Quotes to Inspire Your Students

If you ask any of my students that I have had over the past 40 years about what it was like to be in my classroom, there are always some common themes...

• Where The Red Fern Grows. 
• Mr. Hoefs was CRAZY. 
• And you'll almost always have someone mention a quote that has stuck with them through the years that I had hanging on the wall and drilled into their minds.

For many, many years, I had written the quotes and sayings on white tag board sheets with black permanent markers. Then I got fancy and had my students help me create some more colorful signs to hang in our Maker Space.

Jolene has started taking some of these favorite sayings and quotes of mine and turning them into beautiful and classroom-worthy posters. We've come a long way, baby (don't worry, that's not actually one of the posters!). Watch our store as she adds some of my favorite "-isms" and words of wisdom in ways I never expected to see these quotes in print - and you can print them yourself! 

I can't believe I didn't ask her earlier to help me with these...what a TRANSFORMATION!

Plus she's created them so that you can send them to a print shop or print them on your own. Check them out here! 

Hydroponics Strike Again!

I'm back in the classroom {greenhouse}!

I've finally graduate middle school...and in my retirement time am volunteering at our local high school ag department. I'm working with the agriculture teacher to start up aquaponics and hydroponics systems in the high school greenhouse.

I have ten students who have volunteered their free periods to work with me on getting these systems up and running.

Here Tyler is preparing the growing bed for the nutrient solution from the tilapia fish.

Our first steps were to obtain industrial bulk containers and cut the tops off to form the bottom tank and the top growing area. We had two of these tanks donated from Honey Acres in Ashippun, Wisconsin. Both will be used for aquaponics where we will grow about 100 tilapia over the next nine months.

I'll have more updates coming! In the meantime, if you want to try hydroponics on a small scale, check out these directions for a simple Windowsill Hydroponics system!

All you need is love...

Since my retirement last summer, I've picked up small teaching job and am volunteering at our local high school ag department. This week I met with five students and we have two IBC containers that we're getting aquaponics started in for the semester. If my experience is anything like in the past with aquaponics, that number of interested students will grow quickly!

However, the latest craze we have been exploring are using SMD LEDs to create holiday cards. We created a few for Christmas...but with Valentine's Day on the horizon we wanted to do something a little more impressive {if you're going to give your Valentine something, it's worth the effort to look good, right?!}. Check it out! Our technology experience is growing, too.

We even made a GIF.

For real.

We're getting pretty savvy around here...

via GIPHY

To make this card yourself, you can get our step-by-step directions by clicking here, or I can give you a rough breakdown. Basically you need three pieces of paper or cardstock, some SMD LEDs, (we used four in our example), copper tape, a coin battery, and some creativity!

Decorate your paper in any card style you'd like. On one piece, you'll need to decorate the "outside" to make a card, on the other, you'll decorate the "inside" and leave the back side blank. These will be fitted together at the end.

Run your tape to create a parallel circuit. Place your LEDs and battery in place, testing your LEDs as you go along. Take your third piece of paper, cut to fit over the copper wiring. Punch holes on that third piece of paper so that you can see the LEDs. We also cut a heart out of the middle so the lights really shine through! Tape the inside message to the outside message, fold, and send to your love. Full step-by-step directions can be found here.

Freaky Flipping Friday!

Here I am on Freaky Flipping Friday! where we flipped the class and students do a science presentation! These girls enlightened us about the chemistry of an egg white facial (with a bit of yolk!). The egg was on my face and the yolk was on me!

Some of the other presentation topics included Radiation from Hiroshima and how Leukemia was more frequent after the bomb; and a demonstration how to disassemble an iPhone and replace a cracked screen. My eighth grade students are phenomenal this year. They just soak up knowledge and rise to the challenge that they are given. They are curious and creative kids.

Sleep Tech Visits Middle School Science

We are studying the nervous system. We had a Sleep Tech visit and explain how she reads and interprets brain waves and diagnoses sleep disorders. Students volunteered to be hooked up as if they were receiving a sleep study.

