Pendulums

1.What is your personal experience on swinging on anything like a trapeze?
The only thing that comes to my mind is children's swings on the playground.

2.What applications to "real life"do swinging objects have?
They have application in children's swings, in grandfather clocks, in gymnastics in gymnastics rings, and chandeliers.
3.What is your prediction about what will happen if two people are on one trapeze and only one is on the other and they both let go at the same time?

I believe that it will take the same amount of time for both trapezes ( the one with two people and the one with one person) to complete the full swing.  I am not sure why exactly I think that is the case, it is just my conviction.

4.What understanding or ideas do you have about the science of back -and -forth swinging objects?
I have to admit I don't have much understanding. It was a long time ago that I was taught anything from physics in high school.

Predictions about frequency of the pendulum
Based on frequency of one washer predict the frequency for two, three, and four washer pendulums.
I believe that frequency of two,three and four swisher pendulums will increase with the number of washers we put on pendulum. I may not be right about this. I just think that possibly more mass might mean more physical force and hence more frequency in pendulums with the increase of number of wishers. After we have conducted our experiment counting the number of swings the pendulum made with different number of washers I realized my prediction was wrong. When we increased the number of washers on pendulum the frequency of the pendulum swings stayed the same. So the weight of a swinging object does not affect the frequency of its swing.

Open Inquiry

List of my personal questions related to the pendulum activity
1. I am wondering why the numbers of complete swings stays the same when we change the number of washers that we put on the pendulum?
2. What would happen if we change the angle of the swing?
3. What would happen if we changed the length of a thin cord of the pendulum?
4. What would affect the length of the swing of the pendulum?
5. How can we get the shortest or longest swing?

a.Which of these questions can be investigated using the activity materials we used in our experiment?
I believe that all of the questions could be investigated by using the materials we were given for the experiment.
b. Which questions require additional materials? What are they?
To change the length of the cord of the pendulum, we could either use two other cords of different length to do our trials.  To change the angle of the pendulum we would just have to use another piece of paper to  mark the different angle size for our purpose.
c.  Which questions are beyond the scope of this activity to find answers?
I don't believe I had questions that go beyond the scope of this activity, but if there was something I would make sure to research the science of pendulum either in books of Physics or online resources for the same.
d. Identify three questions you personally are more interested in investigating. Why are these questions interesting or important to you?
The interesting questions would be:
1. How can we get the shortest or longest swing?
2. How does gravity force affects the movement of the washer and its speed?
3. What would happen if we change the angle of the swing?
Why are these questions interesting or important to you?
I believe that by trying to find answers on these questions I could learn the science of pendulum, and some basic laws of physics that govern the motion of pendulum.

Krajcik Chapter 9

How is student understanding assessed?
In a project-based science environment the process of student assessment can be thought of in three- step procedure: gathering information to judge students' learning, organizing and assembling assessment data, evaluating the the assessment information to make judgements about student growth.
Joseph Krajcik provides numerous examples  for gathering information on student learning:
administering tests, quizzes, keeping anecdotal records, using checklists, interviews, using concept maps and conducting performance based assessments.
From all the suggestions in gathering information I find especially interesting checklists and interviews.
Those types of assessment are completely unfamiliar to me. I have never experienced them before, so it would be really helpful to keep a record on my students understanding, participation and skills they demonstrate in the classroom.  It seems to be very practical as checklists save teacher time.

Classroom interviews would especially help me find out my students understanding, the knowledge and skills they bring in to the classroom and the possible problems they might be having in learning the material.  Information from these interviews would help me form my instruction and adjust it to diverse students and their needs. I would also be able to help students improve their learning if they did have problems in understanding.
I have learned from this article that there are many ways for me as a teacher to prepare assessment of my students.  Beside the regular tests and quizzes that I was used to through out my elementary and high school education, I could have them write journals, make psychical products, drawings, videos and multimedia documents to present their learning.
I like the idea of peer assessment as students can learn from each other and they will be more motivated when they have to present their finding in front of their peers. Also exchanging ideas and suggestions between groups seems to be very helpful in students further refining their knowledge and explanations.
These type of assessments that are advocated in project based science also encourage students  to take responsibility for their own learning and to set personal goals.
I find especially important the idea that assessment in project-based science allows for differences between individual students abilities and that it focuses on student improvement rather than on comparison with others.  So the goal is not a competition between the students but rather gradual development of understanding and skills backed by teacher's feedback.

