My current task on the to-do list has been putting together my classroom website. One of the pages that I am including, no surprise here, features Online Resources! I've spent almost two years curating online resources through my Resources To Start Off Your Week posts but have really been having a love-hate relationship lately in regards to how they are organized. While I really like completing the annotated bibliography, it seems like the page is getting a bit unmanageable with all of the scrolling involved.
I really wanted to create something easy and streamlined for my students so I turned to Symbaloo, which coincidentally I found while working on a Resources To Start Off Your Week post over a year ago. Here is the posting I created for it originally:
Symbaloo
- A website used to create a personal internet desktop.
- Teachers can use this to aesthetically organize and display their classes'
most-used websites and "widgets". These can be anything from
subject-specific tools and search engines, to email access and social media.
- http://www.symbaloo.com/
I quickly went to work creating subject-specific interfaces that I could easily embed into my classroom website. I love the fact that Symbaloo allows your links to be aesthetically displayed with bright colours and cute little clip-art images. Check out the awesome Symballoos I created for my Science & Math students!
Unfortunately, the way my blog is formatted doesn't allow the entire Symbaloo to fit properly... so I apologize for the difficulty. They do, however, fit perfectly on my classroom website and I couldn't be happier!
Wednesday, 31 July 2013
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
How I Plan a Unit in 5 Steps
After finding out that I would be joining the "S-School" team as a full-time teacher, naturally, many of my blog posts turned to discussions of planning and sharing of classroom resources. Since that time, I've received quite a few emails regarding how I specifically go about planning out my classroom units. Now, I by no means consider myself any type of "expert" in classroom planning. In fact, with the ever changing face of education I don't think anyone can truly master this task... ever. Furthermore, this is my first classroom, EVER, so everything is completely brand new to me and every single teacher and classroom is very different.
With that disclosure mentioned, however, I am more than happy to share the steps that I have been going through as I plan out my classes. Since I have already shared my resources for all of the units in my Grade 7 Science class, I will use this class as my example through this post.
I started with the unit, Interactions with Ecosystems, and completed the Backwards-by-Design Method of Planning (also referred to as Understanding by Design). This involved me determining what Enduring Understandings I wanted my students to know at the end of the unit, and working backwards to determine the best activities and assessment strategies to meet this goal. Here are the questions I answer as I make my way through this process:
To read more about this method, check out this great PDF review. Manitoba teachers also have the awesome resources available from the Manitoba Rural Learning Consortium (mRLC) to assist them with their Backwards-by-Design planning.
With that disclosure mentioned, however, I am more than happy to share the steps that I have been going through as I plan out my classes. Since I have already shared my resources for all of the units in my Grade 7 Science class, I will use this class as my example through this post.
____________________________________________
- STEP ONE -
Determine How Many Units I Have To Teach & Lay Out A Tentative Timeline
The very first thing that I do is head to the Grade 7 Science curriculum document to determine how many units I will teach throughout the year and how much time I can devote to each one. **Now I will say right now that I do utilize the Backwards-by-Design method of planning (which I will discuss more later) so I am not a fan of the coverage method of planning. I do, however, plan out a tentative timeline so that I am not spending 6 months on one unit and then trying to cram the remaining 3 units into 4 months.
 |
| Grade Seven Science at a Glance - Thematic Clusters. (2013). Manitoba Education & Training. Available online at: http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/science/outcomes/5-8/topic_charts.pdf |
After viewing the curriculum document I understand that there are 4 units to cover throughout the school year:
I then referenced our Divisional Calendar and determined that I have a maximum of 194 school days (after subtracting PD days) to achieve this. Using this information I created myself a very-tentative timeline to help keep my planning on track and best utilize season-specific resources. I also consciously build in contingency time to account for student needs and any days lost. My resulting timeline looks something like this:
- Interactions with Ecosystems (7 Weeks)
- I placed this unit first to take advantage of the ability to
be outside for ecosystem lab activities.
- The Earth's Crust (7 Weeks)
- I placed this unit second because of the ability to finish it,
in full, by Christmas break so that we weren't in the middle of
a unit during break.
- Particle Theory of Matter (10 Weeks)
- I placed this unit third because it is the longest & has a natural
break in the middle that I can plan around our semester break.
- Forces & Structures (6 Weeks)
- I placed this unit last because it lends itself naturally to a lot of
hands-on activities at the end of the year and allows construction
to take place outside.
