KLEIN's
GUIDE TO
SCIENCE EDUCATION
PHOTO CREDIT: Nadene Klein at Tuolumne Meadows Yosemite National Park
This Perhaps as a science teacher this has happened to you...Students find an injured animal and bring it to. As the all knowing science teacher and perceived expert on everything, their eyes look to you to save the poor creature. Do you help? ABSOLUTELY and, you make a science lesson of it.
Two weeks ago a bunny that was approximately a month old (based on its level of development) was found caught in landscaping mesh near our school garden. Students first rushed my room during my plan time to borrow scissors and I didn't know why. Now I know they cut the mesh to be able to transport the bunny. When they brought her to me, she still had mesh looped around her arm several times and across her chest like a mini straight jacket. I dispatched students to get various supplies and Google relevant information. I held the bunny while a student carefully cut the mesh from her chest and then arm. Once she was completely free of the mesh, we could see a wound on her arm that was slightly bleeding. We treated the wound, got lettuce from our greenhouse, dechlorinated water for her, and assembled a makeshift habitat for her. One of these student rescuers breeds rabbits and lent her expertise to the mission. She and I traded off holding the bunny and both of us enjoyed some bunny kisses on our fingers. Within a couple of hours, the bunny was eating and drinking and seemed to be thriving. The next morning, she was barely breathing. She refused water and could barely lift her head. Before school even started, the rescue crew arrived to check on their new friend. They were devastated to see the bunny's condition. We quickly researched wildlife rescue services and found one within a half hour. Luckily my high school students can drive. They obtained permission from our principal for two of them to miss their first class to go to the rescue place. All of this translated into an impromptu biology lesson for the rescuing students. Further it became a more formal lesson for my Zoology class. We discussed each aspect of the situation. This included the humane treatment of animals, the reasons why this bunny could not become a class pet, and the protocol to assess the condition of a wounded animal and how to get it help. We are uncertain of the bunny's future, but at least we know we did all we could and that we did it correctly to save her life. This is an example of authentic learning and changing plans to take advantage of a teachable moment. Not a bad way to kick off a school year.
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It is the ending of the 2018-2019 school year. We all know how difficult it is to keep students engaged at this point. Some days it's like pulling teeth to get them to do anything productive. How do you know if you've got them hooked without them directly telling you? Well...here's what I'm seeing...
My Earth and Environmental Science classes responded to a survey at the beginning of the semester. Results indicated a high interest in archaeology as a topic of study. I manipulated my plan so that it would be our last unit. We've been working on an activity in the last two class periods whereby students working in small groups were given a description of a fictitious civilization. Each group had to secretly decorate a terra cotta flower pot and saucer with paint in a way that represented "their people." (Pots and saucers cost less than $1 each at WalMart.) When the returned for the 2nd class period, they were given a different group's artifact that they needed to decipher to determine all they could about the ancient civilization from which it came. Oh, to make it harder, and more realistic, I had smashed them into small pieces. I even removed some pieces. I was fortunate enough to have won a grant from AIAA to purchase 2 drones to use with students in the classroom. The drones arrived this week. I know very little about operating drones and didn't feel motivated to read the 50 page owner's manual. So, I gave the task to my physics students. They needed to assemble their drone and figure out how to make it work without crashing it. The final out come will be a one page cheat sheet that anyone can use, even me, to operate the drone. What doe these two different lessons have in common? Students were 100% engaged during the last full week of classes. How did I know they were hooked and not just being compliant?They didn't tell me so. I didn't survey them nor ask for an exit ticket. Frankly, I couldn't. The way that I could tell is that not one single student wanted to leave my room. Not even the last class of the day!!! I had to force them to clean up and leave in time to get to the next class or go home! Every day counts when you have the voluminous amount of curriculum to cover that we do. We can't afford to squander the last days of school, no matter the mindset of the students. If you plan ahead to literally save the best for last, every day does count. Your students will be engaged to the end. Scientifically yours, Nadene So I mentioned in my last entry that I do a weekly demonstration for my classes. These Wednesdays Wonders utilize the notion of phenomena to motivate, interest, and get the attention of students. I thought I should give a specific example. Imagine you are a student walking into your science class during the first week of school. Then this happens... The first Wednesday Wonder I do every year is the "Candle?" demo. This can be done in any science class--any grade--any branch of science. I tell the students that I'm going to light this candle nub, which is the remnant of a larger candle that I didn't want to waste. I tell them that I want to show them something about the flame and how I can make it change color. I ask the person closest to the light switch to turn off the lights so we can all see it better. Then I use a lighter and light the candle. I talk about anything for a just long enough to waste time until the candle goes out. This usually takes less than 30 seconds, but you