1) Earth Science Students took the weathering and erosion exam this week. As review, I set up three stations: a) 30 Regents Review Questions (in plastic sleeves), b) Review Jeopardy and a quick Powerpoint Review presentation with me and the Smartboard, and c) An interactive vocab crossword puzzle/Regents questions on the classroom computers. We also began the final unit of the year: Geologic Time and Earth's History. We began the unit by defining the necessary vocabulary, and then reviewing the history of the Universe (i.e. The Big Bang, red-shift, etc.). We then spend the next two class periods working through the Geologic Timeline on page 8-9 of the Earth Science Reference Tables. I provide Powerpoint notes, and use the document camera to project an image of the timeline chart from the reference tables. A lot has happened on Earth, and therefore the chart contain a lot of information. One of my goals for the unit is for students to develop an appreciation of 'deep' geologic time and an understanding of the amount of time that has elapsed in the formation of Earth's surface features and the evolution of its lifeforms. We talk about Hutton's principle of uniformitarianism (the idea that Earth processes happening today have been occurring in pretty much the same way throughout Earth's history. Mass extinctions are another key idea for the unit, and I have written them down as "permanent notes" on the chalkboard in bright colored chalk. Dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago as a result of a meteor impact and then global cooling. Many of the first amphibian and other land animals went extinct 251 million years ago (K-T extinction) as a result of Pangaea and a warmer/dryer climate on the supercontinent. I think my students are getting it. I think. I hope. What do you think? Any other ideas for things that I can do. They need to know that for the first 2 billion years of Earth's history the atmosphere was largely made up of carbon dioxide, methane, and other volcanic masses being released by volcanoes and cooling lava. I also need to stress the importance of the first photosynthetic organisms (stromatolites, algae). Photosynthesis eventually added oxygen to our atmosphere, and this was a real game-changer for the kinds of life that could exist on our terrestrial planet. It allowed for the development of cellular respiration and led to the evolution of sexually-reproducing organisms. I told my students "you can't have sex without oxygen". Perhaps this was a crude way to present the information, but also memorable, I hope. I think.
2. ESF students went outside to sample Furnace Brook (the creek that runs through Elmwood Park). We took samples for chemical analysis, measured stream flow/discharge, and classified the macroinvertebrates inhabiting the stream's subsurface. This activity was done in conjunction with Mat Webber from Project Watershed/Cornell Cooperative Extension. The opportunity has also arisen to work in conjunction with an Elmwood Elementary or Roberts Elementary school teacher to develop an extracurricular activity in which my students would teach these same sampling techniques to younger students. Then, as a culminating event, we would invite parents, community members, and students to Elmwood Park for the first Saturday in June to participate in restoration efforts of the creek (including the removal of invasive species). This should be a very cool opportunity, but we have to start organizing things very quickly.
3. On Thursday (our first 80+ degree day), attendance was very poor for my third block earth science class. This was the class in which I introduced geologic time, and the chart from the reference tables. On Friday, attendance had been restored, and it worked out in such a way that I was able to split the students into pairs, 1 who had been absent, and 1 who had been present for the previous class. I had them work on the same document-based worksheet from Thursday's class. I told them that the worksheet would have to be done in the 'absent' student's hand-writing, but that the student who had been present would need to teach how to use the chart. Kagan would likely consider this a variation of the "sage/scribe" structure, but I did not give it any kind of name. I would like to implement this strategy as a regular structure in my classroom (especially where attendance problems are a recurring issue). I do not wish to condone class absences in any way, but in this case all students were intellectually engaged during Friday's class and benefited from the circumstances. The concepts were effectively re-taught, and all I had to do was float around the classroom to monitor progress.
4. I began after school review for the upcoming regents exam on Thursday, after school. Attendance was disappointing (another likely casualty of the 80 degree temperature). I hope that attendance approves this Thursday. Be there. A-305. 3:15-4:15. Its fun, informative, and refreshing. It's Earth Science review!
5. One of my students will be out of school for the rest of year, as she is soon expecting a child. I will be her homebound mentor. My responsibilities will include collecting work from her teachers, delivering the work to her home, and teaching her the key ideas necessary to complete the assignments. We will also review for the three regents exams that she will need to take in June. She is very bright, and I have no doubt that she will rise to success as a parent and a young adult. She will need to work hard, but she will make the best of the situation.
A quick message to ALL young men: DO NOT engage in unprotected sex unless you are prepared to be a fully responsible parent and adult. The End.
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