Lab Teaching Assessment Review

For my teaching assessment review I ran the labs associated with my minerals and rock unit.  The lab was to introduce students on how minerals develop.  In groups of two I gave students cups, water, epsom salt, string, metal washers and popsicle sticks for stirring.  They added the salts to the water in the cups and then placed all of the remaining materials in the cups and placed the cups above the class so that we could watch our minerals grow and develop.  The students then began a simulated lab on minerals.  The students were directed to follow the following link: http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/science/virtual_labs/ES03/ES03.swf.  This lab simulated minerals in the classroom so that students could use various tools and independently run 15 different lab tests on various minerals.  Students were then required to answer a series of 5 questions about their last set of minerals and how they could identify the minerals using the various online tools.  Students were allowed to work as partners on the minerals lab as well.  

The use of these two labs fully integrated the information in the unit about classification and identification of minerals and minerals in rocks.  The students were fully engaged and enjoyed the both hands on lab as well as the simulated lab.  The students are looking forward to seeing their minerals begin to grow.

The following photos are from my class both during and after the minerals hands on lab: 

On the same day that earth science was doing minerals, my physics kids were building catapults to go along with their unit on energy/simple machines and a review of momentum.

The day prior to the labs, I gave the students a 10 minute verbal quiz about the characteristics required to make something a mineral.  I asked the students to name the four qualities that every mineral must have.  Most students were able to quickly name the four requirements: 

1) naturally occurring 

2) an inorganic solid 

3) have a definite chemical composition and 

4) a specific crystalline structure.

Because these four qualities had been incorporated into their interactive notebook and discussed ad nauseum with them in the lecture and power point opening to the unit.  I enjoy minerals and rock development, but sometimes you can only say the same thing so many times per day before it get to you.

I was surprised how much the kids enjoyed the simulated lab.  I thought that they might have found it some what juvenile, but they actually enjoyed it immensely.  They liked that they could relate minerals and technology.  The lab also incorporated videos that gave small supplemental enrichment of information on individual mineral development and uses.  The videos related the minerals to everyday materials used in a students life (ie copper, silver, quartz, gypsum, and halite).  Most of the students didn’t want to have to watch the short videos at first, but once they watched a couple then they wanted to see all of the videos on the minerals.

I enjoyed teaching this lab and giving the kids both hands on and simulated approaches to their mineral unit.  I learned that sometimes they just need to be coaxed into trying new things, even if I think they seem juvenile.  I would change the use of the simulated lab to an independent lab separate from the hands on lab.  I would use the hands on lab to break up and run through the qualities of minerals more practical and relevant.

In unison with the simulated lab students were required to answer several questions about the minerals that they tested.  My students were able to accurately test and chose which mineral was being tested 80% of the time.  Several students achieved 100% recognition of the minerals in the lab.  I hated not having additional time to expand the mineral lab to a hands on scratch and chemical test of the minerals.  I think that would have been the connection that sealed the deal with some students.  

I really enjoy any hands on lab or field trip where I can engage students in the real world application of knowing what kinds of minerals are in their small little part of the world.  Many students asked if it would be possible to dig up some rocks and minerals on school property so that we could test “real” stuff.  I think the fact that they were interested in such a lab means that they are connecting with the material and assimilating the information into their performance of understanding.