Success on resubs

I have been working with some of the chemistry students who failed achievement standards earlier in the year. All those who stayed in the class for the full year have managed to achieve all the credits they were entered into, which means they are entering exams with 10 Chemistry credits under their belt.
They are also all intending to do Chemistry next year. I am quite pleased with that even though I still don't know who is teaching the Level 3 next year.

The last students to get their assessments needed more practice time. For the repeats I gave them lots and lots of practice questions until they felt ready. Part of it has been the maturing of the students.

 This year I have identified the weaknesses that have come through from the Level 1 classes and I am planning how to ameliorate those at the start of the year to make the classes confident in their abilities from the start. Hopefully this will also address the relatively high attrition rate. Some of the attrition was due to bad course selection, but a few I think were because they felt discouraged when they didn't pass the first Achievement Standard.

The Rock Cycle with 10NR

10NR have been more engaged in this Earth Science unit than for most this year. I believe it is a combination of a growing maturity and improved literacy skills, certain students having been relocated to another class and the change of teaching plans. I have been actively seeking more demonstative and interactive learning experiences and Earth Science is a unit where this is easier to do than in others.

Two girls went to the SSC immediately at the start of the lesson as one of them had red raised knuckles and the seond went for moral support.

Today was the rock cycle which was the perfect time to do a hands on activity. The crayon rock cycle. an oldie but a goody. I have done it a few times before, but I have yet to perfect the execution.
10NR were as predicted very enthusiastic about the smashing of crayons with a hammer, the jumping on crayon bits, and the melting of crayon bits. I'm never sure how much I am getting through to them as to why we are doing the activity and getting them to link the smashing and jumping with the weathering and pressure that they represent.

The theory work that came afterwards was resisted, but after Friday the girls were insistent on music so the deal was as long as the work was being done, they could have music.

Edible Geology

10NR are a difficult class that is hard to engage in learning. For Earth Science I tried using their stomachs. At home I made mini muffins with choco-caramel lollies pushed into the middle, then at school we made jelly and sat them in the middle of sugar crusted patty tins. the intent was to make a model of the earth with the sugar as the crust, the jelly as the mantle, the mini-muffin as the Outer core and the lolly as the inner core.

The lollies needed to be pushed further in when they are put into the mini-muffin mix before baking, the jelly needed to be more concentrated, and the sugar needed to be put on after the jelly had set pretty solidly. The actual Edible earths did not turn out very well.
The main aim of engaging the class worked more successfully. Most of them completed the written portion of the class as I intimated I was going to hold their Earths hostage.