will have a greater understanding of the different instruments used

to observe weather conditions.

*Students will develop acute observational skills through various activities

*Students will be capable of taking what they have observed, analyze it and

recognize patterns, similarities or differences within their data.

Misconceptions:

Students at the elementary level will naturally have many questions and may either have the wrong knowledge or no knowledge at all on a certain topic (especially pertaining to science). Possible sources of these misconceptions would be television, peers and their own imaginations. Younger children do not yet understand that a lot of what they view on television and in the movies serves only a dramatic purpose and is not always accurate. From the very beginning of a unit, it is important that students voice their questions or preexisting knowledge on a topic. By doing so, it is easier to get all the students on relatively the same page and make sure they are all beginning the unit with correct information. A great way to clear up student misconceptions is through a class discussion known a “KWL”. Two of the categories covered in this particular kind of discussion are “What we know” and “What we want to know”. It is vital that the teacher leads the discussion, but does not become overbearing. All answers provided by the students are valuable because they give the teacher opportunity to branch off a bit or go deeper into a particular area of the topic. A few misconceptions students may have about weather are:

1) Weather stays constant:

It is a common misconception among children that weather is not always

fluctuating and changing. They don’t understand that just because they

cannot feel even the most minor change in temperature, wind speed, etc.

doesn’t mean it didn’t occur. Students must learn that weather is not

constant and there are ways of measuring these minute changes.

2) Rain falls from sky when clouds evaporate:

Sometimes children have a difficult time grasping the idea of where

precipitation comes. It’s well understood that rain, snow, sleet, etc. comes

from the clouds in the sky. However, there is confusion over what exactly

causes the clouds to release their precipitation. Students must understand

that precipitation begins to fall when the cloud is too heavy to remain in

the air.

3) Seasons are caused by Earth’s distance from the Sun:

Many students do not understand the concept that Earth is tilted on an

axis and THIS is what causes the change in seasons. Students may be led

astray simply by the everyday experience of standing close to something

warm. When one is closer to it, it is warmer than when one is farther

away. It is important for the students to learn about Earth’s alignment on

its access not just for the topic of weather and changing seasons, but this

key fact will also be important in other science lessons.

4) People all around the world are not experiencing the same climate as you:

As a young student, I can see how it would be difficult to understand

the concept that if you are experiencing cold and snowy weather, on the

other side of the country, someone could be laying out on a beach getting

a suntan. It is important that students understand that every place has its

own climate and weather patterns. And they vary widely not just across

the world, but also across individual nations. Students must not only gain

knowledge of the kind of weather their city or region experiences, but also

of the weather other places experience. Just because a student lives in

Hawaii, doesn’t mean he or she shouldn’t know why it snows.

Various Ways of Teaching Weather:

Method 1:

Students will be responsible for keeping a “weather log” for a week’s time. They will be expected to observe temperature (measured with a thermometer), precipitation, wind conditions, clouds, etc. They will be expected to take their observations at the same time each day, be detailed in their descriptions and through in their explanations.

In order to properly introduce this activity to the class, it is very important that a benchmark lesson accompanies it. The teacher will begin this unit with a classroom observation of the weather over a three day period. This activity will basically be a dry run for the students to prepare them to successfully complete their own “weather logs.” As a class, observations will be made about temperature, precipitation, wind, sun/clouds, etc. A class “weather log” will be kept over the three day period to record the students’ observations. After three days, the observations will be analyzed. The teacher must ask questions of how conditions changed over the three day period and how they stayed the same. The students will discuss their results to better prepare themselves to analyze their own data they will soon be finding.

Once the students successfully complete their individual “weather logs”, there will be another class discussion. This time, however, there will be many different sets of data as opposed to the benchmark lesson which only consisted of one classroom set of observations. The teacher must, yet again, facilitate a stimulating classroom discussion on the children’s findings for each day of the week. He or she must ask many of the same questions that were asked in the initial benchmark lesson and push the students to analyze their results. Once the discussion is complete, the teacher will graph all the students’ temperature data for each of the seven days. Seeing the wide variance in temperatures (even for each individual day) will help emphasize that weather is constantly changing.

Below: a small scale example of the students’ “weather log”

	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7
Temperature
Precipitation
Wind Conditions
Sun/ Clouds?

