www.bibme.org
bibme.org is a bibliography generator website. My partner and I planned on using easybib.com - but soon realized that they now charge money for using the website. Thus, we stumbled across bibme. On bibme.org, you can create your bibliography by either manually entering the information regarding your source, or having it search via amazon.com and other reputable book websites. After you enter your book information in, the website automatically puts it in MLA format. From here, the user has the option of selecting what style they want the citation to be in (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.). There is a drop selection box that quickly alters your bibliography so you can change it from MLA to APA in a snap. Also, if you make an account (which is free) you can save all of your bibliographies for references. One of the coolest things I thought about this website was that when you were done with your bibliography, it put your sources in order, and had a "print" button. This button put all of your correct citations in your designated format INTO a microsoft word document. From here, you could copy/save/modify your bibliography with ease. Overall, I think this website a valuable tool not only for scholarly students, but future teachers as well.
Pros:
-Easy to navigate
-Free
-Has 4 different official citation options
-.org website (more reputable)
-Able to save/print bibliographies
Cons:
-Some ads on the side of the website
-Auto-fill source inputting via Amazon.com gets complicated
-Need an account to save bibliographies
Monday, March 15, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Unit Plan (Environmentalism)
Summary:
This environmentalism unit will draw upon what students know about environments in their communities, as well as ecosystems in other countries. It is imperative for students to recognize the impact of human activity on our global environment and how many human events are becoming detrimental to our ecosystem. After learning some background information about what ecosystems are, students will begin to learn ways in which they can make a different in their communities and world in regards to becoming more eco-friendly. Students will gain a greater appreciation for their communities, country, and earth – and as a result have a broader knowledge about their environments and ways they are able to make a difference. We intend that students will not only learn about environmentalism in the classroom, but be given the opportunity to go on field trips to museums and nature preserves within their community to help reinforce and make their new knowledge more personal. Students will be assessed throughout the unit via class discussions, written assessments, as well as group projects that will most likely manifest themselves in the form of a final presentation at the end of the unit.
Desired Results:
Iowa CORE Curriculum - Life Sciences (Grades 3-5):
Understand and apply knowledge of organisms and their environments, including:
• Structures, characteristics, and adaptations of organisms that allow them to function and survive within their habitats.
• How individual organisms are influenced by internal and external factors.
• The relationships among living and non-living factors in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
• Understand and apply knowledge of environmental stewardship.
Understandings:
By the end of the environmentalism unit, students should be able to:
Explain their specific role in their community environment AND global environment.
o Understand the detrimental effects industrialization and human population growth has had on the global environment.
Interpret non-fiction articles pertaining to the global ecosystem, endangered species, recycling, etc.
Apply what they have learned to make a positive impact in their community by understanding and implementing recycling strategies.
Gain a variety of new perspectives regarding their role in the global community, as well as understand why certain businesses carelessly pollute and endanger our environment.
Empathize with creatures that are being affected and endangered by human pollution, water consumption, oil spills, etc.
Understand themselves and how every single one of their actions influences environment – and to be able to identify which of these actions are hurtful to the ecosystem
Essential Questions:
Why do humans continue to pollute and destroy our environment even when we are conscious of our actions?
Do you think there will ever come a time where people unite and work together to rebuilt our world’s environment?
What difference can you make? Can one person make a difference – or would it be useless to try and make a positive environmental impact?
Does it bother you that future generations of your children and family may not live in a healthy global environment? If so, why or why not?
How would an unhealthy global environment affect your individual community? What may be different in your community if you had to pay for your fresh water – or if garbage completely lined your streets?
Do you think (in general) that people care about their environment and conserving resources? Why/why not? What evidence do you have?
Skills Learned:
Intro Unit – What is environmentalism?
