Support Materials --

Science IMAGES

Darlene Norfleet, 1st Grade

The Visual Library illustrates four characteristics of effective science instruction. These characteristics are drawn from Benchmarks for Science Literacy, by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Elementary School Science for the 90's, by Loucks-Horsley and her colleagues; and In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms, by Brooks and Brooks, as well as the work of the National Research Council (NRC), the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA).
These characteristics involve:

Inviting students to learn by posing problems of emerging relevance, structuring learning experiences around the big ideas of science, and adapting curriculum to build on students' knowledge and concerns.
Promoting exploration, discovery, and creation as students ask scientific questions and plan and conduct simple investigations, gather data using simple equipment, and use data to propose explanations and solutions.
Creating a collaborative learning community by sensing and valuing students' points of view, encouraging communication about investigations and explanations, and encouraging students to take action on their learning.
Assessing learning continually and authentically through a variety of assessments including student performance and portfolios.

Characteristic Life Sciences: Tape I (First Grade)

Inviting to Learn Ms Norfleet invites students to learn about the human body with two questions: How are we different? and How are we alike? Students make detailed observations of each other then share and discuss similarities and differences.

Explore, Discover, Create Students have a helper trace their bodies and compare how their bodies are alike and different. They investigate each other's faces, describe them, and make a detailed drawing of their own faces on the traced bodies.

Community of Learners Students work in small groups to discuss their facial characteristics and make a list of the similarities and differences. Working with a mirror investigation, students share and explain their choices for skin colors and facial characteristics in their drawings.

Authentic Assessment Ms. Norfleet assesses what her students know by listening to them describe themselves and others and having them answer a series of questions about their self-concepts, self-awareness, appreciation of differences, and awareness of others.
Teacher Self-Assessment: Ms. Norfleet reflects on how the day has gone and then plans the next day to meet the students' level of understanding.

Characteristic		Life Sciences: Tape I (First Grade)

Inviting to Learn		Ms Norfleet invites students to learn about the human body with two questions: How are we different? and How are we alike? Students make detailed observations of each other then share and discuss similarities and differences.

Explore, Discover, Create		Students have a helper trace their bodies and compare how their bodies are alike and different. They investigate each other's faces, describe them, and make a detailed drawing of their own faces on the traced bodies.

Community of Learners		Students work in small groups to discuss their facial characteristics and make a list of the similarities and differences. Working with a mirror investigation, students share and explain their choices for skin colors and facial characteristics in their drawings.

Authentic Assessment		Ms. Norfleet assesses what her students know by listening to them describe themselves and others and having them answer a series of questions about their self-concepts, self-awareness, appreciation of differences, and awareness of others. Teacher Self-Assessment: Ms. Norfleet reflects on how the day has gone and then plans the next day to meet the students' level of understanding.