From: Eve Katuna <katunae@loki.cofc.edu>
Subject: Re: Topics for discussion
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 15:49:02 -0500
I teach 8th grade;most of my class time is spent doing cooperative activities involving higher order thinking skills. I also have all of my classes maintain a journal. I will assign thea topic or a problem, and I expect a 4 paragraph three sentence minimun reply. I always try to find an assignment that will cause them to problem solve- One that was given to my Regular Science classes was- How do the following use topographic maps: aviator, farmer, highway engineer, and army sargeant. There was another occupation, but I think that you will see what I mean. This was only given to regular science students; a much more challenging assignment was given to the Honors Section. They have a journal entry each week. They are so used to it that as they enter my room, they place their journals in an assigned place before they are seated. I give them written feedback, and I always try to compliment their work. Students are expected to turn in a formal lab report after each and every activity. They know the format; it sometimes includes graphs/data tables. Activities are taught in the 6th grade as well in a cooperative setting. Right now I am teaching Chemistry. My students are finishing their KidSat project. They have another project due at the end of the month for Exploravision which is sponsored by Toshiba. Students are allowed to work in groups of 3 or 4. Our sixth graders are doing the Invention Convention. They must make an invention, or improve an already existing one. Hope that some of this answers your questions. since you mentioned degrees, I have a Specialist degree in Science (Masters plus 30 in Science) Eve >I am interested in all three topics that you listed. As a home school >mother who has a bachelor's in music/English, and Masters in Ed (Music), >I am new to teaching science. Since that is one of my son's favorite >subjects, and I can't find a tutor for him, I would like to get ideas >for teaching science. (Grade 5/6, "higher level thinking") What do the >experts do? Technical writings? How much graph work? How much in the >line of "experiments"? Does this age group generally have access to a >high powered microscope? telescope? ideas for astonomy, palentology, >aerodynamics? I could use a lot of ideas. (We do Science by Mail with >a small science club, JASON--when they get their curriculum ready for >this year, a 5th grade Silver-Burdett text, plus a lot of supplements. >Have done AMES 1st project in grade 5-and-up book (last year). He's not >real crazy about the record keeping or writing. Of course, I know >that's important. How much do you folks recommend in that department? >He does very well with whatever the task is. L. Donahue >Stephanie Wong wrote: >> >> Let's start the actual discussing in this list. What would you like to talk >> about? >> >> Topics for Discussion >> ---------------------- >> -curriculum >> -Quest projects >> -teaching techniques >> -etc., etc., etc. Eve Katuna (katunae@loki.cofc.edu) Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It's lent to you by your children. Anonymous If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants. Isaac Newton