When I read the assignment for this week’s blog post, it occurred to me that it is a very
difficult challenge to ensure that all of the students at my school, let alone my district, are experiencing high-quality science instruction. I have over 100 students with a wide variety
of background knowledge, motivation, and abilities that I work very hard to teach every day. Providing hands-on, inquiry-based science lessons is something that I strive for; however, not all
science teachers share the same goal.
An example of this discrepancy is the science department at my son’s middle school. His science teacher is animated, passionate about the subject, and is constantly having the students participate in labs, experiments, and investigations. His friend is in a different science class; this teacher has done one (yes, one) experiment all year and teaches completely out of the textbook. Read, answer questions, take a test,repeat. Her students are bored out of their minds and are learning to dislike science. This is such a travesty to me since science lends itself to fun and exciting activities, more than any other subject (in my humble opinion).
In addition to the variation in teacher achievement, the district itself can present obstacles to
quality science instruction. We are due for a new textbook adoption; in fact, I was part of the team of teachers who piloted three different programs several years ago in anticipation of adopting a new curriculum. Unfortunately, because of the budget cuts, we have not been able to follow through with getting new textbooks and materials. At this point, our hands are tied simply because of monetary concerns, and we continue to use the outdated curriculum.
I try to overcome these obstacles by supplementing the curriculum with up-to-date information that I find online or through collaboration with my colleagues. I also try to use STEM-based lessons and encourage my students to explore STEM careers. Hopefully, once they get into high
school they will have a solid foundation in science, as well as a passion for active learning.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Keeping Up with Global Competition
“I hope Americans see China's rise as the 21st-century equivalent of Russia launching the Sputnik
satellite -- a challenge to which we responded with a huge national effort that revived our
education, infrastructure and science and propelled us for 50 years” (Friedman, 2010, p. WK8). After reading this article, I did some research into Sputnik and how it inspired the United States and sparked a nation-wide interest in science and technology.
One fact that I found interesting was that the satellite was very small – only about the size of a
beach ball (NASA, 2007). Sputnik was small, yes, but also amazingly powerful! According to NASA (2007), “That launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific
developments. While the Sputnik launch was a single event, it marked the start
of the space age and the U.S.-U.S.S.R space race.” About a month after that launch, the Russians
launched a second satellite, this one bigger and carrying a dog. The United States quickly realized that it was time to step up its efforts and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration was created, all in response to the launch of the Russian satellite.
Friedman (2010) compares China and terrorism to the Sputnik as far as spurring the American public to action. I also think that controversial issues –cloning, stem cell research, global warming, etc. – can have the same effect on people. Polarizing of people’s beliefs does have one positive consequence in that it makes people think and it creates interest and awareness. Instead of worrying about China, I think that we need to invest our time and energy into promoting STEM from a very early age. If we can get our students EXCITED about science, technology, engineering, and math, then the upcoming generations won’t need to have a Sputnik-type event to prompt more outrage and action – they will already be invested in the importance of STEM to the future of our country.
What does this mean for us, as educators? It means we need to stop focusing on the textbook and rote assessments. Our students can access information at the touch of a button – they don’t need to memorize random facts and then regurgitate them on some test. What we need to teach our students is how to THINK!! Critical thinking and problem-solving skills are crucial in order to develop the STEM scientists and thinkers of the future. Let’s do more hands-on activities, more investigations, more group projects. Then this issue of trying to drum up interest
in science will become a non-issue!
References:
Friedman, T. L. (2010, January 17). What’s our Sputnik? [Op-Ed]. The New York Times [Late Edition (East Coast)], p.WK.8.
Garber, S. (2007, October 10). Sputnik and the dawn of the space age. Retrieved January 14, 2012, from National Aeronautics and Space Administration website: http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/
satellite -- a challenge to which we responded with a huge national effort that revived our
education, infrastructure and science and propelled us for 50 years” (Friedman, 2010, p. WK8). After reading this article, I did some research into Sputnik and how it inspired the United States and sparked a nation-wide interest in science and technology.
