Explore and Explain About the Earth

Vennage

Today in class we were to answer a few questions about our understandings about Earth's surface, atmosphere, and weather. This made me realize how much I do not know about some scientific topics. Here are the questions and my answers:

1. Consider the area of Earth’s surface, atmosphere, and weather about which you feel most knowledgeable. What ideas do you have regarding what you will do as a teacher to keep your knowledge current?
   I feel like I am not that knowledgable about Earth's surface, atmosphere, or weather. I would need to study this topic for hours before I taught it to a class. However, if I were to pick one topic I feel like I am most knowledgable with the weather because I am constantly looking up the weather every day to see what I should wear or plan activities for that day. 
2. Consider the area of Earth’s surface, atmosphere, and weather about which you feel least knowledgeable. What ideas do you have regarding what you will do as a teacher to continue to strengthen your knowledge base about this topic?
   I do not know know that much about any of these topics; however, if I were to pick one that I am least knowledgable with would be Earth's atmostphere. To strengthen my my knowledge about these topics I will read different textbooks, articles, and books on these topics. I will also try to experience and go to different workshops to become an expert on these topics.
3. What resources are you aware of that will help you be an effective teacher of Earth’s surface, atmosphere, and weather?
   Some resources that will help me be an effective teacher of Earth's surface, atmosphere, and weather would be different research articles. Some examples are: 
   1.  This is an article  that contains videos that will help me to have a deeper understanding on Earth's atmosphere.
   2. This is an organization that I can join for Earth's enviormental climate.  
   3.  This is an article that can help me teach children about Earth's atmosphere. 
   4. This is an e-Study Guide for Extreme Weather and Climate, textbook by C. Donald Ahrens: Earth sciences, Earth sciences.

After answering these questions I realized that it is okay if I do not know everything about every topic because there are so many different ways I can become more knowledgeable to be able to teach a great lesson. Then, we were able to pick partners and create a PosterBoard about one of these topics. We picked to do  a PosterBoard on Earth's atmospheres and layers because we wanted to learn more about this topic. We used the tool Vennage to create our PosterBoard. At first it was complicated because we were unsure how to use this tool, but after trying different things we were able to complete it. I really enjoyed creating a PosterBoard because it allowed me to explore and use different tools that I would have never tried before. Now, I will be able to incorporate this tool into so many projects and lessons. I usually don't try new things because I am scared that I will not know how to work it. However after using Vennage, I am willing to explore different tools to differentiate my lessons and make them more visual in my future classrooms.

Here is a link to our PosterBoard that we created.