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Elementary School STEM Activities for Kids

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Elementary School STEM Activities for Kids

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Elementary School STEM Activities for Kids

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Science Buddies’ elementary school science projects are the perfect way for elementary school students to have fun exploring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Our elementary school projects are written and tested by scientists and are specifically created for use by students…

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Give the gift of wonder and discovery | KiwiCo

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We have projects for every age and interest! Choose between a monthly, 3-, 6-, or 12-month plan. Switch lines, pause, or cancel anytime. Each crate includes everything needed for screen-free, hands-on enrichment. Choose a subscription! All ages 0-5 5-9 9-12 12+ Explore projects, gifts, and birthday party activities for kids of all ages - no subscription needed!

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Science Buddies' elementary school science projects are the perfect way for elementary school students to have fun exploring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Our elementary school projects are written and tested by scientists and are specifically created for use by students in the elementary school grades. Students can choose to follow the science experiment as written or put their own spin on the project.

For a personalized list of science projects, elementary schoolers can use the Science Buddies Topic Selection Wizard. The wizard asks students to respond to a series of simple statements and then uses their answers to recommend age-appropriate projects that fit their interests.

Explore Our Science Videos

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Science Buddies' elementary school science projects are the perfect way for elementary school students to have fun exploring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Our elementary school projects are written and tested by scientists and are specifically created for use by students in the elementary school grades.

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If kids have a favorite question, it's probably 'Why?" Make science fun and exciting for your students by encouraging their natural curiosity about the world and teaching them how to find answers for themselves. After all, much of science is investigating 'why':

Why does a caterpillar form a chrysalis? Why do leaves have veins? Why do some paper airplanes fly better than others? Like scientists, kids can sharpen their observation skills and learn to make and test hypotheses to uncover the answers. Here are ideas to get students started exploring science and finding out 'why':

Make It Fizz.

Do exciting chemistry demonstrations with colorful and fizzy reactions that encourage class discussion! Go beyond a typical vinegar-and-baking-soda foaming experiment. Help elementary-age children make non-toxic polymer slime or homemade bouncy balls. Younger and older students would enjoy investigating the unique properties of thermo-chromatic, non-Newtonian Thinking Putty.

Find Out How Things Work.

Whether they want to be engineers or not, most kids are fascinated by how things work. To discover the scientific principles behind everyday technology, study such famous inventors as Thomas Edison and then do projects showing how their inventions work!You can also help students demonstrate physics principles using household items: Can they figure out how to build a bridge out of popsicle sticks or even create a miniature roller coaster Or perhaps they'd have a blast building a balloon rocket car from a recycled water bottle.?

Explore Technology & Renewable Energy.

With gas prices going up and down, now is a good time to get your junior high & high school students thinking about alternative and renewable energy sources, which could be fueling their futures. Get a complete kit to make your own Power House with solar, wind, electrochemical, and plant energy sources. The kit comes with a lab manual and provides enough activities for a semester of science.Just need some quick solar energy projects instead? Help your students build a solar oven or make a solar water purifier.

Watch It Grow.

How does a chick hatch? Are insects different as larvae than as adults? Do plants really sprout from tiny seeds? Students can find out by observing the fascinating development process of animals and plants! Ladybugs, butterflies, quail, and tadpoles all have unique life cycles that are easy to study in the classroom.To study plants with elementary students, Dunecraft plant kits are a good choice - these mini-greenhouse designs keep moisture in and help plants grow quickly. Or engage your students by building a terrarium. Either way, enjoy watching the whole process from seed to mature plant and herbs!

Let's Be Practical.

What everyday issues affect - and interest - your students? From glow-in-the-dark germ demonstrations that can lead to ideas on keeping healthy to a paper making project that can foster an interest in recycling to weather studies that increase knowledge of how the daily weather works, there are as many possible projects as days in the year!

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How to Make Science Fun and Exciting in the Classroom

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If kids have a favorite question, it's probably 'Why?" Make science fun and exciting for your students by encouraging their natural curiosity about the world and teaching them how to find answers for themselves. After all, much of science is investigating 'why': Why does a caterpillar form a chrysalis?

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Engaging Science & Math Lessons for K-8.

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Engaging Science & Math Lessons for K-8.

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It was processed successfully! It was processed successfully! You have 0 days left on your free trial. Trusted By Teachers in Over 30,000 Schools "Generation Genius is an excellent resource for teaching science. I teach in the Elementary Lab, and am able to work in so many of the topics that I am teaching - they go right along with the standards!

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How to make Science Interesting for Students

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How to make Science Interesting for Students

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How To Make Science Interesting For Students | Nurtem

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Making students interested in Science interesting can be a real challenge for teachers. This is because so many variables affect students' engagement and interest in learning.

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NGSS - Next Generation Science Standards

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NGSS - Next Generation Science Standards

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NGSS - Next Generation Science Standards

Next Generation Science Standards Introduction

Scientific & Engineering Practices

Asking Questions & Defining Problems
Developing & Using Models
Planning & Carrying Out Investigations
Analyzing & Interpreting Data

Mathematics & Computational Thinking
Construct Explanations & Design Solutions
Engaging in Argument from Evidence
Obtain, Evaluate, Communicate Information

Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns
Cause & Effect: Mechanism & Explanation
Scale, Proportion, & Quantity
Systems & System Models

Energy & Matter: Flow, Cycle, Conservation
Structure & Function
Stability & Change

Physical Science Disciplinary Core Ideas

PS1A - Structure & Properties of Matter
PS1B - Chemical Reactions
PS1C - Nuclear Processes
PS2A - Forces & Motion
PS2B - Types of Interactions
PS2C - Stability & Instability
PS3A - Definitions of Energy

PS3B - Energy: Conservation & Transfer
PS3C - Energy & Forces
PS3D - Energy in Chemical Processes & Life
PS4A - Wave Properties
PS4B - Electromagnetic Radiation
PS4C - Information Technologies

Life Science Disciplinary Core Ideas

LS1A - Structure & Function
LS1B - Growth & Development
LS1C - Organization in Organisms
LS1D - Information Processing
LS2A - Relationships in Ecosystems
LS2B - Cycles in Ecosystems
LS2C - Ecosystem Dynamics

LS2D - Social Interactions & Behavior
LS3A - Inheritance of Traits
LS3B - Variation of Traits
LS4A - Evidence of Common Ancestry
LS4B - Natural Selection
LS4C - Adaptation
LS4D - Biodiversity & Humans

Earth & Space Science Disciplinary Core Ideas

ESS1A - The Universe & Its Stars
ESS1B - Earth & the Solar System
ESS1C - History of the Planet Earth
ESS2A - Earth Materials & Systems
ESS2B - Plate Tectonics/Large Scale Systems
ESS2C - Role of Water on Earth

ESS2D - Weather & Climate
ESS2E - Biogeology
ESS3A - Natural Resources
ESS3B - Natural Hazards
ESS3C - Human Impacts on Earth Systems
ESS3D - Global Climate Change

Engineering, Technology & Applications of Science
Disciplinary Core Ideas

ETS1A - Defining & Delimiting an Engineering Problem
ETS1B - Developing Possible Solutions
ETS1C - Optimizing the Design Solution
ETS2A - Interdependence of Science, Engineering & Technology
ETS2B - Influence of Science, Engineering & Technology on Society & the Natural World

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NGSS - Next Generation Science Standards - bozemanscience

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Anatomy and Physiology AP Biology AP Chemistry AP Environmental Science AP Physics Biology Chemistry Earth Science Educational NGSS - Next Generation Science Standards Physics Statistics & Graphing

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THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF SCIENCE LEARNING

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THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF SCIENCE LEARNING

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Improving Science Education Through Three-Dimensional Learning

Quick Search Next Generation Science Standards

THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF SCIENCE LEARNING

Within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there are three distinct and equally important dimensions to learning science. These dimensions are combined to form each standard-or performance expectation-and each dimension works with the other two to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time.

Crosscutting Concepts help students explore connections across the four domains of science, including Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering Design.

When these concepts, such as "cause and effect", are made explicit for students, they can help students develop a coherent and scientifically-based view of the world around them.

Science and Engineering Practices describe what scientists do to investigate the natural world and what engineers do to design and build systems. The practices better explain and extend what is meant by "inquiry" in science and the range of cognitive, social, and physical practices that it requires. Students engage in practices to build, deepen, and apply their knowledge of core ideas and crosscutting concepts.

Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) are the key ideas in science that have broad importance within or across multiple science or engineering disciplines. These core ideas build on each other as students progress through grade levels and are grouped into the following four domains: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering.

More about 3D Learning

GET TO KNOW

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K-12 science content standards. Standards set the expectations for what students should know and be able to do. The NGSS were developed by states to improve science education for all students.

