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What Makes a Scientist in the Classroom?

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What Makes a Scientist in the Classroom?

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* Growth mindset that knowledge is not fixed and can be developed
* Mistakes are seen as a part of learning
* Increase their understanding of how and why things work
* Learn about the world around them
* Knowledge can be used to better understand new concepts
* Learn ways to physically demonstrate their ideas or knowledge
* Hands-on applications to learning
* Use questions to solve problems
* Comparison to look for similarities and differences
* Understand the functions of things in nature
* Delve into cause and effect

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Designing Classroom Libraries that Build Knowledge, Vocabulary, and Engagement

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Designing Classroom Libraries that Build Knowledge, Vocabulary, and Engagement

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Conduct a Google Image Search for "classroom libraries" and the screen will fill with brightly colored baskets and neatly printed labels. Zoom into that picture, and more often than not you'll find "reading levels" in alphabetic or numeric form. Maybe the baskets will be interspersed with genre bins, with "fantasy" or "realistic fiction" in colorful block print.
Typical result from a Google Image Search for "classroom libraries"
This is not surprising. Many popular curriculums, professional development resources, and school-based approaches to literacy presume or even require the use of leveled texts to match readers with a specific reading level.

"Leveling Texts" is a ubiquitous practice in American classrooms, however, research shows that students can access higher level texts with high levels of comprehension when they have a strong working knowledge of the topic the text is about. Think about your own working knowledge about, let's say, home repair, and what type of text you might be able to access as a result. Thus, using an approach where students are only allowed to read texts "at their level" may be holding them back from reading books they actually have more interest in, texts that will allow them to develop a love of reading. In fact, in the Fountas and Pinnell blog (Note: Fountas and Pinnell were the original creators of the lettered text-leveling system) it was recently stated that "Telling students to choose by 'level' is not an authentic way to select books to read independently."

The same research points to the fact that students build vocabulary and knowledge when studying content that is conceptually or topically linked - thus allowing them to access increasingly more difficult texts that may be a better match for their interests.

All of this led us to consider the questions: What changes in student motivation and reading behavior could occur when texts for independent reading are arranged by topic? What implications might this have in practice?

And so, the Book Basket Project was born. Several teachers from different schools, states, and settings convened groups of three to five fellow teachers to test the effect of topic-organized libraries in their classrooms. They followed the general approach below:

Sort book baskets into groups that are linked by related content. Wherever possible, ensure that the texts have similar vocabulary and content.

Label the bins based on the topic.

Encourage students to read a full set: ideally, from simplest to most complex.

Ask questions like "What do you want to know about?" and "What have you learned?" instead of "What is your level?"

Help students select texts that they are interested in, and monitor their comprehension to ensure that they are able to access the content.

Teachers were asked to study the impact of the redesigned independent reading strategy and classroom libraries on the engagement, enthusiasm, and motivation of their students, including those below-, on-, and above-grade-level.
Exploring fossils Easy to package, exchange, and trade! "The element of choice has been very motivating for students. They love reading about the topics they are interested in!" "These book baskets have created a joy and excitement for reading like no other. I will continue to use the book baskets to help encourage my students to love books even more! They even wrote their own books to add to some of the topic baskets!" "Students make connections between information they read in each text on the same topic. Seeing knowledge repeated reinforces what they know. The additional knowledge provided in each text adds to what they already learned in the earlier texts." First grade student survey about reading before and after the Book Basket Project. From Ms. Tori Filler's classroom at Exceed Charter School in Brooklyn. First grade student survey after Book Basket Project-same books, just different baskets! From Ms. Tori Filler's classroom From Ms. Tori Filler's classroom at Exceed Charter School in Brooklyn. at Exceed Charter School in Brooklyn. Mobile cart with text sets
Our Book Basket pilot participants used different approaches to put this idea into practice. Some rearranged only their classroom libraries, looking for logical groupings. Others combined with the school librarian or literacy specialist to create portable book bins that could be traded and shared across classrooms. Others added text sets, or created their own, using printable resources that matched the grade level. Texts could be complex, simple, or a range-the key was to allow for student choice and interest, and to combine texts that would allow for students to truly study a topic or concept over time.

Within the first two months, our pilot participants reported seeing dramatic improvements in their classrooms. Students across all groups appeared more motivated, engaged, and enthusiastic about reading.

Teachers also reported a noticeable change in the way students were talking about and responding to texts.

There is continued learning that needs to be done while adopting this approach in the classroom. Supporting students in deciding what they will read independently and continuing to monitor their reading are both important, especially with struggling readers who may be interested in a topic based text far more complex than their decoding or fluency skills at the time. What better motivation for productive struggle, however, than the promise of high-interest reading?

Check out these "before" and "after" videos with the same student whose class participated in the Book Basket Project.