The classes realized the importance of sleep and being able to function at the highest levels of physical and mental states. And also how the lack of sleep plays an important role in creating diseases within people.

Every Classroom - A Makers Space

What can you do with plastic bag ropes? Why not make a bridge!

I taught a Makers Space workshop yesterday to introduce the Maker Space concept to interested teachers. I led with a powerpoint presentation on the importance of hands-on learning and creative thought. We viewed TED Talks by Sir Ken Robinson and Gever Tulley. 

I led the teachers on a tour through our own Makers Lab and gave them some practice in hands-on learning in just a few of the areas that we do in our Makers Lab. I had the following stations for the teachers to tinker in:

• Copper tape circuits
• Foam cutting
• Soldering
• Spaghetti bridges
• LEGO EV3
• Brushbots
• Truss bridges
• Reverse engineering
• Snap circuits
• Sphero
• Plastic bag ropes
• Hacking an old computer

I also sent the teachers home with a CD packed full of some of our most popular products on Teachers Pay Teachers to help them get their own Makers Space running.

Are you interested in creating a Makers Space in your classroom? Check out our free resource to help you get started! 

Aquaponics in Makers Lab - We've Got FISH!

We started lettuce and spinach just over two weeks ago. We have micro-greens ordered. When we see some growth, I'll get some photos posted!

Our other big news is that last Tuesday we picked up our tilapia fish for our aquaponics set up. We started with 44 fish this year. At the moment, we've only lost one!

Last year a week into our introduction, we had lost about 10 fish. We've made improvements this time around to prevent the losses we initially had last year.

Once of the changes is that we cycled the water longer with ammonia this year. I also think the clay pellets had old bacteria still embedded. When we brought the system up, I believe that the bacteria rejuvenated and is managing to break down the ammonia better.

We also had an great Makers Lab moment, which you can see in this photo (the fish are too tiny to capture a good photo right now, but this is the day we put them in!). We were having an evaporation issue and we need to add water every day. Our aquaponics system is on the opposite side of the classroom from our sink. We were running a hose across the floor (tripping hazard), rolling and unrolling hose each day (time consuming), and when we rolled hose there almost always was water spilled across the floor.

With a little finagling, we ran the hose up through the drop tiled ceiling and across the room. Now the hose stays in place, we save time, and have a safer and cleaner Makers Lab! 

Middle School Design Day

We had a middle-school-wide Design Day with our sixth, seventh and eighth graders. We wanted to give children the experience of using engineering design principles.

The engineering design principle is sophisticated trial and error method. First you create your idea, then sketch it out. Next you build a prototype. Finally you build your final project. All along the way you are testing, revising and modifying your project.

We we set aside about 45 minutes for this challenge. The students were working in multiple rooms so that they had enough room to work. We gave them their challenge and sent them to work!

CHALLENGE
Build the tallest tower.

MATERIALS

• Four half-sheets of newspaper per team
• Four full sheets of newspaper per team
• Duct tape
• Pencil
• Paper

Prototype materials: Four (4) half-sheets of newspaper and duct tape
Drawing materials: Paper, pencil
Final project: Four (4) full sheets of newspaper and 24 inches of duct tape

Students began by making a drawing of what they planned their tower should look like. They then constructed a small prototype. After which, they had about 20 minutes to construct a freestanding tower using 4 full sheets of newspaper and 24 inches of duct tape.

Here is the result. I didn't capture a photo of the tallest tower, but what I will tell you is that neither of these below are the tallest! The winner was over eight inches taller!

Makers Lab: Scale Model Railway and Local Community

When students in the Makers Lab are at a break in their own projects, they have a group project that they can work on. The class is making a replica of the surrounding landscape, roads, and railways on a scale train table. The train table is in the early stages. We believe that learning should be hands on and applicable to real life. 