A goal for developing the NGSS was to create a set of research-based, up-to-date K-12 science standards. These standards give local educators the flexibility to design classroom learning experiences that stimulate students' interests in science and prepares them for college, careers, and citizenship.

Get to Know the Standards

IMPLEMENT

The NGSS call for a three-dimensional approach to K-12 science instruction. This represents a significant transition from previous state standards. That's why effective implementation demands a great deal of collaboration and patience among states, districts, schools, teachers, and students.

Thoughtful and coordinated approaches to implementation will enable educators to inspire future generations of scientifically literate students. That is the vision of the NGSS. This website provides a range of high-quality resources that empower educators, administrators, parents, and the general public to help bring this vision to life.

Find Tools and Resources

WHY

Science-and therefore science education-is central to the lives of all Americans.

A high-quality science education means that students will develop an in-depth understanding of content and develop key skills-communication, collaboration, inquiry, problem solving, and flexibility-that will serve them throughout their educational and professional lives.

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Home Page | Next Generation Science Standards

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Improving Science Education Through Three-Dimensional Learning Quick Search Next Generation Science Standards Within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there are three distinct and equally important dimensions to learning science. These dimensions are combined to form each standard-or performance expectation-and each dimension works with the other two to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time.

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Elementary — Next Generation Science Storylines

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In this fifth-grade unit on interrelationships in ecosystems, students investigate the apparent disappearance of the body of a dead raccoon over time. Their findings lead them to uncover the role of decomposers in this process, as well as the role of decomposers in the disappearance of plant debris over time.

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science books for elementary students - Bing

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Find high-quality images, photos, and animated GIFS with Bing Images

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Matter: Physical Science for Kids [Diehn, Andi, Li, Hui] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Matter: Physical Science for Kids

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Energy: Physical Science for Kids [Diehn, Andi, Li, Hui] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Energy: Physical Science for Kids

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―D.B. Johnson, author of Magritte's Marvelous Hat and Henry Hikes to Fitchburg

"With a light touch and kid-friendly questions, Andi Diehn leads the reader to a more nuanced understanding of their world and the science behind it, from being 'forced to clean your room,' to the force gravity exerts when you jump from a tree ('Don't jump out of trees!' Ms. Diehn warns)."

―Jess Keating, author of Pink is for Blobfish: Discovering the World's Perfectly Pink Animals and Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist

"With lively illustrations and conversational, upbeat text, this series shines!"

March 15
STARRED REVIEW
Forces , despite its down-to-earth scientific grounding, manages to do the nearly impossible. Diehn brings gravity, magnetism, push-pull forces, and friction to life in everyday contexts, without a hint of schoolroom jargon. Discussion of the forces arises naturally by inquiring what happens in a variety of situations. The tone of the book is set with an opening poem, then moves to the idea of forcing something to happen or be done, and only then reaches the scientific concept of forces. The action of each force is presented simply, clearly, and naturally. Gravity holds everything together. Magnetism also holds things together. Friction makes things slow down or stop. Helpful examples involve jumping (the author warns, "Don't jump out of trees!"), fridge magnets, tug-of-war, pushing a swing, and-several times in the book-a pet lizard. Shululu's illustrations add to the fun, giving the book a storybook quality. Children, parents, and teachers alike can enjoy learning the charming, often funny, relatable, and accessible science within this Picture Book Science

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

"Science books are always a big hit around here. During our normal read aloud time each day, it's guaranteed that at least one of them will be science-based. Given that I am reading to two first graders, a preschooler, and an 18-month-old, our choice in science books is typically picture books.

Nomad Press has some great ones to offer. We received the Physical Science for Kids Set for review. The set includes four books: Forces , Waves , Matter , and Energy . All four softcover books are 28 pages long with a one-page glossary at the end of the book. They're all fully illustrated and just plain fun to read and look at.

Each of the books gives sound scientific concepts in easy to read and understandable terms. They're relatable, funny, and get the kids thinking. The books are written for children ages 5-8, but children older would enjoy them too.

Forces addresses gravity, magnetism, push/pull forces, and friction. Those might seem like big concepts, but when you read the book, even my preschooler can explain why she falls down sometimes- gravity!

"There are forces that make us stick to Earth. There are forces that make your soccer ball fly into a goal. There are forces that make your soccer ball roll to a stop before it even gets to the goal!"

See? Relatable, story-like information that really gets the kids thinking. Several times after reading Forces the kids pointed out different types of force that happened in everyday life.

The Physical Science for Kids Set has been a wonderful addition to our home library. The books are simple enough for everyone to understand yet contain enough scientific truth to be considered a science resource. They are written in a way that makes them great read alouds, and simple enough that my 7-year-old can confidently read them."

Unleashing readers.com"Young children have so many questions about the world and how everything works. Curiousity runs wild in their brains, but more than anything they just want to learn and absorb. This series is a must get for parents, classrooms, and libraries because it addresses many of the questions that kids have."

The 50 Best Science Books for Kids 2018
PsySci.co

This is yet another book in the amazing new series called Physical Science for Kids . It is aimed at children from the age of four onwards, explaining to them some of the physical forces though entertaining everyday examples and simple language.

To add to the fun, there are also some great age-appropriate experiments so that children can see and feel for themselves how forces work in their life.

Finally, as in other books in the series, the text is accompanied by colorful illustrations that keep the kids' eyes glued to the pages - well, at least until they run-off to conduct some of the experiments.

School Library Connection: Explore Poetry! With 25 Great Projects

Students will have fun learning about the many different forms of poetry in this informational resource. . . This book would be a handy resource for teachers to have available to them in the library. Recommended

Publishers Weekly Explore Poetry! With 25 Great Projects

Over five chapters, Diehn describes poetic forms like limerick, haiku, and acrostic; explores literary techniques, such as personification and exaggeration; and finds connections between poetry, music, and math. Projects include creating a poetry journal and writing ideas on rocks to combat writer's block. Stone's cartoons, which star a fox dressed like a Beat poet and a Shakespearean bear, make for a lively layout, while helping target the book at younger readers and poets-to-be.

Science Books and Films +: Recommended

Technology: Cool Women Who Code highlights three women that have contributed to technology in STEM and is an excellent book for young girls. The inspirational stories of these successful women in STEM are the perfect introduction to the careers and contributions in technology for young readers. Critical thinking questions are provided throughout the text to further thinking, along with inspirational quotes of females in STEM professions. The text also provides "try it out" boxes which encourages readers to engage in hands-on activities, for example providing links to websites for coding, or by following QR codes that can be accessed by a QR code reader app (additional links are provided in the resource section in the back). This is a much needed book for our time for young readers to be inspired by strong females in the world of STEM, and recommended for both boys and girls.

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Forces: Physical Science for Kids [Diehn, Andi, Li, Hui] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Forces: Physical Science for Kids

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What If: Mind-Boggling Science Questions for Kids

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What If: Mind-Boggling Science Questions for Kids

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What If: Mind-Boggling Science Questions for Kids

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What if the earth were square? Discover the amazing answers to some cooland weird questions aboutour world * What if the earth stopped spinning? * What if we could see sounds? * What if the moon fell down? * What if aliens landed and only wanted to talk to dogs?

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"science for kids" "science lesson" "learn science"

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Generation Genius makes fun and educational science videos that help kids learn. We currently cover topics taught in school for grades K-5 and expanding to more grades and subjects. If you are a teacher, you can try Generation Genius at www.GenerationGenius.com

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Welcome to Crash Course Kids! This bi-weekly show from the producers of Crash Course is all about gradeschool science. We'll look at Earth, Habitats, Space, Chemical Reactions, Engineering, and much much more with host Sabrina Cruz. So, join us every Tuesday and Thursday for new uploads.

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"smart learning" "smart learning for all" smartlearning animation teacher student school lesson education science maths physics biology chemistry kids childr...

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What If Videos + Space Videos + Educational Videos!!

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Claim Evidence Reasoning: Using the C.E.R. Model for Scientific Writing in Elementary

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Claim Evidence Reasoning: Using the C.E.R. Model for Scientific Writing in Elementary

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Guest Post Written By Sockmonkey Science

Science comes naturally to most elementary students. After all, observing phenomena and problem solving is the way their young minds develop. However, I notice that although my students are able to tackle big issues and come up with creative solutions, they have difficulty articulating their conclusions scientifically. They can't tell me WHY or HOW. Justifying their work logically is a huge part of what they should be learning in my class, but it always seems to be the area we are most lacking in.

