# data[].attributes.body
This course helped ease my concerns with teaching science. As I have mentioned before scientific inquiry is new to me and I am excited to bring it into my classroom. I will be mindful to not slip into the ways I was taught, but bring new and engaging ways to inspire a love of science. I appreciated how you included strategies to bring diversity and the community into our future classrooms. The textbook was a fun read and gave great information to bring with us as we begin our student teaching careers. I also really enjoyed the science padlet and watching everyone's experiments to bring new ideas to the table. Thank you for everything!

# data[].attributes.body
1. In Cox Ch.7, I learned about funding. This includes donations, grants, and parent support. It is critical teachers bring a wide variety of materials and of good quality into the classroom. Access to materials for students is important because instructional materials have a direct impact on student learning. Also, it helps accommodate the needs of learners in the classroom. It is essential educators are aware of the resources available to them to provide students with the best materials and educational opportunities.
2. During the Road to Teaching Conference put on by Santa Ana College, I attended a workshop about literature and social justice. Bringing social justice standards into the classroom is so critical in creating a just, equitable, and inclusive classroom. The standards can be brought into any lesson or subject as they are cross-curricular. It is essential educators provide books every child can see themselves in. I want to provide a safe classroom environment where students want to share and interact with their peers in a respectful way. I think it is important we celebrate our differences instead of hiding from them. Literature is a great way to initiate and foster conversations about culture and diversity.

# data[].attributes.body
I wonder...
*Do upper elementary grades have a different teacher for science class? Growing up, I remember having a specific science teacher from 4th grade and up. I wondered if this was still the case.

*Are there ancient viruses trapped in glaciers?

*Why does rain make you sleepy?

# data[].attributes.body
Science Experiment #2: LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE
Experiment Idea Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORYdHaz0-Gw
I wanted to address the misconceptions about lightning. Can lighting strike the same place twice?

General reflection ... what did you do? How did it go?

We drilled a hole into a mason jar. Then we put a small amount of rubbing alchol (70%) in the bottom of the jar...just enough to cover the bottom. The next step is to coat the top where the hole is and use a lighter to create lightning!

It went great! We both really enjoyed the experiment, as we had both never heard or done it before. The experiment worked the first time and we were both surprised! It even worked back to back...although real lightning is a little different, this gets my point across that lightning can strike the same place twice!

What were some of the questions you asked as your partner explored?

What do you predict will happen?

Do you think the amount of rubbing alcohol in the mason jar affects the outcome?

Do you think if we used a different percentage of rubbing alcohol that it would affect the experiment?

What do you think would happen if we used a higher percentage?

A lower?

Do you think the size of the hole impacts the size of the lightning burst?

Do you think it will work if we light  the jar back to back?

Can lightning strike twice?

Did you lead the exploration or was it guided by the "student"?

The exploration was student led. Once my partner got the basic understanding of what needed to be done for the experiment he ran with it.

What did you learn about yourself and "teaching" science?

I learned that if you give students a brief description and supplies they are more than capable of leading the experiment. Freedom should be given in science (with proper safety precautions of course!)

# data[].attributes.body
SCIENCE EXPERIMENT #1: HOW MANY COINS TO SINK A BOAT?
https://www.science-sparks.com/how-many-coins-to-sink-a-boat-stem-challenge/
*I recorded the video, but it was too large to upload... I did not want to reduce the size because it would cut out the essential parts of the experiment. Next week, I will figure out another method or cut down the length to record my second video. I did however, attach a picture of the foil boat that sank.
General Reflection- The experiment was to see how many coins it takes to sink a boat. It went great! The process was pretty simple and easy to understand. My partner enjoyed it and seeing how close his prediction was. He estimated 25 coins to sink the boat and the results ended up being 16!
Questions Explored-
Does the size of the boat matter?
Do the types of coins we use affect our outcome?
Does our placement affect if the boat sinks sooner rather than later?
Did you lead the experiment or was it guided by the student?
I led my partner through some of the process, but also let him do his own thing. I believe letting students explore on their own is vital in taking charge of their learning and being engaged in the process. Since he did not read the experiment before, I went through the steps and then as we did the experiment I guided him with questions.
What did you learn about yourself/teaching?
I learned how to use questions to guide students in their critical thinking and accomplishment of a task/experiment. This lesson helped me think about how to carefully word my questions before beginning a lesson/experiment. I would like to improve on asking questions after the experiment is over.