Batteries, Bulbs and Wires

There is a considerable difference in the classroom of Ms Stone and Ms Travis in the way students explore the beginning of the unit on electricity.  Ms Stone's way of teaching represent the old traditional way of teaching while Ms Travis employs constructivist approach to teaching science.
Ms Stone did not even engage students in scientifically oriented question. She engages the students in exploration of electrical circuits on her own terms. She gives precise instructions, step by step. Students are not allowed to explore.  They just have to follow instructions. She introduces the definitions of the terms because she believes students will not be able to conduct their discoveries without knowing those scientific terms.  On the other hand, Ms Travis did not base the whole lesson on the electricity kit. She engaged the students to think about electricity by asking them what would they buy in  the supermarket if they wanted electricity. In this way she made students  express their frequent misconception that materials that produce or carry electricity are often thought of as electricity itself.  She first encourages the students to explore the flashlights and to take them apart. She poses a challenge to the students  by inviting them to explore how to use the wires with the batteries and  bulbs they found in the flashlight.  While students are engaged in this activity she only offers suggestion how to solve the problem but does not give them instruction. In their exploration some students succeed and some fail.  In Ms Stone classroom there was no exploration and inquiry. Students just followed the instructions and they all got the same results.
Ms Travis provides support to students by providing them suggestions so that  they don't get frustrated  by lack of success.  Students exchange their ideas how to solve the problem.  Students in Ms Travis offers students another variation to the problem.  They are supposed to use both batteries and  and the wire to light the bulb.  By the end of that day she asks students  to write their observations
of what they have done in the classroom that day. These writings are assigned as homework.  Students are engaged in further exploration tomorrow using the electricity kits. Students have to develop their own plans in order to get both bulbs to light at the same time.  Students share their explanations.  Ms Travis extends the learning by asking students questions they wish to investigate. She writes those questions on the board. The list of questions Ms Travis offered to the students were all related to their everyday experience with electricity at home.  Ms Stone did not provide personal connections  or a personal context for the electricity unit.  Ms Travis did the opposite by bringing the mock dollhouse .
Ms Travis believes that her students are capable of carrying out investigation on their own, while Ms Stone does not even allow the students to touch the materials until she gives them instructions.

Unfortunately, I have the experience of science instruction similar to the Ms Stone students.
Not only that in many cases we just had to learn the lessons, solve the mathematical problems, talk about the concepts but not conduct the experiments.  Ms Travis has diverse inquires going on in the classroom that all build on each other for students to synthesize understanding and knowledge of the class unit.  I would further read the whole book " Science Stories; Science Methods for Elementary and Middle School Teachers by Janice Koch to better understand science instruction as inquiry.
I would try to give the students as much freedom to explore their investigations and to come up with various questions they have curiosity and are related to the topic we would be studying. I would try to give suggestions to guide and relate those suggestions and engaging questions to their everyday lives so that they can better understand it.

Circuit Lab

Standard /Benchmark	Learning Goals What should students know?	Formative Assessment What Do Students Already Know?	Learning Performances
Standard K-4: Physical Science Content Standard B: Light, heat, electricity and magnetism Benchmark: Electricity in circuits can produce light. Electrical circuits require a complete loop through which an electrical current can pass.	Students should understand what a circuit is and how it works	Most students believe it takes two wires to create a circuit.	Yellow Lab Strengths: Students were engaged with a question. After they conducted the experiment they were not provided with explanations. Weaknesses: This experiment was very teacher centered as all the instructions were provided.   They did not have to come up with the ideas how to light the bulb on their own.  They just had to follow the guidelines in the instruction. Pink Lab Strengths: This experiment was very students centered. Students were not given instruction of how they should light the bulbs. Students were provided with suggestions that could lead them to think independently how to investigate possible combinations or bulbs in order to make their own explanations. Weaknesses: For the students that don’t have much previous knowledge about electrical circuits this experiments may be challenging as they may not be able to discover how to connect the wires, battery and bulbs to light the bulbs.  Teacher should provide some guidance to make this part of experiment for students easier.

