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11/20/2008

One of my roles on the SciLinks team is to find resources for a specific topic. Using several search engines, I browse through the lists and select sites for a more intense review and approval process. You as a SciLinks user then have a list of websites for a given topic that have been reviewed and whose content has been correlated with the National Science Education Standards.

Occasionally, I come across a resource for a specific topic that is part of a larger, more general collection. I'd like to call your attention to Teachers' Domain, sponsored by the WGBH Educational Foundation. This is an indexed and annotated collection of multimedia resources from public television. I've used the URL to the main site (http://www.teachersdomain.org) in the link above so that you can share it with your colleagues in other content areas.

There are so many wonderful science resources on public television, but getting these resources into the classroom used to be a challenge. We could order a tape of a program from a regional library and hope that it would be delivered in time to use in our lesson, we could purchase a copy if our budgets permitted, or we could tape off the air, with appropriate permissions, assuming that the programming matched our lesson. In the analog tape media, it was hard to pinpoint a brief clip or a series of clips.

But this digital collection solves the problem. From this site you can access hundreds of individual multimedia resources (video clips, photographs, audio files, animations, PDF documents) anytime from any computer with an Internet connection. Most of these resources have a generous use policy. All of them can be used online, most can be downloaded, and many can be shared or added to your own presentations. The site also has a set of lesson plans that integrate these resources. These lessons are very good, and many of them have been added to SciLinks. There are links to professional development opportunities offered by PBS, too.

The site can be used with or without a registration/login (which is free). I did go through the registration process, which requires that you list your school or affiliation. If your school/district is not listed, you can add it. The advantage of registering is that when you find a resource, it is correlated to your state's academic standards. Registration also gives you access to online folders to "save" resources for future projects or lesson.

With the websites in SciLinks and the multimedia resources of Teachers' Domain, you'll all set to help students explore topics visually and to take students beyond the classroom walls.

Posted at 5:05 PM by tmbigelow | Category: Using SciLinks | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

11/15/2008

Communication Skills

A few years ago, one of the speakers at our school's career day was a graduate who was an environmental scientist. A student asked her what she did all day. The audience expected her to say things such as I do chemical tests. I spend all day on the river. I look at things through a microscope. I walk through the woods. I do experiments. But her answer surprised everyone. She said that she spends as much time on communications, especially on writing, as on anything else. She described how much of her work involves taking notes, writing reports, preparing presentations, writing articles for publication, writing brief updates for her funding agencies, writing and answering emails and letters, conversing with her colleagues, and writing entries in her daily log. I suspect that a similar response would come from those in many other professions and jobs, too.

So it appears that if we want our students to have authentic, real-life experiences in science, our classes will have to include more activities that involve communicating about what the students are learning. Fortunately, there are many resources to help us, including this month's Science Scope with several articles that discuss writing in science:

Learning to Write and Writing to Learn in Science describes refutational text – a type of persuasive writing. I was interested in this because in my state's writing assessment, narrative writing is not assessed at the middle and high school levels. The emphasis is on persuasive and informational. The article has a copy of the rubric that the author has used and a description of how the process is modeled and integrated in the classroom.
Using Science Journals to Encourage All Students to Write shows how writing can be a warm-up or summary activity, an assessment, or a discussion-starter. There are suggestions for modeling and guiding students through the process, a rubric, samples of feedback, and ideas for logistics.
Science and Literacy—Making Connections Through Writing has suggestions for guiding students through responding to open-ended questions and makes an interesting connection between the inquiry process and the writing process.
Science SLAMS—A Reading Strategy for Answering Open-Ended Questions goes beyond a description of the strategy and teaching suggestions. The author did an action research project to determine the effectiveness of using the strategy!

Another resource is SciLinks. Use the code SS110801 for websites on communications. Many of them deal specifically with reading in science. One that I like in particular is Connecting Elementary Science and Literacy. For each step of an inquiry process, this page has suggested resources for incorporating communications skills. (Although the title says "elementary" other grade levels can use this resource!)

You may also want to check out the November 2008 issue of Science and Children and the November 2007 issue of Science Scope for more articles and resources. Mention the idea of using a template for student writing, and you'll get a variety of responses (for example, ask your English teachers about the five-paragraph essay). Some teachers feel that using templates constrains student writing to a cookie-cutter format, with little room for individuality or creativity. Others suggest that using a template can guide students through the writing process, especially students who have not had much experience in a particular style or in writing for a specific purpose. Most of us probably have a format we want students to use for a lab report or a journal entry. It's been my experience that most students appreciate having a template (or a format or a set of guidelines) at first. After a while they can expand, customize, or embellish their work to express their creativity. It's hard to think outside the box when you don't know what the box is!