For a long time, I tried following the scientific method to help students explain their thought processes. However, the steps aren't always clear and also seem to vary from publisher to publisher, causing confusion for students (and teachers) as they advance to higher grade levels. Recently, I stumbled across the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) model, and I feel like this simple graphic organizer based approach is something that will really help my students write scientifically and prepare them for more rigorous lab reports in high school.

What is CER?

CER is a writing strategy that helps students analyze information and experiences in an organized, concise manner. The process for elementary students usually starts with a question or prompt from the teacher relating to a scientific concept they are familiar with. The students then use the CER method to answer the question (or make a claim) providing both evidence and reasoning. Seems simple, right? That's because it is! Well, it should be, anyway. Students generally have NO problem making a claim, or even stringing together some evidence to support it, but when it comes to providing the reasoning that connects the claim and evidence students tend to freeze up.

The good news is with proper introduction, scaffolding, and practice, CER should dramatically improve your students' scientific reasoning and writing skills. The GREAT news is that you can turn almost anything into a CER moment. In fact, many educators suggest introducing the concept with something that ISN'T science-related.

One of the best examples I have seen of this comes from Trevor Register, who shows an Audi television commercial, "My Dad's an Alien" to introduce using CER. The commercial shows a young girl listing the evidence of why she believes her father is an alien, and students must decide for themselves if he is indeed an alien. The commercial is pretty straightforward, and the content leads to some thought-provoking and creative discussion from students.

OK, OK...That's great, but how do you use this with actual scientific concepts you are teaching?

Here is an example.

Juan brought his lunch to school in a brown paper bag. Once he has finished, there is nothing left in the bag. However, his friend Mia disagrees. She believes the bag contains air. Who is correct?

So, this option leaves two ways to use CER. The first option is to simply provide students with a data table showing the physical properties of the bag (like mass and volume) when it is full of lunch as opposed to when it is only full of air. The second option, which I prefer, would allow students to conduct the investigation and gather the data. Have students measure the mass of the bag when it is full of lunch, when it is open and empty, as well as when it is inflated with air and closed. Then allow them to make a claim based on their own data, and provide the evidence and reasoning to substantiate their claim!

If you aren't sure how to start incorporating CER into YOUR classroom, Model Teaching has a great article, checklist, and graphic organizer available to download free here.

I have also started creating some CER prompts to tackle real-world science issues! Check it out!

If you like this post, you may like these:

About the Author: Mary is the mother of two amazing little boys. When she is not changing diapers, she is mom blogging, teaching elementary science and creating science resources to share with other teachers. She will complete her M. Ed. later this year, and hopes to become a school counselor in the near future! You can find her on Sockmonkey Science, TPT, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, and even subscribe to her blog by email for some cool surprise freebies!
If you like it, then pin it!
Thanks for reading!

Christine Weis is a passionate educator, classroom management coach, wife, and mom of two busy boys. She enjoys teaching, writing, and creating resources for teachers.

Filed Under: Blog

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Claim Evidence Reasoning: Using the C.E.R. Model for Scientific Writing in Elementary - For The Love of Teachers

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CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) is a writing strategy that helps students analyze information and experiences in science.

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How to Implement CER in Your Science Classroom

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How to Implement CER in Your Science Classroom

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As a science teacher with a master's degree in Literacy, one of my passions is to authentically bring reading and writing skills into the curriculum without compromising the fun, hands-on nature of science. I incorporate these skills through readings to build background knowledge and comprehension of the concept we are learning. I also like to use sketch notes to allow students to summarize and synthesize their learning. Writing skills have often been neglected when it comes to science until the CER strategy came along. Using this method, I now have a concise way to teach my students how to respond to a topic, give evidence, and tie it to scientific reasoning. Learn what the CER science writing strategy is and how you can easily use it in your classroom today.

What is CER?

CER stands for claim, evidence, reasoning.

Teaching the CER Strategy

Students are given a hands-on activity. Upon completing the activity, they will demonstrate their scientific knowledge, answer the prompt, and incorporate important writing skills also needed in ELA.

Here is an example:

The students are learning about chemical and physical changes. They are working together to complete an activity that determines whether a chemical or physical change is happening. Students complete the experiment and then fill out their sheet using the CER method.

Example student CER writing response:

Claim: Students state whether a chemical or physical change occurred. A chemical change occurred. Evidence: Students use evidence from the activity to demonstrate that their claim is accurate. Once the glowstick was activated, there was a color change. (Depending on the activity, there may be more evidence to include. More evidence requires another sentence or two to support the claim). Reasoning: Students will use their scientific reasoning to explain the connection between the claim and evidence. One way to tell if a chemical change occurred is by observing a color change. Therefore when the glowstick was activated, the color change indicates a chemical change.

Better student responses!

Student responses varied between 3-7 sentences using this method.

It cut down on lengthy written work that often didn't explicitly answer the question being asked.

In some cases, students are writing less, but their writing is more meaningful as it clearly answers the question being asked of them. As a teacher, it allows me to quickly identify who understands the scientific principle we are working on and who needs more assistance. This will enable me to pull small groups together to explain and discuss their thinking.

This method worked with my students because of the formula-like written response. It also doesn't require an extended response to show their scientific knowledge and thinking. It is clear and concise, and I love how these skills will transfer over into their ELA class when writing their argument essays.

Looking for materials to get started? Join my science squad by adding your first name and email address below and instantly receive a student graphic organizer and CER formula response sheet into your inbox for F-R-E-E!

Suppose you need teacher tips, classroom decor posters, student reference sheets, a graphic organizer, a formula response sheet, and a rubric. In that case, you might want to check out the materials below.

Learn more about CER:

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How to Implement CER in Your Science Classroom

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As a science teacher with a master's degree in Literacy, one of my passions is to authentically bring reading and writing skills into the curriculum without compromising the fun, hands-on nature of science. I incorporate these skills through readings to build background knowledge and comprehension of the concept we are learning.

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What Is A CER In Science? Student Examples

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What Is A CER In Science? Student Examples

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These three parts include, claim, evidence and reasoning. Claim. The claim is what you think. Evidence. The evidence is the data that you see. Reasoning. The reasoning is the science that you know that connects your evidence and your claim. A claim is a statement that answers ...

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Claim + Evidence + Reasoning = Explanation (CER)

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Claim + Evidence + Reasoning = Explanation (CER)

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Writing a claim doesn't have to be difficult, it's your answer to a question that is asked along with your evidence and reasoning. For instance, if a friend asked you this question: "should my little brother get a cell phone?". You might answer cell phones can be unhealthy for kids. Always remember not to start your claim with "I believe" or "I think".

That's a great arguable claim, but what evidence do you have to support it. You can make any claim you want, but if you can back it up with evidence, nobody will take you or your argument seriously. Evidence is reliable information that supports or backs up your claim. However, it is very important to cite the sources you use so others won't think you just made it up and it can be verified as a reliable source.

To support your claim, according to research published in the journal of behavior addiction, overuse of smartphones is associated with various mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, stress, and low self-esteem cited PA nova and Carbonyl 2018. Now you have your evidence to back up your claim. You need to connect the two with reasoning and tell how or why the evidence you have given supports your claim. For example, kids with smartphones all the time can lead to health problems.

So now let's put let's together, cell phones can be unhealthy for kids according to research published in the journal of behavior addiction, overuse of smartphones is associated with various mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, stress, and low self-esteem cited PA nova and Carbonyl. Kids are on their smartphones all the time and the evidence proves that it can lead to major health issues. Now you know what it takes to write a strong claim.

What are Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning?

When a scientist makes a claim, he or she must explain it and have evidence to back it up. When you write like scientists, you need three different parts to complete your scientific argument. These three parts include, claim, evidence and reasoning.

Claim

The claim is what you think.

Evidence

The evidence is the data that you see.

Reasoning

The reasoning is the science that you know that connects your evidence and your claim.

A claim is a statement that answers the question. The maximum length of writing a claim is just one single sentence. The claim does not include any explanation, any reasoning, or any evidence. So it should not be including any words like "because". The evidence is the data used to support the plane, it can either be quantitative using numbers or qualitative using observations depending on the question or lack.

You should have at least three pieces of evidence that support your claim. Remember two pieces of evidence can be a coincidence, but three is a pattern. The reasoning is the explanation of why and how the evidence supports the claim. It should include an explanation of the underlying scientific concept that produces the evidence or data. When you are writing your reasoning, think of the scientific logic behind it and the science that you have learned and how it applies to your claim. This is the time for you to see and analyze the "because of" statements.

So after you have conducted the experiment and you have collected the data and you have collected your evidence, you are going to tell why does the evidence supports the claim.

How CER Works in A Science Classroom?

