Group items tagged

Jill-This is awesome. I've done this with my kids before. Great resource!

Google Earth can be used for so many different things in the classroom. I think you would be able to find good projects and lessons for most grade levels. With the younger kids you can explore the surface of the moon as a class. Older students can look up specific volcanoes and study the effect the volcanoes had on surrounding areas. The opportunities are endless! In terms of earth and space science, students can use Google Earth to explore the many features that exist on earth's surface (mountains, valleys, rivers, etc.) You can choose to look at all the major volcanoes on the surface of the Earth, or study the fault-lines and areas at risk for earthquakes. Google Earth also has a sky feature, in which users can explore the stars and constellations in the sky. You can also explore Mars and the Moon. Just a couple earth science standards that are met are: Science, Standard E: Earth and Space Science, 4th Grade: E.4.4 Identify celestial objects (stars, sun, moon, planets) in the sky, noting changes in patterns of those objects over time E.4.6 Using the science themes, find patterns and cycles in the earth's daily, yearly, and long-term changes Another really cool thing about Google Earth is the ability to watch an area over a span of time. This could definitely be used in the social studies classroom. Students can what the surface of the earth looked like during the time of the ancient Romans, and then can explore ancient Rome in 3D. You can also practice your piloting skills by trying out the flight simulator. Google Earth can be downloaded in several different languages. If you have a classroom with a large majority of Spanish-speakers, it would be a good idea to have Google Earth in Spanish on the computers, as well as in English. Also, students can work together in groups to explore Google Earth. If one student has more experience working with computers, he/she can help a different student with less experien

This is also cool. It is an online community for teachers, and includes lesson plans, tutorials, and tips all regarding how to use Google Earth in the classroom. http://sitescontent.google.com/google-earth-for-educators/Home

Katie- I was trained in JASON for several years. As a teacher I purchased 6 or 7 years of modules.

The Jason Project is a wonderful resource for teachers. There are lesson plans made for mineral studies, energy studies, ecosystem studies, and weather studies. For this reason, the science strands include: physical science, earth and space science, life and environmental science, and science applications. This website and the accompanying lessons are directed towards older-aged middle school students, about 8th graders. The information that is covered is covered in depth and is dependent upon students having a relatively vast prior understanding. For example, for the resilient planet lesson, students must know what an herbivore and carnivore are and how the food web works before they can begin the unit. For the energy lesson, students must be able to work with complex mathematical equations to calculate energy changes. The lessons each connect with standards in multiple ways but following are some examples of how each lesson could connect to one standard (and there are many more that the lessons do connect to!): Mineral studies: E.8.1 Using the science themes, explain and predict changes in major features of land, water, and atmospheric systems. Energy studies: D.8.9 Explain the behaviors of various forms of energy by using the models of energy transmission, both in the laboratory and in real-life situations in the outside world. Ecosystem studies: F.8.8 Show through investigations how organisms both depend on and contribute to the balance or imbalance of populations and/or ecosystems, which in turn contribute to the total system of life on the planet. Weather studies: E.8.3 Using the science themes during the process of investigation, describe climate, weather, ocean currents, soil movements and changes in the forces acting on the earth. The lessons can be used as part of a math lesson as many of the projects involve calculating energies, measuring and recording observations and calculating changes in measurements over time, and converting measurements.

For the research sharing I concentrated on the Sun, Moon, and Stars unit for Grades 3-6. The Strand for this would be Standard E:Earth and Space Science and the standard would be E4.4 Identify celestial objects (stars, sun, moon, planets) in the sky, noting changes in patterns of those objects over time Some ideas for integration would be to do a social studies project on the history of astronomy. For instance, in Greek mythology the Big Dipper was identified with a legend. The Native Americans also had stories that identified the stars and named lunar years. The students could each do a research project to find such a story or legend. In English the students could write their own story of how a group of stars got its name. For math, you can use the distance of stars and planets to calculate units of measurement. For differentation, I would have students who are struggling use a pre-printed piece of paper that has objects in the sky on in with dots, and then trace the dots to form the objects in the sky. I would also pair up students who are struggling with students who really get the concept and have them buddy together to study the unit. Another extension of this unit would be to go on a filed trip to the planetarium at Memorial High School.

