A Typical Science Lesson in my Classroom:
Science lessons vary depending on whether students are being introduced to a new concept or topic, are doing centers to continue learning about a topic, or are preparing for a science lab.The lesson I will describe is in preparation for a science lab.
The motivation for the lesson is to give students background information on helpful microorganisms, in particular, those that help with digestion. Students will be asked to read, in pairs, a few paragraphs explaining how some microorganisms are beneficial to us. Students already know about bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists.
During the body of the lesson, students will be given the question and learning goal for the lab: How are the microorganisms in cultured dairy food beneficial to us?
How is cream containing microorganisms different from pasteurized cream?
Their goal is to compare cream before and after the addition of microorganisms in terms of taste, texture, and color. They will also need to explain why this happened, using the notes they have read beforehand.
Students work in groups of 4, and will be given heavy cream (pasteurized), which they will taste, and describe.
They will add 1/2 teaspoon of buttermilk, which contains microorganisms, to the cream.
This will be placed in a warm place (about 70F) overnight. The following day, students will taste the cream, and note changes in color and texture. They will then attempt to explain to their group how the buttermilk changed the cream. The background reading which they did on the first day will help with this.
Each group will write a paragraph about the changes, and explain them. This will be a formative assessment. This is how the science labs are usually conducted.
Technology in Science:
The readings for this week stress the importance of using technology in science teaching. We have used basic tools for observation in science throughout the year, such as hand lenses and balancing scales. We have also used websites for research, and students have used online presentation tools such as Go Animate and Power Point to give class presentations. In addition to this, we have watched videos that explain concepts (e.g BrainPop), make frequent use of the Promethean Board, and so I do think that our science class has been enriched through the use of technology. However, the point made in the readings about insufficient resources, and lack of knowledge about effective use of technology, is relevant. In my case, the laptops available to us were very slow and sometimes students would wait as long as 15 minutes for their computers to boot up. As a teacher, I feel I need more mentoring to be really effective with technology.
Concept Mapping:
I like the idea of concept mapping, as it's a great way for all students (and teachers) to organize information. I think it would be very useful for students to use as study guides. If they learn to create their own concept maps, they will have way to organize and remember information, which is a skill they will find useful throughout their lives.
Sally,
ReplyDeleteFor some reason the post I tried to post awhile ago did not appear on your page like it should have! I LOVE your science lab lesson. I know first hand from my classroom that kids love to taste and work with food. I have a few questions for you: how do you have them answer questions during science? Also, what would you do if a child in your classroom told you they are lactose intolerant? I think that having the students compare and contrast one day from the next or just comparing and contrasting in general is such an important skill. I enjoyed reading about your technology use. I learned of a new technology from your blog, I have never heard of Go animate before. It is awesome that you have a promethean board in your classroom. I really wish I had one! It sounds like you are usually technology well in your class. I am very impressed by your blog and I really enjoy the science lab!
Thanks for your comments! Students would discuss the questions, having read about it beforehand. I and the co-teacher circulate during science lab and ask for verbal answers, and then at a later stage students have to write a paragraph. The discussion during class gives us a chance to steer their thinking if need be.
ReplyDeleteIf a child is lactose intolerant- well, this past year we had 2 students with a peanut allergy, but none who were lactose intolerant. If that is the case, I would have to exclude them from the tasting, they would still be able to learn the science behind the lesson, which is really the point. Tough, but I still think the experiment should go ahead.