Envelope Critical Review

I reveiewed the envelope #2 that Errrin viewed. I would agree with her observations and inferences. I would add an additional inference though. Itcould be sent from someone in the military because it is sent from Michigan but has USA was included in the address. That person may be currently stationed overseas but their mail is postmarked through Michigan. I could not read the return address for other information.

Discussion Board

It was easier for many students to make observations about the envelopes rather than inferences. After discussing inferences again, and giving an example, they were able to understand the concept better. Some took it to an extreme, they were making inferences without any observation to back it up. For example, one student said the envelope fell in the mud when there were no dirt marks on it. When asked about this inference, he said it could have happened but didn't notice anything to give him that clue. Most of the students did a good job making at least 1-2 inference. Some needed more prompting. The students who seemed to have more experiences in their own lives were better able to make inferences. I really helped the students when showed them the sample list of observation/inferences on the overhead. Next year, I think I might show this first with a class and see if they give more in depth responses than the other classes.

After Mid-Summative Test
The student had a partial understanding of the lessons objectives. They were able to identify the difference between an observation and an inference; however, they had difficulty explaining why something was an inference. Specifically, only about 50% could cite the observation they used to determine if it was an inference. Excluding letter 'g' "student pleased with experiment." My students were able to identify the smile on the face as an observation for this inference. Letters 'b' and 'e' confused them. Some stated that "plants planted same day" was an inference because the observation was that they were different sizes. I had to go back and explain to the students to read the sides of the containers and use that as part of their observations. It seemed half the students overlooked this the first time.

Examining the Student Experience Observation Vs. Inference

Observation vs. Inference
1.round outside (observation)
2.rough on the outside but no jagged edges (inference because other rocks I have touched had a rough texture.)
3.inside is hollow (observation because there is definitely an empty spot inside)
4.inside has jagged, crystal appearance (inference from past crystals I have touched and seen)
5.brownish outside and purple inside (observation)

How did this rock form?
1.Extreme heat caused it to crystallized (inference because heating sugar and water creates crystals when it cools.)

What is it made from? (Neither observation nor inference)
1.It is made from the mineral quartz.

What don't you know about the rock yet? (Neither observation nor inference)
1.what areas of the world it is found in
2.can the average person find this or are there certain clues to look for
3.how large are the rocks
4.is amethyst a delicate crystal

Examining the Teacher Experience

I have used journals with my students after my first year of teaching science. It was suggested at kit training and I loved the idea. The marble notebooks are the best because they are neater and students can’t tear out pages. My students continue in their journals for each kit. Everything is recorded in their journals except their homework. Journals a usually kept in the classroom and taken home for studying.

Journals entries should always include a date followed by the challenge question. Then the students add their notes, observations from labs, and reflections. Students who have neat handwriting usually have the neatest journals. They use every page without skipping any. The not-so-good journals are usually not dated, sloppy writing, and pages are skipped. I have noticed some have entries that are out of date sequence.

This year I made a commitment to have journals in my room with no skipped pages and organized entries: challenge question, notes, observations, and reflection. I actually started my own journal just to see how many pages would be needed, proper dates, etc. To help the students, I put a sample of each entry on the overhead so the students could see the format. It was very time consuming at first but I have noticed a great improvement in the journals.

Envelope #6

Inferences
*sent from overseas (marked airmail, and addressed to USA)
*oversized envelope 4X6 (back layout is same as 4X6 envelopes I have used in past)
*medical relevance (received by Bureau of Health Planning)
*business mail (see above)
*opened with letter opener (top is smooth not jagged tears)

Observations
*8 stamps
*received by Bureau of Health Planning on 01/08/01
*sent to someone in Dover
*stamps on bottom, front of envelope
*white envelope
*blue ink
*all capital letters

Examining the Student Experience

Rock: I chose an amethyst quartz rock because purple is my favorite color.

What observations can you make about your rock?
1. round outside
2. rough on the outside but no jagged edges
3. inside is hollow
4. inside has jagged, crystal appearance
5. brownish outside and purple inside

How did this rock form?
Coarsely crystallized in high-temperature veins, finer-grained crystals may line low-temperature veins and geodes in sedimentary rocks

What don't you know about the rock yet?
1. what areas of the world it is found in
2. can the average person find this or are there certain clues to look for
3. how large are the rocks
4. is amethyst a delicate crystal

Video Clip

I t appears the students are placed in groups of four. There are no indications that they are group homogeneously or heterogeneously. However, the groups appear to work well together and all students are on task.

All students use a journal to record information. The journal entries that were observed were very neat and well organized.

The teacher was definitely a facilitator in the lesson. Students would make their own inferences and observations. When students described the rock, the teacher did not say it was right or wrong. The teacher supported the student’s observation as long as the student explained their reason. Once again, all students seemed engaged and used their journals to record information.