"Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world."
-- Louis Pasteur
Science is often one of my students favorite classes. We try to bring in activities and labs to not only teach students concepts but to also help ignite their love of science!
My middle school has a high level of poverty and diversity. My students each have their own story; some heart-warming and some heart-breaking. Although my students often come to me with gaps in their learning and skills below grade level, my goal is to use science to strengthen their skills. This is not an easy task with students with such variety in their backgrounds and previous experiences.
My approach is to not only use reading and visuals (pictures, movies, interactive media, etc.) but also hands-on approaches to reach each student. The hands-on approach helps students experience the science and make personal connections.
I love seeing the light bulb go off when students make a connection or a concept finally clicks for them. The goal for this project is to kick the year off with a bang and get them excited to study Earth and all of its systems.
My Project
My students will use the terrariums as they study earth's four major spheres (geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere) and the interactions between the systems. This project will be one of the ways students are introduced to Earth Science, their focus for the year.
Students will use the soil and grass seed to create a terrarium inside the plastic bowl.
The soil will represent the geosphere. The seeds and grass will represent the biosphere. The air inside the container will represent the atmosphere. The water added to the soil when the seed is planted will represent the hydrosphere.
Students will learn about each sphere and how each one interacts with the others. For example, as the grass grows, water vapor is released and will condense on the inside of the container. This is a step in the water cycle called transpiration which shows how the hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere all interact. Students could just read about the spheres or could look at pictures. But our hope is that the hands on approach will help deepen students' understanding.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Miller and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
