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Showing posts with label scientific process. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scientific process. Show all posts

Finding Ways to Write in Science Class

Need to find ways to add science into your day? Why not find ways to write in science! Not only does science writing help children synthesize and process, but it allows them to communicate their learning with others. Don't just limit writing to your language arts lessons...Here are some ideas as to how to find ways to add writing during your science lessons.


Why we should look at writing in science...

1. Let's build content area

2. Let's model our writing after scientists

3.  Let them practice thinking and absorbing specific concepts and content

4. By writing their observations, we can allow them to write without the anxiety

5. It allows teachers to help students use prompts to start their thoughts

6. Students learning to reflect is important to be able to allow them to empower them as thinkers

Top 10 Kindergarten through fifth grade ideas on how to do this...

1. Anchor chart creation and then send them back to draw and write a connection

2. Ticket out the door ideas

3. Constructed response tests

4. science notebooks

5. Have them write beyond summarizing...use DOK or Bloom's higher level questions using sentence starters. Grab your free sentence starters here!

6. Make thinking visible (put it up around the room, add it to the anchor chart, put it on a bulletin board...)

7. Use the CORE model...connect, organize, reflect, extend

8. Utilize graphic organizers

9. Let them share what they wrote

10. Use sites such as Flipgrid to have students share what they learned, video their responses, and/or share their work with you and with their classmates

Knowing that science has always been a bit harder to find time for in busy days of school...using your writing block might be another great strategy for finding time to not only write, but add science to your day! 
Simple Idea Alert!
Grab a book you are going to read to them, create a fun STEM project, and tie in a science concept and you have another great way to tie writing into your day as well. For example, in the picture below, we read Humpty Dumpty, we create a stable wall for Humpty to balance on, made walls out of tape and paper and then wrote about what we learned. Three subjects, one simple activity!

Whether it is a small station, an experiment or demonstration, students can utilize their writing skills in so many ways that apply to your science lessons! Pick one idea from this post and give it a try. 

Need more ideas? Join me at Whole Teacher EclecticCon 2020 where over 50+ presenters will help you get ready for next year whether we are in school or distance learning. Classes for mental health, core curriculum, technology connections, social justice and more! Find out more about it here!

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Scientific Process and M & M's

Teaching science is such a great job! I get to create, explore, discover, build and so much more every day along with my students! One of the most important concepts that I need to cover to start off each year with success is to teach the scientific process.

It's hard to believe that we are over a month into a new school year, but this time I had to plan for a new group of students to join me in my NEW science room! This year, I wanted to create something that could start off my FOSS Variables Unit that would capture their attention...help them discover new vocabulary...and get them thinking!

Why teach the Scientific Process at the beginning of the School Year?
The scientific process or scientific method is the foundation of science and what all content that you teach builds off of. Take for example my first FOSS Magnetism and Electricity lesson. The students explore and learn what a magnet is and what it is attracted to. By using the scientific method...we ask a question...(What is attracted to a magnet?)  Scientists are naturally curious about the world around them. Let the students then form questions! Once they do that they can form a hypothesis...conduct and experiment, and then analyse the data and draw conclusions!  Presto! You have the process laid out for them!

Again, this sets the foundation for all of your questions and experiments that follow!

What are the parts of the Scientific Process?
1. Purpose/Question: State the purpose or question you want to answer.
2. Research: Find out more about the topic.
3. Hypothesis: Predict the outcome of the problem/question.
4. Experiment: Develop procedures to test your hypothesis.
5. Analysis: Record the results of the experiment.
6. Conclusion: Compare the hypothesis with your results and come up with a conclusion based on your results. It is always a bonus to share what others have found out as well!

How can I help my students to understand the process?
There are some great ideas out there. I love Pinterest, but here are some ideas that I implement in my classroom:
  • post the scientific process in the room to refer back to it every time there is an experiment.
  • have students post the scientific process in their notebooks to refer back to.
  • a "hook" lesson to get them excited about learning the process!
  • QR code review game to check for understanding
  • a video that shares the vocabulary that we are learning (I included the video I use in class below)

Where can you get your M & M pack? Follow the link right here to help you teach the scientific process or to add to your Variable Unit today!

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