We have all sat in classes in which a teacher made a difficult or abstract concept understandable by using an analogy. Science classes are full of abstract or challenging concepts that are easier to understand if they are related to something from our everyday experiences. Analogies can be useful instructional tools in each phase of the 5E instructional model. This article briefly describes the phases in the 5E model and provides suggestions for using analogies in each phase. Analogies from biology and chemistry classes are used to illustrate the author’s points.
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In this month’s Ask the Experts column, the following questions are addressed: I’ve heard that the two sides of my brain are specialized for different tasks (language vs. reasoning, etc.). If I listen to a science lecture on my iPod using only one earpiece, will the way I process the information depend on which ear I use to listen to the lecture? and Why does the sound made by scratching a chalkboard seem to be irritating to so many people, and why to some and not others? Nature or nurture or a bit of both?
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Neuroscience is a field dedicated to learning about the brain and nervous system, which can help us understand, prevent, and treat diseases and disorders such as Alzheimer’s, depression, and addiction. The vast scope of questions neuroscience is trying to answer draws interest from many disciplines, including psychology. Clinical neuropsychologists, such as Deborah Attix, help people who appear to have cognitive or behavioral problems. Using scientific tests to assess what parts of the brain might be linked to certain problems; Attix gets an overall picture of someone’s cognitive function. With this information, she can diagnose a disorder and provide targeted treatment to help that person recover or cope.
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Recent research in cognitive neuroscience has yielded a more comprehensive understanding of brain function. The advances in neuropsychological research have greatly added to our understanding of top-down and bottom-up processing. However, top-down and bottom-up processing is a neglected issue in education even though it is a critical component in language, attention, object recognition, and problem solving. Awareness of its role by teacher and student, though, may improve student learning. This article describes a study in which top-down and bottom-up processing were implemented in the science classroom and examines its impact on student thinking and learning.
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Despite being a subject of intense interest and scrutiny for all of human history, many aspects of human brain function are still rather poorly understood. However, this is about to change rapidly, as modern imaging techniques create a revolution in our understanding of neuroscience and cognition. These discoveries will provide new insights into how people learn, and are particularly important in providing better understanding of learning disorders and attentional problems. The implications of these findings for teachers are significant—it is our job, after all, to help brains develop into functional, critical-thinking minds.
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Because supplies are limited in many classrooms, opaque film canisters can be used in a number of scientific inquiry activities, including a “black box” activity and several activities on sinking and floating properties related to density and to Archimedes’ principle. Although the activities described here were written for pre-service teachers, the intent of this article is to explain how they could be used at elementary, middle, and high school levels. By implementing these activities, students will become adept at solving the “mysteries of science” using science process skills—and learn another important lesson: Scientific explorations do not always have yes/no answers. Careful and unbiased data analysis is essential because the unexpected is always possible.
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Teens exhibit many types of behaviors—of both inattention and intense focus. From an adult’s perspective, one cannot help but wonder why this happens. Part of the answer lies in the neural restructuring of the adolescent brain. This article examines neuroscience research and offers educational strategies for science teachers to facilitate adolescent learning experiences. It is the author’s intent that the information provided will make educator’s lives less stressful in dealing with adolescent behaviors.
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A highly relevant topic for adolescents is the impact of drug abuse on the nervous system. Out of 49,300 U.S. secondary school students surveyed, half of them will have tried an illicit drug by the time they complete high school (Johnson et al. 2005). Therefore, incorporating the topic of drug use with neuroscience, biology, psychology, health, chemistry, and math may increase attention and participation in the classroom, as well as emphasize the harmful effects of drug use and abuse. In this active, “minds-on” role-playing experience, students identify and explain key steps in chemical separation by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), while inferring the detrimental effects of drugs on the brain.
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