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!