Circuits Lab

Explore Independently (pink)
Strengths: student-directed, representation in drawings, independent thinking,
Weaknesses: students may not know where to start, very challenging for struggling students.

Explore Together
Strengths: for struggling students this would make sense because
Weaknesses: Not much inquiry with this- students are told specifically what to do. Don't have much freedom to explore

Content Standard: B, Physical Science
Benchmark: Electricity in circuits can produce light, heat, sound and magnetic effects. Electrical circuits require a complete loop through which an electrical current can pass.

Learning Goals: How to light a bulb with a wire and battery. Understand that electricty works with a curcuit.

Learning Performance: Having students light a bulb with a wire and battery and be able to explain WHY it worked.

We are so Smart

BB

Kirsten will need two strips of wire because she will need one wire for each side of the battery.

Magnetism

What is the rule of magnetism?

Like poles repel and unlike poles attract.

Lines of force are three-dimensional, surrounding a bar magnet on all sides.

When opposite poles of a magnet are brought together, the lines of force join up and the magnets pull together.

When like poles of a magnet are brought together, the lines of force push away from each other and the magnets repel each other.


Source: http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/english/schoolzone/Information_Magnetic.cfm#whatare

SIX things to know about magnets

Almost everyone knows these six basic facts about how magnets behave:

1. A magnet has two ends called poles, one of which is called a north pole or north-seeking pole, while the other is called a south pole or south-seeking pole.
2. The north pole of one magnet attracts the south pole of a second magnet, while the north pole of one magnet repels the other magnet's north pole. So we have the common saying: like poles repel, unlike poles attract.
3. A magnet creates an invisible area of magnetism all around it called a magnetic field.
4. The north pole of a magnet points roughly toward Earth's north pole and vice-versa. That's because Earth itself contains magnetic materials and behaves like a gigantic magnet.
5. If you cut a bar magnet in half, it's a bit like cutting an earthworm in half! You get two brand new, smaller magnets, each with its own north and south pole.
6. If you run a magnet a few times over an unmagnetized piece of a magnetic material (such as an iron nail), you can convert it into a magnet as well. This is called magnetization.

Source: http://www.explainthatstuff.com/magnetism.html


What is a magnet?
A magnet is an object made of certain materials which create a magnetic field.  Every magnet has at least one north pole and one south pole.  By convention, we say that the magnetic field lines leave the North end of a magnet and enter the South end of a magnet.  This is an example of a magnetic dipole ("di" means two, thus two poles).  If you take a bar magnet and break it into two pieces, each piece will again have a North pole and a South pole.  If you take one of those pieces and break it into two, each of the smaller pieces will have a North pole and a South pole.  No matter how small the pieces of the magnet become, each piece will have a North pole and a South pole.  It has not been shown to be possible to end up with a single North pole or a single South pole which is a monopole ("mono" means one or single, thus one pole).  http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?ti=004AD000
History
The ancient Greeks and Chinese discovered that certain rare stones, called lodestones, were naturally magnetized.  These stones could attract small pieces of iron in a magical way, and were found to always point in the same direction when allowed to swing freely suspended by a piece of string.  The name comes from Magnesia, a district in Thessaly, Greece.  For more history, check http://www.newi.ac.uk/BUCKLEYC/magnet.htm
Several scientists from the 1600s to today have greatly increased our understanding of magnets and their properties.  Be sure to check:
http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/hst/biography/FaradayasaDiscoverer/toc.html
http://www.ee.umd.edu/~taylor/frame1.htm
http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/whmfield.html


Source: http://www.coolmagnetman.com/magindex.htm

MaGnEtMaNiA

1.What are some “real life” applications of magnetism?
-Tool boxes
-Decorate the refrigerator
-Credit cards

Added from class- stereo programs, roller coaster, trains

2.What experiences have you had with magnets in your life?
-Credit cards
-Playing
-Watching magnets

3.What ideas do you have about the science of magnets?
-Bonding
-Attraction

Metal things stick to magnets- MINI IS WRONG!!!!!!!!!

INSES Chapters 1 & 2

Chapter 1: I thought the story scared by Mrs. Graham's class was very touching and truthfully portrayed the benefits of having inquiry based learning in the classroom.  However, the amount of time that is required for inquiry based learning is worry-some to me.  This worries me that students will be limited in the amount of information they will learn.  Although I believe the students who comprehend the material better and remember it longer, I believe the subject area will be extremely limited.  This purposes the question: is it better to have students learn material throughly and make potential life long connections or is it better for students to have a general knowledge and kind of understand many different lessons and topics?

Chapter 2: Wow! I can't believe inquiry based learning is so new.  In this chapter the amount of teacher guidance is discusses.  How do teachers know how much to intervene in inquiry based learning? This chapter states that a key element in answering this question is the intended learning outcomes.  Depending on what the teacher wants to come from the lesson will affect the amount of inquiry provided to the student.

