Science+Resources+PreK-2

Post your PreK-2 resources here.

1. a) Life science. b) Insects c) The science center includes investigation drawers covering many subjects (including insects) where students can investigate the drawer contents using lab coats, magnifying glasses, books on the topic, etc… and record their discoveries on a lab report. a) Planning and Carrying Out Investigations b) The students will have books on bugs in the center as well as bugs in jars to guide their investigations of the insects that they record on the lab reports. a) Structure and Function. b) Students will be able to use their magnifying glasses to investigate the structure of various insects and research them in books to see why the bugs have those various structures and the functions those structures are used for.
 * Your name:** Kurt O. Handrich
 * Title:** Science Learning Center
 * Location:** []
 * Type of Resource:** Learning center
 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**
 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**
 * Cross Cutting Concepts**:
 * Description:** This is a teacher’s website listing information on what she has done for centers in kindergarten and first grade though I think it would work well in grades PreK-2nd. She has a specific section where she tells about what she does for her science centers (though she includes all her centers and other information on how she uses the center concept for teaching) The science center has many resources to help in investigations (a variety of books, magnifying glasses, discovery bottles, lab coats, and science goggles) with a variety of drawers that can be removed and replaced with other drawers. Each drawer has a topic (I am focusing on the “insect” drawer) that can be investigated with students filling out a lab report on what they discovered in their investigation. Additionally, she plans the station to be used for both science and literacy which I would find very useful. The insect drawer contains both insects in jars as well as a “build a bug set” so students can build their own bugs. Additionally, the drawer contains books on insects to aid students in their investigations. I would recommend using the centers as the teacher (Mrs. McDowell) recommends with three rotations each day during a 45-60 minute center time. I think this is a fantastic choice for the classroom as it allows students to work on their own investigating topics they find interesting while combining science and literacy.

2. a.) Life Science b.) Animals and Plants c.) Students can visit the Nature Center at Devil’s Lake State Park and get valuable information from a Park Ranger about the different plants and animals found there. a.) Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information b.) Students would receive information about different wildlife and plants that live in our area, determine the impact that they have on one another and on us (life cycle), and then write a paragraph about one animal or plant they learned about and share it with their class after the field trip. a.) Stability and Change b.) Students will determine what factors influence the wildlife and plant life at Devil’s Lake State Park, along with what we can do to help preventing things from harming their existence in the park.
 * Name:** Karla Atkinson
 * Title:** Wildlife, Plants, Rocks, and More!
 * Location:** Devil’s Lake State Park – Baraboo, WI []
 * Type of Resource:** Community Resource – Field Trip
 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**
 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**
 * Cross Cutting Concepts:**
 * Description:** Devil’s Lake State Park is a wonderful resource we have in our area that could be used for a field trip for Early Education through Middle School. Not only is it a cost effective place for students to go for a field trip, it has numerous learning opportunities. Some common things visitors to the park experience include hiking, rock climbing, swimming, canoeing, and fishing. There is a Nature Center here that offers information about the wildlife and plants that exist in the park, along with artifacts including bones, furs, rocks, and shells that help strengthen the learning experience. This is also an excellent place to share information about rocks and geography. Older students would also be able to take water samples to test and compare to other water samples from different sources when they return to school. I think this is a place that would be beneficial to turn into an overnight field trip for older students. During the summer, the park offers programs on Saturday nights with themes including snakes, skulls, worms, stories, beavers, rocks, spiders, Indian mounds, beetles, bird watching, bats, plants, and geology.