One fact that I found interesting was that the satellite was very small – only about the size of a
beach ball (NASA, 2007). Sputnik was small, yes, but also amazingly powerful! According to NASA (2007), “That launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific
developments. While the Sputnik launch was a single event, it marked the start
of the space age and the U.S.-U.S.S.R space race.” About a month after that launch, the Russians
launched a second satellite, this one bigger and carrying a dog. The United States quickly realized that it was time to step up its efforts and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration was created, all in response to the launch of the Russian satellite.
Friedman (2010) compares China and terrorism to the Sputnik as far as spurring the American public to action. I also think that controversial issues –cloning, stem cell research, global warming, etc. – can have the same effect on people. Polarizing of people’s beliefs does have one positive consequence in that it makes people think and it creates interest and awareness. Instead of worrying about China, I think that we need to invest our time and energy into promoting STEM from a very early age. If we can get our students EXCITED about science, technology, engineering, and math, then the upcoming generations won’t need to have a Sputnik-type event to prompt more outrage and action – they will already be invested in the importance of STEM to the future of our country.
What does this mean for us, as educators? It means we need to stop focusing on the textbook and rote assessments. Our students can access information at the touch of a button – they don’t need to memorize random facts and then regurgitate them on some test. What we need to teach our students is how to THINK!! Critical thinking and problem-solving skills are crucial in order to develop the STEM scientists and thinkers of the future. Let’s do more hands-on activities, more investigations, more group projects. Then this issue of trying to drum up interest
in science will become a non-issue!
References:
Friedman, T. L. (2010, January 17). What’s our Sputnik? [Op-Ed]. The New York Times [Late Edition (East Coast)], p.WK.8.
Garber, S. (2007, October 10). Sputnik and the dawn of the space age. Retrieved January 14, 2012, from National Aeronautics and Space Administration website: http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Using Models to Teach Concepts
I have found that teaching scientific concepts through the use of models is a highly effective way of helping students to access the information that they need. For a unit in Earth Science, I had to teach my students about the structures of the Earth as well and teach them about plate tectonics. First, as an anticipatory set, I read a story called How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World which showed the depth, composition, and temperatures of the various layers. The students had to then work in partners to design an "earthcraft" which was a vehicle that could drill to the center of the Earth and be able to withstand the challenges of such a journey.
I also showed them several videos that vividly depicted the different layers of the Earth. “Layers of the Earth” (YouTube, 2009) explains the layers of the Earth to a musical tune, which appealed to my sixth-grade students. Another video, “Inside the Earth” (YouTube, 2010), showed the layers, discussed the depth of each layer, and explained in a very basic manner why lava is hot. I then showed “Plate Tectonics” (YouTube, 2010), a short but dramatically visual video that vividly demonstrated the process of the continental plates moving and how the intense heat inside the Earth causes volcanoes and earthquakes through the movements of the plates.
Making a model of the Earth's layers was a very engaging activity for my students. They each created a small ball of red modeling clay to represent the inner core. They then wrapped that ball in subsequent layers of yellow, black, and brown clay to represent the outer core, mantle, and crust, respectively. They then used a piece of string to slice through their "Earth" to cut it in half, revealing the different layers (see photo above).
The final activity was to give each student a hard-boiled egg. They were then instructed to gently crack the egg, leaving the shell around the white part. They could then see how the shell, representing the Earth's crust, could slide around on top of the white part of the egg, which represented the mantle (see photo below). The students really enjoyed this activity, especially since they were allowed to eat the egg after they were done demonstrating their knowledge of continental movement.
The use of models to help students understand key scientific concepts is highly effective and engaging. I believe that students learn better by doing, not by reading information out of a textbook, so I strive to provide as many hands-on activities as I can when teaching science. Plus it's a lot more fun, both me and my students!
