Comments for VitalVenture

Comment on Vital Signs Science Notebook by Meredyth

Meredyth — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:41:33 +0000

Michael Klentschy also has a book, Using Science Notebooks in Middle School Classrooms

Comment on Here Banana! Build skills to find (and not find) what you are looking for by sharon Provost

sharon Provost — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:49:36 +0000

The title was the hook. It seemed like something the students would enjoy doing and eating. Other subjects could be incorporated into this activity.

Comment on Climate Change and Your Watershed by Elizabeth Bickford

Elizabeth Bickford — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:44:28 +0000

The scope of this Watershed Activity is phenomenal. As students understand their own community and watershed, they will be able to inform the local citizens on the impact of climate change in our own community and what we can do ourselves to slow the effects of climate change. This place-based approach to science with authentic studies and investigations in collaboration with experts and other community members outside the school will help them understand the idea of sustainability and their individual responsibility as a global citizen.

Comment on Community Connections to a Maine Watershed by Sheridan Rawcliffe

Sheridan Rawcliffe — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:43:35 +0000

A great watershed activity is showing the effects of population and industry on the quality of the water that ends up in the watershed. Group 1 gets a small portion of sponge to represent the native Americans. They accumulate their water from a source(pail of water)and do it in relay form. The 2nd group gets a little bit bigger sponge and represents colonization. They must compete for the water with group #1. Group 3 is added and represents industialization. They get a bigger sponge and must compete with the 2 other groups. The final group is today and their sponge is large. As eash group is added more pollutants are also added to the water..this can be represented by spices that are added to the water. After the last “race” you compare the water used by just the first group and the amount used by all of us over history

Comment on Community Connections to a Maine Watershed by gayle

gayle — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 17:11:12 +0000

Resource about Community and Cultural Connections to a Maine River:

“An Allagash Haunting, The Story of Emile Camile”, by Maine Author Tim Caverly and illustrated by Millinocket artist Frank Manzo.

The story follows a ten-year-old girl who takes her first canoe trip down the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. As a major summer storm approaches she learns an unknown secret about her mother and meets a French Canadian woodcutter from the past. This story has an imaginary haunting theme that may be used for a variety of subjects.

The book is made available to schools in Maine through funding from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation.

For more information: http://www.allagashtails.com/

Comment on I Live Here Too by NSTA Participant

NSTA Participant — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:44:40 +0000

I like the idea of kids using people (or what they know) as a background for how to research – they can see the process of research before they apply it to an unknown species. Teachers often assume kids can research and that they understand the process, but it is often not true, even with my high school students.

This is a super activity to use before (or after) the “Species Investigation” activity.

Comment on Species Investigation by NSTA Participant

NSTA Participant — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:40:55 +0000

Using the “I Live Here Too” activity along with this activity helps kids cement the process of research and makes it more meaningful. This activity has great guiding questions to make students THINK (OMG…did I use that word!?). It also makes them think about the process of thinking.

Comment on All My Watershed Neighbors by NSTA Participant

NSTA Participant — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:37:37 +0000

I appreciate how this activity will call upon students to consider the impacts of their actions on an entire watershed and its inhabitants. I will definitely incorporate these ideas into my current unit on watersheds. I value the variety of ways students are able to explore this important topic.

Comment on Invasive Species Impacts On Biodiversity In A Maine Watershed by NSTA Participant

NSTA Participant — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:35:08 +0000

Questions:

1. What time frame are we talking about in the Investigate portion?

2. What sites are enough to evaluate species diversity when selecting a site, and how do you get students who are uninterested in the outdoors interested in this project?

3. How do you tell if “student data” is “good” to report?

Comment on Invasive Species Impacts On Biodiversity In A Maine Watershed by NSTA Participant

NSTA Participant — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:32:15 +0000

This is something I never thought about. It is common sense to me, but students need to be able to think it through and this seems to be a good way. I like this and will try it in my classroom.