My Science + Social Justice Classroom by Anna Wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu en-us 2022-12-06 21:02:00 UTC 2022-12-07 16:11:33 UTC hello@padlet.com 1. Current Events in Science: A Weekly Opening Routine anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411324256 When Brown discusses what strengths our current science curriculum provides, he points to the WONDER that is inherent in science. In Chapter 7, he writes, "We have wonder on our side. It is the great equalizer" (p. 127).
I could not agree more. Science is amazing, and amazing science is happening every day in the world, yet it is hardly ever discussed in schools. A select few events will be discussed, such as major solar eclipses or pandemics (unfortunately), but on the whole, school science seems distant to what is actually going on in the world. There are discoveries being made, coral reefs being saved, environmental bills being passed (or not passed), new space exploration, and so much more. ]]> 2022-12-06 21:48:05 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411324256 3. Students Sharing Science Knowledge for Authentic Purposes + Audiences anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411346144 In Chapter 7, Brown discusses the power in students making meaning of science concepts in a way that allows them to transfer their newly developed knowledge to real audiences. In his discussion of an interactive digital textbook, he highlights how students can make short videos about concepts that can be shown to future students. He notes that "when students become producers of the content, the text can share an artistic and cultural flair" (p. 133). This is a far more meaningful assessment than a traditional test and ensures that students have a solid understanding of the material they are presenting. It doesn't have to be a video either. It could be a podcast or a recorded skit. Whatever medium the students choose and decide to have fun with. 

As a beginning teacher, this might not be something that happens every unit, but it is something to pilot for at least one unit. This also meets UDL principles of multiple means of action & expression and encourages multimodal learning, which is a win-win in my book.]]> 2022-12-06 22:19:18 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411346144 anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411346522 Therefore, in my science and social justice classroom, I want to have an opening routine that is about a science current event. It could be a short article I unpack with my students, a video we watch together, an article they journal about, a short podcast we listen to and they draw a reaction to, etc! The current science event could be related to current science content, an important issue in the realm of environmental justice, or an inquiry a student has brought up that they were interested in.

There are several great websites/platforms to choose from:
Time for Kids science section
NPR Science News
Science News Explores
Brains On Podcast]]> 2022-12-06 22:20:01 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411346522 4. Read Alouds to Support Interdisciplinary Work anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411349067 In my classroom, I hope to send the message that even though some subjects are learned at set times during the school day, they are never actually separate. I want my students to know that life is interdisciplinary, and read alouds are one powerful way to demonstrate this. Read alouds that highlight science concepts, events or important figures can do multiple things: they can provide one way to highlight diverse scientists; they can provide academic vocabulary in a meaningful context; and they can promote a contextualized entry point for students to learn about science.]]> 2022-12-06 22:24:00 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411349067 5. Field Trips anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411349107 Field Trips are an incredible, interactive, and unique way to expose students to new types of science knowledge. Brown states in Chapter 7, "Students love science when they can experience it. As I travel the country and visit science centers, aquariums, zoos, and science museums, I can enjoy the laughter and smiles as young people experience science firsthand" (p. 127). A couple times of year I can plan for bigger science field trips, such as a day at the Lawrence Hall of Science or UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (when I was in elementary school, I went to the Griffith Observatory in LA and the tide pools). But walking field trips to parks or the marina are also (free) but rich opportunities to explore nature and do science outside!]]> 2022-12-06 22:24:05 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411349107 2. Inquiry Wondering Wall anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411350245 This is something that would be introduced the first week of school in my classroom. It would be a wall where students at any time could write a wondering about something that they saw while out in the world or at home or on the news, etc. For upper grades, I would put a requirement that every student post at least one wondering each trimester. Each month, I would look at the wall and ask several students to respond to their classmates. Then, we would have a structured community circle activity where students share what they discovered and have a dialogue about it. Maybe a new wondering is then added to the board or a student who didn't research it has something more to add to it. Maybe it will kickstart an inquiry project or unit. The opportunities are endless. The important piece I want to emphasize here is that I want the wall to have purpose and be part of a routine we have in the classroom. We never stop wondering (and that is one of the superpowers of science that Brown notes in Chapter 7) and bringing that into the classroom in a structured way supports our students to keep wondering, because, this way, it will be talked about and researched instead of forgotten.]]> 2022-12-06 22:25:40 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411350245 8. Science that Centers the Community anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411351909 In the article "Ten Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies for the Science Classroom," Ferlazzo discusses how important it is for science research to focus on "culturally relevant elements in the students’ local or broader community." The example they provide is if a particular disease is afflicting the community, the teacher could have the class really dig into the 'why' of it (likely related to environmental racism) and really understand the science of it so that students can be resources to help support affected community members. 

