The End of Science Methods (Final Blog Entry)

Wow, we learned so much this semester in Science Methods! It's so weird that the semester ended so quickly-- I feel like we just begun!


Throughout the course of the semester, I read our textbook weekly. One of my favorite chapters was the chapter on the balloon experiment that we did in class. I loved that we implemented this chapter into the classroom through this activity, and it was such a fun one! I also liked learning about the constructivist view of education.


There were so many memorable activities that we did this semester, but the two that stood out to me the most were the science circus and the jigsaw activity. I liked the science circus because I enjoyed designing an experiment with my group, and participating in all the other group's activities. This class was so much fun, and I would definitely use this in my future classroom. The students would learn so much from this activity and have fun at the same time. Another activity that stood out to me was the Jigsaw activity. I gained so much from this activity, especially because I was able to teach others. Standing up in front of a whole class of my peers still intimidates me, so I really enjoyed doing this in smaller groups. I would definitely use this activity in my classroom in the future because I feel that students would gain so much knowledge from teaching each other.


I was able to grow professionally through so many aspects of this course, and I can't thank my professor enough for these opportunities. The main activities that enabled me to grow as a professional I believe were microteaching and fieldwork. I was able to teach an entire group of my peers a lesson about space sense, and it was great to get their positive feedback-- especially because of how nervous I was. I also grew professionally through fieldwork this semester. I love fieldwork because it allows me to get a feel for what grade I would like to teach in the future, and I get my first feel for how students learn. I really enjoyed working with the 5th grade class and I would love to teach 4th or 5th grade in the future, it's such a great age group. My favorite part of fieldwork was teaching the 5th grade class in its entirety, rather than just teaching my student alone. This was my first experience teaching an entire elementary school class, and it brought nothing but positive feedback. I was so nervous at first, but I loved working with the students and seeing them so excited about learning. It's so sad to see a student not interested in learning, so it's important to integrate fun experiments into the learning environment. 


I loved the school environment that we were placed in this semester. I love that Bishop Dunn is such a small school because it allows for the students to get to know their teachers and administration more personally, and vice versa. A school like Bishop Dunn is definitely my ideal placement for where I would like to teach in the future. 


I gained so much knowledge from observing and working with Mrs. Benfer's 5th graders this semester. When I was in elementary school, science was definitely not my strong point and it really intimidated me. I was very quiet in class, and did not like participating. My entire class acted pretty much the same way. But when I first stepped into Mrs. Benfer's classroom, I noticed right off the bat that her students were the exact opposite of how I was in 5th grade. They were all really outgoing, and the majority of the class participated when she would ask questions. It was great to see the students so excited about science.


When working with the 5th graders, my group created a chemical reaction lesson based on inquiry. Before beginning the lesson, we asked the students some basic questions on inquiry, and they didn't seem to have much knowledge on the topic. But once we mentioned the Scientific Method, they knew everything! I think it's important that I teach these topics hand-in-hand in the future, because they are somewhat similar.


Even though the E-folio was very time consuming, I would much rather complete an E-folio than take a long, comprehensive, cumulative final. The e-folio seemed a little overwhelming at first, but as long as you stay on task throughout the semester (like I did), they shouldn't be bad at all. I compiled all of my information together, and made changes to what my professor asked that I made changes to. It wasn't like I had to completely re-do an assignment. I believe we still gained the same knowledge that we would have from taking a final exam, but we were able to do so in a much more unique and modern format. I didn't particularly like any student's e-folio over another student's because I truly enjoyed everyones. There were so many cool ways that we could have formatted our e-folio, and everyone took up that opportunity. I learned that everyone is creative in their own unique way, and I enjoyed designing my e-folio, as well as seeing all of my peers' e-folios.

Oodles of Oobleck!

Some people may see the green stuff on my hand in this picture and think it's gross slime-- but it's not. What is it, you ask? Oobleck, of course! Oobleck is a material that I experimented with in my Language Arts Methods class. We used this in Language Arts Methods because it allowed for us to go from speaking to writing in the classroom. In an actual elementary classroom setting, the lesson would go as followed:

1. Perform an Experiment

2. Introduce Key Vocabulary

3. Teacher Guided Reporting

4. Journal Writing

In my journal, I wrote that the oobleck is a really cool, unique, viscous substance. It's messy and slimy, because at some times its a solid and sometimes it's a liquid. The oobleck is solid when you apply pressure and it is liquid when it is in motion. I like that we experimented with this substance in class because I never really knew that something could act as both a solid and a liquid at the same time.

