Marcia's Science Teaching Tips

Newsletter #5

June 2011

Greetings!

Summer is here! For most of us. And will be soon for those of you who teach into June.

I hope this newsletter gives you some fresh ideas for things to do this summer and things to THINK about doing this fall for the new school year.

Last month's issue talked about the southern tornadoes. Little did I know that my own state of Missouri would be hit by an EF5 tornado. I talked my St. Louis daughter through 3 hours in the basement with her new baby a few days after the Joplin tornado hit.

My heart goes out to everyone who has had to deal with such profound tragedy--what WEATHER has done to our country! Please do what you feel moved to do to help out those who have survived. The BEST thing you can do, as far as I can determine, is to donate cash to places like the Red Cross. They give cash cards to survivors to use as they wish. I know Joplin is overwhelmed with clothing and other donations right now as are other hard-hit areas.

I am more than overwhelmed by the power of nature but even more, I am proud of how the people of our country can rally behind those in need.

In This Issue

Question from a Teacher

Teaching Break

Teaching Yourself New Tricks

Teaching Geologic History

Teaching Endangered Species

Teaching Public Speaking (and Planets!)

Question from a Teacher: Fujita Scale

QUESTION FROM A TEACHER:

Do you know why they are now saying EF4
instead of F4 using the scale?

MARCIA'S EXPANDED ANSWER:
EF = Enhanced Fujita. It's basically the same thing as F4. Just some minor changes to what wind speeds relate to what amount of destruction to homes.

--Marcia

Teaching Break

I hope you all find ways to take your mind off of your teaching life for at least part of every day this summer! Everyone needs a TEACHING BREAK!

Teaching is such an intense profession! My husband was always my staunchest supporter. He's always said, "You NEED a summer break! Teachers cram TWELVE months of work into NINE months! You're tired!" Bless him for that!

I hope you will consider just ignoring your profession and doing fun summer things with your friends and family. Take a BREAK! Put your feet up! Travel, read, play, experiment with new recipes, take a long walk, visit with your grandma, garden, volunteer, watch TV till 3 in the morning, whatever will give you a sense of taking a BREAK.

I know that taking a BREAK will recharge your batteries and make you a better teacher for the new school year this fall!

Teaching Yourself New Tricks

I hope you will consider a new way of starting the school year! When I discovered Harry Wong's book, "The First Days of School," I felt like I had finally discovered what I'd always needed to know! Here was a method to start off the school year in a way that would guarantee I was sending the message I wanted my students to "get." I've added this advice on my Advice to New Teachers page. Even if you've taught for years, I would recommend you take a look at this idea. It really did transform my teaching life.

Summer is a good time to consider new ideas to add to your teaching life. This is one that I used EVERY year after I discovered it.

The basic concept is this:

Discipline problems are NOT related to how well you can discipline, but to
HOW WELL YOU MANAGE THE CLASSROOM! HOW WELL YOU TRAIN YOUR STUDENTS TO FOLLOW BASIC CLASSROOM ROUTINES!

A quote from a teacher who tried this method:

I want you to know that I started out this year taking all of your advice (teaching procedures, picking up papers, etc.) and everything has gone more smoothly than it has in my 8 years of teaching.
--A Georgia teacher

Teaching Geologic History

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW!

I am currently working on the Teaching Geologic History Packet,

which will be ready in about six months. Meanwhile, if you are planning a fall unit on Geo. History, be sure to check out my Geo. History web page with tons of ideas for you to try.

Be sure to download everything that is now offered on that page for free. I will probably take some of these activities down once the Packet is ready for purchase.

Be sure to check out the Rules of the Game FactSheet--one of my most popular items this year! Email me for the download link/password for the companion PowerPoint (and some other goodies!).

Teaching Endangered Species

Teaching Endangered Species doesn't really "fit" in the Earth Sciences, but somehow it did fit in there for me--curriculum-wise or state-test-wise--every once in a while. In fact, over the years, I've developed quite the Ecosystems-Biomes Unit. The activity I used most often was the Endangered Species Project. A fun couple of days in the Library and then a couple of work days for making posters and species cards and writing speeches, then a day for speeches. It could also be turned into a PowerPoint project, if you like. (PowerPoints were required each semester according to my district's Technology Objectives.)

I loved this project and the students had a great time with it. Loads of high interest! If you are interested in this mini-unit, please email me for the download link and password. It will be available for free for the entire month of June.

Teaching Public Speaking (and Planets!)

If you haven't figured it out already, I sincerely believe in teaching students to speak in public. Note I said, "teach students!" Most don't come to it naturally! Some kids are so terrified, they will be sick the day of a presentation. I always searched for ways to make it easier. Some students need to take baby steps on the road to comfortable public speaking.

Some of the methods I discovered were: (1) Let a reluctant speaker stand by their desk, not up in the front of the class; (2) If they will g

o up front, let them choose a friend to go with them and hold their poster or whatever; (3) worst case: let them present just to you and a friend in another room, in the hall, after school, etc.

I would suggest doing some sort of presentation at least once a month. Try to arrange them in order from (1) a small group stands together at their table (2) each individual student stands at their desk (3) small group stands in front of the class (4) individual or pair stands in front of the class. You get the idea...

Since we never know when we will be required to speak in front of a group, all the practice we can get makes us more comfortable. Put me in front of a classroom of young people, I'm fine. Put me in front of my peers and to this day I'm still a basket-case! Might have been different if some teacher years ago had been compassionate and taught me how to speak in front of my peers.

That said, I have another fun Presentation Project about the planets of the solar system for you to take a look at. You'd be surprised at how much interest can be generated by this topic! Especially if they haven't visited the Solar System in science class for a few years. This assignment could work for pairs or individuals. You may get bored listening to the same nine speeches all hour, but your students will love learning more about the planets, and perhaps in spite of themselves, learn how to speak comfortably in front of people. Email me for the download link and password!

Feel free to forward this on to other teachers you know who might be interested! Or sign them up on Join Our Mailing List!

And as always: EMAIL ME if you have topics/questions you'd like to see in future issues!

Happy Teaching!

Marcia Krech
Marcia's Science Teaching Ideas

Lecturing after a fashion is easy enough; teaching is a very different affair. In teaching, the object is not merely to convey the idea, but to give a lively and lasting impression; something that should not merely cause the retention of the image, but in such connection as to excite another process, "thought."

--George Mcilwain