3. a) Life Science b) Learning the difference between living and nonliving things c) Students will learn the difference between living and nonliving things, and what makes something living or nonliving (which is different than dead). a) Constructing explanations and designing solutions b) In this unit, students will learn, based on qualifications they initially construct, what makes a thing living or nonliving. a) Systems and system models b) Students define what it means to be a living thing, then use this definition to identify things in their environment.
 * Your name:** Erica Frye
 * Title:** Living and Nonliving Things (Kindergarten)
 * Location:** http://www.kindergartenkindergarten.com/2012/03/a-science-mini-unit-living-and-non-living.html (found on a link on the NSTA website)
 * Type of Resource:** Unit plan/lesson plan
 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**
 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**
 * Cross Cutting Concepts**:
 * Description:** This small unit was created by a kindergarten teacher. It begins with a PowerPoint slideshow, giving students the opportunity to discuss whether these items are living or nonliving. Students then go on to create a list of characteristics that they believe all living things possess. They refine this list by using undoubtedly living things to test their ideas. You then follow up with the second part of the PowerPoint slideshow. The teacher also includes several literature resources, an idea for an anchor chart, sorts that students can do, and a science journal activity. I would want to try to incorporate more small group activities into this lesson, perhaps using the supplemental sorts as a basis for small group collaboration and discussion. I would also want to take a walk around the school grounds and make a list of living and nonliving things around us so students have a stronger connection to their everyday environment.

4. Name: Melissa Butler Title: Racing Ramps Location: [] Type of Resource: Learning Center Disciplinary Core Idea: a) Applied Science b) Engineering Design –Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems c) Through creating different slopes with a ramp, students study how it affects the function of the ramp which is to roll a car down it and then they draw a picture illustrating this. Scientific and Engineering Practices: a) Developing and using models b) Students create different ramps that have different slopes and use them to study the effect of slope on distance. Cross Cutting Concepts: a) Structure and function b) Students investigate how the structure of different ramps affects its function of having cars being rolled down them. Description: This would work well for early elementary students. Students are given an instruction packet in which they are given pictures of what different models they should create. Then after building the ramps and performing the “races,” students write down how far their car went with each ramp. In class, I would have students make a prediction first about which ramp they think would have their car roll the furthest. I would also have the students organize pictures of the different ramps in order of the increasing distance their cars rolled down them and then ask guiding questions about if they see any patterns in why cars rolled further down certain ramps and less far down others. I like that this is a hands-on activity and allows for exploration of the ideas, not just being told how it works.

5. [] a. Life Science b. Growth and development of organisms – life cycles c. This lesson would be used to explore the life cycle of a butterfly and allows for manipulation of the four stages to enhance understanding. a. Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information b. Students are gathering information from the story “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and the models of the four stages of the life cycle so they can communicate that information through drawing a picture of each stage. a. Patterns b. The big idea is the understanding of how organisms grow and develop.
 * Your Name**: Kelly Thomsen
 * Title**: Circle of Life
 * Location**:
 * Type of Resource**: Lesson Plan
 * Disciplinary Core Idea**:
 * Scientific and Engineering Practices**:
 * Cross Cutting Concepts**:
 * Description**: This lesson was designed for a second grade classroom. It incorporates a read aloud for engagement and assessing prior knowledge. It moves between independent and collaborative group work. The lesson addresses multiple learning styles through the read aloud, independent reflection, group discussion, drawing pictures to communicate knowledge gained, and music and movement to review knowledge.

6. **Name:** Galen Pardo **Title:** Children's Engineering Educators, LLC **Location:** [] **Type of Resource:** Resource website with links to lesson plans and engineering activities. **Description:** This website is an incredible source of material for covering engineering in k-5. There are several different sources found on this website that provide different types of lesson plans and activities. Some of the links are stand alone activities that can be incorporated into a lesson and others include all of the material need for a complete lesson. One of the most notable links is to the design briefs provided by the Virginia Children's Engineering Council. This website provides lesson plans that incorporate an engineering topic into the subjects of English, Math, Science, and History, for grades kindergarten through fifth. Each of these lesson plans is based around the design loop concept, which operates within a five step process of defining the problem, brainstorming solutions, creating the solution you think is best, testing your solution, and evaluating your solution. Each of the lesson plans provide anchor charts work sheets and activity instructions. This link is only one of the sources for lesson plans that can be found on the Children's Engineering Educators website. There are several other resources for individual activities and other information materials such as a colorful, kid-friendly, anchor chart explaining the Design Loop steps.
 * Disciplinary Core Idea: **
 * 1) Engineering, Technology, and applications of science
 * 2) Engineering design
 * 3) This website has lesson plans and activities that cover a broad range of topics relating to engineering, however most of them are based around design and construction
 * Scientific and Engineering Practices: **
 * 1) Asking questions and defining problems
 * 2) Developing and using models
 * 3) Analyzing and interpreting data
 * 4) Engaging in argument from evidence
 * 5) The lesson plans and activities found on the website include activities and work sheets that set up the activities through asking questions and defining the problem. Most of the upper elementary activities include using a model, which is analyzed and tested. From that analysis there are writing activities included for making arguments on design strategies.
 * Cross Cutting Concepts **
 * 1) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">Influence of science, engineering and technology on society and the natural world
 * 2) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">Many of the links provide lesson plans that relate engineering to many different subject areas, such as English, Math, Science, and History. The activities are also primarily based around the engineering of structures and technologies found in everyday life.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">7.

