I have been given a sort of mandate as the sixth grade science teacher: Increase science instruction hours, breadth, and depth. As this mandate has been embraced and achieved, our students have experienced both the benefits and the burden of the increased focus on science. The content knowledge that they have acquired is significant, the scientific study skills that they practice are critical, and the life lessons regarding the interworking of our planet will linger in their minds forever. All of our lessons in the formation of our planet, the changing face of the Mother Earth, our dwindling natural resources, and the interconnectivity between nature and mankind have lately turned my thoughts to the learning that is taking place in our science program. What we are discovering in Earth Science is about more than Pangaea, volcanoes, and petroleum. We are learning that science is a part of our daily lives – not something that is done, but something that is lived.
The September 2009 issue of ASCD’s Educational Leadership magazine outlines the great ideas of science, the eighteen concepts that our students need to digest in order to be scientifically literate. Here’s what we, the lifelong learners, need to understand:
1. The universe is regular and predictable.
2. Energy is conserved and always goes from more useful to less useful forms.
3. Electricity and magnetism are two aspects of the same force.
4. All matter is made of atoms.
5. Everything comes in discrete units, and you can't measure anything without changing it.
6. Atoms are bound by electron glue.
7. The way a material behaves depends on how its atoms are arranged.
8. Nuclear energy comes from the conversion of mass.
9. All matter is made of quarks and leptons.
10. Stars live and die.
11. The universe was born at a specific time in the past, and it has been expanding ever since.
12. Every observer sees the same laws of nature in operation.
13. The surface of the earth is constantly changing.
14. The earth operates in many cycles.
15. All living things are made from cells, the chemical factories of life.
16. All life is based on the same genetic code.
17. All forms of life evolved by natural selection.
18. All life is connected.
Each concept is important in its own right, but I would be remiss if I didn’t comment on just a few of these ideas. No. 2 illustrates a connection to global warming, a critical focus amongst our students and Eco Club members. Regarding Item 2, the article’s authors, James Trefil and Wanda O'Brien-Trefil, state, “This idea helps us understand such concepts as global warming (energy captured by greenhouse gases has to go somewhere—in this case, to warming the planet) and explains why, when we burn coal, two-thirds of its energy will be dumped into the environment as waste heat.” As we come off of our studies of the Earth’s nonrenewable resources, this idea seems particularly poignant. Items 13 and 14 are of significance for 6th Graders, as well. Regarding No. 13, the authors state, “This idea encompasses plate tectonics, our current dynamic picture of the earth, and the notion—surprising to many people—that everything is impermanent, from mountains to oceans.” Regarding the Earth’s cycles, an understanding of the rock cycle, water cycle, etc., will prompt students to better understand and respond to such environmental concerns as acid rain, the expanding hole in the ozone layer, and aforementioned global warming.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, as No. 18 states, all life is interconnected. If we do not understand the complex web of ecosystems that exist on our planet, we will be doomed to miss the opportunity to best manage our planet both now and in the future. We rely on each other for health and safety. We rely on the Earth’s resources for sustainability. We rely on all creatures – great and small – as we live out our days on the big blue third rock from the sun.
Scientific literacy does not begin or end in the sixth grade, we are on a lifelong trajectory of science education and exploration. The Earth is our classroom, and it is always open for business.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Finals and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
As we traverse through our academic careers, we are met with the challenges of weekly quizzes, coordination and completion of group projects, the research and writing of term papers, and the daunting task of taking final exams. For our sixth graders, the concept of finals is a new one, but they recently completed their second round of these tests and closed another trimester with scholastic and personal growth. While finals may strike fear in the hearts of some, they are a reality as we move through middle school, high school, and college. Our sixth grade exams are a kinder, gentler introduction to the world of finals... and tigers, and bears, oh my!
It’s no easy task, recalling, revisiting, and re-digesting a trimester worth of curricular content in five disparate subject areas. Students are asked to master concepts and process information in Mathematics, Ancient History, Earth Science, Grammar, and Reading/Vocabulary. They prepare themselves for five straight days of tests with a plethora of note cards, outlines, review questions, and textbooks that get scoured for the umpteenth time. They meet in study groups, seek out instructors during recess, quiz one another, and conduct further research. As the students bone up on subject matter, they are actually learning about themselves at the same time. The study and exam process is truly an invitation to metacognition, an understanding of one’s own thought processes. This opportunity to understand self is just as valuable as the acquisition of academic knowledge.
