Final Blog Post...

For my final blog post, I want to reflect on the Maymester with some pros and cons of things that have happened over the past 11 days...

PROS
1. I learned that science can be FUN!
2. We are WET and PLT certified...so awesome and so fun!
3. I made new "school friends!" That is what I always refer to you all as when I am talking to friends and family members. It sounds way better than "a girl at school..."
4. I learned that even kindergarteners can engage in critical thinking skills. I also learned to never underestimate my students.
5. I learned to give my students FREEDOM and CHOICE in the classroom! Dr. Kat did an amazing job modeling this, so the activities and assignments we've had have been personal, authentic, and meaningful.
6. I learned that a "messy" concept map is a better concept map!
7. I learned that science can be squeezed into any content area. So, even though common core does not supply science standards yet, and many schools do not focus on science, I am vowing now to give my best shot at incorporating science into every content area at some point during the week!
8. I learned that a classroom community is SO important. We have formed a really good community these past 11 class periods, so I feel comfortable being myself, opening up, sharing my opinions, and questioning my classmates. I want my students to feel the same.
9. I learned that blogging for a class can be fun. I have had to do this for other classes before, and I've hated it. But look at me now! I have stayed up (with coffee) and written 7 blogs tonight, and I am still on a roll! (or maybe just a caffeine kick.......?)
10. I can finally justify my doodling during class...there are REAL studies on it! Woohoo!

Side note: is that super distracting to my classmates though? I would feel bad if that were the case. oops....

CONS
1. I don't get to take a fun class like this again this summer :( Online classes heeeeere weeeeeee goooooooo...
2. What if I don't have another class with you all before I graduate? I will be so sad!
3. I consumed pizza, cookies, candy, gum, soft drinks, waaaaaay toooooo much coffee, and vending machine snacks but YOLO.

DOODLING!!!!

YALL...it is true. Doodlers tend to remember more than nondoodlers during a lecture or meeting. Next time I have to justify my doodling in class, I will pull up this article from TIME and show my teacher! This has even been noted in studies in Applied Cognitive Psychology. AKA it's super legit...

TIME Article

Student Self Assessment

We talked about student self assessment in class tonight, and it is quickly becoming something I see as an aspect of my future classroom. I believe that students who monitor their own progress are more likely to take ownership of their learning, and are more likely to evalutate and revise their work. How intimidating and disheartening is it when you are handed back a paper or test that is filled with red marks from the teacher? I have seen this happen in classrooms, and the student is immediately embarrassed and discouraged. Wouldn't it be better if they took ownership of their mistakes or errors? This is a great video that has comments from students who have engaged in self assessment, and the positive outcomes from particular strategies.

An important component of student self assessment is allowing TIME for students to monitor their work, evaluate, and make revisions. Time is always an issue in a classroom, especially at the elementary level. Although I think it would take a lot of time on the front end, I have a feeling that once students and teachers get comfortable with the system, it would save time and benefit everyone involved.

What are some ways you all think students could self assess? Do you think this is something you'd want to do in your classroom? What are the cons?

Rain Cloud In a Jar

Listening to Allison, Kim, Paula, and Stephanie talk tonight about their cloud lesson reminded me of something SO fun I did when I was a student at UT (Oh my gosh whyyyy am I always referencing back to UT?!?!). For my teaching science class there, I made a rain cloud in a jar (or glass) with my classmates. I thought this would be a great resource for you all to use! I have pasted my complete lesson plan that accompanied the activity, and above is a picture of the actual "rain cloud" I made with my classmates! Enjoy :) And feel free to use this! 

Holly Ford

Science Activity Plan

3 February 2014

3^rd Grade

Rain Cloud in a Jar

State Standard:

GLE 0307.8.3 Identify cloud types associated with particular atmospheric conditions

Activity Objective:

-The students should be able to work both individually and collaboratively while using the materials provided in order to make a rain cloud.

-The students should be able to identify what happens in a cloud before a rain shower.

-The students should be able to identify features of a cumulonimbus cloud.

-The students should be able to contribute and aid in group discussions about their experiences with weather and observations of the activity.

Guiding Questions:

What type of cloud produces rain?

What is a cumulonimbus cloud?

What are clouds made of?

Why does it rain?

What causes rain to fall from the sky?

Materials:

Glass jars (one per student)

Food coloring in various colors

Access to water

Small containers for colored water (one per color)

Paper towels

Droppers

Shaving cream

“Little Drop Drop’s Big Rainy Day” by Carolyn E. Turcotte

Procedures:

1. Before students enter the classroom, fill glass jars 2/3 full with water from the sink.

2. Using additional containers or cups, prepare colored water using the food coloring (I suggest using at least two colors so the students have options).

3.  Lay paper towels out on desks, tables, or wherever the students will be working. This activity can be messy!

4. Place jars with clear water, colored water, and droppers around the room where students will be working. I suggest setting the room up where students can work in groups of four, that way you do not have students moving around the classroom to obtain colored water from other locations. Each “station” should have four jars with clear water, cups filled with colored water, and four droppers. 

