ERIC Number: EJ1126687
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Jan
Pages: 7
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-8148
EISSN: N/A
Crime Scene Soil Investigation
Deaton, Cynthia; Simms, Sarah
Science and Children, v54 n5 p38-44 Jan 2017
Mobile learning is an incredible way to engage students in activities that encourage exploration and critical thinking. This type of learning is defined by the use of portable technology, such as laptops, tablets, and smart phones, to support learning in various environments and in various ways. Depending on the technologies and resources already available at schools, the costs associated with integrating mobile learning into classroom instruction range from free applications to the purchase of portable technologies and accessories (e.g., class sets of iPads and probes). Effectively integrating mobile learning into the classroom requires both the actual technologies needed to complete an activity as well as an understanding of how to effectively encourage students to use the technology to collect, organize, or create information. In this article, a fifth-grade lesson combines mobile learning with a crime scene case to engage students in exploring soil types while meeting the "Next Generation Science Standards" (see Connecting to the NGSS, p. 44). Using ProScope Mobiles, handheld digital microscopes that wirelessly connect to iPads, students examine and capture images of soils. The case requires students to collect and analyze data about soil types in order to solve a crime. The students used ProScope Mobiles that educators received from state-funded professional development experiences.
Descriptors: Investigations, Soil Science, Crime, Electronic Learning, Handheld Devices, Technology Integration, Grade 5, Teaching Methods, Student Research, Inferences, Scientific Methodology
National Science Teachers Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: http://www.nsta.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Grade 5; Intermediate Grades; Middle Schools; Elementary Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Carolina
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A