____________________________________________
- STEP TWO -
Pick a Unit & Utilize the Backwards-by-Design Method of Planning
What are the Enduring Understandings or
GLO’s for Grade 7 Science: Interactions with Ecosystems?
- Ecosystems contain complex
interactions between organisms and their
environment.
- Environmental, social, and
economic factors influence human relationships with
ecosystems, including management and preservation.
- Matter and energy are cycled
naturally within an ecosystem through the
relationship between producers and consumers.
relationship between producers and consumers.
- Knowledge and understanding of
micro-organisms have improved food production
and preservation techniques, as well as ease of human consumption.
What are the specific outcomes or SLO’s
for Grade 7 Science: Interactions with Ecosystems?
- See the "Grade Seven Science at a Glance - Thematic Clusters" image in Step 1
What are the BIG idea(s) for Grade 7
Science: Interactions with Ecosystems?
-
Ecosystems -
Abiotic -
Biotic
-
Matter Cycling - Preservation - Ecological Pyramids
- Micro-organisms
What will
students know after learning about Grade 7
Science: Interactions with Ecosystems?
- The distinguishing components of ecosystems and the role that they
play,
including abiotic and biotic components.
including abiotic and biotic components.
- The role humans play in management & preservation of ecosystems.
- How matter and energy is cycled through various ecosystems, including
the role
of photosynthesis, food webs, consumers, producers, scavenger, and
decomposers.
of photosynthesis, food webs, consumers, producers, scavenger, and
decomposers.
- The role micro-organisms play in food production, preservation and
human
consumption.
What will
students be able to do after learning about Grade 7 Science:
Interactions with Ecosystems?
Students
will:
- Be able to identify distinguishing
components of ecosystems and explain the role
that they play: including abiotic and biotic components.
that they play: including abiotic and biotic components.
- Be able to describe the role
humans play in management & preservation of
ecosystems.
ecosystems.
- Be able to analyze how matter and
energy is cycled through an ecosystem using
ecological pyramids and food
webs: including the role or photosynthesis,
consumers, producers, scavengers, and decomposers.
consumers, producers, scavengers, and decomposers.
- Be able to evaluate how
micro-organisms have influenced food production and
preservation.
How will
students be assessed on what they know and can do?
- In-class Observation -
Personal Communication / Metacognition Meetings
- Entrance/Exit Slips -
Student Products
- Journal Entries -
Displays
- Role Playing Scenarios -
Final Unit Portfolio
To read more about this method, check out this great PDF review. Manitoba teachers also have the awesome resources available from the Manitoba Rural Learning Consortium (mRLC) to assist them with their Backwards-by-Design planning.
____________________________________________
- STEP THREE -
Organize Resources To Help Students Meet the Unit Goals
I utilize both hard-copy and online resources that I have found personally or that a colleague has shared with me. While I never intend to use every single resource that I find, I try to collect a diverse mix of online and offline resources that can:
- Meet the needs of students at different learning levels
- Meet the needs of students with different type of intelligence
- Fit large-group, small-group, and individual work environments
- Fit online and offline options
- Meet the needs of a substitute teacher
 |
| I Spy an Ecosystem. (Accessed 2013). Uploaded by ASU Ask a Biologist. Available online at: http://askabiologist.asu.edu/explore/i-spy-ecosystem |
The online resources that I curated for the unit, Interactions with Ecosystems, can be viewed in one of my previous posts.
