Stimulating Science Simulations

You may think this post will be about optimal learning and/or teaching conditions. If so, think again. I am geeking out in this post to share an activity my 5th grade students have been working on with conditional formatting in Google Sheets.  Full disclosure: Before I started my teaching career, I spent several years programming databases and I LOVED IT! (most of the time) Recently, my students and I have come across various activities and puzzles in Digital Breakouts that relied on a variety of conditional formatting and functions. The students were intrigued and I was pretty sure my database background would reveal the "magic" going on behind the scenes. After a little digging, I was able to figure out the process digital breakout creators were using and began developing ideas for helping my students learn the process too. We have been working on learning to solve the Rubik's cube. We've also been creating mosaic designs that can be created with the cubes. I...

It has certainly been a while since I shared on the topic of a Family STEM Night. This week we hosted a really great evening for families to engage in high energy STEM activities. Perhaps some of the energy came from the vertical alignment centered on NC Science Standards of Force and Motion.  Everywhere you turned there were objects in motion and families caught up in conversation with each other and the teachers. This post will be short and sweet. I am including some photos and captions along with some of the tweets from the evening. Perhaps readers will find some inspiration or an idea at just the right time. As the night progressed, I worked intentionally to #hashtagwithpurpose so that all the great ideas would become part of the bigger community of educators cataloging the NC Science Standards. Take a look at all the great learning! Then join the conversation on Twitter. Search #hashtag180  on Twitter or click the link for more info.  Check out @KyleHamstra on Twi...

NC Science Essential Standard 4.E.2.3  Give examples of how the surface of the earth changes due to slow processes such as erosion and weathering, and rapid processes such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. Open any science book and you'll find plenty of ideas for modeling erosion and weathering.  One of my favorite things to do is take students outside after a heavy rain and look for signs of erosion, weathering, and deposition. But, none of this makes the STEM and career connections I want to afford my students.     I specifically wanted to stay away from the typical, "let's make a volcano" that isn't really a volcano but more of a chemical reaction (vinegar/baking soda) experiment.  So I went looking for something specifically geared toward an interactive simulation of an earthquake. I found just what I was looking for (and then some) at Teach Engineering . I have a feeling I will be referencing this website a LOT!  They have ton...