Take a look around your school or classroom. Are you offering the opportunity for all students to become engaged, independent consumers of knowledge and vocabulary? If not, perhaps it is time to make a shift.

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Designing Classroom Libraries that Build Knowledge, Vocabulary, and Engagement - Peers and Pedagogy

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Conduct a Google Image Search for "classroom libraries" and the screen will fill with brightly colored baskets and neatly printed labels. Zoom into that picture, and more often than not you'll find "reading levels" in alphabetic or numeric form. Maybe the baskets will be interspersed with genre bins, with "fantasy" or "realistic fiction" in colorful [...]

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Equity and Diversity in Science and Engineering Education

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Equity and Diversity in Science and Engineering Education

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A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas Get This Book

Science, engineering, and technology permeate nearly every facet of modern life and hold the key to solving many of humanity's most pressing current and future challenges. The United States' position in the global economy is declining, in part because U.S. workers lack fundamental knowledge in these fields. To address the critical issues of U.S. competitiveness and to better prepare the workforce, A Framework for K-12 Science Education proposes a new approach to K-12 science education that will capture students' interest and provide them with the necessary foundational knowledge in the field.

A Framework for K-12 Science Education outlines a broad set of expectations for students in science and engineering in grades K-12. These expectations will inform the development of new standards for K-12 science education and, subsequently, revisions to curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development for educators. This book identifies three dimensions that convey the core ideas and practices around which science and engineering education in these grades should be built. These three dimensions are: crosscutting concepts that unify the study of science through their common application across science and engineering; scientific and engineering practices; and disciplinary core ideas in the physical sciences, life sciences, and earth and space sciences and for engineering, technology, and the applications of science. The overarching goal is for all high school graduates to have sufficient knowledge of science and engineering to engage in public discussions on science-related issues, be careful consumers of scientific and technical information, and enter the careers of their choice.

A Framework for K-12 Science Education is the first step in a process that can inform state-level decisions and achieve a research-grounded basis for improving science instruction and learning across the country. The book will guide standards developers, teachers, curriculum designers, assessment developers, state and district science administrators, and educators who teach science in informal environments.

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Read "A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas" at NAP.edu

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A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas Get This Book Science, engineering, and technology permeate nearly every facet of modern life and hold the key to solving many of humanity's most pressing current and future challenges. The United States' position in the global economy is declining, in part because U.S.

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Teachers must recognize and value students' cultural experiences, including learning methods and language, and apply these to the science information presented in school.

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Gender equality involves ensuring that all students are empowered, challenged, encouraged, and have equal opportunity to become effective scientific learners. This starts with teachers being aware of unconscious biases in education and taking active steps: instructional strategies, promotion of various role models in science, and find ways support diverse student participation within school programs.

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Introduction

The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) strongly asserts that gender equity is critical to the advancement of science and to the achievement of global scientific literacy. Gender equity means ensuring all students of any sex, gender identity and/or expression, or sexual orientation-regardless of racial or ethnic background or ability-are empowered, challenged, supported, and provided full access to become successful science learners.

The Next Generation Science Standards ( NGSS; NGSS Lead States 2013) and the Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC 2012) upon which the NGSS are based, envision equitable and excellent science education experiences for all students. The NGSS Appendix D entitled, "All Standards, All Students," cites girls as a marginalized group in science education due to women's persistent underrepresentation in science careers, particularly in the areas of engineering and technology (NSF 2015; NGSS Lead States 2013). While strides have been made in encouraging more girls to take classes in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), girls continue to take fewer advanced-level science courses in high school and graduate from college with fewer STEM degrees (NCES 2012; Sadler et al. 2012), even though they demonstrate equal STEM talent (Wang and Degol 2013). Recent studies suggest that although students associate women with science much more frequently than they did in earlier decades, the stereotype of scientists as males persists and becomes stronger as students progress through school (Miller et al. 2018). A variety of research-based best practices for supporting girls in STEM includes (1) instructional strategies that increase girls' achievement in science; (2) promotion of successful female role models in science; and (3) classroom, school, and district structures, such as afterschool and mentoring programs, that encourage girls in science (Baker 2013; NGSS Lead States 2013; Scantlebury 2014). All of these practices-together with educators and policy makers addressing their own gendered biases-can support girls in developing their STEM identities (Kim et al. 2018).

