NSTA - National Science Teachers Association

Ten Activities for Middle School Science: Developmentally Appropriate, Inquiry- and Standards-Based By: Olaf Jorgenson, Jackie Cleveland, and Rick Vanosdall A chapter from Doing Good Science in Middle School: A Practical Guide to Inquiry-Based Instruction Average User Rating: Before we move to the activities, we need to give a disclaimer or two concerning the danger of using any "template" for lesson planning. The components of the lesson-plan template presented in these activities are all integral to inquiry-based science...  [view full summary] Before we move to the activities, we need to give a disclaimer or two concerning the danger of using any "template" for lesson planning. The components of the lesson-plan template presented in these activities are all integral to inquiry-based science instruction, but, as teachers know, units and lessons need to be tailored to the specific needs of different groups of students, different days, and even variations in unit objectives. Teachers using this template are encouraged to modify it as needed to fit their own circumstances. (Suggestions for making modifications are provided in Chapter 7.) What's more, the authors' know that the activities might look cumbersome, but they've opted to include extensive detail so that they are truly ready-to-use. This chapter includes the following ten inquiry- and standards-based activities: Thinking Like a Scientist, Attributes, Penny Water, The Incredible, Edible Candle, Sewer Lice, Cartesian Diver, Nut Case, Wrist Taker, Oh, Nuts!, and Gobstoppers [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Middle School

Classroom Management and Safety By: Olaf Jorgenson, Jackie Cleveland, and Rick Vanosdall A chapter from Doing Good Science in Middle School: A Practical Guide to Inquiry-Based Instruction Average User Rating: Welcome to the challenge of making good science come to life in your classroom. In this chapter, we look at how to get the science classroom ready for inquiry-based lessons and how to prepare students for engaging, productive, and safe activities. In...  [view full summary] Welcome to the challenge of making good science come to life in your classroom. In this chapter, we look at how to get the science classroom ready for inquiry-based lessons and how to prepare students for engaging, productive, and safe activities. In addition, suggestions are provided to foster an emotionally safe environment for your middle level students. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Middle School

The Demands of the Middle School Learner: Socialization, Autonomy, and Structure By: Olaf Jorgenson, Jackie Cleveland, and Rick Vanosdall A chapter from Doing Good Science in Middle School: A Practical Guide to Inquiry-Based Instruction Average User Rating: Whether you are a grizzled veteran of the middle-level trenches or a relative newcomer to science in the middle, your success with students in grades 5-8 will depend on your ability to adjust instruction to the cognitive, emotional, developmental, social,...  [view full summary] Whether you are a grizzled veteran of the middle-level trenches or a relative newcomer to science in the middle, your success with students in grades 5-8 will depend on your ability to adjust instruction to the cognitive, emotional, developmental, social, and psychological demands of the middle school learner. This free selection from the book, Doing Good Science in Middle School, provides insight into your ever-changing middle school students and describes how this age group is especially suited to inquiry-based instruction. The Table of Contents, the Preface, and About the Authors are all included in this free section. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Middle School

What Good Science Looks Like in the Classroom By: Olaf Jorgenson, Jackie Cleveland, and Rick Vanosdall A chapter from Doing Good Science in Middle School: A Practical Guide to Inquiry-Based Instruction Average User Rating: In the inquiry process, students acquire valuable skills through their interaction, collaboration, and problem solving with other students—skills that cannot be learned sitting in desks in rows and listening to a teacher. Learning science is a process,...  [view full summary] In the inquiry process, students acquire valuable skills through their interaction, collaboration, and problem solving with other students—skills that cannot be learned sitting in desks in rows and listening to a teacher. Learning science is a process, rather than a database of facts. To achieve this goal, the authors recommend as a foundation the model of science instruction and lesson planning commonly referred to as the 5E method (Bybee 1997): Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. This chapter discusses how this model can be incorporated into the curriculum and effectively illustrates what good science looks like in the classroom. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Middle School

Integration Is Key: Science, Literacy, Math, and Technology By: Olaf Jorgenson, Jackie Cleveland, and Rick Vanosdall A chapter from Doing Good Science in Middle School: A Practical Guide to Inquiry-Based Instruction Average User Rating: Good science instruction is by nature cross-disciplinary, weaving literacy and numeracy with problem solving, discovery, and other higher-order thinking skills. In fact, more than any other core academic subject, science routinely incorporates key goals...  [view full summary] Good science instruction is by nature cross-disciplinary, weaving literacy and numeracy with problem solving, discovery, and other higher-order thinking skills. In fact, more than any other core academic subject, science routinely incorporates key goals in literacy and mathematical reasoning, in addition to the procedural approach and higher-order problem-solving skills that science cultivates. But how do we integrate reading, writing, and math with science? This chapter answers this pertinent question and provides practical classroom applications that can be implemented into the science curriculum and school-wide. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Middle School

Inquiry Activities in Action: Questioning, Differentiating, and Assessing By: Olaf Jorgenson, Jackie Cleveland, and Rick Vanosdall A chapter from Doing Good Science in Middle School: A Practical Guide to Inquiry-Based Instruction Average User Rating: Armed with the 10 activities in Chapter 6, or at least the ones that grabbed your interest, let's look at several important considerations for carrying them out. To do that, the following four topics will be addressed in this chapter: (1) focus questions...  [view full summary] Armed with the 10 activities in Chapter 6, or at least the ones that grabbed your interest, let's look at several important considerations for carrying them out. To do that, the following four topics will be addressed in this chapter: (1) focus questions to use to guide inquiry-based activities; (2) ways to "differentiate" the inquiry-based classroom to meet the range of abilities and needs in a typical class; (3) strategies for shifting from traditional teaching (direct-instruction, demonstrations, and lectures) to incorporate a more inquiry-based approach; and (4) assessment of students in an inquiry-based science class. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Middle School

Where Do I Go from Here? Resources for Good Science in Middle School By: Olaf Jorgenson, Jackie Cleveland, and Rick Vanosdall A chapter from Doing Good Science in Middle School: A Practical Guide to Inquiry-Based Instruction Average User Rating: Resources for good science are abundant, and the examples that are offered in this chapter by no means constitute an exhaustive list. These are some of the resources that were found to be useful with a broad audience of science teachers, veterans and...  [view full summary] Resources for good science are abundant, and the examples that are offered in this chapter by no means constitute an exhaustive list. These are some of the resources that were found to be useful with a broad audience of science teachers, veterans and novices alike. By utilizing the wealth of references cited in this section, you will be equipped with inquiry-based, learner-centered strategies that can be implemented into your science curriculum. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Middle School

The Cornerstones of Good Science: Inquiry and Collaboration By: Rick Vanosdall, Olaf Jorgenson, and Jackie Cleveland A chapter from Doing Good Science in Middle School: A Practical Guide to Inquiry-Based Instruction Average User Rating: Middle school students need activity, and they get excited about solving actual problems in teams—collaborating—as opposed to routinely completing worksheets in the stifling isolation of their desks. We have briefly explored the nature of inquiry-based...  [view full summary] Middle school students need activity, and they get excited about solving actual problems in teams—collaborating—as opposed to routinely completing worksheets in the stifling isolation of their desks. We have briefly explored the nature of inquiry-based science instruction in the preface and in Chapter 1; here we examine it in greater depth with an emphasis on how it can be applied by teachers in classrooms and how collaborative inquiry activities can be productive with highly social, easily distracted middle school students. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Middle School