The Importance of Lesson Planning

    Lesson planning is very important in science. In order for teachers to provide meaningful and effective instruction, they need to think about the lessons and activities they want to teach before they present them to students. Teacher need to make sure that they have the materials and technological resources necessary for the activity and need to make sure that the activity is going to be appropriate (doable) for the intended students. It may even be beneficial for teachers to act out the lesson ahead of time to help foresee and improve any suspected problem areas within the lesson; thus making the presented lesson more effective.

    Planning a lesson (or developing a lesson plan) also helps teachers organize their thoughts and ideas which allows teachers to remember what they want to teach. This ultimately aids teachers in staying on task (or at least closer to it) and helps them present more meaningful instructions/activities. Preparing a lesson plan for science also helps teachers think about the content and process skills that they would like to teach in a specific lesson/activity as well as how they intend to assess the students understanding and progress.


    The most important thing that I think teachers should consider when developing an elementary science lesson plan, is the safety of the students. Teachers should ask themselves: "Is this activity/experiment safe for students this age?" "What are the possible dangers associated with this lesson?" "How can we prevent the activity from becoming dangerous/unsafe?" and "What do I need to tell my students before starting the lesson to ensure their safety".
    Another thing that I feel is important for teachers to consider when devising a lesson plan is the materials and resources that they have access to. A teacher may be able to create this great activity in their head and then come time to do the activity, realize that they are lacking necessary materials and resources. This can be both frustrating for the teacher and the students so it is best to think ahead and make sure that you have all of the necessary materials.
    Lastly, I feel that it is important for teachers to consider the prerequisite skills and prior knowledge that the students need to have in order to conduct the lesson/activity. Although this may often be overlooked, it is important to consider what the students already know and need to know in order for the lesson to be successful and effective. If the students don't understand what they are doing or why they are doing it, the lesson is going to be unsuccessful and is going to leave the students more confused and discouraged. Also, if you are presenting information using language that the students can't relate to or understand, than the lesson is going to fail/be ineffective. As a result, it is important to get to know your students and understand what their skill sets are, as well as their level of vocabulary in order to create the most effective and meaningful lessons. If the students are given appropriate instructions and have the materials to explore/experiment with, they will become excited and will have fun with science, which ultimately makes the lesson and entire planing process worthwhile!!

Online Resources for Teaching Elementary Science

     So far I have found two websites which appear to be useful resources to help teach elementary science. The most interesting and resourceful site that I found for teachers is the national science teachers association website.

www.nsta.org

     Unfortunately you have to subscribe to be a member of this site but if you do subscribe you can gain access to a variety of science journals and be notified about science confrences and workshops. This site also provides access to the latest news on professional development as well as science standards and the latest science campaigns. This website is a great way for teachers to stay up to date on the latest science news.

  

The other website that I found, allows  you to register for free this site is:

 http://www.sciencewithme.com

On Science With Me you can find easy to read articles on a variety of science topics. This site also provides coloring pages for those of you who are teaching or thinking of teaching the younger grades. 

My Science Story

      For as long as I can remember I have always been intrigued by science. When I was little I always wanted to play outside in the dirt. As I got older I started wondering how my bike worked and how my rollerblades worked and how a seemingly boring circular disc could play music in my CD player.  I have also been utterly fascinated by the ocean and all the things in it. I love starfish and to this day can't fathom how they can regenerate a leg that has been detached. Wouldn't it be amazing if people could do the same thing?! In my early elementary school years we create ecosystems and raised snails and guppies as well as centipedes. At the end of the project we were able to take home the creatures. Although they were not expected too, my snails and guppies survived for the remainder of my elementary school days which was pretty exciting. In fifth grade, my teacher made us become inventors. Everyone in the class was required to think of and physically create their own invention that could be patented. In the six grade, the entire grade celebrated element day by either creating a skit about the elements or by making costume and presentations about different elements (different teams had different assignments).  

      Seventh grade, was filled with the most interesting science trips that I have ever been on.  I don't know if any of you have ever been, but Camp Bournedale was an amazing field trip full of science activities. While I was there we made and launched rockets, went kayaking in a lake, explored a salmon farm, went on a lobster boat to learn about different lobsters and crabs, took a marine biology class, went to a planetarium and observed glass blowing. At the end of the seventh grade I also got to take part in a Women and Science and Engineering field trip to UMass Lowell which was awesome because it showed all different science concentrations. In high school I loved anatomy and physiology and thought about possibly becoming a nurse or a doctor. I have always been fascinated by the instruments and machines in hospitals. During my undergrad career I took a microbiology class of cancer and aids which may be my favorite class to date.  I also took several Neuro classes and loved learning about the brain and how it works.  For quite a while I debated becoming a neurologist but eventually decided to become a teacher to help children learn about science. I  can't wait to watch kids explore and discover the fun of science!