Philosophy of Science
What is science?
Before beginning this course, I thought that I had a solid idea of what science was. As it turns out, I had many misconceptions about science and what science really is. At first, I believed that science was in everything I do, and was all around me. I quickly learned that this was a myth, science is not everywhere, and it certainty is not in everything I do. I used to think that whenever I observed something, made a prediction or used other process skills, I was doing science. However, “using process skills on trivial or nonscientific content, where no understanding is developed, is not science. It is only when they are used on the subject matter of science that they are science process skills” (Harlen, 2001). Certainly, these skills can be used in other areas all of the time, but only when they are used in science are they called science process skills. I also learned that I had many misconceptions about what a scientist is, and what scientists actually do. When we were asked to draw a picture of a scientist in the beginning of the semester, I drew a “stereotypical” scientist. A scientist who was male, had a lab coat, crazy hair, goggles in a laboratory with chemicals. As it turns out, students also have this misconception of scientists when asked to draw a scientist “students typically viewed scientists as white males who wore stereotypical items such as laboratory coats and eyeglasses” (Bodzin & Gehringer, 2001). Science is not just males working in a lab. Females can also be scientists. Scientists do not just work in laboratories either. They work outside too. There are also many types of scientists and they all do not work with chemicals. These are some of the misconceptions we have to correct as teachers, so students have a better understanding of what science is and so we can teach science without creating misconceptions. I have also learned that science instruction is made up of three parts: content, process skill, and the nature of science. In A Leg (or Three) to Stand on, Weinburgh explains that “The three “legs” on which science instruction rests are the content of science, process of science, and the nature of science. Each leg performs its own function and need not be competitive with the others” (2003). In school, science must have all of these elements present when students are learning science, otherwise, they are not learning science. The students must be learning specific content knowledge related to science, be performing a science process skill, like observing in science, and they must be relating the instruction back to the nature of science. I also learned that science is composed of the elements of the nature of science. The nature of science gives ten statements of what science is, and throughout the semester, I have come to believe that science is made up of these ten statements. For example, Weinburgh explains that “science is based on evidence--not faith or logic” (2003), meaning that there needs to be evidence to prove a scientific claim. Students need to be exposed to the nature of science to understand what science is and how science works. Students also need to understand that science is for everyone, that “science is a human endeavor and that people of all ages, races, sexes, and nationalities engage in this enterprise” (2003). Science is something that everyone can take part in and learn about.
Why is it important for elementary students to learn science?
I believe that it is important for elementary students to learn science for a variety of reasons. Frist of all, students learn the basic science process skills, like observation, data collection, and making predictions in elementary school, especially in the primary grades. As students practice these skills throughout elementary school, they will become trained in these skills. The skills that they learn will help them be better prepared for science in later grades, as they should have been exposed to these skills from their early elementary years. Also, learning these skills “prepares them to deal more effectively with wider decision making and problem solving in their lives” (Harlen, 2001), as they will generalize these skills to other areas. It is also important for students to learn the content of science in elementary school. As children grow up, they experience many events that enable them to develop “ideas about the world around them” (Harlen, 2001). Although some of their ideas about the world are accurate, sometimes “children will form some ideas that seem to be unscientific” (Harlen, 2001). It is from these unscientific ideas that misconceptions about the world and science are created. Once these misconceptions are developed, it can be hard to reverse them. In fact, it has been proven that the “longer nonscientific ideas are held, the more difficult they are to change” (Harlen, 2001). As teachers, it is imperative that we understand this, and teach science to students, so they can correct the misconceptions they have about science and the world around them. Another reason for students to learn science in elementary school is that the love of science or not is developed at an early age. Research shows that “attitudes to science seem to be formed earlier than attitudes to most other subjects and children tend to have taken a definite position with regard to the subject by the age of eleven or twelve” (Harlen, 2003). With this being said, it is important that children are exposed to science and have meaningful experiences with science in order to form positive attitudes with the subject, regardless of whether or not they choose to career path in science. Forming a love of science will enhance their educational experience, making school fun and interesting, while learning about science.
How do elementary students learn science?
No two students are the same, and each student brings a different set of ideas and misconceptions when it comes to learning science. Students bring in “ideas picked up or created from their past encounters and from the links they have made between the old and new experiences” (Harlen, 2001). With this being said, students are going to interpret the material differently and have different explanations for why things happen in science. They are bound to have many misconceptions when they are learning and students need opportunities to correct these misconceptions. First of all, I believe that students learn science when they are given the opportunities to create their own learning. Students should be able to form their own questions and hypotheses, and test those hypotheses with a design of their own. Students learn when they are “working things out for themselves” (Harlen, 2001), and encountering evidence that challenges the misconceptions that they hold. Only then will students be able to realize their own misconceptions and why they are wrong, and replace them with the new learning that is taking place. Another way that students learn science is through the process of inquiry. Scientific inquiry involves “altering lessons to give increasingly more control to the students” (Owens & Martin, 2011). According to Colburn in his article An Inquiry Primer, there are four levels of inquiry: structured, guided, open, and learning cycle. Each level has different levels of teacher control ranging from highly structured where the teacher is providing the students with everything except for the outcome to the learning cycle where students “Students take ownership of the concept by applying it in a different context” (Colburn, 2000) and are in charge of everything. When students are engaged in inquiry, they are able to manipulate the material, have genuine experiences with the concepts, and come to their own conclusions regarding the evidence of the inquiry. When this happens, students have a better chance of learning science because they are active and involved in the learning process.
