Awareness without action has little or no purpose in education. Minutes assume a greater proportion in relation to life for both the very young and the very old. Our gifted students cannot afford to wait indefinitely for the talk to translate into action. I want to focus on classroom differentiation ideas to spark deeper thinking. These ideas come from a number of sources. Some are mine, others are based on things that I have read and used from the Internet. Like all teachers, my toolkit is somewhat eclectic and I don’t always remember where ideas came from in the first place but I am grateful for those whose thinking has sparked my own, and in whose footsteps I walk. The ideas are presented purely as a launching pad not a blueprint. One thing that I have learned as I work with able students is to value their ideas and to allow for student choice in the challenges that I suggest based on the expected outcomes of the study. Prescriptive challenges will result in individual negotiations anyway so it is better to start from there by asking ... How would you improve/ change this suggestion to make it more challenging and fun for yourself?
We all respond positively to the ability to make choices for ourselves and my students have often negotiated suggestions that result in improved quality outcomes.
EXTENSION IDEAS FOR A PRIMARY LEVEL SPACE STUDY
1. Create a model space rover that can handle rocky surfaces.
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| The first step towards change is awareness the second step is acceptance the third step is ACTION |
Awareness without action has little or no purpose in education. Minutes assume a greater proportion in relation to life for both the very young and the very old. Our gifted students cannot afford to wait indefinitely for the talk to translate into action. I want to focus on classroom differentiation ideas to spark deeper thinking. These ideas come from a number of sources. Some are mine, others are based on things that I have read and used from the Internet. Like all teachers, my toolkit is somewhat eclectic and I don’t always remember where ideas came from in the first place but I am grateful for those whose thinking has sparked my own, and in whose footsteps I walk. The ideas are presented purely as a launching pad not a blueprint. One thing that I have learned as I work with able students is to value their ideas and to allow for student choice in the challenges that I suggest based on the expected outcomes of the study. Prescriptive challenges will result in individual negotiations anyway so it is better to start from there by asking ... How would you improve/ change this suggestion to make it more challenging and fun for yourself?
We all respond positively to the ability to make choices for ourselves and my students have often negotiated suggestions that result in improved quality outcomes.
EXTENSION IDEAS FOR A PRIMARY LEVEL SPACE STUDY
1. Create a model space rover that can handle rocky surfaces.
Design Process Steps.
ASK
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What is the problem that you are designing a solution for?
What have others done already (walking in the footsteps of experts)
What are the limits that you have to work to? (Cost/ time)
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IMAGINE
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What are some possible solutions?
Brainstorm ideas. (know the rules for effective brainstorming)
List the criteria for selection
Choose your best suggestion to follow up on.
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BUILD
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Draw a diagram/ blueprint
Make a list of the materials you will need.
Follow your plan and build a prototype.
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EVALUATE
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Test it out
Record your results
Make changes to improve it if necessary
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SHARE
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Explain your ideas to others
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2.
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Find out about scientists who study meteorites. Experiment with some observations of your own.
Pour flour into a baking tray or similar container around 10 centimetres deep. Drop stone into the tray. If you take out your ‘meteorite’ carefully, you will see a crater left in the flour. Take a photo. Do some observation experiments to find out ...
Does the height that you drop it from make a difference?
Does the angle that you drop it from make a difference to the crater?
Does the size of the meteorite make a difference?
Can you use your observations to help you to make predictions from your experiment photographs.
Find out how scientists measure distance.
3.
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Gravity challenge
Experiment to find out more about gravity and air resistance.
Did you know that gravity on the moon is only 17% of that on the earth? What can you find about gravity on other planets in our solar system? Find an interesting way to demonstrate your finding.
There are gravity experiments at http://suite101.com/article/science-experiments
Play what do you think? You can add an element of fun to your sheet by using real people’s pictures with their responses. (see the photo below)
Eg. If you drop a shoe and a piece of paper from the same height, which one will hit the floor first? What if you screw the paper up into a ball?
Look for patterns in the answers. Find an accurate way to test your answer to see if any were correct. Choose two different objects to drop. Can you predict which will reach the floor first? What do you have to take into consideration?
4.
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Study the phases of the moon and use your data to work out when would be the best time for a rocket to visit the moon. Explain your answer.
5.
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Find out what these scientists do and create a computer game to match the name to the job.
Test the game out on your classmates. Use their feedback to refine your game.
Archaeoastronomer
Astrobiologist
Astrochemist
Astrophysicist
Extragalactic astronomer
Cosmologist
Planetary geologist
Meteorologist
6.
6.
Conduct your own research to answer a question that you have about the topic and present it to an audience of your choice.
USEFUL WEBSITES
USEFUL WEBSITES
www.askascientist.com
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/teachingfromspace/dayinthelife/index.html
A day in the life aboard the International Space Station
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/teachingfromspace/dayinthelife/index.html
A day in the life aboard the International Space Station
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