SAMR for the Science Classroom
(Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefining)
Augmentation-Modification cK-12 ( www.ck12.org/student/) is a site that provides digital books, virtual STEM activities, interactives, simulations, community forums, adaptive practice and other helpful resources for a technologically integrated classroom. You can choose from a variety of available digital resources to either enhance or modify lessons. Would you like your students to read a content specific article? Try this site to find an article that also includes in-text links, and videos to enhance student learning. In a recent lesson on waves, students were able to watch a demonstration about the difference between Electromagnetic Waves and Sound Waves. This way of presenting scientific text increases understanding of content and provides media within textual elements, aligned with the technological age.
Connection to 21 Century- Discovery and Exploration, Communication, and Collaboration.
Augmentation- PhET Simulations https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/physics
PhET simulations facilitate student learning by providing a means of productive exploration and dynamic feedback within virtual experiments. As a digital tool, Phet can help students develop a conceptual understanding of scientific principles. The simulations provide both a rich data source and an engaging interface. In many situations, Phet simulation can be use to augment a hands-on experiment by extending experiments limited by materials, conditions, or class sizes. I have used phET labs to enhance learning of various principles of physics. In particular, during our Gravity lesson, students use Gravity and Orbits to explore the relationship between gravity, mass, and distance between two objects. The simulation allows students to choose and click various combinations of the three to develop knowledge about their effects on each other.
on each other.
Connection to 21st Century Learning: Critical Thinking, Discovery and Exploration
Modification- hhmi Biointeractive https://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive
This site offers apps, animations, virtual labs, videos, and interactives for hundreds of scientific concepts. During our unit on Evolution, students use an interactive virtual lab on comparative anatomy to enhance student understanding of evolutionary relationships. This site provides slides, videos, and a virtual lab called the Comparative Anatomy of a Domestic Chicken. In this virtual lab, students work with a partner to build a simplified evolutionary line from Archosaur to chicken. Students are given 3 virtual bone/fossil specimens at a time to compare and contrast as they build a virtual cladogram. There are zoom and rotate tools, so students can inspect chicken skeleton from different angles. This is a great interactive lesson for comparative anatomy.
Connection to 21st Century Learning: Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Discovery and Exploration
Redefining- Virtual Oscilloscope from Academo https://academo.org/demos/virtual-oscilloscope/
For our waves unit, I wanted to students to explore the various characteristic of sound waves and make connections to what types of noises produce wave characteristics: higher and lower amplitude, longer and shorter wavelength, higher and lower frequency. With the virtual oscilloscope, students work in pairs to create various sounds using voices, whistles, virtual instruments, and any noise they can make using their mouth. The various sounds are recorded on the oscilloscope, and a freeze frame allows them to capture the image to place on a data table in the appropriate category (see picture below). Exploring sound and wave characteristics allows students to make memorable connections and develop and deeper understanding of wave form and energy.
Connection to 21st Century Learning: Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Creativity, Creation and Design
Redefining- Extension: CODE
CODE- a great site for students to visit when first learning to code. This is a site I would have students visit as an extension activity to an engineering assignment. Students who learn coding young have increased opportunities to creating digital tool to solve problems, design programs. Connection to 21st Century: Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Creation and Design