Join
Menu
Menu Search Join
 

Air and gases

By Mary Bigelow

Posted on 2010-04-10

Click on the cover for the Table of Contents


April is the month of Earth Day, and this issue on air and gases also has ideas for environmental studies related to the atmosphere.
The article Using Citizen Scientists to Measure the Effects of Ozone Damage on Native Wildflowers describes how students near the Great Smokey Mountain National Park in Tennessee are doing a longitudinal study of the effects of ground-level ozone on plants. The authors show how the study incorporates the 5E learning cycle, observation, data collection and analysis. There are examples of concept maps and data collection protocols to use as examples for your own projects. SciLinks has many websites with information and activities related to ozone and several have more on how ozone affects plants: The Ozone We Breathe and Ozone Spells “Ouch” for Some Plants
I live close to Hershey, PA, where Smelling the Chocolate happens whenever I travel through the town. But the authors of this article (with the subtitle The Perks of Modeling Habits of Mind) describe a student’s journey to an understanding of what causes things to “smell.” They also include a description of the activities in their unit on smell and how these activities promote critical thinking and communication.

Reading Classroom Terraria brought back a lot of memories! Having a classroom terrarium was a popular activity back in the 1970s, so it was interesting to see the newest version. This is Terrarium 2.0: using them to study plant-related processes such as evaporation, transpiration, photosynthesis, and respiration. The website Bottle Biology has more suggestions for enhancing classroom activities with bottle gardens made from recycled materials.
Speaking of recycled materials, Home Sweet Home has some great photographs of how to build homes for Madagascar hissing cockroaches from common materials. I’ll bet some students would enjoy building the homes for these fascinating insects almost as much as they do observing them. Click here if you’re not familiar with these insects or wonder if they really do hiss.
Stay on the theme of recycling and waste management with A Suggested Project-Based Environmental Unit for Middle School. The inquiry-based lesson investigated the amount and content of household garbage. (See Trash Pie: Is Your School Serving? in the March issue of Science & Children to see how a school analyzed its cafeteria waste.)

Click on the cover for the Table of Contents

 

Teachable moments

By Mary Bigelow

Posted on 2010-04-07

At a recent workshop, the presenter used the term “teachable moment.” What does this mean?
—Todd, Tacoma, Washington
Some say this is an overused, meaningless term. After, isn’t every moment in a science class “teachable?” But a teachable moment is a spontaneous, unplanned opportunity for learning. It’s a unique, high interest situation that lends itself to discussion of a particular topic. It could be a question from a student, an object a student brought to class, unanticipated results in a lab investigation, a misconception, or an opportunity to connect what students are learning in science to other subjects or real-world events.
You may have heard synonyms for teachable moments such as “going off on a tangent” or “taking a birdwalk.” As a teacher, you learn to recognize and take advantage of these opportunities.  After the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, many teachers “went on a birdwalk” about plate tectonics and seismology. It’s worth following a tangent when, for example, students remark that many science terms  based on the Greek and Roman mythology they’re studying in another class—or when your class gerbil is having babies.

Sometimes, however, you might decide to delay the moment. For example, during a lab investigation, a student might raise an interesting question or have unusual results you would like to share with the others. In the interest of time, however, you don’t want to interrupt the other students. But you can make a note to come back to the idea at a later time. I know teachers who have a “parking lot” on a bulletin board where they ask students to post questions or ideas to revisit. By displaying them publically, the students know their question or contribution was valued, and they won’t let you forget about it.
One of my favorite teachable moments involved Charles (not his real name). Charles moved to our town from Jamaica. His English was hard to understand (and I’m sure our northeastern accent was difficult for him to understand, too). We found out later he was much younger than a typical seventh grader. He did not talk much in class, even though I tried to converse with him and draw him into class discussions.
Our seventh-grade culminating activity was a study at the reservoir and stream that formed the town’s backup water supply. The activity featured an analysis of the presence of aquatic invertebrates as an indicator of water quality. The students enjoyed wading in the stream, overturning rocks and using screen sieves to find invertebrates such as mayfly and stonefly larva, hellgrammites, and leeches. Charles eagerly joined in on the activity. I heard a scream, “I found a fish.” It was Charles holding up a minnow. I said, “That’s good. But let’s see if we find any invertebrates.” A few minutes later I heard another scream, “I found a crab!” Charles had picked up a crayfish. We discussed the similarities and differences between crayfish and crabs. A few minutes later, “I found a turtle!” At this point I had to make an instructional decision. Should I point out again that the lesson was about invertebrates? Or should I divert from the plan to capitalize on Charles’ enthusiasm and the first time he had really spoken out in class?
I decided on a temporary diversion. I gathered the group and asked Charles to describe what the waters were like in Jamaica and what living things he would find there. As we sat on the bank of the stream, he excitedly told the class about going to the beach with his brothers, swimming with the sea turtles, and finding crabs and sea urchins. The waters, he said, were much warmer and clearer than the stream we were studying. After a few minutes, we went back to the task of finding invertebrates, but for a little while Charles had taken us to a different type of aquatic environment. “You were really lucky to live so close to the ocean,” a student remarked to Charles, who couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the afternoon. It was time well spent.
Feel free to share one of your teachable moments with Todd.
Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/fontplaydotcom/504443770/

