What did you like about science? "Um, everything!!"

First I have to say that I was so lucky to have Jen as such an amazing partner! She really made this experience fun and made me more confident in myself in front of the class! We had a great last lesson the kids were honestly so sad to see us leave! Our teacher asked the class what they liked from science so far; one student said "Um, everything!!" and another said that she "had so much fun, every time!!" It made me so sad to leave but I've learned so much and had so much fun with these kids and that makes fond memories!

 My overall impression of the teaching experience was amazing! I had so much fun getting to know the students, seeing them learn new information and apply it to new situations, and really come to love having science lessons! The experience has really taught me so much about teaching and how to manage a class of 26 students!

I've learned that not all science lessons have to be lecture based. We were able to incorporate information during an introduction, have the students discuss what they've observed amongst themselves, have them perform an experiment, and then bring it back for a class discussion. At first it seemed as if it were a million things we had to accomplish but after a few lessons we had it down! Each component was very important for students to be able to make connections and become excited about science!

The feedback we received from our supervisors was very helpful. We read and listened to each point, and worked new techniques and ideas into our lesson as soon as we could. During our lessons we liked to switch the pace and have the kids meet on the rug in the library section. We mentioned we would be meeting back there and all the kids would hurry back to the rug and it would be pretty hectic. One of our supervisors mentioned that instead of letting them back there at once, we could call them back by quiet rows, color of their shirt, or other fun facts we could find. Since then, we've been allowing the kid with the best behavior to go back to the rug, and to go back to their seats it was the color of their shirt, birthday month, and today was by what pets they may or may not have. This helped tremendously with chaos-control as well as safety in the classroom.

Our classroom teacher helped us learn that even though we may be doing experiments and we can see the transitions and breaks in the class style, the kids get antsy and need to move around. This is originally why we started using the back rug for parts of our class. Also she helped me realize that because science experiments have definite steps and instructions, each needs to be explicit and repeated for kids to stay on track. We were going along with the kids but sometimes we wouldn't have their full attention, so making sure they were focused on one step at a time was very helpful and important.

I believe my content knowledge increased. By repeating each week what we had done the previous week helped me because I had to remember what we did and which points we covered in order to make sure they remembered! My knowledge of dissolving definitely increased because I was definitely sure that the sugar crystals were going to dissolve before the sugar cube! I feel like I've learned right along our students!

I've definitely learned a lot about science process skills and how they apply to the classroom. We can say each week that the kids observed, but we are always observing in anything we do. In order to really ensure the process skills were clear to us and to the students, we drew out each skill on colored paper and we hung them in the back of the class. We went over before each class what the process skills meant and how we used them during our experiments. I've learned that I need to visualize and go through the entire lesson in my head before the class in order to really evaluate which skills the students will be using. Now that we've been through them for each class, I can see how they are instrumental in having the kids understand what strategies they can use during science as well as any other subject!

My level of confidence has absolutely changed during this experience! I thought that I was going to be alright in front of the 3rd graders because I teach at a preschool, boy was I mistaken! I had to learn a lot of classroom management skills as well as how to interact with older kids who can read, write, and are super smart! I think that by doing it week after week and by being as prepared as possible, I gained more and more confidence each week. Also Jen really helped me feel more comfortable! I knew that if I'd forgotten something she'd jump right in and it was a comfort and confidence booster knowing I had such a great partner!

I think blogging was useful for me to reflect and really just remember what we did that worked and what didn't work. I know that after each lesson as a teacher I'll be writing down these same things so it was great practice. I think I will continue to blog after this experience! I think its mostly beneficial for me to get in the habit of reflecting after each experience I have and I could only hope that my blog will help others who may have questions!

I don't have any suggestions other than to keep this field component just as it is! It's lessened my worries about getting teaching experience before student teaching begins and it has helped me gain so much experience and great memories of my time in the GSE!

The Cubes Won!?

