Interesting Science Activity

If you are looking for an interesting activity to do with upper elementary students, this article is a great resource. The writer Brenda Turgeon explains how the 5E instructional model is im... See More

If you are looking for an interesting activity to do with upper elementary students, this article is a great resource. The writer Brenda Turgeon explains how the 5E instructional model is implemented during the first two weeks of school with a third grade class. Students are introduced to the science process through engaging with a guest, exploring the world around them, explaining the world they observe, elaborate with tools, and evaluating what they learn doing science experiments. This article has merit as it shows how the science inquiry skills are incorporated in the classroom and how it is connected to what students are learning in the science curriculum. I find it stimulating, helpful, and informative as it relates to doing nature walks in the different environments the first two weeks of school. Also, creating science word walls, a science center, and premade science books are valuable instructional strategies to use in the classroom. These concepts could be applied to my classroom as an activity to do during the Life Science unit in fourth grade. This unit would be taught first to accommodate the nature walks during August and September as Turgeon suggested. The article explains that the goal is to introduce the science process to students form early in the year so, mastery is not expected. Other educators can benefit from this activity in many ways. It maybe used for planning and organizing informal settings such as nature walks; implementing the 5E instructional model; incorporating other subjects such as writing, and using an exit ticket as a quick formative assessment. The information presented in the article is relevant to the teaching and learning of science today and can be implemented with proper planning and organization before the school year starts.

A nature walk with Ranger Mary

Brenda Turgeon, an assistant professor of elementary science education at Purdue University, describes how starting the school year with a visiting scientist, in this article, a nature walk... See More

Brenda Turgeon, an assistant professor of elementary science education at Purdue University, describes how starting the school year with a visiting scientist, in this article, a nature walk conducted by Ranger Mary,helps students to observe like a scientist when they do their own nature walk. Author discusses the way science notebooks and developing questions help student to learn how to make observations and base their findings on evidence through the use of formative assessments . A science center including a word wall and questions to be pondered is included on the science bulletin board. Starting a school year with a guest scientist and engaging students in their own nature walk to hone their inquiry skills does build a budding community of student scientists!