Resources and Human Impact: Middle Collection
Sat, Apr 28, 2012 7:44 PM
An 8th grade science teacher’s perspective : Resources and Human Impact SciGuide
I found the Resources and Human Impact SciGuide to be like “one-stop shopping” everything is in one place. It is organized into three themes: Addressing Resource Use, Environment as a System, and Environmental Degradation. Within these themes were lesson plans and vignettes, simulations, web-based resources, articles and science content information.
I used the lesson plan by Mary Patterson, Breaking News! We’re all out of Petroleum, Now What?” The lesson plan included sections of alignment of National Science Education Standards, time required, overall lesson goals, learning objectives, prerequisite knowledge; misconceptions/preconceptions, procedures/instructional strategies, presentation and planning rubrics, an internet resource list, and vignettes that described how the lesson was presented as well as some challenges experienced. My students were interested and engaged. Many commented they did not know about the various alternative renewable energy sources.
The following interactive sites are informative, self-guided, and engaging activities for grade 8 students: Unrestricted Growth, Human Population Growth, Limiting Factor, Population Growth, Interactive Ecosystem, and Exponential Bacterial Growth.
The SciGuide utilizes icons for quick reference of: hands on investigations, lesson ideas, online interactive activities, assessments, career information, inquiry materials, to mention a few. This is a time saver, merely look for the structures you desire in your lesson plan, and go to that site.
An overall informative, engaging and well organized resource.