Bonus Blog # 4

Choose a standard and write one good essential question for a lesson or unit based on that standard

S5L4 Students will relate how microorganisms benefit or harm larger organisms
a. Identify beneficial microorganisms and explain why they are beneficial
b. Identify harmful microorganisms and explain why they are harmful

Essential Question for the Unit:

How has increased knowledge and discovery of microorganisms improved the quality of our lives today?

Module # 8

The Value of Science Education at the Pre-Kindergarten Level

Article 1: Fearless Science in the Early Years: Co-Construction in a Rural Childcare Centre by Barbara Jordan and Sue Smorti

This article is about an action research project that took place in a childcare centre in New Zealand, with students from three to five years of age. The children are seen as competent scientists, and are encouraged at home and at school to investigate the world around them, and to develop a mature understanding of the concepts and language connected to science. The central question of the research study undertaken by the authors was "How does our fearless teaching and learning approach to science, in a rural early childhood setting, involve children and their families in investigating real life (authentic) science experiences?" This fearlessness was evident through children's willingness to interact with the natural world around them, such as handling worms, tadpoles, snails and slime, and looking at animal carcasses. The authors give several examples of children's involvement in their environment, and how this led to increasing knowledge of scientific concepts. One example is a two and a half year old girl who took home a small worm farm for a weekend, and was able to explain to her parents about where the worms live, what they eat,and how they benefit the environment. She also used words such as "habitat" in her explanations. The authors stress the importance of dialogue between teachers and children, and also that teachers need to have appropriate content knowledge if their students are to become enthusiastic about science. This is an area where many pre-school teachers feel they are lacking, and so they tend not to include science in the daily curriculum. The authors of this article feel strongly that people will develop a life-long respect for and understanding of science and the environment, if they are exposed to science in a meaningful way in early childhood.

Reflection

I found this article to be very interesting and encouraging in terms of the future of science education. I had not thought that such young children would be able to grasp science concepts, and also wondered about the ability of teachers trained for pre-school, to teach science. This article really made me realize that my thinking was incorrect on both counts. Teachers can develop the knowledge and confidence with which to guide young children, while they explore their world and ask questions. The authors point out that the fearless approach which young children have towards the natural world, pre-disposes them to experiences that they may not be open to as they grow older. They also stress the importance of interaction with teachers and parents, to extend children's learning and help them make connections. The response of teachers to children's natural curiosity would require them to research topics which may be discussed, so as to be able to guide children in a knowledgable way.
I liked the examples given in this article of situations in which students have used their own questions about the world around them,to develop scientific language and learning. This makes me think of the constructivist approach to learning, where children bring their questions and background knowledge, and through questions and prompts, build upon this knowledge. As children are interested in their immediate environment, the knowledge they build will be highly relevant to them. I think that these lessons can be extended to our elementary teaching, where children are encouraged to be observant and question the world around them. As the authors of the article point out, this can form the basis for a lifetime of learning.


Article 2:Using Children's Literature to Teach Standards-Based Science Concepts in Early Years by Mesut Sackes, Kathy Cabe Trundle, and Lucia M. Flevares

The authors of this article investigated the use of literature to introduce science concepts to young children. Young children tend to respond well to information presented in narrative form, and so using literature to teach science could help make concepts more meaningful to children. The authors caution that there are many aspects of children's books that teachers need to be aware of- many children's stories include anthropomorphism, giving human characteristics to animals. Also, language and illustrations in some children's books may be a source of misconceptions, such as pictures showing the moon "coming out" at night. They feel that if students are encouraged to ask questions and talk about the content of books, that literature can be used successfully in teaching science concepts. The article gives specific books that can be used with students aged from three to five years of age, their applications, and the misconceptions that may arise. Teachers are offered advise on how to overcome the limitations of the books. To help teachers find books that have scientifically sound ideas and illustrations, the authors focused on identifying books that are compatible with many state standards and can be thought of as appropriate for teaching science to young children. They suggest that when choosing books, the teacher should consider the science background of the author and illustrator, or those that were written with the guidance of science consultants. The authors conclude that literature can provide an opportunity to integrate science concepts into meaningful learning experiences for young children.

Reflection:

I have often used narratives with social studies, but had not thought of using stories for science integration, especially for young children. I agree with the authors that care would need to be taken so that children did not mistake fact and fiction. This may be especially true of many of the illustrations in books for young children, in which animals not only talk but often take on human-like expressions and actions. Teachers would need to be careful not to use books that are too factual, as these many be too advanced for young children. Having said that, in my experience with young children, I find that they are often fascinated by non-fiction books, especially those with compelling and supporting illustrations. But the narrative in literature is likely to be far more captivating for most children, and spark their interest and desire to know more. One book that comes to mind is the story of Stellaluna, by Janell Cannon. This is a highly engaging story about a bat who loses its mother, and finds a home with birds. This story could lead to looking at the differences between bats and birds, how they live, what they eat, as these aspects are touched on in the story. The illustrations are true to life as well. The list of books provided by the authors is a useful starting point for teachers, and will help them to develop confidence in moving forward with science and literature integration. I like the idea and would think of doing this with older students as well.

