Modeling Earth Science

I allowed my students to create an edible Earth in order to teach them about the layers of the Earth and to introduce plate tectonics.

I introduced this lesson by asking the students if they were familiar with the story, “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” Most students indicated that they were familiar with the story. We discussed the fact that many Science fiction movies are based on factual information; however, there is also fiction in the story. This is the reason why it is in the genre of Science fiction. I also asked the students to share some information with me about fossils. I asked the students to think about the reason why similar fossils are found on different continents. I informed the students that we were going to create models that explain how the interior of the Earth is actually structured.

The students were highly engaged in this lesson. In this activity, students created an edible model of the layers of the Earth using marshmallows, crispy rice cereal, butter, a gum drop, and chocolate syrup. The interior of this model is very similar to making Kellogg's® Rice Krispies Treats®. First, the students placed a red gum drop inside the middle of a large marshmallow. Then, students stirred cereal into marshmallows and melted butter. This mixture was then rolled into a ball around the gum drop which was inside of the large marshmallow. After that, students covered the cereal ball with the type of chocolate syrup that hardens. When cut in half, students saw that this model represented the layers of the Earth, namely, the inner core, the outer core, the mantle, and the crust. Students then used a small tube of decorative cake icing to draw tectonic plate boundaries on the model. This model demonstrated that the Earth is made of layers and covered in tectonic plates. Students also created individual drawings of their group model with labels of the layers of the Earth. Information about tectonic plates was also included on this drawing. The goals of my lesson were met. The evidence of this is the individual drawings the students made of their group model.

During the “wrap-up” discussion at end of the class, I again reminded students about the reason models are used. I also showed them a model of Earth in their textbook. Several students referenced the fact that the size of the layers of their models was similar to the layers in the textbook, which caused me to believe that my lesson was effective. We also discussed Pangea, and the theory that the tectonic plates have drifted over time. This is the reason that similar fossils are found on different continents. The students are now ready to be introduced to the theory of plate tectonics, namely, mantle circulation, divergent/convergent/transform fault boundaries, earthquakes, and volcanoes. In the future, I will also include information about a recent volcano or earthquake to provide a real world connection.

Developing Scientifically-Literate and Compassionate Students

In order to be scientifically-literate, students must overcome a fear of science. They must be able to understand scientific processes and concepts. They should have the skills necessary to find answers to questions about which they are curious. They should also be knowledgeable in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

There are several ways that I promote scientific literacy. In order to keep students aware of advances in the scientific community, I discuss "Science in the News" daily. I use resources such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN, and www.earthweek.com. These resources provide science news information in areas such as technology, advances in medicine, discovery of new species, discovery of new items in space, and information on natural disasters, just to name a few.

I also encourage discussion during class time. I remind students that it's good for them to be curious. When they ask questions, even when I know the answer, I often respond with, "Let's look that up." I do this so I can model various methods of researching information. I stress that it is important to get information from reliable sources.

We also started a STEM club and a Science Bowl club in our school this year. These students will work on science projects that will further increase their knowledge of scientific processes and concepts.

Finally, I am considering making a solar cell in the classroom. I want to do this because I want them to see how solar power works first-hand, and I want information about alternative energy sources to be ever-present in thier minds.

After the tsunami hit Thailand in 2004, I organized a tsunami relief campaign in my school. Our students traveled to the Thailand Embassy in Washington DC to present the donation. We met with the officials of the embassy and the students requested that the funds be used to assist building a new school for students in Thailand.

NEWS FLASH

I received an email from the HHMI Ask a Scientist website today. This is the message that was contained in the email:

Danita, thank you for submitting the following question to the
Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Ask a Scientist website:


If the definition of a cell is changed to mean anything that has its own DNA, what other entities that are not considered to be alive would be placed in the "alive" category?

Here is a response provided by one of our volunteer scientists:


I can only think of viruses. DNA is retained to some degree in fossils, amber-embedded insects, and so on.

We welcome feedback from you about this answer to your question and
appreciate your interest in Ask a Scientist.


Ask a Scientist Coordinator

So, apparently, there was no great international debate regarding my question. It must have just been a backlog.

Again, it is a great website. When I share it with my students, I'll be able to share my experience, and remind my middle school students to remain patient as they wait for a response.