never know. This is were improv helps the scene. "Oh, no!" I'll exclaim as I frantically try to relight the candle. After a few tries I give up. I whine for a moment about how cool this was going to be, about how embarrassed I am that it isn't working, about how frustrated I feel. Then I say something along the lines of, "I don't know what to do. I guess I'll just..." I proceed to take a bite and eat the candle. The whole time I'm chewing I hear students saying, "Did she just really eat that?" "Ewww, gross." "I can't believe she ate?" "Did you really eat it?" Some students will immediate jump to the conclusion that either that wasn't a candle or I'm crazy. Both of which are true! My weekly prompt to launch the discussion is, "In the form of questions, what are you wondering?" I want students to get in the practice of asking questions before jumping to conclusions. Then I we proceed to, "Who thinks they can answer their classmates questions?" I answer the remaining unanswered questions. Lastly, I show the class how I did it. In this case, the candle is actually an apple section made cylindrical with aide of an apple corer with an almond sliver sticking out of the top to look like the wick. One scientific fact we talk about is how all nuts have some oil in them that will burn but it didn't take long before the almond oil was burnt up and could burn no more. Mostly we talk about the notion of how not everything we see with our eyes is necessarily what it looks like on the surface. As scientists we need to question everything. That includes our own eyes AND the information told to us by experts or authorities. Just because I said it was a candle didn't mean it really was. After the first Wednesdays Wonder, I find students exceptionally excited to come to class on the next Wednesday to see what else I'll be eating. Of course, I don't. I might pretend to cut myself and bleed all over my paper (Golden Rod pH paper that turns red) or I might crush cans just by dipping them in water or I might inflate a garbage bag with one breath after it takes a student 25, etc. Whether you call it Wednesdays Wonder, Demo A Day, or something else, we can make magic happen in the science classroom in more ways than one by harnessing the power of phenomena. Scientifically yours, Nadene Lately, I've been seeing more article and conference sessions promoting the use of phenomena to capture the attention of science students. Show them a WOW moment and they'll be motivated to learn the science that explains it. It would seem this is a new idea. But, it's not.
The guide, Demo A Day by Borislaw Bilash, was published in 1995. It's the same notion. Show your class a little science magic to peak their interest. I've been using this concept in my science classes for many years. I call them "Wednesday's Wonders." Students watch as I do one of the demos for them, then we discuss it, including connections to the science we're learning. This whole process can take as little as 10 minutes. The greatest part is that it really works. Students are thoroughly intrigued and often surprised as I do demos that on the surface appear like magic until you dive into the science. Sometimes, students need a bigger phenomena and/or shared experience to get over a stumbling block. My alternative ed physics students rather dislike doing math. Though they are mostly capable, they'd avoid it if at all possible. So when I wanted them to calculate terminal velocity (which includes calculating surface area of an irregular shape), I had to do something major. Luckily I won a small grant that made it possible to do that major thing. We went indoor skydiving!!! Talk about a phenomena that motivated/interested/thrilled my students and got them calculating terminal velocity of me, a ball, and themselves without a single complaint. I ask students for anonymous feedback at the end of every school. When I ask what were their favorite activities and what should I not change, the most frequent answer has been Wednesday's Wonders. Former students check and make sure I still do them. The truth is while I leverage the phenomena to inspire my students, it's super fun for me too! Scientifically yours, Nadene Escape Rooms are all the rage. Good teachers learn how to adapt pop culture like this to increase student engagement.
So I've never been in an escape room, but I've seen one on TV. (Thank goodness for "The Big Bang Theory." I had the chance to go to a training at an NSTA conference last spring. However, the session was so popular that it was filled by the time I arrived. I probably would have been justified at this point to abandon the notion of setting up my classroom as an escape room because I didn't have a clue what I was doing. Nonetheless, I decided to give it a try. It helps that my students, my school, and my administration are very supportive of me taking risks and it felt safe to do so. If you are in the dark, an escape room is an experience whereby the participants try to work through clues, one leading to the next, to try and escape the room in which they are locked. For the classroom, teachers cannot literally lock students in the room, so it is more about using the same type of clues to find the combination to a lock which holds the prize used in place of the release from the room. Clues can be information to lead to the next clue, a puzzle to solve, a hint at the combination of the lock, the location of the hidden prize, or a blend of these. Clues should be challenging, but not beyond the skill level of the participants. In an actual escape room, the participants collaborate for their mutual release. In a classroom escape room, you can add the sense of competition by dividing the class into groups to see which will find the prize first. Last spring I gave it a try, and it went well. It wasn't perfect but it was decent. I even invited my principal and got him to observe the action. Then I elicited student feedback. I incorporated their feedback on my second go around which occurred this past week. The experience was much improved for me and the students. Here's what I did/my recommendations if you want to try it... 1. Set your purpose for the experience. I do not recommend this for new learning nor the introduction of a topic. What does work well is using it as a beginning of semester activity to build teamwork, helping students to get to know each other and their way around your classroom. It is also a great review activity before an exam. 2. Choose a theme. This makes it all the more fun. My theme was pirates--students had to find the hidden pirate treasure. I hid gold foil wrapped chocolate coins as the "booty." You can spice it up more by making an introductory video to set the mood or even act it out live for your class. 