We did this activity a few weeks ago in class, and I thought it would go perfect with a science lesson. In the handout that our teacher gave us, it said "'Oobleck', named for the mysterious green substance described in the Dr. Seuss classic Bartholomew and the Oobleck, is a non-newtonian fluid meaning it doesn't follow Newton's laws of motion. A non-newtonian fluid (like oobleck or silly putty) has a different viscosity depending on the force applied. By contrast, newtonian fluid (like water) have a constant viscosity at a given temperature. No matter how fast you stir them they never get thicker or thinner".

Oobleck is a mixture of cornstarch and water. Because it's a mixture of a solid and a liquid, it takes on the properties of both, and winds up behaving in unpredictable ways.  In liquids, the bonding between molecules is weak, which allows the molecules to easily flow past one another and rearrange, giving liquids their characteristic properties. In solids, the bonding between molecules is much stronger. The molecules cannot be easily rearranged, so the solid keeps its shape. 

In oobleck, the cornstarch molecules are very large, allowing for them to form long chains. The water molecules are much smaller, so they flow past each other and between the cornstarch molecules so that the chains slide and flow around each other. This explains why oobleck behaves like a liquid when it's not under pressure. When you squeeze or press on the oobleck, the water is temporarily forced out of the mixture and the starch molecules are pressing against each other, causing the mixture to behave like a solid.

I really enjoyed playing with Oobleck in class, and I think that I would definitely use it in my future science classroom. Even though it made a mess, it explains a great science theory that would be beneficial for the students to learn, and they would have fun at the same time. 

Here is a video that we watched in class. Even though the video isn't in English, it shows a really cool way of playing with Oobleck. Enjoy! :)

 

 

Micro Teaching Comes to an End

Throughout the semester, our class was given the task of Micro Teaching the students in our class. We were to choose from topics that would be covered in class, and present giving the "anticipatory set" of the lesson. After each student completed their micro teaching presentation, we were all asked to give professional feedback in the form of "3 Pluses and a Wish". Here is my feedback for each student's presentation.


Kira:
+ the wordle that you used was a creative and unique idea. I really liked it!
+ I liked how you had each student pick out a word, it was a good way of getting the entire class to actively participate.
+ I also liked how you used words that we've already learned about so far, it was a great review.
wish: no wish, great job!


Katharine:
+ You were very enthusiastic about the topic, you already sound just like a teacher!
+ I like how you had each table do a different activity involving the rocks.
+ Great conclusion, I like how you summarized what the point of the lesson was.
wish: no wish, great job! 


Amanda G and Alicia:
+ you were both comfortable and confident
+ you both spoke at a good volume
+ you both maintained eye contact with the class throughout your presentation.
wish: no wish, great job!


Veronica:
+ This was such a great idea! I love that you brought a live animal into class
+ You encouraged students to ask questions
+ This was an engaging activity.
wish: no wish


Jessica and Catherine:
+ great way of introducing this week's topic to the class

+ I loved that you prepared the lesson on the smart board, great use of technology!
+ you were both comfortable and confident with talking in front of the class.
wish: no wish 

Dana and Nicole:

+ I loved that technology was incorporated so the lesson was more interesting
+ I also really liked the vortex activity on the SmartBoard, I think that elementary students would really enjoy it.
+ Great wrap-up at the end. I liked that you asked if anyone had questions or further explanations of anything.
wish: no wish, great job!

Stephanie and Clarisa:

+ good knowledge of the topic and great way of introducing what we were doing for the day.
+ kept eye contact with the students the whole time
+ great use of technology with the SmartBoard
wish: more confidence! you both seemed a little nervous but still did a great job!

Alyssa and Amanda B:

+ Great enthusiasm
+ You projected your voices really well
+ Concept cartoons were a really cute idea and attention grabber
no wish

Jess and Jackie:

+ great use of the puzzle.. it served as a good problem for the students to solve
+ I liked how the puzzle was interactive
+ cute way of introducing life science
no wish

Amy and Ashley:

+ good eye contact and volume
+ I liked the games that were provided, especially jeopardy. Students would really enjoy this!
+ good use of smart board
no wish

Joyce & Stephanie:

+ I like how you had the students partake in a class discussion
+ Really liked the video.
+ You provided good questions
No wish, great job!

