Teaching Tools Series: Quizlet Flash Card Set for Mitosis

I love Quizlet!  My students love Quizlet even more.  I copied someone else's set on Quizlet, and made this new set--added a few images and Voila!  Flashcards for you.

My students especially like that you can print out flash cards or an alphabetized list...and the GAMES!  Their favorite on the SMARTboard is the Scatter game.  It's a fun way to study.

Teaching Tools Series: Quizlet Flash Card Set for Mitosis

I Feel the Need...the Need to Knead! Baking in Science Class for Thanksgiving

A beautiful tradition at my small, independent Montessori school is of breaking bread with the entire school community (toddlers, middle-schoolers, teachers and staff) on the day before Thanksgiving.

This year, in 7th year science class, we made a Hand-Kneaded Whole Wheat Bread, and had some science lessons along with it.  I do this with the 7th years because they already had life science with me last year, and they understand anaerobic cellular respiration, proteins in living cells and cell division already.   I got the recipe from Cooks Illustrated (a science lab of cooking!) and the science to go along with it from various sources.

Here are the loaves prior to baking (student-made!):

Before Baking

Here's the recipe: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2mVNulXvlPlWDUyYzdKQTE3X3c

Here's the science of browning techniques: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2mVNulXvlPlZktOUlBBR2VKbUE

Here's a chapter from the NSTA publication Everyday Science Mysteries on Baking Bread. 

Hand-Kneaded Whole Wheat Bread after baking

I Feel the Need...the Need to Knead! Baking in Science Class for Thanksgiving

Edible Science Model Projects: Part 5--Cell Cakes Project, Year #2

Last year, we did a Cell Cake Project in the grand tradition of edible science model-making!  It was a tremendous success, and it remains the most popular post on my blog by far!

This year's newest member of the project;  The Bacterial Cell

This year is the second year of the project, and I decided to make it meatier (or cakier, or whatever) by adding a research and presentation component to it, as well as adding critical thinking to the project by adding different cell types and asking students to compare and contrast them.

"Remember, the primary goal of this project is to describe the similarities and differences between animal, plant and bacterial cells. "

-Mrs. Kaplan

This year's Plant Cell

• A descriptive list of the required elements of the Cell Cake Project
• The super-easy and yummy Marshmallow Fondant recipe that kids can use for labeling and other structures.
• Venn diagram organizer for plant, bacterial and animal cells

The Animal Cell--this cake was saved from a crumbly death by a large batch of delicious homemade fondant icing.

Cell Anatomy Resources:

• RESEARCH FORM: http://www.iecc.edu/wvc/lrc/resrws.pdf
• http://www.johnkyrk.com/CellIndex.html--this site has several links in the drop-down menu that could be useful in identifying additional structures or more detailed explanations that would be helpful in making your poster/model.  For example http://www.johnkyrk.com/golgiAlone.html has detailed descriptions of how the Golgi body works.  
• http://www.cellsalive.com/cells/3dcell.htm  has interactive models of all three cell types.
• Interactive diagram of a bacterial cell: http://www.neok12.com/diagram/Microorganisms-01.htm
• Bacterial cell:http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/bacteriacell.html

• Animal cell: http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/animalcell.html
• Plant cell: http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/plantcell.html
• Inside the Cell PDF booklet (full color illustrations): http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/insidethecell/pdf/inside_the_cell.pdf
• **Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_(biology)--this site can be used as a STARTING PLACE to find information.  Keep in mind, that Wikipedia has gathered it's information from other places...those places are listed (with links) at the bottom of the page.  Those are the links that should be used in your research forms, NOT "en.wikipedia.org".

• http://cellimagelibrary.org/

Edible Science Model Projects: Part 5--Cell Cakes Project, Year #2

I absolutely love my job! (aka Best Science Teacher Annual Goal...Ever!)

Like many professions, each year teachers create professional goals that they would like to accomplish for the year. Establishing these goals is meant to spur the development of a set of professional skills. Periodically throughout the year, teachers meet with supervisors to discuss progress on the goals and to collaboratively problem-solve any items that are hindering accomplishing of the goals.

