Life Cycle. K-6 Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blueford, J. R.; And Others

Life Cycle is one of the units of a K-6 unified science curriculum program. The unit consists of four organizing sub-themes: (1) past life (focusing on dinosaurs and fossil formation, types, and importance); (2) animal life (examining groups of invertebrates and vertebrates, cells, reproduction, and classification systems); (3) plant life…

Rock Cycle. K-6 Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blueford, J. R.; And Others

Rock Cycle is one of the units of a K-6 unified science curriculum program. The unit consists of four organizing sub-themes: (1) chemistry (introducing the topics of matter, elements, compounds, and chemical bonding); (2) characteristics (presenting hands-on activities with rocks and minerals); (3) minerals (emphasizing the aesthetic and economic…

Universe Cycle. K-6 Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blueford, J. R.; And Others

Universe Cycle is one of the units of a K-6 unified science curriculum program. The unit consists of four organizing sub-themes: (1) earth (providing activities on the physical shape of the earth and landform formations; (2) geography (emphasizing map reading skills); (3) universe (exploring the components, processes and future projects for the…

Language Arts: Exceptional Child Education Curriculum K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curran, Teresa; And Others

The Exceptional Child Education (ECE) program of Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky, presents this language arts curriculum for use with K-12 students who have learning problems. The ECE program uses the curriculum and materials of the general education program whenever appropriate, but has access to special instructional…

Problem-Based Learning in the Physical Science Classroom, K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConnell, Tom J.; Parker, Joyce; Eberhardt, Janet

2018-01-01

"Problem-Based Learning in the Physical Science Classroom, K-12" will help your students truly understand concepts such as motion, energy, and magnetism in true-to-life contexts. The book offers a comprehensive description of why, how, and when to implement problem-based learning (PBL) in your curriculum. Its 14 developmentally…

Science: Standard Course of Study and Grade Level Competencies, K-12. [Revision].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh.

This document was created to establish competency goals and objectives for teaching and learning science in North Carolina for grades K-12. It contains the concepts and theories, strands, skills, and processes upon which all science instruction should be based. In addition, the curriculum defines and illustrates the connections between the…

Sense and Sensibility: The Case for the Nationwide Inclusion of Engineering in the K-12 Curriculum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindberg, Robert E.; Pinelli, Thomas E.; Batterson, James G.

2008-01-01

The competitive status of the United States is inextricably linked to innovation just as innovation is inseparable from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. To stay competitive in innovation requires that the United States produce a 21st century workforce complete with requisite education, training, skills, and motivation. If we accept a priori that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education are crucial to competitiveness and innovation and that, in terms of innovation, mathematics, science, and engineering are interdependent, why are mathematics and science uniformly ubiquitous in the K-12 curriculum while engineering is conspicuously absent? We are passionate in our belief that the uniform addition of engineering to the K-12 curriculum will help ensure that the nation has "the right" 21st Century workforce. Furthermore, we believe that a nationwide effort, led by a coalition of engineering academics, practitioners, and societies is required to turn this goal into reality. However, accomplishing this goal necessitates, as we are reminded by the title of Jane Austen's timeless novel, "Sense and Sensibility", a workable solution that seeks the "middle ground" between passion and reason. We begin our paper by making two essential points: Engineers are not scientists. Engineering exists separate from science, has its own specialized knowledge community apart from science, and it is largely responsible for many of the most significant advancements and improvements in the quality of our life. Our workable solution requires that K-12 education, nationwide, accommodate the inclusion of engineering as a stand alone curriculum and we offer three reasons to support our position: (1) workforce development, (2) stimulating interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses and careers, and (3) creating a technologically literate society. We conclude with some thoughts on how this important goal can be accomplished.

Mathematics. Exceptional Child Education Curriculum K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordon, Thelma; And Others

The mathematics curriculum provides a framework of instruction for exceptional child education in grades K-12. Content areas include: numeration, whole numbers, rational numbers, real/complex numbers, calculator literacy, measurement, geometry, statistics, functions/relations, computer literacy, and pre-algebra. The guide is organized by content…

Plate Tectonic Cycle. K-6 Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blueford, J. R.; And Others

Plate Tectonics Cycle is one of the units of a K-6 unified science curriculum program. The unit consists of four organizing sub-themes: (1) volcanoes (covering formation, distribution, and major volcanic groups); (2) earthquakes (with investigations on wave movements, seismograms and sub-suface earth currents); (3) plate tectonics (providing maps…

First Year K-12 Teachers as High Leverage Point to Implement GEMS Space Science Curriculum Sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Timothy F.; Mendez, B. J.; Schultz, G.; Wierman, T.

