Using the web for science

St. Joseph's School | 5th Grade | Science | Present: 25
students, teacher and myself | 2 hours field experience including
reflection time


On this last Thursday, I got to watch this 5th grade teacher use technology to discuss the main sources of water pollution. She combined a few different methods along with technology to make this an effective lesson. More specifically:

• A refresher: The students recalled, imagined and conjectured the major sources of water pollution based on past lessons, life experiences and guessing.

• Watching a video: The teacher showed the students a video on Brainpop.com on water pollution. She asked them to make note of the major sources. She showed them the video a second time to make sure they captured the main information.

• Group recall: As a whole group, the class recalled the major sources of pollution. They also discussed each source. At one point, they started talking about thermal pollution. The teacher asked them to think about why this was an issue. They started talking about the fish in the water and what warm water would do to them. Cleverly, the teacher drew an analogy to a fish tank or a goldfish bowl in the home. Soon enough the students drew on their life experiences to explain why warm water or stale, stagnant water could be an issue for marine life. I thought that drawing an instant parallel to a situation in daily life was a highly effective way to uncover the issues behind thermal pollution.

  Further discussions on the various kinds of pollution helped make the students understanding more real.

Takeaway

When possible, in explaining science concepts, draw upon real life, daily life experiences and help students explain phenomena themselves.