Over the course of the semester, I have come to know science as being a social activity, involving discussion throughout the scientific process, including the results of the process. Students also learn through working in group and having discussions. Students learn more when they are given the opportunity to work in groups. They are able to bounce ideas off of each other, help each other understand concepts, work through problems together and benefit from the conversation of the group as they work through the process. Students also learn from the discussions that happen after the process has been completed. When the groups is able to come together and discuss the results, they are able to hear the ideas of others, compare and contrast their findings, and challenge the results of others if there is not sufficient evidence. Group discussions provide students with the social activity that scientists experience in the field and it also helps them make sense of the process and the results.
How should science be taught?
“Science education begins for children when they realize that they can find things out for themselves by their own actions” (Harlen, 2001). Science should be taught in such a way as to allow students to confront their misconceptions and allow them to answer their own questions in a way that works for them. Students should be free to develop their own questions and design a way to answer them, with guidance from the teacher. Teachers should also provide students with the atmosphere to do this, as well as “provide them with the skills to do it” (Harlen, 2001). Teachers need to make sure that they are teaching students the necessary skills to carry out their own investigations. Once they have these skills, they will be well equipped to participate in activities that “the chance no only to modify their ideas, but also learn to be skeptical about so-called truths until there is evidence to support them” (Harlen, 2001). One way students can do this is through the process of inquiry. Inquiry allows students to come up with their own questions and design a process to answer these questions. Through this process, the students are able to apply the science skills they have been learning while investigating a question that interests them.
I also believe that science education should include the three legs of science: content, process, and the nature of science. Weinburgh states that “science experiences for elementary students should blend the three “legs” in such a way that students learn how to do science, learn specific information about the world around them, and learn what makes the pursuit of knowledge “science” (2003). When instruction includes the three legs of science, there is a guarantee that students are learning science and that they are given the opportunities to “develop ideas about the world around them that fit evidence” (Harlen, 2001), which is the purpose of science education.
Before beginning this course, I thought that I had a solid idea of what science was. As it turns out, I had many misconceptions about science and what science really is. At first, I believed that science was in everything I do, and was all around me. I quickly learned that this was a myth, science is not everywhere, and it certainty is not in everything I do. I used to think that whenever I observed something, made a prediction or used other process skills, I was doing science. However, “using process skills on trivial or nonscientific content, where no understanding is developed, is not science. It is only when they are used on the subject matter of science that they are science process skills” (Harlen, 2001). Certainly, these skills can be used in other areas all of the time, but only when they are used in science are they called science process skills. I also learned that I had many misconceptions about what a scientist is, and what scientists actually do. When we were asked to draw a picture of a scientist in the beginning of the semester, I drew a “stereotypical” scientist. A scientist who was male, had a lab coat, crazy hair, goggles in a laboratory with chemicals. As it turns out, students also have this misconception of scientists when asked to draw a scientist “students typically viewed scientists as white males who wore stereotypical items such as laboratory coats and eyeglasses” (Bodzin & Gehringer, 2001). Science is not just males working in a lab. Females can also be scientists. Scientists do not just work in laboratories either. They work outside too. There are also many types of scientists and they all do not work with chemicals. These are some of the misconceptions we have to correct as teachers, so students have a better understanding of what science is and so we can teach science without creating misconceptions. I have also learned that science instruction is made up of three parts: content, process skill, and the nature of science. In A Leg (or Three) to Stand on, Weinburgh explains that “The three “legs” on which science instruction rests are the content of science, process of science, and the nature of science. Each leg performs its own function and need not be competitive with the others” (2003). In school, science must have all of these elements present when students are learning science, otherwise, they are not learning science. The students must be learning specific content knowledge related to science, be performing a science process skill, like observing in science, and they must be relating the instruction back to the nature of science. I also learned that science is composed of the elements of the nature of science. The nature of science gives ten statements of what science is, and throughout the semester, I have come to believe that science is made up of these ten statements. For example, Weinburgh explains that “science is based on evidence--not faith or logic” (2003), meaning that there needs to be evidence to prove a scientific claim. Students need to be exposed to the nature of science to understand what science is and how science works. Students also need to understand that science is for everyone, that “science is a human endeavor and that people of all ages, races, sexes, and nationalities engage in this enterprise” (2003). Science is something that everyone can take part in and learn about.
Why is it important for elementary students to learn science?
