The Teacher Toolbox

With the passing of the 40th anniversary of the first Moon Landing Google has added the Moon to Google Earth. So last night I added a few Moon Exploration Ideas to my website that you might like to explore.

I’m also looking forward to the LCROSS impact and data being added to the software in the coming weeks and months.

So how will you celebrate the current Moon missions with your class? Surely you can’t wait until they ‘DO SPACE’ in Yr 6!

cheers

Adrian

PS The last few Tweets from the LCROSS spacecraft caused a small chuckle.

Built into Google Earth is Google Mars. It works exactly the same as Google Earth ie you can zoom in, zoom out, fly over, explore and do tours. This software offers a beautiful opportunity to explore Mars in the classroom as never before possible. Wow!

Now as an architect of the children’s learning I believe the power of the software would come after you had the students explore the most interesting facts and features of the planet.  Try having the students write a readers’ theatre play where they are taking a tourist group to Mars and have them incorporate their new knowlegde into the play. This play would then be performed as a virtual tour of the planet for other classses around the school.

Tonight I’ve added a few teaching ideas for using Google Mars in the classroom to my website. Feel free to check out Google Mars in the Classroom.

Yep, been updating the science part of the site again today. Here is a great air pressure reader’s theatre script that is easy for a small group of students to present to your class as well as other classes around the school.

Science plays are a nice way to raise the profile of science around your school.

Enjoy the Air Pressure Science Experiment

Adrian

A few years into my teaching career I discovered Beakman’s World. The show was short sharp grabs of science presented in an over the top way. Today I’ve found that the shows are archived on Youtube so Mr 10 and I are watching a few.

I tend to like Steve Spanglar’s quote, ‘If it gets them talking science over the dinner table then it is good science’.

See what you think.

ThreeBee of Captain Curiosity fame & I have been working together rather closely recently as we both share a passion for teaching Science in the elementary classroom.

She has inspired me to get off my butt and get my ‘Science Show’ resources online ready for National Science Week here in Australia by August. So tonight my ‘Rocket Science’ activity is ready. This is a pretty impressive demonstration where you get to blow stuff up and fill in all your own risk assessment ‘administrivia’.

Have fun impressing the punters with this one.

Adrian

PS Just noticed that this is my 300th blog post to The Toolbox.

Another lifetime ago I had a position in which I was charged with raising the profile of Science in local schools. Tonight I’ve started putting together a website with the science experiments, demonstrations and resources I used to switch students and teachers onto science education.

Have a play with the Science Demonstration – The Witch’s Brew

Over the last few months these guys have been great discussion starters. I love having them sit on the desk, not only for inspiration, but also to get students asking questions about the lads and their work.

Recently my three year old daughter has taken to playing with the characters in her doll house. I’m finding it strangely good fun to see Freud and Dora the Explorer sharing a kitchen or bathroom

There are heaps of these guys to choose from. I think I’ll get  The Artist Collection for a art teacher friend of mine as it has Dali, Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Warhol & Van Gogh in it. A history teacher friend of mine is getting the Revolutionaries Pack for his desk as he feels that, ‘History teachers just can’t have enough revolutionaries in their lives’. I also have an English teacher friend who is getting the  Writers Collection for her desk.

Now it needs to be noted that I had a few dramas in getting these guys shipped to Australia. Firstly I tried the official Jailbreak Toys Website where the prices were very reasonable and there was an excellent variety of figures, but due to a shipping anomaly it was going to cost $57 US (almost $100 Oz) to ship my order. Needless to say I didn’t go with this option.

I then tried Amazon but they don’t ship these figures to Australia but would be a good option for my American readers.

After that I turned to Ebay and Salvador today arrived just in time for my birthday tomorrow.

cheers

Adrian

NB This is not a paid blog post, I just find these guys a wonderful addition to my desk

A friend of mine is taking her first steps in creating a website to share her science lessons. Do drop by and print out a few lessons, try them out with your class, hand them around to appropriate staff members and then drop back to leave a bit of feedback.

Thoughts around content, design, navigation etc greatly appreciated.

Visit Captain Curiosity’s Science Lesson Site

cheers

Adrian

Each time I have to teach an ‘electricity unit’ to students I make sure I add a solar power component. Why? …because it is sooooo important on sooooooo many levels. (I’m sure you could brainstorm at least 10 reasons).

This year my son turns ten and I’m in that strange period of being Dad / a Yr 5 teacher. Needless to say, he’ll be getting some presents that involve solar construction this year

For my Aussie readers I found this great ‘Thinking Toys’ website called ‘Brainy Days’ where I bought this solar construction set for us. I’ve also bought all my nephews presents from this website. I know, I know… I’m walking that fine line between Uncle Ad and nerdy teacher hehehehe

Amazon has many kits like this one Solar Car Assembly Kit but for me Brainy Days saved me a heap on postage

Ad

PS In my classrooms I have tried the general solar kit that makes a fan and other stuff, but until you make a car that rips across the floor owered by sunlight you are not really hitting the mark.

I’ve been looking for a piece of free time lapse photography software for a while now and finally found Perios. Perios is a tiny download and very, very simple to use.

For my first movie I set the software to record one frame every five seconds but I feel I need to continue experimenting for improved results. Once the software captures all the still pics you have to export them as a movie file. I then added all the credits and music in Movie Maker. Too easy!!!

The only hassle I had with the software was trying to get it to work with a webcam. I eventually just stuck with the built in camera in my laptop.

Possible Time Lapse Subjects

- flower blooming / plant growth
- spider spinning a web
- tracking shadow movement throughout a day
- artwork being made
- a classic game of chess
- the classroom working
- lego construction
- snail race
- decomposing fruit
- butterfly hatching
- traffic outside your window for surveys
- is the movement of the lunchtime crowd fractal?
- fill up and ant farm and record tunnel creation
- growing of crystals
- your fish tank
- clouds across the sky / storm coming

Feel free to add possible uses to my list.

Adrian

PS Just did a search for time lapse on You Tube and had a chuckle at this Nascargot