References:
Inside the Earth. (2009, November 10). Retrieved September 27, 2011, from YouTube
website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV0Rl0gKiSI&feature=related
Layers of the Earth. (2009, November 15). Retrieved September 27, 2011, from YouTube
website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9j1xGaxYzY
McNutty, F. (1979). How to dig a hole to the other side of the world. New York, NY:
HarperCollins Publishers.
Plate tectonics. (2010, September 3). Retrieved September 27, 2011 from YouTube
website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryrXAGY1dmE&feature=related
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Teaching Students about Natural Disasters/Getting Students Involved in Disaster Relief
Lately it seems as though there have been an increased number of natural disasters. From floods to earthquakes (in unusual places!) to hurricanes and tornados, I feel like I am reading about some devastating occurrence every time I open the newspaper and look at news sites online. As a teacher, I feel like it's important to educate my students about these natural disasters, not just what causes them and the scientific explanations, but also about the human side of these disasters.
Last year, I was teaching third-grade and I had a delightful group of students. Very enthusiastic learners, very empathetic, always looking for ways to help others. Needless to say, when the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan in March 2011, they were not only disturbed by what they saw on the media, but also desperate to find a way to help the survivors. Having taught 2nd graders the year before, I really saw an interesting difference in my students’ abilities to look beyond their immediate selves and start thinking about other people.
Ironically enough, we were studying earthquake data as part of the third-grade science standards in California. “Use numerical data in describing and comparing objects, events, and measurements” ((California State Board of Education, 2003, p 19). The students were fascinated by earthquakes and the Richter scale, so they understood the magnitude of the 9.0 earthquake that occurred off the coast of Japan. They did not, however, understand how the earthquake caused the tsunami, so I took some time to explain it to them. I also had to allay their fears about a tsunami occurring in San Diego. It would make sense for them to think it could happen, since we live near the coast in an earthquake-prone region. However, the topography of our coast makes it unlikely that we would experience a tsunami as devastating as what occurred in Japan or the Indian Ocean in 2004.
As the students became more aware of the devastation that had taken place, they really wanted to do something to help in some way. We brainstormed ideas and decided to hold a book sale. First, we solicited donations of gently used books and then we utilized an empty classroom to set up tables and organize the books. We then spent a week working before school, at recess, and after school to sell the books for $1 apiece. We have a large Japanese community at our school, and those families participated as well by making hand-crafted bookmarks. The Japanese students would then write, in Japanese calligraphy, the name of the student purchasing a bookmark. At the end of the week, we had raised more than $2,000 to donate to the Red Cross! My students were so happy to be a part of that and very proud as well. It was a lot of work for me as a teacher but worth it because I feel like they really learned a lifelong lesson.
References:
State of California (2003). California State Board of Education. Science content standards for California public schools: Kindergarten through grade twelve. Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/sciencestnd/pdf
Last year, I was teaching third-grade and I had a delightful group of students. Very enthusiastic learners, very empathetic, always looking for ways to help others. Needless to say, when the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan in March 2011, they were not only disturbed by what they saw on the media, but also desperate to find a way to help the survivors. Having taught 2nd graders the year before, I really saw an interesting difference in my students’ abilities to look beyond their immediate selves and start thinking about other people.
Ironically enough, we were studying earthquake data as part of the third-grade science standards in California. “Use numerical data in describing and comparing objects, events, and measurements” ((California State Board of Education, 2003, p 19). The students were fascinated by earthquakes and the Richter scale, so they understood the magnitude of the 9.0 earthquake that occurred off the coast of Japan. They did not, however, understand how the earthquake caused the tsunami, so I took some time to explain it to them. I also had to allay their fears about a tsunami occurring in San Diego. It would make sense for them to think it could happen, since we live near the coast in an earthquake-prone region. However, the topography of our coast makes it unlikely that we would experience a tsunami as devastating as what occurred in Japan or the Indian Ocean in 2004.
