Teaching Science as Investigations: Modeling Inquiry Through Learning Cycle Lessons

Written with reform in mind, this book combines the teaching and learning of science by integrating pedagogy within science content investigations. The first chapter in each unit includes investigations appropriate for K-4 learners and the subsequent chapters present investigations for Grades 5-8. Each investigation has one student version that can be reproduced for classroom use and one teacher version that includes the expanded content needed to teach the investigation in a constructivist way. Aligned with the NSES science content standards, the investigations are sequenced to build conceptual development of science concepts and are supported by the 5E learning cycle lesson format.

 

FEATURES:

 

Foundational chapter presents research on how children learn - Chapter 1.

 

Investigations supported by the 5E learning cycle lesson format help professors model for their students how to teach science as inquiry in the classroom.

 

Physical, Life, and Earth/Space concepts each presented as a Unit, for a total of three.

 

Four learning cycle lessons, or investigations introduce readers to developmentally appropriate inquiry learning.  The first chapter in each unit includes investigations appropriate for K-4 learners and the subsequent 3 chapters present sequential, conceptual investigations for Grades 5-8.

 

Teaching Tips accompany each investigation to provide practical teaching suggestions for new teachers as they implement lessons for the first time.

 

Essential Teaching Strategies are presented during each investigation to support new teachers with instructional methodologies including the learning cycle, assessment, materials management, integrating math or reading, questioning strategies, and more.

 

Lessons/investigations are aligned with the NSES science content standards and are sequencedto build conceptual development of science concepts.

 

Immediate application to the classroom - Each investigation has one student version that can be reproduced for classroom use and one expanded teacher version that includes all the content and pedagogy needed to teach the investigation in a constructivist way.

 

Learn to develop additional 5E lesson plans/investigations - through reader-friendly guidelines ensuring that any science activity readers find on the web or in a science book is set up as a valid scientific inquiry with an explorable question.

Teaching science effectively requires engaging students in inquiry.  This new and engaging science methods text, Teaching Science as Investigations, provides a series of carefully developed 5-E lesson models. Each series is standards-based and organized to provide a sequential development of physical, earth, and life science concepts appropriate to use directly with students in K―8 classrooms.  Designed for pre-service and practicing teachers who are learning the art of teaching science, each science investigation develops one major science concept, focusing on one element of science teaching, such as guided and open inquiry, assessment, misconceptions, and so on. Learning how to teach science is thus embedded in the context of authentic learning cycle lessons.

 

Included in this text are the following units for investigation:

 

UNIT 1: PHYSICAL SCIENCE

Investigation 1: LIGHT (K―4)

Teaching Focus: TEACHING FROM A LEARNING CYCLE

 

Investigation 2:  SOLUBILITY (4―8)

Teaching Focus: USING GUIDED AND OPEN INQUIRY                

 

Investigation 3: DENSITY (4―8)

Teaching Focus: ASSESSING SCIENCE

           

Investigation 4: ENERGY (4―8)

Teaching Focus: INTEGRATING MATHEMATICS IN SCIENCE LEARNING

                       

 

UNIT 2: LIFE SCIENCE

Investigation 5: LIFE CYCLE OF THE MEALWORM (K―4)

Teaching Focus: MANAGING INQUIRY MATERIALS

           

Investigation 6: FLOWERING PLANTS (4―8)

Teaching Focus: INTEGRATING READING IN SCIENCE INSTRUCTION

           

Investigation 7: BONES (4―8)

Teaching Focus: USING QUESTIONING STRATEGIES

 

Investigation 8: HEREDITY (4―8)

Teaching Focus: USING EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IN CLASSROOM PRACTICE

           

 

UNIT 3: EARTH/SPACE SCIENCE

Investigation 9: SOIL (K―4)

Teaching Focus: DEVELOPING INQUIRY ABILITIES

 

Investigation 10: MOTIONS OF THE MOON (4―8)

Teaching Focus: IDENTIFYING MISCONCEPTIONS         

           

Investigation 11: INTERPRETING WEATHER MAPS (4―8)

Teaching Focus: INTEGRATING WRITING AND COMMUNICATION

 

Investigation 12: THE WATER CYCLE (4―8)

Teaching Focus: INTEGRATING INQUIRY IN TEXTBOOK INSTRUCTION