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Science IMAGES

Chris Collier, 3rd 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 III (Third Grade)

Inviting to Learn Ms Collier begins with a tour and description of activities to create students' interest in the study of the "Big Idea," The Senses. Students choose activities that interest them.

Explore, Discover, Create Students in Ms Collier's class discuss what they wish to study, conduct investigations using different senses to gether data, record their data in journals, and discuss the data to create questions for further investigation and research.

Community of Learners Students work in collaborative groups, talking and sharing ideas, asking questions that lead to further learning, clarifying their ideas, deciding what topics interest them, and determining how to investigate those topics further.

Authentic Assessment Ms. Collier assesses learning by listening to conversations as students work and discuss what they are learning in small and large groups. Students keep journals that include both data and reflections on their investigations.
Teacher Self-Assessment: Ms. Collier keeps a journal of discussions and reflections of what happens during the day. She uses this journal to plan the next day's activities based on students' misconceptions and needs.

Characteristic		Life Sciences: Tape III (Third Grade)

Inviting to Learn		Ms Collier begins with a tour and description of activities to create students' interest in the study of the "Big Idea," The Senses. Students choose activities that interest them.

Explore, Discover, Create		Students in Ms Collier's class discuss what they wish to study, conduct investigations using different senses to gether data, record their data in journals, and discuss the data to create questions for further investigation and research.

Community of Learners		Students work in collaborative groups, talking and sharing ideas, asking questions that lead to further learning, clarifying their ideas, deciding what topics interest them, and determining how to investigate those topics further.

Authentic Assessment		Ms. Collier assesses learning by listening to conversations as students work and discuss what they are learning in small and large groups. Students keep journals that include both data and reflections on their investigations. Teacher Self-Assessment: Ms. Collier keeps a journal of discussions and reflections of what happens during the day. She uses this journal to plan the next day's activities based on students' misconceptions and needs.