I believe that it is important for elementary students to learn science for a variety of reasons. Frist of all, students learn the basic science process skills, like observation, data collection, and making predictions in elementary school, especially in the primary grades. As students practice these skills throughout elementary school, they will become trained in these skills. The skills that they learn will help them be better prepared for science in later grades, as they should have been exposed to these skills from their early elementary years. Also, learning these skills “prepares them to deal more effectively with wider decision making and problem solving in their lives” (Harlen, 2001), as they will generalize these skills to other areas. It is also important for students to learn the content of science in elementary school. As children grow up, they experience many events that enable them to develop “ideas about the world around them” (Harlen, 2001). Although some of their ideas about the world are accurate, sometimes “children will form some ideas that seem to be unscientific” (Harlen, 2001). It is from these unscientific ideas that misconceptions about the world and science are created. Once these misconceptions are developed, it can be hard to reverse them. In fact, it has been proven that the “longer nonscientific ideas are held, the more difficult they are to change” (Harlen, 2001). As teachers, it is imperative that we understand this, and teach science to students, so they can correct the misconceptions they have about science and the world around them. Another reason for students to learn science in elementary school is that the love of science or not is developed at an early age. Research shows that “attitudes to science seem to be formed earlier than attitudes to most other subjects and children tend to have taken a definite position with regard to the subject by the age of eleven or twelve” (Harlen, 2003). With this being said, it is important that children are exposed to science and have meaningful experiences with science in order to form positive attitudes with the subject, regardless of whether or not they choose to career path in science. Forming a love of science will enhance their educational experience, making school fun and interesting, while learning about science.
How do elementary students learn science?
No two students are the same, and each student brings a different set of ideas and misconceptions when it comes to learning science. Students bring in “ideas picked up or created from their past encounters and from the links they have made between the old and new experiences” (Harlen, 2001). With this being said, students are going to interpret the material differently and have different explanations for why things happen in science. They are bound to have many misconceptions when they are learning and students need opportunities to correct these misconceptions. First of all, I believe that students learn science when they are given the opportunities to create their own learning. Students should be able to form their own questions and hypotheses, and test those hypotheses with a design of their own. Students learn when they are “working things out for themselves” (Harlen, 2001), and encountering evidence that challenges the misconceptions that they hold. Only then will students be able to realize their own misconceptions and why they are wrong, and replace them with the new learning that is taking place. Another way that students learn science is through the process of inquiry. Scientific inquiry involves “altering lessons to give increasingly more control to the students” (Owens & Martin, 2011). According to Colburn in his article An Inquiry Primer, there are four levels of inquiry: structured, guided, open, and learning cycle. Each level has different levels of teacher control ranging from highly structured where the teacher is providing the students with everything except for the outcome to the learning cycle where students “Students take ownership of the concept by applying it in a different context” (Colburn, 2000) and are in charge of everything. When students are engaged in inquiry, they are able to manipulate the material, have genuine experiences with the concepts, and come to their own conclusions regarding the evidence of the inquiry. When this happens, students have a better chance of learning science because they are active and involved in the learning process.
Over the course of the semester, I have come to know science as being a social activity, involving discussion throughout the scientific process, including the results of the process. Students also learn through working in group and having discussions. Students learn more when they are given the opportunity to work in groups. They are able to bounce ideas off of each other, help each other understand concepts, work through problems together and benefit from the conversation of the group as they work through the process. Students also learn from the discussions that happen after the process has been completed. When the groups is able to come together and discuss the results, they are able to hear the ideas of others, compare and contrast their findings, and challenge the results of others if there is not sufficient evidence. Group discussions provide students with the social activity that scientists experience in the field and it also helps them make sense of the process and the results.
How should science be taught?
“Science education begins for children when they realize that they can find things out for themselves by their own actions” (Harlen, 2001). Science should be taught in such a way as to allow students to confront their misconceptions and allow them to answer their own questions in a way that works for them. Students should be free to develop their own questions and design a way to answer them, with guidance from the teacher. Teachers should also provide students with the atmosphere to do this, as well as “provide them with the skills to do it” (Harlen, 2001). Teachers need to make sure that they are teaching students the necessary skills to carry out their own investigations. Once they have these skills, they will be well equipped to participate in activities that “the chance no only to modify their ideas, but also learn to be skeptical about so-called truths until there is evidence to support them” (Harlen, 2001). One way students can do this is through the process of inquiry. Inquiry allows students to come up with their own questions and design a process to answer these questions. Through this process, the students are able to apply the science skills they have been learning while investigating a question that interests them.
I also believe that science education should include the three legs of science: content, process, and the nature of science. Weinburgh states that “science experiences for elementary students should blend the three “legs” in such a way that students learn how to do science, learn specific information about the world around them, and learn what makes the pursuit of knowledge “science” (2003). When instruction includes the three legs of science, there is a guarantee that students are learning science and that they are given the opportunities to “develop ideas about the world around them that fit evidence” (Harlen, 2001), which is the purpose of science education.