This whole site is great, but I chose a simple machines activities because that is what the kids in my practicum are learning about right now. 1. This particular part of the website is physical science, and it is an activity that is used to teach kids about simple machines 2.The website says that it is used for grades 2-6, but I think I would use it with 3rd and 4th graders and two standards that are used in this activity are: D.4.6 Observe and describe physical events in objects at rest or in motion D.4.7 Observe and describe physical events involving objects and develop record-keeping systems to follow these events by measuring and describing changes in their properties, including: * position relative to another object * motion over time * and position due to forces 3. I would integrate this with another class by talking about the history of the machines. I would talk about how and why the machines were invented and who invented them. I would then have them discuss why these machines were helpful. So this could be both a science and social studies lesson. 4. I would adapt this for people with disabilities or people who are struggling by having them work with someone who would be able to and willing to help them. I would also give them a sheet with definitions and pictures of each machine to help them to identify and figure out the function of each simple machine.

Someone had the great idea of putting a camera in a bear's den while they hibernate! Standards that fit under this particular website are: D.4.7 Observe and describe physical events involving objects and develop record-keeping systems to follow these events by measuring and describing changes in their properties, including: * position relative to another object * motion over time * and position due to forces F.4.1 Discover* how each organism meets its basic needs for water, nutrients, protection, and energy* in order to survive

All three of these websites are great things for the younger children to view and get a better understanding for life cycles, hibernation, etc. I think these are great because we concentrate so much on explaining these ideas to children, but they rarely get to observe and take data on these types of things in the classroom, but these websites allow us to do just that! It would be neat for all grades to take a look at these, but for the purpose of my research I would show this to Pre K- 1st Grade. The standards that all three of these websites would fall under are: C.4.2 Use the science content being learned to ask questions, plan investigations, make observations, make predictions, and offer explanations C.4.5 Use data they have collected to develop explanations and answer questions generated by investigations C.4.6 Communicate the results of their investigations in ways their audiences will understand by using charts, graphs, drawings, written descriptions, and various other means, to display their answers C.4.7 Support their conclusions with logical arguments C.4.8 Ask additional questions that might help focus or further an investigation F.4.1 Discover* how each organism meets its basic needs for water, nutrients, protection, and energy* in order to survive F.4.3 Illustrate* the different ways that organisms grow through life stages and survive to produce new members of their type For some integration I would use a ton of math and Social Studies in these activities. The student will have to make predictions about the animals they see and relate it to other things in the environment. We will also keep a class chart of how many times we see the mother hummingbird fly away, measure how big the hummingbirds are. We will keep track of how many days it takes for the hummingbirds to hatch, and how many days it takes them to fly away. And we will also keep track of how many days the bears are in their den, and observe their unusual movement. We will also take th

http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/comets/lesson/lab.html (the link to the lesson I studied further) The resource I chose to explore and research focuses on the subject of Astronomy. The website is appropriate for a range of ages but I focused on comets specifically and which is appropriate for grades 6-8. It covers standard E and C. Specifically, performance standards E.4.4; C.4.1., and C.4.2. Integration: This website can be integrated into many different subject areas. The facts, myths, and legends can easily be worked into a history lesson in social studies. It could also be used to accompany an English lesson if the students are reading material that involves different myths in our history and how we can sort through different narratives through time. There is also a chemistry portion in the website which can be used in that area of science or incorporated into a math lesson. Differentiation: I would pick out key vocabulary terms that I want the students to know and make large posters with the term, a short description and a visual. I would post these at the front of the classroom so they were easily accessible for all students. I could also do this activity as a group or partner activity and pair the students that I think would work to help one another.

National Geographic has really useful interactives in many areas of science, but one in particular I love to use is "Forces of Nature." This is useful for Earth or weather science. This online "lab" takes a close look at tornados, earthquakes, hurricanes and volcanoes. 1. Science Standard -- Good for grades K-8. Standard E -- Earth and Space Science. 4.5 Describe the weather commonly found in Wisconsin in terms of clouds, temperature, humidity, and forms of precipitation, and the changes that occur over time, including seasonal changes E.8.3 Using the science themes during the process of investigation, describe climate, weather, ocean currents, soil movements and changes in the forces acting on the earth 2. Integration -- Use in conjuction with a current event surrounding weather or earth activity. Case studies section on the website shows facts and information about actual natural disasters in history. 3. This interactive is easily adaptable to any age group or audience. Higher level students may maneuver through the site independently while younger students or non-readers can watch as the teacher or another student sets off an earthquake. The only drawback is that there is no audio.