Backward Design Lesson Planning

The backward design method of developing lesson plans differs from the traditional method. It focuses on assessment first and then instructional activities.
"Backward design forces teachers to look at the big picture with the end goals in mind. In backward planning teachers set the vision or the essential understanding of their curriculum or unit, decide how students will provide evidence of their learning, and finally design instructional activities to help kids learn what is needed to be successful." (Backward Design 101)

The goals of my lesson were to allow students to work in small groups in order to understand and describe how human activities produce change in the natural processes in Maryland. Students were able to improve 21st century learning skills by using laptops in the classroom to conduct Internet research on their species. The goals of my lesson were met. The students were able to work in groups and were also able to describe the impact of human activities on the environment. This is evident by the work produced by the students

The backwards design model is a process that begins with knowing the desired results first, then working backwards to develop instruction. In my customary form of lesson planning, I know the goals and objectives of the curriculum and create the lesson plan from there. The difference in the backwards design process is that the educator also considers the learning that will endure over the long term. Focusing on the enduring knowledge should be essential in education, as enduring knowledge is really what education is all about.

Although I attempted to upload photographs of the student work, I received a message indicating that the images "could not be uploaded due to internal error". A typed copy of student work appears as follows:

Snake Head Fish
by K. Carter
Don’t be fooled by its size
It’s very deadly.
Originally from a pet store they think
With sharp teeth and a
Rude attitude.
Very deadly fish.
It can walk on land from pond to creek
Populating so fast meaning less fish to eat.
It’s the Asian invasion of all these creatures.
It’s a war of nature I hope we win
American species live I cheer again and again

Stink Bug
by J. Matthews
The alien bug that we know little about
It came from Asia, we know without a doubt.
It smells, it’s ugly, and it eats and it eats everything
So there’s nothing left for me.
You can hit it
But I really don’t want to
Because it will make a smell like rotten eggs
So nasty and smelly
Your belly
Won’t feel well.
The smell will hurt your eyes,
Make you want to cry
That’s why they call it the
Stink bug

References

Backward Design 101. Amherst Regional Public Schools. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.arps.org/users/ms/coaches/backward%20design%20101.htm

No News from "Ask a Scientist"

It's been just about four weeks and I have not received a response from the "Ask a Scientist" website. I would like to think that my question was so thought provoking that there is currently an international debate in the scientific community about the possibility that the existence of DNA should indicate that life is present. This, however, is probably not the case. Although I still like the idea that an archive of information is available to assist students with homework, I am currently not very fond of the idea of submitting a question to this website with the promise of receiving an answer within a week's time. I'm afraid that if my students were to experience this, it would discourage them from participating in similar kinds of websites in the future.

Ask a Scientist - Follow up

Well, it's been a week and I haven't heard back from the "Ask a Scientist" website. This is a little disappointing because I was hoping to have received an answer by now.

Although I did not hear back from the website yet, I can see how this website would be beneficial to my students. They can use this website to get information on Science Fair Projects, Careers in Science, and Personal Health. There is even a section dedicated to Homework Help. In addition, there are the top ten questions of six categories AND an archive of questions previously asked, so some students may be able to receive immediate feedback on their questions.

I am still eagerly anticipating an answer to the question I submitted to the "Ask a Scientist" website last week, and will post their response as soon as I receive it.

Ask a Scientist

I submitted the following question to the "Ask a Scientist" website supported by HHMI:

"If the definition of a cell is changed to mean anything that has its own DNA, what other entities that are not considered to be alive would be placed in the "alive" category?"

After navigating the website and determining that this question is not already answered in the archives, I received the following response:

"Congratulations!
Your question has been submitted successfully. We will send a confirmation via e-mail and get back to you with a response as soon as we can."

I'm looking forward to the response, and will post the information as soon as I receive it.

Evaluating Web 2.0 Presentation Tools

I am a "mature" student in graduate school. During my current course, Investigating the Living World, I must create a course project on the endangered animal of my choice. This is great because I love projects, but it is also intimidating because I must use a Web 2.0 Presentation Tool in order to present my project.

So, now the task at hand is to evaluate Web 2.0 Presentation Tools in a scientific manner.

