Week 5 Model Implementation

I enjoyed implementing my lesson using a three-dimensional model of the Earth to investigate processes that occur on the surface. My activity was designed for second graders but my 6 1/2 year old son enjoyed it thoroughly. Once the model was created using Play-doh to simulate each layer of the Earth, I cut it in half. If the correct proportions of Play-doh were used, it is reasonably scaled to the thickness of each layer. Even if this does not come out perfect, it still has the desired effect of allowing children to see what the layers actually look like. Looking at pictures in textbooks of a circular Earth with layers is nowhere near the same as having children create a sphere! Once it was cut, I used toothpicks and labels to name each part of the Earth. From there, I allowed the children to ask questions and explore. I was asked what a volcano would look like so we modeled where on the Play-doh model we would be standing and then raised up a portion of the Play-doh to simulate a volcano. I used a toothpick and poked a hole in the top and then allowed the kids to look at the model from the side, where they could visualize the layers. I was asked if the core of the Earth is what came out of a volcano. When the kids saw the layers from the side, they immediately realized that just under the crust was the mantle, and therefore something in that area must be what comes out of a volcano. It was a priceless moment to see them figure it out!

After that, we used toothpicks to draw lines in the crust of the model to simulate plate boundaries. We labeled them as plates and I made another toothpick and label to put on the actual lines and named it a fault. This led to a discussion on earthquakes and how they occur.

I think the activity was great and the kids loved using Play-doh. I would enhance the extension activities to include other models to simulate plate movement. I really could not show movement with the Play-doh model. One suggestion I had was to use molasses and then float graham crackers on top to simulate the plates moving.

The children also were reading the book 'Earthquake in the Early Morning' by Mary Pope Osborne, one of the stories in the Magic Tree House Series. In it, Jack and Annie go through an earthquake and talk about how to be safe. This adds a more realistic aspect to the Earth activity, because the students see why it is important to be knowledgeable about earthquakes and that young children often go through them.

My Data

Here's what my graph looked like for the year 2009. I plotted two lines on a graph, one for average temperatures that are expected on the coral reef, and another for the actual recorded temperatures on the reef. Any time temperatures remain above average for any extended period of time, the coral is considered stressed and has the potential to die. Durings the summer of 2009, coral was damaged and some died as a result of the increased temperatures.

Open Inquiry APP 3

I thoroughly enjoyed the open inquiry activity that I completed for week three. I originally chose www.theweatherchannelkids.com as my website of interest in week two. As I looked around the website for inquiry activity ideas, I found myself on the Online Resources Guide section of the site. From there, I had options to visit the NOAA website, the National Hurricane website, and many others. I chose the NOAA site and found information relating to coral reefs and ocean temperatures. Having just taught about coral reefs and the process of bleaching (which is when the coral dies as a result of its algae dying), this caught my eye.
I went through the website's tutorial on coral bleaching and weather, which took a while. After learning the terminology and how to read the complicated graphs, I was able to research data from specific reefs around the world. I chose Sombrero Reef, which is off the coast of Key West in Florida. I was able to track monthly temperatures that were recorded and compared these to the monthly averages. I learned that as water temperature rose above the average for any extended periods of time, the coral was being stressed. If stressed for a long enough period of time, the coral will die.
I collected information for the year 2009. I recorded monthly averages versus actual temperatures each month. I put my data into a table and then made a line graph to show the monthly trends. By plotting two lines (one for average and one for actual temperatures), I was able to visualize any extended periods of time that the coral was being stressed.
I think this was a great inquiry activity. I think the tutorial on the NOAA website was fitting for an adult, but might be a little difficult for younger children. Due to this, I would say that if I were to use this in class, I would create my own background lesson. I would teach students the appropriate terminology and how to interpret the graphs. Here's a sample graph for the year 2010:

Students can choose coral reefs from anywhere in the world and collect data monthly or yearly. They can do what I did, which was to look at one year and temperatures for each month. Students could also look at periods of stress for each year if they choose.
I like the amount of information the site offers, one just needs to learn to move through it and not get overwhelmed by it all!
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/current/sst_series_sombrero_cur.html

Week 3: Ask a Scientist

My first comment about the 'Ask a Scientist' web site was the difficulty I had in getting an answer in response to my question. I was inquiring about evidence for the endosymbiotic theory. I typed in my question many times, rephrasing it each time. I kept getting "no results" in response. Finally, I changed my original question to just simple typing in the terms "prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells". So I would first like to say that if I really was lacking knowledge and needed to learn more, I may not get results because I would not know how to phrase my question.

Once I finally got a response, I had to go through the information to determine which best answered my original question. Only one response specifically addressed my question. I read the response from a pre-doctoral fellow named Dennis Chang. He described what the endosymbiotic theory was and what cell organelles consisted of. He was very clear and concise when explaining the differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. As far as my specific question, which was to determine whether or not any evidence existed of a cell undergoing endosymbiosis, I did not receive my answer. His response stated that the origin of the other organelles (besides the more well-known mitochondria and chloroplast) was still unknown.

I would have to say that my answer just created more curiosity for me since I did not really get the answer I was looking for. It did add clarification as to how the process took place (endosymbiosis) but I did not get the evidence I was looking for.

If I were to use this web site in the classroom, it might be as an inquiry tool that my students can use periodically throughout the school year. I do not think I would use this as a part of any particular lesson. I might have students use the site periodically to ask a question that they might have as we move through the school year. At the end of the year, we could analyze their questions from over the months to see if they have learned necessary information, how they could add to their answers, or what they still want to know.

I like that my students would be getting responses from actual scientists. It would be beneficial for them to see that there are real people out there that have knowledge of science and that their teacher is not the only person they can rely on for information. It involves them in the internet in a manner other than pure socialization, which is what most of my students are doing these days!