3. Write your clues and plan where in the room they'll be hidden. If having students be in teams and compete, you need two sets of clues leading to the same place. This is an opportunity to differentiate. Difficult clues for gifted students, remedial clues for students with learning challenges (IEP, ELL, 504, etc.). Obviously you'd pick the teams. Be aware of the space available to you and be mindful of the time constraints of your schedule. 4. Make sure your clues give the combination for your lock. Place them around the room before class begins. (Reset at the end of the current class. If they're reliable your students can help prepare for the next class.) 5. You may choose to give each team HINT cards or PHONE cards. They can turn in the hint card, you help them over the hump, but they have to freeze for a time penalty. Cell phones are not allowed to help with this adventure. However, teams can turn in a phone card to use their phones to look up one piece of information for the same time penalty. 6. Share your instructions, rules, and expectations clearly before the experience begins. For example, you cannot sabotage the other team. Here are some pitfalls that I ran into. I wrote all of my clues on index cards. One color for team A and another color for team B. Some students began scouting the room just looking for their color card without adhering to the search via clues. It began as my fault because one card was visible from its poor hiding spot. Be sure to hide your clues securely. The first time I did the escape room, I estimated it would take 1/2 hour. It took 15 minutes. Partly my students were great at this, and partly my clues were too easy. So be prepared that this won't take the time you planned for. It may go longer or shorter than expected. Have a back up/follow up activity. I used only cerebral clues. Students asked for hands-on clues. A suggestion was to use scrabble tiles that they have to spell a word and the point value leads to a number in the combination. They wanted to do something rather than recall information or think through a riddle for every clue. Bamboozling them is highly recommended. Students loved (surprisingly) thinking they were done when they opened the locked box, only to find one last clue inside before they could get the bounty. Getting an escape room going in your classroom is time intensive. There are now online resources with pre-made escape room lessons that you just download and print. It is so worth the effort. My students LOVED the experience and doing something different. I LOVED the results, reaching the goals of the lesson. Once you have a good theme, set of good clues, and purpose in place, you can use it year after year. That is, of course, while the fad stays popular! Scientifically yours, Nadene I like to end the semester with high interest engaging learning activities. In my Zoology class, that took the form of a dissection. How did I know it would be high interest? I asked! I surveyed my class and all but one student wanted to do a dissection.
Then I asked a different question, "What do you want to dissect?" I guided their response by clarifying the purposes of dissection. First, we want to know and understand more about the animals with whom we share the planet. Second, we want to understand more about ourselves via comparative anatomy. Most of my students wanted to dissect sharks and a couple wanted to dissect a fetal pig. This gave me the opportunity to differentiate! Students who wanted to dissect sharks were arranged into groups of 4 and given a dogfish shark to dissect. The two students who wanted to dissect a fetal pig were given one. Finally, the student who did not want to dissect was given the option of doing an online virtual dissection (there are several quality free ones on the internet) or doing a paper version. She chose the paper. Aside from purchasing the specimens, I printed dissection guides on colored paper to indicate that students should not write on them. I printed observation and analysis/reflection pages on white paper for students to use. Obviously, I also sprinted one copy of the paper dissection version on which the student had to label every external and internal organ of the fetal pig. The response was exactly as intended. The learning happened as a bi-product of students being engaged in their learning activity. I had to force students to stop their work at the end of each class. Because they wanted to be able to continue, they did their best jobs adhering to safety requirements and cleaning up the instruments and work stations. Some students found the dissection less appealing than they thought it would be while others found it less gross than they thought it would be. The last day of the dissection was the best. Excitement filled the room. Two of the sharks were pregnant and everyone was thrilled to see the babies. One of the sharks had a slightly digested fish still in its stomach. I bet you wish you could have seen these. You can, pictures are included below. Dissections are a high interest engaging learning activity. Be sure to plan ahead, get student input, differentiate, and do not shame those who don't want to participate. Scientifically yours, Nadene Yesterday (November 27, 2018) in the middle of the school day, something amazing happened. The MarCO mission successfully landed the INSIGHT robot on Mars. Talk about a teachable moment! However, does it fit?
