Curriculum Web ProjectThird Grade Science

By:

Crystal Wiece

Shannon Collins

Table of Contents

Introduction

National Organizations

National Standards

Grade Level

Curricular Resources

Instructional Activities

Common Technology Problems

Possible Solutions

Reflection

Ending Quote

Introduction

The purpose of this project is twofold. The first reason is to fulfill the requirements for a Curriculum Methods for Deaf and hard of hearing students class. The second is the aid current and future teachers, including ourselves, when teaching third grade science.

It is hoped that this project will be used in conjunction with the current school curriculum to enhance and improve the science instruction received by students

Introduction, Cont.

This project has been divided into eight categories for the convenience of those that read it. These categories are Introduction and Content Area, National Organizations, National Standards, Grade level, Curricular Resources, Instructional Activities, Technology Problems and solutions, and Reflections.

National Organization

The national organizations in this project have been added to allow those in the field of science education to interact with others in their field. This interaction is designed to be a place where teachers can share ideas and interact with others experiencing the same difficulties as themselves.

National Organizations National Science Teaching Association

http://www.nsta.org/

This national organization is made up of a group of educators teaching science who are involved in the innovation and excellence in their subject area. The website provides links to resources, events, legislation, and what’s new in science education.

1840 Wilson BoulevardArlington VA 22201-3000 USA 

703-243-7100

National Organization, Cont. Why selected:

This organization was chosen as one of the top national organizations because of its’ completeness and depth of information in the field of science education.

How used:

It is hoped that this national organization will be used by teachers of science so they will come together and share ideas, truths, and friendship.

National Organization, Cont. We included this site in order to

provide easy access to a wonderful, interactive site. Teachers of Deaf/hh students will benefit from the site because it gives them a chance to interact and share ideas with other educators. This is especially important because many times teachers of Deaf/hh students are isolated in their profession.

National Standards

This section includes national standards for science education. These standards were chosen to allow us as educators to see what the national standards are, what should be taught at different grade levels, and allow us to develop curricular resources based on these standards.

National Standards (Cont.) NATIONAL SCIENCE STANDARDS

http://books.nap.edu/html/nses/html/index.html

Why selected:

This website is a report of science standards designed by the Governing Board of the National Research Council in 1995, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. It is an updated web address for the standards used in the previous science curriculum project.

National Science Standards(Cont.)

How used: This previously described website was designed to stress

the importance of Science literacy and give teachers standards for each grade, as well as standards for professional development, content standards, assessment standards, and more. It is hoped the comprehensive information included in the site will give science teachers the necessary information to teach science with the confidence that they are following the national standards in science education.

National Standards (Cont.)Project 2061:Science Literacy for a Changing Future

http://www.project2061.org//

This website was developed by The American Association for the Advancement of Science, beginning in 1985 and still continuing. Panels of scientists, mathematicians, and technologists, got together to define science literacy. They called it Project 2061.

Why selected:

This website links to what children should know by the end of the grades by categories of scientific inquiry, world view, and enterprise. These benchmarks are intended to be used as curriculum guidelines.

National Standards, Cont.

Project 2061, cont.

How used: It is hoped that the standards in this website will allow

teachers to have a true guideline that allows them to not only see what children should know and learn in specific grades, but also how they can link that scientific knowledge to literacy and include those aspects in science education.

National Standards, Cont. The national standards previously described

allow educators to have a starting point. Especially educators of Deaf and hard of hearing students, because many times they have no set curriculum of their own. These National Standards give them a way of measuring their students success in the field of science. It is hoped that the educators using this project will find the resources given both helpful and informative in helping to choose what is taught in their science classrooms.

Grade Level Grade level focused upon:

This section will contain information and a links to other sites about science education in the third grade.

Why provided:

These have been provided to identify the focus of the project.

Grade Level, Cont. Previous work in the area of science

(grades 4-6)can be found by clicking:

HERE.www.educ.kent.edu/deafed/9902a09.htm

Grade Level, Cont The previous link was provided in order to give

users additional ideas and links to science related web sites. Like our site, it was created as a class project, and contains many wonderful links to on- line science resources. However, the focus of ours is more towards third graders, while the previous link focuses on 4-6 graders. Even so, it still provides a number of great ideas, and interactional activities which we hope teachers will take advantage of.

