NSF GK-12 Conference

We just got back from the NSF GK-12 Conference. It was held this weekend in Washington DC.

I was particularly impressed by the teacher training work done by the University of Wyoming.  They hold summer institutes and weekend workshops focused around field work and inquiry instruction.

Our team lead two presentations:

Sharing Ways to Invent (and Assess) Integrative Lessons, Andrew Mugler (Fellow), Columbia University; Michael Seymour (Teacher)

Incorporating Technology into an Urban Middle School Classroom: Successes and Challenges

Jeffrey Lancaster (Fellow), Columbia University

The LEEFS website, designed by Jeffrey Lancaster, earned an award. Woohoo!

Truth be told, the best part of the trip was my Friday evening run around the Capital building then into the sunsetting behind the Washington Monument. A close second was our dinner at Bankok Bistro in Georgetown.

Howe Caverns

I would love to take my students to Howe Caverns on a geology field trip!
http://www.howecaverns.com/schooltours

NYC Timescapes

This week, the whole school steps outside the normal constraints of the curriculum and works on an integrated project.

Project Description:

Travel through time and find out how and why NYC was transformed from a wilderness into the greatest city in the world. You will learn about Manahatta's legacy during field trips to the Museum of the City of New York, the Empire State Building and exploration of different neighborhoods. You will connect this new information with prior knowledge of timelines, maps and scale from math, science and history class.

The showcase product will be the creation of your own mapping project of Manahatta that will include the neighborhood of your choice showing past, present and future models.  You will make environmental recommendations and predictions about what you think NYC will be like in the future.

Resources:


Manahatta Curriculum
http://themannahattaproject.org/download/curriculum/

Google Earth Viele Map
http://ecotoneprojects.wordpress.com/2009/01/12/fun-with-google-earth-viele-map/

Museum of the City of New York
http://www.mcny.org/exhibitions/

Student Quote of the Day

You sound just like my mother, but in English.

Kids Learn Science Through Rap Songs

My classroom was featured in today's NY Daily News!

Readin', writin' and rhymin': Kids learn science through rap songs
BY Ben Chapman
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, March 9th 2010, 8:15 AM

 "They're singing their hearts out for science."

Read more of the article here.

ALL my students in 713, 714 & 715  deserve a shout out for their great efforts in the rock battle!  The article couldn't mention everyone so here is a list of some top projects.  I plan to post some of the geology lyrics and student classroom performances that go along with the student created songs.

713 SHOUT OUTS

Rosalina performed  to the tune of “Bedtime Story” by Slick Rick

Imani performed to the tune of "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It" by Dem Franchize Boyz

Jayden  & Zion created original songs.

 

714 SHOUT OUTS

Sean performed to the tune of “Crank Dat” by Soulja Boy

Wael performed to the tune of “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” by Will Smith

Johari, Jordan, Travis, Freddy, Rafael, Danilo, Justin, Jameek all created original beats.

715 SHOUT OUTS

Mahesh performed to the tune of “24's” by T.I.

Lear performed to the tune of  “You’re a Jerk” by New Boyz

Brian performed to the tune of “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z

Kirrat performed to the tune of “I Can Transform Ya” by Chris Brown

Digital Teachers & Learners

Haiti Earthquake Headlines in the Classroom

This January, my students visited the Hall of Planet Earth at the American Museum of Natural History to learn from the exhibits on geologic time, the rock cycle, volcanoes, earthquakes, continental drift and convection currents.  Coincidentally, Haiti experienced a catastrophic earthquake that same week.  The museum experience connects nicely to the NYC seventh grade science geology unit curriculum, but this visit was unlike any other year. Seismology was suddenly a hot topic.

Students stood quietly in front of the earthquake monitoring station and watched real time seismic data on the screen.  Red dots indicate earthquakes happening that day, and yellow rings showed the earthquake's magnitude- a huge yellow ring surrounded Haiti.  Students were quick to share about what we learned in class about the tectonic plate boundaries and the convection currents in the mantle causing movement in the crust above.

A part of me was smiling inside because my students understood the science behind the earthquake.  But the rest of me felt the magnitude of loss- millions dead, buidling destroyed, people desparate for medicine and food, orphaned children- and I knew it was important to talk to my students about how they felt about the Haiti earthquake and how we can help the survivors.

• Multimedia teaching materials on plate tectonics and seismology can be found at http://www.iris.edu/. 
• Tectonics of the Haitian Earthquake
• The AMNH Hall of Planet Earth field guide