CER is a framework for making explanations in the science classroom. It's a skill that teachers should give their students and students should have it to improve their scores on lab write-ups on essays or big exams. In science, you gather evidence through investigations of the natural world and then you come up with explanations that are critiqued over time. Unfortunately, a lot of time in a science classroom, the investigations are developed by the teacher itself, and the students are just going through a cookbook lab.

Therefore, it is important to avoid that and you also spend a lot of time on the investigation itself on the variables and controlling the variables, and then when you get to the end of coming up with an explanation of what you learned, you kind of fall down on that point. So the CER is a framework that makes this explanation making explicit.

This is an acronym, the C stands for the claim, the E stands for evidence, and the R stands for reasoning. Sometimes, you will hear a rebuttal added at the end of that, that's looking at somebody else's claim, evidence, and reasoning.

The claim is an answer to a question that's asked, evidence is going to be what you gather empirical evidence that gathered, that's gathered in the lab or through research, and then finally, the reasoning is going to be a logical connection between the evidence and the claim that you are trying to make. Now students will generally do very well at the evidence gathering but they fall when it comes to this logical connection. So a nice tip is to make sure that your reasoning is based on some kind of a scientific definition rule principle. That's a way in science.

Now, what should a teacher provide? A teacher should simply provide a good question and a way to answer that question. Let's say in the science classroom, a teacher gives students a bunch of dice, but they different-looking differentiate skew dice that look like this and the teacher asked them the following questions:

Are these skew dice fair? Start gathering the evidence right away.

They could roll the dice bunch of times they could measure the dice, look at their center of gravity or maybe measure all of the sides to make sure that they are all the same. But before jumping on the evidence part, you need to make sure that you have the question and you understand what's being asked. Make sure that you could define everything that's in this question itself.

Let's go to the actual science question that we could answer is air matter. That's a question you could answer in the science laboratory before we dig in and start gathering evidence. However, we should frame the question and make sure that we understand what every term means. So what is air? Air is an invisible substance that surrounds the earth. What is the matter? Matter is anything that takes mass and consumes much space, also it is composed of atoms. What else do you know about the matter, it can be neither created nor destroyed so sometimes it is helpful. In the beginning, to get all of these listed out so that we can use them at a later date.

Generally, you must start by gathering evidence. For example, you take a balloon, put it on a scale, and then you fill up a balloon and put it on the same scale. This shows that there is an increase in mass and then maybe you want to look at the takes up space side of the matter. Then maybe, you take a bottle filled with water pump air into it and you can displace some of that water and so now, you can make a claim that yes errors matter. That's going to be your claim gathered evidence, but how do you do the reasoning.

Well, the reasoning is easier if it's tied to one of those scientific definitions. So your reasoning could be, the mass of the balloon increased when the air was added indicating that the air has mass. The air displaced a volume of water indicating that air also has a volume since matter must have both mass and volume. However, the evidence suggests that errors matter that the reasoning part is what you hope your students will start to write and they never do.

Generally, when they are doing a lab write-up, they simply tell their teachers the evidence they gathered over and over. However, the teacher expects a connection between the evidence that you gathered and the explanation that you are trying to make. Now you could do a rebuttal on that, you could say well let's look at the evidence here, you blew the balloon up so that's air coming from your lungs and not from the environment, so that could impact. Maybe, it's water there, and also it looks like there's air right here. And so, you are measuring air and you measuring air pressure and so now, you can have argumentation or you can talk about the evidence or the reasoning.

Now all you do when you are doing labs that use claim evidence reasoning is just give them a good question and a material to answer the question you could give them a bunch of magnets and say which of these is the strongest. Or you can give them a bunch of paper clips, rulers and whatever and they have to answer this question. You need to make sure you frame the question and define everything inside it. What is a magnetic string and if you say it's a measure of attractiveness or attractive force between a magnet and magnetic material? Do you know what a force is? Once you have all of these definitions, it will much easier for you to do any interaction.

One thing that confuses students a lot is when you boil water it gets to around 100 degrees Celsius and then it stays there. So again, students will gather a bunch of evidence whats some relevant evidence you can see is where a phase change from liquid to gas, we can see that it's adding heat, but the temperature is not going up. So you can gather a bunch of evidence, but then making that connection, making the reasoning, is going to be based on some kind of a principle and you could try to make that connection. So CER is a way to make explanations and if you step through those three parts when you are asked to explain what you learned as long as you say here's my claim, is the evidence, and here is the reasoning to back it up, you are going to do much better than you have in the past.

So this was all about the Claim, the Evidence, and the Reasoning (CER). We hope you are now much clear with the main concept of CER and how it can be used in a science classroom. Do let us know your feedback in the comment section below.

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Claim + Evidence + Reasoning = Explanation (CER) - ArgoPrep

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Writing a claim doesn't have to be difficult, it's your answer to a question that is asked along with your evidence and reasoning. For instance, if a friend asked you this question: "should my little brother get a cell phone?". You might answer cell phones can be unhealthy for kids.

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Science and Engineering Practices: Introduction to Developing and Using Models

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Science and Engineering Practices: Introduction to Developing and Using Models

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Science and Engineering Practices: Introduction to Developing and Using Models

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(NGSS) Science vs. Engineering Practices: How do they differ? | California Academy of Sciences

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(NGSS) Science vs. Engineering Practices: How do they differ? | California Academy of Sciences

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(NGSS) Science vs. Engineering Practices: How do they differ? | California Academy of Sciences

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Introduction to the 5E Learning Sequence Model

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Introduction to the 5E Learning Sequence Model

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Introduction to the 5E Learning Sequence Model

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KLEWS to Explanation-Building in Science

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KLEWS to Explanation-Building in Science

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Methods and Strategies: KLEWS to Explanation-Building in Science

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Methods and Strategies: KLEWS to Explanation-Building in Science

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This column provides ideas and techniques to enhance your science teaching. This month's issue provides an update to the KLEW chart, which adds a tool for explanation building.

NSTA Press produces classroom-ready activities, hands-on approaches to inquiry, relevant professional development, the latest scientific education news and research, assessment and standards-based instruction.
Learn More

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Methods and Strategies: KLEWS to Explanation-Building in Science | National Science Teaching Association

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This column provides ideas and techniques to enhance your science teaching. This month's issue provides an update to the KLEW chart, which adds a tool for explanation building. NSTA Press produces classroom-ready activities, hands-on approaches to inquiry, relevant professional development, the latest scientific education news and research, assessment and standards-based instruction.

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KLEWS: Supporting Claims, Evidence & Reasoning

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KLEWS: Supporting Claims, Evidence & Reasoning

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VIDEO: Claims, Evidence, & Reasoning: Planning
Teachers can use this strategy for their professional learning as well! In the following image, some teachers began using a KLEWS chart to document their own learning.

Learn: What Is Your Objective?

For every lesson we teach, we want our students to be able to tell us what it is that they're expected to learn and, following the lesson, what they've learned from the evidence observed. Students will use the data they collect through investigation, discussion, and research, and summarize their learning by making a claim. In fact, you might choose to guide your students with questions, who will then answer each question with an individual claim.
VIDEO: Claims, Evidence, & Reasoning: Lesson
In this lesson video, Kimber asks her students questions to help them clarify their thinking. This way they can summarize their learning by making a claim and connecting it to the evidence.

Evidence: What Do You Observe?

Our students are asked for evidence now in all they do, whether it's math, reading, social studies, or science. Maria and Kimber asked students many times what was the evidence that substantiated the claim that seeds do not need sunlight for germination and their students were able to meet the challenge.

As students collect data in your classroom, they'll be able to answer your questions by substantiating their claims with evidence as well. Returning to our Fuzzy Face example, What evidence do we have that magnets do not have to be in contact with a material to move it?

We know that magnets don't have to touch the materials to move them because we were able to move the iron filings by dragging the wand over the plastic.

- How might students document their evidence?

- What about a photograph of Fuzzy Face?

- What are some other ways students might document this evidence?

Wonder: What Are Your Questions?

Regardless of the disciplinary core idea you're teaching, you can implement the science and engineering practice of asking questions. Wondering provides your students with the chance to ask scientific questions. And it doesn't matter where students are in their learning - questions have value at every stage of a unit.

A follow-up activity to simply asking questions might be sorting and classifying those questions into lists of the scientific (investigable) and non-scientific (non-investigable).

And don't forget - the teacher's questions matter too! Kimber helped Maria consider the effectiveness of her essential question when she asked her, " What investigation are you planning on doing with your students?" Maria was able to refine her question to make it manageable and more understandable for third graders. After talking with Kimber, Maria revised the original question, " What do seeds need to germinate and thrive?" to " What do seeds need to germinate? "

Science: What Terms, Principles, or Research Help You To Explain?