-In this unit, students will learn about what the word environmentalism means. They will learn what an environment is, how it functions, and the positive and negative effects humans can have on an environment. Also, they will learn about the different animals that inhabit global environments – and how each animal plays an integral role in the homeostasis of our global ecosystem. Also, this is the unit in which the teacher will probe student knowledge concerning ecosystems as a whole, and try to debunk any misconceptions students may have.
• Students will participate in activities ranging from reading non-fiction writing about plants and animals, as well as activities where they must draw upon personal experience to contribute to class discussions.
Human Effects on the Environment
-In this unit students will learn the positive and negative things that humans are doing to either preserve/destroy the environment. The teacher can show students a variety of media clips showing how humans are playing both a positive and negative role in the environment – and how there is a constant struggle between helping and hurting our planet. Also, students will be given the opportunity to write a letter to an organization that is hurting the environment. By writing this letter, students will learn how to address a serious company, as well as learn the proper letterhead format and how to write persuasive pieces.
Going Green / Recycling
-Since students now have a broad background in environmentalism and human effects on the planet, they can learn ways in which to make a positive impact. Students will do a variety of hands-on activities in class about being able to recycle/reduce/reuse certain items. The teacher can also bring in statistics concerning how much trash there is in the world, and how much trash and plastic is thrown out everyday – the aim of this is to really get a “wow” factor from students. In this unit, students will also learn strategies and things they can do at home and in their communities to make a positive environmental impact.
Assessment:
According to Ray in Chapter 7, there are a variety of things we should look for when assessing students:
Is there evidence in my students’ writing that they are discussing what they have learned in mini-lessons? How are they showing this?
Does the piece have a strong centrality, or genre?
Has the child used newly learned language in both his writing and class discussions? (i.e. is he/she using the word re-use, rather than “throw away?”)
In the child’s illustrations, does he/she show a comprehension of the material that is being taught in the minilessons?
*Aside from assessing writings, students may be given some written assessments in the first few units to test their comprehension of the basic information surrounding environmentalism.
*Students will also have a final project in which they have group members and they pick a community service activity that they do together to benefit the environment. Then, they will present what they did to the class – how it helped the environment – and how they felt about it, etc.
Text Set:
Boothroyd, Jennifer. People and the Environment. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company, 2008.
o This is a very small, short, and simple book that talks about how all people around the world use the environment in their everyday lives. Each page in the book has a photograph from different parts of the world that takes up about 80% of the page, followed by extremely simple sentences that K-1st graders could most likely read. This book is great for beginning readers since it uses no complex vocabulary and has very small sentences. It also bolds occasional words that children may not know, so they can ask their teachers or look in dictionaries to seek the answers.
Dr. Suess. The Lorax. New York: Random House, 1971.
o “The Lorax” is a fictional story that contains a somewhat dark tone in regards to the negative consequences of human disruption of the environment. This story talks about an environmental activist creature called “The Lorax” who fights for the trees. As the company “Thneeds” grows, animals start leaving their habitats. The Lorax then begins to talk about how as the company grows (like many real businesses) they begin to pollute and destroy the ecosystem. This story is a fictional interpretation of the negative effects of anti-environmental activities, such as consumption of natural resources and pollution.
Ehrlich, Amy. Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson. New York: Silver Whistle, 2003.
o This is a chronological biographical picture book that talks about Rachel Carson, a famous environmental activist in the mid 20th century. This colorful story talks about Rachel’s childhood and how she became so in love with the environment. It also discusses the critical role she played in making the population aware of important environmental issues. The illustrations in the book are portrayed to be semi-realistic and use watercolor.
Moon, Pat. Earth Lines: Poems For The Green Age. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1991.
o This is a very simple book that has a compilation of a variety of “green” poems. These poems range from talking about conservation to discussing endangered animals. The author chooses only to use the color green in his illustrations which I thought was very fitting for the topic. The illustrations are very simple, stencil-like pictures that that are
dichromatic (black and green).
