921-McAllister,+Rebekah

**Investigating Rates of Heating and Cooling of Soil and Wate**

Deliverable #2 Rebekah McAllister 8th Grade Science Duration: 4 Periods Grouping: Cooperative groups of 3-4 students

In this inquiry, students will set-up an experiment to simulate the differential heating of the Earth’s surface using soil and water to determine which heats and/or cools faster. Students will create a graph of their data and present their findings to the class. The inquiry demonstrates how different surfaces on the Earth absorb and retain the sun’s energy (radiation).
 * || **Overview:**


 * Content Standards:**

Students will observe and record the rates equal volumes of soil and water heat and cool. Students will graph and analyze the heating and cooling rates of soil and water. Students will explain what happens to energy from the sun when it reaches the Earth. Students will read and interpret a data table and graph. · Heterogeneous grouping of students for the assignments. · Discussion in order to assess students’ prior knowledge. · Explanation of terms relating to the lesson (radiation, absorbing, reflecting, heat transfer) and usage of graphic organizer. · Modeling the process of graphing using a Smartboard. //For each student:// 1 copy of Student Sheet 3.1a: Investigating Rates of Heating and Cooling 1 copy of Student Sheet 3.1b: Interpreting a Data Table - homework 1 copy of Reading: The Source of the Earth’s Heat – homework on Blog 1 copy of the Science/Math Integrated Project Rubric 1 copy of the Blogging Response Evaluation Rubric Smartboard and computer access [|Lab 3.1 lab sheets.docx] //For each group of four students:// · Lamp/150-W bulb · Stop watch · 2 digital thermometers · Cardboard strips · 2 250 mL beakers · Water, 250 mL · Soil, 250 mL Procedure: // Prior Knowledge // – Students know how to read a thermometer, stop watch and levels in a beaker. //Focus Question:// Do you think sand or water will heat up faster under the heat lamp? //Warm - up:// After students have collected their materials, I will lead a class discussion based on the following questions: · Have you ever walked barefoot on the beach on a hot day? · What was the temperature of the sand like? · When you reached the water, how did it feel by comparison to the hot sand? · If you walked barefoot on the beach after dark, which felt warmer, the sand or the water? · Do you think all solid material heats up as fast as sand? For example, think of gravel, crushed stone, or different types of soil.
 * PS2 (****5-8) INQ+SAE+POC – 7** //Use data to draw conclusions about how heat can be transferred (convection, conduction, radiation).//
 * PS2 (****7-8) – 7** **Students demonstrate an understanding of heat energy by…**
 * 7b** explaining the difference among conduction, convection and radiation and creating a diagram to explain how heat energy travels in different directions and through different materials by each of these methods. || **Objectives:**
 * Accommodations: **
 * Materials:**
 * Day 1:** Students will brainstorm ways they might investigate how equal volumes of soil and water heat and cool. I will ask a few groups to share their ideas with the class. After going over the agreed upon procedure, students will complete questions one and two on Student Sheet 3.1a and proceed with the inquiry. Any questions the students have will be addressed prior to performing the lab.


 * Day 2: ** After completing the inquiry, groups will make a line graph: one for the soil data and one for water data (red line for heating and blue line for cooling.) After going over the process of labeling and making a scatter plot graph, I will model graphing using an example set of data on the Smartboard. After the students have graphed their data, they will draw a line down the graph to divide night and day. I will facilitate a group discussion during the analysis of the heating and cooling graphs. Students will identify when sunset occurred (turning off the light.) For homework, they will complete the article questions on their class blog, (Reading: The Source of the Earth’s Heat and Student Sheet 3.1b.)
 * Day 3: ** In the computer lab, students will complete the reflection questions and write a reflective paragraph using the Blogging Response Evaluation Rubric on what they learned during the lab as well as share any errors that might have occurred and post on the blog. After all comments have been posted, students will read the reflective paragraphs of their peers and participate in a class discussion that ensures all students are aware that different substances absorb and retain the sun’s energy at different rates which causes uneven heating of the surface of the Earth.
 * Day 4: ** Students will write a formal lab report using a graphic organizer graded according to the requirements of the Science/Math Integrated Project Rubric. Students will have the ability to submit the lab report early to check for errors prior to due date.

I will assess student learning based on student’s answers to class discussion questions, correct completion of the 3.1a Student Sheet, graphing of soil & water temperature differences, the appropriate answers to the reflection questions on the blog using the Response Rubric, the formal lab report and the homework assignment. ||  || Based on your data, what conclusion can you make about the heating and cooling of soil and water? Explain. How do you think the temperature of the ocean compares with the temperature of the land nearby? Explain how the oceans absorb and hold heat. Explain why concrete feels hot under your feet in early summer while water in the pool nearby feels cold
 * Assessment:**
 * Reflection Questions for Blog:**

**Blogging Response Evaluation Rubric**
 * Blogging Responses (Excellent = 2 Satisfactory = 1 Unsatisfactory = 0)**
 * Total Pts = ___/26__**


 * **Integration/synthesis of Concepts and Principles** || **Critical Thinking** || **Applications and Personal Examples** || **Writing standards** || **Timeliness** ||
 * **Responses demonstrate an integration of concepts and principals from classroom discussions and reflect an understanding of fundamental principles surrounding the uneven heating of the Earth.** || **Responses frequently demonstrate use of upper level thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation).** || **Responses share personal connections to the topic of uneven heating while integrating the heating article.** || **Responses are clear, concise and easy to understand. Ideas and responses are communicated clearly and coherently.** || **Responses are submitted on or before the due date.** ||
 * **Excellent**


