Solution to the disappearing bees

Posted on January 4, 2015 by mcdboulanger

What is most interesting, is that Aljazeera America has reported on thesolution found by a scientist about selecting the strongest bees and mating them using artificial insemination of the queen bee in order to diversity the gene pool.

http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/techknow/multimedia/2013/12/techknow-106-colonycollapsetrackingjaguarsandhightechwine.html

What does that mean? Let’s see a visual representation.

Hopscotch program:
https://c.gethopscotch.com/p/0lxx0d-

I’ve just launched a Nearpod Presentation, “Bee Artificial insemination” and I’d like you to join me!

To review this presentation at your own pace, input this PIN: ZJEGO on the Student Box or open this link.

(If you are using a mobile device, you need to have the Nearpod App installed; download it for free here)

Enjoy!

Ontario Grade 4 Science Curriculum

1. analyse the effects of human activities on habitats and communities;
2. investigate the interdependence of plants and animals within specific habitats and communities;
3. demonstrate an understanding of habitats and communities and the relationships among the plants
and animals that live in them.

Ontario grade 4 Math Curriculum

• develop, select, and apply problem-solving strategies as they pose and solve problems and
conduct investigations, to help deepen their mathematical understanding;
• develop and apply reasoning skills (e.g., classification, recognition of relationships, use
of counter-examples) to make and investigate conjectures and construct and defend
arguments;
• demonstrate that they are reflecting on and monitoring their thinking to help clarify their
understanding as they complete an investigation or solve a problem (e.g., by comparing
and adjusting strategies used, by explaining why they think their results are reasonable, by
recording their thinking in a math journal);
• select and use a variety of concrete, visual, and electronic learning tools and appropriate
computational strategies to investigate mathematical ideas and to solve problems;
• make connections among mathematical concepts and procedures, and relate mathematical
ideas to situations or phenomena drawn from other contexts (e.g., other curriculum areas,
daily life, sports);
• create a variety of representations of mathematical ideas (e.g., by using physical models,
pictures, numbers, variables, diagrams, graphs, onscreen dynamic representations), make
connections among them, and apply them to solve problems;
• communicate mathematical thinking orally, visually, and in writing, using everyday language,
a basic mathematical vocabulary, and a variety of representations, and observing
basic mathematical conventions.

solve problems involving the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of single- and
multi-digit whole numbers, and involving the addition and subtraction of decimal numbers
to tenths and money amounts, using a variety of strategies;

estimate, measure, and record length, perimeter, area, mass, capacity, volume, and elapsed
time, using a variety of strategies;

identify and describe the location of an object, using a grid map, and reflect two-dimensional
shapes.

describe, extend, and create a variety of numeric and geometric patterns, make predictions
related to the patterns, and investigate repeating patterns involving reflections;
• demonstrate an understanding of equality between pairs of expressions, using addition,
subtraction, and multiplication.

predict the results of a simple probability experiment, then conduct the experiment and
compare the prediction to the results.

What to do with the disappearing bees?

Posted on January 4, 2015 by mcdboulanger

This is a 1jour1actu video for children explaining why we need bees:

Pourquoi avons-nous besoin des abeilles ?

A video clip from the Explora channel also gives a short explanation about the loss of the bees and that scientists have been studying and trying to solve the problem.

http://ici.exploratv.ca/video-container?type=1&id=6086616&safe=le-mystere-de-la-disparition-des-abeille&title=LE+MYST%C8RE+DE+LA+DISPARITION+DES+ABEILLES

AlJazeera America provides the statistics of the disappearance of the bees in the US.

http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/inside-story/articles/2014/5/16/what-s-happeningtoallthebees.html

The Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists provide the same statistics in Canada and also by province.

http://www.capabees.com/2014/07/24/capa-statement-on-honey-bees/

What is most interesting, is that Aljazeera America has reported on the solution found by a scientist about selecting the strongest bees and mating them using artificial insemination of the queen bee in order to diversity the gene pool.

http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/techknow/multimedia/2013/12/techknow-106-colonycollapsetrackingjaguarsandhightechwine.html

You will see 2 Hopscotch programs. 1 about the statistics of the disappearing bees. The second will be about what it means in simple terms to diversity the bee population.

Hopscotch code:
https://c.gethopscotch.com/p/zwrisxv

NearPod presentation:

Dear friend,
I would like to share an awesome NPP with you 🙂 Just open this link. Hope you enjoy it!
Me 🙂

From Ontario Grade 4 Science Curriculum:

. analyse the effects of human activities on habitats and communities;
2. investigate the interdependence of plants and animals within specific habitats and communities;
3. demonstrate an understanding of habitats and communities and the relationships among the plants
and animals that live in them.

