Life Sciences

Now, in the third trimester, I am moving on to the life science unit. I have never taught life science before, but I'm looking forward to some cool projects and explorations I can do with my students. I'm in the search for some technology stuff that I could use in this unit.

Element Project Continues

The element project continues... The students are working on posting their web pages and modeling their atoms 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional. Some of the atoms are looking great. Many students seem to have a firm grasp on the web pages, yet some are still struggling. The students really enjoy using their own web pages, and I think it helps them to feel more independent by having their own. I may try to do some other projects using their web pages once this project is over.

Adopt-an-Element Project -2

I figured out how to have students save at the same time on my website. I setup web pages for each student, and created a template for them to type their information. I think this will be a very cool project because students will be able to use my santorosciencerocks website to get all of their information, and create their own websites.

Adopt-an-Element Project

Since we have moved on to the Chemistry unit, the students are each adopting an element to research from the periodic table. I have assigned some of the elements to students, and pushed some students to research more difficult elements. Students each received a fact sheet, and today they filled in the research information from websites I pulled onto my web page. I would like to be able to have the students post their information on my website and just create a page for them. I'm still not sure if multiple students can edit their pages to publish at the same time. Today was the paper fact sheet. Within the next couple weeks, I would like to be able to do the web page fact sheet. The kids are really excited about this.

Chemistry Project and Glogster Trouble

I am looking to do an "Adopt an Element" project using my santorosciencerocks.pbworks.com site. I would like students to each have their own page to research elements and write down their responses. I'm not sure yet, if multiple students can edit and save work at a time. It would be a very cool tool to use in my chemistry unit if it works correctly.
As far as the Glog projects, the saving problem continues. I'm not sure why only certain students are able to save immediately, while other get denied over and over. Very frustrating!

Glogs Due

Today, Glogs are due. About five of my 22 students have been having a very hard time saving. I spoke to a Glogster representative last week, and they assured me that the problem was fixed, however, these five students have continued to lose all of the new work that they add to their Glogs. I may have to extend the deadline for these students. I wonder why Glogster continues to affect these five Glogs only.

Week 5 Edublog Update

Today, the students are updating their Edublogs for the fifth state they are traveling through. They are researching about the landscape, and describing ways that weathering and erosion; by living organisms, wind, water or gravity, affect the land. Since we have started our chemistry unit, they have some identifying of vocabulary words. Students will be identifying elements versus compounds. They will also recognize objects as physically changing or chemically changing.

Update on Glogster: The "Support Team" emailed back, and fixed the saving problem. Students worked on those after they finished their Edublog updates for week 5. Phew, I'm glad that problem is fixed. Many of my students finished their Glogs and will be publishing them next week.