Science and Engineering of the Winter Olympics 2014
The National Science Foundation has partnered with NBC Learn (the educational arm of NBC News) to release the “Science and Engineering of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games”--the latest installment in the Emmy Award-winning "Science of Sports" series. This enlightening 10-part video collection, narrated by NBC Sports' Liam McHugh, delves into the physics, engineering, chemistry, design and mathematics behind the world’s foremost sporting event: Physics of slopestyle skiing: Nick Goepper Engineering the half pipe: Shaun White Engineering competition suits: Shani Davis Injury and recovery: Lindsey Vonn Science of ice: J.R. Each episode is available cost-free to teachers, students and the public at NBCLearn.com and NSF websites (nsf.gov, Science360).
Scientific Writing Scaffolds
As a department we've been working on different writing scaffolds. We use Constructing Meaning as a school which I think is mostly good. We've tried all kinds of different writing frames with varying degrees of success.
Designing Science Inquiry: Claim + Evidence + Reasoning = Explanation
In an interview with students, MIT's Kerry Emmanuel stated, "At the end of the day, it's just raw curiosity. I think almost everybody that gets seriously into science is driven by curiosity." Curiosity -- the desire to explain how the world works -- drives the questions we ask and the investigations we conduct.
Build Plane In The Air
Why Does the Water Rise?
This experiment requires the use of matches... and that means adult supervision. Fill a plastic cup up with water. About 9 oz. should do the trick. Add 2 or 3 drops of food coloring to the water. This will make the movement of the water easier to see later on in the experiment. Pour the water into the plate or pan and place the candle in the middle of the water.
NSDL.org - National Science Digital Library
Does Knuckle Cracking Lead to Arthritis? 3 CER Examples based on FUN Science!
CER is an awesome format to teach science students, but CER examples are lacking. CER stands for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning. It is a great format for writing explanations is it serves to tie together findings, data, and scientific principles. I am beginning to use CER with my classes and I love it. Unfortunately, while there are CER examples of student and, perhaps, popular school lab work, there is a lack of CER examples connected to REAL scientific research. And, that’s part of the problem with teaching CER.
Claim, Evidence, Reasoning: Tools to Introduce CER in PD and Instruction
I have been digging into Joseph Krajcik and Katherine McNeill’s book- Supporting Grade 5-8 Students in Constructing Explanations in Science- and I highly recommend it to any upper elementary and middle school teacher of science. The book provides a very clear and engaging look at how to use a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) framework to improve student writing and discourse in science. The CER framework can support not only science explanations but also the Common Core State Standards’ focus on using evidence and argumentation in math and English/Language Arts. As I’ve been moving through the book, I’ve developed some tools that could be useful for professional development providers, professional learning communities, and ultimately students who are engaging with a CER framework. Resources: 1.
Claim, Evidence, Reasoning Example 1
Explanations: C.E.R. Prezi
