Want To Review Earth Science?

                  Hello everyone! I would like to say this experience blogging has been an eye-opening one into the cyber world that I had previously been unacquainted with before. I enjoyed the process because it gave me a new perspective and insight from something I believe that can have many positive benefits from. As the semester to Queens College comes to a close and review begins for the New York State Earth Science Regents in June I put together come review on concepts and understandings these students will be tested on.  Below is the link you can click if you would like to review your skills of analyzing and interpreting the Earth Science Reference Table:

Scavenger Hunt!

As always I believe being good in your craft is always pushing yourself to improve your skill. I would really appreciate if you can give me any feedback as I am a first year teacher with a long career ahead of me. 

How Can Students Apply Scientific Terms To Their Own Lives?

   

Hello everyone! This week I would like to post a lab that many of my students took to very well and were able to make connections into their own lives. This particular lab was about permeability and porosity. If you do not remember from your high school years or have not taken this course before, porosity the amount of open pore space in between each sediment and permeability is the ability for water in pass by each sediment. The larger the sediments, the greater the permeability and porosity you are gong to have. The previous blog that I posted had lessons that introduced students to these concepts and had practice thinking about where this occurs and how they can tell the difference. 

Below I have a link that will show you the lab that students completed. Would you be able to answer the summation questions at the end? Follow each procedure correctly? Have an idea of what your doing or what you are trying to see?  Many scholars that I teach come to school with issues you would not believe or can not believe.  Their reality compared to what many other people around the world have are less than ideal but their responses surprised me so much with their insight and overall understanding of this subject matter that I almost cried. Take a look at the lab and let me know if you could distinguish between permeability and porosity. 

Permeability and Porosity Lab

To Teach Water Or Not To Teach Water?

       

                 


              Hello everyone! By now I hope you have realized I am passionate and get excited when I talk about water and my hometown. During my first year as a 10th grade Earth Science teacher in the South Bronx I have spent a lot of time trying to make lessons relevant to the student body and promote critical thinking. Below I have worked many hours to make an objective on water that will open the students mind to the world around them. Please give me feedback on what you think is good, not good and ways I can change to enhance it. Thank you in advance!

Check out my Water Unit

Do Good, Feel Good!

Hello everyone! Every single person living in the coastal areas of the east coast of America knows that it has only been six in half months since Superstorm Sandy hit their homes and businesses. As many people around the world who were not affected by this natural disaster personally have no idea what families are still going through over here-in particular my hometown of Long Beach, NY. So many of my friends and all my family that have lived a very modest and laid back lifestyle are now facing struggles and challenges they never thought they would go through in their entire lives; most are still without homes, necessities and comforts they were used to. But because 'Strong Beach' has a resilient and determined population they are unwilling to pack up and leave the best little beach-town secret that is only 1/2 hour away from the biggest city in the world. One way people are coming together to get back their city they once shared is a project called Pay It Forward. In a nutshell they rebuild lives around the world. This is their mission:

"Our Project has been established to assist in rebuilding the lives, self worth, and the spirit of individuals living in developing nations.  The donations collected from our fundraising efforts will personally be delivered to the neediest individuals, families and organizations.

The money will be put to use in the most economical, culturally appropriate and advantageous way for the recipients, whether it is to help them with their health, livelihoods or education.  The intention being for the recipients to in turn establish and implement grass root programs with the aim of developing self sufficiency(http://www.payitforwardproject.org/page2.html)."

So far every weekend to every other weekend, residents and their children, nephews, nieces, and friends are coming together to work on a business or part of the city to get it back to its original beauty. One business that is close to my heart is a restaurant called Swingbelly's BBQ. During the holiday season they have cooked and made delicious food for the residents of LBC that were without hot food, water, or a friendly face. I actually worked there when they first opened up and let me tell you they have the best mac ' cheese you will ever taste! And the cornbread! and the pulled pork! I can go on and on but they did this out of the kindness of their heart and their love of Long Beach. 

When Pay It Forward sprung up in Long Beach everyone was on board to help out this business. Below I have attached the article with Pay It Forward with Swingbelly's business:

http://longbeach.patch.com/groups/editors-picks/p/project-pay-it-forward

Have you been to Swingbelly's before? What is your favorite dish? I would love to know!

  

Where Does the Water Cycle Begin?

             Last week my 10th grade Earth Science class completed a unit on Hydrology. So far, this has been the one unit students took to the most this year. One of the reasons why scholars did well and came out of it with a deeper understanding of the overall concepts was from their previous introduction to this information. I would like to thank the middle school teacher who brought his/her passion, knowledge, and commitment to each student becuase with him/her I do not know if I would've been as successful as I was during this unit.

   For students that have been absent, tardy, or not enrolled in an Earth Science course can go through these links to get a better understanding of where water is coming from and where it is going. If you believe any of these links are useful or not useable I would love your feedback.

Remember water is not infinite and if we do not prepare ways to conseve water today, tomorrow will come without any!

                                                            YouTube- 'Water Cycle Rap'

                                         Great Page For The Processes Of The Water Wycle

                                               Follow The Drop Through The Water cycle

                                              Where Is The Distribution Of Earth's Water?

                                                           Interaction Water Cycle Site

                                                        Test Yourself With Study Jam