Curricular Resources

Ten On-Line Curricular Resources have been included in this section that will allow teachers to see what is out there and decide what will best suit their needs in the subject of science.

1: Online Classwww.onlineclass.com/General/schedule.html#science

Why selected: This site was included

because of the interactive online classroom it provides. It allows teachers and parents to sign up students. It also offers online workshops that will tell you how to make your Internet adventure more rewarding and successful.

Online Class, Cont.How used: It is our hope that teachers

will use this site to improve the usage of the Internet in their classrooms. Try the teacher support link. It will give you the basics of online teaching, such as pointers about research on line, assessment, and computers in the classroom.

2: CIESE Online Classroom Projectswww.k12science.org/currichome.html

Why selected: This was included because of the rising importance

the Internet has in schools. Sponsored by the Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE), it contains projects for 3rd-12th grade teachers to use in order to enhance their curriculum through the internet.

How used: Try the past projects link to see how students in

New Jersey worked with students in Japan and South Africa to do a water sampling project.

3: Integrating the Internet into the Classroom Curriculum

www.siec.k12.in.us/~west/edu/wwwdo/index.html

Why selected: It is because of the important role the Internet plays in

schools that we have included this site. It gives a step-by-step guide to integrating the internet into your classroom curriculum.

How used: This site can be used to integrate the Internet in to a

classroom. It will even take you through the entire process! This will be very beneficial to those teachers who are unfamiliar with how to use the internet.

4: K-12 Science Education Resourceswww.eskimo.com/~billb/edu.html#free

Why selected:

This site, with it’s links, articles, homework help, lesson plans, classroom kits, online courses, and tutorials, provides a great deal of information and ideas that can be used to supplement the school science curriculum.

How used:

Try the “Shortcuts” section for links to discussions on science, newsgroups, and textbook errors.

5: PBS onlinewww.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/

Why selected:

We have included this site because of all the information and ideas it provides for both teachers and students. Teachers can use this site to add new and different activities to their science lessons.

How used:

It includes then and now themes (comparing things in the 1900’s to today), comic book style writing about inventions and discoveries, as well as information on the PBS stations and programming.

6: SRA Sciencewww.sra4kids.com/teacher/science/index.html

Why selected: This site was included because we believe that having an

interactive science curriculum is vital for students’ learning. This website helps teachers achieve this by selling a complete science curriculum that is interactive with the Internet.

How used: It is our hope that teachers will use this to see that a

science curriculum can be web based. It is then possible for teachers to add to their own science curriculum by supplementing things from the Internet to their own science curriculum.

7: NASA Resources for Educators http://education.nasa.gov/educators.html

Why selected: We added this site to our list because of the links to

educational resources and curricular support educators that it provides. It also links to multimedia resources and shows how you can network with NASA in your classroom.

How used: We believe this site can be used to help students who are

interested in learning about outer space. If you click on the Multimedia resources link you will find a list of videos, slide show, and CD-ROMs available for a minimal fee.

8:Educational Hotlists http://sln.fi.edu/tfi/hotlists/hotlists.html

Why selected: This site, developed by The Franklin

Institute, was included because of the organized list of Internet resources which it includes. Because they screen the resources for their educational appropriateness, the Institute considers the resources to stimulate creative thinking and learning in and around the field of science.

Educational Hotlists, Cont.How used:

Try the Schools on the Web link. You can see which schools have registered, as well as register your own. You can then choose schools by state or by category of school type, such as private, Montessori, gifted, etc. Once a school is chosen, you can go to the school website and keep in touch with students in schools from around the country.

9: Science Made Simplewww.sciencemadesimple.com/

Why selected:

We felt this site was important to include because of the great list of possible topics it has for science lessons. You can also send for the newsletters which give you more in depth ideas for each of the topics listed on the web page, and more. This site is also helpful to parents, so they would be able to encourage their children’s interest in science at home as well.

Science Made Simple, Cont.How used:

If you go to the science experiment link, it gives you a list of commonly asked science questions along with experiments that allow students to find their own answers to those questions.