Walsh, Melanie. 10 Things I Can Do To Help My World. New York: Candlewick Press, 2008.
o This is a very fun, colorful, and interactive short children’s book of ten simple things kids can do at home to help the environment (i.e. turning off lights, turn off sink while brushing teeth, use two sides of paper, etc.). This book is great because the pictures are always changing and interactive with kids, so they will be encouraged to participate with the reader. The coolest aspect of the book that I noticed was that on the cover it says “Book made from 100% recycled material” – so even the book is eco friendly!
Other Resources + Websites:
www.greenpeace.org – Worldwide environmental issues, and what countries are doing about them.
www.planetsave.com – Ways to recycle/reduce/reuse and help the environment
http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/ - NASA’s own website with non-fiction information on the Earth’s environment, as well as present environmental issues and concerns.
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/ - A children’s website with some interactive games and environmental facts for children to actively explore.
http://www.kidsplanet.org/ - Another interactive children’s website that teachers and students alike can get information regarding animals and their environments.
This environmentalism unit will draw upon what students know about environments in their communities, as well as ecosystems in other countries. It is imperative for students to recognize the impact of human activity on our global environment and how many human events are becoming detrimental to our ecosystem. After learning some background information about what ecosystems are, students will begin to learn ways in which they can make a different in their communities and world in regards to becoming more eco-friendly. Students will gain a greater appreciation for their communities, country, and earth – and as a result have a broader knowledge about their environments and ways they are able to make a difference. We intend that students will not only learn about environmentalism in the classroom, but be given the opportunity to go on field trips to museums and nature preserves within their community to help reinforce and make their new knowledge more personal. Students will be assessed throughout the unit via class discussions, written assessments, as well as group projects that will most likely manifest themselves in the form of a final presentation at the end of the unit.
Desired Results:
Iowa CORE Curriculum - Life Sciences (Grades 3-5):
Understand and apply knowledge of organisms and their environments, including:
• Structures, characteristics, and adaptations of organisms that allow them to function and survive within their habitats.
• How individual organisms are influenced by internal and external factors.
• The relationships among living and non-living factors in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
• Understand and apply knowledge of environmental stewardship.
Understandings:
By the end of the environmentalism unit, students should be able to:
Explain their specific role in their community environment AND global environment.
o Understand the detrimental effects industrialization and human population growth has had on the global environment.
Interpret non-fiction articles pertaining to the global ecosystem, endangered species, recycling, etc.
Apply what they have learned to make a positive impact in their community by understanding and implementing recycling strategies.
Gain a variety of new perspectives regarding their role in the global community, as well as understand why certain businesses carelessly pollute and endanger our environment.
Empathize with creatures that are being affected and endangered by human pollution, water consumption, oil spills, etc.
Understand themselves and how every single one of their actions influences environment – and to be able to identify which of these actions are hurtful to the ecosystem
Essential Questions:
Why do humans continue to pollute and destroy our environment even when we are conscious of our actions?
Do you think there will ever come a time where people unite and work together to rebuilt our world’s environment?
What difference can you make? Can one person make a difference – or would it be useless to try and make a positive environmental impact?
Does it bother you that future generations of your children and family may not live in a healthy global environment? If so, why or why not?
How would an unhealthy global environment affect your individual community? What may be different in your community if you had to pay for your fresh water – or if garbage completely lined your streets?
Do you think (in general) that people care about their environment and conserving resources? Why/why not? What evidence do you have?
Skills Learned:
Intro Unit – What is environmentalism?
-In this unit, students will learn about what the word environmentalism means. They will learn what an environment is, how it functions, and the positive and negative effects humans can have on an environment. Also, they will learn about the different animals that inhabit global environments – and how each animal plays an integral role in the homeostasis of our global ecosystem. Also, this is the unit in which the teacher will probe student knowledge concerning ecosystems as a whole, and try to debunk any misconceptions students may have.
• Students will participate in activities ranging from reading non-fiction writing about plants and animals, as well as activities where they must draw upon personal experience to contribute to class discussions.
