St.

James Middle School

Talking Science

November 13,2015

QUICK FACTS
Awesome Job Science Department!
Scores are an average of
14.6 points higher than
district!
There are awesome Science IPad Apps out there!

Volume 1, Issue 1

A Job Well Done!

The results are in! As always the Eagle Science Department is making gains on the PASS
testing. When comparing the performance of the Eagles to the rest of the District , St.
James surpassed the district mean scores in all three grades! Our scores were an average of 14.6 points higher than the district average! Wow! GREAT JOB! Below is the comparison of scores between our school as well as the county mean scores for all the middle schools in Horry County.

2015 SC PASS Science Score Comparison

St. James Middle School

Inside this issue:

Score Comparison

Target Areas

Strategies of Successful
Science Classrooms

Horry County Schools

Grade

Mean
Score

Met or Exemplary

Not
Met

Mean
Score

Met or Exemplary

Not
Met

639.9

79.3

20.7

626.6

68.8

31.2

652.7

76.7

23.3

640.1

72.7

27.3

655.3

82.5

17.5

637.2

72.8

27.2

Target Areas and Indicators

The scores are out of this world and we have been making great strides in improving student performance in many ways. The chart to the right identifies the content areas that SJMS and HCS showed
the highest levels of students scoring Not Met. The areas of weakness are directly correlated to
areas that weak throughout the district. are directly correlated to areas that weak throughout the
district.

What Apps SJMS Teachers are using

Grade

Some awesome new

creation Apps to try!

Integration of hands on
and digital learning.

2015 Science PASS Testing Areas of Weakness

St. James Middle
Percent Not Met
Horry County
Schools

Percent Not
Met

Earths Atmosphere
and Weather

18.8

Earths Atmosphere
and Weather

25.7

Conservation of
Energy

19.6

Conservation of
Energy

27.4

Cells and Heredity

22.5

Cells and Heredity

26.2

Forces and Motion

15.5

Forces and Motion

22.8

Talking Science

Strategies of High Performing Science Classrooms!

Teaching Science at the middle
school level is often a challenging yet rewarding experience.
When children enter middle
school, they are getting their
first real science experience
that incorporates hands on
learning as well as laboratory
experiences. Schools in Albany,
New York who have outstanding science scores use the following strategies within their
classrooms. The schools that
are in this district are high
poverty schools.

Emphasis on Science
Foundations

Hands on Learning
Interdisciplinary Relations
Fluency (ELA/ Vocabulary)
Inquiry based learning
Focus on modeling and
creation

Maintain high expectations

Rigor

Data driven decisions

The science of

Technology SJMS Teachers are Using

today is the
technology of
tomorrow

Importance of the Science Experience

Page 2

The hands on learning experience in science is crucial for

the development of fundamental science skills that will ensure their success in their future science classes. It is imperative that the PDL devices be
used in conjunction with the
hands on experience and not
as a replacement. The challenge for all science teachers is
to find the appropriate balance
between digital content and
hands on learning. On the fol-

lowing page there are some

awesome new FREE science
apps for you to try in your
classroom. The focus on most
of these apps is the creation
aspects where student can
create and share stories, drawings, and posters of concepts in
the classroom. The other applications focus on supplemental
tools the provide support for
the students on a digital level.
A QR code has been included
in the description for you to

view a video or example of

how each app works. Be sure
to check them out!

Awesome Science Apps to Explore!

Volume 1, Issue 1

Google Card Board An awesome application where students can use their IPads or smartphones in a cardboard
viewfinder to explore various different scenarios and ecosystems. The students can take a field trip without leaving
their seats! Check out this video of the Galapagos Islands!

Haiku Deck An awesome alternative to Google Slides and Powerpoint where the students can elevate their
presentations to include charts and graphs in an awesome interactive experience. Check out this tutorial on the
app!

Doodle Buddy for IPad Students can finger paint with thousands of colors and drop in playful stamps. It also
allows for the students to add their own personal creative touch. Students can draw and sketch their pictures
and save them to their camera roll to study later or email to the teacher for grading. After, students can use the
voice over application on the IPad to present their drawings to be posted on a classroom website! Check out
this tutorial on how to use the app!

ToonDoo Students can create their own comic strip using pictures the capture or search for on the internet.
Students create an account for free and they have access to create away! Scan the QR codes for some awesome
examples on the ToonDoo Website!

Make a Graph by Kidzone An online interactive website that allows students to

input their own data and create various different types of graphs. These graphs can
be exported and used in presentations or used for data analysis. Great tool for helping students identify variables and analyze data. Check out the following tutorial on
how to use the website!

Brain Pop students can watch short videos and quizzes on various science related topics. The videos
are cartoon based which engage the students. Each video is followed by a quiz that can be used to check
for understanding. Check out this Brain Pop movie on Cells!

HudsonAlpha ICell Allows students to take 3D tours of plant, animal and bacteria cells. They can
move around inside the cell to see how they the organelles work together to keep the cell functions. Features also allow the teacher and students to compare and contrast the different types of cells side by side.
Here is a little tutorial on how the app works!

Cram - A flash card application where students can create flashcards by taking pictures of objects from their notes
as well as real world examples. They can edit the flashcards as necessary and use them to study. Check out the
decks already made on the website!

Page 3

A Blend of Hands on and IPad Learning

Finding a balance between hands on learning and technological integration in a Science classroom is often
a difficult task. It is important that the students are exposed to aspects of both to foster their understanding. Try this introductory activity with the students to introduce them to a blend of each.

Give the students a bag of colorful candy (M&Ms, skittles, gummy bears etc.)
Have the students count and separate the gummy bears according to color and fill in a data chart.
Once the data is collected, have the students create a graph on the Make a Graph Website. The
students can display their data in various different graph types.

Have the students post their graphs to Google Classroom and use them as discussion topics during
class.

Student will be able to practice their variable identification, graphing as well as data analysis and organization skills.

Keep Up The Great Work!

As the year progresses, keep doing what you guys are doing in the classroom to instill the power of
science within the young developing minds within your classroom! The strategies that are being used
in your classrooms are providing results that are bar none the best in the district! Strategies such as
blended learning, small group instructions, digital integration and hands on learning are key components to meeting the needs of the variety of students in your classes! Dont be afraid to try new
things and remember, transitioning to a new style of learning is trial and error just like an experiment!

Professional Development Opportunities

Please take a moment to explore the applications and websites that were posted in this news letter and provide your
feedback on the Google Form Survey that will be sent out to
you. The form will collect data regarding the apps and will be
used to guide professional development sessions in the near
future!