Week 16, Day 1: Borax Crystal Lab

ODD BLOCK PERIOD: Begin the Crystal Growing Lab and while waiting begin to watch FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON :PART 5 "SPIDER"

Here are the materials for the lab

Here are the finished crystals on their pipe cleaner bases.

Here are the crystals the next morning. You pour out the Borax solution (3 tablespoons Borax in 8oz of Hot water) the morning after and let them dry a day.

It's fun and meets the state chemistry standards for crystals

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

Week 15, Day 5: Ellipse Lab and oops.

EVEN BLOCK SCHEDULE: Reviewed the Light-Year and A.U. homework assignment and tried the ellipse lab.  In Honors science did WHAT'S YOUR SIGN Astronomy reading passage and CONTACT video clip.

The ellipse lab went pretty well period 2.  Just got it done.  As is usually the case, the first time you do the lab you find out had to present it and set it up and make it flow.  Period 4 did not go so well.  I got it started too late. We barely had time to get the materials.  I saw this coming and went ahead anyway.  I should have just stopped the lab and had them work on homework.

The last column shows how many days of the year the sun is in the constellations listed.

In Honors Science I read an article from SKY AND TELESCOPE called "What's Your Sign?". It's about using Astrology Sun signs to get people to learn some Astronomy. It's very interesting and you learn a buch of astronomy.  It's on my school website home page under Notes and Major Assignment and then Reading Passages. After the reading passage students look at their star charts, then learn stellar navigation and then we watch the contact scene from the movie CONTACT.
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

Week 15, Day 4: Rally day and How to Study for a Test

ODD BLOCK SCHEDULE: Shorter Period for Rally schedule. Took vocabulary quiz and barely had time to get homework reviewed.  We did get some notes taken.

I realized that I often said to my students, "Study for your test". Many kids don't know how. I threw a few ideas down and then asked for input from our staff. Below is the document we came up with. It's on the bottom of my school website.  See link below.

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

Week 15, Day 3: I got all caught up.

EVEN BLOCKSCHEDULE: Vocabulary Quiz for the solar system, go over homework and start notes on solar system. Ellipse lab



What the heck happened?  I'm charging along this week as usual and all of a sudden today I was 100% caught up...or at least no longer behind.

My 15 year old son has been my chief assistant for years.  He enters grades in my grade book for me.  Saves me quite a bit of time.

Cutting back on the hours for Science Olympiad has helped me get caught up.

I added some diagarms to my Vocabulary quiz. I drew them then scanned them, then used a neat graphics capture tool from Jing.com copy and paste them into the document. It is a good quiz.

I Honors Sceince i did the elipse lab. It was fun. They are the faithful.  We'll see how it goes with the regular kids.

Rally tomorrow.

Week 15, Day 2: So much for planning

ODD BLOCK schedule: Reviewed the Solar Flare/Solar Facts H.W. and Started the solar system notes and the LIGHTYEARS AND AU'S homework.

Here is a photo of a student's foldable notes that they took home and re-did. looks nice

Today's Best Practice: Make your quizes have 2 versons and make them on ONE sheet of paper, that way you have only one sheet to run off and not two.

This was not a real fun day.  I went for the ellipse kit lab only to find it gone.  I gave the string to a colleague and either did not get it back OR I did not put it away so I could not start the lab.  Also I spent so much time going over the homework that we would not have time for the lab anyway.

I have spent a lot of time at lunchs and after school being there for the Science Olympiad team members.  A few kids and ALL of my time.  I feel rushed and behind in planning, grading, and creating new stuff.

I did make a new solar system vocab quiz that I am proud of...ahhh...got AM duty this week CCCOOOOOLLLD so I gotta get their early to run off the quiz.

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 15, Day 1: Planning and Planner

Even Block Period: Bill Nye Earth's Seasons, Score Force test, Begin Solar system notes.

I love Astronomy, but there are not a lot of labs to do if you have to get the unit done in a hurry. Going to try the elipse lab tomorrow.

Todays Best Practice: Make a custom Planner if you have a unique bell schedule.  We have and 8 period day with 88 minute periods alternating even then odd every other day. I like having all block.  I  make the lesson planner page show here then go to our techer center and put in plastic bindings. I take a yearly staff picture and make it the new cover of my lesson planner, its a neat way to see how the dept changes over the years.

