A Teachers Science Year in Review: Quarter One

At the end of every year I like to sit down and make a list of all the activities, assessments, and student-centered lessons I implemented throughout the year. I always surprise myself at how successful some were while others fell flat. This gets me pondering and re-planning and taking rigorous notes all in the reflective purpose for making next year even better. I also recognize areas where I definitely need to improve for next year. This is my first year writing a blog so my first "year in review" that will be posted. There will be four parts: one per quarter, or close to that time frame anyways. Some lessons having run over into the next quarter. But, alas here I go reflecting on quarter one: safety, cells, organic compounds, the Digestive system and the Nervous and Endocrine system. This was a time engulfed in learning names, building relationships and setting the tone for the year: student-centered and flexible seating.

The first assignment of the year was the safety skits. Students watched a Zombie Safety video and then had to write and perform their own 2-minute skits discussing lab safety and science investigation. They were awesome. I remember noticing them come out of their shells very early, the outgoing students were evident while even the shy students had fun because we had already written our class "community" goals and procedures and a safe haven was in place for all students to take-risks, fail fast, and adjust and retry.

Giant Cell-A Play-Doh Creation-each group had to create a giant cell with all the cell parts made of playdoh and explain each organelle and their purpose in the cell. This was an assessment that occurred during the Once Upon a Cell book PBL to check for understanding.

Cell Books PBL: Once Upon A Cell was our first PBL for the year. Each group of 3-4 students wrote a children's book on cells. Each class voted on their favorite 3 books and I chose the best two-based on scoring based on the rubric, creativity, artwork and how well it relates to 1st graders. Then students took the books over to our feeder elementary school and read them to the first grade classes and then donated them to their classroom libraries. This is probably one of the most memorable events of the year.

Organic Compounds Debate- after students researched and created posters comparing and contrasting the four organic compounds they had a debate on which organic compound is the most important. This was our first debate of the year and it was amazing because, of course there is no correct answer and they discovered this on their own. But it was awesome to see my students use evidence to support their arguments and have fun learning about a very abstract topic.

Create and Demonstrate The Digestive System- The makerspace is an integral part of my student-centered classroom. Students utilize it almost daily to demonstrate their science knowledge. At the end of our Digestive system unit, groups created a model of the digestive system, using play-doh and anything else in the makerspace. They also had to act out each organ-for example chomping of the teeth and then enzymes mixing in the mouth. All the waydown to the rectum and anus excreting the waste products. Sound effects and all. Students had fun standing in a line and each student acting out a particular organ and its function.

Edcamp-Glands, Glands, and more Glands, Endocrine and Nervous System- for this Edcamp students were given a hormone and gland or a stimulus and response, neurotransmitter and signal etc. and had to explain, to the alternating groups of students, Edcamp style, about how their reaction or action caused an effect in the human body. They created posters of the brain, the glands of the body, and neurons and demonstrated how together these processes keep us alive and healthy.

After reflecting on a few of the exciting lessons, the quarters authentic student-driven activities I know I can go back and next year include more. I know not every day can be these types of activities, but it is my goal to completely erase handouts and worksheets from my classroom. To eliminate cookie-cutter labs and replace them with student-generated labs. Give students the concept and let them create the procedures. Later in the year these types of assessments became more common in my classroom, but after reflecting most of the day on quarter one, I see the gaps that can be filled with these more challenging types of learning opportunities.

Coupled with one-minute check-ins, meeting with every student weekly will help enhance the classroom community and allow them to feel more connected with me and thus more safe to take-risks without penalty or judgement. It was a great first quarter this year but next year will be better now that I have truly taken the time to stop, reflect, re-purpose and re-plan for next year. I know its summer. But I like to do all this reflection and reorganizing right after the school year ends as it is fresh in my mind. Quarter two will be my task and blog for tomorrow.