Methods of Teaching Science Portfolio Nicole Brown Fall 2008

Purpose This portfolio highlights the meaningful experiences that I have had in science during phase I of my yearlong internship.

Bulletin Board 3 rd grade interactive board Environmental Science Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reflection I enjoyed doing the bulletin board with my group. I loved the topic that we highlighted because it is something that is very prevalent in our society right now. I believe that it is important to introduce things to children so that they can function in society. As an educator it is important to utilize all the ways you can to teach your students. Direct instruction is not the only way. Creating interactive bulletin boards gives the students another way to grasp ideas and concepts. It also gives the teacher the opportunity to be creative. Working in a group allowed me to hear different ideas and perspectives about how the information could be presented. In the future I will aim to create bulletin boards that can be helpful to my students and that display my creativity.

Mentor teacher Interview Make Science fun Make Science fun Develop higher level thinking skills Develop higher level thinking skills Plan hands on activities Plan hands on activities Use skills tutor Use skills tutor Keep in mind 5 th grade testing Keep in mind 5 th grade testing

Reflection As a student intern I see how much pressure these teachers put themselves under to fit it all in. I think that the best way to ensure that your students get all that they need is to plan multidisciplinary lessons. It may be harder on the planning end but it will benefit the students in the end. I think that as a nation we have lost sight of the students and made it all about administrations and money. Everyone is so consumed with standards and grades, the only people genuinely care are the teachers. Science allows students to be active learners and to develop their higher level thinking skills. By teaching our students to use these skills they will be successful in all subjects. In my own classroom it will be my goal to give all subjects the proper attention so that my students will be well rounded happy citizens.

Inquiry Project Question Do different liquids boil at different rates? Hypothesis: I believe that water will boil faster than any other liquid Results: Out of the three liquids milk heated the fastest. Conclusion: Milk boiled faster because of its consistency. The water and soda boiled at the same time because the soda contains water.

Reflection Completing this inquiry project was an extreme challenge for me. In elementary school only the GT children did science fair, so this was essentially my first time doing this. I really felt like a child again. I decided to ask my students for their opinions on what topic I should choose and they gave me the idea for my project. Doing the project refreshed my memory of the scientific method and how to analyze data. In retrospect I enjoyed doing the project and now I see how these types of assignments allow students to display their creativity as well as allow them to explore their interests. These projects also can serve as a form of assessment. I look forward to science fair in my own classroom; I think it will be an enjoyable thing for everyone.