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Linda Hallenbeck, 5th 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 V (Fifth Grade)

Inviting to Learn Ms. Hallenbeck invites students to understand and apply the processes of scientific inquiry. The "Big Ideas" are Who are scientists? How can we use the past to know the future? What can we learn from this information?

Explore, Discover, Create Students observe, collect and record data from a local cemetery: discuss the dates and names, decide on a system of classification, create time lines and charts, conduct research on selected groups, and make predictions.

Community of Learners In this integrated science/social studies unit, students work in collaborative groups discussing and making decisions as they collect, sort, research, create a plan of investigation, and present information gathered to the whole class.

Authentic Assessment Ms. Hallenbeck assesses students by questioning for understanding, reviewing students' reports, and journals (both oral and written), observing how they worked in their cooperative groups, and having students conduct a self-assessment of what they accomplished.
Teacher Self-Assessment: Ms. Hallenbeck assesses what the students already know about the cemetery and the community's history. She reflects on the day's activity and adjusts lesson plans as needed.

Characteristic		Life Sciences: Tape V (Fifth Grade)

Inviting to Learn		Ms. Hallenbeck invites students to understand and apply the processes of scientific inquiry. The "Big Ideas" are Who are scientists? How can we use the past to know the future? What can we learn from this information?

Explore, Discover, Create		Students observe, collect and record data from a local cemetery: discuss the dates and names, decide on a system of classification, create time lines and charts, conduct research on selected groups, and make predictions.

Community of Learners		In this integrated science/social studies unit, students work in collaborative groups discussing and making decisions as they collect, sort, research, create a plan of investigation, and present information gathered to the whole class.

Authentic Assessment		Ms. Hallenbeck assesses students by questioning for understanding, reviewing students' reports, and journals (both oral and written), observing how they worked in their cooperative groups, and having students conduct a self-assessment of what they accomplished. Teacher Self-Assessment: Ms. Hallenbeck assesses what the students already know about the cemetery and the community's history. She reflects on the day's activity and adjusts lesson plans as needed.