9.0+Critical+Analysis+of+Unit

=Critical Analysis of "Becoming Scientists" TRB in Word Format - =

===My goal for conducting this unit was to create an atmosphere of excitement for science in my classroom. By having the students conduct activities and experiments which continually referred to scientific behaviors and practices, I hoped to instill in my students, a sense of scientific importance and ownership of their learning.=== ===I feel that the eleven lessons, which were conducted with a group of 52 sixth graders over the course of four weeks, contributed effectively to this goal. Upon entering my classroom a bulletin board displaying color photographs of each student wearing his/her science lab coat greets you. Our web site is full of photos taken during the activities and labs, and soon the videotaped infomercials will join them. This public display of the importance of “doing science” has positively affected the way my students view the class.===

The lessons that seemed to go especially well, though I am not surprised, are the four which required the students to think critically, problem solve, analyze, and collaborate.
===First, the “Will You Get Wet” activity, which required the kids to follow written directions without assistance, to create a paper cup from which they could drink water was a success! Many of the students who came up to the pitcher with an improperly built cup returned to their seats with a sense of great desire to reread and “get it right” so they could drink. The amount of requests for another packet to take home to try out on their parents was further proof of the success of this activity. In addition, I have seen many lined notebook paper cups around the room in the weeks since that activity was conducted!=== ===Second, the videotaped infomercials were fantastic. No, the kids didn’t use proper safety conduct during their demonstrations, but it was the first time many of them had ever held a test tube or better yet, and Erlenmeyer Flask! And the task was not about safety this time, it was about learning the purpose for each piece of basic lab equipment. The fact that the videos were going to be released to the public through the Internet, brought about a wonderful sense of seriousness of task and importance of accuracy.=== ===Finally, the two Scientific Method-related labs were also signs that building kids up to participate as real scientists is worth the time and effort at the start of the year. They proceeded through the activities with focus and the understanding that they were carrying out the duties that scientists in our world undertake every day. Their conclusions were elaborate and their understanding of controlling variables was well beyond what I would’ve expected from “four week old sixth graders”!=== ===If I was to conduct this unit again, I would replace the introductory lesson on scientific method with something a little more participatory (perhaps a Smartboard manipulation) as the one included in this TRB was a little dry and did not include the amount of collaboration and activity I would like from the students.===