Science Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites

Warren Phillips, Middle School Science Teacher Extraordinaire!

Warren Phillips has been a science and service learning teacher in Massachusetts for 35+ years. Inducted into the National Teacher's Hall of Fame in 2010, his focus is on brain-based learning in association with his book, Science Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites. The book provides 20 brain-proven strategies that teachers should use in their teaching and sample lessons for each strategy.

In 2005, in his quest to reinforce science concepts with young students, he composed and produced 3 (now wildly popular) cd's: Sing-A-Long Science, Sing-A-Long Science - the Sequel; and Sing-A-Long Science - the Second Sequel. His newest endeavor is "The Science Secret," a school musical (think "Science Glee") that  addresses 93% of the K-8 standards.

Mr. Phillips is the founder of H.O.W.L. - Helping Others While Learning. It is a service learning course that allows outstanding students to work on projects that advance their learning and serve the community. For example, students develop Jeopardy-style power point presentations for teachers to teach specific units. As part of the H.O.W.L. program, the students produce a weekly news program and handle everything from running the lights and camera, to copy writing and on-camera reporting.  

He has won many awards including 6 major national awards:

Time / Chevrolet Teacher of the Year in 2002

Disney Middle School Teacher Of The Year in 2004

USA Today All-USA Teaching Team in 2006 

Presidential Volunteer Service Award in 2006

Earthwatch Fellowship (Elephant Research) to Africa in 2008

National Teacher's Hall of Fame in 2010

Outside his work as a classroom teacher, he advises the garden club and coordinates a 3-day outdoor educational field trip that is held annually for 700+ students. He is a contributing writer for the Prentice-Hall Science Explorer textbook series and NSTA's Exemplary Science in Grades 5-8. Recently, he was the keynote speaker at the 3-day national conference of the Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence at Disney World. The convention features best practices in education. To find out more about Blue Ribbon Schools, visit: http://www.blueribbonschools.com/.

For updated information about Mr. Phillips, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_G._Phillips.  For great resources for science teachers and service learning teachers, visit his website at:  http://www.wphillips.com/.

The Very Best Interventions for the Very Worst Behavior Problems

     by Ruth Herman Wells, M.S.

Ruth Herman Wells and Youth Change Workshops (http://www.youthchg.com) are your Problem Student Problem-Solver. Youth Change provides live, on-site, and online teacher training, plus books, ebooks, and posters, all designed to turnaround troubled and challenging students. Get free samples of Youth Change’s popular resources at (http://www.youthchg.com) or call 1-800-545-5736.

Here are some of my most popular, enduring, and effective classroom management interventions for students' bad behavior and attitude in school.

Me? Flunk English? That's Unpossible!

Just write this sentence on the board, then let the students discuss it: "WiLl YOu RealY NevER ned a diPlOmA?" You may also repeat this exercise with this sentence: "Me? Flunk English? That's unpossible!" (The second sentence is from the cartoon show, "The Simpsons".) Ask your students to create other sentences like the two shown above. Also, you can ask your students to imagine how signs might be read by someone who hasn't learned to read very well. For example, ask them to imagine signs at the airport you better be able to read. They will devise many funny but provocative scenarios. Now that students see more value in reading and school, discuss with them how serious misbehavior at school keeps them from learning the information that they now acknowledge they need. 

The Old Switcheroo Works Every Time

This is a very cagey intervention that reveals exactly who is the real problem. Make a list of problems that adults can have at work and in the community, such as "Mr. Frank is frequently late to work. Mr. Frank is angry at the boss for docking him pay for the time he's late, saying it is the boss's fault he loses money." Ask your students to determine who is accountable for the problem. Students will indicate that Mr. Frank is accountable. After the students determine adults are accountable in each scenario, present them with a second list of scenarios. This list should be exactly the same as the first list, but substitute youngsters for adults in each situation. Next, ask your group members to determine accountability. It may make for an interesting discussion, and provoke some new thinking. Few students will anticipate the old switcheroo. That's what gives this intervention so much power and impact. That's what makes this intervention work when more conventional strategies fail. 