Human Effects on the Environment
-In this unit students will learn the positive and negative things that humans are doing to either preserve/destroy the environment. The teacher can show students a variety of media clips showing how humans are playing both a positive and negative role in the environment – and how there is a constant struggle between helping and hurting our planet. Also, students will be given the opportunity to write a letter to an organization that is hurting the environment. By writing this letter, students will learn how to address a serious company, as well as learn the proper letterhead format and how to write persuasive pieces.
Going Green / Recycling
-Since students now have a broad background in environmentalism and human effects on the planet, they can learn ways in which to make a positive impact. Students will do a variety of hands-on activities in class about being able to recycle/reduce/reuse certain items. The teacher can also bring in statistics concerning how much trash there is in the world, and how much trash and plastic is thrown out everyday – the aim of this is to really get a “wow” factor from students. In this unit, students will also learn strategies and things they can do at home and in their communities to make a positive environmental impact.
Assessment:
According to Ray in Chapter 7, there are a variety of things we should look for when assessing students:
Is there evidence in my students’ writing that they are discussing what they have learned in mini-lessons? How are they showing this?
Does the piece have a strong centrality, or genre?
Has the child used newly learned language in both his writing and class discussions? (i.e. is he/she using the word re-use, rather than “throw away?”)
In the child’s illustrations, does he/she show a comprehension of the material that is being taught in the minilessons?
*Aside from assessing writings, students may be given some written assessments in the first few units to test their comprehension of the basic information surrounding environmentalism.
*Students will also have a final project in which they have group members and they pick a community service activity that they do together to benefit the environment. Then, they will present what they did to the class – how it helped the environment – and how they felt about it, etc.
Text Set:
Boothroyd, Jennifer. People and the Environment. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company, 2008.
o This is a very small, short, and simple book that talks about how all people around the world use the environment in their everyday lives. Each page in the book has a photograph from different parts of the world that takes up about 80% of the page, followed by extremely simple sentences that K-1st graders could most likely read. This book is great for beginning readers since it uses no complex vocabulary and has very small sentences. It also bolds occasional words that children may not know, so they can ask their teachers or look in dictionaries to seek the answers.
Dr. Suess. The Lorax. New York: Random House, 1971.
o “The Lorax” is a fictional story that contains a somewhat dark tone in regards to the negative consequences of human disruption of the environment. This story talks about an environmental activist creature called “The Lorax” who fights for the trees. As the company “Thneeds” grows, animals start leaving their habitats. The Lorax then begins to talk about how as the company grows (like many real businesses) they begin to pollute and destroy the ecosystem. This story is a fictional interpretation of the negative effects of anti-environmental activities, such as consumption of natural resources and pollution.
Ehrlich, Amy. Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson. New York: Silver Whistle, 2003.
o This is a chronological biographical picture book that talks about Rachel Carson, a famous environmental activist in the mid 20th century. This colorful story talks about Rachel’s childhood and how she became so in love with the environment. It also discusses the critical role she played in making the population aware of important environmental issues. The illustrations in the book are portrayed to be semi-realistic and use watercolor.
Moon, Pat. Earth Lines: Poems For The Green Age. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1991.
o This is a very simple book that has a compilation of a variety of “green” poems. These poems range from talking about conservation to discussing endangered animals. The author chooses only to use the color green in his illustrations which I thought was very fitting for the topic. The illustrations are very simple, stencil-like pictures that that are
dichromatic (black and green).
Walsh, Melanie. 10 Things I Can Do To Help My World. New York: Candlewick Press, 2008.
o This is a very fun, colorful, and interactive short children’s book of ten simple things kids can do at home to help the environment (i.e. turning off lights, turn off sink while brushing teeth, use two sides of paper, etc.). This book is great because the pictures are always changing and interactive with kids, so they will be encouraged to participate with the reader. The coolest aspect of the book that I noticed was that on the cover it says “Book made from 100% recycled material” – so even the book is eco friendly!
