Tag Archives: science

Egg to Chick Project

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What do you call a city of 20 million eggs?  New Yolk City

We are on Day 13 of our annual home “egg to chick” project.  It’s so easy to do, plus your local 4H chapter will help you find proper homes for the chicks; we keep ours. Eggs are turned 2-3 times daily.  The penciled “o” on the single egg picture marks the egg to ensure all eggs are turned each time.  One side has an x while the opposite side has an o.  I hope to incorporate this activity every year in my class.  We buy a dozen fertilized eggs online for approximately $4.  In the past, we borrowed an incubator from our county agricultural extension center.  This year we bit the bullet and purchased one.  It coordinates well with many science concepts and processes.  It’s  an exciting project for the children and teacher too!

A Side Note

This calls to mind something I read in Teach Like a Champion, a book I highly recommend.  At the beginning of chapter 2, Lemov suggests teachers need to teach with a “Begin with the End” in mind, the concept being to tailor lesson plans to objectives rather than vice versa.  I agree with this, however feel there are special lesson plans that are meaty, flexible, or worthy enough to incorporate as long as one primarily teaches according to objectives first.  As an example, the egg to chick project naturally coordinates with many elementary science concepts (living or nonliving, classification, adaptation, basic needs, environmental factors) or the project could simply incorporate scientific investigation objectives to encourage the wonder of life/learning.  Wanting to use an exceptional lesson plan doesn’t have to mean one is trying to push the square peg into the round hole when handled appropriately.  Always the safety and needs of the animals are met; we have local ranches willing to take the chicks where they live their lives happily as free range chickens.

Here are some helpful links:

Lancaster County 4H chick project

Sarasota County 4H chick project

First Podcast “Connections: Past and Present”

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Connections Curie Einstein Hubble2

 

Possible assignments with this podcast:  1) Choose one piece of information in this podcast for further research, then create your own podcast to share via blogging 2) Create a Venn diagram to compare/contrast one connection from this piece 3) Write a descriptive narrative providing a potential future story from one of the three connections

 

Okay, guys, go easy on the comments when you listen.  This is my first attempt at creating/editing a podcast.  I’ve decided to publish it as a baseline to showcase improvement over time.

The 4-1-1

Here’s the concept for classroom use: by using a broad title, the podcast can be utilized across the curriculum.  For fun, I chose Curie, Einstein, and the Hubble Telescope, then I provided current information relevant to the three topics.  Alternatively, I could have focused on connections in history, literature, or math.  The podcast will be used to generate interest, encourage analysis, plus further use of technical skills.  That’s all I have at this point.  More experimentation is required to develop application ideas and create more professional podcasts.  I was shocked how southern I sound!  Audacity was used for recording, voice editing, and converting to an MP3 with a download.  I look forward to hearing your thoughts on podcasting, plus integration of this tool in the classroom.

What Have I learned

Start smaller!  Beginning with a 5 minute podcast when first learning – not the best idea.  For classroom use two connections are plenty.  Intonation matters.  My first trial was too bubbly so I toned it down for the second trial.  After editing this piece, it’s obvious it needs more flow, particularly in the beginning.

Editing is tedious, but easy.  There’s still a learning curve on this one, but the process was easier than expected.  But WOW did it take time to examine the audio, second by second.

Scripting is probably the best option for me.  I chose to improv on this one which showed.  At least until I establish familiarity, then scripting may produce fewer mistakes and dead space.  At least that’s the current theory.

Eureka

Newsflash for all educators!  For a professional, must-have podcast, you really want to visit the Scientific American podcast page.  I was hooked from the moment the April 6, 2012 segment began:  Lent End Means Hyena Free Lunch.  Looking at science objectives, this particular podcast could be connected to ecosystems, food web, adaptations, global impact, religion, culture, or geography.  I’m sure there are many more topics, but this is what spun out of my fingers as I type.  I envision using this podcast feed to inspire writing, research, discussions, critical thinking, connections with TEKS, and interest in new topics.   I don’t believe technology should be used without (relevance), but it certainly opens of the doors of imagination more widely.

States of Matter Lesson Plan

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How is ice like music?  If you don’t C sharp, you will B flat.

Just a Note:  This post is primarily for personal reference.  However, you should really check the link for A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Water if you are not familiar with this book.  It’s a science trade book written by Walter Wick, the photographer for the I Spy series.  The photographs are truly extraordinary.  I was introduced to the book at a literacy workshop which uses it as one of their mentor texts.  Subjects such as surface tension, evaporation, condensation, and states of matter are written in short paragraphs.  I dare you not to buy it once you discover this gem.

5-E lesson plan model : Solid, Liquid, and Gas

TEKS:  3.5 B

Objectives:  The students will: be able to describe and classify 3 states of matter, explaining the physical property of shape of each

Materials:  A Drop of Water by Walter Wick

For each group: 1 balloon full of frozen water labeled #1, 2 balloons – 1 with some water, labeled #2– the other full, labeled #3, 1 balloon full of air labeled #4

Science notebooks, Anchor charts: solid, liquid, gas; Venn Diagram

 

 

 

 

 

5-E Phases

Teacher

 

What the teacher will do

Process

 

Eliciting questions

 

Formative Assessment

Students

 

How will you know students have learned?

 

Student responses
Engage:_5__minutes

 

 Show pictures in A Drop of Waterbut don’t read 

Assess, and teach following vocabulary if  necessary: matter, property, states of matter, solid, liquid

 What do you notice about the water?Do we have anything in common with water? Students will make observations of pictures.

 

 

 

(teacher doesn’t give answers)
Explore:_20__minutes

 

 Observe and listen.Possibly ask open ended questions In small groups, children will record observations of their balloons in their science journal using their senses.The students will construct a simple table (TEKS 3.2 B) The children should collaborate with one another. 

There are no wrong answers at this point.
Explain:_15__minutes

 

 Lead children to explain what they did. Teacher and children discuss activity. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Read pp. 21-23 A Drop of Water

vocabulary: gas, water vapor, evaporation

Concept: solid has a definite shape, liquid goes to the bottom and takes the shape of the container where it is, gas spreads out to take the shape of its container completely

 Students will analyze and communicate conclusions as a class. (TEKS 3.2 C,D) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Elaborate:_20__minutes Share solid, liquid, gas poem on Anchor charts.  

 

 Children put correct pictures onto Anchor charts.
Evaluate:_20__minutes

 

 Provide students with tri-Venn diagram to put into science notebook. Compare/Contrast 3 states of matter.  Provide examples of each Fill out Venn Diagram.