Science & Technology
In this section we will be looking at how to teach science and technology to 21st century learners by conducting the experiments/activities we are asking our students to take part in.
The Bean Experiment
As part of my teaching journey I participated in a bean experiment activity to assess the process of growing beans and the effects that contribute to the success or failure of the experiment. Here I will post my weekly observations of the bean experiment i've done.
Week One:
I began my experiment on September 20th. I began by choosing the beans I was going to use and decided on Canadian white navy beans. I soaked my beans for 24 hours and then created a numbered grid for my beans on paper towel. After that I placed them on a tray and covered them with a damp paper towel and placed the beans on my living room window sill. Unfortunately during the first week my beans didn't really change or begin to split despite having sun light and being damp.
Week Two:
During week two my beans still didn't look as if they were splitting or sprouting except for one. Bean number two actually began to split in the centre. I did continue to water them and moved the beans to a different spot of the window sill where I noticed there was more direct sun light in hopes of more beans splitting.
Week Three:
During week three my beans began to mold, bean number two was split but nothing has sprouted as of yet. based on a discussion I had with my peer I thought that maybe the beans I was using weren't appropriate for the experiment, going forward I will be ending my experiment here.
Experiment Conclusion:
Overall the experiment did not go as I had expected. I feel as though my choice of bean did not work well for the way the experiment was to be conducted. I also feel that in certain living conditions growing a bean plant would be difficult as I found it challenging to find a spot with enough light and moisture to allow the beans to sprout and to continue the growth process. When analyzing the mold on the beans it seems as though the beans were too moist causing them to begin the decomposition process before being able to sprout. If I was to do the experiment again I would definitely use a different kind of bean maybe red beans and would try to choose a better location that would provide the beans with more light and less moisture.
Choice Board Assignment
For this assignment we are given the opportunity to gain an understanding of how the Ontario science curriculum is used and how the strands within the curriculum should be integrated into student learning. Our task is to conduct two science experiments or activities using a choice board provided to demonstrate usage of the Ontario science curriculum and the 5 E's framework.
Video One:
For the first video we were to demonstrate how we would engage students while conducting a science experiment. For this video I chose the cloud experiment from the choice board and used questioning strategies to engage students in the learning experience.
Below I have attached the video assignment link for you to view, enjoy!
Video Two
For the second video we were to demonstrate how we would extend students learning after conducting the science experiment. For this video I chose the magnetic force experiment from the choice board and used a variety of extension activities to further develop students understanding of the topic.
Below I have attached the video assignment link for you to view, enjoy!
Literary Connections
For this activity we were to find literacy sources that connect to science and Ebber's genre of literacy. This activity is meant to be used as a resource for teaching science and to get teacher candidates thinking about literary connections regarding science in the classroom.
Check it out below!