Where Can I Find…?

Materials…materials…MATERIALS! I want my students to have more hands-on experiences. I want my students to have the opportunity to explore! I just don’t know where to get the materials. I think every science teacher has felt this way at some point in her/his career. Let’s face it. It can be difficult to find the right materials at the right time for the right price. Of course, like most problems we face, there are creative solutions to the materials dilemma.

Many of the materials needed for exciting scientific inquiry are readily available and, at times, free. When I begin my search for materials, I start by thinking about other businesses, individuals, or organizations that use the same materials and would be willing to donate some small portion to my classroom. For example, I use drinking straws in a lesson I do on sound. Many of the restaurants in my area are more than willing to donate a few dozen straws for my students. All I needed to do was ask! There are probably businesses near and around your school that would love to support your efforts in the classroom. They just need to know what you need.

Let’s say you do have funds to purchase materials for your classroom, but you don’t know where to find what you need. There are some creative options for locating materials. For example, I was recently approached by a teacher who wanted to purchase some worms for a lesson on ecosystems. She could purchase worms from a supplier who specializes in providing living organisms for science classrooms and laboratories. However, she might save some money and time by contacting her local Bait and Tackle Shop. After all, she doesn’t need high-end worms for her lesson. Fishing bait will do just fine! Pet shops also carry living organisms, such as meal worms, fish and crickets, which they sell as feeders for larger animals.

You can also found some great demonstration and hands-on materials at garage sales and discount retailers (e.g. dollar stores). I am often surprised at the treasures I find when I stop for a quick look. Of course, you can’t be too picky when shopping at these places. What you see is what you get! However, if you are looking for some oversized shirts to use as lab coats in your classroom, a Saturday morning venture to your local garage sale will usually do the trick.
Finally, there are a number of suppliers that do specialize in providing science materials to teachers. Here are a couple of the ones that I have used in the past:

• Carolina Biological - These folks carry a lot of great science materials. Specifically, you can purchase living organisms here. They also have some great free resources for teachers.
• Educational Innovations - You’ll find some really interesting things here (e.g. science toys). They also provide some ideas for teaching science in the classroom.
• Fisher Scientific - Fisher carries a lot of lab supplies. There products seem more appropriate for reseach laboratories. However, they do provide some materials for the elementary and secondary classroom.
• Learning Things, Inc - There are some really unique materials here. However, you can also pick up a lot of the basic lab materials (e.g. eye droppers and magnifying glasses).
• Steve Spangler Science - One of my favorite sites. In addition to the materials, the people at Steve Spangler also provide you with a lot of great ideas on how to effectively teach science using inquiry based methods. Check out Steve’s blog for some great ideas.

These are some of the many suppliers that are out there. Most of them will send you a free catalog if you ask. A number of them also offer free subscriptions to an electronic newsletter. You just have to sign up for it!

Here are some final things to keep in mind when it comes to science materials:

1. Compile a basic list of the supplies you use in your classroom. This will make it easier for you to keep stock of what you have and need. Furthermore, you will be able to quickly and easily tell businesses and other individuals that want to support you and your students exactly what you need.
2. Get help from your students. Some of the materials you use in your class can be collected in your students’ homes. For example, two liter soda bottles are always in high demand. There are probably some in your students’ garbage cans right now. Why not recycle?
3. Get help from parents. Remember the list I mention up above. I have known some teachers that send that list home to parents. They ask that parents donate one item (or more) off of the list to the classroom. This gives every parent the opportunity to support their children and the school.
4. Use materials wisely. Many teachers are finding ways to more effectively use the material they have. For instance, some teachers set up science learning centers around the classroom. Because students work in small groups at the centers, teachers can use few materials than they would if they attempted large group instruction.
5. Look for outside funding. Many teachers are discovering that they can purchase materials with funds from outside organizations. Of course, this method takes time, patience and practice! Most communities have businesses and organizations that want to support education. However, they want evidence that their money will be well spent if they decide to invest in your classroom.

I hope this helps with your search for materials. Remember, the solution to the materials dilemma is out there. It make take a little creative thinking and elbow grease, but there is definitely a way to find the materials you need to bring the world of science to your students!

These are my suggestions. Please feel free to share if you have others.

