Exploratorium Box

This megabox contains teaching boxes created by the fabulous teachers of the Exploratorium Teachers Institute. What is a teaching box? It generally takes the form of a cardboard box in a science teacher's classroom or garage. Inside you will find the collected materials, lesson plans, background information and ideas needed to teach a set of lessons on a certain topic. Click here to learn more about teaching boxes. Teachers enrolled in the Exploratorium's summer teacher institute spend part of their day assembling a teaching box with the help of mentor teachers and Exploaratorium staff. Although physical boxes don't fit easily on a website, the ideas are here for everyone to enjoy!


Ecological Footprint Survey

http://ecofoot.org/


Generic Sub Plans

When I suddenly fall ill, or otherwise don't want to take 10 hours to plan a sub lesson, I usually go online to http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/ and plug in some vocab words for some puzzles (they have some pre-made banks of words also!)

I make four puzzles using the exact same list of words. I usually start them with the word search (even non-readers can do this!) then go on to word scramble, then crossword. This because they need to know the words pretty well by the time they get to the crossword - also, the word search has the word bank on it.

Then, the first 4 students done with each type of puzzle get extra credit or small prizes. This works best with life science because there is a lot of vocab, but you might be able to use it for other subjects as well.


Great Scientists

When I was little,I heard about Sir Issac Newton's math.

Now this math is harder but simple.

1:34->5<=(31)

 

 2:<<<<<<<<<<(10)

 

 3:34+23>=(56)

 

 

>=1 less <=1 more


Here's a great website

Here's a great web resource:

http://wise.berkeley.edu 


Learning Studio Computers

If you are using the Exploratorium Learning Studio's computers to add lessons to My Science Box, here's some notes on the various computers:

  1. The mac "Morrison" seems to work well (except the advanced editing options do not appear when using Mozilla).
  2. The PC "Angstrom" works great with Firefox.
  3. The mac "Abelson" works great with Firefox.
  4. The PC "Millikan" works well (except the advanced editing options do not appear when using Mozilla).
  5. The PC "Balmer" works great with Explorer.

Ovulation Calendar

I used this to show my students what happens during menstruation. I have them fill out where the flow is, when ovulation happens, when the lining begins to shed, and when are the prime times to have sex for fertilization (or the prime times to avoid sex!) 

I included readings about what happens during menstrual cycles. 


Rebuild the Bay Bridge!

http://www.newbaybridge.org/classroom/

 


Recommened Videos

Please click "Add Child Page" to recommend videos to show in a science classroom. Please include the following info: (and attach study guide please if you have it!)

 - Title

 - Distributor (PBS, National Geographic, etc.)

 - Where found (Berkeley Unified Digital Library, Explo Library, Blockbuster, Netflix, Etc.)

 - Science Concept Targeted (DNA ethics, volcanoes, Bad Science)

 - Age Level (mostly 9th grade, middle school ok, PG-13, etc.)

Thanks for sharing!


Movie Worksheet Search Engine/Website

http://www.newyorkscienceteacher.com/sci/movies/index.php

A great list by subject for videos, including worksheets! The Super Size Me worksheet even has before AND after questions.


Osmosis Jones

"Osmosis Jones" is a Warner Bros. Cartoon that follows the attack on a disease on a live action man (Bill Murray).

Grade level: Middle School, although probably suitable for integrated science class in high school as well.

Concepts: Diseases, human body systems

Found: Sometimes Blockbuster or other video stores will have it. I found it for $4 at a used bookstore!

See attached video guide


Sex Ed Research Project (STD's and Contraceptives)

I have attached my rubric, and two worksheets for my sex ed project. In our library, we have blank papers To help the students with MLA format - I have attached samples of those was well. I am sure there are a few things that need explaining, but I can't think of them now, so please email me or add comments if you have questions, or post your version of it!

Thanks!

Christina Green

csgreen at gmail dot com


Teaching electron configuration

In response to a question on ways to teach electron configuration to students, here's a model I used with my 8th graders. We had been using beans to represent and build 2D models of atoms (green lentils = electrons, white beans = protons, black beans = neutrons). I made a handout for them to help them understand the idea of where electrons like to go when they are added (download it at the bottom of this page).

Bohr ModelBohr ModelI tell them to envision a football stadium where different people are assigned different seats. Generally, people want to sit closest to the field (the nucleus) so they can be nearest the action. Also, different sections of this stadium have more cushy seats than others - first come, first served. Thus, certain subshells fill before others in a given orbital.

The diagram (and the handout attached below) represents an electron seating chart view of the atom. I have kids build larger and larger atoms using the diagram as a "placemat" to place each electron.

With middle school kids, I don't go into orbital shapes or quantum theory but that could be an additional layer to extend this basic idea.