BB & W

Kirsten has a battery and a small bulb. She wonders how many strips of wire she will need to connect the battery and the bulb so that the bulb will light. What is the smallest number of wire strips Kirsten needs to make the bulb light up?

Two strips of wire would be the smallest number of strips Kirsten
could use because one strip could be connected to each side of the battery.

Pink Lab
Strengths:
Student-centered: Students are able to explore and investigate how to get the light bulb to light up without specific teacher instruction
Posed questions: questions direct students in the right way
questions encourage students to think of alternative ways
Variety: If students are stuck or struggling with one questions, they may move onto the next
Reflection is included: Students are instructed to record diagrams in notebook

Weaknesses:
No diagrams or illustrations to guide lab
Hints are not provided
Too many steps/questions (may be overwhelming)

Yellow Lab
Strengths:
Diagrams/representations: Provide students with a resource to use
Detailed: Students have a step by step guide to follow. Students will always know what to be doing without confusion
Variety: Yellow sheet provides three different ways, increasing in difficulty, for students to experiment with

Weaknesses:
Teacher-centered: Does not provide much creativity or engagement from students. All they have to do is follow the sheet, step by step.
Does not include assessment or reflection: Students are not instructed to record any information


Standard/Benchmark:
Standard B: Light, Heat, Electricity, and Magnetism
Benchmark:Electricity in circuits can produce light, heat, sound, and magnetic effects. Electrical circuits require a complete loop through which an electrical current can pass.

Learning Goals:
Students should know that a complete circuit produces light

Learning Performances:
Students will use multiple wires, a light bulb, and battery to show how a complete circuit produces light


My experience with BB & W in the classroom is closely related to the "Science Story" article.
In class we were given two labs; one lab with specific directions, another directed by open-ended questions. Similary in the article, the same goes for the teachers who proposed two difference lessons. One teacher had students follow her step by step as she explained, in detail, the process of creating light with light bulbs, a battery, and wires. She also assumed students needed to know specific information right away, so they would understand the process. The next teacher lead her lesson as an investigation. Questions, ideas, predictions, demonstrations, justification were all used in her lesson.

Personally, if I had to choose a lesson to be apat of I would choose the second teacher's strategy. Her lesson includes all 5 elements of Inqury. I would feel engaged, and actually interested in the activity presented to me. I am expected to justify or prove my answer through demonstration or reflection. I am evaluated through classroom discussion and assesment and lastly I am constantly communicating my thoughts throughout the entire process.

In class, the activity which directed our experiement through questions is quite similar to the "investigation" lesson above. However, it lacked certain elements such as evaluation. We were not required to relfect or demonstrate our concluion to the teacher or other classmates.

MY IDEAL BB & W LESSON (based on Jeff Goodman's sample lesson plan)

Engagement. As I pass out the materials to each pair of students, I will tell the students that they have been spelunking -- wearing a light on their helmet -- when they run into an overhanging rock and smash their light. In the complete and utter darkness, they feel around and locate a battery, a bulb, and two pieces of wire. In order to find their way out of the cave, they need to make the bulb light with only these supplies.

More teacher-directed because of the opening story-line teacher proposes.

Exploration/Evidence. During this phase, students will "play" with their materials trying to find a way to make the bulb light. If a group gets the bulb to light, I will get them to try it with only one wire. ("Oops, you dropped one of your wires! See if you can still get the bulb to light.")

Student-directed because students are conducting the investigation themselves.

Explanation. During this phase, I will help the students make sense of what they have experienced. Groups will be invited to come to the board to draw designs that worked and ones that didn't. What did the designs that worked have in common? Initially, I will work towards the concept of the circuit, introducing the terms:

conductor: a material through which electricity can flow easily insulator: a material through which electricity doesn't flow easily
circuit: a continuous path of conductor so that electricity can flow from one end of the battery, through the device (light bulb) and to the other end of the battery
short circuit: a circuit that by-passes the device (light bulb), that is one where the electricity can flow from one end of the battery to the other without going through the device.

Student-directed because students are working in groups and as a whole to justify their answers, not the teacher.

Evaluation I will use a few of the attached diagrams (p. 3-96- 3.98 in the text)as a formative assessment at this point. Misunderstandings can be cleared up here before going on. It is important to test our ideas against the drawings of successful and unsuccessful designs on the board. Next, I will have the students look closely at the light bulb itself. How might it be "hooked up" inside? Their responses will provide me with some more insight about what they understand, and I can clarify concepts here as well. Then I will draw a large diagram of a bulb and battery system on the board and have them work out the internal wiring, discussing what parts might be insulators and what parts might be conductors. Also,  a careful analysis of their writing as they describe their open and closed circuits will allow me to determine any remaining weaknesses in their conceptual models of circuits. 

