Joanna Kobayashi
Moanalua High School

Nature of Light

Fri, May 10, 2013 10:27 AM
Complete resource for everything electromagnetic

The “Sites for Teachers” and “Sites for Student” resource in the Nature of Light SciGuide is a comprehensive resource for teachers who want to address key concepts and real life examples associated with wave properties and the electromagnetic spectrum. Suitable for grades 5-12, this SciGuide goes through everything about light: the wave vs. particle debate, characteristic of light, along with how human eyes perceive color. Each thematic section provides lesson plans, media, and access to NSTA”s vast collection of resources. This SciGuide puts emphasis on different forms of media (animations, videos, websites, self directed quizzes) to help Teachers plan and get ideas on pedagogical approaches to teaching about waves, along with providing students varied sites to help better their understanding of wave properties and the everyday uses of electromagnetic waves. The SciGuide also discusses the key scientists who helped to discover light’s properties and includes ideas on lab activities that will help students make sense of how light is absorbed and reflected, and why we perceive color in the way we do.

Energy Resources

Tue, May 07, 2013 11:28 PM
Comprehensive resources for Wind Energy Education

The "Exploring Wind Energy" Teacher Guide in the Energy Resources SciGuide is a comprehensive resource for teachers who want to address important issues and discuss the technologies associated with wind energy. Suitable for grade 9-12 students, this SciGuide provides a variety of lesson plans that include activities such as turbine design, mathematical calculation of wind power, and thinking maps that explain the difference between potential and kinetic energy. The SciGuide is clearly written for teachers who are interested in incorporating problem and inquiry based approaches to science education. Teacher resources include detailed lesson plans, concept pacing guides, thinking maps and information on where to purchase kits and supplies needed to implement the suggested labs. The information in the SciGuide also allows teachers flexibility in the concepts they want to teach by including a variety of lessons that range from introductory to very focused. I have access to the KidWind Turbine Kits mentioned in this SciGuide and have used the lessons relating to the Turbine Design Lab. This resource provided all the materials needed to introduce the lab including materials that can be used for Pre-Lab assessments, to instructions on how to use multimeters and how to make electrical connections to power the turbine motor. A suggestion I would make to the creators of the SciGuide is to include website information on the different wind projects in different cities in the US. This would make the real life connection much stronger for students, especially if the wind projects are in their communities.