Live Through This-- If You Can

Some students are very negative about school because they consider it to be a waste. Here is a fun intervention to show students that education may be essential. Have students write down the types of problems that an adult might have to deal with during one really bad day, then have them determine how many of these activities use skills learned in school. Your group will notice that education is needed to solve or manage all or most of the problems that happen to adults on really bad days. Include problems like the refrigerator is a bit warm, the car seems to slide for some reason on the wet road, and the bank says that your checking account is overdrawn. 

The Texting Surgeon and the Distractible Pilot

Ask students to list their "dream jobs". Write the responses in a column on the board. Make a second column and ask the students to list problem behaviors that young people sometimes do. Include answers like swear, become distracted, and not follow directions. Next, draw a line from a dream job to a problem behavior. Ask the students to discern what could happen if the worker used the problem behavior. So, for example, what could happen if an airplane pilot didn't follow the air traffic controller's instructions? Another example: What could happen if a surgeon became distracted? Assist students to realize that problem behaviors can cause significant, even deadly consequences in many jobs, especially many of the jobs they describe as desirable. Ask the group to discuss how behavior problems at school will become behavior problems at work unless students decide to improve their conduct now. For students who say "I will just behave better on the job," challenge them to demonstrate those skills now by using only acceptable behavior for the next three months. 

Veteran (Retired) Teacher says Ron Clark's Article in Teachers.Net Gazette is "Repugnant"

Bill Page, retired veteran teacher and author of "At-Risk Students,"  says: 

Ron Clark’s “Not Every Child Deserves a Cookie” article is “Repugnant”
Read Bill's passionate remarks here in the just-released October issue of Teachers.Net Gazette.

Reaching Reluctant Learners

By Judy E. Knight, M. Ed. 

Many at-risk students are unsuccessful on state mandated tests. These “invisible children” are generally well behaved because they do not want to be noticed, but do not often have opportunities to respond to questions because they never raise their hands to become involved.

In an attempt to protect at-risk students from embarrassment, teachers sometimes allow them to stay uninvolved.  An individualized approach to learning is what these kids need –not a one-size-fits-all delivery system that requires all students to learn the same thing at the same time.

As an educational consultant, I have had the opportunity to travel, visit many classrooms, and observe teachers and students interacting in their learning environments. Studying these children and taking notes about their behaviors has been an eye-opener for me.  Over the last couple of years I have focused on at-risk students as I have modeled lessons in classrooms. I understand that these students have much to offer—if the learning environment is one where children feel safe.  As educators, we need to provide such an environment with opportunities for students to be active participants in each phase of the learning process.  I recommend using interactive learning strategies to engage students and make learning fun. For vocabulary instruction, for example, I suggest activities such as “Red Rover, Red Rover: It’s All Relative!”

Red Rover, Red Rover: It’s All Relative!

Materials: Index cards, marker

Preparation: Write words and numbers on index cards. Words might include parts of speech, math vocabulary, or any other vocabulary words previously taught.

Directions: Give each student a card with a word or number on it. Explain the directions of the game as follows:

1)  You must find at least one other person to be in your family, but you may not have more than 3 family members.

2)  You must be able to explain how you are “related.”

Example:  Three people matched up might have cards with the numbers 2, 48, and the words “even numbers,” or three people might have three even numbers (2, 12, 48). Three people may have numbers divisible by 7 (14, 21, 35). Students with words such as “huge,” “giant,” and “gigantic” might be in the same family with students whose cards have synonyms or
adjectives.   

Once students have matched up, the group will form a circle facing the center.  Each group must state how they fit as a family. The class must listen and decide if they fit and if they followed the criteria established. If there is a person who does not find a match, the person is allowed to say, “Red rover, red rover, let ____ come over!” 

