The first question we were asked to answer is what would happen if the ice caps melted?
I am sure if I asked my second graders they would say the water would get bigger. Studies have shown that the Earth is warming up my a half degree Celsius in the past 100 years (HowStuffWorks, Inc 2010). Now I know some of us after the past winter may think that this is a lie because even Florida was cold (which hardly happens). Even if the ice caps were to melt though it would not make the oceans rise to dangerous levels. The caps disperse the amount of water that is in it. So even if they melt the water level will not be adversely effected.
Rebecca Terrell commented in her article about how researchers say there is the same amount of ice in the polar regions, but the ice is thinner. The Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) put out a report that Terrell mentions. In that report the DMI state that within one decade all the polar ice caps will be gone during the summer. According the the research that Terrell did, she found that even if the ice caps melted they would not rise the water more than a millimeter (February 3, 2010).
So although Al Gore is on this big kick about flooding, all the research I did suggests other wise. I know that some animals may be effected because of the climate change, but overall there is no need to fear.
The second question is if we have any other questions.
I was wondering how beneficial this lesson would be if the ice was colored. The the students would be able to see how the ice and the water do mix. Also, would adding any sediments such as rocks to the ice help at all?
Resources:
HowStuffWorks, Inc. (2010). If the polar ice caps melted, how much would the oceans rise? Retrieved from: http://science.howstuffworks.com/question473.htm
Terrell, Rebecca. (February 3, 2010). Are the polar ice caps melting? Retrieved from: http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/tech-mainmenu-30/environment/2871-are-the-ice-caps-melting
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Week 2 Blog Post
This week we were required to make a lesson plan. I remember making them to earn my bachelors degree, but never were they as long as this one was. This lesson plan was very through. In real life my lesson plans are much shorter. Each subject gets a small box and that is where I put my language objective, content objective, and the lesson that is being taught. No offence but when I showed this assignment to a colleague she began to laugh because she was like who has time for that. Then she thought back to her undergrad days.
Although I did not like the length of the lesson plan, I did like the content. As I was writing in each box I was thinking, do I actually think of all of this as I write my weekly plans? Most the time the answer is no because every teacher is rushed and overwhelmed. I know when I write my lesson plans it is usually after school and all I can think about is Happy Hour with friends. However, I looked over this weeks plans and was thinking maybe I should actually sit and look and think about my opening activities. Then I also need to think about my ELL students. In my room I have 13 males and 5 females. So I typically teach to the male side, but I also need to remember how to retain the attention of my females.
The Five E's Lesson Plan Format is a good way to set up any lesson plan. It touches upon all aspects of a great lesson plan. Hammerman did a great job providing a modified version of the Five E's. In his description he also provided samples for each part of the five parts. I found this to be very helpful when planning my lesson (2006).
The lesson I chose to write about was one on magnets. At the end of the school year when the students are mentally checked out I like to do some fun things. So I usually teach about magnets and what makes something magnetic. The students tend to like this because at the end of the school year I let them use the wands to go around the room and pick up staples. We end up playing a game with it. For example, person with the most staples wins.
When I implement this lesson at the end of the year I will try my best to stick to the lesson plan I wrote. However, there are some factors that would get in the way. My school is a Title 1 school and administration frowns on us asking parents for donations. They also will not supply items for just one teacher because they feel if one teacher does it so should the whole grade level. This would be a lesson for me to share with the whole grade level to see what they think about it.
One thing that I am going to think about for future math and science lessons is the STEAM aspect. I knew that science, technology, engineering, and math were all connected. I just never knew how to teach it all together. After reading Traurig and Feller's article, I found out how important it is to have students involved in STEAM (2009). As a teacher though it is hard to find time to fit it in, especially when it is being cut out of the curriculum.
Overall, I think this week was a good week. Despite the fact that the lesson plan seemed to drag on, I found the plans to be refreshing. They reminded me of what I was supposed to be doing all along. The articles that went along with this week were also very insightful.
Resources:
Hammerman, E.L. (2006). Becoming a Better Science Teacher: 8 Steps to High Quality Instruction and Student Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Stage Publications.
Traurig, A., & Feller, R. (2009). Preparing Students for STEAM Careers. National Career Development Association.
Although I did not like the length of the lesson plan, I did like the content. As I was writing in each box I was thinking, do I actually think of all of this as I write my weekly plans? Most the time the answer is no because every teacher is rushed and overwhelmed. I know when I write my lesson plans it is usually after school and all I can think about is Happy Hour with friends. However, I looked over this weeks plans and was thinking maybe I should actually sit and look and think about my opening activities. Then I also need to think about my ELL students. In my room I have 13 males and 5 females. So I typically teach to the male side, but I also need to remember how to retain the attention of my females.
The Five E's Lesson Plan Format is a good way to set up any lesson plan. It touches upon all aspects of a great lesson plan. Hammerman did a great job providing a modified version of the Five E's. In his description he also provided samples for each part of the five parts. I found this to be very helpful when planning my lesson (2006).
The lesson I chose to write about was one on magnets. At the end of the school year when the students are mentally checked out I like to do some fun things. So I usually teach about magnets and what makes something magnetic. The students tend to like this because at the end of the school year I let them use the wands to go around the room and pick up staples. We end up playing a game with it. For example, person with the most staples wins.
When I implement this lesson at the end of the year I will try my best to stick to the lesson plan I wrote. However, there are some factors that would get in the way. My school is a Title 1 school and administration frowns on us asking parents for donations. They also will not supply items for just one teacher because they feel if one teacher does it so should the whole grade level. This would be a lesson for me to share with the whole grade level to see what they think about it.
One thing that I am going to think about for future math and science lessons is the STEAM aspect. I knew that science, technology, engineering, and math were all connected. I just never knew how to teach it all together. After reading Traurig and Feller's article, I found out how important it is to have students involved in STEAM (2009). As a teacher though it is hard to find time to fit it in, especially when it is being cut out of the curriculum.
Overall, I think this week was a good week. Despite the fact that the lesson plan seemed to drag on, I found the plans to be refreshing. They reminded me of what I was supposed to be doing all along. The articles that went along with this week were also very insightful.
Resources:
Hammerman, E.L. (2006). Becoming a Better Science Teacher: 8 Steps to High Quality Instruction and Student Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Stage Publications.
Traurig, A., & Feller, R. (2009). Preparing Students for STEAM Careers. National Career Development Association.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
There is a first time for everything
This reminds me of MySpace and Facebook. I guess I should be able to get the hang of it. Please sit back relax and enjoy as I give my personal spin to science!
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