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A website with multiple Science RESOURCES
Learning Toolbox
Recursos (Spanish)
Tinkering at Home
Storytime Science for kids
Science Snacks

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Scaffolds for writing and talking are supports for communicating in science-specific ways that may seem unnatural for students. We mean for example that writing causal explanations, talking in small groups about how evidence can be used to back up a claim, or critiquing the ideas of one's peers in a whole class setting, are not the kinds of communication that students engage in outside of school. Tools can help-these take the form of sentence frames, guides for how to help ELL students practice final explanations, norms for whole class discussion that are developed by students, roles that students can take up in small group activity, and others. We provide a small sample of the types of scaffolding that are used during ambitious teaching.
Scaffolds for talk Norms for whole class conversations
Classrooms should have norms for civil discussions that are developed-with help from your students-from the first day of school, that are explicitly modeled by the teacher (i.e. the teacher "names" the norm as she/he uses it) and reinforced on a regular basis. Here are some samples of these norms-there are many possibilities:

Anyone can ask questions if they don't understand an idea that is being talked about

We (students and teacher) can critique ideas of others, but personal attacks are out of bounds

Don't talk over your classmates

The teacher will give "think time" before asking for students' ideas

In small group work, everyone will contribute to the conversations

It is helpful to re-visit these norms periodically, asking your students: "How did we do today in our discussion? What do we need to work on?"
Sentence starters to sustain productive whole class conversations
Some students don't participate because they are so unfamiliar with critiquing the ideas of others or adding onto a peer's comments. They don't know how to publicly disagree and some students even feel uncomfortable agreeing with others in class.

For these reasons some of our teachers have developed, with students, a list of sentence starters (structures for student talk) to help them accomplish what seems unnatural. The tool we show is just one of a set of 4 posters that a teacher made, with her students, on the first day of class. This one shows "How do I respectfully disagree with a classmate?" There are three others, including agreeing and adding to another person's ideas, asking a probing question (often asking for evidence) or asking a peer for clarification of an idea or claim.
Role cards for small group interaction
To foster group participation, it is helpful to assign roles to students. Roles should not be simply about managerial duties, such as the note-taker, the supply-getter, the procedure-reader. Roles should be about different students taking responsibility for different parts of the science talk that moves everyone's thinking forward. Here are some examples of roles for intellectual work. We list more here than you would assign to a group of students, and you might combine these roles in some cases. What we show below is not "the list" but some suggestions based on our experience in classrooms. To the right is one of the kinds of cards that we place on tables to help students know what to ask their peers.

Big ideas person. The BI person pulls the group (occasionally) back to the scientific purpose of the activity (often a group will get too wrapped up in the rote execution of the directions).

Asks "How does X (something we are studying, reading, investigating, observing, etc.) relate to the anchoring event?"

Asks: "How does X change the way we're thinking about the anchoring event?"

Asks: "What is the big idea we are trying to understand? Why are we [watching ice melt]?"

Clarifier. This is a role of monitoring everyone's comprehension about one or two key science terms.

Asks: "Do we know what the word ____ refers to?"

Asks: "Can we put it into our own terms?"

Questioner. This person asks probing questions during the activity. These folks listen for questions posed by other group members and then re-voice the questions to make sure that the whole group takes a moment to hear and entertain questions from everyone. This is not a role that students find easy, so it helps to provide them with question stems such as :

Asks: "What does it mean that ____?"

Asks: "How do we know that_____?"

Paraphrases what other have said: "So, what I think you are saying is... Is that right?"

Asks: "What would happen if we changed ____?"

Asks: "What's your evidence?"

Skeptic. This person tries to strengthen the group's work by probing for weaknesses in the developing explanation or model.

Says: "Here's an alternative explanation-is this just as good as the one we have now?"

Asks: "Does it always work this way (the explanation)?"

Asks: "How does our idea match up with what we've just learned?"

Progress monitor. This person ask others to periodically take the measure of the group's progress.

Asks: "What can we say we've accomplished so far?"

Asks: "What do we still need to know/do to accomplish this task?"

Asks: "What can we now add to our explanation that we didn't have before?"

When you stop by a table to listen in on a group, you should expect this person to be able to communicate the ideas of the group members AND attribute ideas to particular people (giving credit where it is due).
"Talk to your partner" routines
Sometimes a tool can be more like a routine a teacher enacts to help students interact. The "A-B partner" routine is one of these. We found in many classrooms that when students were asked to talk in pairs before offering comments in whole class discussion, that most students were not really listening to their partners. Or they viewed their partner's talk as just something to politely sit through until it was their turn to talk. This is where "A-B partners" came in. We asked students in pairs to talk about something substantive, like a hypothesis, or some evidence or an everyday experience that related to the science ideas being taught.

