Science Strategies: Managing Classroom Behavior in a Co-op Class

 Kids are kids.  Some of them misbehave.  In another life, I taught in both private and public schools.  I taught six classes a day at the public school in WV, with over 160 kids.  I have had some experience with misbehavior.  I tell my kids when they act up that they are out of their league.  The kids are all warned at the beginning of the year of the consequences for misbehavior.  Here are some tips.  

1. Warn the child to stop.  Sometimes I issue a general warning.  Literally.  If a couple teens are starting to chatter or poke, or whatever, I just announce, ‘Warning!’  Sometimes, you just say the kiddo’s name.  I just say, Fred, and stare daggers at him for a minute.

2.  Next consequences for minor offenses.  The rules are clear.  If a child takes off their safety glasses during lab, the first consequence is he or she must clean up all of the lab stations.  Why?  I want them to be safe.  Cleaning is a strong deterrent.  My kids often leave class and go home wearing their safety glasses; they hate cleaning that much.

3. The consequences are tiered.  Minor offenses, such as annoying your classmates by lifting the table repeatedly, earn minor consequences, such as a reprimand and a discussion with the parent.  The child is reminded the next few classes not to repeat the behavior.  A second offense initiates a longer discussion with his or her mom.  At this point I recommend rescinding his or her electronic privileges for a week.  

4. Greater offenses have greater consequences.  I make it clear the teens may not pretend to stab a classmate with the scalpel.  Someone always does.  (They aren’t being serious or malicious, the kids just think it’s funny.)  They were warned.  I explain to mom that Fred must stay after class, usually the same day.  Fred vacuums, mops, and wipes the stairs in the basement.  If Fred gives me any lip, he may also clean the bathrooms.  Last year, my basement was deep-cleaned several times by miscreants.  

I keep track of which students owe me time cleaning.  Their moms may have another lesson or appointment after class.  I have a roster of chores: vacuuming, sharpening pencils (dozens), sorting kits, wiping tables, and chair, etc.  My shelves of materials always need to be sorted.  Keep a list.  Do you have some cutting needed for a project?  It doesn’t have to be class related.  The kiddo can cut materials for religious Ed.  If you meet at a church I’m sure the staff would appreciate some complementary board-washing or vacuuming.

Science Strategies: Make-up Work

 It’s January and flu season.  True, February can be equally fraught with cold, flu, grippe, or sundry viruses.  Additionally, families home-school for a reason.  They want the flexibility to go a trip, take a week off for a wedding, visit a sibling at college, an endless list.  As a result, Co-op teachers, just like professional teachers, must have a plan to make up absentee work.  

1. My plan for January and February is more accommodating.  In Anatomy, I’m jousting trying to complete about 1 1/2 modules, not two.  Usually, we do Moles and Stoichiometry in Chemistry in January—all month.  This step allows me some flexibility.  

2.  Some activities I send home to do.  I sent how clay with Anna to complete her brain model because she was ill.  If the kiddo missed a paper model we made in class, I send home a set to make at home.  Usually, I have an example posted on the wall to show the kiddo what to do.  The issue is getting the kid to actually make the model at home.  

3.  We need flexibility in January and February because we’re going to be repeating labs and activities which are both important, complicated, or require special equipment.  Today, for example, the class did the series of Nerve Experiments for the third time.  It’s a set of six experiments.  I have the Snellen poster on the wall.  Anna can’t do the Weber test unless she has a tuning fork at home.  Our answer was to just do all of the lab experiments one more time.  The lab is fun; thankfully no one minds.

4.  Thursday marks the third class in which I know in advance kids will be absent.  I’m using the class to mop up work.  I prioritize lab reports, tests, and study guide questions.  The kids have been advised to bring in the material.  I’ll spend Thursday editing reports.  If all of the incomplete assignments are finished, the teen can work on the next unit.  The following week, I’ve scheduled two activities I want everyone to do together: The Neuroscience Case Studies and the Reflex Arc POGIL.  With any luck, we won’t have to repeat these two activities.  

