Support Materials --

Science IMAGES

Kathy Brown, 7th 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 VII (Seventh Grade)

Inviting to Learn Ms. Brown invites learning by posing a real-world problem to her students: In 1904 a patient came to a Chicago doctor with a puzzling condition. For instance, one day after swimming he became so tired after a few minutes that he could hardly move....

Explore, Discover, Create Students spend time proposing hypotheses and making guesses about what the disease might be and what could be causing the symptoms. They visit four stations that present scientific clues about the circulatory system, genetics, and disease.

Community of Learners Students work in pairs and combined groups of pairs to explore data and put clues together and debate their hypotheses and discoveries. Ideas are shared by the large group throughout the experience.

Authentic Assessment Ms. Brown assesses student progress by listening to their thinking, recording their ideas during brainstorming, and having students keep journals about their scientific experience.
Teacher Self-Assessment: Ms. Brown often uses a video camera to tape her instruction, and she makes use of mental and written notes to modify the next day's instruction.

Characteristic		Life Sciences: Tape VII (Seventh Grade)

Inviting to Learn		Ms. Brown invites learning by posing a real-world problem to her students: In 1904 a patient came to a Chicago doctor with a puzzling condition. For instance, one day after swimming he became so tired after a few minutes that he could hardly move....

Explore, Discover, Create		Students spend time proposing hypotheses and making guesses about what the disease might be and what could be causing the symptoms. They visit four stations that present scientific clues about the circulatory system, genetics, and disease.

Community of Learners		Students work in pairs and combined groups of pairs to explore data and put clues together and debate their hypotheses and discoveries. Ideas are shared by the large group throughout the experience.

Authentic Assessment		Ms. Brown assesses student progress by listening to their thinking, recording their ideas during brainstorming, and having students keep journals about their scientific experience. Teacher Self-Assessment: Ms. Brown often uses a video camera to tape her instruction, and she makes use of mental and written notes to modify the next day's instruction.