Science Portfolio
Goal 1 – Students will plan and participate in science
lessons/activities appropriate for the developmental talents of children.
Throughout the semester, I have participated in lessons and modified lessons that are appropriate for the grade level and the developmental talents of students. My first piece of evidence is my lesson plan analysis.
For this assignment, we had to analyze a science lesson for the three legs of science: content, process, and nature of science, as stated in Weinburgh’s (2003) A Leg (or Three) to Stand On, which describes the three legs as the essential parts of every science lesson. After I analyzed the lessons, I had to make the appropriate modifications to the lesson. While I was making the modifications, I had to think of the appropriate activities for the students based on their development level, individual needs, and the dynamic of the class such as behavior and ability to work in pairs or groups. For example, in this modified lesson, I made sure that the standards matched up with the standards that are appropriate for second grade according to the curriculum map and a website that lists the standards for each grade level. I also had to think about the kinds of activities that my students would be engaging in, making sure they were appropriate for my students. For example, I had them work in table groups for this lesson because they need support in developing the ability to work in groups cooperatively. Students also engaged in using their five senses for observations in this lesson. Giving students the opportunity to observe is important because it “is a skill that children can and need to develop so that they can more effectively learn directly from the objects and materials around them” (Harlen). Lastly, I had students participate in a discussion of what they learned because “In relation to observation … it heightens awareness of what information the children can obtain by observation” (Harlen) and gives the students an opportunity to come together and analyze and reflect on what they learned in the lesson.
Throughout the semester, I have participated in lessons and modified lessons that are appropriate for the grade level and the developmental talents of students. My first piece of evidence is my lesson plan analysis.
For this assignment, we had to analyze a science lesson for the three legs of science: content, process, and nature of science, as stated in Weinburgh’s (2003) A Leg (or Three) to Stand On, which describes the three legs as the essential parts of every science lesson. After I analyzed the lessons, I had to make the appropriate modifications to the lesson. While I was making the modifications, I had to think of the appropriate activities for the students based on their development level, individual needs, and the dynamic of the class such as behavior and ability to work in pairs or groups. For example, in this modified lesson, I made sure that the standards matched up with the standards that are appropriate for second grade according to the curriculum map and a website that lists the standards for each grade level. I also had to think about the kinds of activities that my students would be engaging in, making sure they were appropriate for my students. For example, I had them work in table groups for this lesson because they need support in developing the ability to work in groups cooperatively. Students also engaged in using their five senses for observations in this lesson. Giving students the opportunity to observe is important because it “is a skill that children can and need to develop so that they can more effectively learn directly from the objects and materials around them” (Harlen). Lastly, I had students participate in a discussion of what they learned because “In relation to observation … it heightens awareness of what information the children can obtain by observation” (Harlen) and gives the students an opportunity to come together and analyze and reflect on what they learned in the lesson.
My second piece of evidence for the goal of planning and participating in science lessons/activities that are appropriate for the developmental talents of children is participating in a 5E lesson about magnets modeled by my science professor, Dr. Jeni Davis.
While I was in my science class, my professor modeled a lesson on magnets. She displayed content and activities that were appropriate for the grade level that would receive this lesson. For example, the one of the first things my professor did was to give us an assessment of our knowledge of magnets, seeing how much we knew about magnets to inform her instruction. This allowed her to choose the appropriate activities for the students she was working with. She also had us participate in activities that were appropriate for the grade level that would receive the lesson. She allowed us to explore with magnets, test and correct our misconceptions. Overall, participating in this lesson showed me how to design lesson and incorporate activities that are appropriate for the students I am teaching.
While I was in my science class, my professor modeled a lesson on magnets. She displayed content and activities that were appropriate for the grade level that would receive this lesson. For example, the one of the first things my professor did was to give us an assessment of our knowledge of magnets, seeing how much we knew about magnets to inform her instruction. This allowed her to choose the appropriate activities for the students she was working with. She also had us participate in activities that were appropriate for the grade level that would receive the lesson. She allowed us to explore with magnets, test and correct our misconceptions. Overall, participating in this lesson showed me how to design lesson and incorporate activities that are appropriate for the students I am teaching.
Goal 2 – Students will choose appropriate strategies,
grouping arrangements, resource materials, and visual displays for learning
science.
In my second grade internship, I have participated in and taught science numerous times. Each time I teach science, it takes a lot of thought to plan the appropriate activities for my students, along with choosing how to implement the lesson, how to group my students, and how to convey the science material. One piece of evidence displaying that I have done this is my activity where students explore pushes and pulls.
