How I used these materials/Middle School Earth Science
From OOGEEP
Submitted by Roger Pott, Northwest Local Schools
Consider energy education and your curriculum. How can you incorporate what you have learned into your science curriculum? Brainstorm some ideas that would include a science concept that needs to be taught, a variety of teaching methods to address retention, and the use of graphic organizers.
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[edit] Benchmarks, Standards, Content or Concepts
One important component in my science content is the historical geology timeline. We can gather evidence from the fossil fuel beds that these processes take millions of years. From the standpoint of a timeline we are going back into different geologic eras and periods to identify and extract fossil fuels. Another important component is the idea that energy cannot be created nor can it be destroyed. With the removal of fossil fuels the students will understand we are using energy that was created millions of years ago and that energy is released in the present day. The other areas of content include science and technology and the scientific inquiry process. All of the labs will involve the basic principle of science and the students will be thinking like scientists to solve problems, gather data, and find conclusions.
[edit] Ways to incorporate different teaching methods
- Lecture
I will introduce the key terms, vocabulary and general information to my students. We will watch the DVD included in my teacher pack. We will definitely have discussions to help the students get a basic understanding.
- Reading
I think at all times it is essential to have students read the background information and the lab procedures before attempting a lab. There will be times where the students will go online to collect information where they will also be reading the computer screen in place of a textbook.
- Audio-visual
We will access the videos from wiki on the many steps in obtaining oil and natural gas. Students will be encouraged to access the links to other oil and gas videos.
- Demonstrations
I think I will do the same procedure we did in the class that you taught. Students will demo the selected experiments to other classmates by practicing the lab first. I have an additional lab I am working on that I will demonstrate for the class.
- Discussion Groups
One lab that will require a discussion will be the fish bowl with algae lab. Students will get a fish bowl with a small amount of algae, students will identify the algae using a field guide. The next step will be adding a small amount of crude oil to the fish bowl. Students will analyze the algae to see how it is effected. This lab will result in a discussion with the emphasis on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
- Practice by Doing
When the students are modeling each lab, they will be practicing their presentation skills as well as scientific skills. Each group will become student experts for their presentation lab.
- Teach Others/Immediate Use of Learning
As department chair for my middle school, I will meet with the other 8th grade teachers this summer during professional development time and I will share with them the science teacher workshop manual. My plans are to use these activities in a new unit for an advanced science class I teach. The new unit will be a current events class titled: Oil Spill in the Gulf.
- Use of Technology
We will be accessing 2 websites throughout my class. The first one is http://www.oogeep.org/ and http://science.howstuffworks.com. I will encourage students to locate other current event information on the oil spill clean up/engineering processes.
- 21st Century Skills
A small one page paper will be included in this unit where the students simply identify and briefly describe 5 alternative energy sources besides fossil fuels. This is a way for students to consider other energy sources. r petroleum class at a university. A last thought would be to have students track the stock market via their ipods with up to date information on petroleum companies. After all, there should be an “app” for that!
[edit] Graphic Organizers
I will have the students create a graphic organizer that we created during the OOGEEP class. The models that we create will be the constructed lab experiments and these will without a doubt reinforce the science concepts for each lesson and experiment.
[edit] Field trips or Speakers
I will have a speaker/class room visit my school at the conclusion of the advance science class to help tie together the many real life science/industry connections. I will contact OOGEEP to have a guest speaker come to my school this year.