2013-01-01

The recurring challenge for curriculum developers is how to efficiently prepare K-12 classroom teachers to use new curricula. First-year teachers, numbering nearly 250,000 in the US each year, have the greatest potential to impact the largest number of students because they have potential to be in the classroom for thirty years. At the same time, these novice teachers are often the most open minded about adopting curricular innovation because they are not yet deeply entrenched in existing practices. To take advantage of this high leverage point, a collaborative of space scientists and science educators at the University of California, Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and Center for Science Education at the Space Sciences Laboratory with experts from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the University of Wyoming, and the CAPER Center for Astronomy & Physics Education experimented with a unique professional development model focused on helping master teachers work closely with pre-service teachers during their student teaching internship field experience. The Advancing Mentor and Novice Teachers in Space Science (AMANTISS) team first identified master teachers who supervise novice, student teachers and trained these master teachers to use the GEMS Space Science Curriculum Sequence. Then, these master teachers were mentored in coaching interning student teachers assigned to them in using GEMS materials. Evaluation showed that novice teachers mentored by the master teachers felt knowledgeable after teaching the GEMS units. However, they seemed relatively less confident about the solar system and objects beyond the solar system. Overall, mentees felt strongly at the end of the year that they have acquired good strategies for teaching the various topics, suggesting that the support they received while teaching and working with a mentor was of real benefit to them. Funding provided in part by NASA ROSES AMANTISS NNX09AD51G

Science Curriculum Guide, Level 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newark School District, DE.

The third of four levels in a K-12 science curriculum is outlined. In Level 3 (grades 6-8), science areas include life science, earth science, and physical science (physics and chemistry). Conveniently listed are page locations for educational and instructional objectives, cross-referenced to science area (i.e., life science, animals, genetics)…

K-12 science education: A teacher`s view

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, P.

1994-12-31

Science education has experienced significant changes over the past two decades. Science is now vital to good citizenship, performance in the workplace, and everyday life.It is time to re-tool and re-design the entire K-12 science education system, employing the same principles and methods used in the practice of science itself. We can no longer ignore the special needs of science instruction. All students need a course that develops their scientific literacy and critical thinking skills every year. Each science program needs meaningful, useful content and skill standards to drive and continuously update the curriculum content and enabel usefull assessment. Sciencemore » teachers must articulate their needs and develop opportunities for professional development and the strengthening of their profession. We need a national plan that gets the many different participants working coherently towards a common goal.« less

NASA Lewis' IITA K-12 Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center's Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications for Kindergarten to 12th Grade (IITA K-12) Program is designed to introduce into school systems computing and communications technology that benefits math and science studies. By incorporating this technology into K-12 curriculums, we hope to increase the proficiency and interest in math and science subjects by K-12 students so that they continue to study technical subjects after their high school careers are over.

Soil Science Society of America - K-12 Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindbo, David L.; Loynachan, Tom; Mblia, Monday; Robinson, Clay; Chapman, Susan

2013-04-01

The Soil Science Society of America created its K12 Committee in 2006 in part to compliment the Dig It! The Secrets of Soil exhibit that opened in July 2008 at the Smithsonian's Institution's Nation Museum of Natural History (of which SSS was a founding sponsor). The committee's work began quickly with a website designed to provide resources for K12 teachers. The first accomplishments included reviewing and posting links to web based information already available to teachers. These links were sorted by subject and grade level to make it easier for teachers to navigate the web and find what they needed quickly. Several presentations and lessons designed for K12 teachers were also posted at this time. Concurrent with this effort a subcommittee review and organized the national teaching standards to show where soils could fit into the overall K12 curriculum. As the website was being developed another subcommittee developed a soils book (Soil! Get the Inside Scoop, 2008) to further compliment the Dig It! exhibit. This was a new endeavor for SSSA having never worked with the non-academic audience in developing a book. Peer-reviews of this book included not only scientist but also students in order to make sure the book was attractive to them. Once the book was published and the website developed it became clear more outreach was needed. SSSA K12 Committee has attended both the National Science Teachers Association (since 2008) the USA Science and Engineering Festival (since 2010) with exhibits and workshops. It has cooperated and contributed to the American Geologic Institutes' Earth Science Week materials with brochures and lesson plans and with National Association of Conservation Districts by providing peer-review and distribution of materials. The most recent developments from the committee include a web redesign that is more student and teacher friendly, the development of a peer-review system to publish K12 Lesson Plans, and finally the publication of a new soils

Cataclysms and Catastrophes: A Case Study of Improving K-12 Science Education Through a University Partnership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fennell, T.; Ellins, K. K.; Morris, M.; Christeson, G.