And Then There Were Eight…Planets, That Is

Forget what your third grade teacher told you. It is official, Pluto is no longer a planet. That’s right. There are now eight (not nine) planets in the solar system. On Thursday, August 24, 2006, astronomers attending the 26th General Assembly for the International Astronomical Union in Prague demoted Pluto from a planet to dwarf planet. The IAU has been the official naming body for astronomy since 1919.

Pluto was discovered in 1930 by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh. It was the first planet discovered by an astronomer form the United States. At the time of Tombaugh’s discovery the definition of the word planet was a bit less specific than it is now. The word planet comes from the Greek planetes which means wanderer (ancient astronomers observed lights wandering or moving across the night sky). Last year, however, a team of astronomers led by Mike Brown from the California Institute of Technology announced that they had detected a world larger than Pluto floating almost 10 billion miles from the sun (three times more distant than Pluto). This new celestial body, named UB313 and nicknamed “Xena” by discovery team, created the need to clearly define what is and is not a planet.

According to the IAU’s new definition, a planet is a celestial body that:

• Orbits the Sun
• Is big enough for its own gravity to compact it into a ball
• Has “cleared the neighborhood around its orbit,” meaning it is not surrounded by objects of similar size and characteristics.

Pluto fails to satisfy the last criterion, since, for about 20 years of its 248-year orbit, it crosses that of its neighbor Neptune. Instead of planets, Pluto, its moon, Ceres, and UB313 are defined as dwarf planets.
What does this mean for science education? Well, we will definitely have to toss out all of those mnemonics we used to help children memorize the planets (e.g. My Very Easy Method: Just Set Up Nine Planets). I am also guessing that textbook companies, planetariums, and science museums will be scrambling to correct any references to Pluto as a planet. However, I believe the IAU’s decision creates a wonderful opportunity to talk about the nature of science with our students. What does it mean to know something? Can scientists make mistakes? Can they be wrong? As children explore the world around them, it is important that they discover that what they know most likely change as they grow and learn.

Unfortunately, this is a lesson that many of our children find difficult to learn. In fact, I have worked with many students who live in absolute fear of ever being wrong. This fear ultimately limits their creativity and curiosity. The world of science provides children with a safe place to explore their mistakes and misconceptions. In fact, it is the search for the better explanation that makes science interesting and fun! As science teachers, the story of Pluto offers a great opportunity to remind our students of this very important idea.

You can read more about the IAU’s decision here.

Science in the Rockies

Last week, I had the privilege and pleasure to travel to Denver, Colorado to attend Science In The Rockies. For two and a half days, I and about 150 teachers from around the country, explored ways to make science exciting for our students. In the words of Steve Spangler:

This boot camp is for K-5 teachers who need creative science integration strategies... who are tired of trying to "squeeze" science into their already packed teaching schedule... and who want to make science even more fun and meaningful in their classroom.

I was interested in Science in the Rockies for a couple of reasons. First, I am always ready to learn new and interesting ways to teach science. I was familiar with Steve's work with 9News as well as the products he offers on his website (www.stevespanglerscience.com), so I was sure that I would leave with some great ideas. I wasn't disappointed. Not only did I get some great ideas, but I also left with about $300 worth of science supplies to use in my classes.

As a teacher of teachers, I also wanted to know how Steve and his team conducted a hands-on science workshop with 150 people. After all, I've heard teachers talk about the struggles they face when teaching science to 15 kids. In fact, I've repeatedly found myself overwhelmed by the screams of excitement from a group of enthusiastic elementary school children armed with homemade slime. Here's the great thing about Science In The Rockies: you are expected (even encouraged) to be completely and wholly thrilled by the science you experience! Not only that...you are expected to be noisy....and animated...and even messy. All of these things are considered to be a part of the experience of engaging in the active exploration of science! The key is to have a plan for managing the noise...animation...and mess. For example, at one point during the conference, Steve arranged a full scale potato gun battle between the conference participants. For about five minutes, we fired potato projectiles across the conference room. After the battle, Steve facilitated an effective clean up of the room. If I hadn't been a part of it, I would never have known the Spud War occurred.

I can't say enough great things about Science In Rockies. I would encourage every teacher to attend. I left with some great ideas and lots of wonderful materials. I also had the opportunity to meet and learn from some wonderful teachers from around the country. The experience was definitely one to be remembered. However, I must say that above everything else, I was most impressed with Steve Spangler himself. It was clear to me that he is, above all else, a science enthusiast with a genuine belief in the power and potential of amazing teachers.