Motivation

Motivation occurs when students are self engaged to participate in Science.
Science is a core academic area where you can employ many student learning modalities. These learning modalities include visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic. Students vary in their ability to learn through the various modalities so the more used in a lesson the better the outcome. Hands-on activities allows for tactile and kinesthetic learning to be more easily added to the standard learning methods of visual and auditory learning. Students are naturally curious and wish to explore. Combining this natural curiosity with hands-on activities is a winning combination.

Though education is process orientated, students are product oriented in that they want to create a product they feel is worthwhile to share with others. End of Subject Mastery Products (ESMP) will motivate students to stay on task and thus not waste instruction time. If students waste time and fail to learn the content to an acceptable level than ESMP time will we used for reteaching.

Motivation

 * Try to make the lessons interesting/engaging that involve higher order thinking from Bloom's Taxonomy.
 * I also try for there to be an end product that the students can keep and use as a focus to demonstrate their understanding to others.

Products to Motivate and Focus

 * [[image:fossil.JPG width="563" height="335"]] || ===Fossil Model===

Students compact PlayDoh with a dinosaur skeleton in a prepared milk carton to make a mold. The dinosaur is removed and plaster is poured in to cement together. When hard, the model is inverted and the bottom of the milk carton is removed. The student then "excavate" the PlayDoh to find the plaster dinosaur fossil model. Each student gets to keep his/her plaster fossil model.

Compacting and Cementing is the process by which sediments combine to form Sedimentary Rock. Fossils are the impressions or once-living things preserved in Sedimentary Rock. ||
 * [[image:IMG_0624.JPG width="560" height="421"]] || ===Rock Identification===

Students receive rock samples with numbers only (no names) to identify. Students use an ID sheet with the aide of a hand lens to observe the rock's properties and characteristics. Students determine whether the rock has:


 * Crystals/no crystals;
 * Large crystals/small crystals;
 * Layers/no layers;
 * Hard/Soft;
 * and Smooth/Rough;

to determine the Rock's Family (Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic) and the specific name of the rock sample.

Student can then find rocks from home and have the class poll the rock family it belongs to and it's name using the rock's properties and characteristics. This method is not 100 percent accurate but allows the students to have a rock model they can keep without taking my purchased models. ||
 * [[image:IMG_0207.JPG width="564" height="422"]] || ===Simple Straw Air Rockets===

Individual students designed rockets to determine the characteristics necessary to use in the design of larger team air rockets. All rockets receive same amount of stored energy from a pressurized chamber to be converted into energy of motion in the rocket. The best rockets are the ones that travel the farthest and longest.

Rocket variables determined include:


 * 1) Weight of Rocket
 * 2) Rocket Length
 * 3) Fin Length
 * 4) Fin Thickness
 * 5) Friction
 * 6) Drag ||

Bloom's Taxonomy
Locate Sort Distinguish Listen Give example Group Reproduce Quote Repeat Label Recall Know Read Outline Write Choose Recite Review Record Match Select Underline Cite || What happened after...? How many...? Who was it that....? Can you name the.....? Describe what happened at....? Who spoke to ....? Find the meaning of ......? What is ....? Which is true or false....? Where is ..... ? When did ..... happen? Who is .....? || Discuss Retell Research Annotate Translate Describe Report Recognize Review Observe Outline Account for Interpret Estimate Give main idea Paraphrase Define Give examples of Reorganize Associate || Can you write in your own words...? Can you write a brief outline....? What do you think could of happened next....? Who do you think.....? What was the main idea.....? Who was the key character....? Can you distinguish between ....? What differences exist between.....? Can you provide an example of what you mean....? Which is the best answer? Which comes first ..... or ........ ? || Exhibit Illustrate Calculate Interpret Make Practice Apply Operate Interview Paint Change Show Compute Sequence Solve Collect Demonstrate Dramatize Construct Use Adapt Draw || Do you know another instance where...? Could this have happened in ...? Can you group by characteristics such as ....? What factors would you change if....? Can you apply the method used to some experience of your own....? What questions would you ask if.....? From the information given, can you develop a set of instructions about....? Would this information be useful if you had a ....? How can you use.....? || Appraise Experiment Inspect Examine Probe Separate Inquire Arrange Investigate Sift Research Calculate Criticize Compare Contrast Survey Detect Group Order Sequence Test Debate Analyze Diagram Relate Dissect Categorize Discriminate || Which evens could have happened...? How was this similar to....? What was the underlying theme of...? What do you see as other possible outcomes? Why did ... changes occur. Can you compare your .... with that presented in....? Can yo explain what must have happened when...? What are some of the problems of....? Can you distinguish between....? What were some of the motives behind....? What was the turning point in the game? What was the problem with....? What are the parts or features of....? What evidence can you find to....? || Assess Score Revise Infer Determine Prioritize Tell why Compare Evaluate Defend Select Measure Choose Conclude Deduce Debate Justify Recommend Discriminate Appraise Value Probe Argue Decide Criticize Rank Reject || Why do you think...? Do you agree....? What is your opinion of....? Prove/disprove that..... is better than ....? Prioritize....? Assess the value or importance of....? Would it be better if....? Do you agree....? || Invent Compile Forecast Devise Propose Construct Plan Prepare Develop Originate Imagine Generate Formulate Improve Act Predict Produce Blend Set up Devise Concoct Compile || Can you design a.... to....? Why not compose a song about....? Can you create new and unusual uses for....? Can you write a new recipe for a tasty dish? Can you see a possible solution to....? If you had access to all the resources how would you deal with.....? Why don't you devise your own way to deal with....? What would happen if......? How many ways can you.....? What would happen if.....? How many ways can you.....? Can you develop a proposal which would......? How can we solve....? If you had ....., how would you....? How can we improve....? What will happen if....? What is another way...? ||
 * = ===Level=== ||= ===Task Words=== ||= ===Question Stems.=== ||
 * 1.Remembering || List Memorize Relate Show
 * 2.Understanding || Restate Identify
 * 3.Applying || Translate Manipulate
 * 4.Analyzing || Distinguish Question
 * 5.Evaluating || Judge Rate Validate Predict
 * 6.Creating || Compose Assemble Organize