2003-12-01

The K-12 science teacher is always seeking ways of improving and updating their curriculum by integrating the latest research into their most effective classroom activities. However, the daily demands of delivering instruction to large numbers of students coupled with the rapid advances in some fields of science can often overwhelm this effort. The NSF-sponsored Cataclysms and Catastrophes curriculum, developed by scientists from the The University of Texas at Austin Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) and Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG), middle and high school teachers, and UT graduate students (NSF GK-12 fellows) working together through the GK-12 program, is a textbook example of how universities can facilitate this quest, benefiting education at both K-12 and university levels. In 1992, "The Great K-T Extinction Debate" was developed as an activity in the Planet Earth class at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy of Austin as an interdisciplinary approach to science. Taking advantage of the media attention generated by the impact scenario for the K-T extinction, the activity consists of students participating in a simulated senate hearing on the potential causes of the K-T extinction and their implications for society today. This activity not only exposes students to the wide range of science involved in understanding mass extinctions, but also to the social, political and economic implications when this science is brought into the public arena and the corresponding use of data in decision making and disaster preparedness. While "The Great K-T Extinction Debate" was always a popular and effective activity with students, it was in desperate need of updating to keep pace with the evolving scientific debate over the cause of the K-T extinction and the growing body of impact evidence discovered over the past decade. By adding two inquiry-based learning activities that use real geophysical data collected by scientists studying the buried Chicxulub feature as a

Integrating long-term science projects into K-12 curriculum: Fostering teacher-student engagement in urban environmental research through an NSF UCLA GK-12 program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogue, T. S.; Moldwin, M.; Nonacs, P.; Daniel, J.; Shope, R.

2009-12-01

A National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K- 12 Education program at UCLA (SEE-LA; http://measure.igpp.ucla.edu/GK12-SEE-LA) has just completed its first year (of a five-year program) and has greatly expanded UCLA’s science and engineering partnerships with LA Unified and Culver City Unified School Districts. The SEE-LA program partners UCLA faculty, graduate students (fellows), middle and high school science teachers and their students into a program of science and engineering exploration that brings the environment of Los Angeles into the classroom. UCLA graduate fellows serve as scientists-in-residence at the four partner schools to integrate inquiry-based science and engineering lessons, facilitate advancements in science content teaching, and ultimately, to improve their own science communication skills. As part of their fellowship, graduate students are required to develop three inquiry-based lessons in their partner classroom, including a lesson focused on their dissertation research, a lesson focused on the environmental/watershed theme of the project, and a lesson that involves longer-term data collection and synthesis with the grade 6-12 teachers and students. The developed long-term projects ideally involve continued observations and analysis through the five-year project and beyond. During the first year of the project, the ten SEE-LA fellows developed a range of long-term research projects, from seasonal invertebrate observations in an urban stream system, to home energy consumption surveys, to a school bioblitz (quantification of campus animals and insects). Examples of lesson development and integration in the classroom setting will be highlighted as well as tools required for sustainability of the projects. University and local pre-college school partnerships provide an excellent opportunity to support the development of graduate student communication skills while also contributing significantly to the integration of sustainable

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Engaging K-12 Educators, Students, and the General Public in Space Science Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The session "Engaging K-12 Educators, Students, and the General Public in Space Science Exploration" included the following reports:Training Informal Educators Provides Leverage for Space Science Education and Public Outreach; Teacher Leaders in Research Based Science Education: K-12 Teacher Retention, Renewal, and Involvement in Professional Science; Telling the Tale of Two Deserts: Teacher Training and Utilization of a New Standards-based, Bilingual E/PO Product; Lindstrom M. M. Tobola K. W. Stocco K. Henry M. Allen J. S. McReynolds J. Porter T. T. Veile J. Space Rocks Tell Their Secrets: Space Science Applications of Physics and Chemistry for High School and College Classes -- Update; Utilizing Mars Data in Education: Delivering Standards-based Content by Exposing Educators and Students to Authentic Scientific Opportunities and Curriculum; K. E. Little Elementary School and the Young Astronaut Robotics Program; Integrated Solar System Exploration Education and Public Outreach: Theme, Products and Activities; and Online Access to the NEAR Image Collection: A Resource for Educators and Scientists.