What in the world are Web 2.0 Presentation Tools? According to the Discovery Education website, these tools are "revolutionary new ways of creating, collaborating, editing, and sharing user-generated content online." (So far, so good.) The website goes on to say that "Teachers and students can master many of the tools in minutes." (I'm starting to feel better about this ;-) *NEWS FLASH* Web 2.0 is all about ease of use. (Okay...this is right up my alley 8~)

Now that I have finally taught myself how to use PowerPoint with animated clip art and music that plays throughout the presentation, I have just learned while investigating Web 2.0 Presentation tools that there are ways to jazz up the PowerPoint presentations even more. The tools I will be evaluating today are Picsviewr and 280 Slides.

Picsviewr allows the user to turn your Flickr photos into presentations. It is a free online service. I obtained information about Picsviewr from http://www.picsviewr.com/ First of all, there are ten slide show templates available to choose from, therefore it is very easy to use. This is good news for people that are looking for something that is not difficult, but it can be very limiting for creative individuals.

This tool seemed to be good for presenting a collection of pictures in a variety of ways, however, it did not seem to allow for music playing in the background, or text of any kind. Regarding collaboration, another user's photos can be accessed with their specific URL.

I do not recommend this presentation tool for the course project. It only supports Flickr photo collections and does not provide other tools such as text, music, or videos that some colleagues may want to include in their presentations.

280 Slides is a tool available and it does not require PowerPoint. There is no software to download and there are no charges for the service. According to http://280slides.com/, you can import existing documents, take presentations anywhere because they are stored on a secure server, add pictures or videos with a built in media search, download to PowerPoint if desired, and publish to the web. There are also built in themes to add a professional quality to the work presented. I do feel that this tool is feasible for the course project and I have already decided that my students will use this tool for their Astronomy project this year.

Topics and Tools

Astronomy is the area of Physical Science that I will focus on during this investigation. I found several 21st century learning tools that help students’ understanding, awaken interest, and connect students to authentic science experiences. The most powerful and innovative online resource I found during my research can be located at worldwidetelescope.org. This software enables any personal computer to function as a virtual telescope.

The WorldWide Telescope (WWT) is a Web 2.0 visualization software environment that enables your computer to function as a virtual telescope—bringing together imagery from the best ground and space-based telescopes in the world for a seamless exploration of the universe. (WorldWide Telescope, 2010)

The software is very interactive and allows the user to experience applications such as taking tours, creating tours, finding objects in space, or finding your location in the universe. There is even an application that allows the user to make a constellation. This software can assist my students in becoming 21st-century scientifically literate citizens by connecting students to authentic science experiences while awakening interest.

The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology has an online resource at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/kids/index.cfm allows users to experience planets such as Saturn and Mars. Students are also able to choose to become space explorers during a virtual field trip. In addition, choices are available to create projects, play games and animations, and learn fun facts about Earth, space, and technology. One plus for teachers is that there is an entire menu for teachers that includes information on resources, projects, and staff picks of classroom activities.

The Masters of the Universe webquest is specifically designed for 8th graders which is the grade that I teach. It allows students to first test their knowledge of what they already know, giving students an opportunity to write down questions that they would like to investigate during the webquest. The webquest includes a planets organizer allowing students to keep track of data on each planet, math worksheet to calculate distances of solar objects from each other, and a solar system organizer. It is the classic K-W-L (what I know, what I want to know, and what I learned) strategy adapted for 21st century learning, activating students' background knowledge, while improving comprehension of expository text.

The resources referenced above are tools extremely useful in 21st century learning. This is important because it helps the students to understand the information that is being presented. They activate prior knowledge, facilitate the inquiry process with games and activities, engage students in creativity in projects, and engage students in collaborative learning. In addition, students are able to utilize the Internet to do research, and communicate understanding of concepts.

The Heat is On

Introduction

The three types of heat transfer are conduction, radiation, and convection. Conduction is the transfer of energy from atom to atom within a substance. An example of conduction is the warming of a metal spoon in a bowl of hot soup. Radiation is heat transfer by way of electromagnetic waves traveling through space. When electromagnetic waves come into contact with an object, the waves transfer the heat to that object. An example of radiation is the heat radiating from a light bulb. Convection, on the other hand, is the transfer of heat energy in a gas or liquid by movement of currents. An example of convection is the heat leaving a coffee mug as the currents of steam and air rise. This blog explores methods to reduce the amount of heat loss due to convection.

The Heat is On
This investigation sought out to determine which common household item would make the best insulator. I chose to test aluminum foil, newspaper, a plastic CD cover, and a cotton towel.