In this activity, students were investigating the effect of different amounts of force (strong or little) and push or pull. Before starting the activity, my Collaborating Teacher (CT) and I talked about how to group the students for this lesson. We knew we wanted our students to work in groups for a few reasons. First, they are able to help each other out and learn from each other when they work on groups. Second, we did not have enough materials for each student to work individually. We decided that we would group the students in mixed ability groups. Each group had a student who was above grade level, one or two students who were below grade level, and on or two students who were on grade level. Plus, we had to separate the students who would cause behavior issues. We thought that the students would benefit from this arrangement because they were given an opportunity to help each other and learn from each other. This grouping arrangement turned out well. There were no behavior issues, the students worked well with each other, engaged in meaningful conversation, and learned from each other. In the beginning of the lesson, my CT and I posed a question to our students and allowed them to investigate the answer in small groups. The question was “Does the amount of force have an effect on the speed of the object?” Each team got a ball and a car to investigate with. We wanted our students to investigate the question, and have a chance to explore with the materials. This is one part of the 5E lesson plan is called the explore stage and was proposed by Lorsbach. When students are in the explore phase of the lesson they “ should be given opportunities to work together without direct instruction from the teacher ... This is the opportunity for students to test predictions and hypotheses and/or form new ones, try alternatives and discuss them with peers, record observations and ideas and suspend judgment” (Lorsbach). Using this strategy in the lesson allows my students to have the opportunity to investigate, form their own hypotheses and test them, and the explore stage allows them to do so. The chart that was made allowed the students to document their own data, as well as display the chart in the classroom. This way, they can refer to it when they are discussing their observations.
In my second grade internship, I have participated in and taught science numerous times. Each time I teach science, it takes a lot of thought to plan the appropriate activities for my students, along with choosing how to implement the lesson, how to group my students, and how to convey the science material. One piece of evidence displaying that I have done this is my activity where students explore pushes and pulls.
In this activity, students were investigating the effect of different amounts of force (strong or little) and push or pull. Before starting the activity, my Collaborating Teacher (CT) and I talked about how to group the students for this lesson. We knew we wanted our students to work in groups for a few reasons. First, they are able to help each other out and learn from each other when they work on groups. Second, we did not have enough materials for each student to work individually. We decided that we would group the students in mixed ability groups. Each group had a student who was above grade level, one or two students who were below grade level, and on or two students who were on grade level. Plus, we had to separate the students who would cause behavior issues. We thought that the students would benefit from this arrangement because they were given an opportunity to help each other and learn from each other. This grouping arrangement turned out well. There were no behavior issues, the students worked well with each other, engaged in meaningful conversation, and learned from each other. In the beginning of the lesson, my CT and I posed a question to our students and allowed them to investigate the answer in small groups. The question was “Does the amount of force have an effect on the speed of the object?” Each team got a ball and a car to investigate with. We wanted our students to investigate the question, and have a chance to explore with the materials. This is one part of the 5E lesson plan is called the explore stage and was proposed by Lorsbach. When students are in the explore phase of the lesson they “ should be given opportunities to work together without direct instruction from the teacher ... This is the opportunity for students to test predictions and hypotheses and/or form new ones, try alternatives and discuss them with peers, record observations and ideas and suspend judgment” (Lorsbach). Using this strategy in the lesson allows my students to have the opportunity to investigate, form their own hypotheses and test them, and the explore stage allows them to do so. The chart that was made allowed the students to document their own data, as well as display the chart in the classroom. This way, they can refer to it when they are discussing their observations.
Goal 3 – Examine the nature of science inquiry through modeling hands-on, minds-on activities that foster scientific “habits of mind” and promote scientific literacy.
When I first started this class, I thought I had an idea of what science was, but I was mistaken. Through our course readings, my mindset of what science is has changed dramatically. One piece of evidence that displays my growth in learning about science and the nature of science is an activity we did in the beginning of the semester.
For this assignment, we were supposed to mark the statement if we thought that it was science. In the beginning of the semester, I thought that all of the statements were science. Now that I have read some articles such as: How Do You Know Science is Going On by Sullenger (1999) and A Leg (or Three) to Stand On by Weinburgh (2003), I have a better understanding of what science is and why these statements have little to do with science. When I read Sullenger’s article, I learned how to identify science and what makes an activity or lesson qualify as science. Sullenger explained that science is going on when “scientists’ work and the ideas, theories, and debates generated by scientists’ activities are the basis for goals and objectives and are part of everyday classroom conversation” (1999). Going over this worksheet again, I realize that the activities do not address scientific ideas at all, and they do not mention how they relate to the scientific community so they do not qualify as science. Furthermore, Weinburgh’s article helped me identify the components that should be in every science lesson so the lesson qualifies as science. Every science lesson or activity should include the three legs of science “content of science, process of science, and the nature of science” (Weinburgh, 2003). The activities in the worksheet do not contain all three legs of science, therefore they do not qualify as science. These readings, along with the worksheet, helped expose my misconceptions about science and introduced me to scientific “habits of mind”. I am now able to design lessons which enable my students to “do science” because I know the criteria for “science”.
