Ove 300 Scientists Need Your Help

My Students: With a mere forty minutes twice a week, it is difficult for me, the teacher, to squeeze in all the science they're going to get! It's even more difficult when there's no quick...

My Project: With only forty minutes to present new material, explain the activities and clean up, checking for understanding from all student is often difficult because it can be so time ... more»

My Students: With a mere forty minutes twice a week, it is difficult for me, the teacher, to squeeze in all the science they're going to get! It's even more difficult when there's no quick and efficient way to reinforce concepts, evaluate and monitor student learning, and have all students actively participate.

My students are fantastic! I teach in a public school of about 500 students. Each class gets to come to science lab twice a week for forty minutes. Unfortunately this is all the science they get! The students love coming to science because of the hands-on activities and the labs they get to do. However, the concepts behind the activities are just as important!

My Project: With only forty minutes to present new material, explain the activities and clean up, checking for understanding from all student is often difficult because it can be so time consuming. Handing each child an erase board will allow me to quickly assess how well the students are grasping the information and what I need to further elaborate on. A general question will be asked and students will write the answer on their board. When asked to hold up their boards I will quickly see who understands and who doesn't. This method allows for 100 percent participation, constant student engagement, and can be done in a matter of minutes.

My project is important because as much as students love activities and labs, it is the scientific principals behind them that matter most. When students fully grasp the science behind the activities they can truly become great scientists. hide»