Starting your lesson with a Do Now is good practice. It sets the tone for the class, gets students settled in (because they have to do it now), and ideally makes them think. A Do Now is a question or quote that either reviews or introduces a topic to students. But what constitutes a good Do Now?

Let’s take a look at 5 different types of Do Nows.

Review

This is probably the most common type of Do Now. After a topic is taught, a question that assesses the previous lesson is used as a Do Now. Review Do Nows allow the teacher to determine if students understand a topic before continuing. However, it can become the only type of Do Now question used and students will grow tired of them.

For example after studying the water cycle, the following question is given:

Do Now: List the major components of the water cycle and explain the role of each step in the cycling of water.

After we study the process for identifying minerals, I like to ask the following question.

Do Now: You are walking down the street and you come across a mineral that is white-ish in color and does not bubble with acid. After a few simple tests you discover the mineral can scratch glass. Using your ESRT, identify the mineral.

Quotes

Using quotes is a refreshing way to assess what students know about a topic. Reflecting on a quote also opens up different avenues for discussion once a topic has been covered. Quotes make students think, because there isn’t just one answer. Quotes also make great writing prompts.

You can find tons of science quotes at sites like Quote Garden or Quotations Page. If you are looking for a quote on something specific, do a google search for the topic name + quote. For example, search “geology quote” for a quote on geology.

After studying the water cycle, you might give the following quote as a Do Now:

Do Now: What did the author mean when he wrote the following statement?

All the water that will ever be is, right now.
– National Geographic, October 1993

Opinion

Opinion or empathy questions are a great way to make students apply what they have learned or to see what they know about a topic. Typically a situation is given and you ask students how they would solve the problem or how they would deal with a certain situation.

Do Now: You have been shipwrecked on an island and you are the only survivor on a remote deserted island. What are the first three steps you would take to ensure your survival? Why?

Do Now: You run into a man selling gold chains for extremely cheap prices. Describe two scientific tests you could perform to determine if the gold chains were real gold or just fake imitations.

Another great opinion question type is the “If you were…”. Asking the students to step into the shoes of a leader or scientist.

For example, when talking about pollution and the use of fossil fuels, I might ask students the following:

Do Now: If you were the President of the United States, what steps would you take to decrease America’s dependence on fossil fuels?

Brain Teasers

Brain teasers are just fun, and they definitely make students think.

Do Now: If I were in Hawaii and dropped a bowling ball in a bucket of water which is 45 degrees F, and dropped another ball of the same weight, mass, and size in a bucket at 30 degrees F, dropping them at the same time, which ball would hit the bottom of the bucket first? Same question, but the location is in Canada?

After studying latitude and longitude, I might give the following brain teaser:

Do Now: There is a house with four walls. Each wall faces south. There is a window in each wall. A bear walks by one of the windows. What color is the bear?

Photograph or Video

Using photographs and video is going to become more common place. People expect to see photographs and video of things they are learning about. The best part about using photographs and video is that you already have the tools to make this happen. Most new digital cameras also take video. If you keep an eye out you can find tons of interesting science images in your area. Besides, being a good observer is part of being a scientist.

After talking about the sun traveling through the southern sky in the northern hemisphere, I would give the following image. I might tell students that fungi does not like to grow in direct sunlight.

Do Now: Using what you know about the motions of the sun, explain the image below.

When talking about the motions of Earth and the Sun I would show the following video and ask students to explain what is happening. Then I would ask students to model this using a plastic tree, flashlight and a digital camera.

Do Now: In your own words, explain why the shadow of the tree is moving.

Conclusion

Do Now’s are a very small, but important part of building great lessons. Using a Do Now for every lesson lets you assess students and lets students know you prepared for them. Coming up with original and interesting Do Nows can be a challenge, but now you have five different types of Do Nows to use when planning. Modifying these five major types can lead to all sorts of interesting Do Nows. I’m sure many of you have some great ideas, please share them in the comments.

Do Now Tips

• Do Nows should be short, they should not take students more than 5 minutes to complete.
• Survey the room and give students points for completing the Do Now.
• A good Do Now must be relevant to the lesson.
• Use a timer, it creates a sense of urgency.

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Most noticeably, they went with a spiffy blue color scheme. The year is now broken up into two terms, with each term shown on separate sheets. The right hand column in each unit represents the Major Understandings taken from the New York State Core Curriculum, Standard 4. This addition finally bridges the gap between the Scope and Sequence and the State Standards. It has made aligning objectives with the State Standards a lot more straight forward.

Do yourself a favor and download a copy if you haven’t already. Look at the Scope and Sequence and the State Standards side-by-side and you will see what an improvement this is over the previous version.

Download your copy of "101 Science Misconceptions" provided by ScienceBoom.

Space ship takes a look at rebuilding human civilization. What if the world was coming to an end? Who should we choose to continue the human race?

Students are taken on a thought provoking journey to a time when the Earth will be destroyed. A giant meteor is headed toward Earth and life as we know it will end. Scientists have found an inhabitable planet and built a ship to carry a small group of people there. 11 people were originally chosen, however there is actually only room for 7 on the ship. Through a process of elimination students must choose the seven best candidates for this journey.

