Science is Life!

Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge. – Carl Sagan

Student blogging–taking it to the next level

Should I take this next step or not? What if the students will not like it? What if it is too much for me and I will become overwhelmed? What if…?

As a teacher who wants to connect students with the world in which they live; to make the learning more meaningful for them, and as a result, more exciting and fun, these “what if” scenarios enter my mind often.

This year, I have embarked on the process of stepping up that SAMR model ladder, not only for myself, but more importantly, for my students. As part of the NWOi3 project, I wrote curriculum that matched what I have been wanting to do for years, but only until recently did I have the tools. I wrote an energy unit that is a project based unit, which asks the question, “How Can I use my understanding of energy to simplify or enhance the world in which I live?” I have students three choices: 1. Make a minecraft roller coaster, 2. Make a Rube Goldberg Contraption, or 3. Invent something to simplify or enhance someone’s life.

Giving students choice and voice is a common theme in education, and hands-on learning which emphasizes real world learning that means something to the student is well documented as a solid method for engagement in the classroom. But, to add the final layer to my unit, and to reach that transformative peak of the SAMR model, the students should be sharing what they are learning with each other, the community, and possibly the world.

This is where blogging has come in for this particular unit. While I have blogged minimally over the years, I have not immersed my students in blogging. This is new to me, and requires a lot of organization, planning, and thinking on my part– maybe much more than many of my students will require–it seems to come so naturally for some of them! So, as we teachers step into these new realms like teaching science while encouraging students to share with the world through blogging, my hope is that those “what ifs….” will be answered with a better question. WHAT IF NOT?

 

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Students investigate live cells with help of local corporation

2/23/14 

Last Friday, seventh and eighth graders at Northwood High School explored live cells in a unique and hands-on exploration.  With the assistance of Krysten Comperchio, product designer for Betco Corporation, students used ATP meters to swab hands before and after washing them.

 

The goal of this hands-on science activity was to show students that live cells are everywhere and that washing hands prevents the spread of colds, flus, and other communicable diseases.  Students were taught about what ATP is.  They were then given swabs to test on their hands before and after hand washing.  While they were swabbing their hands, Ms. Comperchio told them about proper hand washing techniques while Mrs. Fish modeled it at the sink in the classroom.  Students were then given the opportunity to wash their hands correctly and swab their hands again.  Data collected by the students showed that live cells were greatly diminished by hand washing.

 

Students had many questions about this activity.  One of the main questions was, “How does using hand sanitizer compare to washing hands?”  Initial research that students conducted to answer this question showed that, in some cases, sanitizer actually increased the level of live cells on hands, and hypotheses as to why this happened included the the idea that touching the hand sanitizer bottle to open it might have transferred ATP from live cells to the hands.

 

Betco Corporation provided materials to be used during this activity, including ATP meters, swabs, a science journal, highlighter/pen, and a personal foaming hand sanitizer for each of the 154 students.  In addition, Ms. Comperchio was able to collect data points from this activity, which will be used in her research.  Students were excited to find out that they would be part of ongoing research in their community.  Plans for further research include an inquiry lesson where students can use their science skills to test “touch points” in their environment.

 

As we move into the future, the value of connecting in our community and globally becomes more important.  This project was free to Northwood students, was hands-on and connected to the real-world, aligns with Ohio curriculum standards for science, and will be memorable and have a lasting impression on their learning.

 

Thanks, Ms. Comperchio, for coming to our classroom!

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Northwood science students connect with the community

Exploring water quality and connecting with the community

 

Students at Northwood High School have teamed up with the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG) to collaborate on a hands-on and real-world exploration of their local environment.  With the assistance of Matt Horvath, who is the Maumee River Coordinator for TMACOG, students will initially receive $400 worth of water testing equipment to test Wolf Creek water quality.

 

In the fall, seventh grade students conducted a google map study of Wolf Creek and found that it flowed northeast through Oregon, Ohio and drained directly into the docks at Maumee Bay State Park.  This is of great concern to our environment because the chemicals that are present in this water are contributing to large algal blooms that are threatening the fish and wildlife of Lake Erie.  The Lake Erie  Center, in collaboration with the University of Toledo, is fully involved in researching and solving the problems of the local western Lake Erie basin, and our students can help!

 

Mr. Horvath has agreed to come help teachers and students learn about water quality using materials that are in alignment with ODE’s science standards.  The curriculum used, the “Health Water, Healthy People” series, is one that is promoted for seventh grade standards of water quality testing.  Mr. Horvath will provide materials for testing water quality, which include chemicals required, thermometers, secchi disks and secchi columns.  This will be a safe, engaging exploration for our students.

 

Students will benefit from further study of water quality by having the opportunity to connect with both community and other schools in the Student Watershed Watch, which is conducted by Mr. Horvath and TMACOG.  This opportunity would connect students with Eastwood schools, among others.

 

As we move into the future, the value of connecting in our community and globally becomes more important.  This project is free to Northwood students, connects students with their environment, other schools, and area government programs, aligns with the Ohio curriculum standards for science, and most of all is hands-on and exciting for the students, which will provide a memorable and lasting impression for them.

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The fault in our stars

I am always amazed at how much my students can teach me about the world. I noticed last week that some of my students were reading a book, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. I told my daughter that I was going to read this book, being she is a bibliophile and we enjoy sharing books that we’ve read. she said, ” Mom, you don’t have to buy this book. It’s on my bookshelf in my bedroom.”

So last night, I wandered up to her room, and I found the book on the bookshelf. I spent today reading it, but I found that I had to stop several times because it was very sad. The book is not just about cancer. It’s about kids with cancer. But it’s also so much more than that. Intertwined in the pages and words of the book were concepts and ideas so much more mature than what could be found in most young adult fiction, like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, “The love song of J Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot, and many other references to literature and poetry.

About a month ago, one of my students showed me how to collect data with an app called Pic Stitch. I just now tried that today, and I put together a compilation of images that reminded me of the book that I was reading.

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