A Model for Developing the Nature of Science

Focusing on the seven ‘Nature of Science’ standards described in this article, students in an all girls elementary school participated in a thirty day challenge that exposed them to these se... See More

Focusing on the seven ‘Nature of Science’ standards described in this article, students in an all girls elementary school participated in a thirty day challenge that exposed them to these seven standards. This article explains what happened during those 30 days as well as listing nineteen science journal writing prompts and what standard each one covered. Students engaged in the study of plant growth and overall developed better scientific skills and an understanding of the Nature of Science.

Sniffing Out the NOS

If one is looking for a template of how to incorporate more Nature of Science (NOS) attributes into his/her elementary science curriculum, this article will be a good resource. It points ou... See More

If one is looking for a template of how to incorporate more Nature of Science (NOS) attributes into his/her elementary science curriculum, this article will be a good resource. It points out the importance of explicit and reflective instruction for 7 NOS elements. The authors take you through a 30-day NOS Challenge where first grade students identify themselves as scientists and then are given activities to practice scientists’ skills. They observe, collect data, make predictions, etc. Then they reflect on what it means to act like scientists. Finally, they conduct investigations during their plan unit using some of their freshly practiced science skills. Student journals were an integral part of the 30-day challenge, and several writing prompts were shared.