This week was the melting race! We started off the lesson by recapping what the kids knew about solutions and dissolving and they did very well! I ran to the back of the room where the teacher so kindly let us hang up our process skills posters and I asked the students what each poster meant and how we could use it in class. They're so smart! We also went over safety rules including not using our sense of taste, especially because everyone wants to eat sugar! Jen went over the data sheet and what they'd be filling in for each section. The students observed both the sugar cubes (without breaking it) and the sugar grains by placing them on black paper. We asked what they observed and one smart kid said "they're both sugar." Before we distributed the cups of water we gave them different colored stickers with a 1 or 2 on them and the 1's were the stirrers and the 2's were the holders of the cups. It seems to work really well because even if it's not the most exciting job, each kid does have a job to do.

During the experiement Jen and I went around and spoke to each group, asking them what they're observing and which solid was winning the race. We took a poll of hands and made a chart on the board of how many solids won, grains won, and how many ties there were. Jen asked the kids whose cubes won, if there was a specific thing they were doing to make it dissolve faster and many admitted they were poking and stabbing it with the stirrer. We talked about why each other solid won or tied with the cube and each person who spoke gave a well thought out and detailed answer!

To incorporate some sort of Engineering into our lesson, I asked the kids what substances would be better stirrers for our experiments, the coffee stirrers we had, a long piece of paper, or a piece of fabric. They understood that the stirrers we had were the best options because they were solid but flexible and durable for the task we had. They told us that paper would get soggy and dissolve and fabric would get soggy and not stir well.

We asked the students to take out their science journals and write down what their favorite science lesson so far has been. They could draw a picture of it and write a sentence or two about the experiment. Most kids loved this mini-assignment and wrote and drew with ease. There were a few students who needed guidance/encouragement. This showed me that as much as the kids are loving the experiments and are learning, it is important to have them feel comfortable and happy writing about their experience in the lesson. We'll collect the journals next week so we can see what they have liked over the course.

Overall the lesson went really well! I love teaching with my awesome partner Jen and I love being able to interact with such smart, funny, and awesome kids!

Solids, Liquids, Gaaaaasssss

Our lesson went very well! We had them move their seats and desks before anything else so we could have them in their groups from last week. We started off the lesson by having the kids watch a video off my laptop on Solids, Liquids and Gases. They absolutely loved it! It was awesome to see them enjoy it and laugh at the stick figure! Jen asked them some comprehension questions and I was really happy to see they all paid attention! She called them back to their seats by color of their clothes and they were able to go right back to their groups.

After they were settled in their seats, I went over the vocabulary for the lesson (What is a filter? What is a solution?) and the process skills we'd be using for the day. After the discussion, Jen designated one person per group to get the supplies that were from last lesson. They observed what the solids and looked like from the week and I recorded their observations on the board. After they were finished I went over the lists really quick to make sure we covered everything! We had two volunteers come up and compare the coffee filter and a kitchen colander to show them the differences in hole size and we talked about what each filter was used for.

Jen did a great job giving the kids, and sticking to, time limits on each step of the process. We had a ton of supplies and materials for the lesson so it was really important that everyone stay on task. Jen did a great job starting us off on explicit, step-by-step instruction.They had to put the coffee filter in a funnel and pour each mixture through a clean filter into empty cups and record what happened. After every step, we gathered their attention and moved on; they seemed to really respond to time limits, everyone was right on task and the rest of the lesson went well! We have some great students to work with! We had bigger groups and smaller groups and no matter what the number, they always worked out who would stir, who would hold the filter.

After they were finished separating the gravel, toilet tissue, and salt from the water, we discussed what they saw during the experiment. The kids really understood that the tissue and gravel separated because they weren't able to fit through the holes in the coffee filter. One student also mentioned the toilet tissue sank to the bottom of the cup because it was filled with water and got heavier. These kids are so smart!

All-in-all we had a great lesson! We agree that it went smoothly, the kids were completely interested and excited, and they learned the main ideas! Our teacher was really happy to see that we are trying to incorporate the points she's helped us with and said it was a great lesson! Can't wait for Monday!

Salt Solutions!

Gargling with Salt Water!

Our lesson on Monday went really well! We started off with all the materials on their trays to make it easier to transport. My awesome partner Jen got the poster ready and hung our focus questions and process skills sheets on the board. We made them simple and colorful so the kids could read them from the back of the class and they could use them throughout the lesson to remind them what was going on! We decided to keep them in their seats today, breaking them into 6 small groups instead of pairs. Jen gave one student from each group the same colored sticker to designate who would get the materials, add and stir the mixtures first, second, and third. This was a great way to keep the chaos down and let each student have a special role in the group!