# data[].attributes.body
My partner to test out experiments with will be my husband. He loves science and is always looking to learn new things. I chose him as my partner because I feel he will best motivate me and bring great ideas to the table. We love to build off of each other's ideas and I feel this will benefit me as a science student and educator. I like to be pushed and have high expectations held of me!

# data[].attributes.body
1. A Great thing I learned from the reading in Ch.1 (Cox-Petersen, Melber, and Patchen) was alternative science homework assignments. The text talks about getting the whole family involved and relating science topics learned in the classroom to the student's home life.
2. In my EDEL 430 Foundations class, I learned about making a digital portfolio. Having a professional place to share your experiences and past work is a great way for teachers and administrators to see your teaching strengths and philosophy.
3. I loved in our first class lecture how you had us draw scientists. I realized how important it is to have diversity in the classroom so students can see themselves in the scientist.
4. In  EDEL 437  (Social Studies) our professor incorporated brain breaks into her lessons. This class is very long and it was nice to have time to de-stress, breathe, and take minute for ourselves. One example, was tracing the outline of our hands while breathing. When we got to the top of our fingers we would breathe in and at the bottom we would breath out.
5, This week during lecture in your class, I liked how you talked about your friends strategy of allowing students to form groups. Each group had to have someone that was a different race/ethnicity and gender. This is a great way to get different perspectives and allows kids to look at things differently. Also, it helps create JEIE in the classroom!
6. While reading Ch.3 of our textbook I learned the positive aspects of using outdated textbooks (Cox, p.38). This strategy helps students point out what is no longer accurate or relevant.
7. Throughout the whole program all of our classes have used an art journal to document certain topics/concepts. Rather than writing an essay to show our thinking/understanding, we artistically portray them. I love this idea as it deepens the understanding you hold about a certain task/idea. It is a great way to creatively and critically think about something.
8. In EDEL 430 (Foundations), Professor Finnell showed us a great resource to make rubrics. Rubrics are great because they establish what you expect from your students. In addition, they make the assignment clear and easy to understand. This site allows you to use templates for a wide variety of subjects/topics or make your own.
RESOURCE:http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=NewRubric&module=Rubistar
9. (Week 5 (11/16/20) In EDEL 437-Social Studies our professor talked about the use of glitter jars to helps students calm down when they are worked up or sad
10. In your lecture you talked about Freedom Fridays and just giving your students more freedom in general. I love this idea and now understand why it is important and helps classroom management to allow the students a little room to do things their own way.
10. Cox, Ch.4
Focus on How and Why questions, rather than what questions. This will help students critical thinking skills.

# data[].attributes.body
I wonder...
* What is the best thing to do if you have a student who has a question, but does not like to raise their hand and ask?
* Why do cats always land on their feet?
* What's at the very bottom of the ocean?
*A science wonder I've been thinking of lately is why do we dream? Also why do some people dream more than others?
*How do you find a good balance between creativity in the classroom and meeting the NGSS standards?
*What are some good ways to get students that hate science engaged and excited to learn?
*How do you establish a good balance of freedom in the classroom with effective classroom management?
*I was wondering what some great and reliable scientific resources are available for elementary school teachers... materials, books, lessons, and unit plan ideas?
* Week 5: 11/16/20) Do teachers often collaborate on science units/lessons?
* How long does it take to start to  feel comfortable as a teacher? Thinking about my first year teaching makes me nervous, even though I know I am getting the best education/training possible.
* How do cat's whiskers help them balance?