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First Jounral Entry
This is my first jounral entry. I have picked 12 articles of the original 37 covering the topic of energy in physics. Several of the articles are from NSTA, but some address the way students conceptualize the idea of energy. I hope to not have trouble with the Illiad system again this semter. I'm excited to get the readings completed so I can start to craft the lesson in a few weeks. -
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Personal Jounral-CUIN 7340
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Got them!
I have recieved 9 of the original articles I wanted form the Illiad system at UH. I choose not to use one because it was a dissertation that was over 200 pages long. The library couldn't locate two of the articles I needed, but htose were energy lessons. I have three really guide articles about how student conceptualize energy as a concrete quanity that flows. Now I have to organize them! I have started reading them, but will start some time this week. -
Mash up!!!
I have 4 articles that are lessons on energy and I'm working to mash up the 4 into one lesson to address energy. I still need to read the article that deal with the conceptual understandin of energy. -
Read my first article
The article focuses on arugementation in a lesson to explain why ice melts faster on an aluminum block over a plastic block. The lesson for the NSTA has great ideas, but I probably wont be able to use all the steps in the 3 days I want to complete this lesson. the high point of the lesson is the challenging validity of explainations while scaffolding the idea of thermal energy that flows at different rates across different materials. -
Second article
This was another NSTA article about 5 energy lessons that focus on inquiry. It is titled Save the Penguins: Teaching the science of heat transfer through engineering design. While I the lessons, I plan to use only one of the 5 lessons to show how energy flows through metals better than organic derived materials. Probably as the explore activity of the over all lesson with some modifications to accomidate the objectives I have in mind. -
Found the materials for my lesson
Yesterday while digging throught the lab closet I found an old ice melt lab to show how energy transfers through metal faster than plastics. It was a relief because I though I was going to need to buy a bunch. I missed this last weeks journal entry, oops -
2 More Articles
But I don't think I will incorperate either of the them. One was about using a baseball bat and a hammer to find which location on a bat would give the least amount of vibration, but it was geared more to 6th graders. The other was about a physics field trip to the bowling alley to use it as a lab. Great idea, but impractical for my lesson. But maybe a great grant idea for next year. -
Started my lesson
I started my lesson today. I am doing the Ice melt lab and using portions of the NSTA lesson from the science scopes publication. I didn't tell the student which explanation was correct and several were upset. -
Elaborate and Explain
I let the students organize examples of stored energy and forms aof energy transfer into groups without guidance the showed examples of each so students could construct their own means for each type of energy or transfer. -
Stations
Today I set up 6 energy transformation stations and had students use cards to model how energy was transfered through each physical system. We ran out of time in most classes but students were being successfull. -
Evaluate
I had students write a short story and identify all the energy transfermations that occered by creating a energy model chain. Results varied. The more i think about it, this should be a 6th grade lesson and I plan on speaking to my lead science teacher about leading a work shop to show sixth grade teachers how to treat energy, -
Reflections on the lesson
To answer a question you posted in the grades comments, yes I flimmed the lesson. The lesson over all was successful in giving students a better understanding if energy as a concept. Something I wish I would have done is in the evaluate, instead of letting them write and pick their own story, I think I should have given them a model so I could have a set of single answers to check for understanding with. Also, I wish I would have used the term Radiant energy instead of light. -
Offically writting the lesson.
I never wrote the lesson in its entirety, but loosly scaffolded each step. I am wanting to provide examples of student work as attachments and will probably put the whole thing as a PDF. -
Not sure about what to do...
Should I what until my lesson & rational has a grade before I start the other papers? I have plenty to do for Ramsey's class so I guess I have to wait a little bit at least. -
In all honesty...
I haven't worked on my reflection or evidense of learning yet. I need to complete my state report for Ramsey. I know what I would change next time, but haven't written it yet. -
Almost done!!!
I am starting my lesson revisions and evidence of learning tonight. I'm a little confused, but just sent an email for clarification. I know what I would want to improve. My evalute was very loose. My explain was shakey. I wish I would have used some different vocab. -
Last entry!!!
Over all I have enjoyed journaling my thinking about energy, Creating evidence of learning is harder than I thought it would be. After looking at the raw data and having just taken the science STAAR Test I question if I should change the way I teach it. The only questions that will see reflect the oversimplified versions of energy, I suppose I should for science sake.
