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 14, Day 2: Be Flexible...and have a back up plan.

Even Block: Today was a catch-up day for my even classes. This due to the goof up with the wrong test answer sheet and jumping ahead a day giving them the benchmark test.

Sometimes things don't go as you plan and you have a class looking at you for direction. You may need a few minutes to work out the problem. When this happens I have students work on the next homework assignment or project. ALWAYS HAVE THIS TO FALL BACK ON. Always have them DO SOMETHING...but do not waste their time.

It is real easy to let your frustration be thrown at your students by being grumpy or snapping at them. It's not their fault you misplanned. Be cool, and flexible.

As I had students get a head start on their homework (Solar System Vocabulary Logograph[picture] flash cards) I set up a quick FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT SURVEY. I had them read some facts about the planets. On white boards I wrote the name of each planet, except Earth. Then I had students go stand by their favorite planet, talk to the others in their group and list 1 reason why they like that planet. It was fun and I gave an interesting fact about each planet as they shared their reason.

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

Week 4 Day 4 Making Adjustments, Part 1

-Rethinking Note taking.

Economic downturn has hit our school district and the most recent evidence of this is ALMOST NO PAPER!!! I am having to reduce the amount of paper I use by about 90 percent.

Wow. This means that I have been using way more paper than I needed to FOR YEARS! I no longer have the luxury of printing notes for my kids to take onto their notebooks, nor running off academic openers for them or lots of worksheets or graph paper on the back of their labs.

I THINK THIS IS KIND OF A GREAT EXERCISE IN CREATIVITY on my part and will force the students to do more work by writing more. This may even improve the handwriting of the boys from chicken scratch to hieroglyphics.

We are starting the first chapter in our book; Motion. In place of a whole bunch of worksheets we used to work on together I went over 3 new vocabulary words (reference point , vector, and displacement) and I gave them a ruler and we drew and labeled each part on the board, then I gave them 4 practice problems to work out the vectors into a plot showing the displacement. Then we changed gears and set up their class folders. The timing was good, not too long and they had something to do other than just take notes.

IT WAS SO COOL TO DO THIS…I FELT LIKE …LIKE…LIKE A TEACHER.

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