Week 9 Observation

During this weeks, they were doing a lesson on what the rings on a tree mean, and what
they expose about the weather in the area. The lab required the students to use strips of paper
with lines on it (provided in lab handout) to represent the trees rings, and measure each section
between the lines. There were 3 strips to line up in chronological order, and the larger the space
the more rain that year had, while the smaller spaces between lines represented years of drought.
The students physically were cutting and lining up the lines (rings) of the tree before they
measured from the bark to the core. By actually measuring the paper, students are able to
conceptualize the information better and this physicality is important in their learning, Students
learn science by actively engaging in the practices of science (Duschl, Schweingruber, &
Shouse, 2007, p.3). Had the teacher just shown the measurements of the rings and told the
students, I dont feel the impact of the content is as absorbed, and the students would have been
missing some of the key side information that came with the lesson. They also saw the
importance of properly lining up a ruler, and how to read it using the correct unit. The lesson
involved observations skills, and for students to understand the impact of years of water and
drought had on trees and their growth and how that is evident in the tree rings. The lesson also
did a good job of covering several of the multiple intelligences.
The teacher moved to ask the students some critical thinking questions to engage them on
a deeper level. In regards to science content, she asked about global warming and the impact on
the trees, other factors that would impact the growth of a tree, and what other things in nature can
be observed and measured to and tell about the history of the area. The teacher allowed me to
answer students questions during the lab, which allowed me to interact with the students and
gain some experience with answering their questions on the lab procedures.

References
Duschl, R., Schweingruber, H., & Shouse, A. (Eds.). (n.d.). Taking Science to School: Learning
and Teaching Science in Grades K-8. 1-25.