5.  What happens when a student is out for several classes?  We schedule time outside of class.  Anna’s sister, Catherine, started Biology a month late, when she dropped Physical Science.  Catherine spent an hour after class for over two months to complete all of the labs, tests, and assignments.  This year, Wednesdays are a good time for make-up classes.  We work with kids after class, too, especially when they’re struggling with a topic.  

CO2 Labs

Hold on.  CO2 labs can be fun.   Here are What’s New CO2? and  React with Self-Inflating Balloons.  (Here are even more resources from ACS about self-inflating balloons.)  (A pack of four balloons is about $14.) Are you in the middle of moles in Chemistry?  Here is an excellent article about using these balloons to discuss moles and some Stoichiometry.  

Be on the look-out for these kits!

 There are some kits which are invaluable, especially for Co-op teachers, who teach the same classes regularly.  The key is to buy the kit for the right price.  Usually, I find the best prices at Good Will online, with eBay running second.  I look for kits which make labs easier or are terrific models I can reuse.  Let me share my favorites.

1. 3-D Molecular Designs has several kits.  I want to find a deal for the Synapse and the Phospholipid Membrane. 

2. The MicroChem kit is up next.  I bought several for Chem.  My target is $50 with shipping.  Be sure the kit has the manual.

3.  Another rare gem is a FOSS kit.  A complete kit has five drawers.  The manual and related books are available used and rarely come with the kit.  The kit’s teacher manual is essential.  The best one is the Electromagnetic Curriculum.

4. Hands-on lab kits are designed for online, science, college courses.  They are customized by the professor; their contents vary.  These kits are usually eScience, Labpaq, or Science Interactive kits.  Look over the contents.  I have had tremendous luck with these kits.  Some anatomy kits have specimens.  The Physics kit was jam-packed with lab equipment.  Look over the photos before you bid or buy.  

5.  I invested in class sets of Molecules of Life and DNA several years ago.   I bought new sets because there weren’t any used set.  There are a few now on eBay.  Be sure the used kit has the worksheet and answer key. 

Science Strategies: How many different activities do you do during each Co-op session?

 Our Co-op Science classes meet twice a week for 90 minutes each session.  I’ve taught Co-op classes which met once a week for three hours.  (Yes, we had a break.) During a 90 minute session, we usually have at least five different activities, averaging 18 minutes per activity.  A good rule of thumb is to plan 15-20 minutes per activity.  Right now, I’m teaching an anatomy class.  We start class with ten to fifteen minutes of muscle, bone, brain review. Next, I might do 15 minutes of direct instruction, say slides.  The teens might then sketch slides, do a POGIL, make a model, or take a few notes. We do labs every other week or so in Anatomy.  A dissection can take 30-45 minutes.  The nerve lab we just finished took about 45 minutes.  

How do I plan?  I keep a list of all the events I want to accomplish for the entire module.  In any class, we need some direct instruction.  I do a chunk of instruction most classes.  However, I rarely exceed a 20 minute lecture or lesson.  The kids just shut off after 20 minutes.  It’s better to switch gears.  This is why the activities and labs pivot around a unit or module.

Let me give you an example.  In Chemistry, one topic is Matter.  (Here are my slides.)  I start with a group discussion, typically a question, such as ‘What is matter?’  I might review a few slides.  Then we do an activity, such as Separation of a Mixture Lab. (Do the least flashy lab first.)  We spend time as a class after the lab discussing the point.  Next is the discrepant event and discussion.  After we do a series of density labs.  Typically, we try to create a spreadsheet for data.  The spreadsheet activity can take 20-25 minutes depending on experience.)  In other words, we switch activities about every 20 minutes unless it’s a longer lab or a simulation, such as Bean Bag Isotopes. (We use at least five different beans for this lab.)  Typically, labs, simulations, or models take 30-45 minutes.  However, the kids work in teams and tend to remain more engaged.

When I conduct a once-weekly Co-op class, I’ll have a stack of activities ready—at least ten.  Will we finish?  Probably not.  But it’s important to switch gears frequently to hold the teens’ attention.  One caveat.  If the kids are engaged in a lab and want to experiment or repeat it, I am a happy to invest the time—even if the lab takes most of the class period.  This is true of dissections, especially.  The kids tend to spend 90 minutes on one or two specimens.  Most of the time, I 

Science Strategies: How do I start to add new ideas?