Cool- It Lab

Inquiry Criteria	Inquiry continuum specific statement from the column/row	Why do you believe this fits that column/row (Your argument)	How would you improve this part of the lesson to make it more inquiry based
Engage	Learner engages in question provided by teacher, materials, or other source	We were given the option to decide whether stirring would affect the cooling process but we were told  how to analyze  the data we collected	I would have presented student s with instruction how to record water temperature but let decide on their own
Evidence	Learner directed to collect certain data	We were specifically instructed how to record the change of both cups of water.  We were provided with procedure instruction of how to investigate our question.	Students would have to come up with their own way of testing the evidence, changes of temperature of hot liquid.
Explain	Learner guided in process of formulating explanations from evidence	We were given specific questions to guide us and help us to come with possible explanations.	Students would have to come up with their own questions/ideas how to summarize evidence. They would have to themselves to think how to interpret the changes in both cups of hot water.
Evaluate	Learner given all other explanations	The directions did not tell us to compare our finding with other groups or to look for other resources that offer different explanations. In that sense, I would say that our experiment completely lacks the evaluation part.	I would have different student groups compare their finding and research independently other sources to refine their explanations.
Communicate	Learner given steps and procedures for communication	We did not have to communicate our findings. After the experiment was over were instructed to write a conclusion there was no mention of sharing those ideas with other students.	I would encourage students to share their presentations with the class, parents, other teachers, other classrooms, or principal but they would come up with their own ideas of how to do it, through different presentations, posters, power points,  journals etc.

The Weather Lesson

Standard/Benchmark	Learning Goal	Formative Assessment	Learning Performances
Content Standard K-4 Earth and Space Science Content Standard D Benchmark: Weather Changes from day to day and over the seasons.	Students understand that weather changes from day to day. Weather is affected by different factors/conditions (humidity, air pressure, wind, temperature) There can be several different conditions for particular temperature.	Students know that 90F in one place means it is hot there but they also know that hot weather can also have other weather conditions, probably from previous life experience.	I will divide the class into several groups. Students will make their own weather station that will consist of actual and simplified weather equipment: barometer, hygrometer, anemometer, wind vane, rain gauge, and thermometer. Students will measure temperature, humidity, wind speed, precipitation, and air pressure in their city/town like meteorologists. They will record their data and make observations about local weather.  After they complete that they will research other sources of information about weathers. They will go  on the web site of Weather channel and look for the map of the national weather forecast.  Once they see the map of the national weather forecast they can choose the state with highest temperatures and chose the weather forecast for two states or two different cities in the US. Doing the search for the current weather forecast of two particular cities of their choice they could look for the temperatures, humidity, wind speed, pressure and precipitation (if any) in those cities.

 1. My learning performance will help students learn about different weather conditions. My creating their weather stations and recording different weather conditions represented through temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind speed and air pressure students will learn that there more weather conditions that describe weather.  They will see in the data they recorded by measuring local weather conditions or from the Weather channel for different cities that certain temperature can be associated with different weather conditions.  One city can have high temperature but at the same time have high humidity, or strong wind.  Another city with low temperature can have sunny weather but high humidity, or it can have strong wind.etc. 

2. Engage: I would engage students with question of how weather conditions affect temperature in different places.

Evidence: By measuring different conditions in their place, or by exploring different weather conditions for other parts of the US on the weather channel they would gather the data that will represent evidence for their inquiry.

Explain: By collecting evidence from their measurements of local weather, students will be able to give their own explanation to the question I posed at the beginning.

