Welcome to Mrs.Ritchie’s science class at The Academies of Anacostia! We have a fun-filled semester ahead, with many opportunities to discovering the science affecting your everyday lives and how to investigate and ask questions like a true scientist. In order to be the most successful in the classroom, there will be expectations for students and parents, as well as myself as the teacher. I would like to take you all on a journey explaining what students can expect in their science class this year!
Firstly, students will be required to keep a 1 1/2” binder for this class. This binder will be their organizational tool for the entire semester, with regular binder checks to ensure students have a well-kept and up-to-date binder to check that they have the resources they need from the class to be successful. Every week, students will get a new “Do Now Activity” (D.N.A.- get it?!) sheet to keep in their binders. Every class that they come in, students will complete the D.N.A. to practice information learned previously in the unit, and also questions that will lead into the new discussion according to the lesson that will be conducted. This activity will be referenced throughout the lesson to reinforce and connect the concepts to previous material.
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| Students working in collaborative groups during an inquiry activity. |
Almost all lessons will begin with an inquiry activity. Inquiry-based learning is seen as the most important in a science classroom. In this type of learning, students build onto the knowledge that they already have. So much of science is seen every day in many things that we do, and all students need to do is build onto this previous knowledge. This has been seen by many theorists, including John Dewey (1916), to create deeper comprehension in students as they are able to connect what they already know. Some of these inquiry activities may involve using manipulatives. For instance, when we learn about the nervous system, before learning key vocabulary and concepts, we will first test our nervous system by working with partners and dropping rulers and seeing how quickly and what length on the ruler we catch it. This not only engages students, but will allow students to connect the idea that the brain controls all movements in our body. Another way we may begin a lesson through inquiry is placing students into small collaborative groups to work with others and build onto each others’ knowledge to come to a common conclusion. These activities are highly successful as students commonly learn well through peer interaction, collaboration practices important social skills, and it allows students to take on some of the teaching and learning for themselves, creating an opportunity for students to take ownership of their learning.
Throughout any lesson, there are a variety of learning styles addressed. As a teacher, it is important to know that no two students learn the exact same way. As Gartner (1983) states in his theory, there are multiple intelligences and ways in which students may learn material. It is my goal to use as many of these learning styles as possible in any single lesson to ensure ultimate mastery of content for students. For example, students will have a hands-on experiment or inquiry activity, then be given graphic organizers differentiated for their various learning strengths while using technology such as a PowerPoint presentation through a SmartBoard in which students may interact with, students will work with partners, will have independent work time, and will be assessed for mastery of the objective to ensure understanding and for planning of the next lesson. There is also much use of project-based learning in which students will have choice of activity to prove mastery.
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| Individual student data tracker |
As you can see, there is much that I plan to do to ensure the ultimate learning experience for students, including a positive learning environment, and data driven classroom in which students will track their unit mastery data to ensure achievement of 80% or more on all standards covered. Students will come away from this science class with a passion for asking questions and taking risks with the material. It is expected that students come to class every day prepared with not only materials, but with a positive attitude, and an open-mind to learn about new things that affect their everyday lives! This blog is meant to be a resource for both parents and students to use for extension lessons, information of upcoming lessons and activities, and to allow for communication with all! Please visit this blog often and I am looking forward to a great semester!
Dewey, J. (1916) Democracy and Education. An introduction to the philosophy of education, New York: Free Press.
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind. New York: Basic Book Inc.
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