While gender equity in science education has traditionally focused solely on providing opportunities and access for girls in science, contemporary notions of gender equity transcend binary male/female roles to include students' gender identity (one's internal sense of their own gender), gender expression (a person's behaviors or mannerisms that are societally associated with masculinity or femininity), and sexual orientation (identity with respect to sexual attraction), as well as sex (biological identity based on genitalia or genetics) as important factors for consideration in students' learning and feelings of safety at school (Greytak et al. 2016). Science educators must recognize and respect diversity within gender and sexuality to include LGBTQ students, and become sensitized to the ways in which language, curricular materials, and pedagogical choices can impact, both positively and negatively, students' feelings of belonging and competence in science classes and careers. For example, when teaching topics such as reproduction or evolution, limiting discussions of gender or sexuality solely to male-female heterosexuality may unwittingly marginalize students who do not identify with these roles and miss important opportunities for exploring the diversity of reproductive strategies among living things (Bazzul and Sykes 2011; Milne 2011) and growing evidence of the non-binary nature of sex in humans (Ainsworth 2015). Intersectionality, or the confluence of factors including but not limited to sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, and/or ability, also plays an important role in understanding how students experience classroom science and science in society as some populations who represent these intersections have been more marginalized than others with respect to STEM participation (Ong, Smith, and Ko 2017; Sparks 2017; Tan et al. 2013). Science teachers can capitalize on the rich and diverse strengths and experiences of all students by first recognizing and addressing their own biases and becoming familiar with the array of practices that can support students of any gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

Declarations

NSTA makes the following declarations to achieve gender equity. It is critical to note that, while these statements focus on preK-12 education, gender equity in higher education, the workforce, and national policy influence, and are influenced by, the active and informed participation of stakeholders at every level. Science teachers, school administrators, counselors, teacher educators, professional and curriculum developers, and policy makers must work together to ensure all students are scientifically literate and can envision themselves as future scientists and citizens of a global society. To support gender equity, NSTA recommends all stakeholders support the adoption of this position statement, including its definition of gender equity and the following recommended policies.

For science teachers to focus on gender equity, NSTA recommends that they:

Create an inclusive learning environment that respects, values, and empowers all students and encourages them to participate fully in class discussions, activities, and investigations.

Practice self-reflection about the biases they may have related to gender. This includes being conscious of their words, actions, expectations, and stereotypes for all expressions of gender identity; including but not limited to male, female, non-binary, and transgender students, and be prepared to take actions to learn from their mistakes.

Be conscious of the ways students treat each other and the words they use, including the verbalization of stereotypes and biases by students during their classes. This includes challenging stereotypes and clarifying misconceptions that come up during class activities and discussions.

Select curriculum materials that promote gender inclusiveness through their text, illustrations, and graphics with emphases on historical and current inequities.

Select curriculum materials that promote culturally diverse role models representing all expressions of gender identity, including but not limited to male, female, and transgender individuals working in all disciplines and at all levels of science.

Encourage all students to take science and science-related classes and participate in science-related afterschool opportunities throughout their time in school.

Encourage all students to consider science and science-related careers by offering them opportunities to see scientists who represent all expressions of gender identity, including but not limited to male, female, and transgender scientists at work through online videos, videoconferencing, field trips, and/or guest visits.

Build a rigorous, supportive, and empowering classroom environment that includes high expectations, safety from bullying, and the acceptance of all students, no matter their race, culture, religion, ability level, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

Cultivate culturally relevant instructional practices and be cognizant of the intersectionality of female, male, and transgender students who represent underrepresented groups in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Implement varied and effective research-based teaching and assessment strategies that align with the needs of all students.

For teacher educators and professional developers to focus on gender equity, NSTA recommends that they:

Ensure professional development and teacher education programs include discussions about gender equity pedagogy that emphasize research findings and use accurate data about inequities in science.

Ensure professional development and teacher education programs include specific strategies, tips, and examples to combat inequity and challenge stereotypes.

Help teachers create an inclusive learning environment that respects and values students so that all students participate fully in class discussions and science activities and investigations.

Practice self-reflection to discover their own biases as they help teachers uncover and mediate their unconscious biases regarding gender to minimize negative impacts on student achievement.

For curriculum specialists/developers, counselors, and administrators to focus on gender equity, NSTA recommends that they:

Design and/or select curriculum materials that accurately and equitably portray diverse gender identities, religions, cultures and races, various ages, languages, and abilities through their text, illustrations, and graphics (online and print materials).

Design and/or select curriculum materials that emphasize these diverse groups of people in positive and contributing roles across all disciplines and all grade levels.

Design and/or ensure that varied assessments are implemented so that all students can be evaluated fairly in science.

Specifically, administrators should:

Provide administrative support for the development and use of a range of assessment methods that give diverse students more latitude to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding, and foster students' learning.

Encourage all staff to be inclusive and to facilitate communication about gender equity between and among all stakeholders.

Provide teachers with recognized, research-based materials and models, and include statements related to gender equity pedagogy and assessment strategies in teacher evaluations.

Document student achievement and science course taking patterns by gender using intersectionality to identify key social categories so that data can be analyzed by gender and race, gender and language, etc.