At a recent workshop, the presenter used the term “teachable moment.” What does this mean?
—Todd, Tacoma, Washington

 

Citizen scientist action begins at a young age—by extending a helping hand to toads

By Peggy Ashbrook

Posted on 2010-04-05

American Toad photo by Doug Wechsler

See more of Doug Wechsler's work at http://www.dougwechsler.com/


In Upper Roxborough in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, children helped toads and frogs survive their migratory passage across a road, back to their natal pond (a reservoir) to lay their eggs. The volunteers recorded a count of toads, alive or dead. Naturalist-led toad walks help families understand the toad behavior. The Toad Detour blog has more details of the continuing effort.
Leigh Ashbrook, environmental science teacher, (and my cousin!) said, “The American toads and pickerel frogs are on the move by The Schuylkill Center, and volunteers have been helping safeguard their crossings over the busy roads by the reservoir to which they are homing to lay their eggs. The trilling of the toads is so beautiful! I lead an education “toad walk” on Saturday night, and was pleased that several families came to learn about natural history of toads and to support the detouring of local traffic during toad migration.”
For students and teachers in northern Virginia, spring break usually arrives with warmer weather. For this science teacher, it comes a little too late. I’d like to be in the schoolyard helping the children document the changes in the plants which happen so fast this time of year.
Observing tadpoles in the classroom.To identify your local amphibians, check out the resources listed at the USGS site, An Online Guide for the Identification of Amphibians in North America north of Mexico. A web search for “frog calls” will turn up several sites where you can listen to calls to identify those you can hear but not see. Please note that toads and frogs can die from infectious diseases, and spread disease if they are exposed when raised in captivity and later released. The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR) and Amphibian Ark describe how to sterilize containers before capture and after release.
Happy spring to all,
Peggy

American Toad photo by Doug Wechsler

See more of Doug Wechsler's work at http://www.dougwechsler.com/

 

Sandbox

By timtester

Posted on 2010-04-03

 

Science Inside-Out

By Amy America

Posted on 2010-04-02

Spring is rapidly approaching, as indicated by the recent “springing forward” of our clocks. The arrival of Spring not only means longer days but also warmer weather, beautiful blooms, and…restless students. Luckily for teachers, you can exhaust your students’ boundless energy by taking their science lessons outside. NSTA Press’s new book, Inside-Out: Environmental Science in the Classroom and the Field, Grades 3–8, aims to engage teachers in activities that incorporate the scientific disciplines found in environmental observation. The authors’ main goal is to enhance understanding of basic environmental science concepts and to instill confidence in teachers’ abilities to engage students in the process of science learning. Each chapter heavily focuses on content knowledge and then applies this to activities that promote student inquiry. Examples of chapter topics include the study of soil, water, energy and biodiversity. In the introduction, former elementary school principal Debbie Freels recalls how “students yearned for the opportunity to be outdoors during the school day. By providing instruction through project-based teaching and learning, teachers were able to integrate cross-curricular objectives in science-oriented projects.” This time of year is a time of renewal and there is no better way to refresh your science lessons then by utilizing the beautiful outdoors and the activities found in Inside-Out: Environmental Science in the Classroom and the Field, Grades 3–8!
—Amy America

Spring is rapidly approaching, as indicated by the recent “springing forward” of our clocks. The arrival of Spring not only means longer days but also warmer weather, beautiful blooms, and…restless students.

