Science Snippets

In the simplest of terms, instructional strategies are the methods teachers use to achieve learning objectives. In other words, pretty much every learning activity you can think of is an example of an instructional strategy. They’re also known as teaching strategies and learning strategies.

Oklahoma Forestry Service is teaming up with OSTA to offer activity-based science for K - 8 teachers focusing on resources to support the Oklahoma Academic Standards in Science.

In "Explore Your Environment" OFS will will leading teachers in engaging activities focusing on environmental and earth science: soil, water, ecosystems, etc. This will be a primarily outdoor experience, so please dress for the weather. We will be enjoying the hospitality of Martin Nature Center.

Date: Nov. 2, 2024

Place: Martin Nature Center - OKC

Time: 9:00 - 12:00

Cost:

• $10 for OSTA Members
• $20 for Non-Members - This price includes a year-long membership.

We will be going on a journey to become ambitious science teachers! We will be meeting two times per quarter to learn about planning for engagement, eliciting students' ideas, supporting critical thinking, and pressing for explanations. All grade levels are welcome. These ideas can be tied to multiple subject areas!

Our next meeting date:

• October 23rd 4:30 - 5:30(ish) - Crimson Melt 2100 N. Eastern Ave.
• November 21st 4:30 - 5:30(ish) - Stuffed Olive 12215 S Pennsylvania Ave

Ambitious Science Teaching offers ideas for working on these questions through a framework with 4 sets of teaching practices. These sets of practices make up the Ambitious Science Teaching Framework. The framework is based on classroom research from the past 30 years. Get started with Ambitious Science Teaching.

Please join our group on our journey! If you can't make it to all the meetings, that's okay. Join in when you can.

Can you believe it's already time to talk about Science Olympics? For those of you new to 2nd - 6th science, Science Olympics is a time when all students in your grade level work on a specific challenge. Students will work in groups of 2 - 3. Teachers will present the problem and the constraints, and then allow students to use the engineering design process to create a solution to the problem. All of this is completed at school, in class. None of this is to be taken home.

Students will brainstorm, draw designs, design a prototype, and test. Use the Science Olympics Design Sheet to help students record progress. This process will be repeated over several days. Once each team has had at least 4 "trials" then the teams will compete under a time constraint with one winning group from each class. Then, the winning groups from each class will compete to find a winning team for the grade level.

The focus of this time is for students to think of solutions, try, fail, try again - all without interference from the teacher. It's a time for students to create, build, and test their own ideas. Teachers can give some background knowledge before the events start, but cannot help groups in any way.

1. First, read the Science Olympics Handbook (front section and your grade level event. (Opening in word to read will give you the easiest view.)
2. Print off student instructions, design sheets, and teacher instructions.
3. Watch the video created for your grade level.
4. If you still have questions, there will be two Q & A sessions offered through zoom.

Wednesday, Nov. 6th 4:30 - 5:30
Thursday, Nov. 14th 3:30 - 5:00

1. Create groups and do another hands-on activity before Science Olympics to ensure that the groups will work well together.
2. In early November, gather all supplies and reread the instructions for your grade level.
3. Before Thanksgiving break, you can give some background lessons, but NOT teaching the actual event. For example, you can show some videos of roller coasters and have a class discussion about how they work. You can show some different kinds of buildings in progress of being built, and do a notice and wonder about how they are constructed, etc.
4. For 4th - 6th, you may want to show how blueprints are made, what is included, details, etc so students have some guidance when creating their own blueprints.
5. Science Olympics runs from Dec. 2 - Dec. 13 only.
6. None of the materials or designing is to be done at home. This is ensure that only students have input on the work.
7. Groups need to be given at least 4 attempts at testing their prototype, one of which can be should be under the time constraint.
8. Teachers observe groups to make sure rules are being followed.

When I was in elementary school (back in the dark ages), some of my teachers had me look up all my vocabulary words in the glossary and copy the definition. How many of those definitions do I remember? NONE. It was a waste of time for both me and my teacher. I didn't learn anything, and the teacher was robbed of precious time. So how can we teach those academic vocabulary terms in such a way that students can actually USE the language? Check out some of the resources below to help your students learn the language of science.

STEAM Live! is a program that I have mentioned for a couple years now. It brings Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math demos to title-one Elementary and Middle schools. They are exciting in-person all-school assemblies that are provided at no cost thanks to the generous support of Dr. Elliott and Pam Schwartz and their A/E/I/O/U Foundation.

We have a web form that you can use now to sign-up here: https://scimuseumok.org/STEAMLive24-25

During the 2023-2024 school year, Science Museum Oklahoma visited more than 100 schools across the state, spanning the entire state. To date, this program has served 36,777 students, and we would like to serve even more this year. Spots are limited and filling fast so please pass this information on to any school you think might be interested.

If you have any questions at all about the program, please don’t hesitate to reach out to steamlive@smo.org

Mrs. Baker (5th Red Oak) has student testing the best way to grow plants. Check out some of their results! Also, the students went on a "Neighborhood ecosystem" walk with her students. Take a look at their discoveries!