Specifically, counselors should:

Encourage all students to take science and science-related classes throughout their time in school.

Encourage all students to consider science and science-related careers by exposing them to a range of in-person and media-based role models, and school and community activities that align with different science careers.

Provide all students with the most recent information about the kinds of opportunities available in the sciences, as well as the preparation necessary to attain such careers.

For policymakers at the local, state, national, and international level to focus on gender equity, NSTA recommends that they:

Recognize the importance of gender equity as a civil right in teaching and learning.

Support policies that encourage educators to attain a gender equity mindset and demonstrate gender equity practices.

Create opportunities for pre-service and in-service educators to learn about gender inequities in science.

Include implementation of gender strategies in assessments of principals, district personnel and state departments of education.

Provide opportunities for educators to learn gender-equitable teaching strategies and access gender-equitable curriculum for their classrooms.

Develop opportunities for preservice and inservice educators to uncover their own biases in gender equity and learn strategies to counteract their own biases so that their classrooms are more inclusive.

Create and support programs in which preservice and inservice educators can engage in discussions across districts, states, and nations to develop a deep and global understanding of the importance of gender equity as a civil right in teaching and learning.

- Adopted by the NSTA Board of Directors, November 2019

References

Ainsworth, C. 2015. Sex redefined. Nature 518: 288-291.

Baker, D. 2013. What works: Using curriculum and pedagogy to increase girls' interest and participation in science and engineering. Theory Into Practice 52(1): 14-20.

Bazzul, J., and H. Sykes. 2011. The secret identity of a biology textbook: Straight and naturally sexed. Cultural Studies of Science Education 6(2): 265-286.

Greytak, E.A., J.G. Kosciw, C. Villenas, and N.M. Giga. 2016. From Teasing to torment: School climate revisited, A Survey of U.S. Secondary School Students and Teachers. New York: GLSEN.

Kim, A.Y., G.M. Sinatra, and V. Seyranian. 2018. Developing a STEM identity among young women: A social identity perspective. Review of Educational Research 88(4): 589-625.

Miller, D.I., K.M. Nolla, A.H. Eagly, and D.H. Uttal. 2018. The Development of children's gender science stereotypes: A meta‐analysis of 5 decades of U.S. Draw‐A‐Scientist studies. Child Development 89(6): 1943-1955. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13039

Milne, C. 2011. A convenient dichotomy: Critical eyes on the limits to biological knowledge. Cultural Studies of Science Education 6(2): 305-310.

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). 2012. Digest of education statistics, 2011 (NCES 2012-001). Washington, DC: Department of Education.

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 Foundation (NSF). 2015. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science and engineering. Retrieved from https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/women/.

NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next generation science standards: For states, by states. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Ong, M., J.M. Smith, and L.T. Ko. 2017. Counterspaces for women of color in STEM higher education: Marginal and central spaces for persistence and success. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 55(2): 206-245. doi: 10.1002/tea.21417

Sadler, P.M., G. Sonnert, Z. Hazari, and R. Tai. 2012. Stability and volatility of STEM career interest in high school: A gender study. Science Education 96(3): 411- 427.

Scantlebury, K. 2014. Gender matters: Building on the past, recognizing the present, and looking toward the future. In N. G. Lederman and S. K. Abell (Eds.), Handbook of research on science education: Volume II (187-203). New York: Routledge.

Sparks, D. 2017. Navigating STEM-worlds: Applying a lens of intersectionality to the career identity development of underrepresented female students of color. Journal for Multicultural Education 11 (3): 162-175, doi: doi.org/10.1108/JME-12-2015-0049

Tan, E., A. Calabrese Barton, H. Kang, and T. O'Neill. 2013. Desiring a career in STEM-Related fields: How middle school girls articulate and negotiate between their narrated and embodied identities in considering a STEM trajectory. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 50 (10): 1143-1179. DOI: 10.1002/tea.21123.

Wang, M.T., and J. Degol. 2013. Motivational pathways to STEM career choices: Using expectancy-value perspective to understand individual and gender differences in STEM fields. Developmental Review 33, 304-340. doi:10.1016/j .dr.2013.08.001

Additional Resources

Blickenstaff, J.C. 2005. Women and science careers: Leaky pipeline or gender filter? Gender and Education 17 (4): 369-386.

Brown, J.C. 2017. A metasynthesis of the complementarity of culturally responsive and inquiry-based science education in K-12 settings: Implications for advancing equitable science teaching and learning. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 54 (9): 1143-1173.

Carlone, H.B., C.M. Scott, and C. Lowder. 2014. Becoming (less) scientific: A longitudinal study of students' identity work from elementary to middle school science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 51, 836-869.

