Ecosystem Challenge Lab

I wanted to talk about some of the activities that we did this semester so even though we did the ecosystem lab activity in October...I am just now getting around to writing about it. :) The first major activity that I planned with the students was a two part lab to go along with their ecology unit.   The first aspect was for the students to set up a model of a particular type of ecosystem.  Each class voted on the type the wanted to build and then they listed biotic and abiotic factors that might be found in each ecosystem. 1st hour set up a dessert model, 2nd hour did a freshwater pond, and 3rd hour did a tropical rain forest.  

The second a major aspect of the project was to come up with two questions and then set up experiments to test their hypotheses about what would happen.  Since the students had already talked about the scientific method I wanted to give them a chance to put it into practice and also to be able to design and carry out experiments that they created themselves. The students did a great job with this activity. I tried to introduce new terms like "experimental design" and had them talk through exactly how they were going to set up the experiments to test their ideas. Here are some of the experiments they developed:

1st hr - Predicted whether the Biro or Crocodile gecko would eat more crickets.

1st hr - Compared growth of grass seeds if there was no water (dessert-like)  or if we added water.

2nd hr - Looked at the effect of clean or dirty water on the survival of organisms in our two model ponds (we had frogs and fish).

3rd hr - Looked at the effect of removing plants (vegetation) on the organisms in the model.

With each class we set up data tables and the students recorded data for a week. At the end we review our data and reached conclusions about whether their predictions were correct or not. The cool thing about this activity was that even in cases where our experiment didn't work (i.e. the geckos dug up the grass seeds!), I could use it as a teaching point to talk about how in research you may have unexpected outcomes or may need to redesign an experiment to get accurate data. This activity also managed to engage some of the students who were often disruptive in class since they were the most comfortable handling the animals and food (crickets). It gave them a chance to take a leadership role in the class and they responded positively to that. Overall, this was a great activity!

Incredible Edible Cell

Our lab for the cell bio unit (and also a pre-Thanksgiving treat) included an activity that I found online called the incredible edible cell. The students made models of plant and animal cells using cake, brownies, and candy to decorate them (and eat at the end of course!).  The students, the teacher, and myself had a blast. They worked in groups of 4-6 students and had to represent the parts of the cell using the cake and decorations. Not only did they enjoy sneaking candy through the whole activity (I feel badly for the teachers who had them next -opps!) but they were really creative and accurate with their models. We had one group of boys who are notorious for making simple lab activities very complicated (thanks to a few "outside-the-box" thinkers). Their cell was  designed  right at the moment before the cell divides into two so it had two nuclei (creative). The 3rd hour class did cell models out of clay which were also nice. One group in particular was very creative and made a flat base of clay (the cytoplasm) and then placed all of the other organelles in it. 

Yes we can!

Since I was out of town last week, Monday was my first day back with the students since the election.  Actually I thought of them on that night and decided that I would go out on a limb to try and use this as a moment to encourage them to personalize the implications of the election.  I was especially focused on talking to one of my three classes which has a lot of students who are smart but extremely unfocused (and also includes many students who were taking biology for the second time after failing last year!).  I was working with them on wrapping up our first major activity and just took a few minutes to talk to them about this topic. I started by asking them what they thought about the election and  I got a variety of responses. Most agreed that it was historic and that they were excited. So I piggybacked off of their comments to say that I also considered this a historic  event and that I hoped that they would think of this event to mean that there was not limit to what any of them could achieve. I recounted an idea that someone at the research conference I attended last week mentioned, that luck is the result of opportunity plus preparation. To bring it home I reminded them that Obama was prepared to take on the opportunity of becoming the president and that he began this preparation before the age that they are now.  I said "You cannot go to Harvard if you fail Biology" and got a lot of smiles from them with that comment. But I told them that the "change" that I hoped would come from the election was to see them take what they do today (and in class) more seriously, and to see it as a part of the preparation that will put them in position to take on whatever opportunities would lie ahead. I told them that I believed it they prepared now they could even succeed beyond what Barack Obama had done.  As we worked the rest of the day I used the joke of calling some kids "Obama" to get them to do their work and they actually seemed to "get it" and buckled down to do their work. Even if it only works for that one day, I was hopefully that my message got through. 

Building Relationships

Since I am just jumping into the "blog" world there are lots of topics that I would like to share about. I think I will begin with a topic which was addressed at the last TF meeting. The take home message that I got was that building relationships with the students was the most critical aspect of being able to educate students.  In thinking about some of the suggestions and tactics given by our presenter I realize that I had actually been avoiding some of the more "intimidating" students in the class. This was a surprise to me since I am used to interacting with teenagers and high school students on many different levels and have even taught/ worked in a high school before. I guess I realized that just like the students are often afraid of being rejected or even not liked, we as TF, adults, and teachers have those same fears. I left that meeting deciding to make a SPECIFIC effort to overcome my inhibitions and to reach out more to the students that I had been afraid to talk to or interact with before. 

This was last month and I am happy to say that I have actually connected with some of the students that at first seemed most unreceptive to me. Of course, the challenge is that you want to get personal with the students BUT you have to remember not to take all of the behaviors of the students personally.  As long as I keep this in mind, I have been more comfortable to step out on a limb and usually the result is positive.