Kaitlin:

+ I loved the video!
+ You kept the class engaged throughout the length of your presentation through asking questions
+ I liked that your presentation served as a review.
No wish


Sandra & Jennifer:
+ Very informative presentation!
+You were both very knowledgeable of the topic
+ You had the class engaged and paying attention the entire time.
wish: I wish the powerpoint worked for you guys =/


Nicole & Kathryn:
+Great way of tying everything from the course together
+ I like how you incorporated a prezi, they're so much more interesting than just a regular PowerPoint
+ Kept the class engaged through questioning
wish: I wish you could have spoken a little bit louder and confidently at times, but overall great presentation!



Overall, I really enjoyed the micro teaching experience. I learned so much this semester from just micro teaching alone. I can't wait to use all of the tools that my classmates showed me throughout the semester in my classroom in the future! :) 

Seeds & Earthworms!

What experiences, if any, did you have with planting seeds, indoors or outside? 

I don't really have many experiences with planting seeds recently, but I do remember planting seeds in styrofoam cups in elementary school! (Just like in the picture below). I have also planted seeds in a few of my mom's gardens over the years but nothing ever turned out to be too exciting.

What do you think it means to be “ alive”? 

In order for something to be alive, I think it has to be able to breathe. A lot of living things also move, but I think the true basis for something to be living would be the ability to breathe.

What is the point of a class science exploration that takes days or weeks to complete?

I believe that the point of a science class exploration that takes day or weeks to complete is to allow the students to observe how things change over time. I used to love doing experiments like these in elementary school! 

How does working with a partner or small group affect your learning experience? 

I really enjoy working with partners or small groups. Working with others enables the group to come up with a whole wealth of information, rather than just one person's opinions or observations. Its a great way of seeing other people's points of view.

What is your reaction when you encounter earthworms? 

When I was younger, I was actually quite fascinated by earthworms. Well, not by the earthworms themselves-- but the fact that they would show up right after rain! Now, if I see them on the sidewalk or in the street while I'm walking, it doesn't really bother me but I suppose if I were to get real close to one I would be pretty grossed out. I wouldn't want to touch one either, ew !

Have you ever handled a worm? what was your reaction?

To my knowledge, I have never handled a worm. I might have when I was really young, but I can't remember. In 7th or 8th grade I remember having to dissect worms, but the smell was really grossing me out and I was afraid so I let my lab partner do all the dirty work.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

The popular saying, "April showers bring May flowers", definitely came into play this month. As we're nearing the end of the month, I noticed that although it is still raining a bit, it's not raining all day every day like it had been earlier in the month. Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous! I spent my Easter Sunday at my Aunt's house in Long Beach, New York, and it was so nice out that we were able to walk the boardwalk along the beach. It did rain at night, but it was nice to not have it raining all day like it had been all month! It's been really nice out all day today too, and is definitely starting to look a lot like May with the warmer weather and some flowers blooming a bit early. I love days like these :)

21 Things That Will Be Obsolete by 2020

Read the Article Here!

This article was so interesting! Dr. Smirnova posted a link to it on our Science Teacher Lounge Forum, and it caught my attention right away. The article listed 21 things that will no longer be used 9 years from now.


Of the things that are going to be obsolete by 2020, there were a few things listed in the article that didn't really surprise me. A few of these things are desks, the role of standardized tests in college admissions, paperback books, education schools that fail to integrate technology, paper, and differentiated instruction as a sign of a distinguished teacher. These aspects didn't really come as a shock to me because a lot of classrooms that I have observed have tables rather than desks, and if they do have desks they're never really in the traditional row set up. Standardized tests like the SAT aren't as important anymore, paperbacks aren't being used as much anymore due to E-readers, and differentiated instruction is extremely important so it makes sense that teachers who do not differentiate their instruction to meet the needs of individual learners will not have jobs. The part about paper becoming obsolete didn't surprise me either because getting rid of paper is an essential way of "going green". Everything that's integrated in our Science Methods class that would normally be on paper is all integrated online through technology. Although it was a lot to get used to, I definitely like this method because its a great way of "going green" and helping the environment.

One part that particularly stood out to me was the section on homework. The article said that by 2020 homework will not exist! I truly can't imagine a world without homework. I also found the section on computers to be interesting. It said that because computing has gone mobile , most computing will be via handhelds in the future. I never really thought of that before or put that into perspective, but its truly amazing how far technology has come!

Astronauts For The Day!

On Wednesday, April 20th I was given the task to micro teach the class with Bridget. Even though it was only a short presentation, I still always get nervous when I have to get up and talk in front of the whole class. We decided to base our presentation on space, and we found some really cool websites to go along with our presentation!


