Venturing into Blended LearningBritainy Dearman

Digital Content: PhET Simulations• High quality simulations• Wide variety of science and math topics• Varying levels of depth• High-quality “teaching ideas” (prepared

labs/questions)• Measurements and graphs

Benefits:• Increased student engagement• Visualizes relationships between variables• Active learning by every student• Critical thinking and concept development

http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/new

Introduction to Energy Forms and Conservation Lesson

Station Rotation• Group A: PhET Energy Skate Park simulation with

questions

• Group B: Collaborative concept mapping from reading

http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/energy-skate-park

• http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/energy-skate-park

Sample questions from J. Cibulka (above)• What determines the Gravitational Potential energy pie section?

What rule(s) does it seem to follow? Draw two pie charts to explain.

• What determines the Kinetic energy pie section? What rules does it seem to follow? Draw two pie charts to explain.

•  What does the size of the pie represent? How many ways can you find to make the pie bigger or smaller? What rules does it seem to follow?

Group B: Collaborative Concept Mapping• Assign a manageable section from the textbook• Let students take turns reading aloud or read individually• Each student writes in a different color for accountability

Requirements: • Main topic goes in the middle• Use structure to break the main topic down into

subtopics, then further break subtopics down or describe them

• Every line MUST have a word/phrase that shows the connection

• Use words or short phrases (Nouns in bubbles, verbs on lines)

• Practice good group member skills!