Introducing the Science Discovery Squad

The Science Education Partnership has provided students with Science hands-on learning experiences through the Science Kits and the Adopt a Scientist program for over 20 years.



The creativity and innovation of the volunteer Scientists have broadened the scope of the Adopt a Scientist from classroom visits to include bridge building, agricultural science and coding. With so many learning opportunities available, it was time for a refresh.

The creation of the “Science Discovery Squad ” allows the reorganization all of the SEP volunteer elements into one volunteer program with the cohesive purpose of connecting community with classrooms!

Teachers can invite the Science Discovery Squad into their classroom where students can participate in hands-on science experiences and experiments. There are four divisions.

The SCIENCE Division:

Sixteen different hands-on, curriculum-linked demonstrations. From Gr. 2 Simple Machines to Gr. 8 Fluids and many more topics in-between. Sessions are ongoing throughout the school year. (Those familiar with the Adopt A Scientist program will be glad to see these very popular classroom visits continue!)

The BRIDGE BUILDING Division:

To celebrate National Engineering Month and learn about structures, Grade 5 students build bridges using wood craft sticks and hot glue to a given set of specifications. The strongest bridges from each class face off in a final competition held annually in the early spring of each year.

The AGRICULTURE Division:

Who better to talk to students about where their food comes from than the people that produce it? Some volunteers make visits throughout the year and others concentrate their volunteer efforts to help celebrate Canada Agriculture Day in February each year.

The CODING Division:

This is a brand new learning opportunity in the pilot stages. Volunteers provide an introductory computer programming experience with and without the computer.

These are unique learning experiences. Our science volunteers lead students through hands-on activities that teachers would not likely tackle on their own, often using equipment and demonstration materials the volunteers have created themselves. Not too many schools have a life-sized trebuchet or hovercraft that will lift a student in their science storage cupboard!

Activities are curriculum-linked, but slightly outside the box in the sense that they go above and beyond the textbook. The emphasis woven into all volunteer demonstrations is always“hands-on, minds-on”, where students learn science by doing science!

If you are interested in booking a Science Kit or arranging for a visit from a Science Discovery Squad volunteer, please contact Wendy at the Science Education Partnership.

Wendy Hooghiem, Science Centre Technician

(E) Wendy.Hooghiem@lkdsb.net
(F) 519-336-1500 ext. 31580
Web: www.lkdsb.net

(Click on “Elementary” and then choose “Science Education Partnership” from the left side menu.)

Twitter: @SEPSciCen

Math Activity to Teach Up/Down Over 10: Handful of Dice

Math Game for Addition & Subtraction: Handful of Dice

Math Strategy: Up/Down over 10
Math Strand: Number Sense and Numeration

Overview:
This game has many extensions and adaptations to suit your students' needs. With making pairs of 10, there are limited choices which let them focus on that amount. Then, by changing the number it allows students to practice decomposing other numbers of varying amounts. You can also change the amount of dice being used for each number. For example, you could choose the number 15 and have students use 2,3 or 4 dice to decompose it into. This is an excellent activity to support part-whole understanding. It also requires very little materials and could be played with 2-4 players.

* It could also be adapted for multiplication by giving a larger number, such as 24 and asking students to find pairs of numbers that when multiplied = 24.


How this activity supports learning:
This game helps students understand that a number can be decomposed into smaller numbers. For example, to add 7 + 5, a child may use the up over 10 strategy and take 3 from the 5 and add it to the 7 to make 10, plus the remaining 2 = 12.



Composing and decomposing small sets of objects can allow young students to see the whole group as well as the subsets that created the whole

Students need a strong understanding of part-whole relationships in order to use mental mathematics strategies to add, subtract, multiply and divide.

Students who are able to fluently decompose quantities and then compose quantities are able to adapt their calculations to different sets of numbers.


Where to next?
If a student is having difficulty decomposing, reduce the quantity of objects the student is using. Students may also benefit from having physical tools they can refer to, such as snap cubes or counters. For example, if the student is decomposing 5, have the, demonstrate the two parts with a 2 and 3 then take another 5 blocks and do it again with different numbers. You can ask if they are able to decompose it into other parts, such as 3 or 4.

If a student is fluent and confident with decomposing, move towards using larger numbers and having students explain their proof, “How do you know you have found all the ways to decompose this number?”

You can also focus on the next strategies, which would be splitting, where numbers are split into their place value to make them easier to add or subtract.