Corbett, C. and C.H. Hill. 2015. Solving the Equation: The Variables for Women's Success in Engineering and Computing. American Association of University Women, Washington, DC: AAUW.

Hazari, Z., G. Sonnert, P.M. Sadler, and M.C. Shanahan. 2010. Connecting high school physics experiences, outcome expectations, physics identity, and physics career choice: A gender study. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 47(8): 978-1003.

Leslie, S.J., A. Cimpian, M. Meyer, and E. Freeland. 2015. Expectations of brilliance underlie gender distributions across academic disciplines. Science 347 (6219): 262-265.

Lock, R.M., and Z. Hazari. 2016. Discussing underrepresentation as a means to facilitating female students' physics identity development, Physical Review, Physics Education Research 12, 020101, DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.020101.

Maltese, A.V., and R.H. Tai. 2011. Pipeline persistence: Examining the association of educational experiences with earned degrees in STEM among U.S. students. Science Educational Policy 95, 877-907.

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Gender Equity in Science Education | NSTA

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The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) strongly asserts that gender equity is critical to the advancement of science and to the achievement of global scientific literacy. Gender equity means ensuring all students of any sex, gender identity and/or expression, or sexual orientation-regardless of racial or ethnic background or ability-are empowered, challenged, supported, and provided full access to become successful science learners.

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Dedicated Science Instruction with Integrated Approaches

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Dedicated Science Instruction with Integrated Approaches

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Direct instruction and cross integrating science lessons into coursework to ensure students receive consistent exposure to science subject matter.

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Ways to Disrupt Power & Privilege  in Science Classroom Culture

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Ways to Disrupt Power & Privilege  in Science Classroom Culture

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There is not a one size fits all approach in teaching.
* Focus on delivering lessons through different modalities in order to make learning accessible to all learners.
* Have high expectations for all students to excel in their educational studies and goals.
* Construct my lessons to incorporate cultural relevance to students' experiences and lives, so they view themselves portrayed with value in their educational content.

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All students with them valuable talents and funds of knowledge.

All are recognized for their strengths and abilities to create a positive, safe, and supportive environment.

Respect and kindness will be key elements of the classroom community where students are encouraged to be themselves.

High expectations of all students to support them excel in their studies and goals.

Students will see that all classmates are part of their classroom community. They get to know each other as individuals.

Students will hear that their classmates may have different life experiences and have much to contribute to the class. Students will ask questions and listen to each other’s contributions.

Students will feel a sense of community which contributes to creating a safe space in which they feel secure, accepted, heard, and supported

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Building Community = Culture of “Figuring It Out.”

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Building Community = Culture of “Figuring It Out.”

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Respect for one another allows students to achieve more in the long term because they feel comfortable and trust one another with their ideas, even if they disagree with them.

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In an elementary science classroom, it's not incredibly challenging to motivate students to want to do science and engineering. I find that the students at the grade-level I teach (fifth) are excited about school and learning and their attitudes mirror the words of the Framework for K-12 Science Education: The actual doing of science or engineering can also pique students' curiosity, capture their interest, and motivate their continued study; the insights thus gained help them recognize that the work of scientists and engineers is a creative endeavor [5, 6]-one that has deeply affected the world they live in." ( Framework 2013, 42-43).

Because of this vision for science and engineering education, I recognize that I must capitalize on this incredible interest by building community, the natural glue, to serve as the foundation for our classroom culture of "figuring it out." Over time, I have realized that this community-building process is slow, yet deliberate, and by doing it thoroughly and thoughtfully, the class gains so much more than ever intended. It not only increases their science knowledge, but also helps students develop respectful relationships with one another. Students acknowledge the importance of listening meaningfully to one another while respectfully disagreeing with someone else's ideas. They also come to value the meaning and importance of consensus.

First things first. We establish norms early, publicly post them, and revisit them daily. Building classroom community is a work-in-progress for these young students. It's also a way to ensure that everyone has a voice, that science ideas are built together over time, and that we make sense of what we're doing in a way that is collaborative, not isolating. We do a lot of "talk science," moving between statements and questions that encourage us to not only value what someone has said but also try to bring meaning and understanding to their ideas.

For example, the statements "Are you saying...?"; "Say more"; and "What do you mean by...?" encourage students to recognize that we value what they have to say. This sense of respect between one another also enables us to accomplish more in the long run because we feel safe and trust one another with our ideas, even if we disagree with them.

Second, we build our classroom community together by recognizing that as a community of scientists and engineers, we design our learning together. As the teacher, I am not the giver of information, but rather a facilitator who is also "figuring out" science ideas alongside students. This means that as we engage with phenomena, the investigation ideas are chosen by the students. If the class agrees on an idea to investigate that they think will hopefully answer class questions, these ideas are publicly posted alongside the norms. These investigation ideas remind students that they are the ones who not only have to do the "figuring out," but they also depend upon one another to build the ideas over time.