Other Resources + Websites:
www.greenpeace.org – Worldwide environmental issues, and what countries are doing about them.
www.planetsave.com – Ways to recycle/reduce/reuse and help the environment
http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/ - NASA’s own website with non-fiction information on the Earth’s environment, as well as present environmental issues and concerns.
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/ - A children’s website with some interactive games and environmental facts for children to actively explore.
http://www.kidsplanet.org/ - Another interactive children’s website that teachers and students alike can get information regarding animals and their environments.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Lit. Reflection
Excitement. Pride. Tradition. Glory. These are only a few of the many emotions that Kinnick Stadium evokes from its fans. Kinnick Stadium, home of our Hawkeyes, has an indescribable ambience when you enter the stadium. Growing up as a son of two Iowa Alumni, Kinnick Stadium is more than just a stadium to me. When I experienced my first home game at historic Kinnick Stadium my freshman year in high-school, the unique aura of college football hadn’t affected me yet. As I began going to more and more games with my parents, I quickly realized the emotions my parents felt, as well as the students. I began feeling a variety of emotions my first few years attending Hawkeye games, many of which I couldn’t describe. All I knew was I would get extremely anxious and defensive, knowing my team was protecting their battlefield. Nowadays, when the Hawkeyes rush the field, I still get tingles up my spine as I hear thousands of dedicated Hawkeye fans roar throughout the rafters. Inside the monstrous walls of Kinnick Stadium lies intense tradition, as well as an almost indescribable atmosphere because of the emotions makes you feel.
Kinnick Stadium, formerly known as Iowa Stadium, was originally constructed to be the first football stadium for the
Attending Kinnick Stadium on Saturdays almost begins turning into a religious experience for many devout football fans. Almost all
Standing in the bleachers with my fellow students, cheering on the greatest football team in the country, brings a sense of unity to Kinnick Stadium. I believe that fans who have in-door club seats, can’t fully experience the genuine emotions Kinnick has to offer. Many fans who have club seats will never feel the cool breeze of the autumn winds swiftly hitting their faces. They also miss out on the cheers that Hawkeye fans chant after touchdowns, as well as the vibrations of the stands after touchdowns. I believe it is these feelings that defines what college football is, and has become over the years.
Before Kinnick Stadium’s renovation, it was slowly becoming outdated. After it’s renovation, more students have been able to attend the games and be a part of Hawkeye tradition. Right after Kinnick Stadium had been renovated, they constructed a statue of Nile Kinnick in order to always remember the glory and strength he brought to the university. I believe the statue also represents a new beginning to many Hawkeye fans, since the stadium is now more modern and shows how much the stadium has grown since Nile Kinnick’s death. I believe that as long as the Nile Kinnick statue stands, the Hawkeyes will forever have something to look for in their roots to show who they are, and who they have become.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Final Reflection of 7E:123
Wow, it's hard to believe the semester is at an end! Well, this class far exceeded my expectations on a variety of different levels. First off, I really liked how the class was set up. It was a very comfortable, open environment that encouraged everyone to participate in class-wide discussion. I really enjoyed working together in our groups, especially during "The Misfits" book. I thought it was extremely interesting and fun trading our elementary/middle school perspectives of how name calling and stereotyping effected us all on a personal level. Probably the most memorable activity I will take from this class was the day we worked on poetry - and had to read our designated poem out loud to the class. It gave us the opportunity to be goofy, creative, fun, and unique. It's amazing that just changing how we say the poem can alter its tone and the way others around us interpret the poem.
Aside from my in class experiences, I really thought this class as a whole was fantastic - especially for any student going into elementary education. My first presumptions about this class was "Great, what could there really be about children's literature that I have to learn - besides that it is super easy to read?" Reflecting back over the semester it is amazing how many different layers there are to great children's literature. Unlike novels, children's literature can utilize some of the most important tools of all, keeping students visually and physically engaged in their reading. I have seen many books that have pop-out additions, books with different sized fonts, different shapes, colors, types of illustrations, etc. It is amazing at the extent to how great children's authors construct their books. They are much more meticulous and methodical than I ever thought children's authors would be. From every single illustration to every single word, I have come to understand and appreciate children's literature for much more than my old stereotype of it. It is creative, intuitive, funny, and a whole list of other adjectives that I won't waste time listing. Overall, fantasic course. Nothing more need be said.