I really loved the way the word germination was defined in this video series. Gone is the time when students are handed a vocabulary list and asked to find and write down their definitions. Students need "just in time" words to use after they've had multiple experiences with the concept, so the word now makes sense to students and they can use it as part of their scientific explanations. Have your students come up with their own definition based on the evidence from their investigation and then give them time to talk with one another, argue with evidence, and eventually come to a consensus as a group. Finally, have one of your students add their class definition to the master KLEWS chart.

How Might Teachers In Other Disciplines Use the KLEWS to Learning in Their Classrooms?

It's easy to see the KLEWS strategy as transferable to other disciplines. In most subjects, we ask our students to support their thinking with evidence. If you look at the practices of mathematics, science, and English language arts, there is clear overlap as seen below:
Dora:
Similar connections can be made across all the domains of social studies. And I've even witnessed a kindergarten teacher using the KLEWS strategy as a tool for community building.

No matter the discipline - since the KLEWS chart is a tool for sensemaking - it makes the thinking of children visible. Students must feel so valued when they see their words on the wall as part of their instruction.

As I've been working with Teaching Channel on NGSS videos, I felt it was important to capture the process of what it's been like for one teacher in our UA elementary program learning about KLEWS for the first time.

This work was made possible through support from

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KLEWS: Supporting Claims, Evidence & Reasoning

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VIDEO: Claims, Evidence, & Reasoning: Planning Teachers can use this strategy for their professional learning as well! In the following image, some teachers began using a KLEWS chart to document their own learning. For every lesson we teach, we want our students to be able to tell us what it is that they're expected to learn and, following the lesson, what they've learned from the evidence observed.

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SADLER SCIENCEMaking 3-dimensional learning manageable, relevant and engaging.

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SADLER SCIENCEMaking 3-dimensional learning manageable, relevant and engaging.

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Science and Engineering Practices are one of the three dimensions of the NGSS. They represent a significant change in science education because they empower students to take the lead in their own education. And, they represent a shift away from teaching the scientific method.

Many people say that the Science and Engineering Practices, or SEPs, represent the biggest change that comes with the new standards. There is a lot to learn about these practices. Below, I tell you everything you need to know about the practices. Learn what the practices are, how to teach them and how students use them in the classroom.

What are the Science and Engineering Practices?

The Science and Engineering Practices are one of the three dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards. The other practices are the Disciplinary Core Idea and the Crosscutting Concepts.

How many Science and Engineering Practices are there?

There are eight Science and Engineering Practices:

1. Asking Questions and Defining Problems

2. Developing and Using Models

3. Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

4. Analyzing and Interpreting Data

5. Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

6. Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

7. Engaging in an Argument From Evidence

8. Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

How are the Science and Engineering Practices different from the Scientific Method?

In earlier versions of the standards, we taught students to use the scientific method. This was a multi-step approach to learning about science. However, there were several problems with the Scientific Method.

For example, the Scientific Method teaches students to follow a step-by-step approach to science. However, science is a dynamic process. Therefore, scientists can't use the same methods in every scenario. Instead, they adapt their methodology to suit the scenario.

Also, the Scientific Method left out several important scientific practices. For example, modeling and argumentation are sense-making tools used by scientists. Yet, this practice isn't in the scientific method. Therefore, the scientific method is an incomplete description of the work scientists do.

To learn more about how the practices differ from the scientific method, check out this blog post.

What is the difference between science and engineering?

Both scientists and engineers study the world around them. However, their studies use a slightly different lens. Scientists seek to describe the world and answer questions about it. Engineers seek to solve problems that they find in the world.

However, there are many similarities between science and engineering. For example, they use many of the same practices. And, both scientists and engineers don't follow a set method. Instead, they use the practices deemed necessary to solve the task at hand.

How do I teach the science and engineering practices?

It's best to introduce the practices one at a time. Personally, I like to provide students with information about the practice right before I want them to use it in the classroom.

This looks different based on the practice and how it is used in my storyline. Often, I ask students to complete a scaffolded version of the practice. Then, I explain the significance and identify it as one of the practices. Finally, I help students refine their use of the practice.

For example, when discussing temperature and particle motion, I put food coloring in two beakers with water at different temperatures. Then, I ask them to draw what they see. After, I ask them to imagine what they think it might look like at the particle level.

Once students have completed their initial drawing, I explain that they created a simple model. We discuss how scientists use models. Then, we decide what things we can do to make our model better. For example, using universal symbols helps other people understand their models.

What mistakes do teachers make when introducing the practices?

One of the common mistakes that teachers make is introducing the practices all at once at the beginning of the school year. There is no harm in a brief introduction. For example, listing the practices and what practices are isn't harmful.

However, students probably won't remember the practices until they actually use them. So, it's not the most effective use of class time to introduce the practices all at once.

What about an intro unit?

In order to make this introduction more meaningful, some teachers build an introductory unit to introduce the classroom. However, this isn't an effective use of time.

Instead, introduce the practices in the context of the content for the year. This ensures that you will get to as much content as possible throughout the school year.

What are the science and engineering Practices used for?

Students use the Science and Engineering Practices to make sense of phenomena and develop solutions to problems. They use these practices the way that a scientist and or engineer would.

Students use the practices in a variety of ways. However, the practices fall into 3 general categories: Sense-making, investigating, and critiquing. Sometimes, similar practices are used together. But, the practices can be used in different combinations and groupings.

Using the Practices to Investigate

Students use the practices to investigate. For example, students ask questions about phenomena, problems or potential design solutions. Then, they plan an investigation to gather information. Finally, they use mathematics and computational thinking to process the information they gathered during their investigation.

If you follow the 5E model, students use these practices most often during the explore phase.

Using the Practices for Sense-Making

Most often the following practices are associated with sense-making: developing and using models, analyzing and interpreting data and constructing explanations, and designing solutions. While using these practices, students piece together their understanding of phenomena. As they use the practices, their understanding becomes more clear.

Using the Practices for Critiques

Critiques are important in both science and engineering. Scientists critique explanations of phenomena. Engineers critique design solutions. In your class, students will use the practices of engaging in an argument from evidence and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information to provide critiques.

I like to use these practices in conjunction with practices outside of this category. For example, I often ask students to critique peer models. The critiques lead to better sense-making from the practice of modeling.

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How to Use the Science and Engineering Practices

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Science and Engineering Practices are one of the three dimensions of the NGSS. They represent a significant change in science education because they empower students to take the lead in their own education. And, they represent a shift away from teaching the scientific method.

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The practices describe behaviors that scientists engage in as they investigate and build models and theories about the natural world and the key set of engineering practices that engineers use as they design and build models and systems. The NRC uses the term practices instead of a term like "skills" to emphasize that engaging in scientific investigation requires not only skill but also knowledge that is specific to each practice. Part of the NRC's intent is to better explain and extend what is meant by "inquiry" in science and the range of cognitive, social, and physical practices that it requires. Although engineering design is similar to scientific inquiry, there are significant differences. For example, scientific inquiry involves the formulation of a question that can be answered through investigation, while engineering design involves the formulation of a problem that can be solved through design. Strengthening the engineering aspects of the Next Generation Science Standards will clarify for students the relevance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (the four STEM fields) to everyday life.

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The NSTA Next Generation Science Standards Hub offers information, resources, news, professional learning opportunities, and expert advice in understanding and implementing the Next Generation Science Standards - NGSS

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Why Do We Need to Teach Science in Elementary School?

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Why Do We Need to Teach Science in Elementary School?

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Practice Brief 43 -- Topics: Background Implementation

Why Do We Need to Teach Science in Elementary School?

Teachers should support extended 3D investigations in elementary education for all students (e.g., by not allowing students to be pulled out during science). Keep images of science broad.

District Staff & PD Providers should support elementary teachers in teaching science and school-building administrators in supporting science instruction.

School Leaders should resource and support teams of elementary teachers by giving them ample time and materials to teach science.

What Is The Issue?

Our future depends on a public that can use science for personal decision-making and to participate in civic, political, and cultural discussions related to science. Though we have national goals for science education, science is often pushed to the side-particularly at the elementary school level. There are multiple reasons for science to be a core part of elementary school learning. It can support: (a) development of a knowledgeable citizenry, (b) meaningful learning of language and mathematics, (c) wonderment about how the natural world works, and (d) preparation for STEM-related careers.

Authors:

JULIE CAFARELLA, AMBER MCCULLOCH & PHILIP BELL - JANUARY 2017

Reflection Questions

Do you view ELA and math instructional time to be at odds with the teaching of science? Have you considered integrating ELA and math into science investigations?

On average, how many science instructional minutes do your students receive each week? 300? 150? 30? Fewer? What factors shape that quantity?

What concrete steps need to happen in order for you to improve your science teaching?