By having the students keep a weather log, they are forced to develop and hone their observational skills. This is a skill which they will use greatly throughout the rest of their academic lives. Also, a student’s ability to analyze what they have observed is put to the test. Not only is it important for a student to learn how to become an excellent observer, but also learn how to question and analyze those results for meaning. An activity such as this one also promotes responsibility and independence in a student. This activity (as well as the rest of the unit) is meant for fourth grade students. That is an age which teachers must start having the students take academic responsibility. However, because the activity is done as a class for an introduction, the students are still left an opportunity to clear up any questions they may have and see a first hand example of how observations are properly done. This activity also appeals to non-traditional learners. It is very hands on and presents many of the main components of weather in an interesting and engaging way. It is important that a teacher understands that there are various ways of teaching and learning science. In order for a lesson to be effective, it must be taught in various ways to appeal to the different learning styles. This not only keeps the content interesting, but can provoke analytical thinking from students and good discussion questions.

It is, of course, very important that certain NSES Standards are addressed within the activity. Because of observations and classroom discussion, students learn that weather changes from day to day (even hour to hour and minute to minute). They also learn that weather can be described by measurable quantities (degrees, precipitation, wind speed, etc).

Method 2:

Students will be divided into groups of three or four and expected to make a “Tornado In A Bottle.” This activity was taken off of the website www.suzy.co.nz. This is done so by taking two plastic pop bottles and creating a vortex with water. The activity will first be demonstrated by the teacher. The teacher will go through all the steps to making the bottled tornado and make sure all questions are answered before the students are divided into groups. Once the students are in their small groups, it is important that the teacher walks around the room and checks on the progress of all of the groups (especially because the directions can be a bit confusing). The materials for the activity will be provided to the students by the teacher and laid out at every group’s station. They are as follows: 2×2 plastic liter bottles, duct tape, a thin piece of card board, a hole punch, scissors, pencil, paper towels and a ruler. They instructions to this activity can be a bit tricky and are as follows:

1) Use the hole punch to make a hole in the thin piece of card board

2) Turn one of the bottles upside down on the cardboard, over the hole, so you

can trace around the circle of the neck of the bottle.

3) Fill one of the bottles half full with water and place the circle of cardboard with

the hole in it on top of the neck of the bottle.

4) Turn your second bottle upside down, so that the mouth of each bottle lines up

and wrap the duct tape around the necks of the bottles to secure them together.

5) Turn the bottles so the one with the water is the one at the top and give the

bottles a couple of swirls. Watch and enjoy!

Prior to the introduction to the activity, the class will watch a video on storms and tornadoes. This will help introduce many of the main concepts. After the video, the teacher will lead the class in a small discussion prior to introducing the “Tornado In A Bottle” activity. These activities are important because they set a firm foundation for knowledge on the topic. Again, a discussion such as a KWL can also help dispel any misconceptions the students may have about tornados. While the video will emphasize many types of weather, the KWL will serve as a great platform to discover tornadoes more in-depth. The KWL will start off talking about all concepts covered in the video, but the teacher will have to lead the class in the direction of tornadoes so the “Tornado In A Bottle Activity” has a smoother transition.

This activity emphasizes group work and the ability to closely follow instructions. Students will have to work well together to achieve the final product successfully. This is an activity that is fully appropriate for a fourth grade level because of its emphasis on the ability to follow instructions. Students at that level should be developing a more meticulous process of doing activities such as this one. For example, in fourth grade, they are at an age where they should be capable of successfully completing group work without a teacher constantly present. It is, of course, important that the “Tornado In A Bottle” activity is demonstrated beforehand by the teacher. However, by giving the students a demonstration, directions and the materials needed to complete the task, students are forced to take responsibility and show leadership skills in accomplishing the task.

Again, it is important that the lesson adheres to NSES Standards. Through the video, discussion and “Tornado In A Bottle” activity, students gain a greater understanding of the components of weather. It takes the study of weather components such as temperature, precipitation, clouds and takes it to the next level. It is a bit beyond what the content standard states. However, fourth grade is also at the latter end of the content standard and it is appropriate to begin elaborating on more basic ideas. For example, the weather video serves as the bigger picture of weather. It encompasses many aspects of the topic and would be a great overview of many weather components. However, the “Tornado In A Bottle” activity is an example of how students will go more in depth. Much of the KWL discussion will be focused on tornadoes (what was seen in the video, how, when and why they form, etc.). Students will then get the hands on experience of making one themselves. By going into a certain aspect of weather, it helps create interest and understanding. The students become more intrigued and hungry for knowledge the more they get into a subject.

