Laboratory Safety....Doesn't Have to be Boring!

In addition to reviewing safety rules in a traditional matter, sing a song about it!

Opera Style:

Rap:

(done for a chemistry class-but I still enjoy how is demonstrates some of the safety equipment like the emergency shower)

A Tribute to Scientists....and the First Week of School!

Well the first week of school is wrapping up and it has been going great so far!  In class this week we are beginning to identify our stereotypes of what comes to mind when we think of scientists....  and then breaking down those barriers and exploring just how diverse "being a scientist," really is!........Enjoy!

Sci·en·tist:   /ˈsaɪəntɪst/ [sahy-uhn-tist

 –noun:     an expert in science, esp. one of the physical or natural sciences.

- noun:     a person who studies or practices any of the sciences or who uses scientific methods.

  (1834, coined from Latin. scientia )

Bill Nye/The Science Guy

Stephen Hawking

http://www.topnews.in/people/stephen-hawking

Mr. Hawing is a British theoretical physicist and cosmologist, whose scientific career spans over forty years. His books and public appearances have made him an academic celebrity. He is known for his contributions to the fields of cosmology and quantum gravity, especially in the context of black holes.  Hawking has a neuro-muscular dystrophy that is related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a condition that has progressed over the years and has left him almost completely paralysed.

The Scientist - Coldplay (with lyrics)

Rosalind Franklin

A young, female scientist who used x-ray diffraction to decipher the structure of DNA (double helix)

                                                                   Ms. Frizzle!

Enthusiastic science teacher brining joy and curiosity everywhere...via magic bus!

George Washington Carver

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong -- because someday you will have been all of these."
- George Washington Carver-

There's No Place Like Home?: What if the Oil Spill Was in Your Backyard?

                                   Aerial View May 2010   Photo:  NASA Goddard Photo and Video


Courtesy of PBS NewsHour

The oil spill in the gulf seems absolutely unreal to me.  I know the link below definitely helped me to understand the spatial impact of the spill. Since I am a visual learner, this really drives home the point! It is our responsibility to be alarmed/educated/inspired- even if it is not in our own backyard.

    How far would the damage reach, if the spill was in your backyard?? (click here to see map, set it to your home town...)


 
A pair of Brown Pelicans, covered in oil, sit on the beach at East Grand Terre Island along the Louisiana coast, Thursday, June 3, 2010. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) 

Wikipedia...... and Michael Scott

This clip was re-posted via Free Technology for Teachers.

Melanin: Nature's Sunscreen

Today, I visited Wallis Sands State Park in Rye NH, with my family. As a sun-lover/beach-goer/summer-off diva, I try to wear sunscreen and be responsible most of the time....especially on my face (no premature wrinkles!) however, some people don't need to wear sunscreen as much as others. Why is this?!

Well to summarize: genetics and environment.
Everyone has a natural and unique skin color that they were born with. There are many genes which make up skin pigmentation.

One day, when I was teaching Human Anatomy, we were discussing skin pigmentation and the conversation very quickly turned to race relations. Many of them, once they understood the biology of a pigmentation, thought it was very silly that people used this as a way to discriminate/alienate others. Our discussion could be summarized as follows.....

Within the bottom layer of our skin there are cells called melanocytes (-dark -cell). Each and every person on Earth has approximately the same number of melanocytes, despite the hue of their skin. (This really rocked their world!) Melanocytes produce melanin (a black/brown pigment).

The reason why people have different skin colors is because their melanocytes produce melanin at different rates. These rates initially are determined by your genetics and further influenced by your environment.....

For example, if your ancestors lived in Peru, chances are you have darker skin- even if you live in New York City now. So ultimately, you have more natural sun protection- less need for topical sunscreen.

Unfortunately, if your ancestors are from Poland, but now you live in Panama you probably don't have as much of this natural protection. Wear sunscreen!

Don't forget vacations! If your ancestors are from Ireland and you are visiting the Dominican Republic for a week- Be on the look out for an increase in freckles! (simply clusters of melanin). Set a timer and re-apply sunscreen frequently!

Melanin is nature's sunscreen! When the epidermis ( -outside -skin) is exposed to the sun, the cells need protection. That is when the melanoctyes are triggered to produce melanin. Tiny bits of melanin then move to the epidermis and gather to cover the cells' nuclei (the control center) to protect them from radiation and UV rays. Both are things that can change the structure of your DNA. (That is when things get a little scary - like cancer.) Anyways....

Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)

Lost Generation - Simply Looking at Things a Different Way

I am inspired by this video. I think it demonstrates how quickly our perspective can change when we look at something differently. It could also serve as a template for a challenging writing assignment I was thinking around Earth Day...Thoughts?

Making Ice Cream: A Lesson in Thermal Energy Transfer.

A hot summer afternoon can leave my body craving ice cream!....Currently my favorite flavor is Mint Patty from Golick's Dairy Bar in Dover NH. My husband is more a Strawberry Cheesecake fan at the moment.

While it is simple to order a cup or a dish from a local stand, it is more fun to make your own! If you are baby sitting for the summer or have younger siblings, you can even make an afternoon out of it! Be sure you are ready for the vigorous shaking, it can be a real work out....

So here is how making ice cream is science! (View the video provided for instructions and recipe)

The outer container is used to house the ice. Ice melts naturally because thermal energy (heat) likes to move from "hot" to "cold" places (high to low concentrations). So the thermal energy from the environment wants to transfer (move) to the ice which has less thermal energy. When heat is added to the ice it breaks the bonds in the ice and causes it to change state, from a solid to a liquid (melting). Salt is added to the ice in the outer container to depress, or lower its freezing point.....making it even colder and the melting process slower!

Another transfer of energy occurs simultaneously. The yummy mixture in the inner container has more thermal energy than the outer container, so again, heat transfers from the inner container to the outer container. When heat is removed from the inner container the mixture changes phases from a liquid to a solid! Yum!

Finally by shaking it with you hands, you are adding even more energy into the universe and speeding up the process!

Enjoy!

Is Connecting with Nature...The Same as Science?

Is Connecting with Nature....The Same as Science?

After attending two out of four days of Google Week at the SPDC in Exeter, NH, I have realized how interconnected our teaching community truly could be! How exciting! Amy Catone (a teacher in our district/fearless instructor), suggested that we use Blogger just to see how it worked...

We were also introduced to Google Reader. What a great way to quickly follow pages that are interesting! I soon became a follower of the NSTA blog and came upon an article which summarizes my thoughts when naming this blog: Science is Everywhere!

Often times I am asked to teach a curriculum which is specific, diverse and challenging, however a lot of students have questions about things that we think they already know.

"What is my food made up of? You mean plants have ovaries?! Are trees alive?".... (All from my eighth graders this year).

It's so easy to say, " Didn't you learn that last year? Or we are learning about _______ now, so now is not the time. Or the ever so popular, didn't they teach you anything in __ grade?!" I found one day it was easy to get caught up discussing electrical energy, when during the lesson I discovered that one student's take away message was: that weight loss in its simplest explanation is using more energy to do work with their bodies than is consumed through the calories of their food.

I think connecting with nature is science, at any age! Observing the world, becoming curious, asking questions, doing research, making predictions and creating fact based conclusions are all things that can happen with or without a book. If students are given a chance to ask these questions in a safe learning environment, then the transfer of energy, etc will make much more sense down the road...whenever that may be.

So the goal of this blog is to address the seemingly simple questions we generate in the back of our brains each day and relate them to science. This will reinforce that science really is everywhere!