Once Upon a Life Science Book: 12 Interdisciplinary Activities to Create Confident Readers

Reading skills and life science come together in this engaging new book for middle school teachers. Once Upon a Life Science Book makes it easy for teachers to improve their students’ reading abilities and teach science content simultaneously through clearly outlined, inquiry-based lessons.
Reading skills and life science come together in this engaging new book for middle school teachers. Once Upon a Life Science Book makes it easy for teachers to improve their students’ reading abilities and teach science content simultaneously through clearly outlined, inquiry-based lessons.
 

Grant evaluation

By Mary Bigelow

Posted on 2010-03-31

Our school recently received grant funds to upgrade the technology in our science labs next year, and the funding organization requires an annual report. This is a new endeavor for us. Do you have some suggestions on what to include in the report?
—Patricia, Philadelphia, PA
Congratulation on your grant! It’s a lot of effort (and stress) to apply for funds, but in many respects your work has only begun. When you receive funds from government agencies or private foundations, the funders want to know how their money was used to accomplish the purpose of the project. However, the evaluation and reporting component is often an afterthought when schools receive grants. If you wait until the project ends, you might overlook some critical data documenting the success of your efforts. You’re very wise to think about evaluation before implementation.
Revisit your proposal to determine how your school described the project evaluation beyond documentation of expenditures. Find out if the funding agency has a template or rubric for the required report or if the website has example reports you could use as a model. Depending on the scope of the project, you could enlist assistance from your district office or contract with an external evaluator to design an evaluation plan and determine the scope of data to be collected.
Whether you’re evaluating a grant-funded project, a new curriculum effort, or a professional development program, most evaluation plans address several basic questions:

What progress are you making in implementing your project? This is the “what happened” part of your evaluation. Create a project calendar or timeline to document when key events happened and who the participants were. Be sure the events are related to the goals and objectives of the project.

  • What equipment was purchased and when was it installed? What software, peripherals, or other instructional materials were included?
  • What professional development workshops were provided (include dates, times, description, and attendance)? What follow-up activities were conducted?
  • How did the teachers respond to the workshops? This should go beyond asking participants if they “enjoyed” a workshop. Ask them to describe what they learned and what they will do differently in their classroom as a result of having and using this new technology.
  • How was the project publicized (newsletters, school website, letters to parents)?

To what level are you achieving the expected results or outcomes? This is the “so what” part and is often overlooked. Describe observable effects on teaching and learning and to what extent the goals and objectives of the project are being met.

  • How was the technology used? (Classroom observations, videos, photographs)
  • Which students had access to the technology? (Classroom observations, schedules, lesson plans)
  • How did the teachers change their instructional strategies to take advantage of the technology? (Classroom observations, lesson plans, interviews, surveys)
  • What is the impact on student learning? Is the project having a different impact on subgroups of students? (Formative assessments, test scores, student engagement/participation)
  • Did attitudes toward science teaching and learning change on the part of students, teachers, or administrators? (Surveys, focus groups, interviews)

Collecting, organizing, and analyzing data from many sources provides the basis for documenting the implementation and impact of your project. You need to decide what kind of data should be collected, when it should be collected, how it should be organized, and who will be responsible for the data. Unless your project is a formal research study, you probably will not need more than a basic knowledge of statistics.
Having an evaluation plan ahead of time and collecting data as you move forward will help keep the project focused on the intended outcomes. But if something is not working as planned, be sure to document the unanticipated events (e.g., a key teacher leaving partway through the project or a delay in installing equipment).
In addition to meeting the requirements of the funding agency, well-organized data could be the basis of a needs assessment for future funding. There are many opportunities to share what you learned from the project through NSTA journals, NSTA Reports, and presenting at the national and area conferences. We’ll look forward to hearing more about your project!
Resource:
User-Friendly Handbook for Project Evaluation (National Science Foundation)
Photo: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2796/4333770330_61e3640dc1.jpg

Our school recently received grant funds to upgrade the technology in our science labs next year, and the funding organization requires an annual report. This is a new endeavor for us. Do you have some suggestions on what to include in the report?
—Patricia, Philadelphia, PA

 

Are you part of the NSTA Communities?

By Howard Wahlberg

Posted on 2010-03-30

One of Chapter Leaders called me this morning to ask about the NSTA Communities. I wanted to share the highlights of our conversation with the CAG Blog.