References:

Jordan, B. et al., (2010). Fearless Science in the Early Years: Co-Construction in a Rural Childcare Centre. The International Journal of Science in Society. 1 (4), 85-104.

Sackes, M. et al., (2009). Using Children's Literature to Teach Standards-Based Science Concepts in Early Years. Early Childhood Education.36: 415-422

Module 7

Module 7

• Do you think any of your teachers used backward design to plan instruction? Why or why not?

         One of my clearest memories from elementary science is when our teacher demonstrated the idea of saturation. In the morning, she filled a glass with water, and added a spoonful of sugar to it and stirred it. She continued doing this throughout the day, all through our other lessons. For as long as the newly added sugar dissolved, she added more sugar to the solution. Eventually towards the end of the day, no more sugar would dissolve, and she pronounced the solution to be saturated. I've never forgotten the concept as you see! I think this was a great example of backward design, as our teacher wanted us to understand a "big" idea, and thought about a learning activity that be appropriate. We as students were able to fully grasp (and remember) what she taught.
       Unfortunately, I don't remember any other examples of this type of teaching, so I would say that in general, our elementary school teachers did not use backward design. Rather, they used a textbook and notes to tell us what we needed to know.
       I went to school in South Africa, where we went from elementary school to high school. We had a well equipped science lab in high school, but the experiments we carried out were prescribed and we were told from the outset what we should be finding. In this way, could this be considered backward design? The teacher knew what he wanted us to learn, and although he didn't use inquiry based learning, he did have the end in mind. In terms of assessments, we had to hand in lab reports, which were summaries of the day's activities, including data. We did not reflect on learning and I never remember the use of rubrics. Apart from the lab, we had lectures and took notes, which resulted in a test at the end of a unit. I remember extensive use of our science textbook, and practicing problems based on formulae.
        In general then, I don't think that backward design was used by my teachers, but I do remember learning about some concepts in physics and chemistry that were very interesting and well taught.

Module # 6

Module 6

Article # 5

Bringing the Real World of Science to Children: A Partnership of The American Museum of Natural History and the City University of New York by Anthony G. Picciano

Synthesis:

   The article begins by explaining the rationale behind the partnership; the need to improve the way teachers are trained and students are taught. Data shows that many rural and urban schools lack qualified teachers and adequate resources, especially in subjects like math, science, and technology.
   One of the more successful projects resulting from this partnership, is the Seminar on Science (SoS). The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), made its vast resources available through online programs, to develop teacher education and provide access to cutting edge reseach. Because these resources are available to teachers across the United States and all around the world, the program has been highly effective in improving the quality of instruction, as well as the resources needed to deliver instruction effectively.
   The goal of the SoS is to continue to prepare, retain, and sustain enough qualified science teachers to ensure an adequate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) workforce, as well as a scientifically literate public.
   The model was evaluated by Inverness Research Associates in California, and found that the majority of teacher participants reported that they had improved content knowledge, that their students were more able to connect science in school to the real world, and that their students' understanding of inquiry based science was improved.
   The AMNH has since expanded its partnerships to include institutions such as the Nova Southeastern University, and the International Baccalaureate Organization. Some of the chllanges of the partnership have been financial constraints and the long term sustainability of the programs. However, in terms of meeting the need for access to current thinking and practicing experts this program has proved to be beneficial to teachers in all schools.

Reflection:

   The need for qualified teachers is discussed as a major problem in rural and inner city schools, where teacher turn- over tends to be greater, and resources fewer. I think the need for qualified teachers goes beyond this, and is a problem even in schools that are perceived to be priveleged. I thought about my own school, which could be considered somewhere "in-between", neither wealthy nor very needy. However,while the teachers in our school are hard working and well meaning, I can see that having access to the expertise as described in the article would be highly beneficial to all of us. I decided to find the courses described in the article, and see whether they are available to us. They are, but at a cost of $495.00 per course, with a $25.00  registration fee. I thought about the practicality of this. If one teacher was to do a course, she could redeliver the material to her colleagues, but it wasn't clear as to how accessible all the resources would be. This means that schools or teachers would be required to pay a fairly significant amount of money to get the benefit of these courses.
   Another factor I thought about in terms of professional development, is the need for teachers to have modeling and ongoing mentorship, in order to implement new standards and methods of teaching students. I love the inquiry based and problem solving methods of teaching we have read about, but feel I would need some guidance to feel really confident about the direction I was taking. I also would need to develop my own resources. It seems to me that we need more partnerships, perhaps with local universities, such as the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the University of Georgia. Involvement with these institutions of higher learning, could provide teachers with hands on learning and ongoing mentorship.
   While I think the partnerships and programs started by the AMNH are wonderful, I would like to see something closer to home which is more readily available to teachers, and which might provide us with the guidance we need to truly change the way science education looks in the elementary classroom.

