Batteries, Bulbs, & Wires

What is the smallest number of wire strips Kirsten needs to make the build light up?
B. Two strips of wire. Because the has to be a full circuit for the electricity to be conducted through to the lightbulbs.

________________________________________________
Can light a lightbulb with one wire, one battery and one light bulb light?

Yes it can

Series Circuit:

Parallel Circuit:

Simple Circuit:

Pink sheet:
Strengths: Lets the students explore more. Challenges the students to use the minimal amount of supplies to make a circuit. It allows students to keep trying.
Weakneseses: May not discover the different types of circuits (simple, series, Parallel)

Yellow sheet:
Strenghts: Very structured.
weaknesses: Students don't get to explore on their own and figure out for themselves.

Physical Science
Content standard B: Light, heat, electricity, and magnetism.
Benachmark: Electricity in circuits can produce light. Electrical circuits require a complete loop through which an electrical current can pass.

Leanring goals: what students should know?

• Electricity should be in some sort of a circuit.
• Electricity produces light. 

Learning performances: What do you want students to do to show they know?

• Create their own circuits to produce as much light as possible.
• Show multiple ways to make a circuit.
• explain the difference between simple, series, and parallel circuits. 

Magnets

1. what are some "real life" applications of magnetism?
Picking up dropped nails on construction sites so no one steps on them. Fridge at home to hang stuff up. Screwdrivers have magnets on them to attract end. Clothing censors. MRIs. Phones have things to do with magnets. Credit cards. roller coasters

2. what experiences have you had with magnets in your life?
Using magnets to push/attract mables. Picking up nails when fixing a roof.

3. What ideas do you have about science of magnets?
With magnets polar opposites attract. Posivitve and negative attracts. Positive/ positive and negative/negative repel.

4 types of magnetic elements
1. Iron
2. cobalt
3. nickel
4. B

Can pick up paper clips when holding a magnet without the paper clipls touching the magnets because they are within the magnetic field.

Can connect three papers together to a magnet then pull them off as a group and they will stay magnetized (aligning the electrons)

Post: How do the results compare with your predictions? How do you explain this?
 The results really conveyed my misconceptions about magnets.  I predicted that a lot more things wouldn't break the field that actually did. I got caught up thinking that if it conducted electricity that it had some sort of magnetic field.  I don't know where that came from but it was in my brain that way.  I remember magnetics from freshman year of high school.  Though I couldn't remember the specifics. I totally blanked on the questions my mind just wasn't prepared for this topic.

Post: "Play around" with the magnet and paperclip activity materials and see what interest you about them. What questions you come up with? What would you like to explore next? What don't you understand?

Questions: Why isn't the magnetic field broken once the magnet is pulled away from the paper clip? Does the magnetic field wear away after a certain time and how long does it take? Why do same poles repel?

I would like to explore how other magnetic fields last in other items compared to paper clips. I would also like to explore how electromagnets would because they sound interesting.

I understand that opposite poles attract and same poles repel but is the reason they repel have to do with the fact that the magnet works like a circuit and that putting an opposite pole at the end would just continue the circuit whereas putting the same pole would reverse the circuit? The force starts in the north pole and continues to the south pole and the force of both south poles against each other is enough to make them repel.

Why do some magnets look like this? Looks like it repels some of the filaments but it attracts others?

When other magnets have this effect on iron filaments.

The maglev train:
The guideway is the magnetized coil running along the track that repels the large magnets on the train.  Levitation occurs from this repelling process. The electric current is what pushes and pulls the train.  This current is what allows the train to reach up to 310 mph.  These trains can be found in Japan and China. The United states are trying to make a slightly slower version. This would train would have it's own specialized track which would cut down on train crossings.


learning block:
Physical Science: Content Standard B:
Light, Heat, Electricity, and Magnetism
Benchmarks: Magnets attract and repel each other and certain kinds of other materials.

Learning goals:

• there are four types of magnetic elements.
• Only the things containing the four types of elements can break the magnetic fields.

Learning performances:

• compare their predictions to the data they collected
• categorize objects based on if they contain magnetic elements or not (which would break the magnetic field).