Last year at my final 'goal progress' meeting, I met with other teachers to discuss our goals and talk about ideas for goals for the present school year.  I had the BEST idea for a goal...it was the kind of idea that makes you so excited to get started on accomplishing it!  What a way to love your job.

Here is what I wrote:

"Goal : To develop a thematic tradition in the middle school science classroom of “Celebrating Science” and to begin bringing that theme outward into the community. 

Steps I will take to achieve that goal:

• To develop lessons, materials or events in science class that celebrate science.  For example: to create special thematic lab experiments and classroom decorations for Halloween; to organize events that celebrate the astronomical phenomena of the changing of the seasons, lunar or solar eclipses, milestones in science—like Newton’s birthday, or to further develop events like last year’s Periodic Table of the Cupcakes or the Cell Cake Project.
• To build community awareness and anticipation of the events with the school newsletters, parent “awareness” email blasts and other media.
• To guide middle school students to create ways of sharing the actual happening of the event with younger students in the school.  For example, by visiting the classes and sharing the Periodic Table Cupcakes with them after explaining what the project was all about and answering questions from the younger students."

This entire goal can translate from teacher-ese into English as:  "Spend your energy on how to have fun in science class!"

So this year, as I plan Halloween Science in the lab (Halloween falls on our extended-period lab day this year--Hooray!) I can have fun planning it...get really 'into it' and elaborate on it, develop it into something that excites even me!  All the while, I know I am working on accomplishing a professional goal that I set for myself which adds to my feeling of satisfaction about it.  

I will definitely post about my Halloween Science Day this year and other events...but not yet...some of my students and parents read this blog and I don't want to give anything away.  If you need some ideas, try this link to Science Bob's site of Halloween science demos.

By the way, a big shout-out to Liisa Petersen, who is one of the best science teachers I have EVER met, and an absolute pro at loving her job and having fun.  One thing that is on the list this year is to try to model her FLUGTAG event.

I absolutely love my job! (aka Best Science Teacher Annual Goal...Ever!)

Yale Fellowship Day #1: Earth Science Animation Resources and Using Science Notebooks Resources

So, kids, here I am at Yale University with the Planetarium Director and Education and Astronomy people.
I am going to post for you some (or as many as I can) of the resources we are using:

http://astro.unl.edu/classaction/ 

1. Okay, on this one, scroll down.  
2. If you click on "Coordinates and Motions", and (let it load). 
3. On the Splash Page, click on "Animations" at the bottom of the page.
4. It gives you TONS of astronomy animations that address the question, "What are the reasons for the seasons".

flora.p2061.org/climate

This is a BETA site...I don't think you can Google it.  So this one's probably new for all of you!

Try clicking "Visualizations" under #3.

___________________________
Lecture: Christopher Stone    "A Science Notebook Primer"
Notes:

--a tool in your toolbelt for improving student accountablility and achievement
--using them to inform your instruction (formative assessment)
--engaging students in meaningful "conversation" about science topics (Fulton/Campbell are researchers on how this works to improved learning)

Click this link for a file of articles (ideas, rubrics, worksheets, etc.) from science education publications on the topic.

Yale Fellowship Day #1: Earth Science Animation Resources and Using Science Notebooks Resources

Modeling the Scale of the Solar System? Try THIS one on for Size--It Covers the Entire Country of Sweden!

Many teachers of astronomy begin with activities or projects that help students to grasp the enormous scale of the solar system--which is a good idea, because all of the diagrams we see in textbook give us the poorest sense of it.  (See this post for more information on that...)

http://www.amusingplanet.com/2011/10/world-largest-scale-model-of-solar.html

However, here's the biggest one on our planet--in Sweden.  It begins with the Sun (the Ericsson Globe) in Stockholm--modeled at 110 m in diameter and ends at the Terminal Shock.  The Terminal Shock (the edge of the heliosphere) in the Swedish model is 950 km away from Stockholm!

Modeling the Scale of the Solar System? Try THIS one on for Size--It Covers the Entire Country of Sweden!

Educational Rap: Rhythm, Rhyme, Results has excellent new science songs!