Before we showed the class the websites, I asked the students a few questions about space to pre-assess their knowledge! Some of these questions included:

• "Who are astronauts and what do they do?"
• "Who are some famous astronauts?"
• "Who was the first man on the moon?"
• "What is space?"
• "Can you name all or any of the planets?"

After I heard the students discussions about these questions, Bridget led the students by playing a game ! This was a game all about space sense, and the object was to get the rocket to blast off by answering the given questions correctly. Judging by the students' peer feedback, I think they really enjoyed the game! All the students actively participated, and it was a lot of fun. Sadly, we couldn't get the rocket to blast off because every time we got a wrong answer the game would restart. One thing Bridget and I could have done differently would be to get the correct answers prior to playing the game, that way we could enter the correct answers and get the rocket to blast off.

We also showed the students a website of a 3-D view of the solar system. This website was awesome! I really enjoyed it because you could see all different views of what the solar system looks like, and you could fast forward the time to see what the solar system would look like at a specific date and time. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the micro teaching experience. Thanks to each student's feedback in the form of Three Pluses and a Wish, we were able to see what they liked about the lesson, and what we could have done differently. Everyone seemed to really like our resources and how we delivered the lesson. This is something I will definitely use in my future classroom to get my students excited for learning about space!

Saying Goodbye to Mrs. Benfer's 5th Graders

Over the course of the past 3 weeks, our class was given the pleasure of working with a 5th grade class at Bishop Dunn Memorial School, right on our college's campus. At first I was a little nervous that we wouldn't have a fieldwork placement, but thanks to Dr. Smirnova everything worked out in the end! We all worked one on one with a student, and then during the last week we were given the opportunity to work in our groups and teach the class as a whole. Overall, the entire fieldwork experience was extremely beneficial and worthwhile! I was partnered with a student name Joaquin, who was very self sufficient and barely needed my help with anything. He was a bright kid who was very sweet, and I really enjoyed observing and working with him. Mrs. Benfer was extremely welcoming, and was always willing to help. I learned a lot about the different ways in which students learn, and was given tips for how to incorporate accommodations for exceptional learners. I truly enjoyed working with all the students; I'm going to miss Mrs. Benfer's class! 

Here is a picture of the class on our last day!

The MST Maniacs Take On Teaching!

On Monday April 4th, my group, the MST Maniacs, taught Mrs. Benfer's 5th graders a lesson on chemical reactions. We designed an experiment in which the students would combine seltzer and baking soda and observe the reaction taking place. The students used inquiry and the scientific method to determine which kind of reaction took place. It was great to see the students work together collaboratively and share their ideas with one another, and have fun while doing the experiment. I have to say, I was so nervous to be teaching for the first time. But once I got up there with my group, it wasn't bad at all. I really enjoyed the experience, and it was great to go around the room and work with each of the groups. This definitely gave me a feel for what I'll be doing in the future, and I'm glad Dr. Smirnova had us partake in this experience!

March 19th Moon Phase

March 15th - March 18th Moon Phase

March 11th - March 14th Moon Phase

March 7th - March 10th Moon Phase

March 3rd - March 6th Moon Phase

February 27th - March 2nd Moon Phase

February 23rd - 26th Moon Phase

February 19th - 22nd Moon Phase

February 15th - 18th Moon Phase

February 11th-14th Moon Phase

February 7th-10th Moon Phase

February 4th-6th Moon Phase

The Results Are In! StudyJams Kingdoms of Life Quiz :)

The 5 Living Kingdoms: A Jigsaw Activity

Over the past few weeks in science class, we studied living and nonliving organisms, which led to learning about the 5 Kingdoms. Dr. Smirnova split us up into 5 base groups, and in these groups we were each to choose one of the kingdoms. We learned that the 5 kingdoms were Monera, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, and Animalia. I chose Fungi as my topic. After each person in the class chose a kingdom to research, we split up into "expert" groups based on the topic that we chose. Then, during Spring Break, we researched our topic and collaborated with our expert group via Google Docs. This was great because we were able to use our peers' insight on the topic; not just our own. When we got back to school on Monday, we were all experts on our topic! It was now time to teach our base group members all about our topics. I actually really enjoyed doing this. Although it's more work on our part, I feel that we do actually learn a lot more; rather than listening to a lecture for the entire class time. Overall the activity was really fun! We learned so much valuable information. My only wish would be that we had a little more time.

A Circus? In Science Class?

