In my most recent middle school STEAM class, we were working on bridge building. There were some absences, so it was a small class, but here they are showing off their final products, just before testing commenced. I actually took this photo for the homeschool yearbook, so it’s particularly unfortunate that not everyone was present, … More Middle School STEAM: Straw Bridges
I’ve been poking around online looking for interesting projects involving data analysis, and I’ve come across some write ups of projects involving cemetery demography. There’s a lot of potential here – it’s an interesting intersection of ecology, medical science, and social studies. And, from a practical point of view, the appeal of a biology field … More Ecology, Data Analysis, and Pen Pals
My middle school STEAM class just completed the most dramatic phase of their paper chair project- building for strength. As you can see, it went well. Building and testing is exiting and extremely fun, but it has the potential to be chaotic. Emotions run high, there are dramatic structural failures, and startling successes. Less mature … More Middle School STEAM: Paper Chairs
These days, it’s common for kids to learn about coding and 3D printing. Don’t get me wrong – I’m glad kids are studying coding and printing. These are important subjects. However, I don’t think they should be the only exposure students get to technology during their educations. Unfortunately, hand-on exposure to physical technology is relatively … More Minimester Musings: Clocks and Motors
As I mentioned in my earlier post, I’ve become quite intrigued by the idea of the minimester recently. It’s a fascinating idea and I can’t help but think about minimester classes I’d like to offer. The title of the class I’m describing here is Writing and Illustrating Science Books for Children. I envision this project … More Minimester Musings: Writing and Illustrating Science Books for Children
When I’m teaching classes that are intended to prepare students for a regents or SAT subject test I like to give out a detailed syllabus at the beginning of the year. Although a syllabus is a lot of work to create, it is so helpful to students, parents, and myself that the effort is well … More High School Biology: Student Syllabus
This Labor Day Weekend, I went to the beach and flew a kite. I hadn’t flown a kite in years, and at first, I had quite a lot of trouble getting it aloft. Eventually, my friends and I realized that the kite was assembled improperly – a tiny plastic connector was backwards, causing the kite … More Labor Day Lesson Planning
I’m planning these lessons for a group of homeschoolers that I’ve worked with for years. They are sweet and responsible kids so I have the luxury of not worrying about the classes being derailed by inappropriate behaviors due to the mention of sex. I do, however, have to be careful about the sensibilities of their … More High School Biology: The Repoductive System
One of my favorite units for elementary school students is Motion and Design by STC. I took quite a few photos during the last lesson of the unit when I taught it last spring. I particularly like how the photos illustrate the collaborative nature of the work that the students did. This represents a major … More Elementary Physical Science: Building Vehicles and Teamwork
I first came across the idea of paper furniture well over 10 years ago. It was during my first year of teaching, and my school was visited by a team that specialized in bringing architecture into schools. They taught a lesson using similar principles to the ones used in the lessons described below. Unfortunately, I … More Middle School STEAM: Paper Chair Challenge
Ms. Mathisen's Science Class 