As the students became more aware of the devastation that had taken place, they really wanted to do something to help in some way. We brainstormed ideas and decided to hold a book sale. First, we solicited donations of gently used books and then we utilized an empty classroom to set up tables and organize the books. We then spent a week working before school, at recess, and after school to sell the books for $1 apiece. We have a large Japanese community at our school, and those families participated as well by making hand-crafted bookmarks. The Japanese students would then write, in Japanese calligraphy, the name of the student purchasing a bookmark. At the end of the week, we had raised more than $2,000 to donate to the Red Cross! My students were so happy to be a part of that and very proud as well. It was a lot of work for me as a teacher but worth it because I feel like they really learned a lifelong lesson.
References:
State of California (2003). California State Board of Education. Science content standards for California public schools: Kindergarten through grade twelve. Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/sciencestnd/pdf
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Ask a Scientist
Well, I am eagerly awaiting a response to at least one of my questions from "Ask a Scientist." However, at this point I have not received any answers. I will definitely post on my blog if I hear anything!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Presentation Tools - An Overview
Web 2.0 Tools
One of my goals this summer is to learn more about the different presentation tools that I could use in my classroom, so this first exploratory assignment was a great introduction to some of the options that are available.
Prezi seemed like a very user-friendly presentation tool that allows a great deal of creativity. The tutorial walked me through the steps of creating a presentation, and I was able to follow the instructions easily. I also liked that there was a variety of ways to share a Prezi presentation once it was complete, since I would like to publish my students’ presentations on my website as part of our curriculum units. My only concern would be that some of the features seemed a little bit disorienting as the pages zoomed in and out and around to the different text boxes. That could get old after a while, and/or it could make my students dizzy! Still, I think that I would have fun trying it out, and my students would also enjoy it.
I really liked the PreZentit format for presentations. It was very easy to use, with a lot of great features to “jazz up” the different slides. Another bonus that I thought was an excellent feature was the fact that each presentation has its own website address, so accessing it would be very simple. You can also download your presentation so that it can be viewed without an Internet connection, which makes it convenient if you want to put it on a flash drive.
Google Docs has some interesting features, like building your own website and creating a presentation. The presentation feature seemed pretty basic but easy to use and easy to share. I tried creating a website, which at first seemed very user-friendly. I thought the template was great, but then I tried editing and modifying portions of the title page and I ran into a couple of glitches. For example, every time I tried to edit the title bar, it would revert back to the sample title bar. Instead of saying “Mrs. Cruise’s Class” it continued to say “Mrs. Smith’s Class” and I tried many different strategies to change it. This could be user error, but at the same time, it should be a simple matter to edit a website template.
I thought that the VoiceThread had some great features and I can think of many different ways to utilize this Web 2.0 tool in my classroom. I would like to try using it with my students because it would be an excellent way to increase reading fluency in a fun, engaging manner. It reminded me a little bit of PhotoStory; however, I think that VoiceThread is a more sophisticated presentation tool with more features and abilities.
Lastly, I have to say that I absolutely love the iMac because of the iMovie and Keynote applications. Both allow for a great deal of creativity and are very easy to use. My 12-year-old son has already created several very cool iMovie presentations with pictures and videos that he took using his iPod during a recent hike and a trip to Sea World. He was able to choose different music tracks to play over the pictures, and it was very easy to edit with a variety of transitions, animations, etc. The only problem is it has to be emailed in “chunks” because of the size of the presentation, and thus far we have not discovered a way to post a link to access the presentations. More exploration is needed!
As I investigated the variety of presentation tools, I realized that there are so many opportunities out there that I was not aware of until going through this research process. I am very excited about these presentation tools, and I am looking forward to exploring them further with the goal of integrating them into my classroom. I know that my students will love having the chance to use more technology to enhance their learning!
One of my goals this summer is to learn more about the different presentation tools that I could use in my classroom, so this first exploratory assignment was a great introduction to some of the options that are available.
