Mana Seekers

 Mana Seekers-What is Science Rotation Lab

Mana Seekers starts with an introduction rotation lab in which students do six different science activities in order to learn Science Standard 1, having the skills necessary in order to create experiments to understand the natural world. Science doesn't have just one way of doing science, there are many. Some ways science is done is to build models, solve problems, and make logical comparisons. We will look at the scientific method as the main way science is done. In order to learns the steps we have different activities.

Activity 1-I can make observations over an extended period of time.

We are making a moon journal to record our scientific observations on one side of the journal page, and our emotional observations on the blank side of the page. I will grade your scientific observations, and you will grade your reflections that you wrote on the blank side of the journal page. We will use this rubric. Click here to see it so you know what you need to observe. We will follow the moon for 28 days, to see how it changes. In this lab activity, we write three observations of the current phase of the moon, using the prompt "I see."

Then we use our eyes as a camera and look at the phase of the moon and then draw it on our journal page. Look at the moon, look at and draw on our journal page. What we see needs to be carefully drawn by looking at the moon, and then our page. That's how careful observations are done.

If we miss a night or cannot see what it looks like there is a resource page where you can see each phase, the Hawaiian name, and the reason certain activities are done during that phase.

Below is an exceptional journal that a student created. It had drawings and reflections on every page for every night of the moon.

Activity 2-Sing the Scientific Method!

There is a song called 'The Scientific Method' that we use to learn the different parts of the steps for doing science.

Here is a copy of the lyrics that we sing.

Activity 3- Switcheroo

The song mentions seven different steps that scientists use to solve problems. Mrs. Prevenas has made a game that has students putting the steps of the problem in a logical order and then asking what step goes before or after. It's a great way to understand the steps, and it's fun because you get to stand up and move around. We are learning hand signals that go along with each of the steps too. Just another way to learn :)

Activity 4-Vocabulary Search Using the Electronic Thesaurus

In order to really learn the different steps of the scientific method, you also have to know the language. Science words are like a foreign language! To make it more fun, Mrs. Prevenas has added words that have two meanings, one scientific and the other, well different. We used a blank word document and typed in our vocabulary words. Then we highlighted the words and asked the Thesaurus for a similar word. It helps to know of words that mean the same thing, only they aren't so odd or confusing. Mrs. P has put short definitions of all the words here, jsut in case you get stumped, and need a little help. There are 22 Vocabulary words for this unit.

Science-Study

Helio-the Sun

Energy-the ability to make something happen

Transformed-change into something else

Question-a problem to ask, to inquire

Research-study, explore

Hypothesis-a guess based on what you know

Experiment-a test, a trial

Data-information, numbers

Analyze- compare, scrutinize using data

Conclusion- finish, closing stages

Measure- amount

Revise-change, correct, improve

Electromagnetic Spectrum- band, variety, range of energy

Dependent- reliant, need

Independent- free, on your own

Variable-change, flexible

Qualitative- a feature or trait you observe

Quantitative- can be measured and represented with numbers

Metric-measuring units

Reflection-likeness, sign, signal, consider, thought

Activity 5- Word Search

There is a wonderful website that helps you make all kinds of cool word puzzles. It's called puzzlemaker. Every unit we learn vocabulary and use the word search puzzles to help us become more familiar with the new words. Check it out for yourself! I put the 22 words in a word search and got the activity that is assigned at this station.

http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/

Activity 6- Reading the textbook to find important information