My hypothesis statement is as follows: If the release of steam and air causes loss of heat, and if plastic will trap the steam and air inside the mug, then the plastic CD cover will make the best insulator.

Materials:
four identical coffee mugs
aluminum foil
newspaper
plastic CD cover
a cotton towel
four rubber bands
a measuring cup
a thermometer
a timer
hot water.

Procedure
1. Place the four mugs in a row on a table and fill each mug with one cup of hot water.
2. Cover each mug with the materials being tested and secure each one with a rubber band.
3. Set the timer for 30 minutes.
4. Once 30 minutes have passed, record the temperature of the water in each mug with a thermometer.

Results:

Temperature Material
96 degrees F Aluminum foil
100 degrees F Cotton towel
106 degrees F Newspaper
102 degrees F Plastic CD cover

Conclusion
The newspaper provided the best insulation of the warm water in the coffee mug. My hypothesis was not correct.

QUESTION
Which of the three methods of heat transfer did the materials encourage or discourage?
Although the plastic CD cover did stop the currents of steam and air from rising, the heat then escaped from the plastic CD cover as radiation. This was also true of the aluminum foil as the plastic CD cover and aluminum foil were warm to the touch when removed from the mug. "A hot object, however, emits more energy than it absorbs from the colder object, and the colder object will absorb more energy from the hot object than it emits. There is, therefore, a net energy transfer that will take place by radiation as long as there is a temperature difference between the two objects." (Tillery et al, 2008, p. 88) Transfer of heat by convection was not present in this investigation because none of the tested materials actually touched the warm warm water. The towel and the newspaper discouraged conduction because these materials are not good conductors of heat. As it turns out, the newspaper provided the best insulation for the coffee mug.

I did not experience any challenges with this investigation.

Newspaper, a recyclable material, is an excellent insulator. It is currently used as a safe insulator in buildings. In fact, once this investigation was completed, I discovered that there are even instructions on how to make your own newspaper insulation on the Internet. Known as cellulose insulation, it provides a less expensive, safer alternative to its leading competitor which is fiberglass.

This investigation allows students to investigate ways to prevent heat loss.
"Most insulating materials are good insulators because they contain many small air spaces…not because of the material they are made of…" (Tillery et al, 2008, p. 86)
The discussion on ways to prevent heat loss can be expanded to prompt discussions on current issues such as recycling, government regulations for insulation in homes, and global warming.

References

Tillery, B.W., Enger, E.D., & Ross, F.C. (2008). Intergrated Science (4th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill

How do different surfaces affect the momentum of marbles?

The question that I selected for this application is, “How do different surfaces affect the momentum of marbles?”

The materials required for this guided inquiry experience are two meter sticks, tape, two marbles of the same size and mass, an object that can create an inclined surface when placed under one end of the board, foam poster board or other movable flat surface, and a remnant of carpet. I followed the following procedure:
1. Place area carpet over half of the foam poster board.
2. Tape one meter stick to the poster board and one meter stick to the carpeted area.
3. Place the poster board on an object to create a slight incline.
4. Hold the marbles at the top of the poster board against each meter stick, one marble on the carpet and one marble on the foam poster board.
5. Release the marbles at the same time.
6. Observe which marble stops last.
7. Perform three trials. Switch marbles and perform three additional trials.
8. Create a data table and record data. Place a check mark in the column of the marble that stopped rolling last. This is the marble with the most momentum.


During this activity I confirmed that surfaces do affect the momentum of marbles. This is what I expected. The carpeted surface had more friction, and this reduced the momentum of the marble.

The experiment worked out well. The challenge I had was being able to find various surfaces to place on the poster board for testing purposes. In the future, I will test more surfaces. In addition to carpet, I can use corrugated cardboard, linoleum, bricks, and rubber matting in the experiment. In order to be more interesting, students can also test their personal clothing items, such as scarves, as a surface.

I can set this experiment up in my classroom without difficulty. At the middle school level, many students cannot wait to drive. I can make this relevant to their lives by explaining to them that moving vehicles have momentum. I can also share information about how vehicles with more mass, like tractor trailers, have more mass and have greater difficulty stopping than small cars. In addition, we can investigate how water makes surfaces slick, making it difficult for vehicles to stop on wet roads.

I want students to learn that surfaces affect the momentum of objects. I believe this goal will be achieved with this experiment.