West Bloomfield Schools Social Studies Curriculum K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morse, James E.; And Others

The curriculum guide outlines behavioral objectives, learning activities, evaluation methods, and resources to help K-12 classroom teachers develop and implement social studies programs. Major objectives are to extend knowledge, develop skills to make effective use of this knowledge, and to facilitate the socialization process. The first section…

Parallel Curriculum Units for Science, Grades 6-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leppien, Jann H.; Purcell, Jeanne H.

2011-01-01

Based on the best-selling book "The Parallel Curriculum", this professional development resource gives multifaceted examples of rigorous learning opportunities for science students in Grades 6-12. The four sample units revolve around genetics, the convergence of science and society, the integration of language arts and biology, and the periodic…

Science Curriculum Guide, Levels 1 and 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newark School District, DE.

The first two of four levels in a K-12 science curriculum are outlined. In Level 1 (grades K-2) and Level 2 (grades 3-5), science areas include the study of living things, matter and energy, and solar system and universe. Conveniently listed are page locations for educational and instructional objectives, cross-referenced to science area and coded…

BiteScis: Connecting K-12 teachers with science graduate students to produce lesson plans on modern science research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battersby, Cara

2016-01-01

Many students graduate high school having never learned about the process and people behind modern science research. The BiteScis program addresses this gap by providing easily implemented lesson plans that incorporate the whos, whats, and hows of today's scienctific discoveries. We bring together practicing scientists (motivated graduate students from the selective communicating science conference, ComSciCon) with K-12 science teachers to produce, review, and disseminate K-12 lesson plans based on modern science research. These lesson plans vary in topic from environmental science to neurobiology to astrophysics, and involve a range of activities from laboratory exercises to art projects, debates, or group discussion. An integral component of the program is a series of short, "bite-size" articles on modern science research written for K-12 students. The "bite-size" articles and lesson plans will be made freely available online in an easily searchable web interface that includes association with a variety of curriculum standards. This ongoing program is in its first year with about 15 lesson plans produced to date.

Science Curriculum. Kindergarten through Grade Twelve.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitchburg State Coll., MA. Dept. of Special Education.

This science curriculum guide provides a framework for science teachers of grades K-12 in the Leominster Public School System, Massachusetts. It represents the efforts of teachers and higher education faculty. An introductory section provides a philosophical statement on the nature of science and perspectives in the learning and teaching of…

Integrating Technology into the K-12 Music Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Olympia.

This guide is intended to provide resources for integrating technology into the K-12 music curriculum. The focus of the guide is on computer software and the use of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) in the music classroom. The guide gives two examples of commercially available curricula that integrate technology as well as lesson plans…

Project WILD K-12 Curriculum and Activity Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for Environmental Education, 2011

2011-01-01

The "Project WILD K-12 Curriculum and Activity Guide" focuses on wildlife and habitat. It is organized in topic units and is based on the Project WILD conceptual framework. Because these activities are designed for integration into existing courses of study, instructors may use one or many Project WILD activities or the entire set of activities…

Project WILD Aquatic K-12 Curriculum and Activity Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for Environmental Education, 2011

2011-01-01

The "Project WILD Aquatic K-12 Curriculum and Activity Guide" emphasizes aquatic wildlife and aquatic ecosystems. It is organized in topic units and is based on the Project WILD conceptual framework. Because these activities are designed for integration into existing courses of study, instructors may use one or many Project WILD Aquatic activities…

Role of Public Outreach in the University Science Mission: Publishing K-12 Curriculum, Organizing Tours, and Other Methods of Engagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dittrich, T. M.

