I'm already thinking about what to do different, the same, and better for next year. I brought all of my binders home so I could reorganize, separate, and sort... all summer long.

I love watching the Big Bang Theory! I'm even gonna get a Sheldon poster I saw at Walmart and put it up next to my desk at school.

You may be wondering what did that previous statement have to do with thinking about next year, it seemed so random. Well, I was watching a rerun episode today on TBS and they showed some very bad use of science lab equipment and use of lab materials and equipment to play pranks. Including having drinks out in an area where other chemicals (quite dangerous I might add) were being used. Which got me to thinking, "Hmm... I bet I could use this episode to teach science safety next year." So I went on Youtube, good old youtube, and found the very 6 minutes and 22 seconds of the episode that I needed. Isn't the internet great! Thought I would attach for your enjoyment.

Bazinga!

Side note: If you watch the Big Bang Theory, then you'll know I'm not using the title phrase in the correct context, but since this school year has kinda been a joke for me... I find it appropriate at this time.

Sorry I haven't written in a while. I have been way too busy and too tired to even think about blogging. I failed to mention in the beginning that in addition to my science courses, I was made to teach 7th grade language arts this school year after we lost a teacher at the beginning of the year. Mind you,  I am not certified to teach language arts. So anyone who has been in a similar situation knows how difficult it is to teach another subject you have no training for. And then still be expected to get 80% of your students to make at least one years worth of growth and score proficient or better on the state tests. (I'm able to write you now, because they students are finally taking their state tests) Keep in mind, however, that 50% of my class has IEPs with most reading on a 5th or 6th grade level.

I didn't mention this earlier because I didn't want this blog to be about me just venting about how upset I am about this scenario. But the real problem for me arose when trying to plan language arts was getting in the way of planning for and teaching science. So frankly I have been a mess all year.

And by the by, next year my district is eliminating some 200+ positions, thank God mine wasn't one of them, but this might mean that I'll have to teach 6/7/8th grade classes next year. With at least two out the four classes being split between two grades. So to say the least I'm a little stressed, this isn't exactly what I  I signed up.

In addition, my personal life has been an even bigger mess than my professional. By the end of the calendar year I will probably no longer by a mrs.

But on a lighter note, I love working with my team members. Together I've got at least 80+ years of experience to glean from on a regular basis and we get along quite well.

Science club is working on a community service project of planting flower gardens around the school campus. And I just ordered several books from Dinah Zike.  Can't wait use all of the cool foldables next year.

Nickel and Dime

Nothing much as been happening in my neck of the woods. Science club is keeping me on my toes. Last week the students attempted Steve Spangler's Borax Crystal Star. Some of them got a little too happy with the food coloring and the measurements of the Borax were off, but they came out OK.

Then the principal asked if I'd be interested in being an advisor for a team of students to participate in this years local Basal Wood Bridge Building contest. I am really excited. The architect talked to the students this week, which is a whole month late, but he said they could still get done before the April deadline. I am too excited to see what the students produce. Pictures will surely be forth coming.

Lastly, on the 8th grade Plate Tectonics test last week, I had the best laugh and I mean laugh out loud, gotta go tell 2 or 3 more teachers laugh.

Extended Response: Describe the different properties of the four layers of the Earth- specifically, inner/outer core, mantle, and crust.
DJ's response: The inner core and outer core and made of silicon, iron, nickel, and dime.

No credit given for silicon, but yes, I was wondering what he thought dimes were made out of.

Meep Meep!

Here's our Science Club mascot. Beeker was a wonderful and appropriate find that has added some interesting humor to my science class. Other students not even in science club have affectionately named him, Darwin. The students have grown attached to him and even call him their brother. They find ways to pose him in funny positions around the classroom. Aside from Beeker or Darwin, whatever you want to call him, science club has been a wonderful and fulfilling experience.  I have enjoyed not feeling the pressure of teaching. And since the students know being in the club has no earthly effect on their classroom grade they seem more OK with taking risks and making mistakes. The challenge sometimes is finding the materials and even the activities. Only one meeting in November and December bides me a little more time.
Looking for you own Darwin, check out stevespanglerscience.com

You Tube in regular rotation

Ok, so I'm always looking for ways to make the science lesson more interesting. My students bore easily and the more bored they are the more disruptive they can be. So I've taken to Youtube for help. And I have found some great "science accurate" interesting videos. Mostly songs but still good nonetheless.

So 7th grade as you already know have been learning about potential and kinetic energy so I found this video, well song, very repetitive, but it got the point across. I played it (where they could only hear the music but not see the video) for several days as the students were walking in.

It was a great discussion starter for the lesson. I would start asking questions about what the song was about and of course they weren't listening, so then I would have to play the song several more times to help facilitate discussion. (Sneaky aren't I!)

Some students starting complaining that they couldn't get the song out their heads and many were caught humming it in class (YES!! Gotcha!).  Then one girl complained that she felt like she was in jail, because she was being held hostage, being made to listen to the song over and over again. Really!!

OK OK, so here's the video.

Bounce! lab a big hit

Ok, so the 7th graders were learning about potential and kinetic energy this week. And I found a "Bounce!" lab from Science-class.net  under physics and energy, that really hit the spot.  It was really a hit. I should have taken pictures.

What did they do: Measure a piece to masking tape at least 100 cm from the floor on the wall. Mark it in three spots, 50 cm, 75 cm, and 100 cm.  Starting at 50 cm drop the ball and watch where it comes back up to, record the measurement and do this four times more. And then repeat for the other two measurements. Find the average heights, make a bar graph, and answer some analysis questions.

What did they learn: Potential is converted to kinetic energy, energy is conserved, law of conservation of energy, energy is converted to other forms of energy like sound and thermal.

What did they practice: Using a measuring tool , accurately recording metric measurements, finding averages, taking data from a table and putting it into a graph, comparing and interpreting data from a graph, analyzing other scenarios for the same concept.

In my class, students complete the hands-on part in class and the analysis at home. We come together the next day to discuss the results. The next days discussion went well for my morning class, who had completed the analysis at home, but the afternoon class is still working on doing their homework at home before we can have more meaningful real conversations in class.

Boom Bang Boom!! Couldn't ask for a better lesson.

Science Club Yeah!

     I am oh so excited to have been given the go ahead to start a science club.  Yippee!! I've always wanted to chair a science club. I imagine that in high school if mine had a science club, I would have been interested enough to attend at least one meeting.  I'm stealing all of my ideas from Sciencespot.com  and hope to start right after midterms.  Oh my, midterms next week already!
     We will probably meet bimonthly and do some build-this and demo-that type stuff. I would love to hear some suggestions. Foil boats, popsicle stick bridges, and egg drop parachutes are already at the top of the list. I had asked the math teacher to be my partner, but she bottomed out due to other commitments. But I think I've got someone else in mind that would be helpful.
     I've also got to come up with a way to raise money. How am I going to pay for the "stuff" we will need to do stuff. hmmm.... I'll have to think about that one some more. I want to visit COSI as an end of school year field trip and in btw go to the observatory. Wish me luck! I've never started or even headed up a school club before so this is a new endeavor for me.