References:
Picciano, A.G. (2008). Bringing the Real World of Science to Children: A Partnership of the American Museum of Natural History and the City University of New York. Journal Of Asynchrounous Learning Networks, 12 (1), 69-84.

Student Profile

Student 1:   

• Male-not much parental support, typically doesn't complete homework, non-conformist.                                                                                      
• Has a Concrete Learning style (Gregorc)
• Intuitive, enjoys finding alternative ways of solving problems
• Has logical/ mathematical intelligence
• Is a low reader and writer

Activities:

• build models to demonstrate understanding
• provide choices for assignments, include opportunties to draw and solve problems
• Find unique ways to solve a problem
• Use technology to solve problems and research concepts

Student 2:

• Female, Mexican, supportive home environment, but parents don't speak English
• Imaginitive, artistic
• Looks at the whole rather than parts
• A people -person, emotional, operates well in humanities and liberal arts
• Organized information through sharing and discussing (Gregorc)
• English Language Learner

Activities:

• Make posters or diagrams to explain concepts
• Collaborate to create presentations
• Create mini-books or posters to show understanding, or as a means of assessment.

Student 3:

• Male
• Poor retentive memory
• Reading ,writing disability- reads at 1st grade level
• Verbally proficient, can reason and answer questions verbally
• Has spatial intelligence
• Parents "over support", tend to do homework and projects for him.

Activities:

• Illustrations, drawings and maps are easier for him to interpret
• Use graphs and graphic organizers
• Student needs to manipulate materials, use technology for assessments and to demonstrate understanding

Student 4:

• Female, ELL, has been in the US for a year.
• Has little English, but highly motivated, hard working and intelligent
• Has logical and mathematical intelligence

Activities:

• Conducting expaeriments, inquiry based learning, and presenting findings in a mini-book, diagrams, brochures
• Extensive use of technology for research, and to present findings
• Needs background and vocabulary preteaching

Student 5:

• Male, hispanic, good home environment, no English spoken at home
• Practical, logical, mathematical thinker
• Challenges in speaking and writing

Activities:

• Use diagrams, concept maps flow charts to explain concepts and take notes
• Collaborate with others to create group presentations
• Use graphs, tables, charts to represent data
• Conduct experiments, inquiry based learning

Student 6:

• Male, severe reading disability, problems with math problem solving
• Poor retentive memory
• Good support from home
• Bodily kinesthetic intelligence- highly athletic

Activities:

• Learns best through realia, field trips, hands on activities and experiments
• demonstrate understanding through role play, puppets, creating models.

Student 7:

• Male, strong support from home
• Speech disability, transfers to poor writing
• Mathematical and logical intelligence

Activities:

• Use problem solving, practical inquiry and problem solving situations
• Use graphs, diagrams, brochures, technology for assessments
• Avoid presentations in front of whole class

Student 8:

• Male, unstable home life
• Logical  and mathematical thinker, also a strong reader and writer
•  Emotional Behavior Disorder

Activities:

• Needs a quiet, highly structured environment
• Needs to be kept busy with his hands, as well as to be mentally stimulated
• Create songs, raps, and poems connected to science concepts
• Express ideas thriugh role play, movement, dance

Student 9:

• Female, in Advanced Learning Program
• Strong home support
• Strengths in logical and mathematical thinking, and also linguistic thinking

Activities:

• Exploring probability
• inquiry based learning and problem solving
• research and report writing

Student 10:

• Male, mother works overseas, father doesn't speak English
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Linguistic intelligence
• poor logical mathematical ability

Activities:

• write short summaries on science concepts, use flow charts and diagrams
• highlight key ideas in notes
• use technology to do research and review concepts

Reflection:

   Gregory and Hammerman state that "students and their life histories should be placed at the center of the teaching and learning process, and that pedagogy should occur in a context that is familiar to students and that addresses multiple ways of thinking". (p. 25)
   Looking at the list of students in my class, there is a wide range of abilities and cultures, levels of English proficiency, and learning and thinking styles. How do I begin to ensure that each child is learning in a way that makes sense to them, and enables them to construct meaning from their learning? This is a daunting task, but there are ways to overcome it. Choice can be provided in the way that students acquire knowledge; this could include reading text, doing hands-on activities, using technology, or using flow charts and concept maps. Assessment can also be geared towards ensuring that students use their strengths to show what they know about a concept. How do we accommodate students from different cultures? We could include important scientists and scientific discoveries from other cultures, to affirm the contribution that all cultures have made to the world of science.
   Knowing about a student's cultural background could also help to explain attitudes to the subject. In some cultures, girls may be seen as "not being good" at science and math. Also, if a student comes from a background where parents are not academically inclined, or have little education, the expectation from home may be low. It would be the teacher's responsibility to create a classroom environment where all students feel they have the ability to achieve success.
   Students who have difficulties in terms of language proficiency may need to have basic vocabulary, beyond that of the standards, explained to them. For example, if a lesson asks students to observe, the students may not quite understand what this means.
   I believe that teachers need to have a thorough knowledge of students' backgrounds, as this helps her to plan lessons and activities that will be relevant and meaningful to all students.