Kelley first graders are learning about seasons! Take a look at the results of their learning!

On the registration for the monthly drawing, I asked teachers to share something good going on in the their classroom this year. (It didn't even have to be about science!) Here are some of the responses. Let's focus on the good!

• My students connecting the story to Leader In Me.
• We are getting lots of compliments on our class hallway procedures!
• Students were wowed to discover our bodies are made mostly of water.
• My fifth graders have become pros at our procedures so now we can spend quality time learning! They are learning how to be inquisitive scientist and are taking ownership of their learning!
• I got to show off my rabbits at the OK State Fair and our 4th graders recognized one of our class pets when they went to visit.
• Baking an apple pie in class.
• My class won a PTA fundraiser night for the most in attendance!
• My class is loving science this year!
• We did a static electricity lab last week, and it was great seeing the kids see what we discussed come to life!
• Critical thinking in our discussions throughout the scope.
• Procedures are being practiced and our classroom is becoming a conducive learning environment.
• I have a student who has been struggling with behavior but he has gotten all positive points many days in a row. This student has been working hard and gets a big smile when they receive a star on their behavior calendar.
• I got to play NKOTB "Step By Step" in class in reference to a question on photosynthesis process with leaves. So much fun!!
• I have been able to connect with the parents of some of my most "challenging" students.
• My students are beginning to make better choices.
• Smaller class size this year has made small groups and classroom stations/rotations/centers so much smoother!
• Majority of my students feel very confident when comparing physical and chemical changes!
• I'm trying out teaching math in small groups! The kids are loving it and we are getting the routine down!
• My students have been wearing their hearing aids and cochlear implants all class long without taking them off!
• My students are engaged!
• My tougher students are starting to settle in and not having as many rough moments.
• My team and I did Rock Your School last week and the kids loved it! We set up static activities in stations for a couple of days and it was a big hit.
• I’m a first year teacher, and this past month at our monthly school assembly, my class won the most compliments with 30!!
• I've been able to have kids work together in groups way more than in previous years! It's a huge positive!
• My students are loving math!
• Students being able to explain what we are learning using science verbiage.
• Mystery Science - On soil properties was so fun! They loved it!

1.Value your students' questions.

2. Explore and find the answers together.

You don’t have to be your students' encyclopedia and quickly try to answer all your students’ questions. Responding with “What do you think?” or “I don’t know but we can find out together” can stimulate more thought and additional questions. Explore and find the answers together.

3. Give children time and space to explore.

Children learn science through trial and error. They need time to experiment, try things out, and think on their own. Wait before jumping in with "correct" answers. Give your students the time and space to explore and discover on her own.

4. Accept that explorations are often messy.

Whether it’s outdoor exploration with mud and sticks or indoors with water, children are likely to get dirty when they explore materials.

5. Learn from mistakes together.

If an experiment goes wrong, take advantage and investigate with your students to see what went wrong. A mistake can lead to all kinds of possibilities and it provides opportunities for you and your students to refine your ideas, understanding, and hypotheses.

6. Invite curiosity.

Science learning begins with curiosity. Observations and questions can create a climate of discovery – key to scientific learning. Intentional adult interactions with children can extend their learning. When the moment is right – maybe when she’s done exploring on her own, offer a suggestion to extend her exploration. Guide your students by asking questions like, “What might happen if we try this?” Share some things you find while exploring, - a beautiful striped rock, for example. This lets your students know there is always something worthy of our attention and investigation.

8. Encourage students to record their observations.

Writing, drawing, or taking photographs are all ways to record observations - an important scientific skill. Such records allow children to keep track of what they saw, heard, questioned, or discovered. When you notice your student is interested in something (like the moon, leaves changing on the trees, or the growth of a plant) you can suggest ways for them to record what they have observed. “Do you want to draw that?” or “Do you want to take photos?” or “Do you want me to help you write down what you noticed?”

9. Make good use of your electronic devices.

Take pictures of a stunning butterfly, record frog sounds, use a website or app to learn more about a specific phenomenon or creature.

10. Use items you have at home or in your classroom to experiment and explore.

Make your classroom a concert hall with these ways to show students how they can make sounds with everyday items. Even without the sounds, the students can learn about waves and vibrations to make sound.

Songs are a great way for students to make learning more memorable and more fun. Try some of these songs in your classroom!

Ennikka Chaves from Red Oak is our winner this month! Ennikka, I'll be by soon with a prize!

Complete the form below to be entered in a drawing for a prize! Good luck!

Looking for Read Alouds that work together with your curriculum? Check out the science pacing guides! In the lower righthand corner, there are some suggestions for read aloud books found in MyOn.

Did you know our science department has resources for you to have and some that you can borrow? The following are all available for check-out:

Mineral Kits
Rock Kits
Fossil Kits
Planetarium

Need some materials for a science activity? We can do that too! Please allow at least a week for common materials and longer for specialty materials.