The New Site for Earth Science

I am starting a new site for the 2009-2010 (MS)^3 Earth Science class. It should make it easier to find work, notes etc. The address is
http://ms3earthscience.blogspot.com/

I will be adding the pdf to the wiki soon.

Our Master Physics Packet

Here is a PDF of our documents

PDF

Physics Lab PDF

Word 2007
Physics Lab Word

Using the Hall carts

I have just got out the Hall carts, and three of them have broken in one day of use. I have the students at their tables and the carts fall off. A suggestion might be to work on the floor.

NWEA Science Scores

District 51 has not set performance levels, here are the national scores.

NWEA Normative Data Sheet

NWEA Norms

The Latest News

I met with Rick, Cindy, Maggie and Gigi on Friday to talk about this summer, here is what came from it.
1. Gigi Richard will focus on natural disasters, hurricanes, volcanoes earthquakes and more as a topic for our course.
2. There are 15 people enrolled in the science side.
3. Heidi and I will be leading the teaching side
4. The on-line part might be a piece of non-fiction literature like John Mcphee's Control of Nature

I want to work in field trips and interactive notebooks, what would you like to see?

News About This Summer

Rumor has it that we will be taught this summer by Gigi Richard.

Time to be thinking about this summer

As posted, our class dates are set as is our topic. Earth Science. I am meeting with Rick this week to nail down more details and get the rest of the supplies so I can get them out. I still do not know who the prof will be. One thing I got from the conference was that it is a good thing have the content and pedagogy people working closely together, and I hope to start meeting with the content person as soon as possible. I am open to ideas and hope you all feel comfortable expressing your thoughts to me, so let me know what you want. My plans right now are inquiry instruction and field trips targeted for specific big ideas in Earth Science, (for example superposition). As always, let me know. I will be going to Fort Collins, on Thursday night for state Science Fair, other that that I plan on being around.

Mike

Dates for 2009-2010

Topics are algebra and earth science

Summer course dates are July 20th through July 31st, 2009

Follow-up Classes are
November 6th and 7th, 2009
February 19th and 20th, 2010

Capstone event
June 1st through 3rd, 2010

The information and application forms are below

Application and Information for (ms)^3 2009-2010

These files are Word 2007 files.

MS3 Application

MS3 Information Sheet

MSP from Chicago

Hey Folks
Listening to a Georgia group who are doing the same grant we have. Their district requires pre and post assessments every 3 weeks. I am picking up some good ideas, so far I have some texts for this summer and am planning on teaching using interactive notebooks. I also hope to meet with the prof early and often to help structure our class. I also plan on a focus on inquiry based and maybe Project based learning.

I hope to layout expectations early. If you have anything that you should have known sooner, let me know. I also want to have more of a hand in the on-line class. I am leaning toward making the on-line content rather than pedagogy.

If you know anyone who is interested, please encourage them to apply. Jen Richter is not planning to be with us, and Jim Smyth might be back, I don't know. How many of you are planning on returning?

Details about our Grant

Hey
did you know we are part of a national grant from the Departmetn of Education? I just put the pieces together, thanks to this site. Intersting info. Rick and I are heading to the regional conference on Sunday. I will try to bring good info back.

The online class is on! And I am going to Chi town!

Well about 8 of us are participating in the on line discussion group. I am getting a lot out of hearing other peoples idea and perspectives. Rick and I are going to the city of big shoulders, slaughter house to the world, Chicago. to be a part of the national convention for other MS3 types. Who would have thunk it.

Once I get permission, I will post the address to this blog.

I expect the rest of the kits to get in any day and will let everyone know when to expect the materials.

Update March 1

I will be using this as a way of communicating about the program. Especially for those of you out side of the district.

Hopefully everyone is registered for the on-line course, if not e-mail me at mwarner@mesastate.edu and I will help you with that.

We built kits and you should have them if you were there, I was not so as soon as I find out what happened I will be able to help.

we will order the missing equipment ASAP and get that out to you. Sara, you are our contact with the out of town three. I want to use the kit a lot between now and the capstone and share ideas. I will try to get pic and video. I hope everyone will try out as many labs as possible.

The Capstone is June 1,2 and 3. I plan to revisit the kits and look at what changed should be made to them, and we will walk the math people through some of the investigations.

Rick and I are going to Chicago to attend the National Conference of people who lead MS3 grants, April 1-3. I hope to come back with lots of ideas.

This summer will be Earth Science, we do not have a prof yet, but Rick is working on it. I talked with a couple of you about what you would like to see, I know I want some field trips, let me know if there is something you would really benefit from.

Once again, I am proven right.

It has been a long time since anyone has accused me of have poor self-esteem, so at the risk of sounding even more arrogant, I am good. Actually, we are good. Which I have predicted. My prediction, maybe even hypothesis, is if you give teachers a job, time and resources, then get out of the way, great things will occur. Take this week-end for example, although I had to leave at noon to go the the wrestling tournament, I know my group of teachers produced great things. I helped get them started, shared with them what I would like to see happen, listened to them and gave them the help they need. No protocols, whip-arounds or gallery walks. The secret ingredient here is time. I tried to value their time and I trusted that they would act like professionals. The result is our output way exceeded expectations.

MS^3 Weekend

Wow, am I great teacher or what? I just get out of the way and the wonderful people in my cohort get stuff done.

We will have physics kits for each teacher, plus one that will be availible for check out at the math and science center. We are building a series of activities that I will have availible here as a pdf download soon.

Materials per kit
8 Hall Carts
8 Ramps
8 Springs (Slinky)
8 Timers
Happy/sad Balls
Mass set
Marble set