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Day 2 in the Science Classroom




Day 2

Prior to class starting you should have your science textbook on each table (or make sure each child brings their copy of the textbook).

Pass out notebooks . See if students can remember any of your rules (review). Show them the instruction booklet you glued in the day before. Have them turn to the instructions about title pages and have them make their first title page next to the page you glued the inquiry standards on.

I make a sample title page on the Interative White Board (IWB) and we go through what could be drawn in each block (this is a nice classroom discussion and gives you an idea of what students already know about science). Block 1 is generally something about safety, block 2 is some kind of tool a scientist might use, block 3 is a graph of some kind, block 4 I have them draw the five senses (this is where I teach them the interactive definition of observation - see video above. This gets them up and moving. Students can copy what you drew on the IWB or they can draw any of the suggestions called out for that block. Give them about 10 minutes to complete and color (some kids will be done with the drawing but not the coloring but don't stress - they can complete that another time). Walk around and give a grade for the title page on your clipboard - 100 complete, 95 complete except for coloring, 85 complete but with unreasonable amount of refocusing needed, 70 not complete at all. (this is just a general grading criteria most students get an easy 100 on this assignment particularly if they know you are grading and it is their first grade in the science notebook).

Pick up a textbook and ask them what kinds of things they think they might find in it (you can do whole group or you can have them make a list of five things as a table group and then share). Have them open their textbook and start working on the scavenger hunt. They can help each other. If they are done before the time is up have them go back and finish coloring their title page. If they are done that as well see if they can help any student who is struggling with their scavenger hunt.

Walk around and give a grade as students finish the scavenger hunt - 100 complete, 95 done but with a moderate amount of refocusing, 85 complete but with an excessive amount of refocusing needed, 70 not complete at all. Again this is a general grading scale and most students will work hard to get that second 100 in the grade book.

When grading I find students respond positively to immediate feedback. If they see they are successful in science right away they are more inclined to think positively about the class and their future success in it.
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