Posted at 6:57 PM by tmbigelow | Category: Middle School | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

11/8/2008

Project-Based Science

"I have to do a science project." These words can produce a feeling of dread for students and parents, with visions of Styrofoam planets or tri-folds for science fairs. But this month's issue of The Science Teacher describes projects as an integral part of a science class, not as add-ons to be completed at home or for extra credit.

The editor notes that "in a well-designed project, students engage in extended inquiry by addressing complex, authentic questions and creating a meaningful product or artifact." The teacher serves as a facilitator, resource, and coach. The process also involves the three Cs: critical thinking, communication, and collaboration.

Should project-based science be limited to just the "better" students? I've found that some of the "better" students were used to doing well in science by memorizing and following directions. They were intimidated by open-ended activities or projects because there was no correct answer or outcome. Some of the more reluctant students blossomed when they were pursuing topics of interest to them and could express their creativity. All students would benefit from some guidance, scaffolding, and modeling when starting these projects. Simply telling students to "do a project" without any guidelines, examples, and rubrics would be frustrating to both students and teachers.

So, use this issue of The Science Teacher for guidance if you want to try this approach. The article Project-Based Science Instruction: A Primer provides a definition, a rationale and a description of this process, with a sample project plan. Planning for Success and Problem-Based Learning Tools have practical tips and advice, the best advice being to start simple and to allow for some mistakes the first time! The Driving Question Board shows how to guide students through the process of asking a driving question for the project (a necessary step, since students are more accustomed to answering a teacher's question rather than asking their own).

Other resources include Project-Based Science from the University of Michigan that describes five characteristics of project-based science, checklists from Project-Based Learning, and Project-Based Science Teaching with some examples of projects to get a class started. Part of the process is finding background information on topics. SciLinks can be of assistance here. For example, three articles in this issue describe projects related to geckos, herpetology, and invasive species. The SciLinks codes TST110801 (Herpetology) and TST110802 (Invasive Species) are examples. Don't forget that students can have passwords to SciLinks, too. And check back through previous issues of The Science Teacher (as well as Science Scope and Science and Children for more examples of projects and potential questions or topics that you could adopt or adapt for your students.

Part of the process of project-based science is the creation of a tangible product by the students to demonstrate their learning. Written reports are certainly one type of product, but let the students use their imagination (and the technology available to them).

But what about all of the material we feel obligated to "cover" and the class time that would be spent on projects? I would certainly look at the state standards and district curriculum for guidance on topics that students could learn about as they worked on projects. My state's standards have a whole section on the processes of science. The concepts here could be reinforced through project-based science.

Posted at 6:41 PM by tmbigelow | Category: High School | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

10/28/2008

Evolution Resources

I see that NSTA has just published the Tool Kit for Teaching Evolution by Judy Elgin Jensen.

According to its description,
Teaching evolution is part of the core biology curriculum, and this new resource provides a teacher-ready summary of the scientific, legal, and ethical talking points for discussion of the topic. Compiled by NSTA with input from the National Center for Science Education, the NSTA Tool Kit for Teaching Evolution pulls together historical facts, scientific data, legal precedent, and other invaluable information for answering the all-too-common question of “Why teach evolution?” Biology and life science teachers will appreciate this resource, complete with classroom activities, for its ability to help you cover a relevant issue with depth and pedagogical support.

This is a very powerful resource that should be on the bookshelf of every science teacher, whether or not you teach biology. Did I say "bookshelf"? Of course you can order a hard copy, but as an NSTA member, you can download a PDF version as a free (free!) e-book for your virtual bookshelf.

The book suggests a variety of print and on-line resources, including SciLinks keywords: evolution teaching resources, evolution, history of evolution, Darwin, genome research, speciation, phylogenetic trees, antibiotic resistance, and human evolution.

For additional resources on the teaching of evolution, check out a previous blog entry on Evolution with some of my favorite sites.