September 20, 2011

September 20, 2011

activity mania  
In order to promote inquiry, teachers should clearly define conceptual goals and the relationships to students' lives and interests prior to selecting classroom activities
One result that is expected.
inquiry classroom takes time. 

INQUIRY:
engaged
evidence
explanations
evaluate: reassessing what was previously stated. Look for errors that could arise. It would look like discussions, bringing in experts.
communicate: decide where to go from here

Feature of classroom Inquiry

Learners are engaged by scientifically oriented questions:

1. The why and how are important for this feature. This feature also needs to have questions that the students want to know and they are able to figure out on their own that isn't too broad. Teacher guides the identification of questions coming from students. This allows the students to experience both interersting and productive investigations. questions posed by the teacher must be meaningful and relevant to the students.

2. The teacher needs to make an atmoshpere where the students feel comfortable to ask questions to help further their understanding. By doing this would allow the students to access their prior knowledge to answer their questions to figure out an answer. Without this the students wouldn't feel comfortable to do inquiry. When they answer these questions they need to use reliable resources to back up their claims. This is the initial hook for students to inquiry.

3. In a classroom the teacher proposing a topic and the students ask questions related to this topic. The questions refer to the hows of a topic. The teacher is the facilitator of the questions the students ask. It is oaky for the teacher to pose the questions because students and teachers take a joint role in the learning process.

4. The teacher is posing questions, but is rejecting questions from students because they are not answering the teachers specific questions. Technically the teacher had the students engaged by the questions though we were offended that he wasn't able to be flexible with students questions.

September 15

September 15th 2011
Homework INSES chapter 1 and 2, activity mania article: new post reflection on each


What should they know is often handed to us as teachers
What they do to show what they know (learning performance):
give students control and give them innovative way that gives them choices'
 diorama
 youtube video 
test

standards/benchmarks NSES
  science as inquiry as the fallback for telling your principal
Standard A: 121
        Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry 
        Understanding about scientific inquiry
It will be one of the two bullets on the test!! 

benchmarks 122
        Ask a questions about objects, organisms, and events in the environment.  Fine tune goal is a part of the black explanation of the benchmark
Understanding about scientific inquiry:
        123 one of the bullets is the benchmark

written in box it is the standard 

Learning performances table
        as we go left to right it gets more in depth
        as we go down it gets more complex
        this is how we differentiate our instruction
                some kids we would give an A+ for just conquer the first box others we have to more them over and down to benefit their learning.
        *use this as a tool

Domain: remember 
to recall something from memory 
Example: Astronomy
Factual Knowledge
        Knowledge of details and facts
                Students list the names of the planets
Conceptual Knowledge
        Knowledge of interrelationships, principles, theories and models
                Students write the planets in order, closest to farthest, from the sun
Procedural Knowledge
        Knowledge about how to do something, conduct inquiry, or use a skill
                Students will identify the parts of a telescope
Meta-cognitive Knowledge
        Self-knowledge, knowledge of ones own cognition
                Students will recognize the vastness of space is hard to comprehend

slide of Deriving learning performance from standards 
class example will be on the test. midterm will have one column is 

# of content goals should be very limited!! 

learning performance what they are actually going to do
midterm 

LTI: conclusion
Hypothesis: 15 ML would end up having the most mold coverage per square

New experiment:
PH levels and mold growth
Hypothesis:
        More neutral ones will produce the most mold. followed by the more acidic ones and lastly the basic ones will have the least mold. 
 procedure: 
        used gloves and dishes to cut out bread circles. and places in dishes
        the bread sat on a paper towel. 
        we tested the Ph levels of all of our solutions we chose five of them:
                Control: Water
                being tested
                        olive oil
                        lemon juice
                        windex
                        diet coke

        use only 5 ml because our previous experiment showed that too much water is hard to gauge 
        poured the 5 ml so it would stay in the square.
        
kept them at room temperature 
starting temperature: 25 degrees celcius 

INSES Chap 1 and 2

This article really shows that inquiry can come from a real life situation and that questions that are posed come from this real life situation.  It would show that the students can really problem solve by being the ones that pose the questions to the problems.  

Activitymania

inquiry arises from students questions and is based on their experiences.