 We quickly went over the instructions with the class first because they were complex in steps. One of our process skills was to make inferences and we asked the kids what they knew about inferences. A lot of them said guessing and using their brains to guess. We asked them to observe the gravel, toilet paper, and salt  before they experimented with it, and we wrote it on the chart. We restated what the kids wrote and then told them they could add the gravel to the water and just observe without mixing. The kids seemed unimpressed with the lack of a reaction with the gravel but enjoyed trying to stir it with the flimsy wooden coffee stirrer! Many kids picked up on the fact that there is a small amount of sand in/on the gravel that was mixed with the water. They were more impressed/grossed out (!) by the toilet paper in water and loved swirling the salt in the mixture. Each time they observed before and after stirring and had a lot to say about each substance!

After we stirred and observed, we asked them what changed with each mixture, where they think the salt went, and to describe the properties of the new mixture. Many kids said the salt looked like a snowstorm or a hurricane! One student said the gravel looked like a fish tank! They were very descriptive in their observations and I'm so glad they were having fun with the lesson! We wrote about what changed with the water in each situation and then referred back to the first observation of the substances themselves. The kids were having a great time coming up with what "dissolving" meant and what a "solution" is. I think next time we'll go over both again enough to remind them and make sure they really understood. It was hard to get them to understand the salt is still in the water without having them drink it!

Next time we'll definitely continue with discussing the lesson's focus question. Also, our teacher made room to hang up our process skills and I have the focus questions so we'll be able to go over the vocab for each lesson.The flow of the class was fairly smooth! The designated stickers for group leaders really helped each kid understand we weren't choosing some kids more than others and allowed maybe some less-confident kids lead for a bit in each group! During out conversation on solutions, we addressed the misconception (and observation) that the salt disappeared in the water and tried to express that it was just uniform with the water. I'm excited for next lesson!

What do fishing nets, goalies, and "drainers" all have in common?

Another Monday went by and another science lesson down! We taught lesson #4 about mixtures and the kids were going to mix salt and gravel to see what happened. We started out with the kids on the rug and went over the properties of a solid, what we've covered in the last few lessons, and I was happy to hear the connections kids were making to what we've learned. We wrote down what the kids thought a mixture was and the properties of mixing two solids. I explained that we'll be following the steps on the instruction sheet as we go along in the lesson and we went over the safety in using our senses to observer solids. Jen made it clear that they weren't to use their sense of taste, and that includes licking the salt off their fingers! The time on the rug was kinda short; we may have been just as effective having them sit in their seats. Jen called kids back to their seats by the colors they were wearing which was effective and fun! 

Next we called them to to get the supplies from the side table. To make it easier on them we decided to have everything ready on their trays instead of them picking up one of each thing. This went very quickly and the kids were ready to get going! We went over the first few steps of putting samples of gravel and salt on their black paper to observe and the kids wrote down three words for their observations of each. Next we instructed them to mix the salt and gravel with a coffee stirrer to see what happens. I think most were a bit disappointed that nothing "special" happened when they were combined (having had the fun Alka-Seltzer experiment for the first lesson.) They drew and wrote their observations on the data sheet. Some kids were eager to continue and were starting on the next step having read their instruction sheet (such smart kids!) so we instructed them to cover their cups of the mixture with mesh and had them secure it with rubber bands. Only a few students had small issues with this but they were quickly resolved with the reapplication of the rubber bands. I tried to demonstrate how they would place the small cup within the larger cup and shake them both until something happened. What happened was the salt shook through the mesh and the gravel was left. This happened much quicker than I expected so we went right into talking to the kids, going around asking them in their pairs, What happened? Did the substances change? Why do you think they separated? and other open ended assessment questions. 