Posted at 9:04 AM by tmbigelow | Category: Classroom Integration | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

10/22/2008

Earth Materials, Features, and Processes

Which branch of science seems to attract lifelong learners? You can make a strong case for the life or physical sciences, but my vote would go to the earth sciences! We spend time stargazing at night, watching the weather channel, learning about geologic features at national and state parks, reading about topics such as climate change and prehistoric events, and wondering when the next earthquake, tsunami, or volcanic eruption will occur.

And yet, for many students, their experiences in elementary and middle school are the capstone of any formal classes in the earth sciences. In high schools, earth science is often an elective (if it's on the schedule at all). So hats off to all teachers who spark an interest in lifelong learning in this branch of science.

This issue of Science Scope has lots of suggestions for teaching fundamental concepts, taking students out into the natural world, bringing the world (such as the Antarctic) to them via the Internet, simulating a geology conference (an authentic learning experience), and discovering what can be learned from dinosaur fossils.

Check out a selection of related resources on the topic of Investigating Earth Science in the SciLinks database. You'll find more than 60 websites on a variety of topics to whet your appetite. Or go to the SciLinks site and enter keywords related to what you're studying: volcano, tectonics, oceanography, galaxy, rock cycle, weather, dinosaur, weather. (Note: if you can't find a topic in SciLinks, add a comment to this post, and we'll work on adding the topic and related sites to the database.)

Some sites recently added in the area of earth science were suggested by FREE (Federal Resources for Excellence in Education):

The Paleontology Portal where students can learn about prehistoric life in the U.S. by state or time period and search fossil images and paleontology collections from several museums.
DLESE Teaching Boxes help teachers create activities on earth science topics with digital resources, education standards, and lesson plans.
Enduring Resources for Earth Sciences Education has a collection of maps, documents, and other resources for teaching about the earth and earth's processes.

Don't forget to check out NSTA's other recent publications, even if you teach at different grade levels: the January 2008 issue of The Science Teacher Our Changing Earth, and the September 2008 issue of Science and Children Astronomy.

Beyond our school experiences, most of us rely on informal science institutions such as museums, observatories, and national/state parks to continue learning. Last month, I had the opportunity to visit northern Arizona. Visiting the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest, Canyon De Chelly, and the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff was a dream adventure for a science teacher!

In an NSTA listserve, a question was raised as to what were the best places in the U.S. to study geology. Most of the suggestions were National Parks in the western U.S. (similar to my adventure). But one response noted that the best place to study geology is in your own neighborhood!

Posted at 11:00 PM by tmbigelow | Category: Middle School | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

10/14/2008

Investigation Skills

Little children love to ask questions such as Why? How come? But it seems that in school, it's the teacher who asks most of the questions. This issue provides some suggestions and examples for helping students to apply their curiosity to science investigations.

Investigating with Charles Darwin describes how a class uses Darwin's work with worms as the basis for their own investigations. The author mentions the Darwin exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History. Even though the exhibit is now closed, the virtual one is still active. For more information on Darwin and his works, use the keyword Darwin in SciLinks. Worms also are the basis for investigations in Worms Out of This World. You can check out other activities and background information by entering worm as a keyword in SciLinks.

There are several articles on models, but not the Styrofoam or craft stick kind. The Benefits of Scientific Modeling shows how to go beyond a diagram or physical representation and use models to explore, predict, and explain. There is a chart that show how even simple diagrams can be used a models. The Many Levels of Inquiry article shows a progression of activities, from demonstrations to independent investigations. Take a look at the September issue of Science Scope for more on inquiry lessons.

Investigation starts with asking questions. Two articles Methods and Strategies: The Crucial Role of the Teacher question stems and The Art (and Science) of Asking Questions deal with questions and wait time. The original research was published in the 1970s (by the late Mary Budd Rowe, who was also an NSTA president). This research noted that when teachers paused (for 3-5 seconds) after asking a higher-order question and before calling on a student, the student's response was likely to be more detailed and that more students volunteered to answer. Students also achieved higher on measures of complex thinking. It's a tried and true strategy, and if you need to review the concept, here are three resources:

Using "Think-Time" and "Wait-Time" Skillfully in the Classroom also describes variations of wait time in terms of teacher and student conversations.
For a primary source, here is an article by Rowe that revisits the concept and its effects on students (and teachers).
Wait Time from the University of Akron includes a video clip of what wait time looks like and sounds like in a classroom.