[] a. Earth and Space Science b. Earth, Sun, and Moon orbit c. The students will be able to manipulate the variable of time to observe the effects it has on the orbits of the Earth and the Moon. a. Asking Questions and Defining Problems b. Students will ask questions and experiment with possible answers using this game. a. Patterns b. The big idea is to observe and predict patterns using the earth, sun, and moon. I would use this as an interactive group lesson for K – 2 graders. This interactive game guides you through guessing and checking how many hours, days, months it takes for the earth and moon to orbit and rotate. When you choose a number, it will show you through animation what happens to the earth in that amount of time. It would be hard for younger students to use this on their own unless there is audio because the students would need to be able to read the instructions and prompts.
 * Your Name**: Kelly Thomsen
 * Title**: Earth, Sun, and Moon
 * Location**:
 * Type of Resource**: Interactive Online Game
 * Disciplinary Core Idea**:
 * Scientific and Engineering Practices**:
 * Cross Cutting Concepts**:
 * Description**:

8.
 * Name: ** Marta Leix


 * Title:** Discovery Center

**Location:** []
 * Type of Resource: ** Learning Center


 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**

a.) Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Engineering, Technology and Application of Science

b.) Examples that could be used in center: Rocks, Insects, Animals

c.) This center is a great for young students to get thinking about exploring their thoughts and questions by thinking like a scientist.


 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**

a.) Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

b.) Students have the freedom to observe different objects and investigate them deeper through their curiosity.


 * Cross Cutting Concepts:**

a.) Structure and Function

b.) Students can explore the structure of different objects and question how that affects the function.

This learning center is a great way to get Kindergarteners interested in exploring their curiosity by giving them the freedom to follow their own questions and the option of several objects to investigate. The center is an “Academic Free Choice” center and requires hands-on learning. The students use tools such as tweezers or magnifying glasses. They have journals or paper to write about their observations, predictions, or questions. Each month has a different theme (September is Fall objects) and the teacher on this site requests object ideas and donations from parents to cut down on costs.
 * Description:**

9.


 * Name: ** Marta Leix


 * Title:** Life on the Mississippi

**Location:** **National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium**

[]


 * Type of Resource: ** Community Resource (Fieldtrip)


 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**

a.) Life Science

b.) Growth and Development of Organisms

c.) The River Museum is a neat place to visit to learn about different life forms that survive in or near the Mississippi River.


 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**

a.) Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

b.) Students would gather information from different exhibits at the museum and then write a reflection.


 * Cross Cutting Concepts:**

a.) Structure and Function

b.) Students would observe different life forms to learn about their structure and how it affects their survival and characteristics.


 * Description:**

The Mississippi River Museum is a neat place to take students. There is so much to see and the aquarium will amaze students. The real life habitats and creatures are a great way to get students connected with their environment. They can observe several creatures or just one and write down questions they have about it. The students can use that to research further by observing similar species, reading, or exploring.