Method 3:

The students will take a field trip to a local weather station to further understand how weather data is gathered and observed. This trip will occur at the end of the unit because it will encompass everything the students will have learned. During the trip the students will tour the station, talk to an expert in the field and have the opportunity to ask weather related questions and observe all of the equipment involved in observing weather on such a large scale. The in class discussions, activities, readings and videos will all help prepare the children for the field trip.

The purpose of the field trip is to allow the children to further understand how big of a concept weather really is. It also helps to reinforce how weather is tracked and recorded. By talking with experts about weather and how fascinating and complex it is, their knowledge and interest in the subject will hopefully be sparked. A fieldtrip also helps to mix things up a bit in the classroom. It gives the students something to work towards and look forward to at the end of a unit. Fourth graders are also capable of grasping some of the bigger components involved in weather, so a field trip to a weather station would not be above their level of comprehension.

The NSES Standards are being fulfilled in different ways. Again, because these are fourth graders, the basic ideas put forth in the standards are being fulfilled on a larger, more comprehensive scale. Students are learning about the instruments that measure the various and consistent changes in weather. Also, this fieldtrip will show that all objects in the sky have a property and not all are weather related.

Conclusion:

Weather is a very important component of elementary science curriculum. It can help to set the foundation for many of the lessons that are to be studied throughout one’s academic career. However, it is vital that a teacher approach the topic from many different perspectives to ensure that every student has the opportunity to grasp the concepts. It is important that classroom activities vary from group work to individual activities to class discussion. If a teacher does this, it becomes easier to cater to different types of learners with in the classroom. A teacher must also be picky about what resources they choose to use with their students. They must be sure that every activity is engaging, thought provoking and beneficial to the students’ overall understanding of the topic. The teacher is ultimately there as a wonderful resource on the topic. They are there to push the students to think deeper about a topic, facilitate stimulating conversation and be a guide (not just a book of answers) to the students.

Benchmark Lesson

7953francig — Mon, 07 May 2007 18:23:25 +0000

There are many different reasons why benchmark lessons are important. They help to establish a foundation of knowledge for the lesson at hand. They provide students with the basic skills, concepts and ideas that they will need throughout that particular lesson or unit. They provide teachers with a perfect opportunity to capture the students attention and get them interested in a particular topic. Also, benchmark lessons are a great way for teachers to help discover what students already know about a given topic, what they want to know and help to dispel any false information they students may already hold about the topic. The aspects addressed in this particular lesson that will benefit students in the future include the following:

-Weather is in constant fluctuation

-Knowledge of weather vocab, tools and recording devices

-Observing and analyzing data and drawing conclusions from it

-Ability to graph data

Benchmark Lesson:

Weather is a phenomenon that affects every living thing, no matter how big or small. It is mysterious, powerful and at a constant change. Because weather plays such a big role in our daily lives, it is of the utmost importance that students from a young age get a firm grasp on many of the important components involving weather. In order to teach students about a topic such as weather, it is important that they witness real life examples and become very hands on in their learning. This particular lesson (aimed at third through fourth graders) requires the students to observe and record on a chart their local weather conditions for a week’s time. Before the students individually observe and record the weather for a week, the class as a whole will observe different weather conditions over a three day period. This allows the teacher to demonstrate how to properly take temperature, observe different weather conditions, etc. It also allows the instructor to assess what the students already know about weather and how it is recorded. This classroom demonstration gives each student a proper background to weather observation and allows for the students ask questions if needed. After the students gather their results, they will report them back to the class and a discussion will take place about findings. The students will then make a graph of their findings in class. The lesson serves many educational purposes and involves many important skills the students will use throughout life and rest of their academic career. Observation and data collection is key in this lesson. The students are challenged to really become aware of what’s surrounding them. They are forced to not just observe, but interpret and analyze the weather conditions. Through these various observations, it is vital that students realize weather patterns. They must understand that weather is never constant. It is constantly fluctuating and can changes every day, hour, minute, perhaps even second. This lesson also emphasizes the importance of routine, organization and consistency. The students learn to take their observations at a particular time everyday and to take pride in their work. Also, by keeping a chart of the daily weather conditions, students begin to gain understanding of how to organize data. By lesson’s end, the goal is to have the students have a basic understanding of some of the components of weather. Topics such as temperature, precipitation, wind, etc. will be heavily emphasized and reinforced during this lesson so the students have a solid understanding of weather’s most basic components. The skills used in this lesson act as a “springboard” for future science tasks. This lesson greatly emphasizes the importance of observation, data collecting, analysis and proper listening skills. All of these skills will be vital to each student in the future. They are the foundation for many concepts in science and will be used greatly throughout their academic careers.