 * Satisfactory**

**_** || **Excellent**
 * Unsatisfactory**
 * _**
 * TOTAL**
 * X3**
 * Satisfactory**
 * Unsatisfactory**

__ **TOTAL** __ || **Excellent**
 * X3**


 * Satisfactory**


 * Unsatisfactory**


 * TOTAL**
 * X3**
 * _** || **Excellent**


 * Satisfactory**

__ **TOTAL** __ || **Excellent**
 * Unsatisfactory**
 * X2**


 * Satisfactory**


 * Unsatisfactory**


 * TOTAL**
 * X2**
 * _** ||

In order to incorporate an Edublog into an existing lesson, I chose an Earth science lab that I felt needed more student interaction. I began by having students respond to a science based article that reflected the topic of the lab that they read and answer question that are posted onto the class blog. I felt that I could incorporate blogging deeper into the lesson so I decided that instead of writing a paragraph based on reflection questions on paper, students would write a reflective paragraph on the blog and then read the reflections of their peers. Student blogs include their opinion of how they think the lab went and if they think any human or mechanical error affected their overall results. I think this is a great way to use blogging as it incorporate reading and writing and allows students to get their peers’ viewpoint of science articles and how the labs went. I wonder if this process could be applied to all the class labs.

DELIVERABLE #3 Proposal for Implementation: Flexbook - Electronic Flexible Textbooks

Dear Dr. Thornton Ed.D.,

Flexbooks are flexible, current electronic textbooks which gives teachers the opportunity to modify and customize online content information into inexpensive, standard adhering student textbooks which can be adapted for individualized needs. Flexbooks for science can be compiled using open source content from the CK-12 Foundation, a non-profit organization with a mission to reduce the cost of textbook materials for grades K-12.

I would like you to consider replacing traditional science textbooks which are limiting, expensive and difficult to update with science Flexbooks. As we are thinking about cost efficiency, it would be advantageous to having a more flexible and less expensive system in place using online flexible textbooks. Compared to paper textbooks which can be damaged, lost or quickly outdated, Flexbooks will always stay up-to-date and are inexpensive to replace. CK-12 would provide science teachers with access to high quality online content that can be printed (if needed). Additionally, having a flexible science textbook would keep the content as current as possible in this ever changing field.

Additional benefits are found at []. Paul Bierman, a geologist at the University of Vermont initiated this workshop composed of 54 leading scientists, educators and technology experts at the National Academy of Sciences. They met under the theme "Reconsidering the Textbook” in Washington D.C. "Textbooks have yet to respond to changes in technology, teaching philosophy, and student life. The goal is to retain the core stability and authority that make the textbook so valuable while at the same time providing the flexibility, timeliness, and inquiry-focused approach that the web and other electronic resources provide" says Paul Bierman.

Professor David Fontaine from the University of Rhode Island teaches [|EDC586-921-Using Blogs and Wikis to Foster Literacy] at http://wikidave.wikispaces.com/EDC921 and has been speaking and writing about CK-12 for years now. He is available to discuss this non-profit organization and how it has the potential to positively impact our school district.

In the online article at __http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA153368.html__, The E-Textbooks Are Coming by Walter Minkel, Matt Gomez, marketing manager at DigitalOwl, believes that schools are ready and eager to introduce electronic textbooks to the classroom. The initial texts will be simple digital duplicates of the printed texts, but DigitalOwl plans to add features such as highlighting, hyperlinking, and teacher comments and quizzes. “There's definitely a place in the school of 2000 for digital textbooks,” says Phyllis Lentz, resource development specialist at Florida High School (FHS), one of the test sites. FHS is a statewide "virtual high school" offering specialized classes online--such as advanced placement history and calculus--to small schools unable to offer them. FHS has an added interest in having its students download their texts from the Net (Walter Minkel, 2000).

In the online article, // [|Cutting-Edge Curricula Killing the Textbook] // by Caleb Johnson, classrooms may be devoid of traditional textbooks within the next five years. Dr. Sheryl R. Abshire, chief technology officer for the Calcasieu Parish school system in Lake Charles, LA, told the Times that modern students think in less concrete ways than their forebears, so they need more fluid learning tools in the classroom. "They don't engage with textbooks that are finite, linear and rote," she says (Caleb Johnson, 2009).

A potential road block is that as CK-12 provides online texts for limited subject areas, it is not accessible for all teachers at this time. As all the science teachers in our school support the idea of Flexbooks, the concern is whether all students will have access to them outside of school. Even though the majority of students would be using the digital textbook, the need for printed chapters for those students without computer access would be necessary. All science teachers would discuss and implement a plan for printing chapters for their classrooms. Perhaps a science binder could be created for each student without computer access that could contain all the chapters with additional printed chapters added as all students get to it on the computer.

I would suggest using CK-12 at [] to access electronic textbook software because it is free, customizable and standards aligned. It would be very efficient to have a textbook online that incorporates the specific content information we need without having to flip through the information we don’t need. I believe that using Flexbooks in science will also make it easy for students to access their textbooks as they could read and use it at home without having to worry about forgetting it in their lockers.

Access to flexible electronic textbooks that are constantly being updated for current research and information would be both valuable and timely for science teachers and students.

Thank you for your time and consideration, Rebekah McAllister Davisville Middle School