As I plan  I high light in yellow anything I need to get printed up or create. After I have it printed or made I cover the yellow highlight with pink or blue.

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 14, Day 5: Student planners and opening class routine.

ODD BLOCK: Crafted foldable notes (see privious post), Students graded the non-benchmark Force and Motion Test, and either Began the Astronomy slide show or watched Bill Nye Earth's Seasons.

I send a boy outside and fill out a 'time out form" for defiance, and a young lady that would not hush-focus-work and I had her call her mother immeadiatly. both of these in one class. I needed to get caught up on a few things and Bill Nye saved me.

Today's best practice: Have daily Starter Tasks/Questions (Academic openers) and make the 1st item to update a calender (or planner) beginning of EVERY PERIOD. Pictured below is my Starters board( I have 3 sliding boards up front)

Our school long ago agreed that we will have our print shop produce a student calendar planner, which includes their hall pass on the back cover, and all teachers will have the following posted for daily use: STARTERS (ACADEMIC OPENER), LEARNING GOAL, HOMEWORK, PLAN FOR THE DAY.

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 14, Day 4: Foldable Flip Chart Notes

EVEN BLOCK: We crafted astronomy foldable notes, went over the force and motion benchmark test, and i checked off the Solar System Vocabulary Logo graph flip cards on to my seating chart.

Today's Best Practice: Foldable notes take less space, increase note density, are more organized and are FUN.

The picture below shows 3 things. On the bottom left is my class notebook showing the foldable notes real size. The top right is a large version of the notes from last year, i have added one more piece of paper this year resulting in 4 more section for notes. On the right are the labels to go in the notes. We still have to fill in the brackets with Inner/Outer planet facts.

We made these by stacking 4 sheets of lined paper (looks really cool with colored paper or highlighting tabs). We slid the top sheet up 1 or 2 lines, repeated for the rest. Folded the the top of the stack to the bottom. Stapled top of each side, folded in half vertically then cut up from the bottom to 1 inch from the top to separate inner from outer solar system.

Foldable notes have become fashionable in the past few years. I don't usually follow trends but this is a good one.

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 14, Day 3: Solar System Survey and a laugh

ODD BLOCK SCHEDULE: We created the foldable notes for the planets, reviewed the Force and Motion Benchmark test, and did a fun formative assessment stand by your favorite planet survey.

TODAY'S BEST PRACTICE: Do class surveys where all have to participate. Use thumbs up/Thumbs down. Use all stand up, now sit if ______, Or make signs in the room and go stand by your choice.

The photo shows the survey white board for Neptune, One of the posters for my word wall, and me 2 week assignments calendar

I really like the Astronomy unit. Kids like it too. The best part is when talking about the planets to mention that Saturn is so light compared to its mass that if you could put it in a giant bathtub it would FLOAT....but it will leave a BIG ring in the tub. Ha Ha Ha Ha.

I wont even mention the Uranus jokes...like what does toilet paper and STAR TREK have in common? They both circle Uranus looking for KLINGONS! L.O.L.

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 14, Day 1: Belated appreciation and surround yourself well.

ODD BLOCK: Spent the day in the library with students working on the Intro. to Astronomy Website search.

Today's Best Practice: Surround yourself with motivated colleagues that love what they do, stay away from the other type.

I love Astronomy. I wish class was held at night so we could go out and look at Jupiter in the western sky after sunset, Orion's Nebula anytime, and the fuzzy glow of the Andromeda Galaxy. Since class is not held at night the website above is a nice alternative.

A former student found my Facebook page and posted this: "...you were my favorite science teacher out of m entire public education and you're probably the only teacher who actually was interested in what he taught. Just though I'd let you know." So often our 8th graders are lost in the world of surviving middle school and don't always say thanks.

My first thought was how nice this is and thank-you.

My second thought was anger. WHY ARE SOME TEACHERS NOT TOTALLY IN TO WHAT THEY TEACH. For more on this go back to my very first post back in August.

My 3rd thought was that he must not have had Mr. Piercy in 7th grade life science nor Mr Lake in High School Physics. These two colleagues are 2 of my best friends and outstanding teachers.

Surround yourself with greatness. Hand out with excellent teachers. Don't spend your time around anyone that pulls our profession down (see my first Post in August).

As I look at my colleague friends they are ALL EXCELLENT teachers that Love what they do.(look at the my Einstein picture on the side bar)

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