"What exactly is a science circus?" was the first thing I thought when I heard we were having a science circus in class last week. I was actually a little intimidated at first, but then I realized a science circus is pretty similar to a science fair. Each of the groups in our class was to prepare a different activity based on the various types of science. My group, the MST Maniacs, had Life Science. We chose to create an activity based on ecosystems and food webs. It was pretty cool to see all the creative ideas that all the other groups had! There were various different hands on activities which were pretty neat. I think my favorite had to be the one on the moon phase with the marshmallows. Overall this was a really fun class (and a great thing to do on a Friday, too!). We all had a great time working together and moving from station to station to do all the different activities. I really hope to incorporate science circuses into my teaching in the future! :)

Meet the Matriarch of Modern Cancer Genetics!

Dr. Janet D. Rowley

Here is my article from The New York Times

I chose to use this article for my Science-in-the-News Review!

What Did I Think of Our Science-in-the-News Discussion?

Last week, our class was given an assignment in which we had to write a review on an article pertaining to science that we found in a newspaper. After we submitted our reviews on Moodle, we were given class time on Wednesday to discuss our articles. When I heard that we would all be discussing our articles in class, I didn't really think that it would be a lesson of my interest. But after class was over, and when I actually thought about what we had learned in class, I actually thought it was a pretty interesting activity. I liked how we all picked such different articles, and we were then able to classify what kind of science each article pertained to. Another thing I enjoyed was that we discussed our articles with our groups, and then one member had to describe each article to the class. This lesson shows that that group member had to partake in "Active listening". Instead of each of us telling the class about our article, one member had to pay attention to each members discussion. Rather than all of us only focusing on our own article, we were able to learn about a bunch of different topics in science, and what part of science they reside in. Even though it doesn't really seem like an interesting assignment, it was actually really beneficial! :)

Week 3 Reflections

“No matter how patiently I explain things to my students and no matter how often I repeat the explanations, I cannot learn for them.” 

I found this to be a very interesting quote from the chapter we covered in class this week. I think that this quote has to do with the theory of constructivism. Constructivists believe that in order to understand a concept, individuals must be engaged in the active process of making sense of their experiences. If a student just "knows" something, it doesn't necessarily mean that the student actually understands the concept. So basically students need to put their own effort in, and they can gradually understand ideas by turning them over in their minds and reflecting on their experiences. Students can not learn from simply having everything handed to them by their teachers; they need to be actively engaged and put in a substantial amount of effort in order to benefit from what they learn. I agree with the constructivist way of thinking, but I do believe that it's a little bit intimidating. I'm definitely a little bit scared that in the future, not all of my students are going to want to be active participants in the classroom. 

Another topic we discussed this week was whether or not students have written something on a test or essay just because we thought it was the answer the teacher wanted. And I have to say, I'm definitely guilty of doing this. I remember doing this mostly in middle school and the beginning of high school, but I haven't really done this recently. I think it is very common among students, especially if students don't understand a concept. I know that when I was younger, if I didn't understand something I would often just memorize everything, and then write it down on a test. But I definitely didn't benefit from this, because this was just straight memorization; and I wasn't able to get anything out of it. I know better than that now, and now if I don't understand something I will always ask questions, and I know to use my own opinion now on exams and essays, rather than just the teacher's opinion. I think if a student is able to formulate their own opinion on something, this shows that they were able to develop their own understanding and they can benefit greatly from that.

In the story "Icicles" in our text book, the teacher, Mr. Wilson, sat back and let his students form their own experiments and their own way of thinking. I believe that Mr. Wilson didn't want to correct the students' procedure because he wanted to give them the freedom to experiment. He wanted to act as a mediator for their experiment, rather than instructing them the entire time. Mr. Wilson probably believes that students learn better by having the freedom to be wrong and then exploring further until they are right. I agree with this theory, and definitely believe that students learn better by experimenting and trying to figure things out on their own. Then after experimenting if students still do not understand something, then the teacher would help them. But I think its always good to let students try on their own first.

One thing I am definitely looking forward to for when I become a teacher is being able to bring in various aspects of nature from where I live. During the fall I can see myself bringing in leaves that fall off the trees near my house. I can also have my students bring in leaves from where they live as well, and we can see who can find the biggest ones. During the spring we can do another activity with leaves and see all the different colors and the different types of trees the leaves fell off of. I can also bring in icicles in the winter, just like Mr. Wilson did. I think students will really enjoy these activities.

Finally we have a break from snow!

