What About Elementary Science?

Posted on October 23rd, 2007 in Inquiry, Instructional Design, Science by wssmith

Most elementary teachers are amazing at teaching students how to read. They implement scientifically proven best ways to teach reading. They devote countless hours each week to providing students with a multi-faceted approach to the subject. Students have opportunities for differentiated instruction and formative assessments are on-going. But what about elementary science?

Why is it that language arts and mathematics always take precedence over science? Is it due to the focus and demands of the state tests in these subjects, district and building goals focusing on literacy, or perhaps the uneasiness in regards to content and methodology? Is the lack of resources and materials the reason science is so often left behind?

In our district students perform very well on the NYS 4th Grade Science Test. Does this mean our students have the ability to think and work as scientists or are they good test-takers? Students can “learn” science via videos, reading and discussing textbook chapters, and answering worksheets and still “meet or exceed” state standards in science. Is this what we want for our children? The measures of proficiency from state tests should not be the only indicator of student achievement in science.

How can we develop opportunities for all elementary students to experience and explore science as inquiry that is rich in content, challenging, exciting and alive? How can we communicate to our parents and community members the essential need in today’s society to promote science education in elementary school? How can we reassure teachers that teaching science does not take away valuable time from language arts or mathematics, but rather high-quality science education can enhance critical thinking skills, creativity, and a desire to learn that crosses all curricular areas?

What about elementary science? How do we begin the conversations that will lead to change?

Guiding Inquiry

Posted on October 9th, 2007 in Constructivism, Inquiry, Instructional Design, Science by wssmith

According to the National Science Education Standards students at all grade levels and in every domain of science should have the opportunity to use scientific inquiry and develop the ability to think and act in ways associated with inquiry, including asking questions, planning and conducting investigations, using appropriate tools and techniques to gather data, thinking critically and logically about relationships between evidence and explanations, constructing and analyzing alternative explanations, and communicating scientific arguments.

Teaching science as inquiry requires teachers to shift their instructional design from showing and telling to providing opportunities for students to observe, share ideas, grapple with discrepant events, ask their own questions, and discover ways to collect and analyze data, conduct research, and ask new questions based on their discoveries. Inquiry is messy, open-ended, and often time consuming. Yet this student-centered approach is essential if we want our students truly understand key scientific concepts.

Today I worked with 3 classes participating in our HP grant project, Pond Partners, and the goal was to have students develop their own questions to investigate out in the field as part of this project. It wasn’t easy. The classroom teachers and I had to continuously probe their thinking, model how to ask questions, and focus students’ attention on the purpose of the project. We choose to guide and direct their inquiry rather than have the experience be completely open. While this may not always be the best approach, given our time constraints and project outline, it was our best option. If by the end of the year students can ask relevant scientific questions, these guiding steps will have been well worth the effort.