Math Activity to Teach Counting On: Piggy Bank Wars

Math Game: Piggy Bank Wars

Strand: Number Sense and Numeration, Addition
Math Strategy: Counting On

Video French:

Video English: 

Materials: 
• 1 deck of cards with 10, J, Q and K removed
• counters
• 2 cups
• 2 players

Overview: 
In this twist on the classic War game, students work to find the difference in value between the two cards that are drawn. They are deepening their understanding of the part whole relationship and developing the counting on strategy, as they count on of from the lower card until they reach the value of the higher card. Students use counters to represent the difference.
How this Supports Student Learning: 
Students are able to practice the counting on strategy in this game. Through this activity they construct their understanding of part whole relationships as they recognize the higher value card being the “whole”, the lower card being one “part” and the difference being another “part”. This game supports students in moving from counting all, or counting backwards into counting on.

Reflection & Consolidation
Which questions might you ask students to help connect their learning and consolidate their understanding?

Where to next?
For students that require more practice to master the counting on strategy activities like Salute, Riddles with Tiles and Dots and Number Dice provide excellent opportunities to strengthen this strategy. Once the student has mastered this strategy they are ready to begin playing games that promote the use of the 5 and 10 anchor, like Go Fish to Ten, Steal the Bundle and Make 10 Concentration.

Math Activity to Teach Skip Counting: Circles and Stars

Math Game:  Circles and Stars

Math Strand:  Number Sense and Numeration
Math Strategy:  Skip Counting

English video:

Video french:



Materials:  One die, whiteboard and whiteboard marker
                  (Extension: colour tiles)

Overview:
This game is very engaging for students and helps to prepare students to move from using repeated addition to using grouping of numbers when modeling arrays when solving multiplication problems. After completing this lesson you would then begin a lesson using arrays for equal groups.

On each turn, students roll a 1–6 number cube to find out how many circles to draw and then roll the cube again to find out how many stars to draw in each circle. For example, for a first roll of 4 and a second roll of 3, the student would draw this:

How this activity supports student learning?
Playing Circles and Stars helps students understand that multiplication
can be thought of as combining equal groups and is, therefore, related to addition when the same number is added multiple times. From playing, students become familiar with multiplying numbers from 1X1 to 6X6.
As an extension, you could use try using an 8 sided die.

After students know how to play the game, they learn to represent each
of their turns with addition and multiplication equations. This helps them connect the standard symbols to their experience and also strengthens the connection between addition and multiplication.

Where to next?
In the Alex Lawson text, What To Look For there are several other games that can be played to support unitizing, such as:
- How Long? How Many?, which uses Cuisenaire rods
- Skip Counting Race
- Target 75
- Multiplication Challenge

These can all be found on page 185-189.


Share your classroom experiences with us on Instagram and Twitter at @LKelempro #EngageLK!

Math Activity to Teach Using Familiar Facts: Quiz Quiz Trade

Math Game: Quiz Quiz Trade

Strand: Number Sense Numeration multiplication
Math Strategy: Using Familiar Facts

Materials: variety of Arrays cards, corresponding multiplication fact cards

Overview:
During this activity, each student has a different card. Each card shows a different array on one side and the corresponding multiplication fact on the back. Student will ‘mill about the room’ finding another student to Quiz, by showing them their array picture and having the opponent say the multiplication fact on the back. Then the other student will Quiz (show) his/her array and have their opponent say the multiplication fact. Before finding another opponent, the two students trade their cards and move on.  The activity ends when students have had a chance to subitizing a few different arrays and time is up.

How this supports students learning: 
This activity supports students developing a conceptual understanding of math facts by giving them the opportunity to represent multiplication facts pictorially. Using models,  students can use various objects and materials that will help them make sense of operations such as array formations.

“Arrays are powerful models for representing multiplication, division, and area. Many objects in real life can be arranged in arrays, and such arrays provide visual, concrete contexts for multiplication and division. The construction and understanding of an array as a model is an important concept for students to develop over time and with experience.” (GEIM., vol.5 pg. 35)


Where to next: once students have mastered arrays, they will be able to break multi-digit factors into smaller parts for easier solutions such as; 14 x 9 = 4 x 9 + 10 x 9. The student can further their understanding of breaking arrays into smaller factors by using base ten blocks to represent larger numbers and breaking them into smaller factors.