Evaluate: By exploring other sources from the Weather channel on the weather conditions of various places in the US, they will compare that data with the data they recorded by measuring local weather in the their weather station.  Through comparison of those data students will be able to better understand the weather conditions to form their explanations.

Communicate:  Students will share their explanations with the whole class and give arguments  that support those explanations.

Inquiry in Science and Classrooms

Traditional approach to learning science was more focused on mastery of content and not enough on science as a way of thinking and an attitude of mind. John Dewey emphasized in 1909 a different perspective on science instruction.  Science is more than body of knowledge to be learned, there is a process or method to be learned.  During the 1950s and 1960s educator Joseph Schwab was an influential voice in establishing the view of science education.  In his view, teachers should present science as inquiry and that students should use inquiry to learn science subject matter. He urged the teachers to first have students work in laboratory before they introduce them to the formal explanations of scientific concepts. He proposed three different approaches to teachers in the science instruction in laboratory.  The most open approach, students ask questions, gather evidence, and propose scientific explanations based on their own investigation.
The National Science Education Standards ( NSES) are a set of guidelines for the science education established by National Research Council in 1996. The content of these standards is based on constructivist learning theory, distinguished by emphasis on building on what child already knows and understands.
Five essential features of inquiry teaching and learning are:
1. Learners are engaged by scientifically  oriented questions.  Those are the questions that are useful for the purpose of empirical investigation and lead to gathering and using data to develop explanations for scientific phenomena.  Children will pose questions that are relevant and lead  to experience based investigations of scientific concepts.
2. Learners give priority to evidence, which allows them to develop and evaluate explanations of scientific oriented questions. Students actually learn to make explanations of phenomena based on evidence obtained from observations and measurements and not on myths, personal beliefs, religious values, or superstition.
3. Learners formulate explanations from evidence to address scientifically oriented questions.
Scientific explanations are based on reason. They establish relationship between evidence and logical argument. Explanations must be consistent with experimental and observational evidence about nature.
4. Learners evaluate their explanations taking into account alternative explanations, particularly those reflecting scientific understanding. Students engage in dialogues, compare results, or check their results proposed by the teacher or instructional materials.
5. Learners communicate and justify their proposed explanations. Students share their explanations, provide others the opportunity to ask questions, examine evidence,  identify faulty reasoning and suggest alternative explanations if the evidence does not support their explanations.

These features of inquiry help introduce students to important aspects of science and at the same time help them develop deeper knowledge of particular science concepts and processes.

How would I try to apply inquiry as a method of teaching in science classroom?
As a teacher I should build on my students natural curiosity. I would ask students questions that lead them to critical thinking and investigation.  I would encourage students to ask questions, that lead them to activities that generate more questions about particular scientific phenomena. Students could plan and carry out the learning activities in order to find explanations to their questions. They would record information, sort it out and decide what is important.  Their observations and measurements they would be able to record  in journals, reports, graphs. They would listen, speak and read about learning activities with their peers. They could confer about their observations with classmates and me.  Students would give explanations of phenomena they were investigating based on their previous knowledge and the evidence they gathered from experiments. They could also gather information from other sources  ( organizations outside school, books, magazines, teacher, parents and other professionals). Groups of students would share their explanations  and try to distinguish between those that  support observations and evidence.  In the process of reevaluation of these explanation students would verify the connections they made between evidence, their previous scientific knowledge and the proposed explanations. As for the assessment I would apply ongoing assessment.  Once students begin to explore questions I would observe them during the activities, examine aspects of their work.  I would make an effort to judge each student's progress from where he/she started to where he/she have progressed.

