Science Night

The day has finally come!

It was the Family Science Night!

Brittany M and I had the paper airplane station!

We had learned so much about aerodynamics (drag, lift, thrust, and gravity) and were so excited to help the students learn about flight!

Flights of Fancy station in Room 801

extra visuals and information

we had different paper airplane models

the hoops 

we had propellors for students to take home!

extra resources in Spanish

some of the paper planes the kids left!

Must say, the Science Family Night was pretty busy and successful even with the poor weather!

I'm glad that families and students still wanted to explore science regardless of the rain!

Our Last Day

In class, we took a look at the CSTP's and TPE's to review what assessment is.
As teachers, we need to be able to progress monitor by using different measures including information from families, and assess students' academic growth of knowledge, skills, and behaviors.


There were so many good and super engaging lessons this week!

An amazing one involved the parts of a plant and the food that comes from the different parts.
We were even able to make guacamole and eat some chips!

categorizing food into plant parts

making guac

yummyyyy

We also got to play with Rocket Shooters involving Alka Seltzer!

sadly, ours did not pop!

We learned that it is due to a chemical reaction with the water and gas.

The less water there is, the more the gas can build up to pop!

Oddly enough, I was a little sad that this class is over.

I never thought I would appreciate science, much less enjoy it...but I am definitely starting to love it, not only in the classroom but in my daily life!

Bolsa Chica Wetlands

For the community resource project of field trips, Brittany M., Kelsey and I decided to go to the Bolsa Chica Wetlands! It was a beautiful and breezy day to enjoy the outdoors and take a moment to observe the world around us.

We learned so much from our visit about the organization and were able to see many birds that inhabit the wetlands. They also provide so many resources for students, teachers, and families to enjoy together!

Brittany M, Kelsey, and I

some birds

flocks of bird fly above the waters,
one of the prettiest and neat things I have seen

a heron on the water

the organization does their best to provide information to visitors 

there is an aquarium inside

also some birds to look at

enjoying the breeze~

Making Connections

Chapter 5 states the importance of taking science outside of the classroom to allow students to make connections. When students are able to see and recognize science at their homes or at the park, it will be so much more fun and interesting for them to learn. 

content & context

It is possible to connect real-life situations to learning science, such as how much milk (or resources) are we wasting? how much did it rain last week?

Field trips are also a great way to allow students to make connections. With my trip to the Bolsa Chica Wetlands, I can see how students would love the chance to visit new and different places to explore the environment. Even the trip to the Fullerton Arboretum was great! It was a nice time to enjoy the outdoors and observe nature :)

Unit Plans

We have been asked to develop unit plans and concept maps, as well as write pages of background knowledge. Although it may be difficult at first, I can definitely see the benefits of creating outlines and sorting the information in a way that will make sense when taught.

I have been working on the 4 Seasons at the Kindergarten level. I focused on the season of Winter.

my concept map of Winter

Definitely a long process to make, but it was interesting to see what components I would focus on during my teaching. Now, I definitely know A LOT of information on Winter!

Owl Poop?

Last week in class, we got the rare opportunity to dig through owl pellets. Although pellets are thought to be poop, it is anything that the owl cannot digest which includes bones and fur!

I must say, I was pretty freaked out and did not want to break up the owl pellet because I was not interested in observing the pieces in it. We found a website that allows students to do so on the computer, which can be a great resource for the students who really do not wish to participate with the real owl pellets.

owl pellets

you can see the skull!

the online website

Luckily, Jackie was brave enough to open up our owl pellet and the first thing we saw was a skull!


Fun fact: Microwaving an owl pellet sterilizes it!

Model Lesson

Our model lesson was called "Renewable or Not?" and covered the content of renewable and non-renewable resources, sustainability, and how the Earth and its people must preserve the resources!

We used popcorn to be our resource and allowed students to take bit by bit. Soon enough, everything was gone! It teaches the students to learn to take only what is needed and to help save parts of the Earth for all the inhabitants, present and future.

vocabulary

the popcorn activity
and a poster of renewable vs. non-renewable resources

We also got a copy of the Project Learning Tree lesson plan book! It is such an AMAZING resource, I can't wait to use it!

Fullerton Arboretum

A way to assess students is looking through their notebooks.
Students' science notebooks will provide a glimpse of their thought processes and will highlight what they find interesting.

Last week, from our trip at the Fullerton Arboretum,
we were able to walk around and observe the environment around us.
We were asked to bring blank pieces of paper and colored pencils to draw specific trees that we saw which became part of our science notebook!

the redwood tree

my drawing of the redwood
and parts of the tree

the Redwood tree

information on the Redwood!

NASA

Today, during our 548 class, we had a guest speaker from NASA!
Her name was Sandy and she used to be an elementary school teacher as well :)

We learned a lot of cool facts about the solar system and the planets, but also how to incorporate the materials and activities into our lessons.

What I loved about today was the fact that we made gliders and propellers! It directly relates to the science kit that I will be presenting at Rio Vista's Family Science Night.

Brittany playing with  propellers

the same model we are going to use for
Family Science Night!

Tonight made me more excited for the Science Fair and it made me wonder if we could use these models as well as the ones provided in the kit. I want to explore and find new paper plane models!

Moving Beyond the Science Kit

Chapter 10 of our textbook and today's class session was strongly related.
As the chapter talks about science kits and projects, Block 23 got the opportunity to look through the science kits for Rio Vista's Family Science Night.

Mr. Eddie asked us to becoming mediators and facilitators for the students and their families instead of directly telling them what to do. It is similar to the classroom stories in the textbook, how the teachers try to prompt the students to think, question, explore, and learn.

A good question to ask is:
"How can I use this kit to create a meaningful learning experience for my students?"

