Fall 2009 Day 10

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Fall 2009-Day 9
Fall 2009-Day 11

Day 10 Topics

Phases of the Moon Observations
Reading Strategies
Heat and Temperature Brainstorming Webs
Diagnostic Questions: Thermal Phenomena 1
Reflections
Homework Week 5

Peer Instructor Reflection

Fall 2009: Day 10
Written by: Katie Kizer

Today we started off the class by discussing the patterns we have seen while observing the moon. We came up with some key terms to describe the phases the moon goes through such as waxing(when the moon is getting bigger), waning(when the moon is getting smaller), new moon, crescent, first quarter or half moon, gibbous, and full moon. We also filled in on the moon chart the angles between the sun and the moon during the different phases. The students found out that the moon is easy to see during the daytime when the angle between the sun and the moon is close together. And the moon is easier to see at night when there is a larger angle between the sun and the moon.

The second part of our class period was devoted to linking science and literacy learning. We went over pre-reading, during reading, and post reading strategies that can be used any time a text is picked up. Some of the PRE-READING strategies that can be used are looking at quotations, pictures, or titles. Also, you can tell a lot about what the article, book, or text will be about by reading the back of the book, noting the author and/or illustrator, determining if it is fiction or non-fiction, or paying attention to the font that is used. To focus your thoughts while you read, you can come up with questions before you read, that you would like to answer. DURING READING strategies include underlining or highlighting information that you think is important (maybe to answer the questions you previously established or key information that explains what the chapter is about). POST READING strategies include answering the questions you wrote earlier, summarizing what you just read, writing down what you want to remember or apply to your future experiences.

The third activity we did today was to begin exploring thermal phenomena. In pairs, on a large piece of white paper, students drew pictures, wrote words, and discussed their past experiences and what they know about thermal phenomena. Each group then presented what they came up with and shared it with the rest of the class. Next, students each took the following diagnostic question about thermal phenomena: “Consider without touching four plates: 2 metal plates, a wooden plate, and a styrofoam plate). Rank in order of temperature. Explain the reasoning for your predicted ranking. Do it again after touching them.” As always, the students’ answers were somewhat vague, but answered the questions.

When the students felt the four objects, the metal plates felt very cold and the wooden and styrofoam plate did not feel particularly hot or cold. When the students used a thermometer to measure the internal temperatures of each object, they were all the same! This was fascinating because they all felt like different temperatures. The students discussed why this might be happening, and wrote down these powerful ideas. Ideas bounced off of the walls about conductivity and insulation, but no one really had a good explanation for what these terms meant or how they apply to the phenomena they experienced today. I am excited to learn why this phenomena occurs because I have never studied this topic before!