HoB directory for natural science ...
- Professional development tools for educators
- Investigation - Activities and teacher plans for investigations: listed by categories
- Knowledge base - Lists of concept & misconceptions by five dimensions of science
- Misconceptions, naive ideas, perceptual responses are in the knowledge base by dimensions
- Health resources
- Science, Math, & Technology Timeline
Articles of interest
* Lola Way K-8 science curriculum 1947 historical document
Science Trivia
- What mass would a gram of Iron have if it were completely rusted?
- In what motion picture did the train engineer ask. "Is this a hold up?" and was answered with: "No, It's a science experiment."
News Briefs
Jeffrey Weld
Why is it that whenever students don't do well on a test or on particular items on a test that national news agencies that report the questions (NPR for one) not only give the questions, but feel it is necessary to provide the answers. If their listeners need the answer, why should we expect students to be able to answer it correctly?
The sex of terrapins is determined by the temperature of the egg during its incubation. A warm temperature creates females and cooler males.
Trivia answers:
3 grams, 4Fe + 3O2 + 6H2O → 4Fe(OH)3.
Back to the Future
Professional development tools for educators
Science is important for the education of all, however, it is not the only purpose of education. It is important connections between overall education and science education are strong, if we are to achieve the best outcomes for our learners. While there are many connections to the following tools, more comprehensive non specific science information is located in the pedagogy section.
Science & science education
- Essay Thinking about Science Education - Clyde Freeman Herreid
- Science books & articles for professional development - annotated list
- Principled procedures to guide decision making
Intended learnings
Nature of science
An overview of the nature of science is illustrated in the map, near by. The articles below explore it and its different dimensions in different ways. Enjoy!
- What is science, science literacy, nature of science (NOS) - what professional educators need to know about science. Definitioins of science, questions for NOS, discussion of NOS questions, anxiety survey with suggestions.
- When teachers talk about inquiry they are usually refering to one of three kinds of inquiry. Review the three kinds in the overview.
- Personal relationship to science - Personal science exploration story
- Personal relationship to science and technology - MacCready article
- See also unpacking science
- Process of profesional development for science educators
- Science for All Children -bebook on line at the National Academies Press
- Visualization
Learners - development of scientific literacy as intended learning
- Learning theory
- Learning theory & human development
- Teaching for Conceptual Change - Kappan article
- Fish is Fish - picture book and how people learn
- Physical Skills Necessary for Exploration
- Words to describe observations through all senses
- Development & recognition of science talent
- Frequently asked science interview questions FAC's
- Private Universe - 4 video series on construction of science ideas, video access & study sheets
Planning
Unpacking intended learnings for science literacy
Tools to identify big ideas, generalizations, standards, benchmarks, concepts, facts ...
- Concept measurement unpacked
- Concept science inquiry unpacked
- Concept matter unpacked
- Mapping the unified processes into content areas - electricity, seeds, matter and solutions blank,
Unpacking to combine contectual areas
Planning that brings together intended learnings & educational strategies
- Research and applications for planning Environmental education ideas, lessons, units, & curriculum elements
- Framework with category explanations to plan
- Blank framework
- Framework for Sound
- Framework for Classification
- Creation of concept map across grade levels (K-8) for magnetism, unpacking standards, connecting concepts to child's understanding and outcomes
- Sample planning map for internal combustion four cycle engine
- Inquiry - describes range of inquiry empowerment as combinations of teacher - student centered & relates them to different instructional methods. Also includes samples of instruction for seven combinations.
Instructional methods & models, & strategies to faciliate science literacy
General teaching model ------- General Planning - pedagogy page.
Inductive teaching model -
- Learning procedure & cycle of learning
- Variables for learning
- Explanations for learner's thinking as naive understandings or misconceptions
- Video of traditonal electrical circuit Learning Cycle lesson
- Teaching Syntax, Models, Strategies, & Procedures
- Learning cycle - As an Instructional Theory
- Learning cycle - Relative to a constructivist learning theory
- Learning cycles - Five different with instructional and learning theory notes
- Learning cycle - who does what? students or teacher?
- Learning cycle lesson summaries to review and make suggestions to improve as hands on and constructivists
- Support for | facts concepts and generalizations || Disequlibration | standards concepts outcomes |
- Questioning srategies
- Direct instruction procedure
- Cooperative learning resources
- Article comparing direct instruction and the learning cycle
Plans & materials to guide teaching & learning
The Investigations page has lists of activities, lessons, unit, & packets for to facilitate science literacy. Resources below are provided for planning and professional development.
Sample plans
Assorted planning resources
- Challenges also includes Projects & Challenges for Project based learning (PBL) &
Challenge based learning (CBL) - Discrepant Events
- Learning about Acid Rain. A Teacher's Guide
- Teacher guide for evolution - Source - Project 2061 AAAS
- A study finds exposure to more comprehensive evolution teaching improved the probability of accepting evolution in adulthood, but did not affect political beliefs or religiosity. It also increased the probability of working in the life sciences as an adult. Source
- Format for an evidence based argument
- Data analysis, variables, relationships, and graphing notes (line graphs)
- Groups and self evaluation sample .
- Rubrics and scoring guides.
Safety resources
- Science fairs - Judging suggestions, scoring guide construction suggestions, & sample investigation scoring guide / rubric.
- Science career related information - List of Science Careers -
- Interview Questions for Scientists
- Scientists - List of Scientists - Scientist MacCready photos to go with his story .
- Standards documents
Year curriculums
* Lola Way K-8 science curriculum 1947 historical document
- Parts and pieces for yearly curriculums
Assessment
Assessment and evaluation tool
- General assesment tool box
- Inquiry & investigation scoring guides and rubrics
- Instructional Indicators Lesson Planning Check List
- Evaluation simulation - includes assessment scenario with assessment and simulated student assessments to evaluate
- Assorted scoring guides and rubrics
Instructional assessment to evaluate instruction or facilitation of student learning
- Teaching science assessment and reflection suggestions on instructional practices
- Inquiry student observation based
- Inquiry environmental observation based
- Inquiry teacher observation based
Other Instructional Information
- Professional Development: Technology - Using the computer for: photos, audio, and video --->>> directions and tutorials...
Advocacy for Freedom of Information
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