When I first started this class, I thought I had an idea of what science was, but I was mistaken. Through our course readings, my mindset of what science is has changed dramatically. One piece of evidence that displays my growth in learning about science and the nature of science is an activity we did in the beginning of the semester.
For this assignment, we were supposed to mark the statement if we thought that it was science. In the beginning of the semester, I thought that all of the statements were science. Now that I have read some articles such as: How Do You Know Science is Going On by Sullenger (1999) and A Leg (or Three) to Stand On by Weinburgh (2003), I have a better understanding of what science is and why these statements have little to do with science. When I read Sullenger’s article, I learned how to identify science and what makes an activity or lesson qualify as science. Sullenger explained that science is going on when “scientists’ work and the ideas, theories, and debates generated by scientists’ activities are the basis for goals and objectives and are part of everyday classroom conversation” (1999). Going over this worksheet again, I realize that the activities do not address scientific ideas at all, and they do not mention how they relate to the scientific community so they do not qualify as science. Furthermore, Weinburgh’s article helped me identify the components that should be in every science lesson so the lesson qualifies as science. Every science lesson or activity should include the three legs of science “content of science, process of science, and the nature of science” (Weinburgh, 2003). The activities in the worksheet do not contain all three legs of science, therefore they do not qualify as science. These readings, along with the worksheet, helped expose my misconceptions about science and introduced me to scientific “habits of mind”. I am now able to design lessons which enable my students to “do science” because I know the criteria for “science”.
Another piece of evidence that displays that I have met the goal of examining the nature of scientific inquiry is participating in an inquiry lesson modeled by my science professor.
We read an article for class called The Many Levels of Inquiry by Banchi and Bell (2008) that described the different types of inquiry that can take place in the classroom. There are four types of inquiries: confirmation, structured, guided and open with each type having varying levels of support and responsibility. In my science class, my professor had us engage in an inquiry for a chromatography lesson. At first, she modeled a bad example of the lesson, displaying no level of inquiry or freedom to choose the question or design of our investigation. However, after the non-example, she let us engage in an open inquiry where we were “deriving questions, designing and carrying out investigations, and communicating their results’ (Banchi & Bell, 2008). She let us come up with a question we wanted to answer in the investigation, manipulate the variables, and design the investigation and communicate the results with our peers. Here, I was able to experience scientific inquiry through a “hands-on” model of the process.
Recently, I read an article for class called Literacy in the Learning Cycle by Susan Everett and Richard Moyer. This article emphasized incorporating reading in the learning cycle. Everett and Moyer (2009) say that “trade books can be used in all phases of the learning cycle to support effective teaching and learning”. I also believe that reading can be used in all phases of the learning cycle to support the learning of science content. Students should be exposed to science trade books to help them learn concepts, as a tool to get students engaged and to create wonderings. Trade books can be used in all stages of the learning cycle, with each stage having a different purpose for the book. For example, trade books on the engage phase of the learning cycle can be used to “generate questions” (Everett & Moyer, 2009). In our science class, our professor modeled the use of a trade book in the engage portion of a lesson on the water cycle. After asking us a few questions about the water cycle and having us draw our version of the water cycle, she read The Water’s Journey by Eleonore Schmid. After reading, we had some realizations about the water cycle because the water cycle in the book did not match the water cycle we had drawn. We then compared our drawings to the book, and followed through with the engage portion of the lesson.
We read an article for class called The Many Levels of Inquiry by Banchi and Bell (2008) that described the different types of inquiry that can take place in the classroom. There are four types of inquiries: confirmation, structured, guided and open with each type having varying levels of support and responsibility. In my science class, my professor had us engage in an inquiry for a chromatography lesson. At first, she modeled a bad example of the lesson, displaying no level of inquiry or freedom to choose the question or design of our investigation. However, after the non-example, she let us engage in an open inquiry where we were “deriving questions, designing and carrying out investigations, and communicating their results’ (Banchi & Bell, 2008). She let us come up with a question we wanted to answer in the investigation, manipulate the variables, and design the investigation and communicate the results with our peers. Here, I was able to experience scientific inquiry through a “hands-on” model of the process.
Recently, I read an article for class called Literacy in the Learning Cycle by Susan Everett and Richard Moyer. This article emphasized incorporating reading in the learning cycle. Everett and Moyer (2009) say that “trade books can be used in all phases of the learning cycle to support effective teaching and learning”. I also believe that reading can be used in all phases of the learning cycle to support the learning of science content. Students should be exposed to science trade books to help them learn concepts, as a tool to get students engaged and to create wonderings. Trade books can be used in all stages of the learning cycle, with each stage having a different purpose for the book. For example, trade books on the engage phase of the learning cycle can be used to “generate questions” (Everett & Moyer, 2009). In our science class, our professor modeled the use of a trade book in the engage portion of a lesson on the water cycle. After asking us a few questions about the water cycle and having us draw our version of the water cycle, she read The Water’s Journey by Eleonore Schmid. After reading, we had some realizations about the water cycle because the water cycle in the book did not match the water cycle we had drawn. We then compared our drawings to the book, and followed through with the engage portion of the lesson.
