Week 38, Day 1, Last week of school

Odd block schedule, modified for assembly schedule. Wild California video and catch up reading passage about calculating the speed of light.

The IMAX DVD Wild California is worth it's weight in gold. The kids learn some environmental science and see some beautiful views of sky diving, snowboarding, Sequoia tree climbing, baby Sea Otter rehab, Golden Gate Bridge views, Endangered species Eagle chick restoration and all of this to the music of Fleetwood Mac.
The kids love this show.
This is my fall back lesson when I have to cover a class. Due to the shorter periods I could not do the roller coaster lab I planned.

We had a fire drill this afternoon at our school and we did not hear the alarm "chirps" in my room. I did know about it until the principal announced on the all call system that all was clear.

Mr Scott Case, math teacher, had the school yearbook dedicated to him. He is very deserving of this award.

One week from today I will be on day 2 of my summer teaching job at NASA Ames in Mountain view.

I hope this helps.

Love to Teach, and Teach with Passion!

It’s not Magic, It’s Science!

RichardKinney@cusd.com
 
http://qp.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/rey_kinney

Week 23, Day 3 : Don't let your textbook plan your lessons

ODD BLOCK SCHEDULE: Begin Chemistry: Kinetic Theory notes and lab. (Except period 1, I gave them the wrong test so we are a day behind.

A textbook can be a great aid. Some have more chapters than you need. Some are organized from small to large while others are large to small.  We have 12 chapters in our textbook. No frilly extra chapters.  It is taylored for California Science Standards. Ours(Glencoe Focous on Physical Science) starts with Motion & Force then Density then Chemistry then Astonomy.  It goes from small to large.

Here is the order of chapters I teach: 1,2,11,12,3,6,4,7,5,8,9,10.  I do not plan my lesson by the chapter design order of some editor that may not have even taught middles school.  Plus we all have a different style. I prefer to begin with Motion and Force because the labs reinforce the steps of the scientific method and I can use that as a reference when kids decide to do a science fair project.

I have a class set of texts in my room so my students do not have to lug them around in their backpacks. I usually have students use them for  Vocabulary, Test review Questions, a topical reading passage, and then review for test.  I should make them read it.  Some chapters I do have them read portions as a class opener.  I do not do that enough.  I will do that more...I just need to decide what do I cut out of my lessons.  Perhaps I'll do a demo in place of the lab.

For years I taught without a textbook. We had one in the mid 90's that was so bad that they did not have a periodic table in it.  I mean c'mon.  We had to develop all materials our selves.  It became a lab based class.

The teacher is the biggest indicator of student performance in a class. Use the book to help you.  If you are new you may rely on it more. But please dont make your class a "Today in science we are reading and doing the worksheet on textbook pages blah blah blah to blah blah blah.

Wow...so you 'spose the kids are going to dislike science if this is how they get it?

For new teachers of science FIND A SCIENCE TEACHER THAT IS PASIONATE ABOUT THEIR SUBJECT  and use them as a mentor.

I hope this helps,

Love to Teach and Teach with Passion!

It's not Magic, It's Science!

richardkinney@cusd.com

Week 18, Day 4: Plan Ahead Plan Ahead Plan Ahead-then follow your Plan!

ODD BLOCK- Finish Alien Planet and View Spectral lines in glowing gases. See yesterday's post for details.

I am 4 weeks behind.  I should be finishing my 4th unit (Density and Buoyancy) but I am a week away from finishing my 3rd unit(Astronomy).

I am like an explosive gas, more than taking up the volume of space around me.  Give me a semesters worth (19 weeks) of curriculum and I WILL GET IT DONE IN 22!

My problem is not having too many labs/activites to do.  My problem is SUCH A ROOKIE MISTAKE: Lack of proper Lesson Planing.

I am great at TACTICAL LESSON PLANNING, that is planing to make labs, notes, demos, video clips and activites mesh together in totally cool lessons.  I have been BAD at STRATEGIC LESSON PLANNING, this being planning, pacing the start and stop of each unit and deciding which labs/activites to use and which to skip, and then sticking to the start/stop dates.


I started Astronomy the week before Thanksgiving. I should have been done with it before Christmas vacation.
 
Well heck, I will make it up by cutting back on time in the Chemistry unit and making Density and Buoyancy real short. 
 
You have to begin your lesson planning STRATEGICALLY and I am doing that this 3 day M.L.K. memorial weekend with my plan book.

Week 4 Day 5: The Emergency Lesson Plan.

I have a folder set aside with a video tape or DVD, video question sheet on one side and a science reading passage with questions on the other. Also attached is a simple set of directions for the lesson.
I also maintain a SUBSITUTE TEACHER FOLDER in which I have a list of the bell schedule, a brief of how I manage my class, and the emergency procedures. I keep this near the phone where it is easy to see.

This is what I call the EMERGENCY LESSON PLAN.

I have it in case I am taken ill suddenly and am too sick to come in and set up for a substitute teacher. I do not use it for something to do because of lack of planning a lesson. I have also used it when a colleague has called me saying they are sick and can I find a video for their substitute to show.

For the video I recommend:
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS: SCIENCE IN PARADISE*, available on the internet at PBS.com. It is a wonderful mix of five 8-13 minute segments on Sea Turtles, Volcanoes, Bahaman Pan Drums, the Big Astronomy Dish at Arecibo, and Sea Fan Disease. My kids really like this show and it strongly reinforces how science is everywhere…even in the Bahamas.
You may have a better Idea for a video, but I hope yours is as good as the one above. Even though you are not there you can still have a great lesson and not just showing a time-filler.

I also recommend from the same series: EXPEDITION PANAMA, LIFES LITTLE QUESTIONS, GOING DEEP ( ½ hour) and HYDROGEN HOPES (1/2 hour).

I hope this helps,

Love to Teach and Teach with Passion

Remember...It's not Magic, It's Science

http://qp.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/rey_kinney
richardkinney@cusd.com