The students had mapped out the local area and were beginning to make scenery using plants cut from their school prairie. Near the end of the class, Mr. Hoefs was showing them the next step: creating the Kettle Moraine glacier formations that make their local community unique in Southern Wisconsin. These glacial formations allow for stunning, albeit roller coaster-like, driving conditions during all seasons. In the coming classes, the students will begin forming these hills and valleys and the switchback main highway that runs through the stunning landscape.

Life as a Middle School Science Teacher

Eating lunch. 

I recently made a trip to Jerry's school to snap some of the progress in the Makers Lab (just scroll through some of our most recent posts for details on doghouses, coding, magnetic soccer, aquaponics, submarines/underwater ROV, a car...and more). Finn and I arrived early so that we wouldn't miss a minute of the kids Making in the Makers Lab. Jerry was eating a quick lunch as we arrived and we headed to the middle school science classroom.

We were greeted by a handful of boys and one girl eating their lunch at the desks in the science room. 

These kids choose to eat their lunch in Mr. Hoefs' room. 

They want to be there.

Do you get what I'm saying?

Middle school students. Want. To. Hang. Out. With. A. TEACHER.

WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE TO!!!!!!

These kids were so sweet and friendly. They were extra nice to Finn. They chatted with me. They were not like the middle school kids I remember. 

I was impressed.

Then as a bell rang, kids hustled in and out and poked fun at Mr. Hoefs for who knows what. And we rushed down the hall to the Makers Lab.

Middle school students stopped by to discuss the fire safety play that they wrote and were scheduled to perform for the elementary school students.

I don't know how my dad does it. But I'm glad he does. These kids deserve good teachers. They deserve good schools. 

All kids deserve good teachers and good schools. 

That's why I'm here writing this blog with my dad (Jerry, or Mr. Hoefs as he's commonly referred to). I want all kids to have the opportunities that these students are getting. To enjoy learning. To have fun and smile in a classroom. I ache for our kids to be curious and creative. I wish for them to learn without even realizing that they are learning. I want them to understand that life is so much more than standardized tests and results. Life is about trying and failing and trying again. Life is not all seriousness and responsibility but about finding some small enjoyment in the challenge before you. 

I think these kids are learning that.

Not sure what's going on here, but pretty sure they were teasing Mr. Hoefs!

Seriously. We had so much fun during our visit to middle school science.

 

One of the many signs in Mr. Hoefs' middle school science classroom. Good thing the message is so good or I'd have to make them prettier with a little graphic design!

What's Happening in MakersLab

Here we go again! Our middle school boys are building our second aquaponics system using an IBC (industrial bulk container). Here we're using a reciprocating saw to cut apart the metal frame of which the top will be our plant container and the bottom will hold tilapia. We encourage students to get their hands dirty with hands-on learning. We show them how to safely operate the Maker Space tools like the sawzall they are using above. Our goal is to help these students learn to think more creatively through the engineering design process. We encourage risk taking and failure that can help lead to success. 

In fact, this is the second year for our experiment. Last year we "failed" often with our aquaponics. But we revised and tried again. And again. And again. We learned a tremendous amount last year and are refining our design and methods to improve production this year. Keep watching for updates! 

Question: How many middle school girls does it take to carry a 4x8 sheet of plywood down the hall quietly?

Answer: It's impossible. It can't be done!!!!!!

These girls are working in the MakersLab to construct a scale model of the neighboring town of Richfield, Wis., including buildings, hills, landmarks and a model railroad system.  Keep watching for updates.

P.S. They did get it down the hall, but it wasn't pretty!!!

First Week of School Field Trip | Part 2

Some people might think I'm crazy by going on a field trip the very first week of school, but I've never been a conventional teacher. I aim to make learning hands-on, to foster creativity and curiosity, and to make learning authentic and applicable to real life. And sometimes that means taking a field trip during the first week of school!

During our field trip, the students were challenged to find and identify as many glacial deposits as they could. Here, two intrepid eighth graders are searching for a kame (the kame is right between them in the background - the gumdrop shaped hill!).