Procedure

1. Typically I begin by describing the end of the world (PowerPoint Slide 02), emphasizing that no one left on Earth will survive.
2. Next I give the story about the spaceship and show them the PowerPoint images of the each of the potential passengers
3. I then pass out the worksheet and have students on their own chose seven people they think should go.
4. Then students discuss their choices with their group. In order for someone to be added to the group list, everyone in the group must agree. You can have students put their choices on a piece of poster paper.
5. After all the groups have made their choices, the groups present their choices and explain why they made those decisions.

Things To Keep In Mind

1. There are no right or wrong answers, but there are better choices.
2. Male to female rations are important (we want to rebuild humanity right?)
3. Questions like, do we need religion, guns or art on the new planet always spark a conversation.
4. Finally, have fun! This activity really gets participants engaged.

Materials

1. PowerPoint Presentation
2. Worksheet
3. Poster Paper
4. Markers

Good Luck, if you have any questions about or modifications to this lesson, please let us know about them in the comments section.

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Day 1 – The Big Bang

Day 2 – Our Solar System

Day 3 – Earth’s History

Day 4 – Dynamic Earth

Download your copy of "101 Science Misconceptions" provided by ScienceBoom.

Download your copy of "101 Science Misconceptions" provided by ScienceBoom.

I want to tell you about a free eBook I’m giving away to my RSS subscribers as part of a site re-launch. I’ve been working hard over the past few months on this book and creating several new ScienceBoom episodes. The book contains 101 science misconceptions along with some great illustrations done by Ramsey Ess.

The illustrations will be available on T-shirts in a few weeks.

The Book

When I first began teaching, I was surprised by the things my high school seniors believed. Such as the Sun traveling around the Earth, dinosaur bones buried by the Devil, and the Moon being larger than Earth. As I was discussing this with my friend John Herrera, the idea for 101 Science Misconceptions was born and now I want to pass it along to you for being a subscriber to ScienceBoom.

How To Download the eBook

101 Science Misconceptions is free to everyone who subscribes to this site via the RSS feed. All you have to do is click the RSS link at the top of this page, in the address bar, or use this link to subscribe -

http://feeds.feedburner.com/scienceboom/sgKG

If you are new to RSS, please watch the following video:

If you prefer you can subscribe by email:

Once you have subscribed, when you read this blog via RSS you will see something like this at the end of every post -

Click the download link or the cover image in your RSS feed and you will be taken to the page where you can download a copy of the book.

If you have any feedback after reading the book, please feel free to leave comments here or in the ScienceBoom forum. Enjoy!

Michael Doig
Author

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Keep yourself informed.

Many teachers, especially new teachers, find that they have very little free time to explore their field. We need to remember that our love of science is what brought us to this career. Set aside an hour each week to read up on the events that are happening within your field. Subscribe to science magazines and journals. Explore the resources that the Internet has to offer. Take books out of the library that offer new points of view or delve into theories. Reading information is just one way to stay current. Try to take one day each month to visit museums, parks, and other sites of interest. You may be surprised how many places offer inspiration for lessons, and even have resources that you can bring back to your classroom. By continuing to learn, you will have a constant reminder of the excitement that exists in the field of science.

Start with the units.

When determining where to include current developments, look at the units that you cover in your class. Try to find something new and exciting for each one, and then look for an appropriate opportunity to infuse it into your lessons. For example, when my class gets to the genetics unit, I always look for the most recent development and try to incorporate it into the activities. Current events are great, and by tying them to information that students need to know, we can enrich their education.

Bring in articles.

An easy way to address current events in your classroom is to bring in articles for the students to read and discuss. I like to use the New York Times as a source for well-written pieces that are interesting and relevant. Sometimes the language is a bit advanced for my ninth graders, but we can read it as a class, or I give students time to discuss it in groups. It is also a good idea to write questions to accompany the article so that students focus on the information that you want them to take away.

Have professionals visit your classroom.

Many science teachers majored in science in college, and as a result, we know many people that are enjoying careers using science. Doctors, researchers, forensic scientists, veterinarians, environmentalists, and social scientists are just a few of the possible people that you can invite into your classroom to share their knowledge and experiences. Students will likely be engaged and inspired by the visitors, and it may open their eyes to the career possibilities that exist.

Use the Internet for research.

Many textbooks are not up-to-date with the latest developments and technology. By teaching students proper methods for online research, they will understand how to keep themselves informed, and how to determine whether or not to trust a source of information. This is a life skill that they will be able to apply to any area of study. You can create projects in which students must find information about new treatments or techniques and present this information to the class.

Keep your videos up-to-date.

There are a million boring science movies floating around, and most of us have used them in class at one time or another. The good news is that there are so many great new videos, documentaries, and films that cover a wide variety of science topics. Make a commitment to yourself to purchase or download at least two interesting and current videos that relate directly to your curriculum. I just recently showed a new film about HIV in the class, and the students were begging to watch more. Videos can be a great way to present information and open up dialogue.

As a teacher, it is our job to prepare students for the future. By showing students that science is always evolving and giving them the skills to find and navigate new information, they will be able to continue their own science education when they leave the classroom.

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