Goal 4 – Students will develop assessment strategies related to student outcomes in science.
Over the course of the semester, we have been learning about assessments in science. One artifact for the goal of developing assessment strategies is a picture of a tally chart that we made while participating in a science lesson taught by my professor, Dr. Jeni Davis.
Two types of assessments are summative and formative. Summative assessments are assessments of learning and are used to “find out what children have achieved at certain points in order to monitor progress” (Harlen, 2001). Formative assessments are assessments for learning and are used to “find out where children are in the development of desired idea, skills, and attitudes in order to decide the next steps that will help them in this development (Harlen, 2001). Formative assessments “should take place throughout the learning experience” (Lorsbach), occurring in all phases of the lesson. This tally chart is a formative assessment. In the lesson that my professor taught, she used the tally chart to elicit our thinking, to see how much we knew about a subject. However, this tally chart could have been used in the evaluate phase of the lesson to see how much we learned. She had a picture of a concept cartoon about a snowman melting. In the cartoon, there were three students around a snowman who was melting. They each had different ideas about how to keep the snowman from melting. We picked which one we agreed with and made a chart of the class data. Our professor used the chart to help her see how much we knew, and she decided to assign us readings about the subject to aid us in our understanding.
Over the course of the semester, we have been learning about assessments in science. One artifact for the goal of developing assessment strategies is a picture of a tally chart that we made while participating in a science lesson taught by my professor, Dr. Jeni Davis.
Two types of assessments are summative and formative. Summative assessments are assessments of learning and are used to “find out what children have achieved at certain points in order to monitor progress” (Harlen, 2001). Formative assessments are assessments for learning and are used to “find out where children are in the development of desired idea, skills, and attitudes in order to decide the next steps that will help them in this development (Harlen, 2001). Formative assessments “should take place throughout the learning experience” (Lorsbach), occurring in all phases of the lesson. This tally chart is a formative assessment. In the lesson that my professor taught, she used the tally chart to elicit our thinking, to see how much we knew about a subject. However, this tally chart could have been used in the evaluate phase of the lesson to see how much we learned. She had a picture of a concept cartoon about a snowman melting. In the cartoon, there were three students around a snowman who was melting. They each had different ideas about how to keep the snowman from melting. We picked which one we agreed with and made a chart of the class data. Our professor used the chart to help her see how much we knew, and she decided to assign us readings about the subject to aid us in our understanding.
Another piece of evidence to display that I have met this goal is a picture of a model of a 5E lesson plan.
In the middle of the semester when we were first learning about the 5E lesson design, we were given an envelope with strips of paper on them and an objective for a lesson. We were supposed to design a 5E lesson using the paper strips and explain why we picked the specific activity for each phase of the lesson. After learning more about the 5E design and participating in 5E lessons modeled by our professor, Dr. Jeni Davis, we revisited our lessons. We checked over our lessons and made the necessary adjustments now that we had a better understanding of the 5E lesson. Now, we successfully made a 5E lesson with the essential parts, including an assessment.
In the middle of the semester when we were first learning about the 5E lesson design, we were given an envelope with strips of paper on them and an objective for a lesson. We were supposed to design a 5E lesson using the paper strips and explain why we picked the specific activity for each phase of the lesson. After learning more about the 5E design and participating in 5E lessons modeled by our professor, Dr. Jeni Davis, we revisited our lessons. We checked over our lessons and made the necessary adjustments now that we had a better understanding of the 5E lesson. Now, we successfully made a 5E lesson with the essential parts, including an assessment.
Goal 5 – Students will demonstrate the capacity for collegiality, reflective practice, and professional growth in regard to science teaching.
Throughout the semester, we were required to engage in many of the behaviors that professional teachers exhibit. These include reflecting on lessons that were planned and implemented, reflecting on everyday teaching and decisions, readings about great science teaching and strategies and implementing them in the classroom. One piece of evidence of my professional growth and reflective practice is a blog post.
To develop reflective practices, we are required to blog about our teaching experiences. One day in science class, our professor, Dr. Jeni Davis, modeled a 5E lesson about batteries. We participated in some of the lesson in class and I got the opportunity to watch her actually teach the lesson in a class for students with Autism. The lesson was amazing! It was awesome to see the lesson take place after observing the lesson the previous day in class. I decided to write a blog post about the lessons, engaging in reflective practice. I blogged about the lesson I experienced in class, how the process was, what elements of the lesson fell into the 5E framework and what I learned. I also blogged about the lesson that I experienced when Dr. Davis taught the class at the elementary school. I thought about the differences in the lesson delivery, what parts of the lessons I observed, the pace of the lesson and the elements that were present in the lesson. Overall, reflecting on lessons, teaching practices and implementing the strategies I learned about help me become a better teacher and help me continue to improve my teaching practices.