Prezi seemed like a very user-friendly presentation tool that allows a great deal of creativity. The tutorial walked me through the steps of creating a presentation, and I was able to follow the instructions easily. I also liked that there was a variety of ways to share a Prezi presentation once it was complete, since I would like to publish my students’ presentations on my website as part of our curriculum units. My only concern would be that some of the features seemed a little bit disorienting as the pages zoomed in and out and around to the different text boxes. That could get old after a while, and/or it could make my students dizzy! Still, I think that I would have fun trying it out, and my students would also enjoy it.
I really liked the PreZentit format for presentations. It was very easy to use, with a lot of great features to “jazz up” the different slides. Another bonus that I thought was an excellent feature was the fact that each presentation has its own website address, so accessing it would be very simple. You can also download your presentation so that it can be viewed without an Internet connection, which makes it convenient if you want to put it on a flash drive.
Google Docs has some interesting features, like building your own website and creating a presentation. The presentation feature seemed pretty basic but easy to use and easy to share. I tried creating a website, which at first seemed very user-friendly. I thought the template was great, but then I tried editing and modifying portions of the title page and I ran into a couple of glitches. For example, every time I tried to edit the title bar, it would revert back to the sample title bar. Instead of saying “Mrs. Cruise’s Class” it continued to say “Mrs. Smith’s Class” and I tried many different strategies to change it. This could be user error, but at the same time, it should be a simple matter to edit a website template.
I thought that the VoiceThread had some great features and I can think of many different ways to utilize this Web 2.0 tool in my classroom. I would like to try using it with my students because it would be an excellent way to increase reading fluency in a fun, engaging manner. It reminded me a little bit of PhotoStory; however, I think that VoiceThread is a more sophisticated presentation tool with more features and abilities.
Lastly, I have to say that I absolutely love the iMac because of the iMovie and Keynote applications. Both allow for a great deal of creativity and are very easy to use. My 12-year-old son has already created several very cool iMovie presentations with pictures and videos that he took using his iPod during a recent hike and a trip to Sea World. He was able to choose different music tracks to play over the pictures, and it was very easy to edit with a variety of transitions, animations, etc. The only problem is it has to be emailed in “chunks” because of the size of the presentation, and thus far we have not discovered a way to post a link to access the presentations. More exploration is needed!
As I investigated the variety of presentation tools, I realized that there are so many opportunities out there that I was not aware of until going through this research process. I am very excited about these presentation tools, and I am looking forward to exploring them further with the goal of integrating them into my classroom. I know that my students will love having the chance to use more technology to enhance their learning!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Using Technology to Teach Science!
Physical science lends itself to active, hands-on learning, and students also can use technology to learn more about physical science concepts. One key area of physical science deals with the concept of light. The core concept of light is that “light is electromagnetic radiation – energy – that interacts with matter” (Tillery, Enger, & Ross, 2008, p. 154). Light is a concept that is important to teach to students, as it is something that affects everyone in their daily lives. Light is also a key curricular standard in third grade for California students. The central concept for the standard is that students will know that “light has a source and travels in a direction” (California State Board of Education, 2003, p 17). Teaching students about light can be a challenging yet motivating instructional component of a classroom’s science curriculum.
One engaging website that I frequently use as an anticipatory set for my students is Brainpop. This website has numerous videos and interactive learning activities for many curricular areas as well as grade levels. I located several Brainpop lessons on light, and these lessons can be accessed at http://www.brainpop.com/search/search.weml?keyword=light. From this site, teachers can engage their students and access background knowledge about light. There is a subscription fee, which can be costly as it is $195.00 for one classroom; however, if alternate funding can be utilized to provide Brainpop for an entire school, which costs $995.00, it is a very worthwhile site for educators. Brainpop is a comprehensive site that can be used for formative assessment via its interactive quizzes. It also is visually appealing to students and has colorful videos and graphics, which can help support learning for students who are learning English as well as for students who need information presented in a variety of modalities.