____________________________________________
- STEP FOUR -
Create a Tentative Calendar of Activities to Meet the Unit Goals
Using a simple Word Document table I create myself a very tentative calendar of activities to take us through the unit to work towards our unit goals. I understand that every single one of these calendars will change based on student needs, interest levels, and school activities but it serves as a good framework to keep me organized in regards to:
- Accumulating classroom/activity supplies
- Booking field trips/lab equipment/extra classrooms
- Organizing multi-grade mentoring activities
- Allowing appropriate time for assessment activities
- Allowing appropriate time for assessment activities
____________________________________________
- STEP FIVE -
Go Through My Unit Checklist
After I've curated my available resources and tentatively planned out the activities that can meet the unit goals, I go through a simple checklist that I created for myself. This checklist summarizes my personal goals as well as some of our school and divisional goals to ensure that I am including certain aspects into my planning. I do not use the exact same checklist for every single class and subject, but it is a good strategy to ensure that I am providing a variety of different learning opportunities. Here is the checklist I went through for this unit:
|
Component
|
Checklist
|
|
Layered Curriculum
|
- Activities Divided Amongst Levels 1-4
|
|
Opportunities Outside of the Classroom
|
- Ecosystem Sampling Outdoor Activity
|
|
Lab Activity
|
- Ecosystem Sampling Outdoor Activity
- Candle in a Jar Activity
|
|
Mentoring Activity with Another Class
|
- Share Take Action Project with Another
Class
|
|
Community Involvement
|
---------------------------------------------------------
|
|
Linguistic Activities
|
- Notes
- Debatable Qs
Choices
- Handouts
- Entrance/Exit
Slips
- Discussions
|
|
Logical/Mathematical Activities
|
- Ecosystems Sampling Outdoor Activity
- Candle in a Jar Lab
- Missing Ecosystem
- Food Web/E. Pryamid
|
|
Visual/Spatial Activities
|
- Ecosystem Illustrations
- Habitat Take Action Project
- Food Chain/E. Pyramid Illustration/Display
|
|
Kinaesthetic Activities
|
- Web of Life
- Candle in a Jar Lab
- Ecosystem Sampling Outdoor Activity
- Post-it Activity
- Role Playing Activity
|
|
Musical Activities
|
- Ecosystem Rap Review
- Microbes They Might Kill You Sing Along
|
|
Interpersonal Activities
|
- Discussions
-
K.W.Ls
- Web of Life
- Post-it Activity
- Center Activities
- Lab Partners
|
|
Intrapersonal Activities
|
- Outcome Framework Tracking
- Entrance/Exit Slips
- Layered Curriculum Provides Choices
|
____________________________________________
STEP SIX (if there was a step six) would be to repeat STEPS 1-5 for each of the remaining units until the year is planned out!
Monday, 29 July 2013
Resources To Start Off Your Week 72
It is really scary to think that this is my last Resources To Start Off Your Week post of July! That means that there is literally one month before I am in my very first classroom full-time! Now don't get me wrong... I am beyond excited and cannot wait for that to happen, but that also means that I need to really make sure that I am focusing on my planning in order for everything to fall into place in time.
I know that I am definitely preaching to the choir as many of my American followers are already in their classrooms and I so appreciate all the information they have been sharing through their blogs! It is very helpful to read what other teachers are doing and see what might fit with my classroom too. It is my hope that some of my posts can be just as helpful. With that being said, I will be adding these new additions to my lists of resources under the Fav Websites heading.
1 ) 101 Questions
- Organized and curated by Dan Meyer, this website features
short film clips and images that are designed to perplex and stump our
students. This website is awesome for getting students to ask
appropriate questions and learn to question the world around them.
- Users can answer the question on the website and submit it to see
what other users have answered. It is really neat to see the different
perspectives and could make for interesting discussion about why
people answered in the way that they did.
- I think this website would be really neat to utilize as a morning routine
and feature a different question each morning. It would also be neat to
pick very specific questions to fit in with certain lessons as a unit progresses.
- http://www.101qs.com
2 ) Interactive Bloom's Taxonomy Wheel
- Bloom's Taxonomy, most often represented as a wheel, is an
important aspect of a teacher's planning to ensure students not only
understand information but can also utilize it effectively in various
situations.
- This interactive wheel would be perfect for new teachers who are
becoming familiar with Bloom's Taxonomy or simply a good review
for teachers at any level. It allows the user to explore each of the 6
levels on the taxonomy, understand what each of them means, and get
ideas of what activities fit in with each level.
- There are even specific links for teachers to explore various ed tech
tools that meet each level!
- http://eductechalogy.org/swfapp/blooms/wheel/engage.swf
3 ) Copyright in a Copy-Paste World
- This is one of the BEST copyright and plagiarism information
websites for students that I have found so far. Through the use
of articles, interactives, images, and film clips this website covers
the following questions: Is It Really Stealing? Why Should I Care?
What Does It Look Like? What Tools Can I Use? How Can I Use
My Own Brain?
- There are specific tabs for students and teachers and allows students
to actually self-check their own work to ensure that they aren't
plagiarizing in their work; awesome!
- This is a website that I will definitely be sharing in my classroom and
with my colleagues!
- http://www.pleasedontcheat.com/
I know that I am definitely preaching to the choir as many of my American followers are already in their classrooms and I so appreciate all the information they have been sharing through their blogs! It is very helpful to read what other teachers are doing and see what might fit with my classroom too. It is my hope that some of my posts can be just as helpful. With that being said, I will be adding these new additions to my lists of resources under the Fav Websites heading.
