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Science Teachers Chatboard

Your Feedback about Free STEM Education Resource StemEZ.com

by Paul Singh

Aug 20, 2017

I have set up a free Stem Education resource StemEZ.com with 50,000 problems & Solutions for Math & Science teachers & students. Please provide feedback on its comprehensive coverage and usefulness with suggestions if any and share it on social networks with your colleagues and students. Check it out at StemEZ.com for more details and b...See More

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Energy

by Lucy

Aug 11, 2017

Hello!

I am currently working on an energy-related science project for high school science teachers and would need to know:

1) what energy-related content do you have the hardest time finding online (videos especially but also articles)? For example reusable energy or natural resources, etc.

2) What is your go-to website ...See More

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70 Ton Monster - 130 feet long

by Bob R/CA

Aug 9, 2017

Scientists have named the newly discovered dinosaur, "Titanosaur." He's almost half the length of a football field!

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/21/science/dinosaur-australia-titanosaur.html

Meet the New Titanosaur. You Can Call It Wade.

Paleontologists say a newly discovered species, found in Australia, may provide insight into why these massive animals moved out of what is now South America.

by bill T/Fl

Jul 14, 2017

Just curious. Does anyone do science fair anymore? If you do, how do you do it, by assigning it to be done at home (which, in my experience means mom and dad and uncle joe the engineer do it) or by doing it in class or at school? My biggest hangup with science fair projects is that, usually, the students do not do them or don't learn much from them...See More

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Preschool Science

by Alex

Jul 10, 2017

Hi everyone! I'm a pretty new teacher and need some ideas. I teach science for infants through Kindergarten. I coordinate with the art teacher and we do a different theme every week. We're planning on doing a theme of something about the Pacific Islands. Our kids are obsessed with Moana, so we thought that there's a lot that we can do with art for ...See More

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Motivating students to put in effor

by Austin

Apr 14, 2017

Hello, I am having difficulty in my classroom this year motivating my students to put in some effort. This is my first year teaching and I teach Junior Chemistry. Typically we take notes and then spend the remainder of the class period practicing the concept via worksheet or practice problems. What they don't finish in class is then for homework. D...See More

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ChemTeacher I agree with Betty AnnOn,

Notes are boring and tedious. Students are not being taught to take good notes in the lower levels and it shows. You can try to teach them the techniques for taking good notes or teach them chem but not be effective doing both. I make prepared note packets for each chapter which are basically study guides that the...See MoreI agree with Betty AnnOn,

Notes are boring and tedious. Students are not being taught to take good notes in the lower levels and it shows. You can try to teach them the techniques for taking good notes or teach them chem but not be effective doing both. I make prepared note packets for each chapter which are basically study guides that the students fill in the additional material and practice problems that we go over. I spend about 15 to 20 minutes of notes per class if any.

We do several other activities each week including minilabs, full labs, virtual labs, group activities, etc. I try to make every Friday, Fun Friday, where few notes, if any, are taken and we do a fun activity.

To further motivate students, I have a Ticket system. (those raffle tickets). 1 ticket for complete and generally correct homework, 1 ticket if they take full notes for the day, 5 tickets if they get a 90+ on a quiz, 10 tickets of the get above an 80 on a major test. At the end of the quarter, students can redeem tickets to improve their Quarter grade. I don't to quiz or test corrections, or give extra credit, so this is a way from them to use their effort in class to help them. Generally it costs 25 tickets to add 10&37; to a test grade, which adds about 2 points to your overall quarter grade. 20 tickets allows you to drop a quiz grade, 15 tickets gives you a 100 on your homework average, etc. Students can only purchase one grade improvement. The tickets keep the kids doing their homework, studying, etc. which has resulted in better grades by about 3-5&37; on average. They really do like the ticket system.

I also had students research a specific element and make a poster tile on it that we then turned into a periodic table. Students also made and gave a mini lesson (PPT) on a specific topic (topic list given), did a 1 minute presentation on a specific scientist, made their own Christmas ornaments from Borax to learn about solution saturation.

There are all kinds of things that you can do. However, you have to remember, they are only going to do what they want to do in class. You can provide them with all the resources, opportunities, activities, games, tickets, etc, but if they don't want to do it, you can't make them.

Good Luck.

4/14/17, Betty Ann wrote: > I suspect that your students are bored with taking notes > and doing worksheets. Are you doing demonstrations? Are the > students doing experiments? Are they making predictions and > discussing them? And then testing them? Posters? Models? > Presentations? Make the concepts from the unit into a > Jeopardy game? > > You need to be excited about what you are teaching and > communicate that to your students. > > > > On 4/14/17, Austin wrote: >> Hello, >> I am having difficulty in my classroom this year >> motivating my students to put in some effort. This is my >> first year teaching and I teach Junior Chemistry. >> Typically we take notes and then spend the remainder of >> the class period practicing the concept via worksheet or >> practice problems. What they don't finish in class is >> then for homework. Doing the time in class, I float >> around the classroom and assist when needed. Usually >> students only get a problem or two done in class. What >> I've noticed then is they don't complete the rest for >> homework, or they are simply coping off of classmates. >> When test time comes around, my students who attempt the >> homework and work diligently in class get A's and >> everyone else fails. There is little average grades. Any >> ideas or suggestions on how to get these other kids to >> attempt their own work?

Apr 18, 2017

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bill T/Fl I concur with the two who posted before. I've been at the teaching game since 1980 (yeah, long time!), most of it dealing with middle school science. My classes tend to be very "hands on," partly because that is how I learned to do them, but mostly because students in this age, of whatever the level, do better with the "interactive" than some in th...See More

Jul 8, 2017

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Grading Services Opinions

by Graders

Apr 12, 2017

Hi guys. I am trying to get a feel for a new business venture that I am exploring. I have a PhD in Biology and Education Research and am looking to start a grading service for teachers/professors as a bit of a side gig. It would probably just focus on science for the time being and would include papers, lab reports, capstone projects, exams, etc. T...See More

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ChemTeacher On 4/12/17, Graders wrote: > Hi guys. I am trying to get a feel for a new business > venture that I am exploring. I have a PhD in Biology and > Education Research and am looking to start a grading service > for teachers/professors as a bit of a side gig. It would > probably just focus on science for the time being and would > incl...See More

Apr 13, 2017

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Live Show for Middle School Science Students

by SmithsonianJessica

Apr 10, 2017

I know a lot of schools are on Spring Break this week, but for those that aren't the Smithsonian will be doing a live show called “The Women Paving the Way to Mars.” Your class can ask questions live. Send feedback/questions to me at depalmaj@si.edu

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