Science Journal - Melting Ice

This week I completed an experiment called Melting Ice. This experiment encourages science inquiry and allows the student to form their own opinion as to what would really happen if the polar ice continues to melt.

I was required to answer question nine which asked "What happens if the polar ice caps melt?" I think there are a lot of factors that have to be reviewed in order to answer this question. I will get to them in a minute. In my first trial, the ice melted but the water did not spill over the glass. I repeated the experiment two more times. In my second trial, there was some seepage trickling down from the top of the glass. In my third trial, the water did not over flow the glass.

There are a variety of factors that must be considered. What was the water's temperature before and after? What percentage of the water seeped out?

Now to answer question number nine. I do not think the melting polar ice caps are such a serious threat. I believe films like "An Inconvenient Truth" were more hype than reality. I do believe they are melting but I disagree with the effects. Bottom line, low-lying areas will flood. They will flood because they are so low in proportion to the size of the glacier/ice cap.

What do you think?

Science Journal

This week I had to write an instructional lesson plan which focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). It was only a few years ago when I first heard about STEM. I also wish that more schools would encourage STEM in their lesson plans.


For years, the science class has taken a backseat to math and English. Teachers work all year long to prepare for the test. The frustrating thing is that we have a science test but it doesn't receive nearly the emphasis in schools like the yearly state test does. Unfortunately, there are repercussions. Fewer and fewer students are interested in pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

I was challenged this week to write a lesson plan with STEM in mind. I planned a lesson on Mass and Motion. I wanted students to think about what happens when you drop two objects from a given height. Which one would hit the ground first? As an extension, I wanted my students to predict what would happen if air resistance was not a factor.

I have had to write a variety of lesson plans this year. I am a part of a three year grant where I participate in the Teachers' Academy for the Natural Sciences (TANS). I am currently in year two. At the academy, we work with scientists for the purpose of improving the content we are teaching in middle school grades. At TANS, I was required to use the UbD (Understanding by Design) lesson plan format.

In a few weeks I will be attending NASA's Lift Off Institute for a week. I had to use a simple formatted lesson plan to share during the week. With all the variety of plans, one thing held true. All the lesson plans were designed to engage the students to get them excited about science. Isn't that what science teachers are supposed to do? It is our mission to get students engaged in the content we teach.

Last year, a colleague and myself collaborated with three other teachers on a lesson we could perform at 28,000 feet above the ground. It was an amazing experience. We went on a Zero-gravity flight. We wanted to show students the difference between mass and weight. We had a little stuffed Beaker (the creature from the Muppets) on a scale. We placed 40 grams of masses into Beaker's labcoat pockets. The idea was that when the plane climbed, Beaker would appear to have a greater weight. When we hit that parabola and experienced weightlessness (really freefall). The scale should have risen as far up as it could register making it appear that Beaker weighed nothing. Students would see that he still has mass. That never changed. However, weight was relative to our altitude. The experiment would have gone well but a reporter, doing her own filming, landed on it and crushed it. Beaker survived but the experiment did not. Even still it was the most amazing experience.

Anything the teacher can incorporate to make each lesson taught, more engaging to students, is a step in the right direction. Throughout, this experience this week, I have pooled in all of the collaborations and ideas to engage my students.

The journey continues...

Motivating Students in Science

My husband used to to tell me, in a nice way, that I was the last person he ever expected to become a science teacher. I mean, he couldn't even get me to watch Nova or the Discovery Channel. I had no interest. You see, my first degree was in music. I still love music but after my second child was born, I decided to become a teacher. I went back to school and became a teacher. This year will be my 10th year. I call myself a "late bloomer". My first job was that of a science teacher and I have been one ever since. Sure, I have had to teach other courses once in awhile, but I have always taught science. I absolutely love it.

In the last few years, I have seen a new trend in education. Fewer and fewer students are showing an interest in careers in science, math, and engineering. I thought by promoting my local science fair that I was doing my part. That is a good thing, but there is so much more to be done. I have to find ways to make science engaging for my students.

Think about it. Does the old paper/pencil test really matter? Do they really just tell us what a student memorized? Unless the test has open-ended questions, how are they useful. Students learn by doing. So my goal this year is to find that balance. I want my students to have a hands-on approach to science. I also want them to see that working in science can be rewarding.

Let the journey begin!!!