My Astronomy class doesn't begin until January. Could I actually justify bringing this topic up in my other science classes? You bet! I would be remiss if I did not. I could not find a single connection between space exploration and Zoology. So what? My students were engaged in finding out about this momentous accomplishment. They were not derailed by this educational diversion from our studies of endangered species. They saw the importance of learning about a real life science event. In my Earth and Environmental Science classes, I asked students to find the connection. Sure enough they described the comparison of Earth's atmosphere with that of Mars. This was a crucial for the scientists and engineers to know in order to program and design a safe landing. I had an even easier time with my Physics classes. The motion of the lander is nothing but Physics. Students saw this easily and we had a fulfilling discussion about the application of what we've already learned in class to INSIGHT. Don't refrain from bringing current events into your science classroom even if it is off-topic. The benefit to students in seeing the application of science in the real world is immeasurable. I invite you to share how you've brought current events into your classroom; just leave a comment below. Scientifically yours, Nadene No one becomes a teacher with the aspirations of winning awards. We don't have visions of walking the red carpet in gowns or tuxedos. That being said, when a professional award is bestowed on an educator it is an honor to receive the acknowledgement of our peers, experts, and/or supporters.
This past week I was notified in front of my whole school that I was the recipient of an excellence in science teaching award for my state. All of the students cheered and hugged and high-fived me. I was humbled and overwhelmed. Without a doubt the prize is meaningful and I am proud of it. But I see other accolades as more important. What could be more significant? The students themselves. When I hear comments from students, past and present, that compliment my teaching, that is more rewarding that state honors. The casual "I like your class." or "You're a good teacher." are nice to hear. I stay in touch with former students via FaceBook. I've heard from them about the impact of having been in my class when they were in middle school. Recently I've heard stronger compliments like these from my at-risk high school students: "I actually learned something in your class." "I like that you have high expectations of us." "I miss being in your class, how can I get back in." "I didn't need any more science credits to graduate so I asked to have physics as an elective." These are the accolades that mean the most and inspire a teacher to continue to pursue higher levels in their classrooms. Scientifically yours, Nadene All classroom teacher must follow the required modifications and accommodations for all students on Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 Plans. I certainly always do. That being said, there is a bit of a difference in a science classroom. No IEP that I have ever seen in 23 years of teaching has had goals regarding science learning. They are most always reading, writing, math, study skills, or mental health. Yet, in the science classroom language arts meets math while using study skills, maintaining mental health, and assimilating scientific facts and concepts.
Without significant training and little to no support the science teacher must put these IEPs and 504 plans (not to mention Advanced Learning Plans and English Language Learner Plans) into practice daily. Oddly enough it is often in our science classrooms where students with Significant Support Needs (SSN), first level language learners, IEP, and 504 students thrive. That's not to say they don't face challenges and struggles. Writing a lab report is not easy for many middle and high school students, let alone those with learning disabilities. Yet these students succeed in the science setting. Why? Why? It is because of experiential learning. It is because of hands-on learning. It is because of learning in partnership and collaboration. I was reminded of this during a recent interview. A former student of mine is now in college and studying to become a language arts/English/drama teacher. His project required him to interview a veteran professional/certified teacher outside of his discipline. He chose me--smart kid! Through is questioning of me I was reminded that with little extra work on my part, I have provided a supportive learning environment for all students. Rarely do students on plans require many modifications to the work I give the class. I do give framed lab reports (somewhat like fill in the blank worksheets) and graphic organizers for written work. I always allow all students to use calculators for the math involved in science. Otherwise, they get their hands in there doing labs or activities and they learn. They can tell me what they've learned and can apply what they've learned to their life experiences. Once I had a miraculous revelation inspired by a former principal of mine. I proposed to her that I be allowed to develop and implement an advanced science class to challenge those students with an aptitude for science. A fabulous fringe benefit was being able to focus on struggling learners more in the traditional science classes and watch students who normally took the back seat turn into student leaders. Lets just say I was right. That having an advanced science class did indeed challenge advanced learners and allow the remaining students in the traditional classes more help and the chance to shine. All of this true. However, my principal would not allow me to proceed with my plan unless I included at least one student labeled special ed (on an IEP) in the advanced class. I balked. "That defeats the purpose." I argued. Luckily I submitted. Luckily she was right. I did include a student on an IEP in the advanced science class and he was AMAZING! He kept up with lessons; rarely asking for extra help; used few interventions; and thrived! My principal reminded me to NEVER set limits on students. Students with learning challenges may need to learn in a different way but can learn and excel despite these challenges. I'm glad I learned my lesson. Scientifically yours, Nadene My alternative high school has an outdoor ed program to which everyone is encouraged to participate. All activities are outside of the regular school day so that students can earn credit (and teachers extra pay). Most outdoor activities occur over breaks from school or weekends.