For example, if a single person has a card with the number 16 on it, he/she could request for 24 to come over to be
in a family of even numbers/divisible by 4. If a team has too many members, another group must “steal away” members until all groups meet the established criteria prior to the conclusion of the game.

Variations/Extensions:   Change the criteria of number of family members. (Example: Must have at least 3 members, but no more than 5.)

Using Google Docs in Math and Science

Re-printed article from October 2010.  Written by David Wetzel, Ph.D., Science and Education Specialist at Word Solutions

Google Docs is an easy-to-use online word processor that enables you to create, store, share, and collaborate on documents with your science and math students. You can even import any existing document from Word and Simple Text. You can work from anywhere and with any computer platform to access your documents.

Considering the versatility of Google Docs, there are many ingenious ways teachers use this free online program with students. Here are just a few:

1. Promote group collaboration and creativity by having your students record their group projects together in a single doc.
2. Create quizzes and tests using spreadsheets forms, your students’ time stamped answers will arrive neatly ordered in a spreadsheet.
3. Encourage collaborative presentation skills by asking your students to work together on a shared presentation and then present it to the class.
4. Students track and organize project data in a single spreadsheet, accessible to any group collaborator at any time.
5. Students create a math word problem solving exercise.
6. Embed their documents in a class wiki, blog, or LiveBinder for student use in projects or assignments

Science Applications

There following are ready made documents you can use or modify for your classroom.

1. Natural Resources Project – graphic organizer designed for earth science students.
2. Natural Disasters Project – graphic organizer designed for earth science students.
3. Science Fair Project (MS) – designed for middle school students’ use as a simple step by step guide for designing a science fair project.
4. Science Fair Project (Elem) – a basic outline describing the Scientific Method to help elementary school students complete a science project for a school sponsored science fair.
5. Periodic Table Vocabulary – modified Frayer model template for learning the Periodic Table of Elements.
6. Science Lab Report – sample lab report template.
7. Weather Pictograph – graph with the class or let students graph the weather using these pictographs.

Math Applications

There following are ready made documents you can use or modify for your classroom.

1. Monkey Math and the Factor Tree – students solve factorization problems.
2. Math Content Vocabulary Cards – students complete these cards by providing symbols, definitions, math representations, and synonyms for math terms.
3. Multiplication Table – study guide for students.

1. Variables and Expressions – a study guide for helping students learn these algebraic terms.
General Science and Math Applications
There following are ready made documents you can use or modify for your classroom.
1. Classroom Jeopardy – a template for playing Jeopardy as a review for tests or exams.
2. WebQuests – use this template as a guide for creating science or math WebQuests.
3. Metric System – a study guide for helping students learn the metric system.
4. Project Based Learning – a template for creating a project based learning activity.
5. Storyboard Template – ideal for student use to create their podcast or video of science or math concepts.
6. Self-Assessment – allows students to assess their own confidence after practice of something, such as a lesson on one of the written multiplication methods.
7. Compare and Contrast – students use this Venn diagram template to compare and contrast science or math topics, ideas, or concepts.
Tips and Ideas for Using Google Docs
When collaborating with students, it’s always best to create the doc, then share it with them. This will avoid any issues such as:
1. a document is erased from the student’s account
2. the collaboration settings are changed
3. other avoidable problems having to do with ownership rights
Here are some additional ideas for keeping your Docs list manageable and accessible:
1. Create a folder for each class, group of students, project, etc. Since you can add one doc to multiple folders, you can cross-categorize as much and as often as you’d like.
2. If you’re working with a lot of documents on one project, make sure you give each document a clear and easily recognizable name, connected with the project at hand (e.g. “Short story project – group A”).
1. Math Quiz – generates problems automatically and you can even set the ranges of the numbers to generate in hidden fields (addition, subtraction, multiplication, operators, and facts.
2. Spreadsheets – a simple document to kick start your use of Google Docs in class.