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!