This also doesn't have to be just about a problem facing the community, but rather it could be an opportunity to support a local organization that is doing great science work in the school's neighborhood. Perhaps it is a community garden or a food bank. Whatever it is, students can be involved in helping discover, craft, and sharing factual information that can help support that organization. Brochures can be made to integrate writing into it as well and perhaps this starts off an engineering design project. Part of being a scientist is sharing what one learns and what better way to teach students the importance and power in sharing information than by helping gain support for a local community organization.]]> 2022-12-06 22:28:36 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411351909 6. Positioning Students as Scientists and Engineers anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411352599 I was never positioned as a scientist or an engineer in my elementary classroom and that changed the way I saw STEM fields. I want to change this narrative in my classroom and ensure my students see themselves as both scientists and engineers by having them make discoveries and models, having them design experiments and test theories, and having them think about solutions to real world problems that they care about. Making science relatable is a key way to bring culturally responsive teaching into the science classroom.]]> 2022-12-06 22:29:55 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411352599 7. Cooking & Science anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411354299 2022-12-06 22:33:13 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411354299 Welcome to Anna's Science + Social Justice Classroom! anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411355318 Here I present 8 ideas for how I will create a rich, social justice oriented classroom grounded in well researched pedagogical practices. My goal is for my students to see themselves as scientists and engineers, to witness diverse scientists and engineers in action, to be critical thinkers and problem solvers, to bring their rich funds of knowledge into the classroom space, and to share and care about the wonderings of their peers. Elementary school is the time to show students all of the possibilities that science holds for them and our future, and I can't wait to play a role in bringing that spark to them!]]> 2022-12-06 22:34:56 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411355318 Hello Star anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411390242 This story highlights a Black girl, though in all honesty, this book could be about a kid of any race. It’s important, though, to have books that represent women and especially women of color pursuing STEM fields, such as astronomy, because of the large discrepancies of diversity and access in these fields. (We are trying to disrupt the stereotype that only white men in lab coats belong in STEM professions.) I could use this book as part of a larger unit on either measuring distances in math or as a segue into talking about the Black women in the book, Hidden Figures, to center other women of color who have made an impact in math/astronomy.

This book also has key academic vocabulary, such as
Supernova: supernovas are the explosions where stars die 
Flare: Ask students, “what might your face look like if you saw a bright flare?”
Neutron stars: Neutron stars are one of two ways stars die - neutron stars are very dense and heavy.
Black holes: If stars are big enough, they might become black holes when they die, which are areas in space where no light can escape

Intertwining literature and science into one is an important part of all science classrooms!
 
]]> 2022-12-06 23:30:36 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411390242 anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411407564 2022-12-06 23:58:34 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411407564 anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411496961 2022-12-07 01:35:02 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411496961 5 E Model anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411511910 2022-12-07 01:50:15 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411511910 Mystery Science anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411513983 2022-12-07 01:52:23 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411513983 A Note on Language/Academic Vocabulary from Brown's Science in the City anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411522532 In Chapter 6, "The Hero Teacher," Brown explains how he makes science concepts accessible to students. He talks about the importance of using disaggregate instruction. There are four basic steps when lesson planning (p. 113).
1. Offer a pre-assessment - what do you students already know? (Ties to an asset based approach that utilizes what students already know and is also an important part of TPE 1)
2. Introduce science ideas in simple, everyday language. Don't overcomplicate it! This is an important step to ensure that students can relate the simple ideas to the more complex science terms. 
3. Introduce the academic language 
4. Provide multiple opportunities for students to use the new language. This read aloud would be a great place to reinforce newly learned language in context!]]> 2022-12-07 02:00:36 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411522532 anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411545813 My mom used to come into my kindergarten classroom every Friday and cook a new snack or meal with all of us in groups. Here is my new twist on it: Monthly, have a parent volunteer to come in to make a dish in school with students that has cultural significance to their family. This could be part of an ongoing integrated social studies and science project we do where the student whose family it is presents to the class what is culturally significant about the dish, and the other students (as a whole class while the dish is being made in small groups) work on discovering at least one science process that happens when making/cooking it. Here, we enable students to draw on their funds of knowledge and bring part of themselves into the classroom that is normally left at home. Bringing funds of knowledge into the classroom is an important way to be a culturally responsive educator (Ferlazzo). ]]> 2022-12-07 02:23:07 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411545813 Glossary (Ideas organized by color+ arrows) anna_wannenwetsch https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411565684 My rationale/evidence is embedded in each component but here are my eight ideas:
1. Current Events in Science
2. Inquiry Wondering Wall
3. Students Sharing Science Knowledge for Authentic Purposes + Audiences
4. Read Alouds to Support Interdisciplinary Work
5. Field Trips
6. Positioning Students as Scientists and Engineers
7. Cooking & Science
8. Science that Centers the Community]]> 2022-12-07 02:43:38 UTC https://padlet.com/anna_wannenwetsch/yia1ad0kyw4982vu/wish/2411565684