For the past two weekends, I had the utter joy of leading 10 students in my newly created outdoor ed program. Rather than being a P.E. credit as most of these activities are classified, I put in a science twist so that students could earn science credit. Thus, Geology of Colorado was born. [Note: even if you don't live in an environment like Colorado, you can explore the nature of your place.] Day 1: We hiked Mt. Sherman which is classified as a 14er (any mountain over 14,000 feet in elevation). 8 of 10 students and my second chaperone had never hiked one before. This was a 7 mile round trip hike with 3000 feet of elevation gain. Science Lessons: students learned the composition of the mountain, the mining of metals, noting the cave system via its entrance, and the general terrain. Students also took in some wildlife and monitoring of weather conditions. Life Lessons: Two students wanted quit 1/3 of the way up the mountain. The feeling of success when finally summiting was priceless. A sense of accomplishment built everyone's self-esteem. Students gained a greater appreciation of nature and our planet. Day 2: We did community service in Cherry Creek State Park. The park field guide taught us about an invasive species of plant called the Mullein Plant. We worked for hours erradicating an entire field of this plant. Science Lessons: Plains are a geological feature. Students gained an understanding of plant identification and the concerns around invasive species. Life Lessons: Manual labor, giving back, and team work are valuable. Day 3: We explored Painted Mines Interpretive Park in Calhan, CO. This was a shorter day for us with about 3 miles of hiking. Science Lessons: Sandstone formations are created by water erosion. Mineral deposits in the sandstone create unique colors. We saw those that included iron and gypsum. We also identified conglomerated rocks and shallow cave formations. Life Lessons: Natural rock formations are fragile and need to be protected. Students became angry at another group climbing on the rocks when this was posted as a prohibited activity. There is much wonder in our world in the most unlikely places. Day 4: This was a full day in Colorado Springs. We began with a spelunking tour of Cave of the Winds. Our private tour included crawling through a living cave and getting very very dirty. Next we had a guided walk through Garden of the Gods. Our last stop was 7 Falls. This waterfall has 7 distinct segments in a beautiful mountain setting. Science Lessons: Our guides taught us so much this day. Students were shown cave formations and taught what they are made of and how they are formed. The geologic timeline was visible in the rock/mountain formations along learning what different colorations in the sandstone was caused by. Students also reviewed the 3 categories of rocks. Lastly students saw the power of water flowing from high to low elevations and then creating streams. Life Lessons: Humans have both positive and negative impacts on nature. You can overcome your fears of darkness and closed in spaces in a cave. Seems like any existing school program can be enhanced with a science twist. Scientifically yours, Nadene I wasn't sure how my students would embrace making their own memes. Neither was I sure of the quality of the end result in terms of it being an assessment of their thinking. When you raise the bar and include culturally relevant media, students rise to the challenge. Below are several of the memes created by my students. Students first followed the scientific method to analyze memes. I provided 6 memes from which they had to hypothesize what characteristics make a high quality meme. Then they searched the internet for additional memes that supported or refuted their hypothesis. After this analysis, they summarized their findings with memes in general. There were some thoughtful and insightful findings by my students through their analysis. Finally they were required to make a collection of 3 memes to communicate their point of view on evolution (pro or con). I posted a few below. I wish I could post more but some students (who created the best memes) have restrictions on media release. Enjoy these. Scientifically yours, Nadene A few years ago, I gave an assignment where students had to express their understanding of a science concept by making a meme of it. I shared a link with them of a free online meme generator. This assessment went well, but I felt like it could have been more rigorous. Something was amiss even though students enjoyed the task. In the July 2018 issues of Education Update from ASCD within an article entitled, "Social Media as Valid Texts: Approaches to Classroom Analysis," written by Paul Barnwell, there is a subtopic under the heading "Memes and the Scientific Method." I eagerly read this section thinking I may have found the key to beefing up this old lesson. The idea shared was super interesting. It was actually a lesson for a social justice class, not a science class. The notion was to apply the steps of the scientific method to analyzing the meaning behind some memes. It wasn't a science lesson at all. I like the notion that the scientific method can be applied cross-curricularly. I'm thinking that even in a science class, this could be an engaging way to verify student understanding of the steps of the scientific method without doing a lab. However, after reading the article, I still needed to take the time to refresh my old lesson. So here's my newest thinking: start with a meme on a scientific issue and follow Mr. Barnwell's plan of having them analyze it following the steps of the scientific method. This is a good formative assessment. Then based upon the findings in their conclusions, create their own meme on the current class topic. They'll be required to write an explanation on how their initial findings directed the creation of their original meme. Per usual when student are about to embark on a task they've never done before, I'll create an example in advance to model for them. Expect a future blog post with a whole bunch of memes from high school students! Scientifically yours, Nadene The 2017-2018 school year has just ended and I'm already make plans for my classes in the next school year. Of course I want to improve things...bigger and better...more engagement...high level science activities...etc.