Finally, a big idea that emerges from student-led investigations is that sometimes the classroom community's investigations bring us somewhere, and at other times, they don't. Either way, our class celebrates the roads we've traveled in this process, and we accept failure and success together.

For example, in a fifth-grade unit designed to show where our clean water comes from and where it goes after use, we wanted to discover which way treated water flowed once it left a wastewater treatment plant. Thinking that boat traffic or wind had something to do with it, we tried putting wind-up toy boats in containers of water and running fans over those same containers. To no avail, the water didn't flow. But when we tilted the containers, water came rushing out, demonstrating how elevation plays a role in flowing water. Without the "failed" investigations, we never would have learned to what we needed to figure out, and missed out on a success story for our class! From here, we could then uncover where treated water ended up in our city.

Each year, as a new group of students walks in, or I loop with another group of students, I am excited to build community with them, either by starting new, or picking up where we left off. My excitement for building community in science inspires my students, and we hit the ground running...with one another, working together.

Gretchen Brinza is a fifth- and sixth-grade science teacher in the Chicago Public Schools. She is NGSX trained and an author and pilot teacher for both NextGen Storylines and PAGES curriculum development. She is the 2016 PAEMST Awardee for K-6 Science in Illinois and was honored as the 2017 Illinois STEM Educator of the Year. She is always willing to learn more about three-dimensional learning and the positive impact it has on student learning in science. Note: This article is featured in the June issue of Next Gen Navigator, a monthly e-newsletter from NSTA delivering information, insights, resources, and professional learning opportunities for science educators by science educators on the Next Generation Science Standards and three-dimensional instruction. Click here to sign up to receive the Navigator every month. Visit NSTA's NGSS@NSTA Hub for hundreds of vetted classroom resources, professional learning opportunities, publications, ebooks and more; connect with your teacher colleagues on the NGSS listservs (members can sign up here); and join us for discussions around NGSS at an upcoming conference. The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.
Future NSTA Conferences

2019 National Conference
STEM Forum & Expo 2019 Fall Conferences

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Building Classroom Community in an NGSS-Aligned Elementary Science Classroom

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In an elementary science classroom, it's not incredibly challenging to motivate students to want to do science and engineering.

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Facilitating Meaningful, Equitable Classroom Dialogue in Science Classrooms

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Facilitating Meaningful, Equitable Classroom Dialogue in Science Classrooms

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Giving opportunities in the classroom to not only participate in science activities, but also build on students ability to speak to their learning and findings using their expanding knowledge of academic language.

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Collaborative Learning
* Working in partnerships
* Sharing controls in teamwork

Active Participation
* Choices in investigating and problem-solving
* Different roles in learning (teach, present, defend, question, and assess reasoning)
* Real-world connection to motivate and engage students

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This is an example of middle school students, but it could be easily adapted for elementary school.

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Beginning with a central question and driven by curiosity and personal passions, science students at Casey Middle seek answers through research, experimentation, and data analysis.

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Inquiry-Based Learning in the Science Classroom

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Beginning with a central question and driven by curiosity and personal passions, science students at Casey Middle seek answers through research, experimentation, and data analysis.

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Use team activities/assignments as a way for students to get to know each other at the start of a new school year. Students learn from each other and work as part of a team.

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The start of the school year is time of new beginnings and an opportunity to create a classroom culture based on positive relationships around effective communication and collaboration. With some classes this happens naturally, and other classes require a more strategic approach. Based on experiences with classes needing more direct instruction around collaboration and being in a brand new school at a new grade level, I was determined to be very intentional about how I set up the classroom culture to promote collaborative inquiry that will sustain us throughout the school year. While I could see the benefit of these team challenges as a teacher, I didn't realize the extent of their positive influence until I had a fall conferences last month. As part of conference preparation, I had my 5th graders write letters to their parents explaining what they had been learning for the first quarter and what goals they wanted to set for themselves. As I read these letters with parents, every student mentioned the team challenges. But the best testament to the success of my implementation of team challenges came with a conference with one particular parent and student. As I sat with this family, the mom shared with me that school for this student had always been a struggle. Since kindergarten, this student has missed 5-10 days in the first quarter each year. She would cry each night and beg not to go to school the next day. I was shocked; this student was so engaged and excited to be at school everyday. When I asked both the student and the parent what they think had changed for her this year, they both said it was the team challenges that had made the difference for this student. Based on this alone, I will continue to use team challenges as a basis for creating an engaging classroom environment.
After spending the first days of school getting to know one another, the first full week of school I set aside the last hour of the day for team challenges. The focus of each team challenge was to determine the essential agreements for successful collaboration. As each challenge was happening, I asked my students to reflect on what actions helped their team successfully complete the challenge. These have become our "Rules for Collaboration."
​ All team challenges had a STEM focus that required students to work together in order to be successful. Each day the challenges increased in complexity, and while they all focused around STEM best practices, the challenges were designed without any academic connections in order to promote a focus on inquiry and collaboration. Students participated in a cup stacking challenge, an index card challenge, a bubble wand building challenge, and a cardboard creature challenge. As I observed my students working collaboratively, I noticed that engagement was high, and students were excitedly working together to brainstorm ideas for solutions. Based on these beginning team challenges, my students began to ask me each day what challenge they would be working on next. From there, I have introduced team challenges in math, reading, writing, science, and social studies, in addition to non-content area challenges on a regular basis. These challenges have created an increased excitement for learning in my class, and individual students who have not felt successful in school are now beginning to take more risks in order to learn more.
How do you create a collaborative and inquiry based classroom environment that promotes student engagement and learning? Please share your successes in the comments. I look forward to hearing what has worked for you.