I think it is a good idea that kits are prepared and are available to teachers however I feel that they need to build on each other.  The kits are just used as a fun way to gets students involved however they are not truly inquiry based activities.  The activities are very short and are pre-planned whereas inquiry is felxible in its planning and the student's pose the questions. I think it would be hard to incorporate the kits on their own I would much rather use them in conjunction with inquiry based learning.

Long-term Investigations

Long-term investigations
 
Make sure you label things - CLEARLY
 
1.Collect final materials – qualitative and quantitative
2.Construct bar and line graphs
3.Complete conclusion and address earlier prediction
4.CLEAN UP YOUR MATERIALS!!!
5.Develop plan for new experiment
1.What do you want to test?

2.What new materials will you need?

3.Who will be responsible
 
***YOU WILL INCLUDE THIS DATA AND INFORMATION IN YOUR FINAL
   LTI POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
Must be reproducible!!!!

Challenge Me

How is your view of science teaching changing as a result of viewing the “Challenge Me” videos and thinking/making posters about National Science Education Standards about teaching?

I not sure that my view of how science should be taught has changed much from these things.  I have thought of many activities that I want to incorporate into my classroom because of learning about the standards and seeing the "Challenge Me" videos. I feel as all my classes area overlapping and discussing how inquiry is the best way to teach students. The students should pose questions and work through them by problem solving and figuring out new ways when they get stuck. Students should keep questioning for further understanding and experiments that could be done.  I feel like none of this occurred in my science education.  We had a set hypothesis we were testing and once we found the answer that was it, we weren't allowed to ask further questions.  There are labs I did that I feel like the teacher showed me the answers and didn't give me the hints that could of allowed me to the discover the answers from my own reasoning. I have learned that there should be adequate time for the students to ask questions and work through their answers to full understanding.  I agree that topics should be taught for depth ad understanding.  It is more beneficial for the students if you start from what they bring to the table and then cover the topics in depth instead of relearning all the concepts every year.

School of the Wild Reflection

On September 9th, 2011, I had the opportunity of volunteering my time at the School of the Wild.  As my day started I was filled with a nervous anticipation because I had no idea what to expect from this experience.  The second I stepped out of my car I was at ease because the scenery was breathtaking.  I was ready to learn.  Meredith informed us before the students got there that these sixth graders were having some trouble being a community.  The students would get along with the teachers however they had many issues getting along with each other.  So Meredith switched to having community building activities throughout the day to help the students build their community.  When the students got there every student received a card that had an animal (there were six different animals).  Once they put their backpacks down they were instructed to find others with the same animal by just doing actions and not showing anyone their cards or talking.  It was challenging for the students to not be able communicate and some of them didn’t follow the rules however for the most part it was very effective. 

I was with Jason in the Prairie group.  We spent the morning in the garden and it was an eye opening experience.  As we got to the garden Jason pointed out this small plant and how it protects itself from predators.  Whenever this plant leaves get touched they close up so that they don’t look appetizing to the predator.  The leaves stretch back out within a half an hour or so.  The students were fascinated by it, as was I, it was a prime example of how plants adapt to the environment to protect themselves. We started off our adventure by playing the game name that plant.  The kids were very engaged in this activity even the students who seemed quiet and distant when we first got into our groups. This experience allowed the students to think more critically and creatively just like the article discussed. Our fun task for the morning was to make a snack for us to have.  The students tired to guess what they might be making while we played the name that plant.  Many students were having side conversations as to what they might be making.  The students were really engaged in the environment, which is a great learning environment to have. The most engaging part was making our own pesto dip.  It was an amazing experience to pick fresh herbs and grind them to make a nice dip.  It really showed the students how their hard work and dedication can really pay off.

During this experience, I truly got a feel for how classroom management really changes things. I was in a group where the students were very cliquey.  However Jason worked his magic and got them to work together as a group and not leave anyone out.  The group I was with had a different environment then some of the other groups because I was in a group with one chaperone and no teacher.  She was working on setting the ground rules to earn the students respect, which wasn’t going over well.  I felt that the students responded better to me since I was closer to their age one of the girls was talking to me about Jersey Shore.  I also got to work on my classroom management skills and how proximity really works to gain the students attention again.  I was unable to actually give my lesson plan because we ran out of time though Jason talked with the group how worms really help out.