 Many Co-op instructors stick to the textbook.  Apologia science textbooks are a complete curriculum. The instructors often invest their Co-op time working through the experiments from the book. The kids read, do study guide questions, and take tests at home.  There is nothing wrong with this approach.  I started teaching Co-op, science classes after school, in the lab, at the public school where I taught.  (I do know how rare this situation is!). I already had ideas because I had been teaching all manner of science classes for awhile.  The first time I taught from Apologia, the families were enrolled in MODG, which has strict requirements for labs, lab reports, and number of modules completed. (MODG requires 2/3 of any textbook to be completed, as a minimum.)  Did I adhere to the labs?  Yes.  However, in some cases I had a different lab with more detail, or an extension, or was inquiry-based.  (Even the first time, I made the DNA Extraction experiment in Biology an inquiry-based lab.)

How do you branch out and still remain faithful to the experiments in the Apologia textbook.  Let me take the DNA Extraction experiment.  The first time, we did the lab exactly as written.  In fact the first edition of Apologia’s Biology textbook uses onion rather than split peas.  Once we did the lab as written, we branched out.  What if we changed the detergent?  What if we chilled the alcohol?  Could we try KCl instead of NaCl, or sea salt in place of iodized salt?  Just do the experiment as written before you try a variation.  Another example is the Biological Key experiment in the textbook.  We do this exercise verbatim.  Then I bring out other dichotomous keys to practice.  

Sometimes, I just don’t like the experiment.  The Apologia Chemistry (third edition) has Experiment 5.2, Solubility, which compares salt in water with salt in vegetable oil.  Huh.  You could do this as a demo with the group before launching into a Solubility Rules Lab (Here is a summary of the solubility rules.)  Frankly, I do this a lot in Chemistry because I’ve taught the course so many times.  I have many opinions on the subject. 

Try the lab in advance.  Do you like it?  Could you take one more step and improve on it?  For example, do the Osmosis experiment in the Biology textbook and then try the classic Diffusion Lab with cornstarch, iodine, and baggies.  Take things in stages.  Don’t feel as though you need to improve every lab.  I use the Chemistry experiment, Width of a Molecule, verbatim; it’s a great lab.  What happens if the lab doesn’t work?  Admit defeat and move on.  My friend, Sharon, another Chemistry teacher, was adamant about testing every. single. experiment before the lab.  Great advice for novice instructors.  Go ahead and add to your experiments!

Educational Innovations: Chock Full of Fun

 In another life, I did some consulting.  Before the workshop, I would call Educational Innovations and ask for a box of catalogs. (I still love a catalog.)  They added UV bead key chains.  So many of my favorite science toys originated with Educational Innovations.  Their Blog isn’t up to date; it is full of ideas. Many of the toys have lessons, too.  Below are my favorites.

Apologia Science: Teaching with Apologia for the first time

 Is this the first time you are using an Apologia Science textbook?  Don’t panic.  First, the science textbook has enough materials and information to provide a comprehensive course for your child.  This is true of every, Apologia textbook, whether it’s Young Explorers, Middle School, or High School.  (Buy a used textbook.  Don’t feel compelled to buy the latest edition.)  what else do you need?  I recommend buying a test booklet and solution guide.

1.  Do you need a study guide?  No.  Do you need the ebook, audio book,  dvd, or online course?  No.  I like the Young Explorers Notebooking Journals.  (Be sure to look at both versions: Chemistry and Physics and the Junior Notebooking Journal.). But there is enough material, experiments, and projects in the textbook; the notebook is nice, not necessary. 

2.  Make a schedule.  The notebooks from Apologia has daily schedules.  Here are sample, Co-op schedules from Donna Young.  My husband, Rob, and I just divide the number of modules over 32 weeks.  For example, Physical Science has 15 modules.  I need to do two modules each month to complete all 15 before the end of May.  Middle School and High School modules have reading, study guides questions, experiments, and tests, all of which needs to fit into a two week window.  

3.  Do all of the experiments.  Write four lab reports for Middle or High School level courses.   Here is Apologia’s guide to writing a lab report.  If you are teaching from the Young Explorers series, create an observation sheet.  Just list observations in a composition notebook.  Make Fridays fundays  with experiments.  

