Future City Competition

Posted on September 9, 2015 by dgs_blogA

[like]

Future City is a competition for 6th thru 8th grade students that requires them to imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future.  This STEM oriented program emphasizes citywide sustainability issues.  This year’s topic is waste management. Students are judged on a SimCity design, a 1500 word description, a scale model, a project plan, and a presentation.  New programs like Future City should prepare students to be educated citizens able to navigate and make decisions in our ever more technical world.

My question was how does this well thought out and impressive program integrate into the school’s science curriculum?  Considering the timeline and amount of work involved, it would take an entire course if it was done during class time.  And if the kids did the work after school, would they be able to fit it in with their homework and other extra curricular activities.  As usual, there are tradeoffs.  I think this type of program is worth it.  What do you think?

Future Cities Web Site

Posted in Project, Science, STEM | Tagged | Leave a comment

Multimedia Science Materials On Teachers Pay Teachers Site

Posted on August 26, 2015 by dgs_blogA

[like]

Multimedia Science creates teaching software and materials in the areas of Teacher Tools, Physics, and Chemistry.

TeachersPayTeachers_0

 

These materials can be found on the Teachers Pay Teachers site.

 

Posted in Chemistry, Computer Games, Effective Teaching, Physics, PowerPoints, Project, Science, Software | Leave a comment

Multimedia Science Pinterest Science Pins

Posted on August 25, 2015 by dgs_blogA

[like]
Visit Multimedia Science’s Pinterest site for pins of available physics and chemistry materials and pins from other sites.

pinterest

Multimedia Science Physics Pinterest Site
Multimedia Science Science Pinterest Site
Multimedia Science Chemistry Pinterest Site

Posted in Art of Technology, Blended Learning, Chemistry, Computer Games, Effective Teaching, Future of Learning, Online Learning, Physics, Science, Software | Leave a comment

Free Adding Two Vectors Software

Posted on August 20, 2015 by dgs_blogA

[like]

Get your free copy of Multimedia Science’s Adding Two Vectors software.

Go to Multimedia Science’s Teachers Pay Teachers Site.

Adding Two Vectors – Maximum and Minimum is a piece of software designed to illustrate how to find the maximum and minimum values of the resultant of adding two vectors. screenshot

Software Curriculum: All Level: K – 12
Used With: PC Computer
Objectives: Illustrate how to find the maximum and minimum value of the resultant when two vectors are added
Requirements: PC computer, Windows 98 or newer

To run the software, download and unzip the Zipped file InstallAddingTwoVectors.zip.  Then run the InstallAddingTwoVectors.exe and follow the directions to install.

After starting the program, set the values of the two vectors that are to be added. You can choose values from 0 to 10 for each of the two added vectors by clicking on the up and down arrows for Vector 1 Size and Vector 2 size.  Then click on the angle button.  The angle will change from 0 to 180 degrees in 10 degree increments.  The size of the resultant will be shown.

After looking at a number of examples, students should be able to figure out that the maximum value of the resultant is the two values of the two added vectors added together and the minimum value of the resultant is the two values of the two added vectors subtracted from one another.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Science – Analyzing Angry Birds

Posted on October 22, 2011 by dgs_blogA

[like]

This is a screen capture video from the game Angry Birds, which almost everyone has played, seen, or at least heard of.

In this video, one of the blue birds turns into three birds after being launched into the air. A science teacher might ask their students if there is anything that seems wrong about this happening, leading to a discussion about the conservation of mass, energy, or momentum.

Would the use of this video be motivating for students? Effective as a teaching tool? There are more videos and more teaching ideas for using them on the Angry Birds link.

Posted in Art of Technology, Computer Games, Effective Teaching, Science, Video Games | Leave a comment

Using Science Videos Effectively

Posted on June 4, 2011 by dgs_blogA

[like]


Turns out that students watching science videos may easily miss the point of the video due to their own strongly held misconceptions.  Including  these misconceptions in the video may help solve the problem.  Can teachers circumvent this dilemma by discussing these student preconceived notions during class before showing the movie? Much more can be found on the Veritasium link.

Posted in Effective Teaching, Science, Videos | Leave a comment