1 ) 101 Questions
- Organized and curated by Dan Meyer, this website features
short film clips and images that are designed to perplex and stump our
students. This website is awesome for getting students to ask
appropriate questions and learn to question the world around them.
- Users can answer the question on the website and submit it to see
what other users have answered. It is really neat to see the different
perspectives and could make for interesting discussion about why
people answered in the way that they did.
- I think this website would be really neat to utilize as a morning routine
and feature a different question each morning. It would also be neat to
pick very specific questions to fit in with certain lessons as a unit progresses.
- http://www.101qs.com
2 ) Interactive Bloom's Taxonomy Wheel
- Bloom's Taxonomy, most often represented as a wheel, is an
important aspect of a teacher's planning to ensure students not only
understand information but can also utilize it effectively in various
situations.
- This interactive wheel would be perfect for new teachers who are
becoming familiar with Bloom's Taxonomy or simply a good review
for teachers at any level. It allows the user to explore each of the 6
levels on the taxonomy, understand what each of them means, and get
ideas of what activities fit in with each level.
- There are even specific links for teachers to explore various ed tech
tools that meet each level!
- http://eductechalogy.org/swfapp/blooms/wheel/engage.swf
3 ) Copyright in a Copy-Paste World
- This is one of the BEST copyright and plagiarism information
websites for students that I have found so far. Through the use
of articles, interactives, images, and film clips this website covers
the following questions: Is It Really Stealing? Why Should I Care?
What Does It Look Like? What Tools Can I Use? How Can I Use
My Own Brain?
- There are specific tabs for students and teachers and allows students
to actually self-check their own work to ensure that they aren't
plagiarizing in their work; awesome!
- This is a website that I will definitely be sharing in my classroom and
with my colleagues!
- http://www.pleasedontcheat.com/
Happy Monday everyone!
Friday, 26 July 2013
Forces & Structures Resources
This is the LAST resources post regarding my Grade 7 Science curriculum planning and it covers the unit of Forces & Structures. All together, there are four units covered over the course of the school year and I have been sharing my individual unit breakdowns and online resource database. Until I actually meet my students and spend time learning their needs and interests, I have been building a plethora of resources to have in my back pocket as we make our way through the school year. Over the past 2 months, I have been sharing these resources with you! Check out my previous Grade 7 Science resources posts, broken down by individual units:
- Interactions with Ecosystems
- The Earth's Crust
- Particle Theory of Matter
This unit was really enjoyable to plan out because it lends itself very naturally to having a lot of hands-on building activities. In regards to my full year planning, I have placed this unit as our very last one so that students have an opportunity to have lots of busy, hands-on, exploratory learning opportunities at the end of May and June. I feel like this will be a good fit for that time of year when students are not feeling like being in the classroom listening to lecture or working on written assignments.
Domino Tower
Canada
- Interactions with Ecosystems
- The Earth's Crust
- Particle Theory of Matter
 |
| Engineering the Future. (2013). Uploaded by Living Children Multimedia. Available online at: http://legacy.mos.org/etf/force.html |
Forces on Structures
Enduring Understanding: Structures
are under internal and external forces that affect their strength and
stability.
7-3-01 Use appropriate vocabulary related to their
investigations of forces and
structures.
Include:
frame, shell, solid, centre of gravity, stability, compression,
tension,
shear, torsion, internal and external forces, stress, structural
fatigue,
structural failure, load, magnitude, point and plane of application,
efficiency.
7-3-02 Classify natural and human-built structures found
locally and around the
world.
Include:
frame, shell, solid
7-3-03 Identify the centre of gravity in a model structure,
and demonstrate that
changes in
the location of a structure’s centre of gravity affect its stability.
7-3-04 Identify internal forces acting on a structure, and
describe them using
diagrams.
7-3-05 Identify external forces acting on a structure, and
describe them using
diagrams.
7-3-06 Recognize the internal and external forces apply stress
to structures, and
describe
examples in which this stress has lead to structural fatigue or
structural
failure.
7-3-07 Investigate to determine that the effect of a force on
a structure depends on
its magnitude,
direction, and point and plane of application.
Analyzing & Designing Structures
Enduring Understanding: Specific materials & structural shapes can increase the strength
and stability of structures so that they can
withstand external forces.
