Students' Homemade Commercial about Materials that are Banned from Landfills

Continuing my education and becoming more confident in teaching science is one action I am taking to ensure that all students at experiencing high quality science instruction.  Becoming more confident in teaching science allows me to be a leader in my school.  I have more ideas, resources, and content knowledge that I can share with other professionals.  Making changes in my classroom and then sharing can lead to changes in the school, then district as other teachers share.

In the past, them biggest challenge is teachers that are hesitant to try something new.   Learning a new strategy or technology requires more effort that continuing with what they have already been doing.  When I am working with teachers that are not wanting to learn a new strategy or are frustrated they have to do something else I try to model being open minded.  In addition, I try to surround myself more with people who have the same goal, being an effective teacher. 

When I return to the classroom, I hope to include inquiry lessons that allow students to be hands on and do science.  I am sure that I will have challenges with time, testing, and resources.  Taking one challenge at a time will be my way of dealing with such obstacles. 

Our Sptnik

Realizing our “own interdependence” and start looking for ways to improve the United States needs to be more of a focus (Friedman, 2010).  The United States seems to have gotten very depend on other countries as well as mixed up in other countries issues instead of working to keep the United States running productively as well as make improvements.    I agree that the United States may needs something to motivate people more on the possibilities. 

I think that there are some things being done to improve the United States, but there is much more to achieve.  At a national level, there needs to be collaboration among states on standards and supporting more inquiry learning.  For example, student could benefit from national projects more that let students compete as well as us problem solving skills.  At a state level, creating standards that align with STEM education is one way to help guild schools and teachers in the right direction.  In addition, supporting projects that allow students to collaborate with students across the state to build collaboration skills, competitiveness, and a motivation to improve would be ways to help students use their skills in real life examples.  Providing students with projects that allow them to problem solve real life examples begin to let students see possibilies. 

At a local level, it seems to me that supporting the teachers in STEM training as well as 21^st century skills would help students prepare to make a difference in the United States.  If teachers do not have the training they cannot help students learn the STEM subjects s and the skills that go along with STEM and 21^st century skills.

I agree that the United States needs a Sputnik to help us get more focused on what we are capable of.   

Model Lesson

For my lesson, students explored day and night.  The objective was for students to have an understanding of the position of the Sun and Earth when there was daylight or nighttime in a specific location.  Students looked at a location by a satellite image.  Next, students created a model of the Sun and Earth with daylight or nighttime on a specific location.  In addition, they provided a written description of the Sun and the Earth.

The lesson engaged the students and we actually ran out of time because they were very interested in working with the model.  The model used a balloon representing the Earth and a flash light representing the sun.   The students labeled the balloon to mark the location they were focusing on.  When writing the description, I was surprised to see that students immediately referred to the model instead of the satellite image to help them explain their idea. 

One student did not have a clear understanding of how the Earth rotates and orbits around the sun.  By the end of the lesson, the student was much more confident with the concept of how the Earth moves around the sun while rotating on its axis.  In addition, the student could show how the Earth is positioned to have sunlight on a specific location. 

One improvement I would like to make is to be more prepared to include the time zones in the lesson.  A student made a connection with the time zones and I was not prepared to included it in the lesson. 

I feel that the students enjoyed the lesson and will remember the model for future learning experiences.  

Student viewing Google Earth

Student labeling location on his balloon that represents Earth.

Modeling the position of the Sun and Earth when Brazil just had a sunset.

Labeling Peru on his model of the Earth.

Using the model and Google Earth to help him explain the position of the Sun and Earth.

Written explanation of the position of the Sun and Earth when Peru just had a sunset. 

To help students to become scientifically literate citizens, reading the news is one way to make them more aware.  They can use a news paper or online resources to learn about the natural disasters that happen around the world.  Giving students an opportunity to compare disaster that are happening now to those that have already happened will give them more understanding about certain disasters.  For example, students that have been through a hurricane such as Isabelle, which was only a category 1 storm when it hit the tide water area  have a reference point to be able to compare other hurricanes that are different categories.     


Having students explore where relieve efforts come from within a community can also help them have a better understanding of the effects of a natural disaster.  Allowing students to talk to people who volunteer or work to keep the help ready can give students an idea of how life changing a natural disaster can be.  A project for students could be to help a organization be prepared for providing relief after a natural disaster.  Students could also create a plan for helping others after a natural disaster to support their community.  This experience would be a very real life experience that will offer meaningful learning about natural disasters.  

Providing students with opportunities to become aware of natural disasters around the world will help them to be more scientifically literate and compassionate citizens.  Having students to compare and contrast disasters that have happened over the years will help students understand in a more meaningful way because it will give them something to compare.  Students that have been through a hurricane will have an idea of what a hurricane that is stronger or weaker is like.  This real life experience will all students to have an idea of hurricanes that are stronger would be like.  A reference point gives students a more meaningful connection to other natural disasters that have happened all over the world.  


Using the news in the form of a newspaper or the internet is one way that I would have my students to connect to these natural disaster concepts.  After they have read about a natural disaster, giving them time to find out some of their wonders will build thier knowledge about that certain type of disaster.  


Investigating ways that people provide relieve for victims of natural disasters will also prepare students to be scientific literate citizens.  In addition, exploring ways we protect our selves from disasters, predict natural disasters, and recover for disasters will help students be more scientifically literate. 

Exploring Environments

The lesson that I implemented required my student to create a plan to include organisms in an environment.  The environment already had the correct climate and non living needs.  Researching organisms to make sure they included organisms that interact was the first part.  Next the student created a visual to show their plan of organisms to include in the habitat.  My student focused on the ocean environment.

http://prezi.com/2q6kbdlj2vco/ocean-environment/

I decided to use Prezi to find out if this was a realistic tool for student usse in the classroom.  The student was able to figure and use Prezi on thier own.  They downloaded pictures from the internet and inserted them in the Prezi slides.  I did have to help line up the slide to make sure that the picture and label showed.  After practice, it seems like most students could use Prezi.

The backward design worked for me because finding the goal first allowed me to be focused on that goal instead of sorting throug idea in my head.  Once I knew the standards and skills I wanted to include, I could easily assess activity and decide if it would meet the needs of the standard and skills.