Goal #1
Demonstrate understanding of the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structure of science appropriate to teaching at the K-6 level.
Demonstrate understanding of the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structure of science appropriate to teaching at the K-6 level.
Artifact A: Science? Or Not Science?
I received this worksheet on my first day of class and had to check which activities could be science. At the time, I thought that science was in everything so I checked off each activity on the paper. To justify why I thought these activities included science, I wrote what science I was connecting to each activity. After our discussion in class that day, I learned that teaching science has to have a purpose. When there is not a purpose, the lesson is not really science. If a teacher does not include the “three legs of science” (content, processes, and nature of science) then the lesson will not be as effective. (Weinburgh, 2003)
I received this worksheet on my first day of class and had to check which activities could be science. At the time, I thought that science was in everything so I checked off each activity on the paper. To justify why I thought these activities included science, I wrote what science I was connecting to each activity. After our discussion in class that day, I learned that teaching science has to have a purpose. When there is not a purpose, the lesson is not really science. If a teacher does not include the “three legs of science” (content, processes, and nature of science) then the lesson will not be as effective. (Weinburgh, 2003)
Artifact B: Nature of Science (NOS)
Every science lesson that you teach has to include content, processes and nature of science(NOS). These three aspects will not always be balanced but should still be incorporated in every lesson. The nature of science consists of ten aspects:
~The world is understandable
~Scientific ideas are subject to change, yet scientific knowledge is durable
~Science cannot provide complete answers to all questions
~Science demands evidence
~Science is a blend of logic and imagination
~Science explains and predicts
~Scientist try to identify and avoid bias
~Science is not authoritarian
~Science is a complex social activity
~There are generally accepted ethical principles in the conduct of science
The NOS chart was given to me at the beginning of the semester and I had never heard of NOS before. I thought a science lesson was getting out the science book and creating activities to go along with the lesson. After learning about the “three legs of science” (Weinburgh, 2003) and what a science lesson should actually look like, I realized I had not seen science true science lesson in a long time. It is easier for myself to pick out what aspect/s of NOS is/are being used in a science lesson. As I plan lessons, I always refer back to my chart to determine what NOS aspects I will be including.