7-3-08 Describe, using diagrams, how common structural shapes
and components
can increase
the strength and stability of a structure
7-3-09 Describe and
demonstrate methods to increase the strength of materials.
7-3-10 Determine the
efficiency of a structure by comparing its mass with the
mass of the
load it supports.
7-3-11 Evaluate a structure to determine the appropriateness
of its design, using
the design
process.
7-3-12 Use the design
process to construct a structure that will withstand the
application
of an external force.
______________________________________________________________
In addition to hard-copy resources I have available in the school and from colleagues, I also started to organize some online resources to supplement our classroom activities. Here are the resources I found, organized by the themes I stated above. For each one I've included the title, a very brief point about what it includes, and the link.
Forces on Structures
Structures
& Forces YouTube Video
-
Review Video
- No
sound but good demonstration and explanation of vocabulary
Science 7: Forces & Structures YouTube
Playlist
- 13 Videos
Sturdy as an Egg Test
- U of M Lab Test
- Investigating pressures
Structures & Forces Textbook
- Chapter from a Textbook
- Good to put on website or pull info from
- U of M Lab
- Centre of Gravity test
Unit 4 Structures & Forces Webquest
- External & Internal, classifying
structures, strength & stability
Types of Forces
- U of M Lesson
- Compression, Tension, Torsion, Shear
Structures & Forces PowerPoint
- Good teaching resource
Investigating Forces & Structures
- Webquest Activity
- Good for Supplementary Activity or if
there is a Sub
Forces of Wonder Game - Wonderville
- In-class Fun Activity
- Good game to have when students are done
early
Forces & Structures Study Notes
- Good review activity
- Includes everything
Analyzing & Designing Structures
- Good for real-life application
Structures Around the World
- Interactive, large-group activity
Children’s Engineering Educators
- LOTS of different labs, interactives, and
articles
Building Big PBS Forces Lab
- SMART Board, large-group activity or
center activity
NOVA Physics of Stone Arches Interactive
- Large-group activity
Structures & Forces Interactive
- Really good online activity
- Vocabulary, design sky scrapers
Stable & Unstable Structures Discovery
Ed Lesson
- 2 Day plan
NOVA Smart Bridges Video
- Analyzing structures
- 9 mins
- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/smart-bridges.html
______________________________________________________________
I hope you find these resources as awesome as I do! If there is something you think I should add to my list let me know, I'd love to hear about the awesome things you are using with your class :)
Wednesday, 24 July 2013
When Science & Music Collide
As you might know, I am teaching two different science classes this upcoming year: Grade 7 & Grade 8. I had a really fun time planning out these two classes because my class sizes are SO small and I could easily build in A LOT of labs and various other hands-on activities. My primary focus when developing my lessons is to provide a relevant and meaningful learning experience for my students. (Obviously, this means that I will continue to modify things as the school year progress and I learn more about my students.)
One resource that I came across to help me meet my planning goals was Mr. Parr's YouTube Channel! This channel is absolutely amazing and I can't stop sharing it with my fellow teacher friends! Mr. Parr is a Grade 6 teacher who creates songs about science to help his students learn and study about various topics. I've built in so many of his songs into my units and wanted to give him some support by sharing his YouTube Channel through my blog! Here is what why I LOVE his videos so much:
- Topics cover:
- Scientific Inquiry
- Biology
- Geology
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Environmentalism
- Geography
- Space
- Electricity
- Lyrics are included in the videos
- Information ranges from Introductory Concepts to Full Review
- Songs inspiration is from the "Top 40" listings so almost all students
should recognize them
- Meets the Musical Intelligence aspect of Gardner's Theory (which I
have a hard time meeting sometimes)
- There are Over 150 Songs
Here are some of my favourite songs that I've built into either my Grade 7 or Grade 8 plans:
One resource that I came across to help me meet my planning goals was Mr. Parr's YouTube Channel! This channel is absolutely amazing and I can't stop sharing it with my fellow teacher friends! Mr. Parr is a Grade 6 teacher who creates songs about science to help his students learn and study about various topics. I've built in so many of his songs into my units and wanted to give him some support by sharing his YouTube Channel through my blog! Here is what why I LOVE his videos so much:
- Topics cover:
- Scientific Inquiry
- Biology
- Geology
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Environmentalism
- Geography
- Space
- Electricity
- Lyrics are included in the videos
- Information ranges from Introductory Concepts to Full Review
- Songs inspiration is from the "Top 40" listings so almost all students
should recognize them
- Meets the Musical Intelligence aspect of Gardner's Theory (which I
have a hard time meeting sometimes)
- There are Over 150 Songs
Here are some of my favourite songs that I've built into either my Grade 7 or Grade 8 plans:
Ecosystem Song. (2011). Uploaded to YouTube by Mr. Parr. Available online at: http://youtu.be/GUY_-LK_lOc
Electromagnetic Spectrum Song. (2011). Uploaded to YouTube by Mr. Parr. Available online at: http://youtu.be/P_PVz8HrrCI
Circulatory System Song. (2012). Uploaded to YouTube by Mr. Parr. Available online at: http://youtu.be/mDSFxcf2UgQ
I recommend this resource to ALL science teachers, they are awesome!