10. Name: Lauren Wittmann __Title:__ First Grade Weather __Location__: [](Specifically Day 6) __Type of Resource__: lesson plan/lab __Disciplinary Core Idea:__ -Earth and Space Science -ESS2: Earth’s Systems -This lesson addresses observations and patterns in local weather. __Scientific and Engineering Practices:__ -Analyzing and Interpreting Data -Students must compare and contrast cycles of weather to formulate observations. __Cross Cutting Concepts:__ -Patterns -Students can observe patterns in the weather and how the weather affects their daily lives __Description:__This activity could be used for K, 1. The activity includes a daily recording of the weather and discussion about if it’s colder or warmer than yesterday. The students must compare and contrast the weather from day to day and could discuss daily, weekly, or monthly patterns. I also like this resource because it includes literacy with recommendations for books to read. It also includes an activity for children to gain experience with a thermometer. The lesson could be altered by using different colored and temperature substances and having students rank them from warmest to coldest.
 * __ Resource 1: __**

Name: Lauren Wittmann __Title__: 2nd grade matter, substance, liquids and solids exploration __Location__: [] __Type of Resource:__ Lesson Plan/Activity __Disciplinary Core Idea:__ -Physical Science -PS1.A Structure and Properties of Matter -The lesson give students a chance to compare and contrast solids and liquids and their characteristics. __Scientific and Engineering Practices:__ -Engaging in Argument from Evidence -Students will discuss what they see and have to defend their opinion to classmates with alternate opinions __Cross Cutting Concepts:__-Cause and Effect-Students will be able to test materials in different situations and see the effect on the material __Description:__This activity is suitable for 1, 2. It incorporates literacy of the Dr. Seuss book, “Bartholomew and the Oobleck.” Students will experience the cornstarch/water semi-solid substance. They will also test different materials to develop understanding of solids and liquids. The teacher will scaffold students to develop their own questions to answer.
 * __ Resource 2: __**

Name: Lauren Wittmann __Title:__ Animals and their environment __Location:__ [] __Type of Resource:__ Website __Disciplinary Core Idea:__ -Life Science -LS2.A Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems -This website has only resources on it about animals and their relationships with each other and their environment __Scientific and Engineering Practices:__ -Planning and carrying out Investigations -Students will be able to investigate animals and synthesize their prior knowledge with new information __Cross Cutting Concepts:__ -Cause and Effect -Students will be able to learn about what happens to animals if they are not in their natural environment __Description:__This website holds a plethora of information for students K-3. The information can be used by students or for teachers to use with students. The website contains information on many types of habitats, suggestions for activities, vocabulary, a quiz students can take and even a webquest.
 * __ Resource 3: __**


 * __Resource 4:__**

Name: Lauren Wittmann __Title:__ Sound Waves __Location:__[| www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/the-phenomenon-of-sound-waves.cfm] __Type of Resource:__ Lesson Plan/Stations __Disciplinary Core Idea:__ -Physical Science -PS4.A Sound Waves -Students have multiple opportunities to see, hear and experience sound waves. __Scientific and Engineering Practices:__ -Planning and Carrying out Investigations -Students will be able to experiment with sound waves and how they travel through different materials __Cross Cutting Concepts:__ -Cause and Effect -Students can see the direct effect of making the sound waves with different objects at the stations __Description:__ This website has an interesting lesson on sound waves for K-3. The lesson includes multiple stations with different material such as a tuning fork, a rubber band and a steel yardstick. At the stations, students can experiment with sound waves and how they look, sound and feel. I would also have students illustrate and discuss the effects of the sound waves.

**Title:** School House Rock! Earth **Location:** **School House Rock Earth**
 * Name: ** Marta Leix

[]

**Disciplinary Core Idea:** a.) Earth and Space Science b.) Water conservation, recycling, biodiversity, solar power and the rainforest c.) Students will be learning about the environment around them. **Scientific and Engineering Practices:**  a.) Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information b.) Students will learn about the environment and will share their reflections. **Cross Cutting Concepts:**  a.) Cause and Effect and Systems and System Models b.) Students learn about systems that work together and observable patterns. **Description:** Schoolhouse Rock Earth has catchy educational songs and animations that teach about caring about the environment. The thirty minute video includes topics of water conservation, recycling, biodiversity, solar power and the rainforest. The video could be viewed as a whole or used in clips for a fun, engaging introduction to earth science. The video is also appropriate for all elementary grades.
 * Type of Resource: ** Video


 * 1 Name:** Jeff Wiseman


 * Title:** Sound and Loudness


 * Location:** []


 * Type of Resource:** Interactive website


 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**

1- Physical Science

2- Sound and Wave properties

3- Students will get to see and hear the relationship between vibrations and sound


 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**

1- Planning and Carrying out Investigations

2- The students are making predictions and testing their theories on different sound activities


