Hello! I am currently a student at SUNY Cortland and I am in my final semester before student teaching. I have been researching for ideas for a lesson for my 4th grade classroom during my immersion week. Science often gets set aside in my school due to the focus on Mathematics and ELA. I am trying to find a lesson that will keep students engaged and something they will enjoy! I am in an inclusion classroom and my host teacher said I should find something that includes bodies of water and transition into the water cycle. Any ideas??
What are your local bodies of water? You could do a lesson on erosion, flooding, salt water versus fresh water (where they are found,) and how much water of our drinking water is frozen and how much is liquid. Any of those will lead you to a lesson on the water cycle.
Not related to the water cycle, but to really get children engaged and enjoying science, definitely get the Phenomenon-Based Learning Gizmos & Gadgets books from NSTA Press. Here’s the elementary version: http://www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781936959389 '' target="_blank"> http://www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781936959389 ' target="_blank"> http://www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781936959389 [color=black][font=Verdana] The activities are both engaging and pedagogically effective, as described in the book’s Introduction. [/font][/color] There are kits of materials designed to go with the book that are sold by Arbor Scientific. You can see them here: http://www.arborsci.com/nsta-es-kits '' target="_blank"> http://www.arborsci.com/nsta-es-kits ' target="_blank"> http://www.arborsci.com/nsta-es-kits The kits are expensive, but they give you enough materials for dozens of activities and would be a great investment for any school, even without the books. If you have funds for materials, definitely consider them. Iris
I want that book! Thanks for the suggestion as this science teacher is lab crazy and full of fun! http://www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781936959389
I am also a student teacher but in 5th grade. Thanks for sharing these ideas, i hope your lesson plan went well. -Wendy Hernandez
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