Assignment+5

=Assignment 5 - Selection of New Materials =

Part 1: Order List
The first step in creating my order list was to read through blogs, literacy award lists, and review sites to find quality resources related to the Science 10 curriculum. Using the recommendations, I used the websites of six learning resource vendors (Follett, Kidsbooks, ULS, Black Bond, Chapters/Indigo, and Saunders) plus the suggested  list to find the lowest prices for items on my wishlist.



Part 2: Digital Resource List
1. [|PhET] interactive simulations
 * The simulations on the PhET website are free to use, are compatible with the computer software used at our school, and cover multiple areas of the Science 10 curriculum (natural selection, atomic models, chemical equations, and motion). They provide a fun and interactive way for students to experience concepts "hands-on" that are difficult to teach in a classroom or laboratory setting.
 * Screen shots from two of the simulations ("Balancing Chemical Equations" and "Moving Man") are shown below. The first allows students to practice balancing equations in a timed game with multiple difficulty levels. The second is used to explore the position, velocity, and acceleration of an object in motion:





2. [|Gizmos] online simulations
 * Our school district currently has a two-year subscription to use Gizmos online simulations which, similar to the PhET sims, provide a highly visual and interactive tool for teaching concepts of the course. The Gizmos sims are accompanied by student worksheets, which help them focus on what's important and offer step-by-step instructions on how to run the simulation.
 * The screen shot below is from a food chain simulation, with the description tab open:



3. [|USGS] education
 * The US Geological Survey website is a reputable source for information on climate, plate tectonics, and ecology where students can find up-to-date resources for general interest or class research projects. Through their education page, students can search for high quality maps, images, videos, animations, lectures, and articles, as well as connect directly with scientists to ask questions.
 * The image below comes from the USGS multimedia gallery and shows the damage caused by a landslide in California



4. [|National Geographic]
 * Students are able to access photos, games, movies, and video clips, as well as accessing homework helpers like a map-making program, encyclopedia, and online library. The website also offers support to teachers, with ideas, activities, and full lesson plans.
 * The screen shot below is from a video explaining to teachers how to use the MapMaker program to support a lesson on plate tectonics:



5. [|TED talks]
 * Teachers can put together lists of recommended talks and lectures, related to course content, for students to view. The talks are given by experts and innovators in their field, and often demonstrate how scientific principles can be applied to real-world problems. Students can be asked to make connections between the talk and the course content, or use the talks as inspiration for generating a research question, problem solving activity, or science experiment.
 * The talk below combines concepts of motion and humans impacting ecosystems as the speaker explains an invention for cleaning oil spills:

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6. [|LearnNowBC]
 * The LearnNowBC website is free to all students in British Columbia and is an amazing resource for a number of courses, including Science 10. Students can get real-time online tutoring in the the evenings, access practice tests, create personalized study guides, and access learning resources such as books, videos, games, and course materials. It is especially helpful in preparing for the Provincial Exam at the end of the course.
 * The screen shot below is from a practice test on chemical reactions:



 7. [|mindmeister]
 * mindmeister is one of several web tools that students can use to generate mind maps or concept maps. It allows students to work alone or collaborate with a group to prepare a map which can include text, photos, diagrams, and links. Maps can be used to study or review as a group (for example, one student posts a question, other students connect answers or ideas), as a product for a research assignment, or to organize notes graphically.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The map below is a simple example, created through the site and publicly available for viewing, about photosynthesis:



<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 8. [|Panoramio]
 * Panoramio uses Google mapping in combination with uploaded photos to show what the world looks like. This would be a fantastic resource for students to learn about biomes of the world and of Canada. Zooming in on a particular region gives access to photos taken in that area. Students can see the features and landscapes through pictures and can generate their own description of the appearance of the biome.
 * The screen shot below is from a map of Northern Canada, with a photo of the Anderson River in Nunavut:



<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 9. [|Chemistry Formula Practice Lite] (app)
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chemistry Formula Practice Lite is a free app available on the iPad and iPhone that allows students to practice writing names and formulae of different types of chemical compounds. This is one of the fundamental skills in the chemistry unit and is an essential first step in mastering the rest of the unit's content. The app can be used to study for tests or quizzes, or to check their answers when practicing chemical formulae in the classroom.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 10.[|Mobile Science - Acceleration] (app)
 * The Mobile Science Acceleration app is also free and available on the iPhone and iPad. It records and plots the motion (position, velocity, and acceleration) of the person holding the device when the app is running. It allows students to design and conduct their own motion experiments without being bound to classroom equipment, such as probe software.