After the pairs talk, the teacher asks a student in the class to express the ideas that their partner had expressed. The difference in this routine from just "turn and talks." In addition, the teacher presses the student to say more than a cursory few words about their partner's idea. We found that this compels students to actively listen to one another and to ask follow up questions of their partners in order to understand their viewpoints. This works particularly well with English Language Learners.
Scaffolds for writing Drafting evidence-based claims
The tool we show below is to support students' writing of evidence-based explanations. This is core to the science practice of argumentation. The tool is accompanied by a routine. The tool is used near the end of a unit where the students have been studying a complex puzzling event (the anchoring event for the unit). They have also done several investigations that have provided data that can support various parts of the final explanation for the anchoring event.

Students work in small groups when using this tool. In the left hand column of the tool, the groups negotiate a claim about a part (just a part) of the full explanation for the event. They then cite evidence from one of the activities they'd done that applies to this claim. In the bottom cell they state the reasoning that links the evidence to the claim. You can see in the cells that there is a designated space to write and there are sentence frames, both of which help students.

But this is not the end of the work. The claim-evidence-reasoning is only the first step. Next the students give their sheet to another group. This group's goal is to look at the argument and try to give feedback so that it strengthens the clarity and credibility. The group giving feedback has drafted their own argument of course, but they may be attempting to explain and provide evidence for a very different part of the anchoring event. In this way, the second group is learning a bit about how the first group is constructing evidence-based arguments for a different aspect of the phenomenon.

Finally, the second group meets with a member of the first group and explains their comments. The first group then takes those comments into consideration and revises their argument.
Upper elementary example of scaffolded writing
The tool below has a number of scaffolds built into it that support young learners in constructing explanations with evidence. At the top there are clear instructions that are explicit about what should be written-this is more than "explain the skateboarder's jump." Below is a checklist of ideas that need to be included (this is more than a vocabulary list!), there are sentence frames below that, and at the bottom there is a rubric that challenges students to achieve a "why" level explanation. These are only a few examples of tools that can support writing, there are many others.

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Tools | Scaffolding for writing & talking science | AST

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Scaffolds for writing and talking are supports for communicating in science-specific ways that may seem unnatural for students. We mean for example that writing causal explanations, talking in small groups about how evidence can be used to back up a claim, or critiquing the ideas of one's peers in a whole class setting, are not the kinds of communication that students engage in outside of school.

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Books/Stories relates to Science

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Exploring, observing, questioning, and learning are our watchwords here at the Exploratorium-and they're even more fun when paired with a special story. Each month at Storytime Science, you can join the Exploratorium's own Vivian Altmann for a different story read aloud, followed by a simple science activity using materials you can find around the house. Open your ears and get your hands ready for Storytime Science!

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Exploring, observing, questioning, and learning are our watchwords here at the Exploratorium-and they're even more fun when paired with a special story. Each month at Storytime Science, you can join the Exploratorium's own Vivian Altmann for a different story read aloud, followed by a simple science activity using materials you can find around the house.

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"How can we promote EQUITY in Science Education?"

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"How can we promote EQUITY in Science Education?"

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SACNAS - Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science - is an inclusive organization dedicated to fostering the success of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans, from college students to professionals, in attaining advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in STEM.

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Achieving True Diversity in STEM Welcome At SACNAS we're achieving true diversity in STEM by cultivating and celebrating a community where you can be your whole self. Bring your diverse voices, experiences, backgrounds, and talents, and join us as a member today! become a member Latest News & Opportunities View All News & Opportunities Who [...]

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Read-Aloud BOOKS that can be incorporated with Science Lessons (and other topics)

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storytime story time read reading aloud children children's book books stories fun funny silly hilarious teach teacher elementary education kid kid's "ryan l...

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Visit ryanandcraig.com for news, information and ALL their READ ALOUDS! Ryan Lagod and Craig Tovey are two family-friendly comedians that read children's books aloud with silly voices, big emotions and sometimes improvised songs! New book every week. :)

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ATTENTION Educators: Due to a recent Google Drive security update the majority of the links on this webpage including the curriculum guides are currently not working. Our team is working on developing a solution, please be patient as we work to restore access to curriculum materials.

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code: FREEACCESS

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Science classroom video resources for teacher learning

Free for a limited time with coupon code: FREEACCESS

Videos of science classrooms provide opportunities for rich analysis of classroom instruction, teacher moves, and student thinking. BSCS Science Learning has made our best K-12 videos and associated resources available for teacher learning and growth.