Wow it was almost 40 degrees here in Newburgh today! Its finally beginning to look and feel like spring will be coming soon! Because of the warmer temperature today, I noticed that the snow has been melting all over campus. It's nice to finally have a break from the freezing temperatures and all this snow! Hopefully we can actually see the grass soon, rather than all the snow covering the ground that has been here since Christmas. Looking out my window I've seen water dripping down all day, which means the snow on the roof and all the icicles are melting. I could not be happier!

My First Day as a Science Pioneer!

The first day of science class was a worthwhile experience where we had the time to reflect on our history and past experiences with science. Class began with our teacher introducing herself and sharing her background with the class, which is important when trying to develop a relationship between teachers and their students. We then made name cards to place on the spots where we sit, so Dr. Smirnova would learn our names better. When I become a teacher I'm definitely going to use name tags because I believe that they really help in trying to remember students names. I might even take pictures of my students on the first day and place those on the name cards as well. Next we broke off into teams and picked a team name. Our team came up with the name "MST Maniacs". We chose this name because we were given time to talk about our interests and what we had in common, and our team realized that we all took MST classes in the past. Two of our group members, Clarisa and Stephanie, are both math majors, and Bridget and I are IT majors, so the "MST Maniacs" fit us perfectly. We then reflected on our past science experiences by ourselves, and as a group, and we all said we thought a good science teacher has to be motivating, fun, and knowledgeable. In the future I am definitely going to be as motivating as possible to help engage my students in learning science, because often science is a subject of little interest to elementary aged children.

Chapter 2 Discussion Questions

Our text book spoke a lot about your "scientific self" in this chapter. I think the term “scientific self” means how a person sees themself as a scientist. This would pertain to a person’s opinion of science, whether they like it or not, and how they perform tasks scientifically. A person’s past experiences and history with science plays a big role in their “scientific self”.

I definitely think my previous science teachers’ attitudes about science have had an influence on my opinion of science in the past. I had a horrible science teacher in the sixth grade, and because of this teacher I did really bad in science that year. It also effected my views of science for the following years as well. This teacher was rude, boring, and she didn’t get excited about science. She never felt the need to motivate our class, so it was a very boring class for us. Thankfully I had great science teachers in high school, so my views on science have gotten a little bit better.

My drawing of a scientist shows that I think scientists are very knowledgeable people who do a lot of experiments. I know that scientists wear lab coats and do a lot of experiments with liquid in test tubes and beakers, so that was why I chose to draw them in the picture.

When it comes to women scientists, the only two that I can think of are Marie Curie, who was a chemist and Jane Goodall, who worked with chimpanzees.

I have many opportunities to explore nature every day. The easiest way to explore nature is simply when I walk around campus every day. I’m able to observe the trees, animals, the snow on the ground, as well as the mountains across the river

My Sketch of a Typical Scientist

I used Google Drawing to draw my scientist!

This is my sketch of what I think a typical scientist would look like. I used google drawing because it was what seemed easiest to me, since I use a Mac computer and do not have the "paint" program. I usually see scientists wearing white lab coats and goggles, so I was sure to include those. I also added a test tube and a beaker into the drawing because those are common items that scientists use. Once I finished my drawing, I noticed one thing: I made my scientist a man. I think this is interesting because when most people think of a scientist, they probably think of a man, rather than a woman. I don't understand why women aren't more involved in the field of science. But then again, there are some very famous women scientists, such as Marie Curie. I hope you liked my drawing!

Chapter 1 Discussion Questions

Science is known as a process, a set of ideas, and a way of thinking. Science as a way of thinking includes a desire to find evidence to support statements, as well as an open-mindedness and willingness to change one's mind when confronted with new evidence. An example of someone exhibiting a scientific way of thinking would be having different groups of students working on an experiment. During the experiment each group would receive and analyze information, and at the end of the experiment each group would compare their conclusions with one another.

A time when I had a significant misconception about the way things worked was when I drove for the first time. I thought that I was supposed to drive with both feet, but my way of thinking was changed when I was taught in drivers ed that it’s dangerous to drive with both feet.

It’s important for students to not only recite what they have learned, but to also demonstrate what they have learned in a new context because we learn science by doing science. So if a student is having trouble with something they just learned, they might have a better chance of grasping a concept by actually demonstrating it. So rather than learning by just seeing something, its important to learn by doing something as well.

Technology always helps me a lot when I learn. One way in which technology has helped me learn is by using power points. I think I learn better from power points rather than just by copying down notes off the board because power points are colorful and more exciting than regular notes. So when taking notes from a power point, I am able to pay closer attention and learn more.