  • Did you know that the NSTA Communities site contains many smaller communities?
  • These smaller communities, called groups, have formed around their own purpose. For example; subject matter, issues, event, etc.
  • You can join as many groups as you want!
  • It’s a great way to share your knowledge and obtain support from other science professionals.
  • If you don’t find a group that addresses your specific needs, you can create your own group!

To join this forum of science educators, visit www.nsta.org/communities. You will be asked to log in to the website and create a short profile. It only takes a couple of minutes. Once you have created your profile, you will be matched with other like-minded professionals and you can join the groups you want or create a new one!
Please keep the great ideas coming. Post a comment below or e-mail me at aodonnell@nsta.org and share with your fellow leaders. Remember, the success of this blog is dependent on your participation!

One of Chapter Leaders called me this morning to ask about the NSTA Communities. I wanted to share the highlights of our conversation with the CAG Blog.

 

Monthly features

By Mary Bigelow

Posted on 2010-03-28

As an NSTA member, did you know that you have electronic access to each of the journals, in addition to the print copy you receive? In the monthly SciLinks blog for each issue (and on the NSTA home page, there are links to browse the table of contents of the three K–12 journals. (And you can also access the quarterly Journal of College Science Teaching.)
In addition to the themed articles, NSTA journals have regular features that appear in each issue. Each journal has different features, but they are valuable resources for any grade level. Keep reading to see what monthly features are available online from the March issues:

Science and Children The Every Day Science Calendar, subtitled “Facts and challenges for the science explorer,” highlights facts, historic events in science, or suggestions for reading, or interesting questions. It’s a nice addition to the bulletin board or for bell-ringer ideas. In Teaching Through Trade Books, Christine Royce highlights books related to the month’s theme and provides lesson suggestions for investigations. This month, for example, the theme relates to STEM, and the trade books are about inventors and inventions. The two activities help students to develop their skills in design and problem solving.
Science Scope In his Scope on Safety column, Key Roy discusses issues that are timely and informative, regardless of what grade level you teach. For example, this month the topic is “Battery safety basics.” Scope on the Skies takes a monthly look at topics in astronomy. This month’s column discusses the language of mathematics and how to take advantage of opportunities to integrate the subjects. The topics would also be appropriate for high school classes. Speaking of astronomy, look at the article Exploring Galileo’s Telescope in which students looked at the work of Galileo from a historical perspective and built simple telescopes.
The Science Teacher Even though this journal is targeted to high school teachers, the monthly features are appropriate to all grade levels. In this month’s The Prepared Practitioner, Alan Colburn summarizes information on the concept of “Universal Design.” Discussing his one-pagers could be the focus of a department meeting.  Ken Roy provides additional best practices and safety suggestions in Safer Science. I know teachers who keep copies of both of his columns in a folder on their computers! Science 2.0 is a recently added feature that looks at new web tools to support learning in science. (this month features probeware and digital sensors). Career of the Month by Megan Sullivan (which is based on interviews with science-using professionals) and Health Wise (a new questions every month) by Meg Streker are meant to be shared with your students, whether you cut them out of your print journal or access an online version.
It’s hard to find time to keep up with everything, but these features are worth a look!

As an NSTA member, did you know that you have electronic access to each of the journals, in addition to the print copy you receive? In the monthly SciLinks blog for each issue (and on the NSTA home page, there are links to browse the table of contents of the three K–12 journals.

 

The power of saying thanks!

By Howard Wahlberg

Posted on 2010-03-26

As the dust settles from NSTA’s Annual Conference, my thoughts return to a conversation I had with a new NSTA member during the conference.  I was grateful to have the opportunity to say “thanks!” for being a member of NSTA and “thanks” for coming to the conference!
I want to thank all of you too.  Thank you for your continued membership.  Thank you for attending the conference.  Thanks for your great ideas and input.  And thank you for the time that you devote to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.
Please keep the great ideas coming. Post a comment below or e-mail me at aodonnell@nsta.org and share with your fellow leaders. Remember, the success of this blog is dependent on your participation!

As the dust settles from NSTA’s Annual Conference, my thoughts return to a conversation I had with a new NSTA member during the conference.  I was grateful to have the opportunity to say “thanks!” for being a member of NSTA and “thanks” for coming to the conference!
I want to thank all of you too.  Thank you for your continued membership.  Thank you for attending the conference.  Thanks for your great ideas and input.  And thank you for the time that you devote to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

Subscribe to
Asset 2