You're As Cold as Ice

Welcome back to my science blog! This week's "Changes" lesson focused on ice. At the end of last week's lesson, we had the students watch as we filled an ice cube tray with water. We told them we were going to go put the tray into the freezer and asked them to think about what they predicted would happen to that water by the time we came back one week later.

Our students are really sharp, so I was not surprised that when we started this week's lesson by asking what they thought happened to the water, they all knew that it would turn into ice.

Our instructors this week were observing us and providing feedback on the following criteria: Lesson introduction, materials management, and connection to frameworks.

Well, right off the bat, Megan and I got a little nervous. We had planned an introduction that summarized what we did last week and reminded the students about a few key concepts, skills, and new information they had learned, and just as we were about to begin, the classroom teacher started talking about exactly what we were going to talk about! It required us to think quickly on our feet and readjust what we were going to talk about. Megan picked up exactly where the classroom teacher left off, and we smoothly transitioned from introduction to safety reminders to rules and overview of the activity.

The lesson plan we had for this week asked the students to figure out ways to melt an ice cube as quickly as possible. We didn't want to give them too much information for fear of giving away the answer, which is that in order to melt the ice cube, we need to introduce heat. But we also wanted to make sure they understood WHAT they were doing and WHY melting was happening, so it was a fine line to walk. We decided that we would make sure they understood that the water from last week turned into ice in the freezer because we removed the heat. We hoped this was enough of a clue without providing the answer.

We continued with one of our methods of classroom management by assigning roles to each of the students. By assigning one "material gatherer" from each group, we control how many kids go to the material center, and it helps keep the activity and excitement levels manageable. We assign the other partner in the group to be the "recorder", and that student is responsible for writing down their observations and filling out the data sheet. We use different stickers to indicate each role, and the students really love it. A few of them saved their stickers from last week but were excited to see we brought new/different stickers this week.

Once the activity began, I was so impressed with the students' ability to not only work together really well, but to be very systematic in their approach to the problem. Although no one articulated directly to me that they needed to apply heat in order to melt the ice cubes, as I approached each group to ask what they were doing, I would ask them WHY it was working, and they all were able to tell me that it was because they were using heat. Some children sat on the ice cube, and they knew their body heat was what was causing the ice to melt. Other students rubbed the ice cube between their hands, and when I asked they why it was working, most said "because we're rubbing it". So I would ask them to put the ice down for a minute and rub their hands together really fast. I then asked them what was happening to their hands when they did that, and I could see the light bulbs going off in their minds as they realized their hands were getting warm, so that is why they were able to melt the ice cube. This also allowed me to introduce the concept of "friction", a term which many of them had not heard before.

We also had the chance to tie the lesson back to the frameworks and begin to introduce some process skills. Part of our feedback was that we weren't explicit enough in defining process skills and making it clear to the students that we were teaching them new skills (such as observation, prediction, and data collection) and that in future weeks, we should make this more clear and let the students know that we'll be watching for them to use their new science skills as they conduct their experiments.

Once again, this science lesson was a huge success. All of the students were successful in melting their ice cubes in a reasonable amount of time, and all of them understood that it was the introduction of heat to the ice cubes that caused them to melt. They were all very enthusiastic about the lesson and enjoyed being able to participate in their experiments, and they all gained a lot from the experience. I can't wait to return and work with the students on combining solids. I expect to once again, be pleasantly surprised at how smart and articulate the students are!

We'll Always Remember the First Time!

Last week, my teaching partner, Megan, and I taught our very first science lesson to our third grade classroom. We were both really excited and spent HOURS prepping for our 1 hour lesson plan with the students!

As we walked out of the classroom, out of breath and sweating, we looked at each other in amazement. While we both really enjoyed it, it was a lot of work, and it was stressful, nerve-wracking, and mildly exhausting! And we had only led one hour of one day...and we split the work! We were both surprised and humbled by the amount of work it took to "pull it off". I even had a bit of stage fright just before I had to get in front of the class to deliver the intro. I saw all their little curious eyes staring at me and felt like they were going to see right through me and realize I'm not the science expert they thought! But once I started talking and interacting with them, I was quickly put at ease by their level of enthusiasm and excitement for the lesson, and I was also incredibly impressed with the amount of prior knowledge they had with regard to the lesson topic.

For seven weeks, we are teaching a "Changes" unit, and each week, we have a new activity/lesson to work on with the students that relates to changes and states/properties of matter and aligns with the Massachusetts science curriculum frameworks. It's been really exciting, overwhelming, and fun all at the same time!