For classroom management, we did well with transitions: from seats to rug and back, getting supplies and going back to seats. Because they're so interested in what they're doing, if we needed their attention and we knew it wasn't appropriate to be louder than they are, we used the classroom method of saying Positive! (clap-clap) and hearing Leaders! (clap-clap.) This is a very effective way of letting them finish their task and then to get their attention for the next step. The process skills they used were communication, observation, and data collection. In the future, these skills will be more clearly communicated with the kids so they understand the skills they'll be using in each lesson. Once they observed and recorded what happened when the mesh was used, we asked them if they had ever used a sieve, or the mesh material, at home. Jen made an awesome connection to hockey, saying that a goalie is called a sieve because s/he lets the puck by her/him often like a sieve would. The kids weren't making the connections as readily so Jen suggested using a sieve or a colander while making pasta, and they all understood then! One child told us that he made his own fishing net using wire and then caught fish with it, which worked because the water went through but the fish stayed inside. We called them back to the rug for a lesson conclusion.

We asked the kids what they observed when they mixed two solids and we added their observations to our list of What We Know About Mixtures. They had previously made inferences based on mixing solids and liquids or just liquids and liquids (like mixing sodas.) They understood that although they were mixed, both substances retained their original properties. We added some great points and were able to cross off previous ones about solids changing or disappearing after being mixed with other solids. The kids listened well and were respectful of each other. I love to see that one student's comments inspire another student's comments or questions! We informed them that we would be examining mixing solids and liquids during the next lesson. Even if the mixture didn't pop or fizz like Alka-Seltzer, the kids were still jazzed about the lesson and asked if they could keep their data sheets in their science folders. 

For next lesson, a big focus of ours will be on actually stating the science question we are looking at during the lesson. We'll be sure to write it down, as well as write down the process skills we are going to be using. This will help the entire class stay on task as well as help the diverse learners know what to focus on during each section. We also need to work on explaining the instructions a bit better. They understood what to do, we just need to work on timing and having all their attention for multiple step instructions. It'll be fun! I'm excited for the next lesson!

Half Frozen Water?

Our second science lesson went well but was very different from our first lesson! Jumping right into materials management, Jen and I need more on top of it! The ice that we had set aside at the end of last lesson was NOT frozen as it should have been. Luckily, Debi brought extra ice cubes and was thoroughly prepared for her lesson, and for that I thank her! Once we did have ice, we set up the materials table, once ice cube per plastic bag, one data sheet and brand new journal per student, and colored pencils for the time keeping. The teacher had mentioned that the kids get a bit antsy if they sit too long, so to keep in check with their attention spans we decided to start the lesson on the classroom rug. We introduced the lesson by recapping what we had learned during last lesson, what the properties of solids and liquids are and what we put in the freezer for this lesson. Jen made the point that liquids take the shape of the container they are in and that solids can be things like pillows and paper. She tore a piece of paper to show the kids that just because it ripped, doesn't mean it changed from a solid. The ice cube tray we originally had, being half melted, turned into a teachable moment. We asked the kids what they thought would happen vs. what did happen. They were all just as surprised as we were that the ice didn't melt! We talked about the main objective of the lesson: to see what methods work the best for melting an ice cube the fastest. I covered safety talk and how to use senses properly and looking back on it, I could have said a lot more. When we spoke to the teacher after, she mentioned telling the kids exactly what you DON'T want to see happen and that is definitely what I'll be thinking about next time.

The kids were asked to walk back to their seats and row by row retrieved all their supplies. We went over the data sheet, telling them they'd be melting the ice the fastest (without taking it out of the bag) and what they need to record. We talked briefly about telling time and writing down the big and little hand of the clock to mark their start time. The kids then went to town and did whatever they thought would melt the ice. This is where the "what not to do" talk would have been important. Some kids were stomping on the bags and some were putting it under the legs of chairs and desks to break it apart, even hitting it with their pencils and erasers. We walked around and talked to each group, seeing what methods they were using and urging them to write down their data. After all the data was collected, they were asked to clean up their supplies, dump the water, and wipe up any spills that definitely did occur. We gathered them back at the rug and went over the day's work.