They have SMASHING new songs--The Planets and The Periodic Table of the Elements.  My students request the songs regularly.  By  most accounts, they preferred The Planets right away; some students now are finding that they like the Periodic Table better, but maybe just because that is what we are studying.

Click here to view the lyrics, listen to samples of the songs and/or purchase the music.  Today only, you can download a FREE song on the Civil Rights Movement.

Educational Rap: Rhythm, Rhyme, Results has excellent new science songs!

Tools for Science Projects!

*Also check out my other posts on Science Project Tools:

1. Science Buddies = True Science Project Love
2. Using Google Docs in your Science Project Fair
3. Paperless Science Fairs
4. Memonic--your own Internet Research Secretary

We have our first big project of the year starting this month--the amazing 8th Year Expert Project!  This is the capstone project for our Montessori 8th graders at Fraser-Woods School in Newtown, CT.   Essentially a huge independent-study project, their job this month was to write the proposal for the project in a middle-school sized "thesis proposal" format.  Essentials for beginning a large scale project at the middle school level:

1. One of the most important tools I have is my Timeline.  It helps me organize myself with backwards-design principles...starting from the nights I know they have to present and having an idea of how long each stage will take, I design the timeline to fit the time we have.  My class webpage is on Google Sites, and Google Sites has a page template called a "List" that you can use to create your timeline.  
2. If you take a look at my timeline, you'll see that it is formatted like a checklist and has four columns, including one that is called "Related Documents".  This is my favorite column.  It allows me to attach a link to a template, related website, how-to video or google document that the students need to complete the assignment.  This relieves everyone of the "I lost my copy of the assignment" excuse and, frankly, the kids love this feature. **Note, if you put a link there to a google document, make sure you share the document publicly in GoogleDocs first.  
3. I ask that all of my students print out the list at the beginning of the project and tack it up somewhere at home where they can easily refer to it at any time.
4. You can update the list at any time.  I update due-dates regularly, because we are a Montessori school and our schedule is interrupted often with special events, trips, speakers and activities.  I always announce list updates clearly in class and I will often provide copies for major changes so the kids are aware of the changes.

• To create that type of page, click on the create page icon on the top right side of the homepage after you have signed in.  Then click on the drop-down menu under the heading Select a template to use.  Select List from the dropdown menu.
• Name the page.  Try a name that includes "Timeline", like "Science Fair Timeline".
• You can even customize the URL of the timeline page by clicking change URL.  This will only change the last part of the url to your desired characters.
• Select a location for the page.   If you have created the Google Site solely to create the timeline, then click Put page at the top level>Create and voila!  Your timeline page has been created.
• Now the page prompts you to choose a template for the list.  If you know you have specific column headings for the list you want, click Create your own>use template.
• A box entitled "Customize Your List" will pop up.  If you want your timeline to look like mine,  you will need four columns.  Type the column name "Completed?" into the box.  Click Type>Checkbox.
• Add New Column>"Assignment name" under column name.  Type>Text
• Add New Column>"Due Date" under column name.  Type>Date
• Add New Column>"Related Documents/Websites" under column name. Type>URL
• To sort your items by due date (which I recommend, but you can change this at any time by clicking Customize this list once you have created the list) click First Sort by> Due Date>Ascending>Save.  
• To add items to the list once it is created, click the Add Item button.  Don't check Completed? until the due date for the item has passed.  Enter the assignment name, the due date and any related documents that you'd like to attach.  
• There you go!  Project timeline Checklist!

Tools for Science Projects!

Teaching Students to Tell Time with the Stars and Google Sky

Wow!  The set of lessons on "telling time with the stars" from ARIES Exploring Navigation: Location, Direction and Latitude  was just amazing!  My middle schoolers loved it, too--on their self evaluations it was the highest rated set of explorations for them.

You can't get the lessons for free, however, you can contact Charlesbridge Publishing to receive some sample lessons, or purchase a download license for all of the teacher and student lesson materials ($30) from the website.

