Estimetrics

Here's the link.
It's the second page of the document
estimetrics

Here's a link to Ms. Lindahl's website also.

http://lindahlbiology.blogspot.com/

Class Meeting at Grant on Friday

Meet at Grant H.S. at 12:00 on Friday.  Room 223


http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/grant/

2245 NE 36th Ave | Portland, OR 97212

Chemistry Labs

Here are links to the freezing and melting lab and the popcorm lab.  Some of the graphics may not have transferred well to google docs.

Freezing and Melting of Water

Popcorn Lab

micro mole rockets

Qualitative Analysis

Refraction Labs

The lab report handout for the refraction lab with the light box is linked immediately below.  The second assignment - modeling the behavior of light - I describe directly in the blog.


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-knh8aRX4Hr7FplCFDqN1e7nJbI_9q7ftO1FxGCk2Gs/edit?usp=sharing

Here is the prompt for the short lab report  for the modeling the nature of light activity.

Write a  two paragraph conclusion for the lab.  It should focus on the plausibility of light being made of particles and show logical reasoning based on the results of our lab.  You may want to start it with one of the sentences below.

The results of this lab allow me to state that there is evidence that light could be a particle, because…

The results of this lab allow me to state that there is evidence that light probably isn’t a particle, because…

The results of this lab do not allow me to state that there is evidence that light is a particle or isn’t a particle, because… In order to have had more useful data, I would have needed to …

The second paragraph should propose a further test you could perform on either particles or light to confirm or deny the possibility that light is made of speeding “photon” particles.  It would be great if it was an experiment that you could actually perform in the classroom, but it is probably more realistic that it is simply an experiment that people could perform assuming that they had better equipment than we do.

This is not a research project.  I don't expect a historical or established experiment.  In class we listed a number of assumptions necessary to make a particle model for light workable.  Some of these were assumptions about light.  Some were assumptions about the necessary particles.  Focus on one of these assumptions and imagine/invent a test that probes its validity. 

In addition to the conclusion, please include a screen shot of your data table and graph.

	8-10	5-7	0-4
Logic/Conclusion/Analysis	Explanation linking data to conclusion is logical and well expressed.	Conclusion is not strongly linked to the data.  (Data missing.)	Conclusion is unclear or not consistent with the data.
Proposed Procedure	Proposed experiment would add insight to the nature of light, fits the criteria of the assignment, and meaningful explanation of how to interpret the data is provided.	Proposed experiment could provide insight into the nature of light, but experiment or how to interpret it is not clear.  Or experiment doesn’t fit criteria (probably was researched rather than imagined).	Proposed experiment wouldn’t provide insight into the nature of light, or proposed explanation is contrary to a logical interpretation.

Final Project Details

Sci 595 - 02 Physical Science

Final Assignment:  Prepare a Unit Outline for a two to three week unit in a physical science classroom (10-15 days).

Please include the following:

Unit Topic

Class and Student Grade Level

Major Unit Goals (2-6, What do you want them to know or accomplish?  These could be content knowledge, skills, or attitudes.)

Reflection on your goals  (1-2 paragraphs.  Why did you choose these?  Reference standards, real life applications, your own interests or expertise or more…)

Discussion of assumed student background knowledge or established routines (Optional.  Thinking about this may help focus your planning and reflection, and may help me give you meaningful feedback, but I don’t need you to put it on paper for me.)

Daily Plans  (Feel free to include more detail than described below.) 

Day’s learning goal or desired outcome

3-5 activities by name and one or two details (  Examples:  Warm-Up – List two things you learned yesterday.  Lecture – Boyle’s Law, Powerpoint.  Worksheet practice questions in groups.  Final Test – multiple choice and 3 essays.  Be sure to include a variety of activities.)

Final Reflection:  To help me give you meaningful feedback please let me know what two or three things you are most curious about regarding your unit.

Flipping the Classroom

Below is a post I've copied directly from my physics blog describing prep the students are supposed to do for a class.  They had a long time to do it, and they had had more previous classroom exposure to the ideas.  Please try to do it before Friday.  You may not feel entirely successful at it, but the more that you can do the richer our discussion will be on Friday, and the more we can explore what flipping the classroom looks like.



Over spring break please watch the video in the link below, play with the simulation (also linked) and answer the 9 questions.  Bring your answers to class.  They will be used in a discussion that requires your preparation. I will check them for completion at the beginning of the activity.

Link to Spring Break Homework

The video is one from a series of 6 created in the 80's about the nature of light.  While the effects are poor by today's standards, the information and what they show about how the scientific understanding develops is good.  The user at the link below has uploaded many old science videos.  The six videos in the wave/particle series on light are at the very bottom of his list.

Link to Videos

Finally, on the first block day after Spring Break the class will engage in a Socratic Seminar on some challenging questions about the nature of light.  The following link to an alternative assignment is required for people who miss that day.

Seminar Make Up Assignment

Group Work in labs

Link to spring group assignment.

Link to group role sheets.

The name I gave for this approach to groupwork is called complex instruction.

http://cgi.stanford.edu/group/pci/cgi-bin/site.cgi

I suspect that there are other trade names for good groupwork strategies.

