Melting Icebergs...

This week and next, we are conducting an investigation and hypothesizing about what would happen if the polar ice caps melted.  I have seen many movies regarding this debatable event, and I think that it would be safe to assume that the sea level would rise.  This is not what really concerns me, though.  I love the Planet Earth series from Discovery channel and one that stays on my mind is the episode about the poles.  In it, the polar bear has a difficult time finding food for several reasons.  One of which, is the lack of solid ice for him to walk on, or seals to rest on.  The polar bear ends up swimming for two days and finally, exhausted and starving, finds a herd of walruses.  He attacks, only to be stabbed in the leg by a tusk.  The polar bear ends up dying as a result.  This stays on my mind because the narrator points out that with the ice sheet that was FORMALLY there, this struggle to find food would have not happened, the polar bear would have survived.  So, although rising ocean levels is of concern, there are also other ramifications from global warming that most of us probably have not thought of.  The fictitious movies of Hollywood have us envisioning a flooded New York with Lady Liberty floating by, while there are very real, well documented ramifications that are happening right now as I type this.  Definitely something worth thinking about...before it is too late.

Reflection of Lesson...

I used a lesson that I teach (and tweak) every year during my weather unit.  The use of the 5 E's:  engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation helped to focus the major components of the lesson.  By using the 5 E's for instructional planning, I can ensure that students are actively engaged and motivated throughout the lesson.  When I first read the requirements of the STEM lesson, I was anxious about creating a lesson that met Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.  After thinking about it, I realized that most of the lessons that I teach integrate the four areas.  Overall, I am very pleased with the way that my lesson turned out.  Although I usually plan my lessons to fit my assessments (Backward by Design), I will now also configure my lessons using the 5 E's.  I am also excited about the STEM focus, as my district will be sending me to a STEM conference at Clemson University this summer.  It is exciting for all avenues of my professional life to be converging!

Welcome to my blog!!

Today is my first post.  I have created this blog as part of my Nature of Science course at Walden University where I am working to obtain my Masters in Science Education.  I have never "blogged" before, but I look forward to this new journey!