10: The Glenn T. Seaborg Center for Teaching and Learning Science and Mathematics

http://seaborg.nmu.edu/

Why selected: We have included this site, developed by Northern

Michigan University, because of the new and innovative ideas it provides for making learning science fun for students. This site also includes a list of other Internet resources.

How used: Use the site search engine to find interactive field trip links

on the site. You can find links to trips to Antarctica, Russia, and even around the world sailing.

Curricular Resources Cont.

We included this past section to provide teachers with easy access to a number of great on-line science resources. It is our hope that teachers in all classrooms, including Deaf/hh teachers, will use these sites to help their students learn, making the act of learning science much more fun and interactive. These resources can be used to supplement the normally nonexistent curriculum that these teacher of Deaf/hh students are provided.

Instructional Activities

These ten instructional activity sites have been included because they contain student centered activities that allow students to explore the subject of science.We have included this section in order to provide the teacher with a list of great on-line resources that teachers, parents, and students can use to further their knowledge of different science related topics.

1: NASA Spacelinkwww.spacelink.nasa.gov/Spacelink.Cool.Picks/.index.html

Why selected: We felt this was a wonderful site, and a must for any

child who is excited about space and science. It is an interactive site, with components for both children and teachers. It also has links to all sorts of NASA and space related sites and information.

NASA Spacelink, cont.How used: It is hoped that this site will be used to enable

interested students to learn as much as they can about space, as well as to encourage interest in other students about space and space exploration. Try the NASA “Why?” files. They allow students to become treehouse detectives and use problem solving skills to solve NASA mysteries. There are investigations, hands-on-activities, and video tapes of interviews with NASA researchers and scientists to help figure it out.

2: Enchanted Learningwww.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html

Why selected:Created by Enchanted Learning Software and

updated in 2000, this site contains information and activities on a variety of different topics, such as animal habitats and astronomy. There is even a search option to help find specific topics within the site. The creators’ focus for this web site was on making student friendly software with an emphasis on creativity and making learning fun.

Enchanted Learning, Cont.

How used: Although this site contains many ideas to add to your

science curriculum, try the animal cut outs that allow students to learn about animals by printing them out with labels and descriptions. There is even a link to tell the website your animal is not listed. You can have students simply email them and they will add it. This will allow students to be involved in what they want to learn, as well as give them new strategy to find out about something if it is not included in the site.

3: Disney’s Find Out Whywww.findoutwhy.org/

Why selected: This site was included in our list because it is interactive

and fun for children. It answers kid’s questions, as well as explaining how these games and activities provided by the website meet the National Standards for Science Education. It is put together by the National Science Foundation, Discover Magazine, and Disney. Hopefully, students will be able to access this site when they have a question about something they are learning about, and want to find more information on their own.

Disney’s Find Out Why, Cont.

How used:

Along with having a search engine of it’s own, it also has fun facts that will get students thinking. Try the fun facts link. The fact that was there when this project was put together was “It is impossible to snore in the weightlessness of space” Imagine the fun of finding out why that is true! It also has links to past fun facts.

4: Kids Go Wild! Wildlife Conservation Societywww.kidsgowild.com/

Why selected: This site was included because of

the choices it gives teachers. It is maintained by the Wildlife Conservation Society headquartered at the Bronx Zoo and contains animal facts, games, and news about wildlife. The facts section divides the animals into birds, mammals, invertebrates, and reptiles giving teachers a choice about what their students can do here.

Kids Go Wild!, Cont. How used:

It is our hope that this site will be used as an interactive internet site to aid in learning science. They can go to the Wildlife News link that gives them kid-friendly articles about wildlife for them to read. The articles relate the animal experiences to the students. Some examples are: Comparing themselves to dolphins and trying to count every animal on the planet.

5: GEO Mysterieswww.childrensmuseum.org/geomysteries/index2.html

Why selected: We have included this site because

we felt it would be great for fostering excitement about the subject of rocks and fossils. It is maintained by the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, and is aimed towards grades 1-8. It provides scientific background information and lessons in which students solve mysteries about rocks, fossils and more!

GEO Mysteries, Cont. How used:

Try the GEO mysteries with Rex the dinosaur detective. This link allows students to go along with Rex in solving mysteries about rock, fossils, and minerals. But, to solve the mysteries they must learn what makes the object so mysterious!