Math Activity to Teach Up and Over 10: Making 10 & Keep the Change

Math Game: Making 10 & Keep the Change 

Strand: Number Sense & Numeration
Strategy: Up Over 10



Adapted from the updated e-text by Alex Lawson, ‘What to Look For’

Materials:

• A deck of cards (Only use the 5, 6, 7, 8, & 9s) 
• Counters 

Overview:
The goal is to be the player with the most ‘change’ at the end of the game. With 2 or more players, split a deck of cards made up of the numbers 5-9. On each players turn, the player flips over 2 cards. They keep one number whole and decompose the other to make a ten with the number that was kept whole. The remaining amount is ‘change’. The change is the player’s points for that round. Students then take counters for that amount. This helps the students keep track of their score.



How This Supports Student Learning:
This game will help solidify the Anchors of 10 and the Up Over 10 strategies. By decomposing one number to create a ten students’ will increase their flexibility with numbers and strengthen their understanding of the part-whole relationship between numbers. As well, the Up Over 10 strategy is a precursor to grasping ‘carrying’ that happens in the standard algorithm for addition.



Where to Next:
When students are ready to extend this strategy, make the values of the cards drawn worth ten times the amount, as seen in the video. This will help them use the strategy with bigger numbers.



If your students are grasping the Up Over 10 strategy, encourage them to transfer the skill to Up Over other decade numbers. For example,

27 + 8

=27 + 3 + 5

= 30 + 5

= 35



Want a home extension?
Send this link home with students and ask them to play Break Apart!

https://gregtangmath.com/games

More on Land Acknowledgements

A territorial or land acknowledgment is an act of reconciliation that involves making a statement recognizing the traditional territory of the Indigenous people who called the land home before the arrival of settlers, and in many cases, still, do call it home.

Over the past few months, many conversations have arisen on social media and in the news around the land acknowledgments that are given in schools and other public places. How can we make sure that the acknowledgments are a meaningful practice rather than just a token gesture?

I see the land acknowledgment as a recurring opportunity to learn. As teachers, we can act on this learning opportunity and help to fulfill education’s responsibilities outlined in the TRC calls to action. You can read all 94 calls to action HERE.

I always encourage teachers to use the land acknowledgment that is recited each day in our schools as a learning tool or a conversation starter. Students and teachers and the rest of the school community should understand why we say them.

If you’re wondering why we say Land Acknowledgements in our schools please refer back to my blog post from November. You can find it here: Why the Land Acknowledgement is Important


Where to next?

Jen Gilpin, a teacher at PE McGibbon has created land acknowledgement videos that include the treaty area where her school is located. She has made sure to include visuals that are relevant and meaningful to the land and the people of Treaty 29 (Also known as the Huron Tract). These videos are played daily as part of PE McGibbon’s announcements, prior to signing O Canada. They can spark conversations in Social Studies around mapping, treaties and the history of the areas in which we live. Please feel free to use these videos in your classroom or your school.

Sarnia Area and North Lambton Area schools are within the Treaty 29 area. I am inviting teachers and their classes to create their own videos for the treaty area in which their school is found. Please share these videos with me (gretchen.sands-gamble@lkdsb.com) or tag me on Twitter @msgambleLKDSB) so I can share them with other teachers who may be interested in using them!

You may be asking, “In which treaty area can my school be found?” I’m glad you asked!

Teachers can use the map at https://native-land.ca/ to find out more about the area in which their school is located.

You can also use this interactive map in your classroom! Show your students the map found at https://native-land.ca/ You can change what is displayed by choosing language, territories, and treaties. Show them where their school is located. Ask your students what they notice about where the lines are drawn on the map.



(from https://native-land.ca/)

CBC Unreserved recently aired a podcast called “Redrawing the Lines” You can find the episode here: CBC Unreserved: Redrawing the Lines

This is a great episode that talks about land, land acknowledgments and maps.

Sharing podcasts created by Indigenous people is a great way to share Indigenous perspectives with your students.

I highly recommend Unreserved as a podcast for deepening your own (teacher) understanding of many issues that are important to Indigenous people. With each episode, some really great stories are shared and the conversations often provide views from multiple perspectives along with an opportunity to learn. In fact, there is a recent episode all about integrating Indigenous content into classrooms. It can be found here: CBC Unreserved Indigenous Education Episode

It is important for all students and teachers to understand that hundreds of years before today, the land looked very different. The places we call our schools, our homes, our recreation areas, our business/economic areas, and our natural resource areas have been impacted by treaties.

School communities should understand that the treaties with the Indigenous people who called this land their traditional territory have allowed the landscape and who inhabits this land to change drastically. This might be a conversation that is difficult or messy, but it is a conversation that needs to be had in order for our students to truly understand Canada and its history.