Carollyn Correll’s Science Final Portfolio

Science Fair Experiment Investigation Question: Will raisins float or “dance” in a liquid such as water or 7-Up? Hypothesis: The raisins are heavier than the water and 7-Up, so they will sink to the bottom and will not float or “dance”. Materials: 2 clear glass jars, 1 box of raisins, 1 can of 7-up, water, data record, camera. Procedure: The students have two jars at their table, one with water and the other with 7-Up. Each student will drop the raisins into the two jars. The students will document what they observe. The students will collaborate and try to come up with an explanation. Research: What is a raisin? A raisin is a dried grape that is edible. What is water? Water is a liquid compound of hydrogen and oxygen that has no color, odor or taste in it’s purest form. What is 7-Up? 7-Up is a carbonated beverage made up of water, carbon dioxide, sugars, caramel coloring and preservatives. Recorded Data: Students documented what happened, in each jar, immediately, 30Seconds and 3 Minutes. Conclusion: Students discovered that the carbonated bubbles lifted the raisin to the top and then once at the top the bubbles burst causing the raisin to sink. The process would repeat over and over; “Dancing Raisins”. The raisins sunk to the bottom of the water jar and never moved. Next time we will try using different kinds of fruits or nuts to see if that makes any difference in the outcome.

Reflection: I had a great time with this experiment. This is an easy one that can be done in the classroom with minimal mess and clean up. It is a good way to teach about chemicals. The students had fun with this experiment. It makes a difference when each child gets to participate. I allowed the children lead through the discovery phase. They were thoroughly involved in all of the aspects of the experiment. I will use this one in my class.

Teacher Interview Summary: The Science teacher, Mr. Dent, at Dr. Mudd Elementary, located in Charles County, is the science teacher for the entire school. He has a nice lab set up for the students. He uses hands-on activities, as well as technology to make the lesson more fun and easier to understand. Mr. Dent uses lab rules to ensure the behavior of the classroom; each person has a job to do. He uses “United Streaming” videos to show the children. He also assess their progress by using SR’s (Multiple choice and fill in the blank quizzes), BCR’s (Students explain the skill s needed to solve the problem, Performance Based Projects, Science Journals. My Reflection: This science teacher has his classroom designed very nicely for learning. There is lab equipment for everyone. It makes it easier for investigation when everyone has their own lab equipment versus waiting for someone else to finish so that you can use the equipment. His experiments were very interesting. I observed the three states of matter lesson he taught. I like how he makes sure each person at the table has a job to do. He leaves a lot of the discovery up to the students. He just guides the experiment. The students really seem to understand what the outcomes are; I think better than if the teacher just lectured. The assessments he uses are a good tool for making sure the students are gaining the knowledge that the lesson was suppose to teach. I liked how he uses project based assignments, however they can be hard to grade sometimes.

Science & Children Journal Title: “Tools for Teaching, Learning, and Assessing” Authors: Daniel P. Shepardson and Susan J. Britsch This article is about the use of science journals in the classroom. The authors state that “journals provide an opportunity to access and assess changes in children’s understandings and thinking, identify misconceptions, and provide a more complete picture of children’s understandings of science phenomena (Dana, Lorsbach, Hook, and Briscoe, 1991). The article describes how the children’s science journals should look. First is the pre-investigation stage where the children either write or draw about existing ideas and understandings, describes a purpose of an investigation, and makes predictions. Second is the Investigation Stage where the children record observations, reflect, and create drawings or charts. The third is the post-Investigation stage where the children answer questions using data collected and resources of information, identifies things to do differently, purposes new questions. The fourth is the communication stage where the children use the information written and drawn in a journal to communicate and share the investigation with others. The article gives a checklist for assessing the children’s science journals. The areas graded are: Clearly stated questions, clearly stated predictions, Data is organized and neatly presented, Data is presented in a graph or chart, Description of procedures, Explains the use of materials and equipment, All variables identified, Investigation controls variables, conclusion based on evidence. My Reflection: This article drives home the idea of using science journals in the classroom. I also agree with the authors. I do see the need for children to express in written or drawing form their understandings of lessons taught. It is a great way for the teachers to get a quick check to make sure the students understand what is being taught. I will use science journals in my classroom. The charts that were in the article will make assessing the journals easier. The students will need a rubric to make sure they understand what is expected in their journals.

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