Innovative Activities and Assessment in Chemistry and Earth Science
This site contains downloadable activities referred to in the poster presentation "The Teacher as Designer: Innovative Practices Informed by Personal History, Theoretical Grounding, and Professional Learning", by Christopher Young, from the 2009 Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program Conference in Washington DC.
Poster Abstract:
Teaching cannot be learned from a textbook, but must be learned by doing - by combining theory with skills learned during pre-service training and the day to day work of instructional design. Respecting and drawing on the unique background knowledge and life experiences of each teacher are very important in enabling pre-service teachers to become strong, intuitive teachers – teachers who will instinctively respect the unique strengths of all their students.
If you have any questions about these activities, feel free to contact me: christopher DOT ivan AT gmail DOT com
Chemistry Resources for Download:
- Class Periodic Table / Element Research Project: Research your chosen element. Use what you learn to create a square for the giant Periodic Table on the classroom wall. (combining art with science, using alternate literacy practices, valuing creativity, sharing understandings with peers)
- Modeling of Atomic Radius Trends: Choose craft supplies with your partner and use them to create a model that explains a periodic table trend to your classmates. (modeling scientific concepts, sharing understandings with peers)
- Lab: Is Density a Periodic Table Trend? Develop your own procedure to investigate this question. (scaffolded inquiry lab experience, using scientific resources)
- The Mystery Meteorite: We have limited information about the mysterious meteorite - can your research team pinpoint the unknown elements and present your findings in time? (problem based learning, presenting scientific findings)
- Teacher Demo: The Excited Electron: A one person play - A slightly silly yet technically accurate (and hard to forget) model of electron behavior, showing the processes of absorption and emission. (scientific modeling come to life)
- Animated Flame Test : A multimedia animation that highlights and reinforces the connection between two important chemistry concepts - flame tests and electron absorption/emission. (multiple modes of explanation)
Earth Science Resources for Download:
- Build a Better Beach House: What were they thinking when they built this beach house there? What can you do to help save the house from the forces of erosion and deposition? (learning through design)
- Can I Live Wherever I Want? Choose an extreme location and imagine a house being built there. Create a real estate ad to try and sell the home,and then describe the possible problems this home may face. (exploring pros and cons)
- Erosion Comic Strips: Choose one agent of erosion, and create a comic strip that shows the cause of the erosion, the results of the erosion, and the effect this has on humans. (combining art with science, using alternate literacy practices, valuing
creativity)
- Erosion and Deposition Poetry: Write a limerick or haiku about one of the agents of erosion. (blending science and creativity)
- Environmental Disaster Town Meeting and Debate: You have been given a role to play in the town meeting. Use what you have learned about the salt mine collapse to explain how you feel about the situation. (nurturing multiple perspectives)
 Innovative Earth Science and Chemistry Activities by Christopher Young is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
|
|