Application 1 (Part 2)

The first presentation tool that I evaluated was the Glogster. I had heard about Glogster last year from a media specialist at a nearby middle school. She spoke to myself and fellow teachers about how students were using Glogster in class for presentations. Curious, I checked it out this week. It is very user friendly, although it does not give you a lot of direction or instructions. I learned by experimenting with a "Glog" of my own. I had no trouble selecting backgrounds or pictures. To use any type of audio, it must be uploaded first. I would have to create some type of audio myself or find something appropriate to my presentation to upload. My only negative comment would be the size of the page itself. For a simple or informal presentation, it seems as though it would be great. But for a several-week long project like the one we are conducting, I do not know if I would be able to fit all pertinent information onto the Glog page. Text can be placed anywhere and resized as needed, so I suppose I could make it work. It just provides only one page for presentation in a poster-like format.
The other presentation tool I evaluated was Slideshare. Slideshare had a great slide presentation outlining its uses and benefits. I liked that I was able to see exactly what its purpose was and how it was useful as a presentation tool. Slideshare enables you to take a simple PowerPoint presentation and share it with anyone. I could choose to make it available to the public or just to classmates. I can also add an audio component to the slideshow. I can also search for others on Slideshow with similar presentations or presentations I like and find more that they have created. Uploading a PowerPoint presentation seems fairly easy. Adding audio, like with Glogster, is more difficult and more foreign to me. It would obviously be to my benefit to learn how to do this, as most presentation tools I have looked at have this feature. While it would be easier to simply add music, I would like to be able to add my own voice discussing the presentation.
Both tools offer great options for presentations. Glogster does seem as though it would be better for a quicker, poster-like presentation. Slideshare allows for multiple pages of information to be shared.

Topics and Tools

I chose the topic of plate tectonics to focus on in the physical science curriculum. Within this topic, students must learn about earthquakes. Since this has been a hot topic in the news, I decided to look for websites that would be engaging for students and useful for the teacher, as well. The best site that I found was http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/. This site is provided by the U.S. Geological Survey and has wonderful activities, learning tools, project ideas, and even career resources for students.
This site could be used as a great introductory activity for students on the topic of plate tectonics. I would allow students time to explore the site on the computer. I would also supply them with a list of important terminology associated with the topic and have them hunt for definitions on the website. After completing this introductory activity, I would gather students together for an opportunity to share thoughts, ideas, and questions regarding earthquakes. I would record some of our most pressing questions or concerns on the board. From this list, I would assign students to small groups to research and present their findings. Ideas might include how to become a geophysicist, creating a seismograph to measure earthquakes and their magnitude, and locating the epicenter of an earthquake based on calculations from recording stations.
When students come together as a group to share their research, they must present to their classmates. Students will record questions and comments while the presentations are occurring. When all presentations are complete, students will be required to research and answer their questions from the presentations.
A major limitation to this lesson would be the usage of computer. My school has laptops that can be used in individual classrooms, but the speed of the connection is sometimes so poor that it takes and entire class period to get the whole class logged in! Reserving a computer lab at school is an option as well. If students have limited web access at home, the work will have to be done entirely at school.
Overall, I think the activity will engage students by giving them the opportunity to ask questions, design experiments, and answer some of their own questions about how the earth works.

The Heat Is On

To conduct this experiment, I used some random materials I had lying around in my kitchen. I used styrofoam, aluminum foil, a cloth (used to wash dishes), and a piece of plastic. I chose styrofoam because I know it can serve as a great insulator for cups of hot coffee. I did realize, however, that in this experiment, the hot water was in a mug and the styrofoam was only used as a cover. I knew going into the experiment that this meant the styrofoam may not perform at the level I thought it could have as an insulator. I chose aluminum foil because I know I have used aluminum to cook and I can touch it almost immediately after removing it from a heat source, showing its ability to resist changes in temperature.

I used four mugs (unfortunately I did not have four completely identical mugs) and filled each with one cup of water that had been heated in the microwave for forty-five seconds. Each mug of water measured at one hundred and six degrees Fahrenheit prior to being covered. The styrofoam posed a problem because it was a plate. I was unable to secure it with a rubber band over the top of the mug.

Results:
Styrofoam began at 106 degrees, ended at 82 degrees (-24)
Aluminum foil began at 106 degrees, ended at 90 degrees (-16)
Cloth began at 106 degrees, ended at 88 degrees (-18)
Platic began at 106 degrees, ended at 92 degrees (14)

If I were to set this experiment up for students in my lab, I would keep the guided-inquiry format. I would give them the problem to solve, which is to determine which material makes the best insulator. I would provide them with a wide variety of supplies and materials and let them design the set-up themselves. They would hopefully realize the value of changing only one variable at a time. This means they would have to use the same object to hold the heated material and keep the temperature constant at the start for each test. They would have to keep the time constant as well as the location of the mugs.

To make the experiment more relevant to their lives, I would have them do a follow up activity based on one of the following prompts:
-You are a product designer that is in charge of coming up with a new line of pots and pans that will heat substances the fastest. What type of material would you use in your design and why?
-You work for a major fast food corporation and are given the task of redesigning the coffee cups so that they keep the coffee warmer longer. What materials would you use and why? Would this be cost effective?
-You are about to invest in a reusable beverage container. You will use it for both hot and cold beverages. Which container will you purchase and why?

I would like students to walk away from the experiment feeling like they learned something practical that they could take with them from day to day in their own lives. The information they gathered can be useful to them as consumers later in life. I also would like my studnets to come away from this activity feeling as though they played a major part in the design of the experiment. This should make them proud of their results and confident when sharing them with others.