2011-12+Blog

Monday/Tuesday, Sept. 12th/13th
__Goal/Objective:__ To begin learning about the scientific inquiry process through an investigation about keeping time. To have students design their own procedure, share and graph data, and draw conclusions based on the data collected.

In every class, I was impressed with the students' willingness to collaborate and listen to the ideas of all group members. Each student was an active member of their lab group and found a way to contribute in a meaningful way. Once groups had their procedure approved, they began carrying out their investigation into either: length of the string of the pendulum, weight of the bob, or angle of the drop. Students chose 3 different "levels" for their variable and carried out three trials at each level.

 Data was averaged and shared on a team data table. From there, the team averages were calculated and students used those averages to create a scatter plot.

Tomorrow in class, we will return to our original focus question: How did Mary fix her grandfather clock to make it keep perfect time?

__Class Goal/Objective:__ To begin learning about the scientific inquiry process through an investigation about keeping time.

In 8th grade, students are required to take more initiative in and responsibility for their lab work. They will be challenged to predict, design, build, graph, and discuss (among many other skills) throughout the school year. They will be required to make claims about what they know to be true and they must be supported with solid evidence collected during the lab experience. This may be a very different experience for them than in the past. And so we do a practice lab:.

Students first read a story about a girl named Mary whose parents inherit a grandfather clock that is always running slow. At school, Mary learns about how a pendulum works and then goes home and fixes the clock. So the question students want to know is: How did Mary fix the clock?

First, they predicted how they thought she did it and explained why they thought so. In small groups, students then did a preliminary investigation to determine the average number of cycles for the pendulum in a given time, at a given angle, with a given length of string. See below.



Students brainstormed a list of things that Mary could've changed about the pendulum and chose one of those items to investigate. They designed a procedure and began carrying out the investigation. Hopefully on Monday we will be able to determine what Mary did to fix her clock and be well supported with evidence.

Tuesday/Wednesday, September 6th/7th, 2011
__Class Goal/Objective:__  To continue learning about how scientists do their work, how to make careful observations, and learning to be skeptical thinkers.

Students were introduced to the Magic Hooey Sticks today and told that Ms. Crosby could control them using psychic powers. As any good scientist would be, the 8 White students were skeptical. They were challenged to prove that Ms. Crosby was not psychic through careful observation and experimentation. Although many tried, they were unable to make the Hooey Sticks respond to their commands.

The Hooey Stick experience led to a discussion about the difference between a scientific explanation and a supernatural explanation and which is better in a science class. Students agreed that in a science class, we deal with facts and our ideas should be tested and then backed up with proof or evidence. A supernatural explanation deals with illusion and untested or unreliable ideas.

Students were challenged to make a claim about how the Hooey Sticks work that was supported by evidence. Many students had great claims that they had in fact tested and that we again tested in class that proved to be well-supported. Examples of claims included:


 * Claim:** To make the propeller spin, you must rub the thin stick against the bumpy side.
 * Evidence:** When the thin stick was rubbed against the smooth side, the propeller did not spin. When the thin stick was rubbed against the bumpy side, the propeller spun. This was tested by different people several times in different classes.

Well done!

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<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">__Class Goal/Objective:__ To continue learning about how scientists do their work, how to make careful observations, and learning to be skeptical thinkers. =====

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<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Students took the "How Observant Are You?" quiz to begin to realize how un-observant or observant they are. Then, we took an "Un-natural Walk" through the courtyard to begin practicing this very important skill of observation. Students were challenged to pick out the things along the walk that did not belong. =====

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<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Students watched the [|Selective Attention Test] on Friday. Try it and see how you do. =====

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<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">They also watched the [|Whodunnit?] video. How many changes did you notice? =====

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<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">We discussed how "perception is not always reality" by looking at the "Old Lady Young Lady" picture and realizing that not everyone will interpret the same information in the same way. This can also be true in science when making conclusions based on observations and data collected during an investigation. As long as you can back up your claims with solid __evidence__, you are on your way to becoming a serious scientist! =====

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<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">We also watched NOVA's [|"Secrets to the Psychics"] <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">to watch the Amazing Randi debunk the famous psychic, Uri Geller, using careful observations and a healthy dose of skepticism. Throughout the school year, you will continue to see how important (and useful) these skills are to your understanding of various science concepts. =====

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Have a great weekend!

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 17.6px;">Wednesday, August 31, 2011

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 17.6px;">__Class Goal/Objective:__ To leave with a better understanding of how scientists do their work, what a scientist looks like, and the expectations for science class this year.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 17.6px;">In our first science class of the year, we talked about how scientists are stereotyped as old men with crazy hair, glasses, and chemicals. This is not the case! Anyone with passion and curiosity can become a scientist if he/she chooses!

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 17.6px;">Scientists do their work in many ways, but they all employ some type of method or plan to carry out their work. While some may use beakers and test tubes, others may use shovels, or telescopes. All scientists ask questions, and their methods will change depending on their question.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 17.6px;">The following is a picture, known as a Wordle, that displays all of the words that you and your teammates listed today, which describes "what science means to me". The larger a word is displayed, the more often it was used. Which words do you think people recorded the most often? <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 17.6px;">