METACOGNITION. . .How do YOU learn best?

Teaching seventh graders is an adventure!  You want them to learn some concepts and facts, but you also hope to develop them into successful students.   To that end, I decided the most useful experiment they could do was one designed to help them learn THEIR best study method.  

Each student was told to design an experiment to see what the best study method was for them. . .for just ONE possible variable.   So, perhaps they would choose the best PLACE to study; perhaps they wished to know quiet versus TV; some students chose two different types of music to have playing while they studied.   Since we were studying biomes, a very vocabulary based topic, each day they got a different list of terms.  On the following day when they came to class, a quiz over the terms was given . . . and then we graded the quizzes together so they would have a base score to use as results.  Of course, they were given a new list to study that evening, keeping all the study variables the same except the ONE thing they were changing.  The quiz score on the following day would give them more results on which to base their conclusions.   Writing up the experiment counted as several homeworks. 

So the objectives of this activity were:

1.   To reinforce good experimental design concepts.
2.  To learn the biome vocabulary.
3.  To determine their own best method to study.

Do share with me the activity you develop for this!!!

Ida Swenson, idathefriz@gmail.com

BIOMES STUDYING EXPERIMENT: Part One

 

chinook - a salmon found in the waters of Alaska's coniferous forests and also the ocean.   Page 350

 

cycad - a gymnosperm found in the tropical rainforest.  Fossils of it are often found with dinosaurs.  Page 762.

 

pholidota - These desert anteaters are covered with horny scales.   Page 444E

 

ruffed grouse - This chicken sized bird is found in Broome County forests and fields.  Page 456

 

rhea - A flightless bird of the Australian grasslands, the rhea lays its eggs on the ground.  Page 432 A

 

scallop - This bivalve mollusk is found in the ocean.  It's a relative of the clam.  Page 371 B

 

osprey - This large bird of prey is found near lakes in deciduous and coniferous forests.  Page 432 E

 

trillium - If you've seen a three petaled flower in the woods in the spring, this was it.  Page 484

 

joey - Baby kangaroos are found with their mom in the Australian grasslands.  Page 440 A

 

yucca - A tough desert plant, these also give fibers used for rope.   Page 494

 

addax - This African grassland antelope has long, twisted horns. 

 

llianas - These are a long vine that grows in the tropical rain forest.   Maybe you've seen Tarzan swing on one. 

 

Elodea - This pond plant is in our room.  It makes a small white flower.  Watch for it in the spring. 

 

tufted titmouse - Not a rodent, this bird comes to my bird feeder.  Small, gray and with a feather cone on its head, it loves sunflower seeds.

 

agouti - This tropical South American rodent (rat) has short ears, short tail and a rabbit-like body.

 

bromeliad - These tropical plants grow on the trunks of trees in the tropical rain forest.  By growing high, they get more light.

 

lynx - This small cat lives in coniferous forests.  It has pointed ears, a spotted coat, and several live in the Ross Park Zoo. 

 

hare - Large, male rabbits are called hares. 

 

badger - This burrowing mammal of the taiga and deciduous forests has short, thick legs.  It is also the University of Wisconsin mascot because of its ferocity.

 

caribou - This large, relative of a deer lives on the tundra and has large, branched horns.

 

kelp - These ocean plants grow up to 40 feet long.   They are found near the West coast and support otters, many fish and other wildlife.  Page 447

 

 

BIOMES STUDYING EXPERIMENT: Part Two

 

marmoset - This furry mammal is related to rabbits, but has short ears.  It is found in high altitudes and coniferous forest.  Page 171

 

orchid - These tropical rain forest flowers grow on tree trunks.  Hawaii is famous for them.  Page 494

 

skink - A striped lizard that is found in southern, deciduous forests, the skink can grow a new tail if his comes off.  Page 418

 

gavial - This is a crocodile found in the tropical rain forests of India.  Page 418

 

lamprey - This jawless fish sucks blood and body fluids from other fish.  Its young live in fresh water and the adults may live in the ocean.  Page 402

 

tunicate - This sack-like ocean animal has a spinal cord.  It eats from sea water it filters as a clam does.  Page 400

 

red efts - The young of the yellow spotted newt live in damp spots in deciduous forests.  Wash your hands good if you touch one - its skin is poisonous.  Page 411

 

acorn weevil - This long 'nosed' insect drills holes in acorns to lay its eggs.   Page 478

 

chantorelle - This fungus grows in deciduous forests.  Page 761

 

hydra - These tiny, fresh water animals are related to corals.  They catch prey with 'stinging cells'.  Page 97

 

coelacanth - This deep ocean fish was believed to have been extinct for millions of years until one was caught in 1938.  Surprise! 

