Molecule Monday
Molecule Monday is an opportunity to engage students in the chemistry of everyday life.
Molecule Monday is an opportunity to engage students in the chemistry of everyday life.
Many researchers have attempted to characterize the knowledge of an expert teacher, and it's complex, to say the least.
I recently attended a workshop at my state conference about improvisation techniques to use in the classroom. As a teacher we are challenged to constantly adapt our pedagogical techniques to meet the needs of our learners, and this workshop provided some new strategies to do just that.
I put together a Science Reasoning Rubric that can be used for many writing prompts in a Chemistry class. It can be used whether a prompt is more suited toward a claim or an explanation. I like that the rubric can be used for lots of the writing tasks students will encounter in a Chemistry class. This means students get used to seeing it, and this consistency is helpful as students write explanations and claims throughout the year.
Some research indicates that it is not always beneficial for students to work entirely on their own as they conduct inquiry-based investigations. This article explores a method of inquiry learning in which teachers and students work together to envision, conduct, and analyze experiments.
It is always helpful to have a lab that can be adapted to meet the needs of students. The "Magnesium Lab" is one of these experiments.
December is a busy time for many educators as we try to wrap up content before a long break and maybe incorporate fun activities into the curriculum. There are concerts, field trips, projects, presentations, and even variety shows to “celebrate the season.” However, I find that when schools try to get into the “holiday spirit”, they may unintentionally create an environment where students and teachers may feel excluded.
Diane Bunce presented a story titled "I Hate Cheating" during The Mole Storytelling Jam held as part of BCCE 2018. Listen to her podcast.
Lyniesha Wright presented a story titled "They're Just a Little Bit Taller" during The Mole Storytelling Jam held as part of BCCE 2018. Listen to his podcast.
For this coming school year, I would like to kick off every unit with a discrepant event, and then bring it back at the end of the unit for students to explain with their new model.