What is Science?
During the first few weeks of science this semester we spent much of our time hashing out the real meaning of science and how it applies to the elementary classroom. We began to uncover our own misconceptions about science and how that plays a critical role in how we teach our students science in our own classrooms. It is because of these conversations and readings I was able to begin to unveil what teaching science actually is in context. What I believe science is the connection from real world experiences into content and establishing that both play on one another. Its investigating into the world to better understand and learn from our own observations.
My Teaching Science Philosophy!
I believe it is the role of the teacher to actively engage students in learning science through the process of inquiry and investigation into the real world. In Martin Wenham and Peter Oven's book, "Understanding Primary Science" it says that "One of the joys (and challenges) of investigative teaching of science is that we never know what children may ask, what they might think, what words and expressions they may use, or what ‘funny’ ideas they may have." Student thinking is so crucial in teaching science, when using investigation and inquiry in science while the teacher has the say in what content is being taught the students should be given time to inquire into the real world implications of the content. Students reveal the misconceptions they have when they're given the time to express their thoughts and air out what is going on in their brains. When teachers take the time to elicit student thinking, it can help to guide lessons to where students will be the most engaged as well as helping teachers to help pinpoint the start of misconceptions.
Five Goals of Teaching Science!
Goal 1: Students will plan and participate in science lessons/activities appropriate for the developmental talents of children.
Throughout this Fall semester, we engaged in activities in which we "de-cookbooked" cookie cutter science lessons and then later in the semester used the lesson plan temple such as the 5 E's to plan and implement lessons within our internship classroom. Also during the semester we learned about the Nature of Science and how those determine whether or not you are actually teaching science. It was through these experiences that I came to understanding of what a meaningful science experience looks like. Below is my "de-cookbooking" a science lesson to allow it to be better suited for student learning and to allow for connections to be consciously made to the nature of science standards.
Throughout this Fall semester, we engaged in activities in which we "de-cookbooked" cookie cutter science lessons and then later in the semester used the lesson plan temple such as the 5 E's to plan and implement lessons within our internship classroom. Also during the semester we learned about the Nature of Science and how those determine whether or not you are actually teaching science. It was through these experiences that I came to understanding of what a meaningful science experience looks like. Below is my "de-cookbooking" a science lesson to allow it to be better suited for student learning and to allow for connections to be consciously made to the nature of science standards.
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Goal 2: Students will choose appropriate strategies, grouping arrangements, resource materials and visual displays for learning science.
Since the first day of school, my collaborating teacher and I have been using science notebooks for students to track their thinking and also to connect to the Nature of Science idea that science demands evidence. We use our observations to learn and then track that learning in our notebooks. Our students track their thinking for when we are investigating a topic such as the sense of touch using a feather, the students keep the data in their notebook so they can look back on things we've done before or so when we met with parents the students can show the parents what they've learned thus far in the school year. It is also important to keep things in the chronological order that we've studied them in so students can see how their learning has changed over the time of school year. We also have a spot in the classroom where anchor charts are posted for content or for when we are doing a long term investigation such as the pumpkin decomposing data chart below. Students have assess to the long term investigation at all times, they use their science notebooks to track their observations and at the end they'll look over their data to see if they can see any patterns.
Since the first day of school, my collaborating teacher and I have been using science notebooks for students to track their thinking and also to connect to the Nature of Science idea that science demands evidence. We use our observations to learn and then track that learning in our notebooks. Our students track their thinking for when we are investigating a topic such as the sense of touch using a feather, the students keep the data in their notebook so they can look back on things we've done before or so when we met with parents the students can show the parents what they've learned thus far in the school year. It is also important to keep things in the chronological order that we've studied them in so students can see how their learning has changed over the time of school year. We also have a spot in the classroom where anchor charts are posted for content or for when we are doing a long term investigation such as the pumpkin decomposing data chart below. Students have assess to the long term investigation at all times, they use their science notebooks to track their observations and at the end they'll look over their data to see if they can see any patterns.
Goal 3: Examine the nature of scientific inquiry through modeling hands-on, minds-on activities that foster scientific “habits of mind” and promote scientific literacy.
The document shows my STEM lesson, even though it has an emphasis on mathematics, the students were engaged in a hands-on activity that engaged them in the nature of science idea that science is a blend of logic and imagination. The students had to use their imagination to create the blueprints in there own ways and then they had to use logic to ensure that the model suited the purpose of the request for proposal. The students were asked to create blueprints as well as models of containers that would be used to hold the vegetables produced in our garden.
The document shows my STEM lesson, even though it has an emphasis on mathematics, the students were engaged in a hands-on activity that engaged them in the nature of science idea that science is a blend of logic and imagination. The students had to use their imagination to create the blueprints in there own ways and then they had to use logic to ensure that the model suited the purpose of the request for proposal. The students were asked to create blueprints as well as models of containers that would be used to hold the vegetables produced in our garden.
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Goal 4: Students will develop assessment strategies related to student outcomes in science.
During science class, we did many activities where we used hands on, minds on to better engage our learning on content as well as our own teaching practices. In the first few weeks of class, we did a worksheet on science or not science which required us to critically think about whether or not something was really science or not. Below is a picture on what I considered to be science before the lesson I would have said that some of the activities would make for wonderful science activities, after the lesson I was left realizing that science is so much more than just going outside or noticing something. In the picture of the water cycle, (purple was my thinking pre-lesson, red was how my thinking had changed.) you can see how my thinking really shifted after having learned about the water system (Water System = Better word for the water cycle). Both activities were wonderful ways to assess how well students did with content and to see if thinking had shifted into something different.
During science class, we did many activities where we used hands on, minds on to better engage our learning on content as well as our own teaching practices. In the first few weeks of class, we did a worksheet on science or not science which required us to critically think about whether or not something was really science or not. Below is a picture on what I considered to be science before the lesson I would have said that some of the activities would make for wonderful science activities, after the lesson I was left realizing that science is so much more than just going outside or noticing something. In the picture of the water cycle, (purple was my thinking pre-lesson, red was how my thinking had changed.) you can see how my thinking really shifted after having learned about the water system (Water System = Better word for the water cycle). Both activities were wonderful ways to assess how well students did with content and to see if thinking had shifted into something different.
Goal 5: Students will demonstrate the capacity for collegiality, reflective practice, and professional growth in regard to science teaching.
Throughout the semester, we are asked to blog or reflect upon our teaching practices within our classroom. As the semester progressed and we began to learn more about what science should look like within a elementary classroom, I began to find myself becoming more and more reflective upon myself as a science teacher. Linked below are all of my reflective posts about the readings and my how they connected into my classroom.
http://marissabrookes.weebly.com/blog-posts/category/sce
http://marissabrookes.weebly.com/blog-posts/category/sce