Throughout the semester, we were required to engage in many of the behaviors that professional teachers exhibit. These include reflecting on lessons that were planned and implemented, reflecting on everyday teaching and decisions, readings about great science teaching and strategies and implementing them in the classroom. One piece of evidence of my professional growth and reflective practice is a blog post.
To develop reflective practices, we are required to blog about our teaching experiences. One day in science class, our professor, Dr. Jeni Davis, modeled a 5E lesson about batteries. We participated in some of the lesson in class and I got the opportunity to watch her actually teach the lesson in a class for students with Autism. The lesson was amazing! It was awesome to see the lesson take place after observing the lesson the previous day in class. I decided to write a blog post about the lessons, engaging in reflective practice. I blogged about the lesson I experienced in class, how the process was, what elements of the lesson fell into the 5E framework and what I learned. I also blogged about the lesson that I experienced when Dr. Davis taught the class at the elementary school. I thought about the differences in the lesson delivery, what parts of the lessons I observed, the pace of the lesson and the elements that were present in the lesson. Overall, reflecting on lessons, teaching practices and implementing the strategies I learned about help me become a better teacher and help me continue to improve my teaching practices.
Another artifact of my professional growth as a teacher is my science notebook.
For science class, we were required to keep a science notebook. We recorded everything that happened in science, in class and internship, in our notebook. Over the course of the semester, I have collected numerous valuable resources. In science class, I recorded all of the 5E modeled lessons and their elements. I have investigations that we participated in, observations and new learning from when we visited Nature’s Classroom, notes from lessons I observed and resources. I also have the work my students did in science. I made charts when they made charts, participated in the investigations they participated in, wrote down their responses and pasted in work. Having a science notebook helped me grow as a professional. It helped me keep track of the work that was produced, and the content that I learned. It also helped me engage in reflective practices because I can easily look back at a lesson and see what I learned from it, which I have done multiple times.
My science professor has also given me many opportunities for professional growth over the semester. Aside from assigning us valuable readings every week and having us reflect on them using notecards, she has also given us the opportunity to see and reflect on modeled 5E lessons, and has given us numerous resources for science. She has also taken us on a field study to Nature’s classroom, had a guest from the Hillsborough county district help us understand curriculum maps better, plus, she gave us a ton of resources. These experiences have allowed me to grow and develop as a teacher and a professional.
For science class, we were required to keep a science notebook. We recorded everything that happened in science, in class and internship, in our notebook. Over the course of the semester, I have collected numerous valuable resources. In science class, I recorded all of the 5E modeled lessons and their elements. I have investigations that we participated in, observations and new learning from when we visited Nature’s Classroom, notes from lessons I observed and resources. I also have the work my students did in science. I made charts when they made charts, participated in the investigations they participated in, wrote down their responses and pasted in work. Having a science notebook helped me grow as a professional. It helped me keep track of the work that was produced, and the content that I learned. It also helped me engage in reflective practices because I can easily look back at a lesson and see what I learned from it, which I have done multiple times.
My science professor has also given me many opportunities for professional growth over the semester. Aside from assigning us valuable readings every week and having us reflect on them using notecards, she has also given us the opportunity to see and reflect on modeled 5E lessons, and has given us numerous resources for science. She has also taken us on a field study to Nature’s classroom, had a guest from the Hillsborough county district help us understand curriculum maps better, plus, she gave us a ton of resources. These experiences have allowed me to grow and develop as a teacher and a professional.
References
Banchi & Bell. (2008). The many levels of inquiry. Science and children, 46(2), 26-29.
Bodzin & Gehringer. (2001). Breaking science stereotypes. Science and children, 38(4), 36-41.
Colburn. (2000). An inquiry primer. Science scope, 23(6), 42-44.
Everett & Moyer. (2009). Literacy in the learning cycle. Science and children, 47(2), 48-52.
Harlen. (2001). Primary science: Taking the plunge: Why science? what science? Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann
Losrbach. The learning cycle as a tool for planning science instruction.
Owens & Martin. (2011). Losing the recipe. Science and children, 48(7), 40-43.
Sullenger. (1999). How do you know science is going on? Science and children, 36(7), 22-26.
Weinburgh (2003). A leg (or three) to stand on. Science and children, 40(6), 28-30.
Bodzin & Gehringer. (2001). Breaking science stereotypes. Science and children, 38(4), 36-41.
Colburn. (2000). An inquiry primer. Science scope, 23(6), 42-44.
Everett & Moyer. (2009). Literacy in the learning cycle. Science and children, 47(2), 48-52.
Harlen. (2001). Primary science: Taking the plunge: Why science? what science? Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann
Losrbach. The learning cycle as a tool for planning science instruction.
Owens & Martin. (2011). Losing the recipe. Science and children, 48(7), 40-43.
Sullenger. (1999). How do you know science is going on? Science and children, 36(7), 22-26.
Weinburgh (2003). A leg (or three) to stand on. Science and children, 40(6), 28-30.