This week, we had lab on Zoom. We started lab by discussing the 5e model of science instruction. This reinforced my understanding that this model of instruction is composed of 5 phases: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. We worked in groups to discuss what each phase means and determined the students' and teachers' roles in each phase. I learned that the teacher often acts as the facilitator to guide conversation and student learning. We then also learned about biomes, ecosystems, habitats, and food chains. I learned that biomes are large areas that have similar climate conditions and dominant types of plants and animals. Ecosystems are a community of living and nonliving things that interact with each other in a specific environment. A habitat is a specific place where a particular community of species lives. Lastly, a food chain describes who eats whom.
I was able to relate much of this information to my prior knowledge. I appreciated reviewing the 5e model of instruction to strengthen my understanding. I also remember learning about biomes, ecosystems, habitats, and food chains throughout elementary school. We would do different experiments, creating our own food chains to demonstrate how food and energy move through the environment. We would also study different biomes and learn what makes up these ecosystems and the plants and animals that live there. This prior knowledge made it easier to connect with the new material and deepen my understanding of how these systems function together.
One question I have after this week is, what strategies can teachers use to help students understand the complexity of food webs beyond simple food chains?
Hi Carly,
ReplyDeleteI like how colorful your group's slides are, they make the learning more engaging and dun to look at. I think you had a great question, I would also like to know some strategies for helping students understand the complexity of food webs compared to food chains.
Hi Carly,
ReplyDeleteI also discussed in my post about the 5E model. More specifically, I talked about how well it ties in with the NGSS because both models promote students actively participating in class with hands-on activities. My wondering was similar to yours. Instead of questioning how to help students understand the food chain and the food web, I questioned how teachers should explain the differences between ecosystems and habitats effectively.
Hi Carly!
ReplyDeleteI think your slides are really engaging and keep things more fun to understand. I also wonder what strategies teachers can use for food webs. Great job!