Chuck Downing
24 Followers
San Diego, California, United States
About the store
I have 31 years of experience teaching high school biology, AP Biology, and integrated science.
I have eight years of experience teaching General Education Biology at Point Loma Nazarene University.
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Human Body World- A Cooperative Investigation of Human Anatomy and Physiology
Student groups select one body system and design a complete area in the theme park, Human Body World. Each area must contain at least one ride, one other attraction, and assorted “theme park” regulars like a restaurant and gift shops. All attractions must relate some aspect of the anatomy and/or physiology of the body system to receive credit. Groups design and draw a map of their area on craft paper. They present their area to the class and their craft paper map becomes part of the “Walk in the
9th - 12th, Higher Education
Anatomy, Biology, Science
Chemical Detective - A “Who dun it” Performance Assessment for Chemistry
A “Who dun it” Performance Assessment for Chemistry & Other Chemical Displacement Activities contains four separate activities. Each can be used as a stand-alone task. Alternately, “mixing and matching” the activities is also a viable option.
In order of appearance:
Chemical Detective
This includes: 1) a practice session using displacement reactions to determine contents of solutions and 2) a performance assessment where students provide information for the police to use on suspects in a crimina
9th - 12th, Higher Education
Chemistry, Physical Science, Science
The Greenhouse Gas Collection: 3 Integrated Labs and a Performance Assessment
The four labs in The Greenhouse Gas Collection provides background and experience on how the concentration of carbon dioxide can impact the temperature of our atmosphere. Lab #1, Taking Global Warming 2-Liter-ally, emphasizes experimental design as students design and test experimental set-ups simulating various atmospheric conditions in two-liter bottles. The various designs are compared in the Apply and Synthesis questions.
Collecting and Analyzing Carbon Dioxide is Lab #2. Using baking soda a
9th - 12th, Higher Education
Earth Sciences, Environment, Science
Science Stories with a meaning: Casediba River Pollution Performance Assessment
This performance assessment on introductory acid/base chemistry uses a scenario where high school students assist in determining water pollution by acids and bases. Individual students perform pH testing of samples.
The student goal is twofold:
1. Determine which sample came from which collection point.
2. Defend their decision as to whether three factories are polluting the Casediba River.
Options are provided for both wet-lab and dry-lab procedures. The wet-lab procedures also provide choice
9th - 12th
Chemistry, Environment, Science
Periodic Table Cards & Atomic Bingo! Activities for Introducing the Elements
Two activities and a review/reinforcement “game” are included.
Students begin by producing their own Periodic Table Cards (essentially disassembled individual boxes from the PT) for each of the first twenty elements. Using those cards as tools, they explore the organization of the Periodic Table and investigate alternate organizational strategies. As additional content appears in the curriculum, additional information is added to these cards.
As often as desired, students can use their cards
8th - 11th
Chemistry, General Science, Physical Science
The Truth Is Out There (a journey into interdisciplinary space)
Good teaching in general (and the Common Core Standards) encourage/require interdisciplinary activities and lessons. Too many secondary teachers are unfamiliar with (could be read as frightened by) the concept and process.
This Engagement Explorer resource for teachers provides direction and examples for adding or increasing interdisciplinary writing in the curriculum.
The Truth Is Out There - a journey into interdisciplinary space by Dr. Chuck Downing is licensed under a Creative Commons Attri
8th - 11th
Science
CCSS
W.8.1
, W.9-10.1
, W.11-12.1
Temperature vs. Heat & Hot Stuff? Too Cool! A Discovery Activity on Temperature
This activity contains a brief discussion (Temperature vs. Heat) about the differences between the concepts of temperature and heat.
The included laboratory procedure (Hot Stuff? Too Cool!) is an open-ended investigation. Student teams use various temperatures of water and “blank” thermometers to devise their own temperature scale.
Temperature vs. Heat & Hot Stuff? Too Cool! A Discovery Activity on Temperature by Dr. Chuck Downing is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
8th - 11th
Chemistry, Earth Sciences, General Science
Acid-Base Essay - An Assessment of Acid/Base Function and Experimental Design
Good teaching in general (and the Common Core Standards and NGSS) encourage/require interdisciplinary activities and lessons. Too many secondary teachers are unfamiliar with (could be read as frightened by) the concept and process. This activity provides a scenario with a problem for students to solve by designing an experiment. Demonstrating a high level of understanding of the concepts of acids, bases, and neutralization is foundational and recorded in an essay response.
Acid-Base Essay - An
9th - 12th, Higher Education
Basic Principles, Chemistry, Science
Have it your way -- Building a piece of a robot
A Cooperative, Problem-solving, STEM-infused Activity. This is a group STEM activity that combines, cooperative decisions, research, writing, construction of a functional product, meeting deadlines, and presenting results. The Science is biology and physics. You determine the amount of Technology required. Engineering is easy to locate. Math is critical in producing the drawings to scale.
Have it your way: Building a piece of robot by Dr. Chuck Downing is licensed under a Creative Commons Attri
9th - 12th, Higher Education
Biology, Engineering, Physical Science
Have it your way -- Building a piece of a robot
A Cooperative, Problem-solving, STEM-infused Activity. This is a group STEM activity that combines, cooperative decisions, research, writing, construction of a functional product, meeting deadlines, and presenting results. The Science is biology and physics. You determine the amount of Technology required. Engineering is easy to locate. Math is critical in producing the drawings to scale.