A BIG thank you going out to Mr. Parr
for putting in the time and effort to create and share
these amazing resources with all of us :)
Tuesday, 23 July 2013
Particle Theory of Matter Resources
My curriculum planning is almost half way done now as I've currently completed my year-plans for:
- Grade 7 Science
- Grade 8 Art &
- Grade 8 Science
So far I've been sharing with you the resources I've found and incorporated into my Grade 7 Science unit, including my posts on Interactions with Ecosystems and The Earth's Crust. The next, and longest, unit in the curriculum discusses the Particle Theory of Matter and has practically double the curriculum outcomes of The Earth's Crust unit.
This unit caused me the greatest amount of difficulty so far because it is the furthest out of my comfort zone and it is so much longer compared to the other units. One of my biggest concerns was holding student attention on the subject for almost three months. To assist with this, I built in a lot of science experiments and projects and left room for student choice so they can explore the areas that interest them the most.
disposal.
- Grade 7 Science
- Grade 8 Art &
- Grade 8 Science
So far I've been sharing with you the resources I've found and incorporated into my Grade 7 Science unit, including my posts on Interactions with Ecosystems and The Earth's Crust. The next, and longest, unit in the curriculum discusses the Particle Theory of Matter and has practically double the curriculum outcomes of The Earth's Crust unit.
 |
| Molecular Model of the Three States of Matter. (2013). Uploaded by scienceportfolio1p1 wiki. Available online at: http://scienceportfolio1p1.wikispaces.com/Term+2 |
Intro to Particle Theory of Matter
Enduring Understanding: The particle theory of matter is a scientific theory
used to describe changes of state.
7-2-01 Use appropriate vocabulary related to their
investigations of the
particle theory of
matter.
Include:
boiling and melting points, pure substance, scientific theory,
particle
theory of matter, temperature, heat, conduction, convection,
radiation,
mixture, solution, mechanical mixture, homogeneous,
heterogeneous,
solutes, solvents, solubility, concentration, dilute,
concentrated,
saturated, unsaturated, terms related to forms of energy.
7-2-05 Explain what scientific theories are, and provide some
examples.
Include: a
scientific theory helps to explain an observation; when this
explanation
has been repeatedly tested and shown to be consistent it is
generally
accepted in the scientific world.
7-2-06 Describe the
particle theory of matter and us it to explain changes of state.
7-2-13 Differentiate between pure substances and mixtures by
using the particle
theory of
matter.
Include: a
pure substance is made up of one type of particle; a mixture is
made up of
two or more types of particles.
Heat & Energy Transfer
Enduring Understanding: Energy has many different forms that often give off
heat when transferred.from one substance to the next.
7-2-02 Evaluate different types of thermometers using the
design process.
7-2-03 Demonstrate the effects of heating and cooling on the
volume of solids,
liquids, and
gases, and give examples from daily life.
7-2-04 Compare the boiling and melting points of a variety of
substances and
recognize
that boiling and melting points are properties of pure substances.
Include:
water.
7-2-07 Differentiate between the concept of temperature the
concept of heat.
7-2-08 Demonstrate how heat can be transmitted through solids,
liquids, and
gases.
Include:
conduction, convection, radiation.
7-2-09 Plan an experiment to identify material that are good
heat insulators and
good heat
conductors, and describe some uses of these materials.
7-2-10 Use the design process to construct a prototype that
controls the transfer of
heat energy.
7-2-11 Recognize that hat energy is the most common by-product
of energy
transformations,
and describe some examples.
7-2-12 Identify different forms of energy that can be
transformed into heat
energy.