The tool that you and your students will build to tell time with the stars (and you'll learn how to find latitude and longitude with the stars, too)  is called a Nocturnal. or star dial, nocturlabe or horologium nocturnum.   It has been used for centuries to navigate by the stars.  The photo at the right is a working nocturnal that can be worn as jewelry!

The tricky part to these explorations is that you need to practice in the classroom to make sure the kids know how to use the tool, but they must actually do the star-gazing at home.  The teacher materials provide detailed ideas on posting constellations and guide-stars on the wall in the appropriate locations...but I had a fabulous idea!  Why not use Google Earth (in Space mode) and have the stars in the correct locations already?

I actually used the Google Earth method as a way to give my students a performance assessment on the proper use of the nocturnal.  It worked like a charm, because I could change the positions of the stars accurately for each class, without having to climb the wall.

Here are some photos of my students during their "test":

Teaching Students to Tell Time with the Stars and Google Sky

Exploring the Reason for the Seasons in Middle School--with ARIES from Charlesbridge Publishing

There is one essential question in middle school science that often is misunderstood, mistaught, undertaught or simply overlooked that is central to our experience here on planet Earth and that exists as a standard in every state curriculum in the United States and probably most all over our world (especially in areas north of the Tropics):  "What is the reason for the seasons?".

Many people, many extremely educated people (register with Annenberg Media to see the video "Private Universe" and you'll believe it when you see the Harvard professor and graduates explain their own misunderstandings) have incomplete or incorrect ideas about the reason for the seasons.  An overly-simplified reason is "The tilt of the Earth causes the seasons".  This answer is incomplete and provides lots of room for the insertion of ideas that are at odds with what scientists have agreed are the real "reasons for the seasons".  

An example of one of those ideas is that the orbit of the Earth around the Sun is a greatly exaggerated ellipse.   It is no wonder that most people hold onto this idea--it is reinforced by thousands of textbooks and diagrams that show the orbit of the Earth around the Sun at an oblique angle to save page space; the result is that the (nearly) circular orbit of the Earth ends up represented as an elongated ellipse--often with the Sun at the center.   Shown are several examples of that type of diagram:

 http://www.nationsonline.org/bilder/earth_rotation_axis.jpg


Having seen so many of these images, which certainly COULD be useful for teaching some concepts accurately, but have so far managed to do more misinforming than informing--a student could hardly be blamed for believing that the the orbit is an extremely eccentric ellipse with the Sun located at the center, and not at one focus of the ellipse.

Here are more accurate (from above) diagrams that could help disspell these myths if used more widely...but simple exposure to the ideas illustrated here is not the answer, either.

"  Images from http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/6h.html



Oh, alright alright...the whole point of this post is to offer a curricular resource that I have used for many years that addresses all of these ideas.  The ARIES physical science curriculum by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (published by Charlesbridge) is an effective answer.  Students love the freedom of exploration.  Teachers love the lesson extensions and discussion questions, with included assessments of all types...including performance assessment ideas.

I worked with faculty from Harvard to train with and test the curriculum and I've used it for years.  It's fantastic and you can even buy apparatus bins...you only need to provide glue and scissors, usually.

Exploring the Reason for the Seasons in Middle School--with ARIES from Charlesbridge Publishing

Free Download--SMART Notebook Lesson on Levers

Great middle level or 9th grade lesson on Levers...click here to download it. It includes two matching games to identify first, second and third class levers, two interactive mini apps--one is more advanced to calculate load and effort. The last few slides are a lab activity idea for older students who are very self-directed. Enjoy!

Free Download--SMART Notebook Lesson on Levers

SMART Notebook Lesson on Food Webs

This lesson is a FREE download, just click this link to download a terrific lesson on foodwebs. It includes an interactive "miniapp" from ClickScience that graphically demonstrates the relationship between producers, primary consumers and secondary consumers. There is a sorting game at the end for food web vocabulary and an additional link to an online food web interactive activity at the end of the lesson, for kids to explore with you, or on their own.

It was created using Notebook v10, so make sure you upgrade your software (just use the product key on your board for free upgrades) before you download it so you have full functionality of all of the features in the lesson.

SMART Notebook Lesson on Food Webs