But where to begin? I begin with my team of experts--my students. I had students complete an end of year survey like many teachers do. The key is to ask the right questions and most importantly to follow through on using the data to make positive changes. I implore my students to be honest because I'm not fishing for compliments and their grades are already set. I asked them to rate the way I graded them; I asked which was their favorite activity and least favorite; I asked them what they would change to make our content more interesting and engaging. The results were that their least favorite thing was reading articles or text even though they knew it was building background knowledge. However, research was o.k. The largest response was to include MORE HANDS-ON activities. The summer months afford me the time to seek out hands-on activities that are age appropriate, purposeful, and accessible. There are millions of online and print resources that I need to search through. This means that there won't be another blog entry until July. Happy Summer! Scientifically yours, Nadene So it's nearing the end of the school year and students have a tendency to check out with the attitude that they're already done. Teachers annual struggle with the internal debate to throw their hands up and give in to the inertia of their students or challenge themselves to find the THING that will hook students back in. I choose to find ways to keep students engaged.
At the beginning of the quarter, I surveyed my students to find out what topics they are interested in. I saved the one that got the most votes for our last unit. This year the winner was archaeology. Technically it is not part of my curriculum. However there are strong enough connections, that I have students identify, that make it work for our class. Hands-on is always the way to go in science. Instead of lectures and videos (more passive learning), I brought two labs to the students that we did back to back. Talk about high levels of engagement! The first lab required some prep on my part, but it was fun. I dug in the clay dirt at home and filled 5 aluminum pans. I buried, with intention, a variety of artifacts. Each pan was different. In class, students played the role of archaeologist. Not only did they have to dig out the artifacts unknown to them, they had to take measurements and observations using this data that they acquired to write a summary of the history of their archaeological site. The second hands-on experience required the students to make artifacts. They were given a clay flower pot to paint in a way that represented their given ancient culture. They were provided with a brief synopsis that they embellished to further the identity of their culture without sharing that with any other groups. What they didn't know is that after school, I busted up their art project and gave it to another group to reconstruct the next day. After reconstructing the broken pots, they had to reconstruct the story of the civilization it represented. Hooking students with what they identified as a high interest topic and using hands-on activities engages students through the end of the school year. Bonus: students who are engaged are much less of a discipline issue!!! Scientifically yours, Nadene Science teachers often lament about loss of progress when they need to be away from the classroom/lab. We jump to the notion that the vast majority of substitute teachers cannot teach science, especially upper level sciences. They most certainly should not be doing labs with students. So the question presents itself: how do you keep students learning and moving forward instead of merely completing a filler lesson.
If an absence is preplanned, prep students on your last day with them to do a longer term assignment. Be sure to provide a rubric in advance so students clearly know your expectations since you won't be there to answer their questions. This could include research, a project, writing a lab report for a lab you did with them, or even an independent study. Watching a movie with purpose and with a written assignment works well too. If an absence is unplanned, the best old stand by is providing a current science news article for students to read and analyze. This can come from online or a favorite grade appropriate science magazine. Science World and Science News are amongst my favorites. I keep these handy and organized as emergency sub plans. When I return to class, I have students share what they learned. Any chance to connect classroom learning to the real world is never time lost. Don't panic the next time you need to leave your students in the hands of a substitute teacher. Be thoughtful in your plans and your students will continue to progress through your curriculum. Scientifically yours, Nadene Earlier this week I was instructing my Earth and Environmental science class on the components of the conclusion of a lab report. I was a the point where I was telling students that this is where they restate and evaluate their hypothesis, citing their data as evidence. I did not expect this to become controversial because it is a straight forward requirement of any lab report. It is part of THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD!
On this day a student began an intellectual debate on the necessity to evaluate his hypothesis. To paraphrase, he proclaimed that the experiment was designed to answer a question/solve a problem. Therefore anyone reading his lab report won't care if his hypothesis is right or wrong they only want the final answer. The status of his hypothesis was irrelevant to him and he projected that to say that it would be irrelevant to everyone. I expressed how this makes the scientist's thinking visible. It clarifies the direction and intent s/he had in conducting the experiment in the first place. He retorted with the notion that science is not an opinion so if the experiment has the answer the hypothesis is insignificant. He didn't realize that there can be bias in an experiment (intentionally or not). He did not realize the competition within the science community. Most importantly he did not realize how this pertains to the incredibly important need for all science to be recreatable and verifiable. My wording was lost on the young man as he was resolute. He listened only to respond rather than to understand. I could have been offended. However, I noticed the rest of the class picking up my argumentation and emphasizing the points I made. The rest of the class was hearing this. The rest of the class was "getting it." He on the other hand...I needed to work on him a bit more. I decided to try a different tactic. E-mail. He would need to read and process the information in an e-mail before he could respond again. I quoted other sources and linked an article that expressed the significance of the hypothesis as an exercise in scientific reasoning. Looking at sources he might find to be more professional and/or articulated in a way that impacted him more than my word choices was successful. I love how Neil DeGrasse Tyson alludes to this whole point in the following short video. Please note: this video includes so much more than just the importance of the scientific method. It is a strong message for all of us about science. Science in America Video Rather than stifle a student when s/he contradicts you, the teacher, foster it. Challenge that student to open his/her mind and articulate a feasible scientific argument. The students observing the exchange will be learning through the process too. Scientifically yours, Nadene In every quality science classroom we investigate and experiment. It is essential that students are able to distinguish the difference between the two. As students mature and have the opportunity to design their own experiments, they need to know what is required of an experiment. Too often students don't really know the difference. They try to plan an experiment that in fact is an investigation. Sadly, I think this lesson is overlooked in the younger grades.
