Class #26--5th Grade Science Class

Wednesday, December 8, 12:15 P.M. 5th Grade Science Class. Class #26 on my “50 Classes or Bust!” expedition. Room 217 in the Middle School is a whir of activity as the students come in from lunch recess and settle down in science class. Mrs. Merwin, who serves the Middle School so well as both counselor and science teacher, begins class by reminding the class what is needed for their preparation for exams, including the exam review sheet, past tests, and lesson summary sheets. The students work quietly for a few minutes labeling the parts of a cell. Can you name a few? For those rusty science students of yesteryear (myself included), I share the following: cytoplasm, chloroplast, mitochondria, and cell membrane, to name a few. Next, through a story about Dr. Martire’s broken laptop, the students review the scientific method, which incorporates the following steps: Problem, Observation, Hypothesis, Experiment, Conclusion, which creates the acronym POHEC. For the next activity, students are given slips of paper with characteristics or descriptors written on them, such as “harsh environments,” “amoeba,” and “found in pond water.” The young scientists then get out of their seats to put their slips under the correct “Kingdom” posted on the walls, e.g. Bacteria, Archaea, Protist, Virus, and Animal. For the final few minutes of class, Mrs. Merwin and her students review plant parts, types, and functions. I am very impressed with how much material has been covered in this one class. Mrs. Merwin knew just how fast to proceed, and the students eagerly and effectively responded to the design of the lesson. I am confident the students will do well on their upcoming science exam!