Keeping it eleSTEMary,
Katie

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Building Classroom Community with STEM Team Challenges

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The start of the school year is time of new beginnings and an opportunity to create a classroom culture based on positive relationships around effective communication and collaboration. With some classes this happens naturally, and other classes require a more strategic approach.

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Create a classroom that is a safe space for students to make mistakes and exchange ideas

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The Arthur theme song says it all: "You can learn to work and play and get along with each other." Building a classroom community is a process with huge benefits for students and teachers. Last week one of my students brought me a picture she had drawn at home. Smiling ear to ear, she handed the folded paper to me. The picture is a beautiful rainbow with smiling boys and girls standing underneath it. Across the top it read, "This hole intire class is like a family." I couldn't help but smile right back. This year, my goal was to build a first grade community of learners. I knew I wanted to include social emotional learning across the curriculum and throughout the day, to help create a place where my students would feel safe to make a mistake and share ideas.

Here are successful strategies we used this year to build classroom community.

10 Ideas to Share with Fellow Educators

1. Have a class meeting to define "What is a community?" My class decided a community of learners is a group of students who all want to help each other learn and grow together.

2. Include the class in establishing your classroom rules. Our only rule is: "We are all friends." That rule has covered everything from sharing pencils to arguments on the playground. Would a friend take your ball at recess?

3. Start positive. Each morning, I meet my class at the door and say: "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!" The class responds: "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!" Then, we give each other high fives. Any day that starts like that is going to be a great day!

4. I call my students friends instead of boys and girls. After the first week of school, they started calling each other friend, too. I have a sign in my room that reads: "A community of friends can do hard things." We can do hard things!

5. My students each have classroom jobs that change each week. Each job is important to our community, We have sEd techs, librarians, lunch basket carriers, paper passers, and other assignments. This helps my students know and understand that they are an important part of our classroom community.

6. Use classroom technology to help build relationships. We use PBS ScratchJr to write and code stories about the strategies we use to solve conflicts with friends. Students also use our tablets to take pictures of each other with their friends. The kids love looking at the pictures they take.

7. Group STEM projects are a great way to build community. I recently challenged my class to work together to build a roller coaster out of paper plates, cups and tinfoil. The roller coasters and the conversations were amazing!

8. Create opportunities for students to share how they feel about each other. I asked student to write their names at the top of a piece of paper. Students then walked around the room and wrote a sentence or two on each paper. I made sure to add a sentence or two myself. Students smiled and laughed as they read their own papers. I put them in the hall for the larger school community to see.

9. Invite community members into your classroom. This year, we celebrated neighbor day by inviting the Mayor of our town to visit. He told the students about what it was like to be the Mayor and, more relevant to them, what he did when he was six-years-old.

10. PBS LearningMedia is a great resource for Arthur and community building resources. To help your class learn and grow together in harmony, be sure to check out Arthur's Around the Block activities.

The stronger the community, the fewer conflicts we have. The picture has a special place on my bulletin board, and this class is like a "hole intire" family for me too. We can all learn a lesson from Arthur when he shares: "Get together and make things better by working together!" Happy Community Building!

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strategies to create a community in your classroom

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Strategies to Create a Community in Your Classroom | PBS Education

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Your source for teaching inspiration, blogs, and online professional events.

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Whether you are investigating seeds, plants, animals, or insects, you will need to help children become conscious of the fragility of life. As they decide what aspects of life they want to study, invite them to suggest how they can "handle everything with care."

