For a project I’m working on, I wanted to revisit what I know about cooperative learning. When I Googled the topic, among the many resources I found was one from a professional development series Concept to Classroom, produced by Thirteen Ed Online (WNET, the New York PBS affiliate). The “courses” in the series are free and self-paced. They each consist of four sections — explanation, demonstration, exploration, and implementation.
The explanation section is in the form of FAQs about the research and rationale related to the topic. The demonstration section has videos of real teachers using the concept in their own classrooms, as well as lesson plans that incorporate the topic. The exploration section guides you through thinking about what the topic would look like in your own classroom, and the implementation section assists you in developing and using a lesson. Even if you decide not to take the whole course, the list of resources (including online articles and websites) is worth a look.
Some topics that would be of interest to science teachers include inquiry-based learning, cooperative and collaborative learning, constructivism, interdisciplinary learning, and assessment. These pedagogical concepts would supplement the content-oriented Science Objects professional development resources from NSTA (which are also online and free).
Although Thirteen Ed Online does not award credit, there is a “Get Credit” toolkit with a syllabus to share with your administrators about the content of the course and a rubric to determine how your participation could be evaluated for district-sponsored PD hours. (Actually, I’d look at the materials to get an overview of the course.)
I’d like to hear about your experiences with other online PD courses that are free and relevant to science teachers!

It seems like it’s getting harder to motivate students. What can we do?
— Roseanna, Beaverton, Oregon
I’ve found we cannot motivate others; motivation comes from within the individual. We can threaten, cajole, plead, or reward students into doing what we want, but the ultimate decision on how much to participate is made by the student. A professor of mine would say, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink… But you can salt the oats.”
That’s what teachers can do – salt the oats so students will want to be engaged in the class, not just busy and compliant (or off-task). I asked several science teachers what they do to “salt the oats.”

If students are used to being passive learners, it may be hard for them to assume responsibility for learning, adapt to a variety of learning strategies, and develop their own interests and passions. The teacher’s role would be to model self-directed motivation and learning and provide scaffolding for students to build these skills.
It’s ironic: when I asked students what good teachers do to spark and keep their interest, they said many of the same things! The students said the worst thing to do in class is copy notes from the board. They felt they learned best from class discussions, working together, and projects that allowed them to use their problem-solving skills and creativity. I also asked if they ever thought a topic in science was going to be boring, only to find that it was really interesting or compelling. I asked what changed their minds. Virtually every student said it was something the teacher did that “salted the oats” for them.
If anyone has other suggestions, please feel free to add them!

Can you tell that it will rain soon by the way the air smells? Do you like the smell of snow? I like the way the air smells just as a badly needed rain begins—it makes me think of the earth exhaling as the water soaks in (but this could be a misconception on my part).

(Click here to see the details of the raindrops and the fallen redbud tree flowers.)

Rainfall is a significant event in children’s lives, in some places a daily one, while in others a rare pleasure. Rainy days usually mean that children play indoors so they may not know how much it rained or how long. What can we do to connect children to the patterns in nature determined by precipitation?

Taking brief note of the weather as part of a daily circle or calendar is more common in early childhood classrooms than recording those weather observations through drawings, photography, or writing. When temperature, precipitation, and cloud cover are recorded on a year-long chart, seasonal changes can be easily seen.

Notable events, such as, “the storm that blew down the big tree” or snow days that closed school, can be highlighted and reflected upon. If you record weather phenomena, compare your class’ results with that of the National Weather Service, Climate Prediction Center. 

Recording the weather can help children make sense of the natural phenomena that are not in our control but affect our lives profoundly. I knew a three-year-old who cried when she noticed any clouds moving overhead. I wonder if drawing the clouds daily in a notebook might have reassured her that they were a familiar occurrence, and not threatening. Teachers who live in areas with occasional severe weather—how do you talk about it with young children? Please add your comments by clicking on the word “Comment” below.

Peggy

It’s not hard to get young students interested in the earth sciences that explain and describe the world around them. And yet for many students, the upper elementary and middle school grades are the last time they’ll be exposed to earth science topics in school. (Although I just visited a high school that is returning earth science to the curriculum in response to the state’s science assessment.)
But SciLinks does not skimp on earth science topics. By entering keywords such as volcano, rock, glacier, plate tectonics, geyser, weather, or earthquake, you’ll find many informational websites for students, background information for yourself, and teaching suggestions.
Several sites recently submitted to SciLinks include a wealth of ideas and multimedia resources. Earth in the Universe and Earth System, Structure, and Processes from Teachers’ Domain have images, Flash interactives, and videos. You can incorporate these into your lessons, or use the many lesson plans (with connections to state standards) included. Registration for the site is free. Rock Cycle has animations of the rock cycle and the formation of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.

When I saw the theme for this issue, Teaching with the Community, what came to mind was students visiting community resources such as museums, zoos, and parks on field trips or students and teachers using the community as a classroom. But the articles in this issue have other interpretations of “community.”
The State High Biodiesel Project describes a collaboration between the science department and the agricultural science program to turn fryer oil from the cafeteria into an alternative energy source. Perhaps other institutions in the community can learn from these students (and their teachers). On the web, you can find out how to Make Your Own Biodiesel and the authors provide the details of their lessons on Alternative Fuels
The community engaged in Collaboration at the Nanoscale consists of high school classes and university faculty. They formed a scientific community to study microbes and viruses safely, using advanced technology. For more information on the topic of microbiology, go to SciLinks and enter the term “micro” for lists of websites related to microbes, microbiology, microscopes, and electron microscopy.
Student research on a topic of interest to their communities, such as indoor air quality, is demonstrated in the article The Big Sky Inside.According to the authors, the data collected by the students is being used beyond the project to investigate other air quality issues. If you want to get some ideas for other projects, check out Solving Environmental Problems in SciLinks.
Use the article EQUIPping Teachers to learn how to change your classroom into a community of inquiry. The authors describe a tool/rubric that can help you improve the level of inquiry in your class activities. It’s an excellent article that everyone should read. For more information on inquiry, see Making It Inquiry 9-12 in SciLinks.