Week 3 - A Day in Town

Trees are:

 the most massive living thing: 500 blue whales or 6,000 tons

the tallest living thing: 362 ft tall, longer than a football field laid flat

the oldest living thing: 4,900 years old

                          

I didn’t know that…

-sap is made in the leaves

-leaves make food for the tree

Project learning tree (PLT) : moves students from awareness to action

-Not teaching them what to believe but how to understand/investigate

-bring outside world into the classroom

Inquiry Question: Which of these items came from a tree?

ALL OF THEM!!

~DIAPERS~

Inquiry Question: How many red solo cups will the diaper hold before dripping? –3 red cups!

So 6 cups. 48 ounces.

Findings: 

Made of Sodium Polyacrylate  --CH2--CH(CO2Na)—

This Polymer: can soak up 30x more than it’s weight

            Also used in toys that grow,

200+ years in a landfill

Changes over time:

-disposable (convenience)

-hybrid diapers (reusable and disposable)

-less diaper rash over the years

-swim diapers 

Textbook:

F O  C U S I N G   Q U E  S  T I O N S  

. What is the diference between a science 

activity and a science lesson?

. Do you prefer to learn independently or in 

small groups?

.How do you plan for the unexpected?

. How can you set up your science lessons if 

you have only forty minutes in a period?

. What is your own personal style when it 

comes to planning?

F O  C U S I N G   Q U E  S  T I O N S

. What science concepts should you explore?

. How do you personalize science content 

and make it your own?

. When you think of a system, what comes to 

mind?

. What is the dif erence between a book of 

science standards and a curriculum?

. Why is it important to infuse environmental 

science issues into standard science 

curriculum?

I've noticed the book and class emphasis in discovery, activity, and inquiry based learning instead of direct instruction and just a straight science lesson.  I look forward to continue to learn and teach in these form and I hope to employ this in other subjects as well.  Students learn by creating and teaching each other, as well as participating in constructive activities that form understandings and questions instead of beliefs.