In the end, the students’ experience with finals is not solely about processing content or earning top grades. The outcome or end product of the final exam experience is one of self-discovery and awareness, learning that we live in a world of interconnectivity. The information that we acquire through schooling and daily life is tapped into repeatedly. What we learn in History class applies to stories that are shared in Reading. What we discuss in Science may reveal itself again in Mathematics. What we learn in September is still important in March. Knowledge is not left at the classroom door when we clock out at 3:15 p.m. each Friday. When a quiz is passed, the information does not pass from our lives. Our little nuggets of knowledge collect in a treasure trove of understanding. The human mind is a powerful thing, and it retains information and makes new connections in the blink of an eye. For our students, information is absorbed like a sponge. The synapses of memory and experiences fire at remarkable rates as they gain knowledge and watch their calendar days fall away.
As our students continue to progress through their academic careers, they will encounter more tigers and bears… and finals. But, oh my, they will be ready for all of them.
It’s no easy task, recalling, revisiting, and re-digesting a trimester worth of curricular content in five disparate subject areas. Students are asked to master concepts and process information in Mathematics, Ancient History, Earth Science, Grammar, and Reading/Vocabulary. They prepare themselves for five straight days of tests with a plethora of note cards, outlines, review questions, and textbooks that get scoured for the umpteenth time. They meet in study groups, seek out instructors during recess, quiz one another, and conduct further research. As the students bone up on subject matter, they are actually learning about themselves at the same time. The study and exam process is truly an invitation to metacognition, an understanding of one’s own thought processes. This opportunity to understand self is just as valuable as the acquisition of academic knowledge.
In the end, the students’ experience with finals is not solely about processing content or earning top grades. The outcome or end product of the final exam experience is one of self-discovery and awareness, learning that we live in a world of interconnectivity. The information that we acquire through schooling and daily life is tapped into repeatedly. What we learn in History class applies to stories that are shared in Reading. What we discuss in Science may reveal itself again in Mathematics. What we learn in September is still important in March. Knowledge is not left at the classroom door when we clock out at 3:15 p.m. each Friday. When a quiz is passed, the information does not pass from our lives. Our little nuggets of knowledge collect in a treasure trove of understanding. The human mind is a powerful thing, and it retains information and makes new connections in the blink of an eye. For our students, information is absorbed like a sponge. The synapses of memory and experiences fire at remarkable rates as they gain knowledge and watch their calendar days fall away.
As our students continue to progress through their academic careers, they will encounter more tigers and bears… and finals. But, oh my, they will be ready for all of them.
Monday, March 8, 2010
New Resident of the Blogosphere
So, I am setting up shop here in Blogsville, and I am enjoying the process -- setting up a profile, adding gadgets, fine-tuning colors and layouts, uploading images, and so forth. I've even met some of the neighbors. Crossing Chalk and Murphblog have been welcoming, both educators and writers who have mastered the online creative realm. As for this junior statesman of Blogsville, so far so good. I am a little concerned about the neighborhood home owner's association though... As the neighbors warned me, there is a huge allotment of time required to truly gain full membership in the web log club. As a teacher, TV producer, hopeful picture book author, husband, and self-proclaimed jack-of-all-trades, I hope to squeeze out enough time to fold Blogger.com into my loaded life.
Like they say in real estate, it's all about location, location, location. I hope my students, friends, and new neighbors can find me tucked away into this ever-expanding population of web writers. I think Bache's Box is situated nicely between the political pundits, witty writers, and Googling gardeners of the web. We'll see what the foot traffic is like as I improve my curb appeal and property value with quality blog entries and useful links. Like any invested homeowner, I'll put in some elbow grease in an effort to keep my equity in the black.
Welcome to the neighborhood!
Like they say in real estate, it's all about location, location, location. I hope my students, friends, and new neighbors can find me tucked away into this ever-expanding population of web writers. I think Bache's Box is situated nicely between the political pundits, witty writers, and Googling gardeners of the web. We'll see what the foot traffic is like as I improve my curb appeal and property value with quality blog entries and useful links. Like any invested homeowner, I'll put in some elbow grease in an effort to keep my equity in the black.
Welcome to the neighborhood!
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