So what is the difference? An investigation is basically hands-on research. It is a way to find out what one thing is made of or how one thing functions through observation. During an experiment, the scientist is testing something under different conditions by manipulation. Both independent and dependent variables can be identified in an experiment but not in an investigation. Scientists (students and professionals) learn much about the world via both investigation and experimentation. Both are meaningful and worthwhile. Let's make sure we know the difference. Scientifically yours, Nadene My presentation at the NSTA conference went extremely well. The topic of 3D printing can be two fold. One aspect that needs consideration is the logistics. Arranging to use the machine, dedicating the time to printing projects, making sure there is enough filament, and determining which program to use to render the 3D files. This is difficult for any teacher who has limited or no experience using a 3D printer. How can you coordinate when you don't know what to expect. Sadly, while there is an expectation to use technology because funds have been invested in it, there is little training and support extended to teachers in this area. It would be easy to meet those demands of administration by coming up with a random project for students to 3D print. That leads into the second aspect that should be thoughtfully considered. 3D printing, in the science classroom, gains strength and meaning as a tool for scientific modeling rather than a mere novelty. The teacher should offer the opportunity to students when it can be done using the construct of authentic modeling as would be done by a professional scientist. These two points were the crux of my presentation. I shared my experience, the two projects I have done, and student examples. Here is the link to the presentation I used: 3D PRINTING PRESENTATION After the presentation the only questions my attendees asked were around the programs that can be used to create an .stl file and how long the entire project took including printing. The answer to the second part is that the project took students about 1 week to research, create a 2 dimensional drawing, and convert it to an .stl (3D design) file. It took another 4 days for them all to print. Using the 3D printer definitely increased student engagement. Students gained experience in the skill of designing a scientific model. The exciting part was the level of critical thinking implemented when converting a 2D drawing to a 3D rendering. This step is of the utmost importance and must not be skipped to save time. Determining scale, proportion, and going through the design/redesign process involves a deeper level of thinking that students need to go through in order to come to a higher level of understanding. While they may struggle, the outcome is worth the struggle. Scientifically yours, Nadene "We bought a 3D Printer for the school, now use it." As teachers, many of us have heard words similar to these from administration. They invest in new technology and logically want it used. However, they offer little in the way of support for how to use this new technology nor how to authentically integrate it into a lesson or project. 3D printing is amazing, don't get me wrong. That being said, it does have limitations in a typical classroom and even more so in secondary school. Printing itself takes hours per print job. When you have 30+ students in a class you could be facing over 900 hours of print time if each student prints one project. At the secondary level that is compounded by the number of classes even with students working in groups rather than individually. I'll be speaking on this topic at the National Science Teacher Association's national conference in Atlanta next week (#NSTA18). Once a teacher can navigate limitations and logistics, 3D printing can add a component of engineering and modeling that used to be missed in the classroom. You'll get amazing models from students like the ones pictured below from my Astronomy class. There'll be more to come on this topic as I reflect on the presentation I give. Scientifically yours, Nadene Kids can't learn if they don't feel safe. That is the second level according to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Even as a student teacher, one learns strategies for fostering a safe learning environment. This includes things such as a zero tolerance for bullying, access to the nurse or counselor, developing a caring community, limiting access to dangerous materials/items. We are expected to practice fire drills and tornado drills. These are things we've all experienced and consider normal.
As science teachers, we all begin the school year with our safety lessons. We whip out those Flinn Scientific Safety Contracts. We demonstrate how to properly wear goggles and make sure everyone knows where the eye wash station and other safety equipment is located. Today, helping kids feel safe isn't what was normal. I literally found myself teaching my students how to use a fire extinguisher as a weapon should an attacker enter our classroom. While we still practice fire drills, lock down drills are more frequent and more serious. We need to have time away from lessons to debrief tragedies that happen in our nation's schools. These are the new normal tasks to help our students feel safe today so that they can learn. Instead of emphasizing safety from ourselves in terms of not paying attention during labs, we are emphasizing safety from criminal acts of violence. Sadly, this is the new normal of "Safety First!" Scientifically yours, Nadene Science can be looked at through two different lenses. First is the "wide angle" lens. This includes big concepts and general connections. A lot of students can see the big picture and that's super important. Second is the "microscopic" lens. This includes all of the nit picky details and subtle nuances of observations. In my experience, fewer students focus on the details which are equally important.