There are several National Science Educational Standards that can be addressed in this particular lesson. According to Content Standard D of Earth and Space Science, all k-4 students should be able to understand the properties of earth’s materials, objects in the sky and changes in the earth and sky. This entire lesson encompasses what this content standard strives to achieve. By having the children participate in a hands-on activity, such as observing the weather individually, they take ownership of their own learning. For example, one of the main goals of this lesson is to get the students to understand that weather changes constantly. It is stated that students should understand that “weather changes from day to day and over the seasons. Weather can also be described in measurable quantities, such as temperature, wind direction and speed and precipitation.” By observing the weather conditions for a week straight, students are forced to compare and analyze their data. Through the evidence they have collected and engaging classroom discussion, they begin to understand that weather conditions fluctuate. Another component of Content Standard D is also emphasized in this lesson. Through this lesson, students become more aware of what importance objects in the sky, such as the sun and clouds, hold. Of course, the students had prior knowledge of what function the sun served. This activity, however, forces them to think of the implications of a cloudy day, per say. The students will have to make the connection between temperature, wind speed and conditions such as sun or clouds. A second National Science Educational Standard that is addressed in this lesson is Content Standard A. This standard focuses ondeveloping students’ ability to perform and understand scientific inquiry. This lesson is a wonderful starting point for scientific inquiry skills. For example, students must contemplate the question of why weather changes and what are the forces behind it. They then must conduct a simple investigation using their observational and data analysis skills. They must learn how to use equipment such as a thermometer. They must learn how to interpret their own data results and gain knowledge about weather patterns from them.

Because this lesson is meant for third and fourth graders, the science content covered will be very basic. The most important thing is that the students get a solid foundation for weather knowledge. The students will learn how to use a thermometer and will learn how to perfect their observational skills. During the three day in class observation, the teacher should ask thought provoking questions about what exactly should be observed in the weather. Students should learn to take note of temperature, conditions such as sun, clouds, etc., general wind speed and precipitation. By observing these various weather components, students will begin to learn about scientific inquiry and gathering answers through observation and analysis. For example, when the students are done with their week long observation, they will hopefully be able to notice the different weather conditions they observed. By observing this, they will be able to conclude that weather is ever changing and is affected by many different factors.

The data that will be gathered will simply be the weather conditions over a week’s time. The class will start off with a KWL discussion about the various components of weather. As stated before, the class will have a “trial” three day observation period before they are expected to conduct their own observations and data gathering at home. Observations will be based on what the students see (sun, clouds, rain, snow, etc.), feel (wind, temp) and read (temperature from a thermometer). There will not be a hypothesis taken in this experiment. Even though an investigation is being conducted, the point of the lesson is not to have the students prove their original predictions right or wrong. The point is to have the students form a basic understanding and appreciation for weather and it’s ever changing nature. The rules of graphing will be important for this lesson. Although the students will not have to do this on their own, graphing their individual results will be an in class activity. With graphing, detail is key. It is important that they are aware of the difference between the X and Y axis, the value of the graph and what it represents. Graphing is an important skill to know and master at a young age, seeing as it will be used throughout the rest of schooling. The students will naturally come up with their own conclusions during and after the observations. However, an official class conclusion will be discussed when the students have collected their results. The class will discuss different conditions observed, how they relate to one another, trends observed, etc.

Students will be assessed on this activity in a few different ways. First, this lesson will be assessed for completeness. The students will be given a grade for their efforts concerning their daily observations. Their daily observation charts will be checked for completeness and efficiency. Next, there will be a class discussion about the students various findings. This is strictly to stimulate thought and understanding on the children’s part. The discussion will be lead and guided by the teacher. However, the students will be free to express their findings, and come up with their own conclusions. Finally, the students will graph their various observations in class. This graph will be graded on accuracy and knowledge of how to construct a proper graph (seeing as that will be part of the lesson).

