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Teaching Elementary Science November 2, 2010
Teaching Elementary Science
November 2, 2010
Agenda Grade ✓✓ FA3 Assignment/TaskstreamFA3 Assignment/Taskstream Concept DevelopmentConcept Development Inquiry in the Classroom/ReflectionInquiry in the Classroom/Reflection Safety in the Classroom/ReflectionSafety in the Classroom/Reflection ID Hazards in the LabID Hazards in the Lab Upcoming Class MeetingsUpcoming Class Meetings Experiments with Radish SeedsExperiments with Radish Seeds
Grade ✓Grade ✓
Date Assessment PossiblePoints
Total Points
8/31 In-class science notebook record, in-class reflection video
10 10
9/7 In-class science notebook record 5 15
9/14 In-class science notebook record 5 20
9/21 In-class science notebook record 5 25
9/28 In-class science notebook record 5 30
10/5 In-class science notebook record 5 35
10/12 In-class science notebook record, reflection science & children article
10 45
10/19 In-class science notebook record 5 50
10/26 In-class science notebook record 5 55
Grade ✓Grade ✓
Date Assessment PossiblePoints
Total Points
9/7 At home seed/plant observations 5 60
Through 11/2
BSCS Tasks 1.1 – 17.4 335 395
FA1 23 418
8/29 FA2 25 443
9/5 FA3 27 470
9/28 Chapter 1 Questions 10 480
10/12 Chapter 2 Questions 5 485
10/19 Chapter 3 Questions 10 495
10/26 Chapter 4 Questions 10 505
11/2 Chapter 5 Questions 10 515
Grade ✓Grade ✓
Date Assessment PossiblePoints
Total Points
10/19 Food for Plants article reflection 5 520
REFLECTION THIS WEEK
Which of these activities are inquiry?
Answer in your JOURNAL:1a1b1c2a2b2c
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Read through each of the six descriptions on the next slide. Identify which ones are inquiry-oriented and tell why each is inquiry-oriented.
1a. Students complete a Moon phase calendar by cutting out photographs of the Moon in different phases, mounting them on a monthly calendar on the proper date, and labeling each of the eight major moon phases
1b. After completing a pre-assessment activity on students’ knowledge of Moon phases, a student asks about the correct order of Moon phases. The teacher challenges students to determine the sequence of phases by observing the Moon and recording their observations for one month.
1c. The teacher begins with the question “Does the Moon rise and set at the same time every night?” Following a brief discussion of the question, the teacher demonstrates the rising and setting of the Moon for several sequential evenings using a computer simulation. The teacher then facilitates a class discussion in which the class concludes that the Moon rises and sets about 50 minutes later each evening.
2a. Students define and describe the El Niño effect by using text and images they find on the internet.
2b. Students go to the library to find newspaper accounts describing the impact of El Niño on the California coast. They then summarize what they find in a two page written report
2c. Students select a location in the U.S. then search the Internet for monthly temperature data of this location for the most recent El Niño year. Students then compare monthly temperature data for the El Niño year to the average temperature data for the past 50 years in order to assess the impact of El Niño on that particular location.
Answers: 1b, 1c, and 2c are inquiry-oriented because they both entail both a research question and data analysis.
1b: The teacher provides the question, “What are the phases of the Moon?” Student answers to the question are based on analysis of their own Moon observations.
1c: An inquiry lesson is incorporated into a teacher-led demonstration. Although the teacher presents the data using a computer simulation, students are involved as a class in analyzing the virtual observations.
2c: challenges students to answer the question, “What is El Niño’s impact on the climate at a given locality?” Students answer that question based on analysis of data collected on the internet.
Elementary Science Safety
In your JOURNAL in CLASS NOTES, write five In your JOURNAL in CLASS NOTES, write five important things that all elementary teachers important things that all elementary teachers should remember about safety in the science should remember about safety in the science classroom.classroom.
At your table, have each person share his/her At your table, have each person share his/her list.list.
SCIENCE SAFETY
Look at the handout on “What NOT to Do In A Science Laboratory.”
The picture displays 36 (numbered) things wrong in this lab. Each person will identify eight things, then jigsaw the observations for the table report.
Each of you should have a completed paper to put in your table folder.
Looking Ahead
In-class Activity Upcoming Dates11-09 FA3/TASKSTREAM11-16 Bring back radish seed/sprouts/seedlings & FIU Nature Preserve Outdoors Activity (30 points)
