Practicum - Week 8

This was my last week at my practicum. I was so sad to leave my kids! They were winding down with their Social Studies Unit on government and reviewing for a test. My teacher split the students into small groups to go over the study guide. My last day at practicum, the students worked on informational writing during their Science/Social Studies time. My teacher iformed me that next week the students will be starting their unit on Rocks and Minerals. I'm sad that I will miss this unit!

Practicum - Week 7

This week in practicum my students were still studying Social Studies. They were discussing different branches of government (local, state, and national). They were divided up into three groups and each group was assigned a branch of the government. Students were expected to draw a picture and describe the job of that particular branch. They did these posters for each sets of government: local, state, and national. My teacher hung the students posters in the room so they could reference them throughout their study on the government. This week I also got to teach a lesson on American Symbols. Essentially I wanted students to be able locate two American symbols: the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. I began the lesson by asking the students what were symbols. We also discussed monuments. I then used a PowerPoint created by Teacher's Clubhouse on "American Symbols" and displayed it on the SmartBoard. It was a very informative PowerPoint and the students really enjoyed guessing what the symbols were and learning about why they were important to America. After we finished the powerpoint, I passed out blank sheets of paper and asked students to choose a symbol we had discussed, draw a picture of it, and write around 5 sentences telling why that symbol was important to America. The students were really engaged in this lesson. The students loved interacting with the SmartBoard!

Practicum - Week 6

This week in practicum my students started social studies. They were learning about rights and responsibilities as citizens. They played a game called "Rights and Responsibilities" in groups of four in which they rolled dice and had to decide with certain rights what type of responsibility comes with that. The students really enjoyed the game. They also watched a video on rights and responsibilites that I found on United Streaming. It was a great video and it also had a video quiz at the end. I really liked how my teacher integrates a variety of resources into her teaching. She uses children's books, videos, powerpoints, the textbook, and many more. The students love changing things up and not doing the same thing everyday!

Practicum - Week 5

This week in practicum, my class finished up Science and next week we will be starting Social Studies. On Tuesday, I taught a lesson on "Changes in Habitats" focusing on what happens to a habitat after fire. They always have something to share and seem to really enjoy the discussions. We discussed how a forest fire can be harmful, but also helpful for different types of organisms that live in the forest. The kids really get into the science lessons! Then, on Thursday, we did a review because their science test was scheduled for the next day. My teacher went through the study guide with the students. She also had prepared a powerpoint that she displayed on the SmartBoard with the questions and four choices for answers and then she would ask the students what was the correct answer. The students really enjoyed the review!

Practicum - Week 4

This week in practicum, my class was studying "Habitats of Georgia". The one day I observed the students were discussing the swamp/marsh region. To open up the lesson, my teacher let the students watch a video clip from "The Magic School Bus" about the swamp area. The students loved the video! I actually learned some things from watching the video. After the video was over, the teacher had the students get out their science books and they went over the lesson about the swamp/marsh region. After they went over the lesson, the teacher passed out these little booklets about the swamp and we went over them as a class. At the end of the booklet, there were questions that the students were supposed to answer about what they had read. At the end of the lesson, the students turned in the booklet for a grade.

My Mealworm: Bonquiqui

In our classroom, we have pet mealworms. I have chosen to name mine Bonquiqui. Students love having something to take care of and mealworms don't require a lot of work. Sometimes you can use them as a reward for students, for example, if they behave you let them sit it on their desk during class. Mealworms are also great to use when discussing life cycles because they change form. Students will love to one day see their worm and then the next day, it may be a bug! You could also use the mealworms to do certain experiments or by making predictions about what types of food the mealworms may like. There are so many activities you can do with mealworms. It's really easy to find resources online, too!

Practicum - Week 3

This week in practicum, my students learned where to locate the regions in Georgia. They had an introduction lesson to their unit, "Habitats of Georgia," which they are about to start. In the lesson, my teacher used the SmartBoard in which she displayed a map of Georgia with blank sections mapped off. She then divided the class up into four groups and gave them all their own blank map of Georgia. She then told the groups to predict where each region of Georgia was located and come up with an explanation as to why they believed that. After they were finished, my teacher had each group come up and share where they put each region. It was really neat to hear students reasons for placing certain regions in certain locations. After the class had shared, my teacher told the students the correct location on their maps and told them to fill it in. She also briefly described each region so that the students developed a better understanding of them.