Things To Consider

Attending to Equity

Recommended Actions You Can Take

ALSO SEE STEM TEACHING TOOLS

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This site is primarily funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Award #1920249 (previously through Awards #1238253 and #1854059). Opinions expressed are not those of any funding agency.

Work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Others may adapt with attribution. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Opinions expressed are not those of any funding agency.

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Why Do We Need to Teach Science in Elementary School? : StemTeachingTools (en-US)

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Practice Brief 43 -- Topics: Background Implementation Teachers should support extended 3D investigations in elementary education for all students (e.g., by not allowing students to be pulled out during science). Keep images of science broad. District Staff & PD Providers should support elementary teachers in teaching science and school-building administrators in supporting science instruction.

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Can’t see this HTML5 video? Time to upgrade your browser!

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Introduction

High-quality elementary science education is essential for establishing a sound foundation of learning in later grades, instilling a wonder of and enthusiasm for science that lasts a lifetime, and in addressing the critical need for a well-informed citizenry and society. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) recognizes the importance of effective elementary science education and recommends the involvement of all education stakeholders to provide effective and equitable instruction, materials, environment, and opportunities so that allstudents may succeed. This document is part of a continuum of school science learning beginning with the NSTA position statement, Early Childhood Science Education(NSTA 2014), and continuing with the NSTA position statement, Science Education for Middle Level Students(NSTA 2016a).

Science learning begins long before children enter formal education. Their innate curiosity about the world and how it works prompts them to independently develop rudimentary forms of scientific investigations and design activities to find answers to their questions and solutions to their problems (NRC 2007). Effective elementary education recognizes and capitalizes on children's intrinsic interest in science and engineering, builds upon the initial concepts and strategies children have acquired, and provides an educational environment that allows those concepts and strategies to expand and deepen.

In many schools and districts, however, elementary science instruction often takes a back seat to math and reading and receives little time in the school day. Many elementary educators do not receive an adequate amount of professional learning to gain the confidence needed to teach science (Horizon Research 2013; McClure et al. 2017).

The release of A Framework for K-12 Science Education( Framework;NRC 2012) provides a new vision for science teaching and learning, and recommends important conceptual shifts in science instruction. NSTA supports this new vision-and its application in the Next Generation Science Standards( NGSS)-and recommends all educators make the transition to three-dimensional teaching and learning (NSTA 2016b, 2018).

NSTA identifies the following key principles to guide effective science learning in the elementary grades:

The elementary educational environment plays a key role in student learning.Students thrive with teachers who consider all aspects of space (physical, socio-emotional, gallery, and intellectual) for creative and in-depth learning (DeVries and Zan 2012). Such an environment provides children with opportunities to engage in the practices of science, engineering, and mathematics daily through real-world applications during the course of exploring topics of interest and relevance.

Elementary students have the capacity to engage in scientific and engineering practices as they develop conceptual understandings over time.High-quality science instruction moves students from curiosity to interest to reasoning (Moulding, Bybee, and Paulson 2015). The progression of learning occurs with each science and engineering experience and is magnified by frequency and intentionality. As noted in the NSTA position statement,Early Childhood Science Education, children have the capacity to engage in scientific practices and develop understanding at a conceptual level (NSTA 2014), and early in their science education, they need opportunities to observe phenomena, engage in problem solving, and provide explanations of their thinking (Katz 2010). Over time and through multiple and varied experiences, children develop skills in scientific discourse. They construct more detailed models and explanations, and listen to and critique the explanations of others. Children enter the realm of scientists as they plan and carry out investigations, solve problems, create models, analyze and interpret data, construct explanations, and design solutions. These opportunities allow them to deepen their understandings of fundamental concepts over time.

Elementary students can and should engage in science within the broader community of science.There are numerous possibilities to support students' science engagement in the community and this can occur both in and out of the classroom. Tapping into the broader scientific community allows children to become active participants within diverse cultures of practicing scientists and engineers. Out-of-school settings can provide additional learning experiences for students within the context of their daily lives, as outlined in the NSTA position statement,Learning Science in Informal Environments(NSTA 2012).

There must be adequate time in every school day to engage elementary students in high-quality science instruction that actively involves them in the processes of science.NSTA does not find a research basis for recommending a specific number of minutes for teaching core content, including science. However, most states, districts, and schools currently prescribe a set number of minutes-either by day, week, or year. As a result of this practice, science receives far less instruction time than other core subjects (Horizon Research 2013). NSTA recommends that science be given equal priority as other core subjects, so schools should strive for at least 60 minutes of science instruction a day, including significant science investigations.

Declarations

NSTA provides the following recommendations to support high-quality science education in elementary classrooms.
To support high-quality elementary science learning, NSTA recommends that science educators

use science and engineering practices to actively engage students in science learning, embed the learning of science concepts within scientific and engineering practices and through crosscutting concepts, and use real-world application of interest and relevance to engage students in three-dimensional instruction (NSTA 2018);

build on students' embodied knowledge and understanding of the world and help them confront their misconceptions (NRC 2008, p. 38);

give students time and space to structure their own investigations in a familiar domain as a way to encourage their investment in learning and engagement in reasoning (Metz 2011);

consider development and learning, individuality, and social and cultural contexts as children mature, while also introducing experiences outside of children's own life experiences as they move towards more abstract concepts;

provide authentic formative and summative assessments to guide and assist development of conceptual understandings;

practice science as a social endeavor in which knowledge is based on empirical evidence;

explicitly integrate discussions and a variety of lessons to support an understanding of the Nature of Science (Lederman 2014);

involve students in scientific discourse to help them make evidence-based conclusions and decisions, and communicate those conclusions and decisions effectively through speaking and writing;

immerse students in a variety of scientific text and literature genres to develop an understanding of the different purposes for which each is used;

embed authentic mathematical applications within scientific and technological investigations and engineering designs providing deeper understanding of content and processes in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM);

promote science learning for all children regardless of language, gender, race, ethnicity, age, skill, cognitive and physical abilities, or economic status;

help students understand the difference between scientific data, beliefs, and opinions;

work to integrate all the disciplines in the elementary curriculum with science;

adhere to professional practices and legal safety standards outlined in NSTA's position statementSafety and School Science Instruction(NSTA 2015) and be proactive in ensuring that school and school district leaders know and are adhering to these safety expectations; and

encourage and engage families to support children's interest and investigation in science and other STEM activities through communication including sharing of community resources.

To support high-quality elementary science learning, NSTA recommends that administrators and/or curriculum specialists

continually develop knowledge of child development and learning progressions within science, engineering, and mathematics to design appropriate and engaging science experiences for elementary children;

ensure teachers have adequate time to engage students every day in high-quality science instruction that actively involves students in the processes of science;

provide research-based, developmentally appropriate, high-quality science resources and materials for teachers with adequate time to engage in the same hands-on, engaging learning environments and practices they provide to children (McClure et al. 2017);

provide ongoing research-based opportunities within professional learning communities for teachers that meaningfully integrate the processes of reading, writing, and mathematics within scientific investigation and engineering design;

support community and school partnerships that provide real-world science education experiences for students and teachers, such as offering regular opportunities for teachers to collaborate with and learn from experienced science and engineering professionals in a variety of settings; and

ensure that student learning opportunities are implemented through research-based best practices that integrate reading, writing, and mathematics with science instruction in ways shown to measurably improve skills and knowledge (Cervetti et al. 2012; Satchwell and Loepp 2002).

To support high-quality elementary science learning, NSTA recommends that policy makers

align district and state policies to support the recommendations of theFramework, and theNGSSif adopted, including teacher professional learning;

work with all levels of government (federal, state, and local) to apply existing and new funding resources to improve general science teaching;

serve as advocates for policies that provide equitable science education for all; and

support community and school partnerships that provide authentic science education experiences for students and teachers.

To support high-quality elementary science learning, NSTA recommends that professional development for classroom teachers and preparation for future elementary teachers

counter pre-existing anxiety and attitudes about science through opportunities to experience the same hands-on, engaging learning environments and research-based best practices that support deeper, conceptual understandings in children;

involve participants in experiential activities to develop an understanding of the learning progressions within both the content and processes of science, including the ability to diagnose and address common misconceptions, and to provide appropriate differentiation strategies;

require specific coursework in the areas of physical science, life science, and Earth science designed to model the three-dimensional integration of the practices of science and engineering while reinforcing the nature of science in a developmentally appropriate context;

include regular opportunities to develop, use, and reflect upon authentic formative and summative assessment to uncover student thinking, detect possible misconceptions, and modify learning experiences accordingly, both as an individual and within a professional learning community;

engage in meaningful discussion of methods for embedding reading, writing, and mathematics within the context of active science learning; and

advocate for and schedule regular meetings with experienced elementary science mentors within and across grade levels to analyze assessment data, reflect on the lesson design, and develop confidence in providing instruction for children of all ages.