Have it your way: Building a piece of robot by Dr. Chuck Downing is licensed under a Creative Commons Attri
9th - 12th, Higher Education
Biology, Engineering, Physical Science
Ruminating on Rubrics
This article for teachers discusses rationale for, construction of, and use of additive rubrics. This type of rubric will assist in your implementation of Common Core types of activities and assessments.
Examples are provided.
Ruminating on Rubrics by Dr. Chuck Downing is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
7th - 10th
For All Subjects, Science
Descent with Modification: Globularia amorphous
A Problem-solving Activity Demonstrating Phylagenic/Evolutionary Relationships
Students work alone or in pairs to determine phylagenic/evolutionary relationships in a group of hypothetical organisms: Globularia species. They place their decisions in the included family tree and justify those answers in the spaces provided. By Dr. Chuck Downing
Descent with Modification: Globularia amorphous by Dr. Chuck Downing is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licens
6th - 9th
Archaeology, Biology, Science
Science Stories with a Meaning: Lorel Sochet in Sanguinity-Human Circulation
The story of Lorel Sochet (an anagram for choLeSterol) provides an introduction to the human circulatory system. Major blood components are also included as anagrams—they perform their actual functions in the analogy.
Students have a three-part assignment associated with the reading. First, they must determine which blood component is represented by each character in the story using the anagram/name as a clue. Second, they determine the physiological function of that character in the human circ
9th - 12th
Anatomy, Biology, Science
Alien Biogeography
In this revision of ISLAND BIOGEOGRAPHY AND EVOLUTION: SOLVING A PHYLOGENETIC PUZZLE USING MOLECULAR GENETICS, an outstanding molecular biology activity using real DNA data, I have modified the original to remove clues students can use to find the original on the Internet. All data and questions in the original are included as is a link to that document where the key is located.
My AP Bio students had a great time working on this, without any assistance from the Internet.
10th - 12th, Higher Education
Biology, Environment, Science
The #1 Reason Why Your Students Hate Science
An eight page explanation of why your students hate science and The #1 Way You Can Change That!
The #! Reason Your Students Hate Science (and The #1 Way You Can Change That!) by Dr. Chuck Downing is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
5th - 11th
Science
Selling Science: Catalogs-3 Student-generated Catalogs to Sell Biology Concepts
Selling Science Concepts: Catalogs provides complete directions for student group production of three different catalogs where they describe invertebrate phyla, or parts of a cell or parts of a plant. Each catalog page must contain a sales pitch, accurate information, and an illustration. Detailed teacher notes are provided. These Teacher Notes include a Rubric for the Cell Catalog; sample pages for the Invertebrate Catalog; and Page Production Check Point protocol and a Peer Scoring Table for t
8th - 10th, Higher Education
Biology, Science
4 Academic Skills Students Need & One Strategy YOU Can Employ to Help Build Them
There are four academic strategies that are, in some combination or iteration, common to all successfully implemented, long-lasting educational reforms.
1. Communication
2. Collaboration
3. Creativity
4. Critical Thinking
This report focuses on defining and describing each of those academic skills and providing one strategy you can use, as a teacher or parent, with your students for each academic skill to encourage building—use of and improvement in—each skill.
Not Specific
For All Subjects
![Preview of Infusing (Critical) Thinking Into [Science] Lessons](https://ecdn.teacherspayteachers.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=avif,quality=70,width=525,height=525,onerror=redirect/thumbitem/Infusing-Critical-Thinking-Into-Science-Lessons-1731505-1657560689/750f-1731505-1.jpg)
Infusing (Critical) Thinking Into [Science] Lessons
Originally written in 1996 and targeted primarily at science classrooms, this revised article explains why critical thinking is important in all classrooms. Teachers of all grades and content areas will find tips to help them help students become better critical thinkers.
In addition to describing factors involved in the critical thinking process, it discusses why each aspect of critical thinking must be addressed for a successful implementation. Also included are examples of activities--and s
Not Specific
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About the store
Experience
I have 31 years of experience teaching high school biology, AP Biology, and integrated science.
I have eight years of experience teaching General Education Biology at Point Loma Nazarene University.
Teaching style
Students in my classes think. I provide guidelines and they do the work they need to do to learn.
Awards & shining teacher moments
San Diego County Teacher of the Year
Christa McAuliffe Fellowship
Presidential Award for Science and Mathematics Teaching
My own education history
B.S. in Biological Sciences - San Diego State University
MA in Education - University of Redlands
Ph.D. in Science Education - Walden University
Additional biographical information
I have six lab/activity products marketed by Science Kit and Wards Biology.
I have two lab/activity books (Cranial Creations) published by J. Weson Walch, Publishers.
People's Education publishes: AP* Biology: Inquiry-Based Lab Investigations and Activities with Critical Thinking and Writing Skills.
My first Science Fiction novel, "Traveler's HOTL," is published by Koehler Books.
I am married with two outstanding sons and one adorable granddaughter.
I retired from full-time teaching in June of 2012.
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