Then, in small groups of four, students wrote down observations about their hydrate salt lab and constructed claims based on these observations (which would later provide the evidence they would need to support their claim). Berryman asked the groups to review and discuss two claims and choose the strongest.
To help students understand what makes a strong claim, Mr. Berryman provided guidelines for a quality claim: it should be a statement about the results of their lab work, be one to two sentences in length, and answer the beginning question. The beginning question was: Does the empirical formula of a hydrate depend on the initial mass? Mr. The students’ task was to construct a quality claim about a beginning question by examining evidence and calculations from the previous day’s lab. Each group was given a hydrate salt with a different initial mass.
The lesson on gravimetric analysis occurred in the middle of the unit, and the students had already performed laboratory work.ĭuring the previous class, students performed laboratory tests by heating a hydrate salt to determine its empirical formula. The goal for this 10-day unit was for students to understand that chemical elements are fundamental building materials of matter and that all matter can be understood in terms of arrangements of atoms, which retain their identity in chemical reactions. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes.įollow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks, attending to special cases or exceptions defined in the text. Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
Student work will be displayed in the classroom to create learning environment which demonstrates both collaborative and independent achievemeants. The teacher will facilitate and guide students through various hands-on lab experiments utilizing scientific processes, inquiry based learning strategies, and critical thinking skills. Safety rules will be followed in our lab, and technology will be integrated on a daily basis. We will research biographies of scientists to learn about science related careers. Using Northwestern’s Solar Energy Unit, students will build and test houses to find out which would survive in various climates as part of our physical science study. Students will study the relationships between natural cycles and the earth during our rock unit.
This study is part of our life science unit. A bird unit will engage students in gaining an understanding of the relationships of organisms and their environments. Pasco Probes will be utilized to teach Bernoulli’s and Newton’s Laws. Students will be using experiments developed by teachers and Northwestern University, TIMS, and AIMS. Continuing to develop cooperative learning and working skills, as well as completing individual work, are all important parts of the fifth grade academic and social / emotional curriculum. Projects to develop higher order thinking are also completed when appropriate. At times, you will see the teacher reading to the entire class, and other times you will see children working independently, in pairs or in small groups. The learning centers, designed to supplement curriculum presentations, are equipped with hands-on materials and age appropriate activities for the children to explore independently. When you look around, you immediately know what’s happening in this class by the classroom set up and displays: KWL charts on integrated Social Studies lessons, including content area reading, varying and creative book reports designed to extract important comprehension points from literature, and authentic student work representing current topics being taught. As you look around the room, you will see children’s literature books, as well as a variety of non-fiction reading materials, social studies materials, posters with various literary conventions, the writing process, and test taking strategies, learning centers, a writing center, a reading corner, samples of children’s work, and computers. In the 5th Grade classes, you will find rich and engaging learning environments.
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