 * Cross Cutting Concepts**:

1- Cause and Effect

2- I want them to understand why places are loud and how they can protect themselves


 * Description:** This activity is designed for a 1st grade classroom. Ideally, this would be done on a SmartBoard and be an activity for the entire class to participate in. It could be done individually if each child had a computer, but I would love to see the class discussing and generating ideas together. With a SmartBoard, the kids could take turns clicking on the different activities. The whole class would get to see and hear the demonstrations together. I would also have kids have a pencil and paper so they could write down their predictions to the experiments and their answers to the questions. There are multiple activities on this site so each child would get an opportunity to participate on the SmartBoard, and I think this would be a really fun activity that would keep the kids engaged.


 * 2 Name:** Jeff Wiseman


 * Title:** How much does a Caterpillar eat?


 * Location:** []


 * Type of Resource:** Lesson Plan/ Lab


 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**

1- Life Science

2- Growth and Development of Organisms

3- The students will get to see an actual Caterpillar and know that it will one day become a butterfly


 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**

1- Make observations to construct an evidence-based account for natural phenomena

2- I want the kids to learn that scientists record their observations by making predictions, and then writing down what actually happened


 * Cross Cutting Concepts**:

1- Patterns in the natural world can observed, used to describe phenomena, and used as evidence

2- By recording what the behaviors they observe, they will begin to see patterns in the Caterpillar’s behavior


 * Description:** This is again a 1st grade activity. Kids are always fascinated when there are living things in the classroom. I think for this activity to be effective, I would have to expand on it. By expanding, I mean, I would want to have multiple Caterpillars, and instead of doing this for one day, keep it until it turns into a butterfly, and then we can set the butterfly free. The bigger the project, the more responsibility the kids have, the more ownership they will take of the project, and they will learn more. I think they would be excited everyday to come in and see how much it ate that day, or how it has developed.


 * 3 Name:** Jeff Wiseman


 * Title:** Earth and the Solar System


 * Location:** []


 * Type of Resource:** Video


 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**

1- Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles

2- Earth and the Solar System

3- The students will get to see the Earth in relation to the entire Solar System


 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**

1- Use observations to describe patterns in the natural world

2- I want the students to understand the Earths relationship to the sun and how that can explain night and day


 * Cross Cutting Concepts**:

1- Patterns in the natural world can be observed

2- Students can see how and where the Earth fits into the Solar System


 * Description:** This video is intended for 1st graders. I think something as vast as the Solar System is much easier for people to understand if they have visuals. I feel the impact of a video is more powerful than any descriptive words. This video explains how the earth rotates around the sun every 365 days, which the kids would hopefully identify as 1 year. It also describes how it takes the Earth 24 hours to spin on its axis, which they would hopefully be able to identify as one day. I found multiple videos, and I think showing them a couple different videos would increase their understanding.


 * 4 Name:** Jeff Wiseman


 * Title:** Design a Simple Machine


 * Location:** [] (The PowerPoint can be downloaded from that site)


 * Type of Resource:** Lesson Plan/ Lab


 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**

1- Engineering Design

2- Developing Possible Solutions

3- The students will draw a picture of their design


 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**

1- Develop a simple model based on evidence to represent a proposed object or tool

2- They should be able to explain what their design does or how it functions


 * Cross Cutting Concepts**:

1- The shape and stability of structures of designed objects are related to their function

2- They should be able to explain why they chose this design


 * Description:** This lesson is designed for a 1st grade classroom. I like the idea and concept of this lesson, but I don’t like the execution. I don’t think a PowerPoint presentation will be effective in a first grade classroom, especially one with 24 slides. This lesson also includes and explains 6 different types of machines. I think that is way too many. I would simplify it down to 3 different types, and I would choose the ones I thought they were most familiar with. I also think it ends too abruptly with, can you think of a machine to design to make a job easier. If I was implementing this lesson, I would start generating ideas. I would definitely want the kids to write down things that they do first, and then see if they come up with any ideas. Some kids may be able to design something on their own, but I believe many of kids would need guidance and assistance. I want them to think about things they do in their life and their experiences, and the more personal this gets, the more creative they will be, and ultimately their designs will be better if they can relate to it.


