Chem Lab - Middle School Style
11/21/2020
One of the main goals of science at the middle school level is to provide a solid foundation of scientific concepts, vocabulary, and skills so that students can confidently understand the world around them to ask deeper, meaningful, and more connecting questions in highschool and beyond. Currently, students are learning about the characteristics of chemical reactions by recognizing when they have occurred. These types of labs are particularly fun for students as they add a few drops of this to a few drops of that and observe temperature changes, color changes, and the formation of gas bubbles or precipitates. Upon completing most labs, students are asked to write a CER (Claims-Evidence-Reasoning) using their lab write up.
Most of the time, science lab experiments are done with one or two partners. Often, partners have to divy up the tasks to be able to complete the lab on time. Students check their work with one another, ask questions and explain what they witness out loud to clarify for themselves or help each other. Fun-Yes! Solidifying Science Skills and Concepts-Yes! Technical Informational Writing - Yes! Many science labs also capture the essence of most 21st Century Skills:
Photos from the last two weeks.
Investigative Journalism
11/7/2020
Teaching students how to write engaging, meaningful stories can be very challenging. One way to ensure that students buy into the process is allowing them to choose what they want to write about. In our most recently completed unit, Investigative Journalism, students chose a topic that was meaningful to them and then followed a series of steps using mentor texts to produce pieces they were passionate about. We were even able to talk with Kyle Hopkins, Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist, from the Anchorage Daily News. Kyle spoke to the class about how he finds his stories, checks his facts, investigates, takes notes, and writes. Students asked many thoughtful questions and learned quite a bit about work as a journalist from this guest speaker. At PNA, we use Lucy Calkins’ Units of Study. I have found that these units of study require students to think critically and deeply about each word they put on the paper, and about words they read in texts. I think back to the formulaic, fill in the blank, writing I was asked to do when I was their age, and it was nothing like what I am asking of my students today. They must work hard to think analytically as they write. Some students are ready for the level and depth Lucy Calkins wants from them. Yet many are not based on their experience with writing, and/or actual brain development (analytical and critical thinking skills). It doesn’t matter, though. When we show students what is possible, when we ask them to reach for the stars and they try, we get growth. Students worked hard to produce their work. They revised, critiqued, revised, edited, and then finally published. The Middle School Voice is a collection of their stories. Sit back and get ready to learn about what concerns students these days. |
Sarah Mariner
Ms. Mariner earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science from Colorado State University, and was awarded a teaching certificate through the University of Alaska, Southeast. Her varied background includes being an environmental education field instructor in Massachusetts, Colorado, and Baja, Mexico. She also served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic. Archives
April 2021
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