EDUC 5197: ASSIGNMENT ESSAY WORD COUNT: 1561 WORDS Science is a powerful way for us to explain how things around us work. But why is it so important for students to study science? Science is everywhere and understanding how it is part of our lives and how it plays a significant role in our lives can assist students in having a solid foundation for success in the future. The rationale of the Australian Curriculum: Science defines science as ‘dynamic collaborative and creative human endeavour arising from our desire to make sense of our world through exploring the unknown, investigating universal mysteries, making predictions and solving problems’ (ACARA, 2012) The Australian Curriculum: Science supports problem solving, curiosity, …show more content…
It is equally important to relate the students’ learning to a real world context that is meaningful, in order for students to really take in the key concepts that are being taught. This is why science is often seen as an endless frontier, however for some students it seems just plain endless. Many students do not have a high interest in science or positive beliefs which gives them the impression that there is no end to the science class and cannot wait for the lesson to be over. There are numerous strategies that teachers can use to aim at, not only to engage students in lessons but also to helping build a more positive pattern of interests and beliefs. Before we can discuss specific strategies and approaches to teaching, it needs to be noted that within context based subjects, like science there has been a move into a constructivist approach that is highlighting the active role of the students. Constructivist approaches to learning have been influential in shaping how teachers approach to teaching and learning in science classrooms. (Dawson, 2012) Learning is seen as the construction of personal meaning and once students are in the classroom, the learning is just an extension of this where ideas are developed from the students’ active engagement and also through scaffolding. Learning should not be theoretical process where students learn by going through a textbook, instead
Science is a great way to begin encouraging children to learn observational skills because one needs to be focused. Getting our youth exposed earlier in the education process could potentially open up minds to a greater understanding. Critical thinking is important in all aspects of life. It is critical to science because science only progresses, in the simplest terms, by uncovering the patterns underlying the materials and processes of nature. Loosely speaking, critical thinking requires one to drop biases, prejudices and assumptions for the simple reason that these can all lead one to the wrong conclusion. If a wrong conclusion is reached it is more difficult to face reality. Acquiring these critical thinking skills will allow students to see our society from a variety of perspectives which is how we begin to make change.
Standard: K-2, Science is a way of knowing… Science knowledge helps us know about the world.
Science is, "the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment," according to Oxford's Online Dictionary. The American education system is, "responsible for coordinating education policies, planning for changing educational needs in the community, and establishing programs and curriculum," pursuant to ISSS International Student and Scholar Services. The method for studying science should be completely overlooked, especially for biology, the cogitation of living organisms. For generations students have been confined to classrooms and forced to study science through textbooks; however, experiencing outside science reforms
I elicited and built upon student’s response to promote thinking and develop understanding of science concepts through questioning to get student think critically about what they did at each station and how it fit together what we see happen outside the classroom. it can be seen in the video clip 2 lesson 4 minute , it can been seen in the video that students are actively engaged in answering questions and are willing to give their insight into situation. In video clip 1 The students watch a video about the chemistry of carbon. and while the students watched the video there were a list of the question that each students need to answer it, and one of these questions was asking about “what the protein are made off “This provided students
When teaching natural sciences and technology, teachers need to promote an understanding of seeing these subjects as activities to promote curiosity and enjoyment about the world and that what we encounter around us. The history of science and technology should also be integrated with other subjects. Science and technology should be seen as a contribution to social justice and societal development (Motshekga, 2011). A growing need of discovery in science and technology needs to be promoted in order to form interest in ourselves, society and
My earliest memory of science in elementary school was in first grade. I remember walking into the classroom early in the morning and seeing plant pots lined up in the back of the room. Of course one of us asked, Mrs. Denny, what are those for? She answered like any experienced teacher “We will get to those after lunch. Thank you for noticing though.” As a young student, I was more interested about taking the plant home to my mom and showing her what I did. After lunch, we went on a walk to the atrium in the center of the school. Mrs. Denny pointed out the different kinds of plants that were in the atrium like flowers, and other small plants. We walked back to our classroom and talked about what a plant needs to grow and finally got to make a plant ourselves. We each had a cup of water, a cup of soil, a pot, and a plant. I also remember in third grade learning about the weather by creating a big picture of the water cycle with the clouds and why there is lightening and thunder. After we made the picture, we each got to write down a question about weather and Mrs. Heffernan went over each one. I loved science when I was little because I was able to explore and try new things. I struggled in math and reading because they were very black and white but science allowed creativity. I enjoyed science in elementary school because it was very hands on so I didn’t have to sit in my seat. I would define science has a content area that allows the individual to research and develop
My placement, at Alexander Goode Elementary School, is in Kindergarten and does not have a Science curriculum. While talking to my cooperating teacher, Ms. Gifford, she informed me they are so focused on getting behavior under control in the beginning of the year. Also, students enter the classroom with little phonemic awareness and prior knowledge to literacy concepts.