Another site that has proven to be very popular with my students is How Stuff Works, and some interesting information about light can be accessed via the link http://www.how
stuffworks.com/light/htm. There are visual representations of light spectrums as well as kid-friendly information about light. Videos and links to other light-related sites make this site a well-rounded, well-researched site for students who need information for science experiments or reports. It also includes interesting facts about how glow-in-the-dark materials work and how a light bulb is manufactured, as well as information on lasers and light sticks. By using this site, students can learn how to research information and utilize the Internet to access data for scientific learning.
In order to create hands-on learning activities for students, teachers need access to ideas for experiments and investigations. One online site that I have found to be very helpful is the website called “Kids’ Science Experiments” which can be accessed via the link http://www.
kids-science-experiments.com/index.html. There are numerous categories of experiments and within the light category I have found two that are particularly fun and engaging for my students. One is about bending light and can be located at http://www.kids-science-experiments.com/
bendinglightinthedark.html. The other experiment focuses on reflecting light and can be found at http://www.kids-science-experiments.com/bouncingspotlight.html. Both experiments utilize simple, everyday materials and yet convey important scientific concepts to students in a way that helps them gain a better understanding of light.
Another website that has a collection of experiments for students is called “Science Kids: Bringing Science and Technology Together” which can be found at http://www.sciencekids.co.
nz/experiments/lightcolorheat.html. It provides teachers with numerous activities that can easily be done in a classroom and it also has experiments which can be adapted to lead to more inquiry-based instruction. For example, an experiment on light absorption instructs students to wrap a piece of white paper and a piece of black paper over jars of water to see which one shows the greatest increase in temperature. This experiment could be extended via the use of questioning techniques and then using the questions generated by students to lead them to a more in-depth exploration of the concept of light.
Another website that combines scientific information about light with hands-on activities to reinforce learning is called “Teachers’ Lab: The Science of Light” and is available at http://
www.learner.org/teacherslab/science/light/index.html. The site’s segment on light begins with an introduction about the basic concepts of light and then proceeds to discuss the role of light in color as well as the laws of light. Each section has correlating hands-on activities to try, either online or in the classroom. Students can read about the information and then use the activities to reinforce and graphically represent what they have learned.
I plan on doing several of these experiments with my third-graders this year. I also want to do an activity that I learned about from a colleague who uses lasers and fog machines to reinforce the idea of reflection. Students try to create “pathways” using lasers and mirrors, and the fog machines allow them to easily see the path of the laser.
It might be challenging to do some of these activities in my classroom because I am going to have 27 regular ed students along with 2 special ed students who are integrated into my class for science instruction. Ensuring sufficient materials as well as supervising for safety procedures could be difficult. I will start with relatively easy hands-on activities in order to reinforce proper behavior and expectations at the beginning of the school year.
References
Brainpop (2010). Brainpop search. Retrieved on August 6, 2010 from http://www.brainpop.
com/search/search.weml?keyword=light
Egbert, J. (2009). Supporting learning with technology: Essentials of classroom practice. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Freudenrich, Ph.D., Craig (2000). How light works. HowStuffWorks.com. Retrieved on August
7, 2010 from http://www.howstuffworks.com/light.htm
Kids’ Science Experiments (2008). Retrieved from http://www.kids-science-experiments.
com/index.html
State of California (2003). California State Board of Education. Science content standards for
California public schools: Kindergarten through grade twelve. Retrieved from http://
www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/sciencestnd/pdf
Teachers’ Lab (2010). The science of light. Annenberg Media. Retrieved from http://www.
learner.org/teacherslab/science/light/index.html.
Tillery, B., Enger, E., & Ross. F. (2008). Integrated science (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
One engaging website that I frequently use as an anticipatory set for my students is Brainpop. This website has numerous videos and interactive learning activities for many curricular areas as well as grade levels. I located several Brainpop lessons on light, and these lessons can be accessed at http://www.brainpop.com/search/search.weml?keyword=light. From this site, teachers can engage their students and access background knowledge about light. There is a subscription fee, which can be costly as it is $195.00 for one classroom; however, if alternate funding can be utilized to provide Brainpop for an entire school, which costs $995.00, it is a very worthwhile site for educators. Brainpop is a comprehensive site that can be used for formative assessment via its interactive quizzes. It also is visually appealing to students and has colorful videos and graphics, which can help support learning for students who are learning English as well as for students who need information presented in a variety of modalities.