 * Rick Raulin**


 * Resource #1 **


 * Description:** The LabLearner website is a resource whose goals include:


 * //“…significantly sharpen a graduating eighth grader’s scientific way of thinking… we want a graduating eighth grader to be the kind of person you can actually discuss these topics// (e.g. - motion, the seasons, the vastness of space and time) //with. One who can think about such things and discuss them intelligently.”//**

This website is all about employing standards such as NGSS to create thinkers who can use content learning and extend that learning into other arenas of their lives. They have created a spiraling Science curriculum from Pre-K through 8th grade ([|**http://lablearner.com/ngss-and-lablearner/**]) which seeks to benefits of bringing major concepts like motion into a student’s consciousness over a period of years, with increasing sophistication and helping them make connections and elaborate & extend to other subjects and in other contexts.


 * My Name:** Rick Raulin


 * Title:** LabLearner… an Inquiry-based Science website which has created Spiraling Science Curriculum for Per-K through 8th Grade


 * Location:** [|**http://lablearner.com/**]


 * Type of Resource:** Website with Inquiry-based curricula and teacher training/support offered


 * Disciplinary Core Idea:** This resource could potentially apply to any of the sciences (physical, life, earth/space, or applied science). It helps teachers by seeing their grade year in relation to a Pre-K to 8th grade progression/spiraling of a science curriculum.


 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:** Asking questions (science) and defining problems (engineering) is a strong component addressed in this website; as an inquiry-based program with the NGSS standards incorporated thoroughly, this website would help science teachers navigate all eight practices encouraged in NRC 2011, 3-5 and 3-6.


 * Cross Cutting Concepts**: This website specifically addresses student learning and extension of that learning in the area of MOTION, which is closely associated with the theme of “energy and matter, flow, cycles and conservation.” This theme is a great fit for a spiraling curriculum because you can keep coming back to it with more examples and more sophistication.


 * Resource #2 **


 * Description: Thirteen ed Online** offers a number of free, professional development workshops online for teachers which is available to anyone; there is a way to use these workshops for our professional development requirements, if we want to do so.

The “Thirteen ed Online” website link above addresses how a learning center can be set up to help students with multiple intelligences to better understand and apply what they learn – the webpage has ideas for what to put in different types of learning centers (reading/writing, science, math, music, build it/paint it, performance, and illustration/visual expression). The Science/Experiment Center (see below) is of particular interest to me. What interested me the most were the specific multiple intelligences which were benefitted by its use because “naturalist” and “visual/spatial” learners are not easily addressed in whole group lecture or even in small group work. I was also please to read that… **//“although learning centers are typically found more often in elementary and middle school classrooms, this technique has been found to be effective with high school students as well.”//** This reinforces my belief in their efficacy.


 * SCIENCE/EXPERIMENT CENTER** (for encouraging students' Logical/Mathematical, Naturalist, Visual/Spatial Intelligences)


 * My Name:** Rick Raulin


 * Title:** “Tapping into Multiple Intelligences” using Learning Centers


 * Location:** **(**[|**http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/mi/implementation_sub1.html)**]


 * Type of Resource:** A comprehensive look at ways to employ **multiple intelligences** involving the use of **learning centers**, **simulations** (walk-throughs & experiments), and **presentations** by the students on what they have learned


 * Disciplinary Core Idea:** The use of learning centers in science would work for all four science areas, but I think it would be most effective for studying life sciences, especially for engaging students who are more “naturalist.” It allows them to do some self-directed study on topics which interest them and are more likely to be intuitively understood, thus employing student choice into the learning process.


 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:** This practice falls in line with “planning and carrying out investigations – the learning center itself and the self-directed philosophy behind it lends itself to students making choices of what they will pursue and how they will pursue it to gather knowledge and apply it to their world.


 * Cross Cutting Concepts**: I do not know which of the common themes would necessarily apply to such an investigation in a learning center – while any of them could apply, I think a learning center would lend itself to identifying “patterns” and/or “cause & effect” relationships which were identified by students themselves.