Posted at 9:56 PM by tmbigelow | Category: Elementary | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

10/8/2008

Research in Science Classrooms

Wow -- students doing real research! This adds a different dimension to the "labs" that students do. There is certainly a time and place for replication or follow-the-directions activities (for example, to learn how to use various equipment or to practice skills such as observation and data collection). But the research projects described in this month's issue of The Science Teacher have students designing and conducting their own research on a variety of topics.

The research projects described in this issue were not individual projects for a science fair. These were in-school activities that involved a whole class or teams of students in authentic investigations. What impressed me the most about the projects was the fact that the teachers didn't simply tell the students to "do some research." The teachers modeled their own curiosity and thinking about research, they asked questions, and they guided the students through the process.

My high school students used to do a "research paper" in their English classes, but this was basically a collection of information on a particular topic from books, articles, and websites. Scientific research is not a just a collection of facts. It involves processes such as observation, questioning, hypothesizing, measurement, data collection, and analysis. Depending on their prior experiences in elementary and middle schools, the students may need a lot of modeling and guidance at first. But judging from the students in these articles, it's worth it.

If your students are new to the concept of inquiry and research, I'd suggest looking at the Natural Inquirer site. The articles are written by scientists who conduct various types of research. These aren't just summaries or digests -- the articles describe the methodology and discuss the results, just like an article in a professional science journal. The difference is that these are written in student-friendly language and include resources for the classroom. The articles are downloadable as PDFs, and you don't need a login. Even though the articles are designed for middle schoolers, they can be appropriate for high school students who have not had a lot of inquiry or research experiences.

You can use SciLinks for background information on virtually any topic. For example in this issue, there are two highlighted topics: TST100801 for Plant Adaptations and TST100802 for Ocean Research.

Many agencies and organizations have made their data available on the Internet. But for students doing research, it's hard to know where to start. NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has made a wealth of data available for investigations in a project called Data in the Classroom. There are several modules (El Nino, Sea Level, and Water Quality) that guide teachers and students through what they call "levels of scaled interaction." Each module has five levels of lessons ranging from teacher-presented ones through letting students explore the data to full-blown problem solving and invention. Each module shows the associated data in a variety of formats and guides the students through how to interpret it. There are "checkup" questions throughout, and teachers can download the materials.

A helpful resource from North Carolina State University is LabWrite, which is designed to help students write about their research. Although it's written for college students, it could be helpful for high school students, too.

Posted at 10:53 PM by tmbigelow | Category: High School | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

9/28/2008

Developing Inquiry Skills

It's interesting in this issue to see how teachers can incorporate inquiry learning into topics such as Bernoulli's Principle, bridge design, photosynthesis, a beach clean-up program, rocks, paper airplanes, maple seeds, and ponds. The authors show how you don't need elaborate materials to create learning experiences for students that go beyond cookbook demonstrations and focus on real inquiry and problem solving. The articles describe these investigations and also have advice for teachers who want to include more inquiry in their classes. The articles have lots of real-life classroom examples, and the author share their resources, rubrics, and diagrams.

I followed up on some of the suggested websites:

Recognizing Inquiry compares three hands-on teaching techniques: guided activity, challenge activity, and an open exploration activity. The the comparison has activities that are on the same topic and use the same materials, but the student outcomes are different, based on which technique is used. This is a chapter from the book Inquiry:  Thoughts, Views, and Strategies for the K-5 Classroom, published by the National Science Foundation.
The Institute for Inquiry from the Exploratorium has ideas for professional development in inquiry and formative assessments. But you can click on Our Philosophy for a description of inquiry, a downloadable book Pathways to Learning, and Inquiry Structure, a graphic organizer that shows a process of inquiry.
Doing Science: The Process of Scientific Inquiry is a set of lessons from the National Institute of Health. These lessons guide students (and teachers) through an inquiry process.
A continuum from the National Research Council shows essential features of inquiry and how to vary activities to guide students through the process. Where do your classroom activities "fit"?

Efforts to promote inquiry in science have been around for a long time (I remember the discussion in my methods courses eons ago, and it's always at hot topic at NSTA conferences). So why are we still talking about it? What is keeping us from using more inquiry in K-12 science classes? The Science Scope article Engendering Inquiry discusses some of the perceived barriers to implementing inquiry instruction. Are there others? What do you think?

Posted at 8:36 AM by tmbigelow | Category: Middle School | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)