A myth that is discusses that I am guilty of is that all science subject matter should be taught through inquiry.  This chapter discusses that teaching science effectively should include a variety of different approaches and strategies.  This makes a lot more sense to me because it allows for this type of learning to be more practical.

Activity mania

I love the name of this concept. I believe that if a classroom is limited and not able to use inquiry-based learning, this would be the next best thing.  Activity mania seems to be less time consuming although I prefer the structure of inquiry-based learning.  I think the hands-on activities of activity mania is extremely beneficial however I do not believe the learned material will be as affective as inquiry-based learning.  Although students are participating in the activities, it is more structured so students are not able to have as much control as they would in inquiry-based learning.  I do not like how activity mania provides students with a hypothesis and as a result there is only one right answer.  Activity mania places the teacher with more control that the inquiry-based instruction would.  I prefer a classroom setting where the students are given the most responsibility as possible and are in control of their own learning.

Iowa Core

After exploring the website of the Iowa Core, I left with mixed feelings.  Although the web casts sound like great ideas, it makes me think about the reality of these goals.  In my opinion, the Iowa Core combines all students into the same category, with the same expectations and goals.  Although this would be ideal, I do not believe it is realistic.  I believe a more realistic approach, but more time consuming, would be for each student to have their own academic goals.  All students come from very diverse backgrounds, some may have little to no education motivation at home, while others have parent assistance on their homework.  Some students' family may have finical limitations, or come from a very different culture than the rest of the class.  All of these influences are factors of education for the student.  I believe it is vital for teachers to see each student as their own unique individual.  With that said, I believe Iowa Core is important for teachers to have so they have a general guideline of what their students should be learning and gathering from the lessons.  However, although there are listed concepts and skills, how many students in the classroom need to obtain these concepts and skills before the class is ready to move on to the next lesson? 50%, 70%, 100%?

Mosart

Misconception
Oriented
Standards-based
Assessment
Resources for
Teachers


After reviewing through some of the tests provided after the tutorials I realized the truth to the variety of questions within the tests. I believe these questions are appropriate for all children within the classroom, regardless of the level of the child.  I also now realize the importance of assessment to understand children's misconceptions.  It is very unlikely that without knowing a child's misconception a teacher would be able to get through and teach that student.  Learning about misconceptions I almost picture a wall and depending on how deep and stubborn the child might be they do not want to let go of their misconceptions that are preventing them from learning.  I think teachers need to implement these assessment exercises in their classroom to teach students to the best of their ability.  It is unfair to the students if this is not done.  

The Sweater Article

I really enjoyed and agreed with this reading.  I believe it is so important for teachers to incorporate information that is relevant to students' lives and they can relate to.  When students show passion about a topic, it is vital for teachers to strive to teach about that topic.  When students are interested in topics that can be taught on a academic level, teachers should prioritize teaching about that topic.  It was so exciting for me to read how excited the students were about heat.  I believe when situations like this happen teachers should run with the idea and expand it into multiple subject areas.  I enjoyed reading this article because I could relate to the students about how excited they were about this idea.  I have felt like that in some of my classes when we have done community service projects.  It is a great feeling to have a connection with something that you are learning about and I believe will leave have a greater impact on the students.

Keeley, Formative Assessment Probes

I believe Keeley's idea of formative assessment probes can be extremely useful in elementary science education.  Keeley recognizes the importance for teachers to be aware of students' prior education and knowledge of science.  Understanding misconceptions students might have and previous science education will allow teachers to teach students to the best of their ability.  It is extremely difficult for a student to learn complex concepts without being taught a basic level of understanding.  Keeley believes that formative assessment probes can discover the students' knowledge of science education so the teacher can adjust the curriculum accordingly.

Assessment is an extremely important aspect of all education.  Assessment allows teachers to monitor students' progress and understand their previous knowledge.  In the classroom, assessment happens almost everyday.  Although as a future teacher I believe assessment is important to education, as a student I dislike assessment.  I believe through my years of elementary school, I was assessed in the same way every time which was tedious and I do not believed I performed to the best of my ability.  I have always been a student who can verbally express my thoughts or respond in short answer questions much more successfully that multiple choice questions.  Having a class with only multiple choice assessment options was and is extremely challenging for me, even when I know the material I am being assessed on.

Krajcik

Tell me, and I forget
Show me, and I remember
Involve me, and I understand.

I believe there is a lot of substance and truth in this statement.  As a teacher, it is vital to teach to all learner styles.  Being able to teach to a variety of learner styles is beneficial to the teacher and the students.  Allowing students to manipulate objects and make connections will allow students to remember concepts better.  This article discusses many suggestions for teachers to better their teaching abilities.  One of these suggestions is to understand and use students' prior knowledge.  As we discusses in class, it is extremely important for teachers to understand students' prior knowledge so they can aid the students to add to their previous knowledge.  As discusses in previous articles, I think it is vital for students' to build connections with their schema and develop new and more complex understandings.  On the retention scale provided by the article, it displays that students learn best when they have direct and purposeful experiences.  This can be very useful when teaching science education because students are able to practice experiments and learn why things work the way they do.