5. As students walk into the classroom, instruct them to find a station and sit with three other students in front of a jar filled with clear water.

6. Before beginning the activity, read “Little Drip Drop’s Big Rainy Day” by Carolyn E. Turcotte. This is a children’s book about little drip drop, who is a rain drop deciding whether or not he should leave his cloud. This book will demonstrate how a raindrop first lives in a cloud before it showers the earth. It also demonstrates what would happen without rain, and it describes how vital rain is to our earth.

7. After you have finished reading, talk to the students about rainy weather, and ask them questions to find out how much they already know. Do you like rain? How often do you think it rains? Why does it rain? What do the clouds look like when it rains? What do you notice about the sky when it rains? Does it always sprinkle/pour when it rains? 

8. Once the discussion has found a break point, explain to the students that you are now going to give each of them a “cumulonimbus cloud.” Using the shaving cream, top each jar filled with the plain water off with a heaping pile of shaving cream.

9. Once each student has a “cumulonimbus cloud,” instruct him or her to use the droppers and drop colored water onto their “cloud.” The colored water should make its way through the shaving cream and settle at the bottom of the “cloud.” Once enough colored water has accumulated in the “cloud,” the colored water will begin seeping into the clear water in the jar. (This is the rain!)

10. After a few minutes of dropping color into the cloud, ask the students what they are noticing. What happens when you drop colored water into the cloud? Where does the colored water go? What do you notice about the bottom of the cloud? Does the colored water stay in the cloud, or does it drip into the clear water? What does the clear water look like? What does the cloud look like?

11. Using your knowledge, explain to the students the process of rain. During this time the teacher should talk about a cumulonimbus cloud, what clouds are made of, and what conditions are in place for a rain shower.

12. Provide a closing discussion about what was demonstrated during the cloud activity. Ask students if they have any remaining questions or comments about the lesson. Ask questions that help to formatively assess the class understanding.

13. If time permits, allow students to draw a picture of a rainy day. After drawing their picture, students should write a brief story about an experience they have had with rain, or a fictional and creative story about rain. This activity will allow students to reflect on the science portion of the lesson and build their writing and creativity skills.

Science Background:

All students know that it rains from time to time, and most of them have noticed the gray and gloomy skies when this happens, but what makes rain fall out of the sky? There are many types of clouds in the sky, but only two of them have the ability to produce rain, hail, and snow: nimbostratus and cumulonimbus clouds. The formation of these clouds is a result of condensation. The sky is filled with water, and it usually tends to be a hot and humid day.

            This activity focuses on the cumulonimbus cloud. This cloud starts as a cumulus cloud, but once it produces rain, it is referred to as cumulonimbus. These clouds are made up of tons of moisture, and they are the biggest clouds in the sky. Sometimes cumulonimbus clouds can reach 30,000 feet in height, which is taller than any mountain on earth! There is so much going on in this cloud. Raindrops are constantly traveling up and down throughout the cloud during the processes of updrafts and downdrafts. During this motion, raindrops are colliding with one another and forming bigger raindrops. Once the rain drops are too large and too heavy for the cloud to hold, they finally drop from the cloud and fall to the earth. During this time, the cloud tends to appear gray. It is important to note that gravity is responsible for pulling the heavy raindrops down to the earth.

            Students should learn about this phenomenon, because they experience rainfall throughout the year. I think this is an important and relevant topic, because after the lesson students will look at gray and gloomy days a little differently. Hopefully students will think twice when they look into the gray sky or feel a raindrop hit their head. It will no longer be a random rainy day, but a day characterized by interesting and scientific phenomena!

Sources:

Teach Preschool Website (for the activity)

http://www.teachpreschool.org/2012/03/clouds-in-jars-and-on-the-table-top-too/

Snedeker, J. (2012). The everything kids' weather book . Avon: Adams' Media

Dorsey, C. (2008). Uncovering student ideas in science . National Science Teacher's Association

Staub, F. (2005 ). The kids' book of clouds and sky . New York : Sterling Publishing Company

Safety Considerations:

Teachers should be aware of certain allergies that exist in their students. Students may be allergic to the food coloring or shaving cream used during this lesson. Also, teachers who are weary about using glass in the classroom with young students should substitute plastic cups and containers for the clear water and colored water. In case of accident, teachers should have a broom and dust pan handy. Before the lesson begins, students should be instructed of rules and safety regulations: do not drink the water, do not consume the shaving cream, do not use the pipette to put the water onto clothes or in mouth. During the activity, the teacher should walk around the classroom and monitor student behavior. Also, the teacher should always model correct safety behavior.

Additional Content:

1. During the lesson, the class will read “Little Drip Drop’s Big Rainy Day” by Carolyn E. Turcotte. This is a children’s book about a small raindrop that is deciding whether or not it should fall from the cloud and down to earth. This book will be an excellent choice, because it demonstrates that clouds are made of rain drops, and it also exposes children to the idea of rain drops falling out of clouds.