Friction lab

Follow this link for the Friction Lab Report Guidelines and scoring guide.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MaY_4GOS8PUbUw6dAtp6Us_UVFLOHyfN657sR109U5Q/edit?usp=sharing

First Experiment - Galileo's Dilemma

Just like in our class the first activity I do with my students gets them right into doing science with the lab I call Galileo's Dilemma.

The first link is to the write up instructions I used last year; the second link is to the slightly more comprehensive write up instructions that I had used for years before.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/114amQvzVPm_2Ss1b1aOOBFwS4L9UH3Xa3WqIFwzllqA/edit#

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IU6Nu9niMULiL3M1Qk4AlWHuOoMRrnPndnC3_Ai7RmA/edit


Here is a  link to the letter to the teacher assignment also.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GFEUc_A4wHg4GIF33JjqYhSoUDIvfOaxNTXOB97vwB0/edit?usp=sharing

Installing Logger Pro on your Computer

Grant High School has a site license for Logger Pro which means my students have the right to install Logger Pro on their home computer.  I use my blog for sharing the download with them.  Vernier has told me that I can share it with you also.

 The following installation links will require a password to decompress.  You will need to get that password from me.



========================================
Logger Pro 3.9 with sample movies (Windows)
Link: http://www.vernier.com/d/gvnsz
Password: 

Logger Pro 3.9 with sample movies (Mac OS X)
Link: http://www.vernier.com/d/lps7w
Password: 
========================================

Ask me for the password.

Syllabus

SCI 595 - 02 – Physical Science

Laboratory Experiences for Physical Science Teachers

Dates: July 15 – August 3, 2015

Meeting times: M, F  12:00 – 4:00, W 12:00 – 2:00

Location: Rogers Hall, Room 108

Instructor:  Ethan Medley

 Email: emedley@pps.net

 Phone: 503-893-0171

Course Description:

     This course will provide the participant with an overview of topics covered in a typical physical science course at the middle or high school level.  The four disciplinary core ideas as outlined in the Oregon State Science Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards are 1) Matter and Its Interactions,  2) Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions, 3)Energy, and 4)Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer.

       A special emphasis will be placed on lab work and developing a framework to facilitate scientific inquiry in the classroom.  Laboratory safety, effective teaching strategies and building a healthy classroom environment will be major topics of discussion throughout the course.

Evaluation:

       Evaluation is based on participation in lab work, class discussion, assignments (2) and final unit lesson plan.  Please see the weekly schedule for reflection prompts and due dates.  The final assignment should include highlights for at least two weeks of instruction on the physical science topic of your choosing. Please include multiple (>3) formative assessments, daily learning objectives and some form of summative assessment (can be traditional or creative).  This unit plan should be appropriate for the grade level you plan to work with in the fall.  Please cite sources of information appropriately (using MLA format).

     A - Consistent class attendance.  Assignments completed on time with a thoughtful application of class ideas, and thorough participation in class discussions and activities.

     B – Consistent class attendance.  Assignments meet requirements.  Good class participation in discussions and activities. 

     C – Poor attendance (More than 1 absence or equivalent missed time).  Assignments incomplete or frequently late.  Superficial participation.

Schedule:

Week 1
Day	Date	Topics
1	July 15	Introductions Assignment 1 – Letter to Teacher due Friday, July 17 Learning Cycles and characteristics of an Introductory Lab Galileo’s Dilemma Data Analysis with Logger Pro
2	July 17	Finish Galileo’s Dilemma Discuss Error Analysis, Lab Reports, Rubric Grading Video Analysis Assignment 2- Develop a Rubric
Week 2
Day	Date	Topics
4	July 20	Using the Vernier motion detector – Walk-a-Graph Labs using cooperative groups – Hook’s Law Inquiry – Friction Lab
3	July 22	Develop a demonstration with Vernier Probes Guided Discovery – The Law of Reflection Homework-Preparing for the Socratic Seminar
5	July 24	Developing a Scientific Model – Refraction Labs, Socratic Seminar

Week 3
Day	Date	Topics
6	July 27	Final assignment: Pick a standard and describe how you would teach it to students.  Include an explanation of how you would gauge their current knowledge, what sequence of activities/labs you would do to help them develop understanding and how you would evaluate their knowledge. (Due: Monday August 3rd ) Chemistry:  Physical and Chemical Properties Building interest by making predictions Heating and Cooling Curves Popcorn Lab
7	July 29	Lab Safety Microrockets – Chemical Change and Reactions
8	July31	Bonding  Lab - developing critical thinking skills during labs Work Time in Groups ** Final assignment due next class**

Week 4
Day	Date	Topics
9	August 3	DUE: Final assignment Estimetrics TBD based on student interest Discussion of final assignment Evaluation & wrap-up

Welcome

I use blogs in all of my classes as a way of sharing documents, links and calendars.  Students use them heavily, but they are a valuable place to direct parents who are concerned about their child's organization.  I don't keep a running journal of what we did in class each day as some of my colleagues do, but I typically update them at the beginning of each unit and a time or two in each unit.

Just like in my H.S. classes I don't expect to give paper copies of the handouts.  Instead I'll link to googledocs and you can reference or print them as you wish.

It's taken me about 5 minutes to make this blog so far.