Another site that has proven to be very popular with my students is How Stuff Works, and some interesting information about light can be accessed via the link http://www.how
stuffworks.com/light/htm. There are visual representations of light spectrums as well as kid-friendly information about light. Videos and links to other light-related sites make this site a well-rounded, well-researched site for students who need information for science experiments or reports. It also includes interesting facts about how glow-in-the-dark materials work and how a light bulb is manufactured, as well as information on lasers and light sticks. By using this site, students can learn how to research information and utilize the Internet to access data for scientific learning.
In order to create hands-on learning activities for students, teachers need access to ideas for experiments and investigations. One online site that I have found to be very helpful is the website called “Kids’ Science Experiments” which can be accessed via the link http://www.
kids-science-experiments.com/index.html. There are numerous categories of experiments and within the light category I have found two that are particularly fun and engaging for my students. One is about bending light and can be located at http://www.kids-science-experiments.com/
bendinglightinthedark.html. The other experiment focuses on reflecting light and can be found at http://www.kids-science-experiments.com/bouncingspotlight.html. Both experiments utilize simple, everyday materials and yet convey important scientific concepts to students in a way that helps them gain a better understanding of light.
Another website that has a collection of experiments for students is called “Science Kids: Bringing Science and Technology Together” which can be found at http://www.sciencekids.co.
nz/experiments/lightcolorheat.html. It provides teachers with numerous activities that can easily be done in a classroom and it also has experiments which can be adapted to lead to more inquiry-based instruction. For example, an experiment on light absorption instructs students to wrap a piece of white paper and a piece of black paper over jars of water to see which one shows the greatest increase in temperature. This experiment could be extended via the use of questioning techniques and then using the questions generated by students to lead them to a more in-depth exploration of the concept of light.
Another website that combines scientific information about light with hands-on activities to reinforce learning is called “Teachers’ Lab: The Science of Light” and is available at http://
www.learner.org/teacherslab/science/light/index.html. The site’s segment on light begins with an introduction about the basic concepts of light and then proceeds to discuss the role of light in color as well as the laws of light. Each section has correlating hands-on activities to try, either online or in the classroom. Students can read about the information and then use the activities to reinforce and graphically represent what they have learned.
I plan on doing several of these experiments with my third-graders this year. I also want to do an activity that I learned about from a colleague who uses lasers and fog machines to reinforce the idea of reflection. Students try to create “pathways” using lasers and mirrors, and the fog machines allow them to easily see the path of the laser.
It might be challenging to do some of these activities in my classroom because I am going to have 27 regular ed students along with 2 special ed students who are integrated into my class for science instruction. Ensuring sufficient materials as well as supervising for safety procedures could be difficult. I will start with relatively easy hands-on activities in order to reinforce proper behavior and expectations at the beginning of the school year.
References
Brainpop (2010). Brainpop search. Retrieved on August 6, 2010 from http://www.brainpop.
com/search/search.weml?keyword=light
Egbert, J. (2009). Supporting learning with technology: Essentials of classroom practice. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Freudenrich, Ph.D., Craig (2000). How light works. HowStuffWorks.com. Retrieved on August
7, 2010 from http://www.howstuffworks.com/light.htm
Kids’ Science Experiments (2008). Retrieved from http://www.kids-science-experiments.
com/index.html
State of California (2003). California State Board of Education. Science content standards for
California public schools: Kindergarten through grade twelve. Retrieved from http://
www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/sciencestnd/pdf
Teachers’ Lab (2010). The science of light. Annenberg Media. Retrieved from http://www.
learner.org/teacherslab/science/light/index.html.
Tillery, B., Enger, E., & Ross. F. (2008). Integrated science (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
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