Based on the NSTA Position statement, the curriculum of science from kindergarten through 12 grades has kept changing during the century of rapid development of science. Those changes increase the complexity of teaching and learning science. Teachers are required to design the science class that provides sufficient and effective activities of science to students. In addition, students are expected to complete the task by following the instruction and to adopt the factual knowledge replacing the superficial information or isolated facts. The importance of science programs is to assist students to adapt the community of the well-developed science, and develop student’s self-assessment skills.
Learning science can be exciting if you have the right teacher. Science classes are not challenging, however depending on the teacher's level of understanding it can be the end of your child's love for science. There are a small number of professions that do not require science, consequently the parent should step in if their desire is for the student to have the opportunity for them to pursue any career they desire. Start by
Science excites and leads to discovery. During high school, I went through a traumatic operation, where I was in my last year doing GCSES and this experience gave me valuable understandings. I went under a CT scanner and diagnosed with a tumour in my stomach, which the doctors had to remove. This was a rare case and with the help of scientific discovery I was able to live. This experience made me appreciate healthcare science much more.
The National Curriculum for Science (2013), anticipates to advance all pupils’ scientific knowledge and conceptualise understanding through the segmented scientific approaches; biology, chemistry and physics. In addition, pupils should have an awareness of the nature, processes and approaches used within science, through the various scientific enquires that enable pupils to answer questions related to the world and life. Finally, the aims of the science curriculum also consider that children must have the resources to fund the knowledge that is necessary to use science in the, present and future tense states the Department of Education (2013).
Science has and always will play a constant important role in my daily life, maybe more so than others. Science for me has not always been my strong subject in school and I very easily tend to get intimidated. But when I look at my daily life and realize how much science plays a role in it, I cannot help but smile. Science is not at all bad, it has allowed me to do many things every day, even if I do not take the time to stop and think about it, it is there. From the way the microwave heats up the water for my coffee every morning or the way my body digests the food I eat every meal and makes
Teaching strategies used for subjects such as literacy and numeracy can be used to teach science. Some of the pedagogical skills teachers already have are: Teachers across every subject and year level strive to have a student-focused approach to teaching, hands-on approaches to learning, inquiry-based learning, engaging their students in learning and developing a thirst for knowledge and an appreciation for the subject. Teachers constantly use pedagogical practices that enable students to be creative, challenging them and providing opportunities for students to thrive by for example taking them on excursions where they receive real-life experience and exposure. Finally, effective teachers often find ways to merge students as well as their own prior knowledge of the subject they are learning. A teacher can always relate science to literacy as understanding the scientific literacy is crucial
Students are considered to be scientists in the inquiry process. Children will view themselves as scientists as they learn. They look forward to science, demonstrate a desire to learn more, seek collaboration with their classmates, they are confident in doing science, and willing to take risks. Students are readily engaged in exploring science. They have curiosity, ponder observations, move around to get the materials they need, and have the opportunity to try out their ideas. Students are able to communicate using various amounts of methods. They express their ideas in journals, reporting, or drawing. They listen, speak, and write about science. They communicate their level of understanding of concepts and ideas. The students propose explanations and solutions based off their data. They use investigations to satisfy their own questions. They sort out information that is needed and important. They become willing to revise explanations and gain new knowledge. They raise questions, use questions to lead them to investigations, and students begin to enjoy using questions to ponder ideas. Students begin to observe rather than look. They see details, detect sequences, and notice change, similarities, and differences. The students begin to make
Science is, by its nature, inquiry based and science knowledge is built through processes in which discoveries of the natural world are made (Abruscato, 2000). It utilizes discovery and scientific thinking process to explore and learn knowledge and skills. Learning by doing is the new efficient method in teaching science. For kindergarten, this method leads to better understanding of science concepts and builds skills that children will use in future life .What a child can do with assistance now, they can later do on their own (Vygotsky, 1978). John Dewey (1916) stated that children must be engaged in an active quest for learning and new ideas. Inquiry is important in educating kindergarteners because it not only keeps them interested in lessons but also helps them retain more information when performing exploration and investigation. Children are naturally motivated to learn and actively seek out information to help their understanding (Piaget, 1950).The success of students who participate in hands- on inquiry activities suggests that if students have first hands experience with science, concepts are easier to understand and apply and students are generally more favorable to science and have better understanding of the nature of science .Within a conceptual framework, inquiry learning and active learner involvement can lead to important outcomes in the classroom. In kindergarten, students who are actively making observations, collecting results and drawing