6: Microsoft Kids!www.microsoft.com/kids/freestuff/

Why selected: We included this site because of the interactive

software it provides. Teachers and parents alike can download free educational software about topics ranging from the rainforest to the human body. These programs are based on the Magic School Bus series of books that allow the students to have fun while interactively learning. Hopefully, this will provide some fun time for parents and children to spend together, while making science fun.

Microsoft Kids!, cont.

How used:

The software provided by this website ranges across the science curriculum. Some of the titles included include: Landing on Mars, World of Animals, Rainforest, Dinosaurs, Inside the Earth, and the Solar System. These can be used in school or at home.

7: U.S. Department of Education: Helping Your Child Learn Science

www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Science/ Why selected:

This site was added to the list because it provides a number of fun and interactive activities that can be done either at home or at school. It provides parents with a wonderful opportunity to take part in their child’s education at home, while providing the child with a fun learning experience.

Helping Your Child Learn Science, Cont.

How Used: Teachers can use this site to help parents get more

involved in the education of their children as well as using the ideas listed in the classroom. One of the activities listed has to do with bugs. It gives students and parents (or teachers) a list of things needed, what to do, where to look for the bugs , and questions to ask once the bugs have been found.

8: Science/Nature for Kidswww.kidscience.about.com/kids/kidscience/

Why Selected: We included this site because it is updated

periodically with new activities that are interactive and child centered. The activities it provides give a great deal of science information in a very child friendly manner. It also has a variety of activities which children would enjoy doing, while learning about science at the same time.

Science/Nature for Kids, Cont.How used: This site can be used by both parents and

educators to keep up with some of the newest things on the web dealing with science education. One neat site that is listed (as this project is being made) is Critter Cams, a link to digital cameras in zoos around the country watching animals. The cameras are hooked up to the site allowing students to watch and make observations about the animals while they are learning.

9: Classroom Ready Lessons and Activitieshttp://educate.si.edu/resources/lessons/lessons.html

Why selected: We included this site because of the wonderful

opportunity it offers children. Set up by the Smithsonian Institute, the site allows teachers to get activities and lesson plans from the museum. These lessons allow children who have never been able to visit the museum and learn about the many things that it offers, and pictures. It also provides links to other places where you can learn more about many different topics.

Classroom Ready Lessons and Activities, Cont.

How used:

It is our hope that teachers will use this site to give students some experiences that they may not have without the use of the internet.

One of the lessons/activities offered deals with the relationship of people with reptiles and amphibians throughout history.

10: Science Activities Manual K-8www.utm.edu/departments/ed/cece/SAMK8.shtml

Why selected:

This site, designed and maintained by the University of Tennessee, was included because of the science activities it contains. The activities, which are designed for grades K-8, are based on the National Science Standards. Because the activities focus on the hands-on aspects of teaching and learning science, we felt it would be very beneficial in making learning science fun.

Science Activities Manual, Cont. How used: This website gives teachers real, practical

application of the National Science Standards (previously discussed) It has lesson plans and activities that tell teachers how they can go about ensuring their students meet those standards. Try the activity on plants, under third grade science, to get some hands on ideas about how to give students an introduction to the parts of plants.

Instructional Activities The previous ten sites were included in

order to give teachers of Deaf/hh students ideas of different, fun and interactive science activities for students. It is our hope that these teachers, as well as their regular education colleagues will use these in their classroom and encourage parents to use some of the activities at home. This use of interactive, fun science activities gives students opportunities to learn that they would not have in the normal science curriculum.

Common Technology Problems There are many things that

can go wrong when we, as teachers, place the future of our classrooms in the hands of technology. This sections will describe some of the problems, as well as give some solutions to these problems.

Common Technology Problems Some problems that could be encountered

when trying to access this information include:

Incompatible software Incompatible Web Browser Limited, or no access to the internet The inability to download materials

because of outdated or nonexistent programs on your computer.

Possible Solutions:Incompatible Software

For incompatible or outdated software, look on the internet for a compatible, or up to date type. There is a lot of free, downloadable software available that will enable anyone to have access to the correct type in order to get the information you need.