Here we're atop of Parnell Tower viewing the kame field in the distance. Our eighth graders were challenged to calculate the height of Parnell Tower in three different ways using only a 25-foot tape measure, a stop watch, and some steel marbles. This led us into a great discussion of Galileo's experiment with falling bodies as to whether a larger body would fall faster than a smaller body. Our calculations determined that the tower was about 46 feet in height (actual height: 60 feet). We then discussed variables and possible errors in our system of measurement. Our field trips are not just field trips! They are learning adventures!

First Week of School Field Trip | Part 1

The earth grade studied the flora and fauna of the ice age. They also studied glacial deposits and how they were formed. We tied this into an in-depth discussion on global climate change. The picture above was taken at the Henry Reuss Ice Age Center in Dundee, Wisconsin. We had an opportunity to climb and esker and kame and view many glacial hill formations. 

Mammoths lived in Wisconsin during the ice age but scientists believe that they died out due to hunting pressure and change of habitat.

This outwash plain was formed by a raging river coming from the glacier carrying fine outwash (fine gravel and sand).

The glacier also deposited many large rocks and large pieces of copper like the one shown above. These are called erratics. This is a large piece of copper weighing over 300 pounds that traveled over 300 miles from copper deposits in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. 

Well, here we go again!

Well, here we go again. Another school year begins on Tuesday. Lots of years since 1973, but I'm still having fun!

Kettle Moraine Ice Age Center

I met parents and students last night for our open house. It  was great to see the enthusiasm from 8th graders when told about our field trip to study glacial deposits next Friday.

More to come on this next week!

Parnell Tower

Photos from Wikimedia Commons

Blog Hoppin' - Where Tuesday

More on this fun Blog Hoppin' Week! Join in and read more!

Where are we at? We're in a kindergarten through eighth grade school in Southeastern Wisconsin. More specifically, I'll be in a middle school science lab and our Maker Space.

What is a Maker Space you ask? It's an incredible place for your students to invent and design using STEM/STEAM and engineering design principles. Last year our school received a grant to open a Maker Space for K-8. I eagerly took on the challenge of setting up the Maker Space, facilitating the students and managing the grant money. This year I will be working partially in the Maker Space and also as the middle school science teacher.

I shared a few days ago about what we'll be beginning the school year with in middle school science.

Our Maker Space is also getting up and running. Last year our eighth graders built an aquaponics lab from the ground up. They built the tanks from donated materials, built the plant stand from lumber and one student even created a robotic fish feeder to automatically feed the tilapia!

We grew lettuce, fish, and red worms in this particular set up. My role was to facilitate the project, but I encourage the students to problem solve, to research, to investigate and to invent on their own. I believe in the student-led education in the Maker Space. The students are more excited to learn and often dig in deeper than if they were teacher guided.

Aquaponics lab in our Maker Space

Our students also made a pneumatic tube system to sent items from our Maker Space to another classroom!

Pneumatic Tube from our Maker Space to another classroom!

I'm really looking forward to developing our Maker Space even more than our first year. This is in addition to my already packed middle school science curriculum! I head back to school next week, and the kids follow right after Labor Day. I'm anxious and excited to get back and see what my students come up with this year!

What's Happening in Middle School Science

The role I have this year is different from in the past, whereas I was in a self-contained fifth grade class for the past six years, I’ll be moving into a departmentalized situation in middle school. I’m looking forward to the challenges that I’ll face with middle schoolers and want to try to create an atmosphere in my classroom where students are passionate about science.

My sixth graders will begin the year with a unit on astronomy which will include making constellation t-shirts and reducing the solar system to approximately 1,000 yards. 

This year, my seventh grade students will be building their own chargeable batteries out of lead sheet and magnesium sulfate, charging those batteries on a harness, and doing experiments and math to measure force and distance. 

My eighth graders will begin the year studying glaciers and glacial deposits with a field trip planned to study ice age deposits on day number 4. After completing the unit on glaciers, the eighth graders will experiment in breeding fruit flies. 

As an innovative way to do a summative assessment, students will be expected to publish their findings in each of these areas.