During our discussion, the students told us how long it took them to melt the ice (data that we probably could have made into a nice graph) and more importantly what methods they used to melt the ice. Each students at one point said they used their body: hands, back of the neck, heavily breathing on the bag, sitting on the ice, to melt it. From there we asked what is the common theme among these and the students told us that adding heat was why they melted. We determined that the kids who had the ice melted within two or three minutes used the most amount of body heat. This conversation tied into the frameworks for the lesson. Physical Science Standard 3 says to describe how water can be changed from one state to another by adding or taking away heat. The kids definitely understood that the form of water that is ice can be changed back into water by adding heat. The teacher gave them a quick oral pop quiz in order to be certain they understood the concepts. We also brought out the charts of properties from the first lesson and Jen noticed that there was a specific point under the Solids column that said they "can't be ripped." She revisited what had happened when she ripped the paper and the kids understood better that solids can be broken down into smaller solids. 

Overall, the lesson went well because they students learned the information we were presenting. It was difficult to compare to the first which was much more controlled, because we did most of the talking in the first lesson, compared to the students running the show this time. We'll work on transitions, better safety talks, and being more prepared for next lesson!

Oh, I know! It bubbles and then makes Sprite!

Our first lesson went so well! Jen and I had a blast teaching our super-smart 3rd graders! We took turns explaining everything to the class and we had a pretty even split of the information. We were nervous about timing but we ended up doing pretty well, though we'll go over the poem next time. If a point needed to be made, we both jumped in to cover each other.

           Our kids were so excited to make a chart from the change cards, each waving their hand enthusiastically in the air for each question. After we explained the safety rules, I could clearly see the kids wafting the smells to their noses during observations and gave some of them thumbs up for using the right technique! By far, the best part of the lesson was when they dropped the tablet into the water and even though some smart kids knew what would happen, each kid OOHHHed and AAAHHed! It was so great to hear and watch the kids become so excited for experiments!

Most predicted and maintained that the water had turned into Sprite! They were adamant after the lesson that we tell them what the tablet really was! The kids don't normally have science experiments in the classroom so they were excited to learn more and were focused throughout the lesson. They were super-smart though! They had a lot of prior knowledge on the phases, properties, and the changes they go through because most kids predicted that the water in the ice cube tray would freeze in the freezer. I can't wait to go back and explore melting ice with such smart kids!

How to Teach Changes!

As any curious person of this day and age will do, I Googled resources for Phase Changes units for kids. The first link is super cool and gives great definitions and ideas for teaching. Chem4Kids is a great way to get working and simple definitions for all the phase changes that can be used for the entire class as well as diverse learners.

I also have loved working with BrainPop in class and would definitely use a video or two to explain phase changes to the class! Matter Changing States is a great video explaining solids, liquids and water vapor using real life scenarios of melting ice and then boiling water and what temperatures each change takes place at. Brainpop also provides a great activity sheet to help the kids remember the lesson! Changes Activity Page!

Cool Science Resource!

I found a great website from a show that most of us grew up watching! Zoom! was a great show for kids, based right out of Boston, that engaged kids in cool science concepts and experiments. This website has a ton of great science experiments to do right at home with parents. It's also great because kids can add their comments and results on the website for others to see! Parents can get involved at home with helpful instructions that promote discussion and great family bonding!

My Science Story

An interesting fact about me: I went to a week long girl-empowerment science camp at MIT when I was 14, right before my freshman year. There we worked with lasers, learned about how liquids become absorbed into the earth, soldered our own thumb pianos, and even built robots. Besides that, the main thing I've always enjoyed was looking at the sky during any time of the day or night. Whether I'm in class, driving somewhere, or just hanging around outside, I find myself always looking up. I love the clouds and the cool designs they can make, the stars and the beauty of a night sky out in the country, and even looking at the sky above the Boston skyline at night. In high school I took an astronomy course and we had the privilege of having a teacher who created a program for high school students that involved using high powered telescopes. We had to take pictures twice a week, of whatever we wanted; the moon, other planets, stars, supernovas, white dwarfs, and many other things in space. We got to control what time the picture was taken, whether it was taken from the telescope at MIT or in Tuscon, AZ, what quadrant of the sky it was to look at, what the picture was taken of, the quality, resolution, lens type, and color scheme. Since then I've always noticed the moon especially, and during that class I took a very cool picture of it. I remember in middle school learning about the different kinds of clouds, what level of the atmosphere they were in, as well as the different phases of the moon. I'm excited that we are doing a moon journal and I'm excited to learn how to incorporate celestial themes in the classroom!