2. This activity can also extend to other content areas. I believe the best extension would be to literature, reading, and writing. Students will be read to before the lesson begins, and they could also practice reading the book on their own or aloud to their group. Another extension to focus on reading and writing would be to have students draw a rain cloud or a rainy day, and write a brief paragraph. The paragraph could be about a fictional rainy day or a real life experience students have had with rain or clouds. Both of these additional activities will extend students experience with literature and writing.

Problem Based Learning

Tonight in class, we were able to do a mini version of a PBL. I am currently doing a longer one for ELED 6500, and I can say that I actually really enjoy this process. It is a more drawn out and in depth way of acquiring new knowledge. It is so much more hands on and authentic than doing a research paper (ew)! My group decided to question, "Which gum produces the most bubbles in two minutes?" I was so excited to do this, because I had been waiting to get the approval from Dr. Kat to chew some gum. Before I knew it, my jaw was dyyyying, due to all the chewing and bubble gum blowing. Betweem bubble yum and hubba bubba max, hubba bubba max was the final winner!

Kids would LOVE doing something like this. Although I said in class tonight that gum with little ones could get real messy, there are so many other possibilities. I often think "Could a first grader really do this?" But, the best thing to do as a teacher is hold high expectations for your students, and then they will rise up! I have already had experiences in the classroom, nannying, or spending time with younger children, where they truly surprise me at the things they say and do! They are naturally curious, hands on, and talkative, so a PBL would be super engaging and FUN!

Why are Robin eggs blue?

Wow it has been forever since I have blogged. I almost forgot that I said I would be blogging about why robins' eggs are blue, but luckily I remembered. I am sure you have all been SOOO anxious to find out ;-)

First, I went to "The Story of Robin Eggs." This was not the first thing that popped up, and did not even mention why the eggs are blue, but it had the ".org," so I thought I should check it out first. I did learn some really interesting facts though. Here are my favorite three:

1. A robin only lays one egg per day, and usually stops laying after four eggs.
2. A robin's typical body temparature is 104 degrees F...um wow!
3. The mommy robin does not leave the eggs for more than 5-10 minutes at a time. awwww :)

None of the "official" websites I found would talk about why robin eggs were blue, but I did find stuff on sciencedaily.com and it said the information was coming from a biology professor, so that has to be kind of legit right?

Robin eggs are blue because of a mucus that the mommy secretes while it is birthing the egg. So, I guess it isn't actually blue until it comes out into the world! The mucus is called biliverden. Here is what it said in the article:

"The blue colour in robin eggs is due to biliverdin, a pigment deposited on the eggshell when the female lays the eggs. There is some evidence that higher biliverdin levels indicate a healthier female and brighter blue eggs. Eggs laid by a healthier female seemed to encourage males to take more interest in their young." 

So, that is another interesting fact, the bluer the egg, the more the daddy will come and take care of the young birds. There are currently studies going on to find out WHY exactly they are like that. Any predictions? 

Sources:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120514122838.htm
https://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/robin/EggstraEggstra.html

Adopt-A-Tree

This week, we started and completed Project Learning Tree. I LOVED the opportunity to go through this training, get the curriculum text, and find out that science can be fun and resourceful at the same time!

My favorite experience was the Adopt-A-Tree. During this exercise, we got to pick "our own tree" around campus. Then, we had a little booklet (handmade hehe), and we could record our observations in it! I decided to draw a picture of my tree from a far away perspective, then draw certain things that I saw in and around the tree. Next, I recorded the observations I made, while focusing on my senses. I wrote what I heard, what I saw, what I felt, what I smelled, annnnnnd I decided to skip out on the "what I taste" portion haha! Although, if some fruit would have been growing on the tree, I surely would have picked it and eaten it!

I decided to take this exercise a step further, and I wrote a poem about my tree! I learned in Dr. Bass' class that you can pretty much incorporate ELA strategies into any other content area. Dr. Kat has reinforced this idea, and I am allllll over it these days! I called my tree the "Homey Tree," because I saw a lot of insects living in it, new flowers were sprouting, and there was even a bird's nest nuzzled into the tree! I couldn't see above it, but I just have a feeling that there were some eggs in it. Maybe Robin eggs...I only say that because I HOPE that's what is in there. I love how they are blue :)

I think that this would be an activity you could do with students all year long. They could record observations about their tree in the beginning of the year, and then revisit their tree all throughout the school year. What looks different about it? What living things have made it their home? What is growing on the tree? What do the leaves look like in the fall? I could see students getting very attached to "their tree," and I believe this would be an experience they remember for a long time :) I know I would have!

Coming up on the next blog...WHY are the Robin's eggs blue?! I honestly have no clue, but I have always loved it. So, now it is time to dig in and find out!