Shifting from Activitymania

The authors of this article have surveyed and interviewed practicing and prospective teachers in order to explore classroom practices in different districts at the K-12 level. Often the science instruction in the elementary classroom is in the form of what authors call activitymania. Activitymania is approach to teaching elementary science that involves a collection of prepackaged, hour long, hands-on activities that are often disconnected to each other. Instead the authors advocate for an inquiry as a way of teaching science.  Inquiry is the process of searching for the patterns and relationships in the world around us.
With activitymania preparation of materials are teacher's responsibility while with inquiry they are used upon students' request and are both responsibility of teacher and the students. Inquiry takes different directions according to students' interests and questions related to the concept being studied.  The outcome of the activities in activitymania style of teaching are known by the teacher, published by text and most times known by students. In activitymania the hypothesis is already defined by the teacher prior to experimentation while in in inquiry it arises from students' questions and is based on their experiences. In activitymania students are passive participants. They follow prescribed procedures. When doing experiments they disregard results that do not match teacher's expectations.
Activitymania calls for immediate, product-oriented, right -answer assessments, whereas inquiry  supports long-term, process-oriented evaluations.
With inquiry as a teaching method, teachers develop rubrics that evaluate different processes of learning in his/her classroom.
In order to me to make a shift from activitymania to inquiry as a way of teaching science, I would have to define conceptual goals and the relationships  to students' lived and interest before I select classroom activities. I should ask my students questions to determine their experiences and possible questions they might have about certain scientific concepts. After I establish concepts I wish to teach  I would provide supporting activities that link and build understanding of the concepts I intend to teach. My role as a teacher would require a move from the traditional presenter of science. My role should be one of the experienced co-learner. Students would be able to discuss the findings of their experiments with me and their peers. During students' inquires I would guide, focus, challenge and encourage student learning.  I would provide individual help to students according to their needs.  I would promote inquiry by asking questions rather then giving answers.  Students would formulate their questions and devise ways to answer them.  They would make their hypothesis based on their questions and on their experiences.  Students would collect data and decide how to represent it. They would organize data from the experiments and make their own conclusions.  They would test the reliability of the conclusions they made.  In the end they would as groups   explain and justify their work in a presentation that models their scientific understanding.

Iowa Core

Iowa Core is a set of standards created by Iowa Board of Education. It looks like that every school district in Iowa will have to develop a written plan to describe its implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum. Every subject taught in school has its standards described. For example for the science it first identifies the essential concepts that should be taught and developed and then it gives specific standards for each science discipline by grade. Some of the standards for different grade spans overlap but the general idea is that children are taught basic concepts in the first grades and then the standards expand to incorporate more complex concepts.  An example would be one of basic  standards for Physical Science where in K- 2 grade " Understand and apply  knowledge of the positions and motions of objects". This standard appears again in grades 3-5 as  " Understand and apply knowledge of how forces are related to an object's motion".  So the standard it the same in the sense that it describes the motion of objects but in the next grade span it is upgraded to represent more complex knowledge.
Some of the standards overlap across grades. 
Besides the standards that I will have to implement once I am teacher, it is interesting that there is information on the  characteristics of effective instruction  which could give me some beneficial guidelines.

Mosart Website

Mosart tests were developed by a team of researchers in the Science Education Department of Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. These tests measure students misconceptions and their results help teachers of science frame their instruction and start from the scientific concepts that majority of students do not understand well or has misconceptions about them.  They are different from regular tests in that they have questions that test the understanding of very basic concepts,  intermediate and advance scientific concepts across the class.  Some of the more advanced concepts in Mosart test are designed to be hard so that not even the high achieving students cannot grasp them. The average score on these tests is 50%. That is because the tests contain questions that are to be very easy and very hard. This is done in order to cover the understanding of  students in the classroom, the low achieving, the intermediate and the high achieving students.
I think these tests would be very useful to me as teacher as their scores finely discriminate between students of  different level of achievement.  Mosart offers tests that are given prior to instruction and after the instruction. The first ones determine possible students misconceptions and also the science concepts knowledge they understand. The other ones show the understanding and misconceptions of concepts after the instruction. The difference between pre and post tests scores will show if there was any conceptual change in students understanding of science concepts I taught. It will also show me the misconceptions students will hold on even after the instructions.  That would then further gave me insight which concepts I should teach more to develop students' understanding.