Science Mini-Lesson

http://www.enature.com/home/

My mini-lesson would be used to introduce my “Georgia Habitats” Unit. I would pull up the website I have listed and then type in my zip code to find animals that live in my area. I would model for the students what I would like them to do when we go to the computer lab (they will be doing their own research). I will then look at a few animals (about 3) and we may listen to the sound they make and read information about them (doing all of this on the smart board). We will then go to the computer lab, the students will have a sheet ready with a spot for them to put three organims (bird, mammal, tree, etc.)—each spot will ask questions that they will answer. For example, it will say “What is the organism you chose? What is its habitat?” By doing this exercise, students will develop a better understanding of what a habitat is which will lead into our unit on the habitats of Georgia.

Review of 2 Resources

1. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/Themes/Dr__Seuss/
I believe that this website is great for teachers, especially when they do a unit on poetry. Dr. Seuss is fun and kids love him! This website offers a lot of ideas to incorporate Dr. Seuss themed lessons into your teaching. This would also provide great activities to do on Dr. Seuss' birthday. It's nice because it gives you all the information you need for a lesson (what the objectives are, materials, and procedures).

2. http://www.sandycreeknaturecenter.com/
This is a great resource for teachers when doing nature studies. When I was doing my practicum in a 1st grade in Ila we went on a field trip to visit the Sandy Creek nature center. The kids loved it! They got to see all sorts of animals, go on a nature walk, and explore the center. This resource would be great for students to gather more information and find out what sort of activities are available to kids at the center.

Week 2 of Practicum

This week during science, I had the opportunity to teach a science lesson to my 3rd graders. The lesson was on adaptations of animals--such as eagles eyesight, claws, and strong wings are all adaptations that help animals survive. We discussed how some animals hibernate and others migrate to survive. The kids really enjoyed talking about the different types of animals and their adaptations. Everyone was raising their hand to share in the discussion! I really enjoyed the lesson and felt like I really learned something. As I was teaching, there were things that I realized I hadn't known before I looked at the lesson. It was definitely a learning experience for me!

Website Review: You Must Be Hearing Things

This website (http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/tools.php?DocID=99&Grade=K-2) offers a way for students to listen to different types of sound waves. It has a variety of audio files .

This site can be very helpful for teachers teaching science because they have access to standards-based lesson plans, some that include reproducibles or online worksheets for students. It also has links to tools and resources for teachers to use when teaching science. There is also a link to benchmarks, or science literacy goals, to help integrate science into other lessons.

My First Day of Practicum

My first day of practicum was very exciting! My class is composed of 14 students, 9 girls and 5 boys. The kids love to talk! My teacher is both caring and firm at the same time. She has been very helpful and accomodating in my time I've been with her. I found it very interesting that the new reading curriculum adopted by the school now entwines science and social studies into it's lessons. The reading lesson I observed yesterday was themed, "What is Light?" The students even have science vocabulary from their reading lesson! During science time, the students learned about Reptiles. My teacher used the SmartBoard to show a powerpoint which shared all sorts of facts about reptiles. The students really enjoyed it; they especially loved the pictures!

Trade Book Evaluation

By: Jordan Tompkins

Book Title: My Five Senses

Author: Aliki

Synopsis:
This book is all about the five senses. It is told from the viewpoint of a little boy. All throughout the book he is doing different activities, which require different senses. For example, he tells what sense he is using when he eats his food. He is using is sense of taste.

Describe how a teacher could introduce the book to create student interest:
I think a great way to introduce this book to you class would be to do some sort of activity which required them to use their senses. Before they read the book, they may not understand why they are doing the activity. Maybe put together different centers where children are 1)looking at books (seeing) while eating cookies (taste), 2) playing a game of toss the ball to a partner while listening to music (touch and hear)--also during this time you could spray some febreeze around the room and the students would use their sense of smell.

What types of units could use this book as an introduction?
You could plan a week long unit in which everyday the students learned a new sense and did an activity to go along with that sense.

What science concepts are at least mentioned in the book?
The five senses (a Kindergarten Science GPS)

Cite page numbers and indicate where and how you would pause to illicit student responses and make the book sharing, an interactive process rather than just a book reading:
I think all throughout the book you could stop and ask the students questions about how they use their senses everyday. Students will love interacting and sharing their experiences with their peers! (Ex. you could ask the students, "what kinds of things to you smell?")
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My Science Autobiography

The main science activities that come to mind when I think back to elementary school are ones that were hands on. I remember growing a plant and keeping track of it's growth and also doing little experiments. I remember learning about vertebrates and invertebrates. I also remember making a "simple machine" book in which it had things like lever, pulley, etc. and we had to draw an example of them.

I believe that my experiences in science will help me be a better science teacher. As a child, I loved the hands on activities that involved science. I look back on my days in science class and think about how much fun we had experiencing things on our own. I hope that I can influence my students to feel the same way I did about science as a child!