To support high-quality elementary science learning, NSTA recommends families support their children's science learning as outlined in the NSTA position statement,Parent Involvement in Science Education(NSTA 2009). This broadly includes

nurturing the wonder, enthusiasm, and curiosity in children of all ages by creating a positive and safe environment at home for exploration and discovery;

being actively engaged in children's schooling; and

encouraging children to consider and pursue a science- or technology-related career and obtaining the necessary knowledge and skills that will allow them access to and success in such a career.

- Adopted by the NSTA Board of Directors, October 2018

References

Cervetti, G. N., J. Barber, R. Dorph, P. D. Pearson, and P. G. Goldschmidt. 2012. The impact of an integrated approach to science and literacy in elementary school classrooms. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 49(5): 631-658.

DeVries, R., and B. Zan. 2012. Moral classrooms, moral children: Creating a constructivist atmosphere in early education. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Horizon Research, Inc. 2013. 2012 National survey of science and mathematics education: Highlights Report. Chapel Hill, NC.

Katz, L. G. 2010. STEM in the early years. Collected Papers from the SEED Conference, Fall 2010. Retrieved from 5/1/17.

Lederman, N. 2014. Guest Editorial: Nature of Science and Its Fundamental Importance to the Vision of the Next Generation Science Standards. Science and Children 52 (1): 8-10.

McClure, E. R., L. Guernsey, D. H. Clements, S. N. Bales, J. Nichols, N. Kendall-Taylor, and M. H. Levine. 2017. STEM starts early: Grounding science, technology, engineering, and math education in early childhood. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.

Metz, K. E. 2011. Disentangling robust developmental constraints from the instructionally mutable: Young children's epistemic reasoning about a study of their own design. The Journal of the Learning Sciences 20(1): 50-110.

Moulding, B., R. Bybee, and N. Paulson. 2015. A vision and plan for science teaching and learning. Essential Teaching and Learning Publications.

National Research Council (NRC). 2007. Taking science to school: Learning and teaching science in grades K-8. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

National Research Council (NRC). 2008. Ready, set, SCIENCE!: Putting research to work in K-8 science classrooms. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K-12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). 2009. Parent Involvement in Science Learning. Arlington, VA: NSTA.

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). 2012. Learning Science in Informal Environments. Arlington, VA: NSTA.

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). 2014. Early Childhood Science Education. Arlington, VA: NSTA.

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). 2015. Safety and School Science Instruction. Arlington, VA: NSTA.

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). 2016a. Science Education for Middle Level Students. Arlington, VA: NSTA.

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). 2016b. The Next Generation Science Standards. Arlington, VA: NSTA.

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). 2018. Transitioning from Scientific Inquiry to Three-Dimensional Teaching and Learning. Arlington, VA: NSTA.

Satchwell, R. E., and F. L. Loepp. 2002. Designing and Implementing an Integrated Mathematics, Science, and Technology Curriculum for the Middle School. Journal of Industrial Teacher Education 39(3).

Additional Resources

National Research Council (NRC). 2014. Developing assessments for the next generation science standards. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Stohr-Hunt, P. M. 1996. An analysis of frequency of hands-on experience and science achievement. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 33 (1): 101-109.

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High-quality elementary science education is essential for establishing a sound foundation of learning in later grades, instilling a wonder of and enthusiasm for science that lasts a lifetime, and in addressing the critical need for a well-informed citizenry and society.

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APPENDIX E – Progressions Within the Next Generation Science Standards 

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APPENDIX E – Progressions Within the Next Generation Science Standards 

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Inquiry science: The 5E model YouTube Video 

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Inquiry science: The 5E model YouTube Video 

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APPENDIX F – Science and Engineering Practices in the NGSS 

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APPENDIX F – Science and Engineering Practices in the NGSS 

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In the 5 E model of instruction, students construct knowledge and meaning from their experiences. This model was developed as part of a BSCS (Biological Sciences Curriculum Study) to improve the science and health curriculum for elementary schools. The 5 E method is an example of inquiry-based learning, in which students ask questions, decide what information enhances their understanding, and then self-assess.

Fast Facts: 5 E Instructional Model

The research showed positive results when the 5 E model was adopted by schools. Standardized tests scores showed that those students in classrooms using the BSCS science program for two years were four months ahead of students in other classrooms. According to the published report, "the sustained use of an effective, research-based instructional model can help students learn fundamental concepts in science and other domains."

In this constructivist model of learning, there are five stages in learning, and each stage begins with the letter E: engage, explore, explain, extend, and evaluate.

Engage Stage

To engage students, teachers should connect the topic or concept at hand with prior understanding. Students are encouraged to ask questions or draw on experiences. The teacher does not correct any misconceptions about the topic or concept but does make notes about revisiting these misconceptions. The purpose of the engagement stage is to get students excited and ready to explore the topic or concept.

Explore Stage

Once students are interested, they can begin to investigate the problems associated with the topic or concept. Students pose real questions and develop hypotheses. The key concepts in the topic are identified while teachers provide hands-on activities. Students develop the skills that are needed to test their ideas. The teacher does not provide direct instruction at this time. Instead, the teacher leads students through inquiry-based questions as students work cooperatively in groups. During this stage, time is given to students to refine their hypotheses as they begin to reflect on the results of their investigations.

Explain Stage

Students develop explanations for what they have already observed. They define the necessary vocabulary and connect their findings to prior knowledge. The teacher should support student discussion and answer student questions. While this stage is a direct instruction phase, the discussions mean that this new information is shared collaboratively.

During this stage, students understand this information through a single example. For example, they may understand the life cycle of one species or a particular form of government. They will need the time, which is provided in the next stage, to internalize their understanding before comparing and contrasting.

Extend Stage

Research shows that students need to solidify their understanding by connecting what they have learned to something real. They need to move from a single example in the Explain stage to a generalization that can be applied in other examples. In applying this information, students may formulate new hypotheses. The new hypotheses can be tested in new investigations. In practicing new skills, students may take data and make new conclusions. In the investigations during the extend phase, students use the vocabulary and concepts in their discussions and their writing.

Evaluate Stage

In the final stage, students return to the engage phase to compare their earlier understanding of what they know now. They address any misconceptions they held, and the teacher makes sure these misconceptions are corrected. They reflect on what they know, and how they are now able to prove what they know in writing, discussion, and demonstration.

Research shows that the evaluate stage should not be skipped. A unit test is not a part of this stage since the teacher can complete a formal evaluation after the evaluation stage. Instead, teachers can evaluate the learning that has taken place through a problem scenario where students should apply their new knowledge. Other evidence of understanding can be done through formative, informal performance, or summative assessments.

Planning the 5E Model

Teachers who plan to use the 5 E model should be aware that they should use this design for units of two to three weeks. Each stage should be planned to include one or more lessons.

The co-creator of the 5 E model, Rodger W. Bybee, explained,

"Using the 5Es model as the basis for a single lesson decreases the effectiveness of the individual phases due to shortening the time and opportunities for challenging and restructuring of concepts and abilities-for learning,"

The 5E Model helps students to use inquiry to connect new information with prior knowledge through practice and reflection. The teacher becomes a facilitator or guide who builds inquiry, exploration, and assessment into daily instruction approach.

5E Example: Math

In a 5 E model for math, for example, a unit on rational numbers coming from mathematical and real-world situations could include converting between standard decimal notation and scientific notation.

Engage: Students are given cards with rational numbers and asked:

Where do you think that number should go on a number line?

Do you think it could be placed in more than one place?

Explore: Students use cards to order, match, and compare the rational numbers.

Explain: The teacher provides examples of times people may use Scientific Notation; students practice organizing cards using what they know about Scientific Notation.

Extend: Students try out their new understanding of rational numbers.

Evaluate: Students create a visual representation to organize and display the relationship between sets and subsets of numbers.

Teachers can use the evaluate stage to determine how well students can use scientific notation and convert numbers in scientific notation to standard decimal notation.

5 E Model for Social Studies

In social studies, the 5E method can be used in a unit that addresses forms of representative government.

Engage: Students take a poll that asks what criteria they would like in a representative government

Explore: Students explore different forms of representative governments including direct democracy, representative democracy, presidential democracy, parliamentary democracy, authoritarian democracy, participatory democracy, Islamic democracy, and social democracy.

Explain: Students define terms and determine which representative government best fits the criteria from the poll.

Extend: Students apply what they have learned about representative government to real-world examples.

Evaluate: Students return to the information from the poll, adjust their criteria and then fashion a new form of representative government.

