Isabel Sherman: Elementary Science Methods 2024-2025

  Seeds from fast plants!  Making a super-hero/villain 🌱   Which parts did you find clear and which were confusing? I felt slightly lost doing the DNA mutation simulation, I wasn't fully sure what was going on during it. The discussion afterwards helped me to know that there was duplication, deletion, translocation, and inversion. The super-hero lab was a great way to lay out mutation in DNA. 🌱  How can you apply what you've learned to your teaching in the future? The super-hero lab is something I would consider applying in my classroom. It is an engaging activity that demonstrates different types of DNA mutation. If I incorporated the baby lab, I think I would discuss more in depth about DNA and how genes are past on.  🌱   What are new or remaining questions? What other activities could I use to demonstrate genetic materials? Going into the activities (baby-lab, candy DNA, super-hero lab) what kind of questions can I begin with? 

   Fast Plant Observations!  DNA Gumdrop Model ✿   What did you learn this week?  This week we discussed how to set the foundation of interdisciplinary learning. I learned of models that can help students further understand DNA. My favorite one that we worked on was the gumdrop model! ✿   Are you able to relate what you learned to what you already knew? I do remember making a child in middle school to learn about genotypes and phenotypes and recessive and dominant genes. When I did it then I remember using Punnett squares. This seemed to be a simpler version of what I did, which helps young learners understand how traits get passed.  ✿  What are new or remaining questions?  I wonder what more we can do to expand on the fast plants. We we look at them we just make a couple of observations, if I did this in my class how else should I expand on it?

  Which parts did you find clear and which were confusing? I understood why we pollinated our fast plants with the bee sticks, but I don't know if it really helped? I'm not sure if any of the pollen stuck to the bee when doing what we did. I'm also unsure if this is an activity I would include in my classroom. The turtle turtle activity was very clear, and was a great way to demonstrate the life of a turtle  2.  How can you apply what you've learned to your teaching in the future? The turtle turtle activity is a great activity to show the life of a turtle. The book "Turtle Turtle Watch Out" was an awesome introduction to the lesson. And playing with the fortune tellers to see if we would survive as turtles was really fun. Graphing and the discussion was also an important addition to the lesson. In the future I would discuss more about the activity and the graphing for students to understand.  3.  What are new or remaining questions?  My biggest question is ...

  What did you learn this week? This week in class we learned about biomes, ecosystems and habitats. We discussed the difference between a biome and a habitat. Biomes, are large areas, habitats are specific places where communities of organisms live. An ecosystem is a community of living and non-living things.  2.  Are you able to relate what you learned to what you already knew? Yes, I watched a lot of Wild Kratts growing up so it was fun to get to talk about topics that I used to be really interested in. It is fun to see what animals are in food chains. I also like seeing how things connect within food webs. 3.  Which parts did you find clear and which were confusing? Making a food chain was very clear to me, however I wish we were told to include a decomposer within the chain. My group added ours last minute. But putting together a food chain and discussing the ecosystems was fun!   My groups freshwater biome information slide!