Science Teaching Resources

1
Science Teaching Resources

• Curriculum and Methods in Elementary Education
  ELED 426

2
Learning Objectives

• Identify available curriculum packages and
  materials
• Identify professional educational resources
• Identify state, national, and special-interest
  resources
• Apply knowledge of materials to make appropriate
  curricular choices

3
Research Support

• Outperforms students in textbook-based classrooms
  (Shymansky, 1990)
• Lead to statistically significant improvements in
• process skills
• student attitudes
• creative skills
• questioning skills
• hypothesizing, prediction, and application

4
SAPA Science A Process Approach

• Elementary Curriculum
• NSF-funded
• Organized through American Association for the
  Advancement of Science

5
SAPA Instructional Framework

• Focuses student experiences on the attainment of
  knowledge consistent with how scientists acquire
  knowledge. This is attained by an instructional
  focus on process skills
• Basic observing, communicating, classifying,
  measuring, using numbers, space-time relations,
  inferences, predicting
• Advanced formulating hypotheses, defining
  operationally, controlling variables,
  experimenting, formulating models and
  interpreting data

6
SAPA Process skill approach

• Gagné hierarchical structure for process skills
• students must master basic skills before
  progressing
• Hierarchical approach informed development of
  program

7
SAPA Structure of program

• Sequence of behavioral objectives for K-6
  students
• Objectives used to develop understanding of
  process skills
• Highly structured (see chart for reference)
• "Teachers are encouraged to follow suggested
  procedures closelyin order to avoid subversion
  of the instructional goals" (Hurd Gallagher,
  1968)

8
SAPA Content knowledge

• Major coverage social and behavioral sciences,
  including physics, biology, chemistry
• Minor coverage earth sciences and astronomy
• Mathematics, when appropriate (AAAS, 1971)

9
SAPA Other elements of program

• Elements of program
• Materials available in kit form and from local
  sources (e.g., hardware stores)
• Teacher support materials, activity sheets for
  students
• Instructional elements
• Individual Lessons objectives, rationale,
  materials, initiating activity, and procedures
• Units generalizing experience and appraisal

10
SCIS Science Curriculum Improvement Study

• Background and Social Milieu
• University of California, Berkeley (1961)
• Robert Karplus
• Early 1960s
• NSF funded
• Modeled scientific inquiry, consistent with
  previously developed HS science programs
• Designed to produce more scientists

11
SCIS Foundations in Learning Theory

• Based on learning theories advocated by Piaget,
  e.g.,
• direct experience,
• developmentally appropriate actvities,
• sequential delivery of experiences

12
SCIS Key Element The Learning Cycle

• Stage I Concrete Experience
• Stage II Observation and Reflection
• Stage III Concept Formation
• Stage IV Testing Implications in New Situations

13
SCIS Current Classroom Applications

• Still in production through Delta Education
• Currently available as SCIS 3
• Materials available
• Teacher's Guide
• Materials Live Organisms
• Student Journals
• Student Readings
• Assessment Packets
• Printed Materials

14
ESS Elementary School Science

• Not a curriculum per se
• Over 50 non-sequential activities
• Open-ended/open-inquiry activities
• Not grade level specific
• Designed to avoid formal lectures
• Materials available worksheets, workbooks,
  manipulatives, teachers guides
• Available through Delta Education as Delta
  Science Modules

15
FOSS Full Option Science Series

• Inquiry-based, collaborative learning program
• Developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science,
  University of California, Berkeley
• Its modular design (27 modules) provides
  versatility for use in many different classroom
  settings.

16
FOSS Full Option Science Series

• Current components
• Multimedia extensions
• Manipulatives
• Assessment instruments
• Student readers
• Available through Delta Education
• Links
• http//www.fossweb.com/
• http//lhsfoss.org/

17
AIMS Activities Integrating Math and Science

• Activities are comprehensive--focused on the
  integration of math, science and technology
  skills
• Teacher guide
• Hands on activities using readily available
  materials
• Developmentally appropriate

18
AIMS Activities Integrating Math and Science

• Magazine available
• Workshops available
• Link
• http//www.aimsedu.org/

19
GEMS Great Explorations in Math and Science

• GEMS units use accessible everyday materials
• Designed for teachers with limited background in
  math and/or science.
• Features a "guided discovery" inquiry-based
  approach

20
GEMS Great Explorations in Math and Science

• GEMS units can stand alone or can be combined to
  construct year-long curricula.
• Nearly 70 teacher's guides and handbooks
• Resources
• GEMS Network
• Workshops
• Link
• http//www.lhsgems.org/

21
Resources

• National Science Teachers Association
• http//www.ista-il.org
• http//www.nsta.org
• State, Regional, and National Conferences
• State Department of Natural Resources
• http//dnr.state.il.us/
• Federal agencies, e.g., Fermilab, Argonne
• http//www-ed.fnal.gov/ed_home.html
• http//www.anl.gov/

22
Perioidcals

• Science and Children
• Science Scope
• Science Activities
• AIMS Magazine
• National Geographic
• National Wildlife Federation
• Ranger Ricks Nature Scope

23
Resources

• AAAS Commission on Science Education. (1971). The
  AAAS Project Science--A Process Approach. In
  Victor, E. Lerner, M.S. (editors). (pp.
  451-462). Readings in science education for the
  elementary school. New York Macmillan
• Delta Education. (2002). SCIS 3. online.
  Retrieved on April 1, 2003 from
  http//www.delta-education.com/teachers/science/
  scis.html
• Hurd, P.D. Gallagher. J.J. (1968). New
  directions in elementary science teaching.
  Belmont, CA Wadsworth.
• Karplus, R. Their, H.D. (1969). A new look at
  elementary school science. Chicago Rand McNally.
• Karplus, R. Their, H.D. (1971). SCIS The
  Science Curriculum Improvement Study. In Victor,
  E. Lerner, M.S. (editors). (pp. 468-479).
  Readings in science education for the elementary
  school. New York Macmillan
• Shymansky, J. A. (1990). A Reassessment of the
  Effects of Inquiry-Based Science Curricula of the
  60's on Student Performance. Journal of Research
  in Science Teaching, 27(2),127-144