Module V

3 colleagues
Janet Reed has a link oceans alive which I will be using with my physical science classes.  Thanks for that resource Janet

Cheryl has a picture of a balloon with a light below it.  What activity is that Cheryl?  The ALISON link she provides is very "cool"  Check it out and you will get my terrible pun.

Alison makes a good point that as educators we need to filter out the resources and information in the modules that will best meet the needs of our students.  Great reminder Alison.

3 Questions

( photo courtesy of hubble space telescope  check out the ice caps!!)

EXPLAIN

I learned that we  know more about the surface of Mars than we do about our oceans.  The comments of how the Russian's exploited the otter population allowed me to reflect on the same mentality when many non-native people slaughtered and exploited the once fantastic resource of the buffalo herds of North America.  It truly makes me sad and somewhat ashamed.

Warmer oceans affect food web video makes a wonderful point that most people don't realize in that a few degrees of temperature change has a tremendous impact on wildlife and their ability to survive. I know I will be using the youtube video on the seasons as the computer animation is better than my current video clip that I show.  When I have kids thinking that summer occurs when we are closest to the sun I turn on a lamp, have them stand at the other end of the room.  Then I ask them to take a 6 inch step forward and ask them "do think your body is going to be warmer after that tiny step you just took?"  Then I reinforce the concept that it is the angle of the incoming radiation that makes the difference. I also like to have students analyze data for different angles of light using our light sensor probeware

 

(photo courtesy of boston.com)

EXTEND This week's information reminds me to use more visual aids than I already do.  I feel as though I use a lot of visuals but I think that you cannot have enough visual aid to assist in teaching new concepts to our students. I will certainly use the satellite thermal images to show the change in ocean temperatures through the seasons.

If you like showing video clips to students the video on the EXTREME ICE SURVEY is really neat.  No matter what your view on global warming is, the time lapse videography is amazing. 

EVALUATE I have found this week resources are quite valuable to me as a high school science teacher.  I think I will use that Does a Watched Kettle Boil lab and extend it by dissolving certain compounds into the water.  Perhaps some ionic and covalent compounds and make circuits and then measure which allows the most amperage to flow. As always, I find the blogs of many of my fellow classmates insightful and motivating to become a better teacher in using all the resources we have available in this digital age.