Structured Inquiry Experiment: Which will Bounce the Highest?

This past week, my students worked in groups and to determine which ball would bounce the highest:  golf ball, ping-pong ball, or a tennis ball.  When I had my students first make their predictions, I had no student believe that the golf ball would bounce the highest.  I asked my students why they thought this, one student responded, "I know that a golf ball is the same type of ball I used when I played putt-putt.  A golf ball is hard and doesn't allow me to squish it."  I was quite impressed with their prior knowledge about this specific ball. 

I had fourteen students predict that the tennis ball would bounce the highest.  The other nine students predicted the ping-pong ball.  The students who predicted the tennis ball mentioned that they have played catch with their dog before and they now that their is sometimes a bounce that happens when the ball hit the ground.  The other students that mentioned the ping-pong ball, felt that since it was smaller in since than the tennis ball it must be lighter and bounce back higher.

I choose this student's work because of her last question, "could we bounce another ball'.  I like how she was thinking what would happen if we had yet another type of ball, would the tennis ball still be the one that bounced the highest. 

Wk 3: Melting Icebergs Experiment

I apparently think just like my 3rd grade students.  I honestly thought that when the ice cubes melted, the level of the water would rise and overflow onto the counter top.  To my dismay, I was shocked to see that the water did not over flow.  This did make me start to think, would that mean that if the polar ice caps melted, than the Earth would not get flooded?  This is true, only if the polar ice cap is solid ice already emerged in water.  If the polar ice cap is floating on top of the water, then the water level would in fact rise.

I truly enjoyed this experiment.  I would like to redo this experiment with my students to lead an investigation on global warming and the affects people have on the environment.

Week 2: STEM Reflection

There is a huge amount of joy and equal amounts of stress that comes with being an educator.  I know my responsibility is to help gear my students to have high academic growth in all subjects.  A recent trend has turned to the power of Science in the forms of Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). 

The idea of STEM is to help educators relate real-world concepts to help build students inquiry about science (Lantz, 2009).  When I think about this, I try to incorporate items that my students can relate to.  For instance, to help my students to understand a hypothesis; I used a common banana buy placed one in the fridge and the other on the counter top.  I had the students begin to inquire what will happen and discuss why.

The STEM concept also stresses that educators need to help students to become more inspired and interested in the sciences (Traurig, 2009).  Honestly, this is an area that I feel I struggle with.  I am currently attending school to help me further my own understand with the sciences.  When I become excited about a subject it is easier for me than to be passionate to teach it.  I desire for my students to become more confident in learning the concepts of science. 

more confident in learning the concepts of science. 

References

Lantz, H. B., Jr. (2009). STEM education: What form? What function? SEEN Magazine.

Used by permission of Knight Communications, Inc.

Traurig, A., & Feller, R. (2009). Preparing students for STEM careers. National Career

Development Association.

re confident in learning the concepts of science.  

wk 9: November 1-5, 2010

Welcome to November!  This week I started my new master's course, The Nature of Science.  I am hoping that this course will offer new ideas to the way I currently teach science. 

This week at school, it has been very busy.  I had a week of parent-teacher conferences.  I am very thankful for those parents that I talked with and we were able to come up with a game plan to help their child be successful.  

Wk 8: Oct 25-29, 2010.

 Greetings!  I am a first time blogger, unless you count "facebook".  My blog will consist of daily or weekly on goings in my 3rd grade classroom.  I will not give out names, for the sake of the students' and my privacy.

This is my fourth year teaching in an urban-charter school.  I love to teach the young minds, but sometimes hate the emotional state of which my students come to me.  I finally am starting to learn that I am their educator, NOT their parent.  I am to help them learn and embrace their role as a student. 

Week 8:  This past week was busy.  It all led up to Friday's Harvest Party.  Luckily for me I had one parent volunteer to help ease the stress of sugar high 3rd graders.  This up coming week contains parent-teacher conferences.  May it be a great week that my parents and I will come in agreement with their child's academic needs.