Our first lesson called for the students to drop an effervescent tablet into a cup of water and observe what happened. We started the lesson off by explaining the states of matter (solid, liquid and gas) and asked for examples of each. It was interesting to hear some of the answers. During our introduction, I had explained that a solid can be hard or it can be soft, and that liquids are usually poured. I realized by some of the examples that the students shared, that I probably confused them with that explanation. One of the students thought that flour was a liquid because it can be poured. Another student wondered what a pickle was because he knew it was hard, so it was probably a solid, but he also pointed out that when you bite into it, liquid comes out. I was impressed with his ability to think outside the box like that and know enough to question it based on the explanation I had provided. We later discovered this particular kid has a fondness for pickles...he mentioned them at least four times throughout the lesson! Maybe he had one with lunch that was particularly good?!

What also came out of the interaction with the students is the realization of how helpful it is as a teacher to ask questions of the students. It not only helps us assess their learning but allows us to recognize the areas that we need to do better next time. When you hear your words returned back to you and receive answers you weren't expecting, it it like putting a mirror up to reflect your words. I found that so interesting and helpful!

Each week, we're being observed by our instructors. Their observations and feedback are designed to help us become better teachers, and they are looking at how we handle certain criteria each week. For the first lesson, they were observing: Lesson Planning, Safety, and Teamwork.

I am lucky enough to have an incredible teaching partner who is diligent, creative, organized and really great with the students. We've developed a sort of cadence to our lesson planning in that one of us writes the intial draft of the lesson plan. The other reviews the draft, filling in any gaps that may have been missed, and fixes any errors. We then put it through a review process with our peers who help by sharing their ideas and/or pointing how we can approach things differently.

Once we're both comfortable with our lesson plan, we share it with our classroom teacher, and then we assign roles for each of us. We split the lesson plan into chunks and assign "ownership" of the chunks between us. From them on, it's all about coordinated teamwork! Typically, one of us will lead the introduction, then hand off to our partner who leads the safety and rules discussion. Next is the overview of the lesson and explaination/expectations for the lesson. We assign roles to the students using different colored stickers (material gatherer, recorder, etc.), and then we begin the activity. At that point, we both walk around the room, working individually with the different groups. We make sure they're following the rules and safety guidelines and doing what is expected of them in the lesson. We help them with any questions they have, and we ask questions about why they're doing certain activities to try to strengthen their understanding of the lesson.

When the activity is done, we ask the students to sit on the carpet for a discussion. We've learned that for the younger grades, it's good to keep the students moving and change their environment from time to time in order to keep them engaged and attentive. While one partner talks to the group about the lesson and leads a short activity (such as a literary connection or a song), the other partner cleans up the materials and preps for the wrap up.

To close out the lesson, we ask the students to return to their desks, and then we go through the activity with the students as a group. We ask questions about what they observed, and what they did. What worked and didn't work and why. What they learned about or how they used prior knowledge to help them with the lesson. We ask targeted questions, tying in the introductory discussion to make sure they all understand the point of the lesson. We alternate roles and resonsibilities each week, so we each have experiences leading different parts of the lesson plan, and it's been working great for us.

I think we've done an excellent job working together, and it's so fun to see the students get so excited. They tell us they love science, and they cheer when we come into the room. It's been a very gratifying experience so far, and I look forward to future lessons!

Well, Kiss My Grits. Y'all.

Last week, I spent some time down in Georgia with my family. When it came time for meals, everyone decided it was about time the "yanks" had some good ol' southern home cookin, so we feasted on some traditional favorites. I'm lucky enough that my new sister-in-law is a southern chef, and I was assured that we were getting the full treatment. We had some grits, chicken fried steak, and biscuits and gravy, to name a few.














Now aside from the grits, I've had all of these things before, but not like this. You see, southern cooking isn't like the kind of cooking I grew up on. It's basically the same stuff, but it's made so differently, that it's hardly recognizable, and I couldn't help but think of the changes lesson that I'm about to teach to the 3rd grade students next week. If they can make steak look like fried chicken, morph grits into a tasty treat (but really, what isn't good when it's cooked with a pound of butter?) and call biscuits soaked in gravy "breakfast", they sure have discovered how to change things, and I discovered how truly good change can be.

Time to Meet the Students!

Last week, my partner, Megan, and I met the 3rd grade students we're going to be working with for our science class. When we first walked into the room, the teacher was busy with another activity, so she didn't get a chance to introduce us right away. As we made our way to the back of the classroom to sit in tiny seats made for six year olds, 23 little sets of eyes followed us curiously, and I couldn't help but think of the movie Kindergarten Cop when Arnold Schwarzenegger first enters the classroom and all the little faces just stared at him with looks of horror and amazement.

We're going to be working with the kids on a "changes" lesson where we help them learn and understand that all matter has properties and that the properties can change when they are mixed together. It should be fun.

Here's to hoping we don't end up looking like this by the end of the lesson!