Explore what BSCS Videoverse has to offer!

BSCS Videoverse takes you inside classrooms with a growing collection of 2-20 minute video clips spanning a variety of topics including:

Many videos also come with associated resources, including: transcripts with context for the video content, lesson plans, student handouts, and other teacher materials.

Who will benefit from the BSCS Videoverse?

We launched BSCS Videoverse to support a variety of science educator audiences:

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Science classroom video resources for teacher learning Free for a limited time with coupon code: FREEACCESS Videos of science classrooms provide opportunities for rich analysis of classroom instruction, teacher moves, and student thinking. BSCS Science Learning has made our best K-12 videos and associated resources available for teacher learning and growth.

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Lessons K-2
Lessons 3-5

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Claim
Evidence
Reasoning

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ATTENTION Educators: Due to a recent Google Drive security update the majority of the links on this webpage including the curriculum guides are currently not working. Our team is working on developing a solution, please be patient as we work to restore access to curriculum materials.

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Science Lesson Plans

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A free science library and a social network.

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Educators: Inspire your undergraduate and high-school AP biology students with resources on genetics and cell biology from Nature Publishing Group, home of Nature, the most cited scientific journal in the world.

Using our platform, you can customize your own eBooks for your students. Create an online classroom. Contribute and share content and connect with networks of colleagues.

Budding scientists also can find advice about effective science communication and career paths.

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From the publisher of Nature and Scientific American, Principles of Science is a series of textbooks designed for the world we live in today. The first textbook in the program, Principles of Biology, is a research-oriented, affordable interactive textbook for university-level introductory biology courses.

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3D interactive models and activities

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Sense-Making Notebooks in Your Elementary Classroom

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The Comic Book Periodic Table of the Elements

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This site contains comic book images linked to the chemical elements via the periodic table. Comics include Uncle $crooge, Metal Men, Metamorpho, Batman, Fantastic Four, Superman, and many more.

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5 E'S OF SCIENCE INSTRUCTION
Engage
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Evaluate

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NGSS

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The program provides volunteer scientists, resources, and activities to support innovation in teaching, learning, and mentoring.

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Hi team,

Welcome to PlantingScience! Hope you and your family are safe and healthy. My name is Paul. I am a plant scientist pursuing a doctoral degree at University of California, Davis. My research explores how we can sustain nutritional qualities of our plant-based food to meet the challenge of human-driven climate change. Rising CO ₂ levels not only contribute to the warming of the planet, but also make grains (like wheat grains that we use to make bread) less nutritious :( I hope to find practical solutions to help farmers, and us, continue to enjoy tasty, nutritious food for years to come. Outside the lab, I love outdoor adventures, reading random books, and hanging out with my laying chickens in our backyard!

As a scientist mentor, I will be guiding your team throughout the whole online session. Thank you for sharing your diverse hobbies and excitement for the upcoming project! Super excited to work with you all during the next few weeks.

I'm looking forward to learning more about your potential investigation questions!

Cheers

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Hi team, Welcome to PlantingScience! Hope you and your family are safe and healthy. My name is Paul. I am a plant scientist pursuing a doctoral degree at University of California, Davis. My research explores how we can sustain nutritional qualities of our plant-based food to meet the challenge of human-driven climate change.

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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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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

STEM Teaching Tools content copyright 2014-22 UW Institute for Science + Math Education. All rights reserved.
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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science news learn teach biology physics chemistry scishow "hank green" skeleton tardigrade "michael aranda"

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SciShow explores the unexpected. Seven days a week, Hank Green, Michael Aranda, and Olivia Gordon delve into the scientific subjects that defy our expectatio...

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"Uncovering Students Ideas in Science Series"

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"Uncovering Students Ideas in Science Series"

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Tens of thousands of teachers have taken advantage of the Uncovering Student Ideas series to reveal students' preconceptions.

Each of the first four volumes provides 25 probes with easy-to-follow steps for uncovering and addressing students' ideas by promoting learning through conceptual change instruction. Probes cover topics such as physical, life, and Earth and space science; the nature of science; and unifying themes. Each volume on page 23 provides topic-specific probes. These invaluable books include teacher materials that explain content, identify links to standards, and suggest grade-appropriate ways to present materials so students learn the concepts accurately. Teachers, professional development coordinators, and college science and preservice faculty will find these resources essential and exciting.

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Uncovering Student Ideas in Science | NSTA

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Tens of thousands of teachers have taken advantage of the Uncovering Student Ideas series to reveal students' preconceptions. Each of the first four volumes provides 25 probes with easy-to-follow steps for uncovering and addressing students' ideas by promoting learning through conceptual change instruction.