Try these web sites for starters:

http://www.microsoft.com/accessdev/a-free.htm

http://www.macprograms.com/

Possible Solutions:Incompatible Web Browser

Go to this website in order to download an updated version of the Internet Explorer

www.microsoft.com/windows/default.asp You can use the following site in order to

download Netscape Navigator.

www.netscape.com

Possible Solutions: Limited, or No Access to the Internet

There are many internet providers. Try these links to compare prices (some are free) and availability in your area:

MSN Internet access:

www.msn.com

Juno Internet access:

www.juno.com

AOL Internet access:

www.aol.com

Prodigy Internet access:

www.prodigy.com

Webwacker http://cgi-perl.whro.org/~pterry/cc99/whack.htm This site allows users to download portions of the

Internet for use while offline. This way teachers and students are able to use Internet sites in the classroom or at home even if they do not have access.

Tech tools for teachers includes web pages, tables, internet projects, and a link to Webwacker

http://cgi-perl.whro.org/~pterry/cc99/index.htm

Possible Solutions: Limited, or No Access to the Internet

Possible Solutions, Cont.

For those with limited access to the internet, you must realize that your limits to the internet are not nearly as severe as you think. There are computers with internet access in most public libraries, as well as some places that sell used computers for a fraction of the cost of new.

Possible Solutions:Nonexistent Software

There are many places on the Internet that will allow you to download plug-ins (such as programs required to play audio or video files)

http://home.netscape.com/plugins/

-This website allows you to download programs for video and audio clips.

http://sdc.shockwave.com/shockwave/download/

-This website allows you to download Shockwave, a commonly needed program to view videos on the web.

Possible Solutions, Cont.

The information provided in this section was designed to address some of the problems that you may encounter in trying to access curricular materials on the Internet. It is hoped that the solutions given will enable more teachers to obtain all the information the Internet offers.

Reflections This section includes some insights we have

developed during the course of completing this project. It has been included to allow you to get a better understanding of our thoughts on the project and what we have learned by completing it.

Reflections

The resources available are limitless.

The ability to connect to other organizations is easier than ever.

The Internet can provide students with experiences they might not otherwise have.

Working on large project as a group creates more problems than working alone.

Teachers can stay in touch with others in their field.

Reflections:The resources available are limitless

Before doing this project, neither of us had thought about how many different resources are available. The sheer amount of resources actually made the project more difficult because we were trying to find the best web sites. There are many good ones, but we feel we have included some of the best ones available at this time for third grade science.

Reflections: Connect to organizations which allow student involvement.

The ability to connect science classrooms with other classrooms or organizations is out there. We have given the users of this project the ability to find some of those resources available. With this project as a starting point it is hoped that teachers will continue to have students connected and actively involved in what they are learning. It is our thought that this will allow students’ imaginations to soar and encourage continued growth in the area of science.

Reflections: Giving students experiences they might not

otherwise have. The resources we found were

incredible! We discovered virtual field trips,and museums students can tour without leaving the classroom. What great experiences for students who otherwise would have never been exposed to these things. The Internet can allow students to broaden their understanding of their own world with first hand experiences that do not require permission forms, or even a trip on the bus.

Reflections: Working on a Project in a Group

The problems we encountered during this project (because it was a team effort) are:

Time constraints -trying to find a time when you both can meet to work

Differences of opinion-trying to come to an agreement on the format of the project and what should be included

Reflections:Teachers Can Stay in Touch with Others in Their

Field The Internet allows teachers who were once separated

by vast distance to now be colleagues, with both their classrooms working on the same unit. They can share ideas, successes, and failures. This is especially important for teachers of Deaf/hh students, as they are often professionally alone in a school or even a district. The web resources we have included in this project will allow them to be collaborative partners with teachers from around the country.

Ending Quote The world looks so different after learning science.

For example, trees are made of air, primarily. When they are burned, they go back to air, and in the flaming heat is released the flaming heat of the sun which was bound in to convert the air into tree. [A]nd in the ash is the small remnant of the part which did not come from air, that came from the solid earth, instead.

These are beautiful things, and the content of science is wonderfully full of them. They are very inspiring, and they can be used to inspire others.

From Richard Feyman