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| Sign outside the school |
7th grade students take two courses in biology (8 weeks each), two hours a week during fall, and one hour/week during the spring semester. They also take three chemistry courses. Classes are 75 minutes long.
7th
grade Biology. These are the notes I took during the class.
The teacher showed a photo of a path in a forest and read a story to go with the path. Students listened quietly, seemed interested in the story and stared at the photo. Discussions.
The teacher showed a photo of a path in a forest and read a story to go with the path. Students listened quietly, seemed interested in the story and stared at the photo. Discussions.
Next she showed a video on how an egg developes.
She proposed a question: how do birds get oxygen across the shell?
She stopped every now and then to translate the English version
of the video and explained the important findings. Discussions.
Next, homework check. She asked students to discuss the answers with a partner first and then and they discussed the answers as a whole class.
Next, homework check. She asked students to discuss the answers with a partner first and then and they discussed the answers as a whole class.
Next, a short video on water birds. She had prepared ahead of time a PPT that contained photos and
questions. How have swans adapted to water? How do they obtain food? What is an ecological niche? Discussions. Next, she passed out a handout with photos of birds. Students had to identify the birds. Students raised hands when they wanted to
answer. They identified all he birds in
the handout and marked the differences between the birds. Question:
Why the difference in coloring between male and female birds? She had stuffed birds and showed them
around. She talked about anatomical
structures. She had actual photos of
birds and drawings. How do birds obtain
food----think peak anatomy?
Independent work. Compare different types of birds:
half diving, full diving, speed diving.
Individual research. Anatomy, food, how
to obtain food, anatomy vs. food, niche, migration etc.
Next came a small break, where students had to get up. They checked the indoor compost pile and searched worms
& eggs for about 5 minutes. Then they started working on
their assignment. Everyone worked alone,
quietly. Next time a quiz! Class was over.
The entire school had a 10 minute break and everyone, students and teachers, gathered in the auditorium where there was a small talk on books. An adult interviewed 2 students and their opinion on books. Everyone had to be quiet, whether listening or not. It was supposed to be kind of meditation, thinking, calming event, getting student ready to go to the next class. This takes place every day.
NEXT CLASS. Chemistry 8th
graders. 11 girls and 6 boys.
NOTES. First students received molecular models and they had to build
the simplest hydrocarbon. Next she drew
the molecule overhead. Students had to
name it. Questions. If we want to change this molecule, what has
to happened? If you remove hydrogen, add oxygen
how does it look? Build a molecule of methanol and ethanol and compare. Alcohols:
She talked about the dangers of methanol and ethanol. OH- group.
Xylitholi. Glyseroli—make soap etc.
When you mix alcohol
and H2O, why does the volume get smaller?
Demo: burning money.
She soaked a 10€ bill in the alcohol water mixture, lifted it up and
set in fire. More questions; why didn’t
the money burn.?
Experiment
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Ethanol
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Glycerol
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Dissolving
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Water solublity
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Lipid solubility
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NaCl solubility
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pH
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Cleaning ability
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Students performed the experiments in pairs. When finished, they started a homework assignment on pp. 252-255 #1-4
Results are not as important as how you performed, how you
worked in groups. Find a new partner and
compare results. Then the whole class
compared results.
We had lunch at the cafeteria. I paid 4.50 for the meal which was macaroni and ground beef casserole, makaroonilaatikko. I was 10 years ago when I last had this kind of meal. Excellent.
Teacher trainee came in at 11.30 and Tea was in charge of the appropriateness of her lesson plan.
Teacher trainee came in at 11.30 and Tea was in charge of the appropriateness of her lesson plan.
Tea; She placed several cards on the table. First choose 3 characteristics that describe you. Explain why? The trainee piked Humor, Listening skills, excitement. The trainee got just positive
feedback and encouragement.
She thinks that she
needs to improve this and this.. Mentor just encouraged that you are good but
you can always improve just like any “old” teacher.
Lesson: Show structure of mono, di and polysaccharides
Comments on previous lesson plan. Your teaching. Write the answers while teaching, not ahead of time. Competition, prices... The trainee had sent her lesson plan ahead of
time and they discussed; Note taking.. title
Experimental lab, the
plan.. Heat egg white, milk, water in
water bath.
Mentor recommended to modify the experiment.
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| School Building |
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| 7th Grade Biology class |
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| Power. Point Presentation |
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| Identifying Birds |
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| Assignment |
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| Teacher Office. here was space for 4 science teachers |
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| Display. when you enter through the school main door. |
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| Assembly, Book Discussions |