It's important to understand the science and the standards behind the activity. Mr. Eddie told us that although the activities are great and fun, it's the lesson and the learning that really counts. While the students and their families are having a blast with the activities, it's easy for the learning to get lost. It's essential that the science is taught and understood.

Even as Block 23 was so intrigued by the chick-a-dee today, it would have been easy to simply play with the toy instead of trying to understand how and why the chick chirps. It is the same way with children.

Science kits are used to prompt the students' thinking and to engage them in their learning, but instead of using the materials in kits as the primary lesson, we must learn to "move beyond the science kit" and encourage active and critical thinking.

Diaper Day & Flower Power

Today's class session was SO much fun!
I'm still amazed at all the fun I'm having during a Science class! It's different, but I love it!


We started off with an experiment with a DIAPER.

we were asked to hypothesize how much water a diaper can hold.
my group and I though "2 water bottles= 24 ounces"

so then we started to pour cups of water onto our diaper

soon it started getting REALLY heavy...
and surprisingly held about 5 whole cups! 

and we learned about the absorbent material in the diapers!

and had an inquiry based activity with a little chick-a-dee!

We learned about circuits and I cannot wait to own a little chick of my own!

Then,

Miss M, Mrs Campos, and I taught our final lesson on flowers and the life cycle~

in our flower hats and flowery clothes

upon entering the classroom, we were impressed by our students' drawings of a plant

and we were excited to see some growth in their seeds!

Our lesson went quite well, I think it's OK to say that it was a little chaotic at moments...
I'm happy to say that Mrs. Flores enjoyed our lesson and our use of technology.
We presented a SmartBoard flipchart and even improvised some clicker activity.
I guess you have to roll with the punches sometimes :)


SCIENCE ROCKS!

Paper Planes

During today's class, we had the chance to look over the multiple kits that we will be presenting during Rio Vista's Science Family Night!

I must say, I am pretty excited. I can't wait to see the students & their families being actively engaged in scientific learning together! Brittany and I have the paper planes station! Hopefully we'll learn how to fold the paper planes like pros eventually...

I'm excited to see how the other stations will turn out. I was so excited to see what the kits contained and what the science was behind all the materials and experiments so I'm sure that the kids and their families will be too!

:)

Chapter 12

Reading through Chapter 12 made me realize how important it is for teachers to know what they are talking about. Not only to know but to understand.
We can present and teach lessons, but we need to have the background knowledge to further explain concepts to students if they have questions or are curious about a specific science subject.

This chapter also provided some information about developing a unit plan which was helpful for our assignment!
The elements of a unit plan are:
-the science ideas behind the unit
-the activities included in the unit
-the lesson plans for the unit

Be Inclusive

It was a good reminder to make science and all other subjects in school accessible to ALL students!

As a teacher, you want to encourage learning for each and every student and meet the needs of every individual to ensure learning. For those who have special needs, it's important to make modifications and accommodations for every child.

Science Lesson Plan

Goals
Science Ideas
Procedures
Engage
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Evaluate

Science Circus

I'm excited for our Science Family Night!
Although it may not be an extravagant event, I am curious to see what sort of kits and stations we will present to the students, families, and to the community.

Reading about the science circuses made me realize that it doesn't have to be a school-wide event but can be done in the classroom as well! It's a great opportunity to give students a chance to explore different aspects of science such as weather, health, or nature. It's definitely something I want to try for my own class!

to "know" or to understand

"Contemporary constructivism reflects what we now know about how people learn.

In order to understand a concept, individuals must be engaged in the active process or making sense of their experiences. Simply "knowing" something does not constitute understanding."

Your Feelings Show

"Teachers who are enthusiastic, interested, and who speak of the power and beauty of scientific understanding instill in their students some of those same attitudes."

The Seed Cycle

Miss M, Miss Campos, and I had the opportunity to teach our very first lesson to the 2nd grade class last Monday. On top of the fun activities with Kim, I have to say...it was a FABULOUS day!

We walked into the classroom not knowing what to expect. Honestly, I was so nervous, but we pulled together as a team and did a great job!

 

We had made a pictorial input of a plant and the different vocabulary such as "root, seed, leaf, stem, flower" and we noted that the plants are ALIVE. It was important to emphasize that they were SCIENTISTS. and as scientists, it was their job to observe and write down their observations in their science notebooks!

The best part of the lesson would have to be the SONG. The students LOVED it! I think they loved the chance to get out of their seats and to shake the wiggles out with some TPR.

"

the farmer sows his seeds 

the farmer sows his seeds

Hi ho! the dairy-o 

the farmer sows his seeds

the rain begins to fall

the rain begins to fall

Hi ho! the dairy-o 

the rain begins to fall

the sun begins to shine

the sun begins to shine

Hi ho! the dairy-o 

the sun begins to shine

the plant begin to grow 

the plant begin to grow 

Hi ho! the dairy-o 

the plant begin to grow 

the plant grows big and tall

Hi ho! the dairy-o

the plant grows big and tall

the plant grows big and tall

"

Seeing the joy on the kids' faces was all I needed.

I'm so thankful for the chance to teach <3 

Our Day at the Ocean

Today had to be the most interesting & FUN day I had in the program so far.

We started the morning with an inquiry lesson about SAND DOLLARS!
Definitely learned so much information...such as:
the sand dollar is a living organism,
it reproduces externally, and it can clone itself!

a sand dollar

a magnifying glass on the iPhone

Kim had a neat application on her iPhone which worked as a magnifying glass!
Cannot wait to find more applications to use in the classroom!


and now the most THRILLING part of the day!

we got to DISSECT SQUIDS!

We learned that our squid was a female and named her "Juliet"

here is her "Romeo"

fter learning about squids and their body parts,
Kim told us we were going to eat them!

it was surprisingly delicious~

science is starting to become so much fun!
:)