From Ontario Grade 4 Math Curriculum:

develop, select, and apply problem-solving strategies as they pose and solve problems and
conduct investigations, to help deepen their mathematical understanding;
• develop and apply reasoning skills (e.g., classification, recognition of relationships, use
of counter-examples) to make and investigate conjectures and construct and defend
arguments;
• demonstrate that they are reflecting on and monitoring their thinking to help clarify their
understanding as they complete an investigation or solve a problem (e.g., by comparing
and adjusting strategies used, by explaining why they think their results are reasonable, by
recording their thinking in a math journal);
• select and use a variety of concrete, visual, and electronic learning tools and appropriate
computational strategies to investigate mathematical ideas and to solve problems;
• make connections among mathematical concepts and procedures, and relate mathematical
ideas to situations or phenomena drawn from other contexts (e.g., other curriculum areas,
daily life, sports);
• create a variety of representations of mathematical ideas (e.g., by using physical models,
pictures, numbers, variables, diagrams, graphs, onscreen dynamic representations), make
connections among them, and apply them to solve problems;
• communicate mathematical thinking orally, visually, and in writing, using everyday language,
a basic mathematical vocabulary, and a variety of representations, and observing
basic mathematical conventions

read, represent, compare, and order whole numbers to 10 000, decimal numbers to tenths,
and simple fractions, and represent money amounts to $100

demonstrate an understanding of proportional reasoning by investigating whole-number
unit rates.

estimate, measure, and record length, perimeter, area, mass, capacity, volume, and elapsed
time, using a variety of strategies;

identify and describe the location of an object, using a grid map, and reflect two-dimensional
shapes.

collect and organize discrete primary data and display the data using charts and graphs,
including stem-and-leaf plots and double bar graphs;
• read, describe, and interpret primary data and secondary data presented in charts and graphs,
including stem-and-leaf plots and double bar graphs

Jaguar game in infrared

Posted on January 4, 2015 by mcdboulanger

The idea came from Techknow from AlJazeera:

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/techknow/2014/05/colony-collapse-201459132825460960.html

In this program, there are three science/technology stories, one of them talks about the endangered jaguars. They are filmed at night using an infrared camera. They are attracted by cologne placed near the infrared camera. When the jaguar enters the area, the trigger turns on the infrared camera and we can see the jaguar.

Here’s the Hopscotch code that can be opened with the Hopscotch app on the iPad.

https://c.gethopscotch.com/p/s-oatyy

I also explain how the game is coded on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtvS8qZ_RqI

Ontario Science curriculum grade 4:

1. assess the impact on society and the environment of technological innovations related
to light and sound;
2. investigate the characteristics and properties of light and sound;
3. demonstrate an understanding of light and sound as forms of energy that have specific
characteristics and properties.

Ontario Mathematics curriculum grade 4:

determine the relationships among units and measurable attributes, including the area and
perimeter of rectangles.

• identify and describe the location of an object, using a grid map, and reflect two-dimensional
shapes

Mathematics formative assessment

Posted on January 3, 2015 by mcdboulanger

This book is also available in various professional libraries.

What I especially like about this book is that it provides 75 strategies to introduce math concepts to students, to provides a minds-on for introducing concepts. From concept attainment (using examples and non-examples), concept cartoons, tally stories, four corners, Frayer model. These strategies are not new to me but it is very nice to have them assembled here in one book using mathematics examples.

To be creative, teachers need strategies to introduce concepts. This book provides some strategies that can be used in combination with other content to create meaningful content for students.

Formative Math Assessment

Posted on January 3, 2015 by mcdboulanger

If you do not own this book, it is available in various professional libraries.

Published in 2012, this book provides many ideas for lessons and the formative assessment related to a concept. The assessment is based on strategies, and mathematical processes rather than just the correct answer. The book covers all the strands of mathematics for grades 3 to 5. For each concept, 3 pages are presented. One page suggest activities using different strategies. One page explaining the differences between traditional formative assessment and enhanced formative assessment based on strategies. The last page provides examples of students work and thinking.

If we use the fraction example. A traditional assessment question might be:

Choose the set that includes only equivalent fractions:

A. 1/2 1/3 1/4

B. 1/4 2/4 3/4

C. 1/3 2/6 3/9

D. 1/2 2/3 3/4

This type of assessment does not really show student thinking or what they have learned.

With the Enhanced Formative Assessment, they suggest they would ask the question: List two fractions equivalent to 1/4 . Draw a picture to justify your answer.

The book also provides 4 hands-on lessons in order to have students develop thinking strategies before the assessment and it also analyses 4 students’ answer.

Scientific differences

Posted on January 2, 2015 by mcdboulanger

In this presentation, you are invited to see the differences in temperature in the habitat of a dog in a house in winter. We also see a wooden loon against a wall. With these pictures, we can see that the live dog does not have the same temperature everywhere. The wooden loon has uniform temperature of the ambient air. We see also the temperatures of a dog beside a fire place. What temperature are we measuring? We can see what animal is alive and which is not. This also allows us to see infrared light in action. (The pictures also show the difference of temperatures between a wall facing the elements outside and a wall and an indoor wall. Perhaps the house needs isolation. That would be a grade 5 expectation.)

Hi!
I’ve just launched a Nearpod Presentation, “Differences – Alive?” and I’d like you to join me!

To review this presentation at your own pace, input this PIN: EOZVU on the Student Box or open this link.

(If you are using a mobile device, you need to have the Nearpod App installed; download it for free here)

Enjoy!

From the Ontario grade 4 science curriculum:

From the Ontario grade 4 math curriculum:

• solve problems involving the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of single- and
multi-digit whole numbers, and involving the addition and subtraction of decimal numbers
to tenths and money amounts, using a variety of strategies;

The learning curve

Just another Edublogs.org site

Monthly Archives: January 2015

Solution to the disappearing bees

What to do with the disappearing bees?

Jaguar game in infrared

Mathematics formative assessment

Formative Math Assessment

Scientific differences