5 E English Example

In ELA, the 5 E model can be used in a unit designed to help students better understand transition words through visual and kinesthetic activities.

Engage: Students are handed transition words cards that they can act out (first, second, after, later).

Explore: Students organize lists of transition words (by time, to compare, to contrast, to contradict) and discuss how transition words change understanding when applied to different passages.

Explain: The teacher corrects any misconceptions while students define terms, determine what would be an excellent visual representation of a transition word and what body action best represents that transition word.

Extend: In groups, students visually represent the transition word through visual or kinesthetic means in new passages provided by the teacher.

Evaluate: Students share their representations and act them out.

Science example

The 5E Model was initially developed for science Instruction. This model is embedded in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) as the best way for students to think scientifically. In one 5 E instructional model, using software, students design and then build an amusement park ride.

Engage: Show video clips of different roller coaster rides and the riders' reactions. Students can describe personal experiences riding roller coasters and brainstorm the reasons that roller coaster rides are thrilling.

Explore: Students construct an accelerometer and then test it by having a student sit on a swivel chair and spin while holding the accelerometer. They will use data to calculate the g-force and the independent variable (mass of each student).

Explain: Students access different amusement park websites to review the specifications in workbooks that detail the roller coasters in the park.

Extend: Students use roller coaster software to aid them in a roller coaster design using free software on these sites: No-limits Coaster software, Learner.org, Real Rollercoaster Simulator. Students will consider the question, How do the rules of mathematics and the laws of physics govern the designs of engineers?

Evaluate: Students show their understanding of roller coaster science by calculating the velocity, g-force, and centripetal force. Students also write about them turning their calculations into narrative descriptions (commercials) to explain how their design is calculated for thrills.

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Use the 5 E Instructional Model for Student Inquiry-Based Learning

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In the 5 E model of instruction, students construct knowledge and meaning from their experiences. This model was developed as part of a BSCS (Biological Sciences Curriculum Study) to improve the science and health curriculum for elementary schools. The 5 E method is an example of inquiry-based learning, in which students ask questions, decide what information enhances their understanding, and then self-assess.

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PLT's E-Units are organized around the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) 5E Instructional Model - engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate.

The five phases of the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) 5E Instructional Model are designed to facilitate the process of conceptual change.

The use of this model brings coherence to different teaching strategies, provides connections among educational activities, and helps science teachers make decisions about interactions with students.

Each phase of the model and a short phrase to indicate its purpose from a student perspective are:

Engagement - students' prior knowledge accessed and interest engaged in the phenomenon

Exploration - students participate in an activity that facilitates conceptual change

Explanation - students generate an explanation of the phenomenon

Elaboration - students' understanding of the phenomenon challenged and deepened through new experiences

Evaluation - students assess their understanding of the phenomenon

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BSCS 5E Instructional Model - Project Learning Tree

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PLT's E-Units are organized around the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) 5E Instructional Model - engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. The five phases of the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) 5E Instructional Model are designed to facilitate the process of conceptual change.

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5 E's Lesson Plan Template for Math - Teacher Tech

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5 E's Lesson Plan Template for Math - Teacher Tech

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The 5 E's lesson plan template is relatively new, did not exist when I was in my teacher prep program (or at least to my knowledge.) It was specifically designed for math and science but is a great outline for any subject area. I previously blogged on this 5 E's Lesson Plan - Explain Comes Third. As Stanford math professor Jo Boaler says " It is not our job to rescue students from thinking." Check out this resource on productive struggle.

Link to Template

The Standard

Note that there is no standard to "identify place value" but rather to UNDERSTAND that one place is ten times the value of the other. Consider a quick and dirty for the standards is to analyze instead of memorize. Is the lesson we are teaching students something that may have been a lesson taught to us or is it actually a modern standard? How do we engage students in exploring and analyzing more?

The 4 C's

Try to have at least one C of 21st century teaching. I would like to add an additional C of "Context." If students do not understand (this is different than being told "someday you might build a bridge") why they are learning something, the learning is less sticky. Students need to make meaningful connections between what they are learning and what it's purpose is. Textbooks and worksheets are notorious for fake contexts (who is Bob and why does he have 40 watermelons?!) and fake numbers. It's understandable in an age of textbooks but in the 21st century real data is all around us. How can we engage students in real contexts that use real data rather than contrived?

Collaborate

Math should not be struggling alone at your desk. Talking about learning, debating ideas, sharing different approaches are highly effective for learning. How will students collaborate in this lesson?

Critical Thinking

Following steps and getting the right answer is DOK 1. Most of the math book I taught from was DOK 1. DOK 2 is going to be where the student needs to deviate from the formula and figure out at least one step. DOK 3 is defined by strategic thinking. We would expect that students get it WRONG on their first attempt. If we expect that they would get it correct the first time then it doesn't involve that much thinking. As Shelley Burgess says "live in DOK 2 and 3; visit DOK 1 and 4."

Feedback Loop

A feedback loop is not one of the 4 C's obviously but if we are wanting to teach students to be critical thinkers this is hard. It is time consuming to teach a student to be a critical thinker. You have to let students think, get feedback, and think some more. This may require multiple back and forth interactions to help develop the students thinking. And while it is challenging, remember to not do the thinking for the students. Ask them questions. Provide resources and help the students to figure it out. Teaching critical thinking means we must demand that it is the student doing the thinking.

Creative Thinking

Following steps is not creative thinking and it is not critical thinking. Creative thinking would be students looking at different approaches. That each student would turn in something different from their neighbor.

Clearly Communicate Ideas

Communicating ideas is not showing your work. It is not uncommon for a student to be able to calculate the math problem yet lack understanding of why what they are doing works. How are students communicating their thinking, including their wrong directions (an essential part of the strategic thinking process)? Are they explaining what they are doing?

The 8 Mathematical Practices

Previously I blogged that the 8 mathematical practices are what the students should be doing. Notice show your work is not one of the practices. "Math is about pattern finding." - @youcubed

The 5 E'S

Engage: How do we hook student interest into the lesson?

Explore: Have students explore and discuss mathematical ideas.

Explain: What needs to be explained? Explain comes third after students have developed some concepts and ideas about the math. Again we want to resist the urge to do the thinking for the students.

Extend: Independent practice is essential. How will students expand and practice on the ideas they worked on.

Evaluate: Friendly reminder that evaluation does not have to be a test or a quiz. There are many ways for you to assess that a student has learned the concepts.

Tip from Diana Herrington

Instead of starting a new math concept at the beginning of class, start it in the middle. This allows students to think about ideas and come back the next day to extend and discuss before starting a new lesson.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2018

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5 E's Lesson Plan Template for Math - Teacher Tech

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The 5 E's lesson plan template is relatively new, did not exist when I was in my teacher prep program (or at least to my knowledge.) It was specifically designed for math and science but is a great outline for any subject area. I previously blogged on this 5 E's Lesson Plan - Explain Comes Third.

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INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP FOR SCIENCE PRACTICES Case Study: Grade 2 Video

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INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP FOR SCIENCE PRACTICES Case Study: Grade 2 Video

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Instructional Leadership for Science Practices

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Focal Science Practices:

Asking questions

Developing and using models

Planning and carrying out investigations

Analyzing and interpreting data

Using mathematical and computational thinking

Constructing explanations

Engaging in argument from evidence

Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information

Related NGSS Performance Expectations:
2-ESS2-1: Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land

This video is courtesy of the Teaching Channel and the video series: Building Towards NGSS Classrooms. Video Link: Making Claims from Evidence

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Focal Science Practices: Asking questions Developing and using models Planning and carrying out investigations Analyzing and interpreting data Using mathematical and computational thinking...

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INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP FOR SCIENCE PRACTICES Case Study: Grade 3 Video (I)

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INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP FOR SCIENCE PRACTICES Case Study: Grade 3 Video (I)

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Instructional Leadership for Science Practices

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Focal Science Practices: Asking questions Developing and using models Planning and carrying out investigations Analyzing and interpreting data Using mathematical and computational thinking…

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The State Board of Education adopted the Science Framework on November 3, 2016. Curriculum frameworks provide guidance to educators, parents, and publishers, to support implementing California content standards.

Science

2016 Revision of the Science Framework

SB300 (Chapter 480, Statutes of 2013) calls for the revision of the Science Framework to align with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

California Science Framework

Science Framework For California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (2003).
*To order a copy of this framework please contactCDE Press

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The State Board of Education adopted the Science Framework on November 3, 2016. Curriculum frameworks provide guidance to educators, parents, and publishers, to support implementing California content standards.

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2016 Science Framework - Science Framework (CA Dept of Education)

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The curriculum framework was adopted by the State Board of Education on November 3, 2016. This is the final published version.