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.

Ask A Scientist

I love the idea of being able to get questions answered.  Since the Internet and now phones that can search for answers while on a road trip, I often say, "let’s find out!" when someone asks something we are not sure about.  This is a great way for children to continue their curiosities and find out more about things they find interesting.

I asked:

I wonder what in a cell controls how cells change during dormancy or hibernation.  What tells the cells to slow or stop growth?  Do the cells just naturally react and slow or change because of the body’s or plant’s change in temperature and nutrient in take?

Unfortunately, I did not get a response yet.  However, the experience was not a total waste of time so far.  Being able to search for my question led to some other information such as the biological clock.  That is something that scientist do not know much about. 

While I am still waiting for Ask A Science to respond, I tried a different site that offers to answer questions as well.

http://madsci.org/submit.html.

Using a site where you can find out questions is a great resource.  Students often may get to a block with their curiosities and stop trying to find out.  Having resources that allows student to ask something they are wondering allows them to take charge of their learning and go further with something they are wondering.  Having student try this activity in the classroom would be a great experience.  Including a step to research their question first and then ask what they still do not know teaches the idea of being lifelong learners.  They will be able to take the experience and use it as they have more questions.

Presentation Tools

This week I experimented with a few presentation tools that can be used in the classroom.  In the past I have used Power Point or created a visual through the SMART Board.  Both are easy to use and have many interesting features. 

I took the opportunity to try out other presentation tools that I had not heard of before.  The two that I have chosen to evaluate are Prezi and Photo Story. 

When using technology in the classroom, one of the most important feature is being easy to learn and use.  Prezi was slightly tricky to get the hang of using in the very beginning.  However, once I began to create a presentation it was very easy to understand how to create and add interesting features such as pictures and graphs.  Photo Story is very easy to use with very simple features.  Uploading a picture then adding text or a record to go along with the visual is about all there is to photo story from what I have discovered.  Being this easy to use would easily allow students to use the tool to create their own presentations.

Prezi has features such as creating a path, adding a variety of visuals, and several ways to share the presentations.  Photo Story has options to add a voice recording and music to the presentation.

Both seem very reliable.  To work in Prezi you need to have the Internet and the explorer browser.  Photo Story is a software that is downloaded on to your computer.  This allows you to edit the presentation without Internet.  One probably with Prezi is that in the short time and few days I have experimented with it, it has locked up and required me to restart the Internet browser four times.  This would be very frustrating if I was creating a real presentation especially if I had a time restriction. 

Only Photo Story required extra equipment which is the microphone for recording audio to go along with the photos.  Prezi requires Internet access.

Photo Story has several way to save the presentation.  However, Prezi offers several ways to share the presentation such as face book, email and twitter.  It is very easy to share and save.

Both Prezi and Photo Story are free which it makes it easy for many people including students to access and use. 

Photo story has the option of adding sound to the presentation.  You can record as well as include music files. I could not find where to add sounds, animation or video to the Prezi.

Photo Story could be very engaging with the right pictures, text and audio.  However, it is very simple and could become boring.  I would consider using Photo Story because of how easy it is to use and how quickly I could put together a presentation for a lesson. 

Prezi seems to be much more engaging.  There are more visual options and features.  However, creating a presentation could be more time consuming because of all the option.  Either tool would be helpful in the classroom.  I would choose which one depending on my time restrictions and purpose of the presentation.