SCE4311: TEACHING ELEMENTARY SCIENCE 2 May12 th, 2015

Requirements (Needs)  What you need for class:  Textbook:  Science Notebook/Journal: Bound Composition Notebook (100 sheets)  Three-ring binder(resourses)/Portfolio: 1½ Inch Binder

Why Teach Science?  Utilitarian reasons  Skills needed in life, attitudes needed in life  Careers involving science or science careers  Democratic reasons  Knowledge to make decisions as citizens  Careers involving making key decisions  Intrinsic reasons  Making sense of our world and ourselves  Interesting and intellectually stimulating  Part of our culture, our heritage

Two major goals of the framework  Educating all students in science and engineering  Providing the foundational knowledge for those who will become the scientists, engineers, technologists, and technicians of the future. Is science learning reaching all students? Framework for K-12 Science

State of Science Education: Perf. Achievement-level results in eighth- grade NAEP science: 2009 and 2011 Basic Proficient Advanced

State of Science Education: Perf.

Free and Reduced Lunch

State of Science Education: Perf. PISA science scores by country (PISA, 2006)

State of Science Education: Interest Science enjoyment by grade, race/ethnicity, gender (Riegle-Crumb et al., 2010)

State of Science Education: Interest For those who pursue STEM degrees… (Scientific American, 2012)

Culture  What is culture?  Attitudes, values, concepts, beliefs, and practices shared by members of a group (objects and actions) Defined by a community with certain values  For non-members of the group, what might be associated to that group from outside

Culture of School Science  Technical language over everyday language  Copying facts and definitions out of books  Only one right answer, step-by-step process  Fact oriented science which seems decontextualized, objective, rational, mechanistic  Activities that do not reflect the “real work” of scientists  Little discussion of the people, tools, and social context of science  Teacher and text control what science counts Barton & Yang, 2000

Culture of School Science Leaves students with an image of science as:  A body of knowledge that is pre-existing facts, theories  Static rather than dynamic, boring, difficult  Lacks imagination and contributing ideas  Only the brightest/special people can do it (white male in lab coat)  Disconnected from personal lives/experience/relevance  Once requirements are fulfilled, will be “done” with it Barton & Yang, 2000

We need to create a new culture of school science!  What are the key dimensions we need to promote so we can make science more accessible to all? Focus on student engagement  Behavioral – hands on  Cognitive – minds on  Affective – with feeling Where to start? 5E learning cycle  Engage – students’ conceptions, understanding, background  Explore – investigate (keeping written records)  Explain – develop explanations, learn vocabulary Culture of School Science

Conceptual Framework: Outcomes THINKING SKILLS HABITS OF MIND COGNITIVE TASKS THAT DEMAND SKILLFUL THINKING CONTENT THINKING SKILLS EFFECTIVE THINKING REQUIREMENTS: Four levels of educational outcomes

Conceptual Framework: Outcomes CONTENT THINKING SKILLS  Disciplinary Core Ideas Physical Sciences Life Sciences Earth and Space Sciences Engineering, Technology, & Application of Science  Cross-Cutting Concepts Patterns Cause and effect Scale, proportion, and quantity Systems and system models Energy and matter Structure and function, stability and change

Conceptual Framework: Outcomes CONTENT THINKING SKILLS THINKING VERBS FOUND IN COMMON CORE STANDARDS ANALYZE APPLY CLASSIFY COMPARE CONNECT CONTRAST DESCRIBE DIAGRAM DISCUSS ELABORATE EXPLORE IDENTIFY INTERPRET JUDGE OBSERVE ORGANIZE PARAPHRASE PREDICT REASON REPRESENT RESPOND SIMPLIFY SOLVE SUMMARIZE SUPPORT VERIFY VISUALIZE

Conceptual Framework: Outcomes THINKING SKILLS COGNITIVE TASKS THAT DEMAND SKILLFUL THINKING CONTENT THINKING SKILLS  Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)  Developing and using models  Planning and carrying out investigations  Analyzing and interpreting data  Using mathematics and computational thinking  Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)  Engaging in argument from evidence  Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating

The Habits of Mind 1. Persisting 2. Managing Impulsivity 3. Listening with Understanding and Empathy 4. Thinking Flexibly 5. Thinking about Thinking 6. Striving for Accuracy 7. Questioning and Posing Problems 8. Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations 9. Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision 10. Gathering Data Through All Senses 11. Creating, Imagining, Innovating 12. Responding with Wonderment and Awe 13. Taking Responsible Risks 14. Finding Humor 15. Thinking Interdependently 16. Remaining Open to Continuous Learning

Conceptual Framework: Outcomes THINKING SKILLS HABITS OF MIND COGNITIVE TASKS THAT DEMAND SKILLFUL THINKING CONTENT THINKING SKILLS  Curiosity  Openness to New Ideas  Honesty/Objectivity  Skepticism

How can we do this? The 5 E’s

Exploring with Engineering

Engineering Design Process

Thinking Skills Habits Of Mind Cognitive Tasks that Demand Skillful Thinking What to teach Recap Content Disciplinary Core Ideas Life Science Physical Science Earth/Space Science Engineering Cross-Cutting Concepts E.g. Patterns, Cause/Effect Science & Eng. Practices E.g. Modeling Investigating How to teach Student engagement Why we teach science