Grace - Science Methods Blog

  This week we learned about the different parts of flowers and how the pollination process works. We also talked more about ecosystems and food chains. We then learned about how both natural and human factors can either help or hinder food chains and food webs. We did an activity about turtles and saw some of the many different natural and human factors that effect them.  I found almost everything that we did to be clear except for when we used the dried bees and brushed them on our plants. I understand the pollination process and that bees pollinate flowers, but I was confused how the dead bees that were dried up could actually work for pollination by gently touching them on our flowers.  I can apply what I learned this week to my future teaching by integrating fun and interactive activities into certain lessons just like the turtle, turtle, watch out activity that we did. I think by doing this, kids can have more fun learning about something if it is a f...

  What did you learn this week? This week I learned about biomes, ecosystems, and habitats. Biomes are large areas that have similar climate conditions to the types of plants and animals. Habitats are specific places where a certain community of organisms live. An ecosystem is a community of both living and non living things that all interact with each other. We also learned about food chains and food webs.  Which parts did you find clear and which were confusing? I found the different biomes and examples of biomes, what ecosystems are, and what habitats are very clear. I also found how the living and non living things in ecosystems interact clear as well. The visual representations and models helped me understand these. The part that I found confusing was the difference between food webs and food chains, because they both seem similar to me.  Are you able to relate what you learned to what you already knew? I am able to relate what i have already known about biomes, ecos...

  1. What did you learn this week? This week I learned about the 5E Model of Instruction. These include engage, explore, explain, extend, and evaluate. The engage phase promotes learners' curiosity and interest, along with connects their prior knowledge. The explore phase provides the students with common experiences and allows them to tryout new ideas. In the explain phase, it gives opportunities for students to share their findings. In the elaborate phase, students apply their new learning through additional activities. And lastly in the evaluate phase, the learners can self-asses their learning.  2. How can you apply what you've learned to your teaching in the future? I liked how we first learned about the 5E model of instruction and then were able to go off in groups and create our own presentation about it. I think doing activities like this help me retain more information of what I have learned, and I will be applying this to my future teaching. I like the idea of hands ...

  1. What did you learn this week? This week I learned about life cycles. We discussed what seed germination is, and germinated lentil seeds. We also differentiated dormant versus active seeds. Dormant state is before the seed is given water, warmth, air, light, and soil to start growing. We learned about the life cycles of different insects such as butterflies and mealworms. We learned about each stage within the life cycle.  2. How can you apply what you've learned to your teaching in the future? I can apply what I have learned this week into my future teaching by implementing the hands-on aspect of what we did in lab this week. For example, germinating the lentil seeds, planting the fast plants, and using play-dough to make a visual of a life cycle of our choice. These visuals helped me picture the process, and I think that will be important in my future classroom. These types of activities are also fun for young students, making them enjoy learning.  3. What are new o...