So, how do we get them from the big picture to the fine tuning? Here are some helpful options, but know that you'll need a lot of patience and positive reinforcement too. •Give students a check list for what to look for. •Model for students how to depict and describe the details. •Use exemplars, particularly student created ones. •Give specific feedback and allow students to try again using the feedback as a guide. •Empathize with students. Acknowledge that finding and describing details is difficult and then encourage them to persevere. •Remind students to slow down and pay attention to the details. The biggest culprit of the oversight of details is the rush job. Students are in a hurry to complete a task. In that rush, details get overlooked. Other issues that a teacher may need to overcome include students with ADD/ADHD, personality/style, cognitive development, self-confidence, and lack of experience. In my classes, I see the the struggle to record details in lab reports. I developed a checklist that includes 32 details that need to be included in every lab report. I encourage students to use the checklist to guide their writing. The class acts a teachers grading a former student's lab report using the checklist and discuss what is right and what is amiss. We use the same list the whole school year. I give feedback on the checklist and allow students the opportunity to make corrections. Then I regrade the lab report. I praise growth and improvement. You will see growth and improvement. Just be patient; it'll show in the details. Scientifically yours, Nadene "Klein, it's like you're all 'Science is great!' everyday..." said a student of mine to me the other day. He's not always the most engaged student, bright but aloof, rarely giving feedback or using his voice in class. So, how did I reply? I simply smiled and said, "Thank you."
When a teacher has a sincere enthusiasm for his/her content, in addition to enthusiasm for teaching, students feel it. He noticed; the others must as well. Even when they don't demonstrate it, students are taking in EVERYTHING. A teacher's attitude is amongst the most crucial for student learning. If students don't connect with you, if they don't feel that you care about what you're doing, they will check-out. Keep students checked-in. Boldly show them that you LOVE what you're doing each and every day. As a science teacher, it's hard not to. My student was right, I do think and feel that SCIENCE IS GREAT, EVERY DAY!!!!! Scientifically yours, Nadene 2018 has begun. With a new year many people make resolutions, even professional resolutions. We often hear the mantra: New Year New Me. That is NOT for me.
Although there won't be a new "me", this old "me" is going to try new things!!! I have been introduced to ideas new to me that I will try in my classroom. I'm looking forward to taking professional risks and bringing something different to my students. This month I'll be setting up an Escape Room as a pre-assessment for my science classes. I plan to integrate more mindfulness and brain breaks in each class period. Most of all, I'm excited to start using the new electronic science probes that I purchased via a grant that funded them. Every teacher has those notes from a professional development, conference, or observation that we have yet to implement. Find yours and use it. So while I won't be new, there will be a lot of new in my classroom. And after using the word "new" 10 times in this post, I shall wrap it up. January 1st is date on the calendar that reminds us to let go of what does not serve us nor our students and take the risk of doing something we have not done before. Scientifically yours, Nadene December is usually a time when high school students are preparing for and taking finals. Instead, I decided to take a break with my students. With tensions high, spending a day of classes playing outside decreased stress and opened minds to learning in a different way.
I am always up for taking my students outside for lessons. I am usually not one to "waste" learning time with free time. Enter GENERATION WILD: Kids Grow Better Outside.* I met a representative of this organization at a recent conference. The organization is based on the notion that kids today do not spend enough time outside. I had my students take their survey of the 100 activities every one should have done by the time they're 12 years old. Shockingly most of my students had not done most of them. So in December, we went outside and made sidewalk murals, tried to dig to China, buried time capsules, made bows and arrows from twigs, etc. Use the above link to see how you rate. *NOTE: I am not employed by nor compensated by Generation Wild. So what? Well, I helped some students reach an outdoor goal. Students appreciate the outdoors more and became more motivated to learn about the environment and how to improve/protect it. This was time well spent. Scientifically yours, Nadene November was a big month for conferences for me. I spoke at the AMLE national conference in Philadelphia. There I shared my "Kids Teaching Kids" PBL project followed by "Differentiating Staff Development." Later in the month, I spoke at the Colorado Science Conference in Denver. I presented a session about "3D Printing in STEM" and once again presented "Kids Teaching Kids."
Not only am I humbled to present my ideas to my colleagues, I'm grateful for the chance to purvey options to enhance/increase/improve science education. More than that, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from my colleagues. I added to my toolbox. In doing so, I keep my energy for teaching up. I get ideas that are fresh and new for me. My students will benefit from these new ideas as they become integrated in my lessons. The teachers at my school benefit because I brought back materials and ideas that I shared with them. November is the perfect month to pay-it-forward. I am grateful that being a teacher also means being a learner. Scientifically Yours, Nadene |
AuthorNadene Klein, M.Ed. has been an educator for over 25 years. She brings a passion and love for science to the classroom and through this blog to you. Archives
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