Aside from my in class experiences, I really thought this class as a whole was fantastic - especially for any student going into elementary education. My first presumptions about this class was "Great, what could there really be about children's literature that I have to learn - besides that it is super easy to read?" Reflecting back over the semester it is amazing how many different layers there are to great children's literature. Unlike novels, children's literature can utilize some of the most important tools of all, keeping students visually and physically engaged in their reading. I have seen many books that have pop-out additions, books with different sized fonts, different shapes, colors, types of illustrations, etc. It is amazing at the extent to how great children's authors construct their books. They are much more meticulous and methodical than I ever thought children's authors would be. From every single illustration to every single word, I have come to understand and appreciate children's literature for much more than my old stereotype of it. It is creative, intuitive, funny, and a whole list of other adjectives that I won't waste time listing. Overall, fantasic course. Nothing more need be said.
"Love That Dog" by Sharon Creech
Contrary to my minimal expectations of the story, I actually really enjoyed it. I think that many young kids can relate to Jack considering many young boys share the same perspectives he does about poetry. Jack exclaims that poetry is "Just for girls" and refuses to participate for a while. Finally, his teacher struck a chord with his emotions and Jack became inspired by a male poet to write a poem about his deceased dog. After Jack realizes he enjoys expressing how he feels about his dog, he has a new found perspective regarding poetry. I think this story is great to integrate into a poetry unit in any classroom. It helps break down gender stereotypes/barriers that may hold back other male students from participating, similar to Jack. Although I have taken a variety of Gender + Society classes, it still baffles me where these stereotypes come from. Obviously, the media and other traditional influences tell our society what is expected of each gender. However, I believe there are deeper roots than just the media that these stereotypes have been formed - and that we must look at the origins of "the traditional" American gender roles to start looking for patterns. These gender biases will always exist, but I believe it is our job as educators to help introduce a variety of literature and role models to help break down these stereotypes so all students feel comfortable to participate in any activity.
"Northern Lullaby" by Nancy White Carlstrom
This poem story has a very light-hearted calming tone all throughout the book. As the reader progresses through the book, the author is telling goodnight to all different aspects of nature, such as "mother willow" and "grandpa mountain." Obviously nature is a very large part of this author's life, and she illustrates it in such a way that makes the reader appreciate it with her. Illustrations seem to emphasize shading and realism, as well as uses very soft colors. The author's inspiration for these pictures come from the Alaskan winter environment, as the reader can observe through vast snow and warm winter fires. These soft colors help contribute to the poem's smooth and calming tone. Although there seems to be nothing special about this picture poetry book, I believe it would be a great book to read to a child before they fall asleep.
"Quilt Alphabet" by Lesa Cline-Ransome
This poem picture book would be fantastic for kindergarten students. Each of the two adjacent pages is dedicated to a letter from the alphabet, followed by a large picture of what the poem talks about. For example, on page "D" there is a large picture of dolls, and there is a very short 4 line poem that talks about what the image is. One aspect of the poem book that I thought was interesting was that the author never actually mentions on each page what the designated word actually is. So for letter "D," the author never says the word doll, thus the student is supposed to deduce from the picture and text what word the author is talking about. This can make for a fun activity in the classroom with your students, and can easily keep them engaged and wanting to participate. Obviously since kindergarten students are unable to read very well at this point in school, you would have to read them the poems. But you could ask questions like "So what is this a picture of? What word do you think the author is talking about?" The illustrations are created from watercolors, and attempt to give a somewhat realistic portrayal of what it is trying to convey.
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