4. The study guide questions typically align with the tests for Middle and High School Science courses.  Be sure to use the solutions guide to make corrections.  Use the guide to study for the test.  It’s fine to divide the test. If your child forgets a test question, restudy and correct the test.  Middle and High School students should take tests.

5.  Keep records.  I love Google Classroom.  I use it for grades.  You can use a spreadsheet to keep track of tests.  You can treat study guide questions and lab reports as part of the grade, too.  Take photos of tests, labs, and sample questions from each module.  Make a digital portfolio.  Here is a sample.  It will be invaluable when you create a transcript for your child at the end of high school.

Start with a textbook, solution guide, and set of tests.  Read the book.  Hoopla has Apologia audiobooks.  See if your library has a free subscription for Hoopla.  Try Khan Academy for help when you hit a bump.  Since this is the first time you are teaching with Apologia, don’t try to add a bells and whistles.  Make it your goal to complete the book.  Period.

Science Strategies: Lesson Overview

How do you create a plan?  Teachers in formal settings are required to create and submit their lesson plans.  When I did a bit of consulting, the program included 5E Lessons.  Here is a sample lesson I made with the 5E format.  I like the 5E format.  Do I use this construct in reality?  No.  Instead my lessons are organized with Google Classroom, slide presentations, and lists.  How do you shape a science lesson?

1. Start with an opener.  I like to use a demo, a discrepant event, or a lab to get the unit started.  This slide deck has some opening labs.  Class begins with a few instructions before the kids get to work.  Before I actually teach about density, precision, percent error, etc, the kids do a few labs.

2. Then we regroup.  I follow up with more instruction: More Module 1: Accuracy and More Module 1: Density.  Part of the instruction is to review the lab spreadsheets.  Frequently, the instruction is woven in with the lab discussion.  What is density, accuracy, precision, and percent error?  Do the kids understand the math?  This is a good time for a quick quiz to see if everyone understands.  Along with the labs, the kids work on their lab reports.  (It helps to sit next to a kid, read, and point out errors.)

3. Usually, I have a list for each module. Before I can create the list,  I use a Slide Presentation and try to add every activity with links into the slides.

I scan folders in Google Classroom, look over the notes, and assemble activities into a slide deck, such as Ionic Formulas.  (There are over 50 slides.  Some kids really struggle with naming.) I try to have models, graphics, POGILS, articles, simulations, etc.  I’m looking for hands-on resources to help the teens understand the material.  Believe me, I’m open to ideas.  Part of every module is review, study guides, and tests, too.  The schedule and dates are in Google Classroom.

4.  What is the real lesson?  It’s a list.  Yes, resources are organized in Classroom, including the slides, and lab links.  I need a check list to be sure I have covered all of the ideas, skills, and activities.  All of this process is distilled into one reminder, the lesson.  

Science Strategies: Make up Kits!

 Do you teach for a Co-op?  Are you teaching the same classes regularly?  Do you have favorite labs you know you’ll use again?  Make up kits!  In another life, I might have 40 kids in one class.  I needed a system.  The answer was to make kits.  For me, a kit has materials and instructions.  I use bins with equipment and lab instructions for larger classes.  Each group has a kit.  It saves so much class time!

There are some labs, activities, or projects we always do.  One example is the catapult kit.  I keep ping pong balls, craft sticks, spoons, and rubber bands in a box clearly marked catapults.   There is a bin with Hot Wheels track, launchers, and cars.  I make up kits for activities we use for class, outreach projects, or even Faith camps.  (Catapults are safer than slingshots when we teach David and Goliath.  It’s still fun to smack Goliath with a catapult shot.)

Labs, such as the Unknown White Powder Lab is a pain to set up.  I keep a kit and fill the little bottles as they are depleted.

Paper activities comprise kits, too.  I have stacks of envelopes with all the supplies.  I make extra sets of paper activities; some pieces inevitably go missing.  If a set is incomplete when the kids are doing the lab, say a concept map, I make another set or two on the spot.

Clay Brain continues…

 I want mid-sagittal brain images for clay models.  We’ll use the models to name the parts of the brain. BTW, the Prang clay works well; it shouldn’t be baked, however.