Posted by David Wetzel
Science Nature Journals
A nature journal allows students to make observations and connections about the natural world in which they live.
As they develop their own nature journals, students develop a concrete understanding of what is going on in the part of nature they are studying.
One example is the impact of global warming on animals which live in a specific ecosystem.
Nature journals let students build upon their experience, remember a certain order of recorded events, and link data with events to develop relationships.
Students make close observations of nature to determine patterns and motions, along with considering the weather, sky, sounds, and temperature changes as they reflect upon nature’s disposition.
They use the science process skills as they observe, analyze, and communicate their findings.
Nature journals assist students with learning how to write about science as they follow these guidelines:
- Begin writing and often. Do not be too critical or edit writing at the beginning to let the writing flow naturally.
- Write as if writing a letter to yourself, close friend, or family member by creating a narrative account.
- Complete sentences are optional; the important point is to record pictures, observations, and data.
- Draw pictures (if a paper journal) or incorporate photographs (if an online journal).
Nature Journals and Technology
Developing a class nature journal using a free Wiki allows teachers and students to view and make comments.
Using Wikis to engage students by integrating technology provides them with their own online journal page in the class Wiki to update and maintain.
Advantages of using a Wiki for nature journals include:
- Students have the ability to embed links to online resources to support their journals.
- Students can upload images into their Wiki page.
- Students can work collaboratively to complete a group journal.
- Students can access and update their nature journal from home.
- Teachers can monitor their students’ progress at their convenience.
- Teachers can limit access to class Wikis, which eliminate concern for open access.
Read more….
Any other ideas for Specific Science Journals?
Posted by David Wetzel
Math Problem Based Learning
Project-based learning or Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is one of the best teaching strategies for engaging students in realistic learning activities. Students are not only interested, they are also learning math in the process.
Why?
Because their minds are engaged, critical thinking is taking place!
This is often referred to as critical thinking, minds-on, or inquiry-based teaching and learning.
PBL activities are designed to answer a real-world question or solve real-world problem. A good PBL problem provokes students to struggle with central concepts and principles in math.
These problems reflect the types of learning and work people do in the everyday world outside the classroom.
PBL is typically completed by groups of students working together to solve a problem, as they reflect upon their own ideas, prior knowledge and experiences, and communicate their recommendations based on findings.
Math Project Based Learning Activities
The following are examples of Problem Based Learning activities:
Repainting Tennis Courts
Students:
Determine the total cost of supplies.
The number of gallons of paint to cover all 8 courts if they apply two coats of green paint on each court, along with two coats of white paint on the lines of each court.
The cost of all the paint combined.
The grand total spent on paint and supplies.
Contextual information needed by students include:
Dimensions of a tennis court
Total number of lines, along with line dimensions on a tennis court.
How many square feet does a gallon of exterior paint cover.
Cost of a gallon of exterior paint.
Cost of a combo pack of roller frame, roller cover, and paint tray.
Cost of an appropriately sized paint brush.
Cost of any other materials they feel they need.
Additional Math PBL Activity Themes
Scavenger Hunt
Students:
Locate definitions of Tessellations on the Internet to compare with the real-world examples of tessellations (for example M. C. Escher’s work).
March Madness
Students:
Explore the many different areas of math found in the NCAA basketball tournament.
Use the NCAA bracket to determine which team or teams they want to follow in the tournament.
Find fractions, decimals, and percents; probability statistics; make predictions; and look for patterns within the basketball statistics of the team(s) they selected.
Make connections with and between the math contained within the NCAA tournament.
Explain the importance of mathematics in basketball.
You may also enjoy ….
Geometric Problem Solving with Snap Cubes
Math Problem Solving Stories and Case Studies
Challenging Math Strategy for Students
The Math and Science of Junk Mail Project
http://www.teachscienceandmath.com/2009/03/17/gifted-science-lessons-and-activities/
Comments:
Filed Under: Math
Posted by David Wetzel
Hands-On, Minds-on Science
The science community needs to develop better ways to assess students’ understanding and skills, not just their science factual knowledge.
For many years, education has traditionally been about standing in front of a classroom and giving a great lecture, or just a lecture. What people rarely do is try to work out whether or not the students have actually learned anything.
A student’s ability to regurgitate facts on a multiple choice proves little. Most any student can memorize enough facts to earn a minimal passing score. However, what have they learned – minimal! No wonder most students are turned off by science by the time they complete high school.
Students need to understand scientific literature, along with the ability to design an experiment and interpret data. This ability to make informed decisions not only has its implications in learning science, this ability is transformed to everyday decisions in a real world.
Educating students in science is important because they’re going to be the leaders of the future. These leaders will need to be able to make policy decisions by analyzing scientific evidence, instead of throwing up their hands in confusion or making wrong decisions.
When students understand the scientific process they become informed citizens. They have the ability distinguish between fact and fiction. Whenever scientists disagree, informed citizens realize that they are conducting scientific research and there are many paths. Rarely is there one correct path to an answer in science. Science is like Times Square – there are many paths that will take you and all are correct.
Students need to learn how to critically analyze science information and argue points from evidence, data, or observations. Educators need to get rid of the lecture format and let students do more in class to facilitate their learning.
We have to stop telling and let them work with scientific information. A hands-on, minds-on approach is best. This means to let them design experiments under teacher facilitation so then learn that there are many methods for finding an answer.
Canned laboratory investigations leave little to the scientific imagination. Although they may be hands-on, students do not use a minds-on approach or critical thinking.
Students also need to use the power of technology to conduct their experiments.
Teaching Strategies
These are three excellent teaching strategies for hands-on and minds-on:
Problem Solving
Problem Based Learning
Discrepant Events
When students are allowed to think and not just memorize they will learn science facts, along with the ability to make connections between facts. This is what assessments should focus on, the ability of students to use critical thinking skills to make scientific connections. This will make them more informed citizens of the world.
Your Turn
Any suggestions for additional strategies to make science learning more meaningful?