 * Resource #3 **


 * Description:** School Toll website – lesson plans for Science and other subjects

This website has a tremendous number of lesson plans which come from “peer-reviewed selected sites.” It is essentially a clearinghouse for teachers to get lesson plans which they can use in whole or in part – it also includes science labs and science fair projects. One of my concerns is that its first and largest section is about the Scientific Method, utilizing a number of different topics and academic settings to illustrate the concept; one of the points brought out in our class was the fact that the Scientific Method is not only stifling to the inquiry-based concepts promoted in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) but that it is not how real scientists operate in the real world.

However, there is an excellent section on Earth Sciences labs from elementary through high school which seems to share some of the philosophy of inquiry-based science. It is a link to the Reach Out Michigan website located at: [|**http://www.reachoutmichigan.org/funexperiments/agesubject/earthsciences.html**]


 * My Name:** Rick Raulin


 * Title:** School Tool – Science Lesson Plans


 * Location:** [|**http://schooltool.us/plans.html**]


 * Type of Resource:** Provides links to numerous lesson plans which have been peer-reviewed and which are less based upon textbooks and more interactive and animated by design.


 * Disciplinary Core Idea:** This website has both earth science and biology lesson plans and other resource materials available. The earth science section has the most coverage, containing labs, lessons and libraries – it also goes into both geology and astronomy with PowerPoints available which addresses the students’ needs for content taught to multiple intelligences.


 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:** This source contains a wealth of knowledge and resources, which make me think it would help a student address the practice of “obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information” in an effective manner. The process of communicating information is one which needs explicit explanation, modeling and guided practice to perform it well and effectively – using this website and small group work with a teacher prowling to answer questions and assess understanding would be a most effective approach.


 * Cross Cutting Concepts**: Using a lesson plan called “Climate and Topography, What Is the Connection?” we can teach a timely subject in the news (climate) and demonstrate how it is impacted by topography or the “lay of the land” (e.g. – hills, valleys, lakes, mountains, cities, etc.). This lesson from Beacon Learning Center employs Florida state standards which are fairly similar to NGSS standards we have already discussed – this lesson would most closely address the theme of “cause and effect: mechanism and explanation” in that it looks at how topography and climate interact and play off of one another. [|**http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/Lessons/2609.htm**]


 * Resource #4 **


 * Description:** The Teaching Channel website has as its motto, “Great Teaching, Inspiring Classrooms” When I ran a Google search for “Applied Science STEM,” this was one of the sites that came up. It was NOT what I expected it to be, but I definitely see a value in having a marketplace of ideas available to us with an ability to pick the brains of teachers who are occasionally just as confused and/or are in the same boat as we are. The website has free membership (I joined) and allows us to either eavesdrop on the blog or various posted video lessons to acquire ideas about teaching, or to interact with thousands of other teachers to ask questions and bounce ideas off of them.

There is a 14 minute video ([|**https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/engineering-design-process-stem-lesson**]**)** where Ms. Manning’s class designs edible cars – the video is interesting but the questions we are asked to consider are far more interesting to me…

ü **// How does Ms. Manning give students both freedom and structure? //**

ü **// What elements make this project a strong assessment? //**

ü **// Notice how Ms. Manning focuses on skills rather than content. Why does she do this? What effect does this have? //**


 * My Name:** Rick Raulin


 * Title:** Teaching Channel – Interacting with Fellow Teachers while Learning Better Teaching Methods through Observing and interacting


 * Location:** [|**https://www.teachingchannel.org/**]


 * Type of Resource:** An interactive forum for teachers to discuss specific questions about teaching, lesson planning, classroom management and a whole host of other topics. Membership is free.


 * Disciplinary Core Idea:** In my limited search, it seems that ideas for designing solutions (applied science) were more represented in the videos I perused. It teaches us to brainstorm and think outside of the box in creating solutions, using the philosophy of inquiry-based science, so it meets with the current NGSS standards.


 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:** The video lesson observed on “creating an edible car” seems to be a great example of “developing and using models;” this gives hands-on opportunities for students while encouraging their creativity and granting them choices in materials and design.


 * Cross Cutting Concepts**: To an extent, this lab experiment demonstrates to students the “structure and function” of various choices they could make, with the desired result being an edible car that operates within set parameters.