 

chicory - This North American grassland plant has blue flowers. 

 

basilisk - This tropical rainforest lizard can run across the surface of the water.

 

okapi - An African grassland animal related to the giraffe, this mammal has a short neck, dark coat and striped legs.

 

banyan - This large rain forest tree grows more trunks off of its branches!  One can take up the space of this room. 

 

shrew - This small, mouse like mammal is ounce for ounce the most ferocious animal alive.  It must eat its body weight every 24 hours to survive.  It is a carnivore or scavenger found in deciduous or coniferous forests.

 

saguaro - These cactus live in Arizona deserts.  They have 'arms' that grow in strange shapes, and are filled with water that helps some lost people survive. 

 

lemming - These small, mouse-like animals live in the tundra.  Every 4-6 years they suddenly start running, even jumping into rivers, over cliffs or into the ocean for no apparent reason.

 

bison - Oxlike mammals of the North American grasslands, these buffalo have short horns and shaggy manes.

 

ptarmigan - These tundra birds have feather covered feet for walking on top of snow and change feathers from white in the winter to brown in the summer.

BIOMES STUDYING EXPERIMENT : QUIZ ONE

 

MATCH THE TERMS TO THEIR BEST DEFINITION:

 

addax  

agouti

badger

bromeliad

caribou

cycad

chinook

Elodea

hare

joey

kelp

llianas

lynx

osprey

pholidota

rhea

ruffed grouse

scallop

trillium

tufted titmouse

yucca

 

 

________________ 1. a salmon from Alaska

________________ 2. desert anteater covered with scales

________________ 3. Australian flightless bird

________________ 4. ocean plants found near California

________________ 5. Tough desert plant

________________ 6. baby kangaroo

________________ 7. gymnosperm from tropical rainforests

________________ 8. large fish eating bird of prey found in New York

________________ 9. relative of the clam from the ocean

________________ 10. Deciduous forest bird the size of a chicken

________________ 11. Deciduous forest flower with white or pink petals

________________ 12. South American rodent like a rabbit with short ears and tail

________________ 13. Long vines found in the tropical rainforest

________________ 14. Tropical rain forest plant that grows on the trunks of trees

________________ 15. Pond plant

________________ 16. Small gray bird found in deciduous and coniferous forests

________________ 17. Large male rabbit

________________ 18. Large relative of a deer found in Alaska and other tundra areas

________________ 19. Large burrowing mammal of the taiga and deciduous forests

________________ 20. African antelope with long twisted horns

BIOMES STUDYING EXPERIMENT : QUIZ TWO

 

MATCH THE TERMS TO THEIR BEST DEFINITION:

 

acorn weevil

banyan

basilisk

bison

chantorelle

chicory

coelacanth

gavial

hydra

lamprey

lemming

marmoset

orchid

ptarmigan

okapi

red efts

saguaro

shrew

skink

tunicate

 

________________ 1. Tiny, fresh water animals catch prey with stinging cells

________________ 2. Fungus which grows in deciduous forests

________________ 3. 'long nosed' insect which drills holes in acorns to lay its eggs

________________ 4. Baby of the yellow spotted newt, found in deciduous forests

________________ 5. Ocean animal with a spinal cord, this small animal is shaped like a sack

________________ 6. Crocodile from the tropical rain forests of India

________________ 7. Striped lizard found in Southern states

________________ 8. This furry relative of the rabbit is found at high altitudes and coniferous forests

________________ 9. Tropical rain forest flowers which grow high in trees

________________ 10. This jawless fish sucks blood and body fluids from its hosts

________________ 11. A tropical rain forest lizard which can run on water

________________ 12. A small furry mammal found in deciduous forests which eats living and dead animals

________________ 13. Cactus found in Arizona

________________ 14. Small, mousy animal found on the tundra

________________ 15. Large ox-like mammal of the grasslands, buffalo

________________ 16. Tundra birds which turn white in the winter

________________ 17. Large, tropical rain forest tree found in Hawaii

________________ 18. African grasslands mammal similar to a giraffe

________________ 19. North American grassland plant with blue flowers

________________ 20. A deep ocean fish believed to have been extinct for millions of years