Student-directed because students are responsible for the puting the pieces together.

 Communication: Throughout the entire lesson students are engaged with one another as well as with the instructor. Constant ideas, questions and predictions are circulating the room.

Student-directed because students are expected to be resources for one another in the classroom.

Magnetism!

1. What are some "real life" applications of magnetism.

When I think of "real life" applications surgical processes come to mine. I'm pretty sure magnetism is a huge part of surgery and other medical procedures. I also think of rollarcoasters. Rollarcoasters use magnetic force for speed and the ability to stay connected. Magnets are also a huge part of machinery.

2. What experiences have you had with magnets in your life?

I have had very few experiences. I only recall using and studying magnets in my science courses.

3. What ideas do you have about the scieince of magnets?

I know that paperclips hold on to magnetic force even when seperated from the magnet. I know that minerals play a huge role in the science of magnets.

How do the results compare with your predictions? How do you explain this?

All of my predictions were wrong. I predicted based on size/width/length of the material being tested. I apprently believed "size" could break magnetic force.

I was shocked to learn that iron is what broke the attraction, but then again I did know that minerals played a role in magnetism. I should of put the pieces together. I was also unfamiliar with our testable objects as well as the overal concept of magnets. It is shocking that I learned the basics of magnetism probably in elementary school, but at age 21 I'm clueless on how the process really works. This activity really opened my mind to the importance of learning and retaining information.

What questions do you have? What would you like to explore? What don't you understand?

Overall, I would still like to explore what makes a magnet. Learn how the process really works, in detail. Now I understand how strong a magnetic force is, but I need to learn more about why it works.

Standard/Benchmark 

*Standard B
Light, heat, electricity, and Magnetism

*Magnets attract and repel each other and certain kinds of other materials.

Learning Goals

*Magnets have a north pole and a south pole
*Magnets are strongest at their poles
*Magnets repel certain elements, such as steel, iron, nickel, cobalt, and gadolinium
*Some elements can become tempory magnets because of moving electrons

Learning Performance

*Students locate and label north pole and south pole of the magnet.
*Students demonstrate through presentation how magnets are strongest at their poles
*Students pick up one of the minerals available, such as iron, and demostrates how the magnet repels the      object.
*Students show how three paperclips contected and attracted to the magnet can be seperated and temporarily hold the magnetic force.

Explain how the learning performance you chose would help you to undersatnd what students know about the standard

My learning performance strictly requires demonstration. This demonstration is to be done individually to show me that they understand, without the assistance of others.

Chapter One and Two

I have always said that I want my classroom to act as an investigation lab. I want young scientists busy at work asking questions, producing evidence, proposing explanations, reflecting, etc. Basically I want an inquiry-based classroom while teaching the subject of science.

While reading chapter one and two I frequently related inquiry to an investigation. The reason for this is because investigation is apart of inquiry. Observing or investigating ideas is inquiry. However, before an investigation can begin a scientifc question must be presented, a question which triggers active student engagement. Once the inquiry begins, the busy scientists begin to inquire knowledge of the natural world.

For inquiry to happen in the classroom the teacher must have an active role. In the paragraphs above I refer to students often but what about the teacher? Scientific inquiry must be happening between students and the instructor. I learned that teachers must exemplify inquiry constantly to set high examples for students in the classroom.

I want to teach science in the best way possible. I hope I have future engineers, scientists, physchologists, etc. in my classroom. For these students to be inspired, I need to present inquiry in the best way possible. Therefore, I need to insert real life activities and observations in my classroom that are similiar to the practicies of real life scientists. I want my students to study the natural world in diverse ways so they develop an undersatnding of scientific ideas and use it often as they continue through life.

Activitymania

In elementary school I absolutely enjoyed the prepackaged activities. For kids it is closely related to a present they get to explore! More importantly, it is an INVESTIGATION they get to complete! Like the article says, if you want kids to do true inquiry, this is a great way to do it!

Activitymania includes the following:

• Team building
• Hands on
• Student-directed
• Differientiated towards level of learning
• Inquiry Based

However problems can arise, such as what if one student completes the entire activity, and the others follow? This is where teachers need to be fully engaged as well. Walking around, asking questions, observing will keep students engaged and on task. Also, if the activity is interesting in itself, students should be engaged based on that.

Games, puzzles, investigations, labs, and activitymania are educational and engaging ways to build a positive classroom environment. Students are enjoying the activity and learning at the same time. They are also building their own knowledge and ideas while doing and learning science. I want students to look forward to science each day, if I use inquiry and exploration through fun activies I will accomplish that!

Challenge Me

Science is an unknown world for me. It is that one subject where I feel very unqualified to teach. Therefore, I need encouragement and help! And so far, this class has given me both!

