Science

The Next Generation Science Standards call for changes in not only what is taught in elementary science but also how students engage in the learning experience to develop understanding of core disciplinary ideas. In this study we examined 5th-grade teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for 1 particular core idea: the small particle model (SPM) of matter. We assessed teachers’ initial PCK through a lesson plan task, the Content Representation tool, and interviews and then adapted and tested a scoring rubric to facilitate comparison of teachers’ PCK.

Access Link:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1046560X.2018.1488486

Author/Presenter:

Deborah L. Hanuscin

Dante Cisterna

Kelsey Lipsitz

Lead Organization(s):

Western Washington University (WWU)

University of Missouri

Year:

2018

Short Description:

In this study we examined 5th-grade teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for 1 particular core idea: the small particle model (SPM) of matter. We assessed teachers’ initial PCK through a lesson plan task, the Content Representation tool, and interviews and then adapted and tested a scoring rubric to facilitate comparison of teachers’ PCK.

Read more about Elementary Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teaching Structure and Properties of Matter

Improving the preparation of novice secondary science teachers for English learners: A proof of concept study

Science

This proof of concept study investigated a secondary science teacher preparation intervention in six university programs across Arizona, California, and Texas. Researchers and science method instructors (SMIs) collaboratively restructured respective science method courses to hold fidelity to an interrelated set of instructional practices that attend to science learning as envisioned in a Framework for K–12 Science Education, while also creating contextualized spaces for language and literacy development targeted to English learners (ELs), but also supportive of “mainstream” students.

Access Link:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/sce.21473

Author/Presenter:

Edward G. Lyon

Trish Stoddart

George C. Bunch

Sara Tolbert

Ivan Salinas

Jorge Solis

Lead Organization(s):

University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz)

Year:

2018

Short Description:

Read more about Improving the preparation of novice secondary science teachers for English learners: A proof of concept study

Teacher’s Toolkit: The Argumentation Toolkit

Science

This column provides how-to strategies and practical advice for the science teacher. A resource for integrating argumentation into your science classroom.

González-Howard, M., Marco-Bujosa, L., McNeill, K. L., Goss, M., & Loper, S. (2018). Teacher’s Toolkit: The Argumentation Toolkit. Science Scope.

Access Link:

https://www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/4/ss18_042_03_74

Author/Presenter:

Maria González-Howard

Lisa Marco-Bujosa

Katherine L. McNeill

Megan Goss

Suzanna Loper

Lead Organization(s):

Boston College (BC)

University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley)

Year:

2018

Short Description:

This column provides how-to strategies and practical advice for the science teacher.

Read more about Teacher’s Toolkit: The Argumentation Toolkit

Engineering Encounters: Engineering a Model of the Earth as a Water Filter

Earth Science

Engineering

Science

This column describes creating a classroom culture for engineering. Noting the importance of infiltration in the water cycle and in the supply of essential groundwater led the authors to develop an engineering activity in which students are challenged to build a stackable filter using the Earth process of infiltration as a model.

Kilpatrick, J., Marcum-Dietrich, N., Wallace, J., & Staudt, C. (2018). Engineering Encounters: Engineering a Model of the Earth as a Water Filter. Science and Children.

Access Link:

https://www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/4/sc18_056_03_73

Author/Presenter:

Jonathon Kilpatrick

Nanette Marcum-Dietrich

John Wallace

Carolyn Staudt

Lead Organization(s):

Millersville University

Concord Consortium

Year:

2018

Short Description:

This column describes creating a classroom culture for engineering.

Read more about Engineering Encounters: Engineering a Model of the Earth as a Water Filter

Why and how do middle school students exchange ideas during science inquiry?

Science

Science is increasingly characterized by participation in knowledge communities. To meaningfully engage in science inquiry, students must be able to evaluate diverse sources of information, articulate informed ideas, and share ideas with peers. This study explores how technology can support idea exchanges in ways that value individuals’ prior ideas, and allow students to use these ideas to benefit their own and their peers’ learning. We used the Idea Manager, a curriculum-integrated tool that enables students to collect and exchange ideas during science inquiry projects.

Access Link:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11412-018-9282-1

Author/Presenter:

Camillia Matuk

Marcia C. Linn

Lead Organization(s):

University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley)

Year:

2018

Short Description:

This study explores how technology can support idea exchanges in ways that value individuals’ prior ideas, and allow students to use these ideas to benefit their own and their peers’ learning.

Read more about Why and how do middle school students exchange ideas during science inquiry?

Considerations for STEM Education from PreK through Grade 3

Author/Presenter:

Julie Sarama

Douglas Clements

Natalie Nielsen

Maria Blanton

Nancy Romance

Mark Hoover

Carolyn Staudt

Arthur Baroody

Christine McWayne

Catherine McCulloch

Year:

2018

Short Description:

This brief draws on research supported by the National Science Foundation to highlight important considerations for educators and others who design and provide STEM educational experiences for young children.

Resource(s):