M.U. Educational and WI DPI Standard #1

7953francig — Mon, 07 May 2007 17:25:05 +0000

Knowledge Indicators:

1.1 The teacher understands major concepts, assumptions, debates, processes of inquiry, and ways of knowing that are central to the discipline(s) s/he teaches.
1.2 The teacher understands how students ‘conceptual frameworks and their misconceptions for an area of knowledge can influence their learning.

Disposition Indicators:

1.5 The teacher appreciates multiple perspectives and conveys to learners how knowledge is developed from the vantage point of the learner.

Performance Indicators:

1.8 The teacher effectively uses multiple representations and explanations of disciplinary concepts that capture key ideas and links them to students’ prior understandings.
1.10 The teacher can evaluate teaching resources and curriculum materials for their comprehensiveness, accuracy, and usefulness in representing particular ideas and concepts.
1.12 The teacher develops and uses curricula that encourage students to see, question, and interpret ideas from diverse perspectives.

Importance:

M.U. Educational and Wisconsin DPI Standard #1 is important because it helps current teachers and future teachers understand the various concepts they are teaching, the misconceptions and multiple perspectives students may have and assists teachers in developing a curriculum that is useful, accurate, links ideas to previous knowledge and challenges students to question and interpret ideas from various perspectives. This standard is put in place to ensure that teachers have a good framework to base their lessons off of and so that ALL students feel connected and in tune with the material no matter what their background may be. The teacher must be aware that students are coming from very different backgrounds and may hold various misconceptions about a given topic. If a teacher is aware of this, it becomes easier for he or she to adapt his or her lesson plan to effectively cater to the needs of all students and ensure that learning and growth will take place.

Below is a link the the Wisconsin DPI website:
http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/standards/sciintro.html
Click on the link to my “KGBM Field Work Experience” to read more about how I incorporated this standard into my own teaching!

Teaching Philosophy

7953francig — Mon, 07 May 2007 17:03:42 +0000

Teaching Philosophy

A good education is the ticket to a successful, fulfilling and prosperous life. It sets the foundation for many life experiences and equips an individual to effectively deal with everyday challenges. One of the key elements of a good education goes back to who is providing the students with the information and knowledge: the teachers. Teachers help to provide a positive, nurturing environment for the students to learn in, promote healthy interaction between students and help guide students towards a brighter future. Students respond the a teacher’s mood, attitude and overall classroom philosophy. If the teacher approaches learning with a positive attitude, chances are the students will too. Teaching science, in particular, holds much importance. Science is so vital because it encompasses so many different facets of life. From the way our bodies function to the laws of physics, there is so much knowledge to be gained from the lessons of science. Science is also a great way to get kids interested in certain subject areas. Future doctors and biologists will never come to be if it wasn’t for the early foundations of science. Many lessons in science help a student develop not just scientific problem solving skills, but problem solving skills for many different subject areas. For example, the Scientific Method is a skill which a student will use throughout their scientific career. It is also the foundation for solving everyday problems and helps develop methodical thinking.

When I am finally teaching my own class, my number one goal is to be a useful and guiding resource to all of my students. I hope to be able to provide a classroom setting in which many different types of learners can achieve success and students feel like they can ask for help if needed. Also, I hope that I am able to be a firm teacher and set high expectations for my students. Yet, at the same time, I hope that I am also able to inspire and provide a positive learning environment for them.

I believe that every child has potential and is capable of grasping the material if given proper guidance. No child is ever a lost cause and it is the teacher’s personal responsibility to ensure the success of every student. For example, if a student seems to be struggling in a certain subject area or has been acting out lately, the teacher must talk to the student or the parents and try to find a resolution to the problem. The teacher must always be proactive. Also, if a teacher notices that the class is not responding well to an activity, they must be able to think on their feet and learn to engage the students. Whether this is by asking questions or facilitating a classroom discussion, there are many ways to ensure that students’ minds are being stimulated. Teachers must learn to tweak their teaching style to fit the individual needs of their students.

There have been several teachers throughout my academic career who have demonstrated many of the positive ways to keep students actively engaged in their learning. For example, my sixth grade math teacher always made herself available to her students for extra help. She would hold weekly review sessions every Friday morning to go over any confusing material and answer students’ questions. She made us students take personal responsibility for our own success in her class, yet still served as a positive guide. Her class was always interesting and she found many different ways to reach students, rather than just lecturing every day. Her encouragement and positive attitude was reflected in many of her students’ successes.