There are so many articles, rules, standards, regulations, laws, and so on; all items geared to tell us how teach. Honestly, it is hard to keep it all straight. It is refreshing because science methods has given me a brief reality check so far. A reality in that not every benchmark or standard will be met, or that each science fact or concept will be fully understood by all teachers. Each teachcer will have his or her own way at presenting a lesson or material. It does not matter if the material is learned along with students or that one benchmark might of been missed because in the end what matters is the growth and achievement of the students.

Along with reality checks I am blown away about the topic of misconceptions. I was never aware that so many students had similiar, common misconceptions. For example, the video which asked Harvard grad students "how do seasons change?". Almost every student answered in the same way. I learned that dealing with miconceptions will be challenging and they will exist. Hopefully through experiments, predictions, and explanations I'll be able to help my students see beyond their one and only answer. Another shocking realization is how crucial formative assesment really is. Without formative assesment we would not know the misconceptions our students have. Assessment guides our instruction so we can meet the learning criteria for ALL students.

So far in the semester, I am hopeful for myself as a science teacher but ready for more information to come my way!

My favorite Ted Quote: "If students are actively engaged in the lesson, you will not have problems managing your classroom".

Iowa Core Curriculum

As I look through the Iowa Core Curriculum I suddenly become a bit overwhelmed. I understand that incorporating these concepts into our daily lessons is crucial because:

• Each standard/benchmark must be reviewed
• Students throughout the entire state must learn similiar science concepts
• Testing will be connected through the core curriculum

However, if teachers strictly followed each detail of the core curriculum will instruction be student-centered? Will students become overwhelmed by the quantity of material presented? Will the classroom feel like a lecture hall, completing a check list of concepts to cover?

Each answer I'd have to give to the questions above is a "YES". That is why personally, I'm overwhelmed due to the fact that science should be a hands on exploration. Because of how time consuming that may take, each detail listed in the core curriculum might not be covered.

I do plan on being well reviewd with the core curriculum. It will be connected to my lesson planning, but I want students to be my main focus. I want my students to experience science in an outgoing, energetic, inquiry, student-centered based classroom, and sadly I do not think following the core curriculum to a "tee" will accomplish that.

Mozart

I was one of those students who had MANY misconceptions. I still have misconceptions and refuse to take the time to actually learn the real explanation. If I can personally admit that I seem to be closed minded, I know many others can as well. I also know that many of my future students will also have the SAME problem.

The Mozart site was very informative and useful for me as a student, and for me as a future teacher. As I went through the process, I was able to see what I knew, what I didn't know, and what the true correct answer was with an explanation or video. The process also took a minimal amount of time to complete.

Becuase of my positive experience, I do hope to use this in my classroom someday. I want to see where my students are at: What do they understand? What do they struggle with? How much have they improved? What misconceptions do they have? Websites such as Mozart, allow teachers to pinpoint that frustration and use it to improve instructional strategies. I want my students to grow and learn in the science classroom, ongoing assessment is the best tool to use to accomplish that.

Teaching for Conceptual Change

I'm pretty sure I was one of those students who believed sweaters created heat. When I was young I was full of theories and ideas. I would fight everyone who tried to prove me wrong because my idea/theory was right. I babysit a two year old, and for some reason he thinks outside is always "hot". I ask him if he wants to go play outside and he shouts "No, it's hot". His idea about "outside" most likely came from his mom this past summer, the exact time he was learning how to talk. That phrase must have been used so often that now Caden believes that outside is always hot. It will now take time to explain the difference between seasons and hot/cold weather.

I'm prepared for many misconceptions to arise in my future classroom; the question is what direction will I take to prove them. I attempted to sit Caden down and carefully explain how outside can sometimes be cool and comfortable but he just wrote me off, and ten minutes later started shouting "outside is hot". From reading this article I learned a child must observe and witness their misconception many times. Along with that, allowing children to write about their thoughts, and predict why their theory or idea is not making sense at the moment.

Formative Assesments

Back in grade school, I would of appreciated if my teachers took the time to assess their students. Yes, I remember the KWL charts but I filled that out myself. Teachers should be able to fill out a KWL chart for each one of their students. Like the article said, if a teacher can identify exactly where that student is at in a particular concept, she or he can advance that student in the right way.

The article digs deep and really explains why probe assesements are so beneficial. In my opinion, it makes teaching more efficient. Efficient teaching occurs when information is taught clearly, is understood, and the material learned is valid. If teachers assed their students more frequently, they would know if certain material even needed to be taught. Time would be wasted if an already known idea took up two whole class periods. Therefore, if assessments are used teachers can modify their lessons to meet the learning criteria of each student.