Another point from the article is that it is good for the students to get out of the classroom so the don’t lose touch with the world around them.  I feel students get so caught up in the technology around them that they forget what a wonderful it is outside.  This weeklong experience is a great way for students to explore the natural environment around them.  For me it was such an amazing experience that I will carry with me throughout my whole teaching career.

Lesson Plan:

Read: Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin

Reason: I chose this because I thought it had an interesting twist on how even small worms are helping the Earth out by doing their part.  It shows how important Earth is and that we always need to remember that it is important.  In the book it shows Earth’s importance by talking about it on the first page and then again on the last page.

Questions:

·      What is one thing you enjoyed about this book?

·      If you were a worm, what would you see if you were wiggling on the ground and under the earth’s surface? (write what you would see or draw a picture)

·      Worm’s do their part but what can we do to help Earth out? (pick up our trash, walk or bike instead of drive, plant plants and trees.)

Iowa Core

The Iowa Core incorporates the key concepts that need to be implemented into the curriculum that all students in the state of Iowa need to be taught. This concepts are to better the students and prepare them for college and their career.  I was intrigued that for the core subjects there were anchor standards that would help the students for college and their career.  I thought they could have easily put it as making students into a well rounded person, because these skills are needed in any life a student would choose. The website also discusses skills that all students


With each passing grade they are asking you to build on prior knowledge that your students have gained throughout the years. Therefore, they are saying the the foundations is learned in kindergarten and built on every year.  It isn't taking in to account what the students are bringing to the table.

September 8 2011

pre formative: adds depth and gives enough data to be able to get an overall understanding of the concepts. Have low, medium, and high questions
Formative: Main purpose to use to guide your instruction.

moodle activity
Can send it home over the summer and have the kids do it before school starts to be able to jump in an go.

Mosart Response

I thought it was a really eye opening experience going through these tutorials.  It amazed me how students so young already have these extravagant explanations about a topic even though it is the first time they have learned the topic (the heart video).  I know that we saw this during the Stanford video as well that people make up the details to help them comprehend what they don't understand.  The students are constructing reality by filling in the holes.  I thought it was crazy that the actual average of questions right on the misconceptions was around 50% instead of the 80%. I think you need to cover what your students lack instead of everything they already know.  You may want to lightly touch on the concepts but don't spend too much time if they are already understanding it.

Environmental Education in the Schools Response

I enjoyed this article and thought it was empowering to "light a spark" in the students and the community they live in.  It is important to teach the students to think and problem solve for themselves.

Keeley Article Response

I'm becoming unsure with how to truly deal with these misconceptions that students form before they learn about a concept or idea.  I know that it is good to bring these misconceptions to the surface to be able to know what needs to be address throughout the unit.  However I don't think giving a multiple choice test where the students pick the best answer will truly show that the misconceptions have been addressed and the students now understand the concept in the proper way. I truly believe that all multiple choice test really show is who is good at guessing or who can use deductive reasoning to figure out the two best ones then going with your gut.  It doesn't really show what the students understand and what they don't quite grasp yet.  I feel like it would be better to simple have the students explain to you what they know about the topic being discussed.  A KWL chart can be made or they can simply write in their notebooks what they know about the topic and what they are unsure about dealing with the topic. This would allow the students to get their thoughts and questions out in the open so that they can be addressed when discussing this topic. It would also allow them to reflect during and at the end of what they know now and what they are still unsure about regarding the topic.

Sweater Article Response

I was thrilled when reading this article that Mrs. O'Brien allowed her students to figure out for themselves that the conceptions about heat weren't always true. She could have simple stated that sweaters don't produce heat that they only help sustain heat but that wouldn't prove to the children that what she was saying was actually true.  She made sure the students would understand by letting them test their knowledge about sweaters giving off heat.  I also liked that she allowed more than one test and didn't just cut her students learning off after the first test.  The students were able to test other questions or reason as to why the sweaters weren't changing the temperature on the thermometer.
I also liked the term the "construction zone" as the area where students prior knowledge can be connected to new terms and concepts that are relevant to the students learning.  That making predictions adds to the students willingness to accept the outcome even if it shows that they are wrong.  I find that to be a huge thing in giving the students the right tools to be able to accept their misconceptions and be willing to change them based on new discoveries and knowledge.