A "Lively" Set Up

What materials do you need in order to add investigations of living things in your center? First you will need tools for observation and comparison such as: a pan-balance scale and other standard and nonstandard measuring devices; magnifiers (hand-held and free-standing); and small dental mirrors (found in drug stores) for examining under and around small plants and animals. You will also need containers such as clear plastic cups and containers with lids for collecting insects, seeds, and plants; cheesecloth and rubber bands for covering some containers; clear plastic boxes or terrariums; ziplock plastic bags for collecting on walks; and muffin tins or egg cartons for sorting and classifying seeds and plants. You may even consider purchasing (or borrowing) a commercial ant farm or butterfly house, or an incubator for hatching eggs. Don't forget to include art materials and notebooks for children to create field recordings of their observations.

Insect Investigations

Questions of where bugs come from, where they live, and what they eat are great starting points for experimentation. A group interested in insects may like to study the life cycle of the fruit fly. Fruit flies are among the easiest to collect and observe. Children can place cut pieces of ripe fruit in two open glass jars. They can place one jar outside and the other in the science center. Ask children to predict and observe which jar will attract the most flies. Soon, tiny flies will be attracted to the fruit inside the jars. Once they have appeared, you can cover the jars with cheesecloth. Watch closely. The eggs left by the flies will mature and hatch into new young fees and then grow into mature flies, thus completing their life cycle.

Plant Investigations

Children's seed and plant discoveries outside can lead to great activities inside. Have you ever noticed how a seed can push away a small rock, sprout in a place without soil, or even brow up through pavement? Why not try some of these amazing "Feats of Nature" as science experiments? Invite children to collect and discuss their observations from many plant and seed walks. What were some of the amazing things they saw? How would they like to experiment with these things? Children may want to experiment with the strength and power of plants by planting bean (or other large) seeds in small containers with different soil, gravel, rock, and other materials in them. After predicting what materials the seeds will grow best in, the children can water place in the sun, watch, and record their predictions and observations.

There are many other forms of life to explore. Examining and comparing pond water (and other natural sources) and tap water is fascinating, as is growing mold, hatching eggs, and catching tadpoles. The natural world is the source of a "lifetime" of exploration and play.

Extend Your Focus on Ants and Plants Throughout Your Classroom

Art Center: Can you paint with a plant? Replace the brushes at the easel with dried and fresh plant parts: stems, flowers, pine boughs, twigs, even roots!

Library and Writing Center: Collect books about insects and plants to create a "nature library" in the classroom. Include both fiction and nonfiction picture books. Invite children to organize and display the books in their own ways. Children can create library cards and take turns being the nature librarian.

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Learning Centers: Spring Into Science | Scholastic

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Whether you are investigating seeds, plants, animals, or insects, you will need to help children become conscious of the fragility of life. As they decide what aspects of life they want to study, invite them to suggest how they can "handle everything with care."

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To support students as they navigate everyday conflicts, Fall-Hamilton Elementary has a nook called a peace corner in every room, with a comfortable seat, a timer, and some distractions, like stuffed animals or a form on which students can explicitly document their feelings and reactions.

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Creating a Dedicated Space for Reflection

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Providing students with a quiet spot where they can calm themselves in times of stress helps them develop self-regulation.

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Classroom management is not just students following rules. Another part is getting to know your students to build a teacher/student relationship.

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Classroom Management Techniques That Work In-Person and Online

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I see it as crucial to set clear and comprehensive expectations for students at the start of the school year. This will set the tone for creating a collaborative learning environment. I will include the primary situations that students will encounter in class: class-wide, arrival, cooperative learning groups, independent work, and whole groups. Each situation will connect with what the actions look like when students are “Being Respectful,”``Being Responsible,” and “Being Safe.” The students will participate in creating expectations. My reason behind their participation is to show that their voices matter and they can be part of creating the class norms.

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Having a designated science space gives easy access to materials and supplies while showing the subject matter as a primary focus of our class.

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Providing science books that show the subject is not boring and provide examples of varied and interesting stories these books have to offer.

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In order to support students, I will create a Peace Corner for students who may need some additional time to step away from the class.

This will be a safe place where they can create quiet time for themselves.

There will be a number of items that will be available to support their quiet time; such as: books, writing materials, headphones for meditation, and comfort elements.

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The standards have been identified, we have discussed how/why these are important; and they reflect the agreed upon collaborative expectations. They will be displayed in the classroom. The expectations will be used as a reference so students have the knowledge of what is expected of them; they will be held accountable to these standards; and they should be thoughtful when making choices and taking action. The aim is to have the students begin with a clear understanding of what behaviors are intended for the classroom. I will use a systemic approach to teaching the standards. I am defining behaviors, consistently reinforcing expectations, monitoring student actions, and correcting students as needed. I will make it a common practice for me to acknowledge students for following the appropriate behaviors in class.

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Students are placed in the center as they are the central focus. My desk is in the back as it is rarely used by myself during student class time. I will primarily move throughout the class while giving direct instruction as well as supporting students in their group and individual work assignments.