Include:
mechanical, chemical, nuclear, electrical.
Solutions, Substances & Mixtures
Enduring Understanding: Solutions and
mixtures are two different substances that are affected by a unique set of factors.
7-2-14 Differentiate between the two types of mixtures,
solutions and mechanical
mixtures.
Include:
solutions - homogeneous; mechanical mixtures - heterogeneous
mixtures.
7-2-15 Classify a variety of substances used in daily life as
pure substances,
solutions,
or mechanical mixtures.
7-2-16 Identify solutes and solvents in a common solid,
liquid, and gaseous
solutions.
7-2-17 Describe solutions by using the particle theory of
matter.
Include:
particles have an attraction for each other; the attraction between
the
particles of solute and solvent keeps them in solution.
7-2-18 Demonstrate different methods of separating the
components of both
solutions
and mechanical mixtures.
7-2-19 Identify a separation technique used in industry, and
explain why it is
appropriate.
7-2-20 Experiment to determine factors that affect solubility.
Include:
agitation, surface area, temperature/
7-2-21 Describe the concentration of a solution in qualitative
and quantitative
terms, and
give examples from daily life when the concentration of a
solution
influences its usefulness.
Include: dilute, concentrated, grams of
solute per 100 mL.
7-2-22 Demonstrate the difference between saturated and
unsaturated solutions.
7-2-23 Discuss the potential harmful effects of some
substances on the
environment,
and identify methods to ensure their safe use and disposal.
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In addition to hard-copy resources I have available in the school and from colleagues, I also started to organize some online resources to supplement our classroom activities. Here are the resources I found, organized by the themes I stated above. For each one I've included the title, a very brief point about what it includes, and the link.
Intro to Particle Theory
Middle
School Chemistry
-
Great overall resource for teachers & students
BBS
Ks2 Bitesize Science: Solid, Liquid, Gas
-
Game, articles, & quizzes
Scientific Method Rap Song
- Musical option
- Sang to Just a Dream: Nelly
Puff the Magic Soap Discrepant Event Lab
- Heat Transfer in Solids
4 States of Matter Song
- Musical Option
- Review activity, sang to In the End:
Linkin Park
Scientific Method Song
- Review activity
Heat Transfer
Ups
& Downs of Thermometers Lesson Plans
-
Teacher resources, lab activities, student handouts
Balloon Burst Lesson Plan
- U of M Project
- Heat Transfer lab
Viscosity Explorer
- SMART Board Interactive
- Explore heat affect on viscosity
Heat Transfer Song
- Review activity
- Sang to In My Head - Jason Derulo
Heat & Temperature Song
- Sang to New York City
Jumping Flame Lab Discrepant Event
- U of M Activity
Gas Particles in Motion Webquest
- Good online activity if you have a
substitute
Heat Loss & Insulation Lab
- U of M Activity
Wonderville Heat & Temperature Game
- Large group activity on SMART Board
- Center activity on iPad or option if done
early
Particle Theory Review Notes
- Teacher Resource Notes
Substances, Solutions & Mixtures
Chem
4 Kids
- Intro
& Mixtures
-
Handouts, supplementary activities, good for substitute
How to Speed Up Chemical Reactions Ted ED
Lesson
- Video, multiple choice questions,
discussion
- Enrichment activity
Dancing
Raisins Lab
-
Classify Substances & Solutes/Solvents
Different Colours of Black Lab
- Separating mixtures technique
Mixtures
Separating Song
-
Musical option
-
Review activity, sang to Work Out: J Cole
Mixtures & Solutions Notes
- Teaching Resource Notes
- http://teacherweb.com/NF/StPetersJuniorHigh/MrGWilliams/Grade-7-Science--Unit-Ch-7-amp-8-notes.pdf
Swirling Milk Discrepant Event Lab
- Pure and mixed substances
- Large group activity
Chemical Reactions Song
- Musical option
- Review activity, sang to Gold Forever:
The Wanted
Magic Mixture Lab
- Corn Starch Goo Recipe
Pure Substance & Mixtures Lab
- Goo
The Solutions Song
- Sang to Don’t Stop Believing: Journey
Ascending Popcorn Discrepant Event Lab
- Particle theory to explain fluids
- http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/crystal/Grade%207%20Science.html
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I hope you find these resources as awesome as I do! If there is something you think I should add to my list let me know, I'd love to hear about the awesome things you are using with your class :)
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