2015-12-01

Much attention has been devoted in recent years to the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education in K-12 curriculum for developing a capable workforce. Equally important is the role of the voting public in understanding STEM-related issues that impact public policy debates such as the potential impacts of climate change, hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas exploration, mining impacts on water quality, and science funding. Since voted officials have a major impact on the future of these policies, it is imperative that the general public have an understanding of the basic science behind these issues. By engaging with the public in a more fundamental way, university students can play an important role in educating the public while at the same time enhancing their communication skills and gaining valuable teaching experience. I will talk about my own experiences in (1) evaluating and publishing water chemistry and hazardous waste cleanup curriculum on the K-12 engineering platform TeachEngineering.org, (2) organizing public tours of water and energy sites (e.g., abandoned mine sites, coal power plants, wastewater treatment plants, hazardous waste treatment facilities), and (3) other outreach and communication activities including public education of environmental issues through consultations with customers of a landscaping/lawn mowing company. The main focus of this presentation will be the role that graduate students can play in engaging and educating their local community and lessons learned from community projects (Dittrich, 2014; 2012; 2011). References: Dittrich, T.M. 2014. Adventures in STEM: Lessons in water chemistry from elementary school to graduate school. Abstract ED13E-07 presented at 2014 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 15-19 Dec. Dittrich, T.M. 2012. Collaboration between environmental water chemistry students and hazardous waste treatment specialists on the University of Colorado-Boulder campus. Abstract ED53C

Science, Levels 7-12. Secondary Core Curriculum Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utah State Board of Education, Salt Lake City. Div. of Curriculum and Instruction.

This document presents the core science curriculum standards which must be completed by all students as a requisite for graduation from Utah's secondary schools. Contained within are the elementary and secondary school program of studies and high school graduation requirements. Each course entry for grades 7-12 contains: course title, unit of…

Nebraska Science Standards: Grades K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nebraska Department of Education, 2010

2010-01-01

This publication presents the Nebraska Science Standards for Grades K-12. The standards are presented according to the following grades: (1) Grades K-2; (2) Grades 3-5; (3) Grades 6-8; and (4) Grades 9-12.

Some Current Trends Toward Solving Curriculum Problems in English Education--K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, Leon R.; And Others

This guide is intended to assist curriculum committees and instructors by defining some existing problems in language arts curricula (K-12) and by offering insights into a few major curricula in use around the country. Sections deal with (1) reasons for and methods of effecting curriculum change, (2) requirements to be made of students, (3) the…

A Review of Computer Science Resources for Learning and Teaching with K-12 Computing Curricula: An Australian Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falkner, Katrina; Vivian, Rebecca

2015-01-01

To support teachers to implement Computer Science curricula into classrooms from the very first year of school, teachers, schools and organisations seek quality curriculum resources to support implementation and teacher professional development. Until now, many Computer Science resources and outreach initiatives have targeted K-12 school-age…

Assessment Strategies for Implementing Ngss in K12 Earth System Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McAuliffe, C.

2016-12-01

Several science education researchers have led assessment efforts that provide strategies particularly useful for evaluating the threedimensional learning that is central to NGSS (DeBarger, A. H., Penuel, W. R., Harris, C. J., Kennedy, C. K., 2016; Knight, A. M. & McNeill, K. L., 2015; McNeill, K. L., KatshSinger, R. & Pelletier, P., 2015; McNeill K.L., et.al., 2015; McNeill, K.L., & Krajcik, J.S., 2011; Penuel, W., 2016). One of the basic premises of these researchers is that, "Assessment is a practice of argument from evidence based on what students say, do, and write" and that "the classroom is the richest place to gather evidence of what students know (Penuel, W., 2016). The implementation of the NGSS in Earth System Science provides a unique opportunity for geoscience education researchers to study student learning and contribute to the development of this research as well as for geoscience educators to apply these approaches and strategies in their own work with K12 inservice and preservice educators. DeBarger, A. H., Penuel, W. R., Harris, C. J., Kennedy, C. K. (2016). Building an Assessment Argument to Design and Use Next Generation Science Assessments in Efficacy Studies of Curriculum Interventions. American†Journal†of†Evaluation†37(2) 174192Æ Knight, A. M. & McNeill, K. L. (2015). Comparing students' individual written and collaborative oral socioscientific arguments. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education.10(5), 23647. McNeill, K. L., KatshSinger, R. & Pelletier, P. (2015). Assessing science practices-Moving your class along a continuum. Science Scope. McNeill, K.L., & Krajcik, J.S. (2011). Supporting Grade 5-8 Students in Constructing Explanations in Science: The Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning Framework for Talk and Writing. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson. Penuel, W. (2016). Classroom Assessment Strategies for NGSS Earth and Space Sciences. Implementing†the†NGSS†Webinar†Series, February 11, 2016.

Spacemakers: A Leadership Perspective on Curriculum and the Purpose of K-12 Educational Makerspaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harron, Jason R.; Hughes, Joan E.

2018-01-01

This qualitative research study investigated how educational makerspace leaders, whom we refer to as spacemakers, framed the purpose of the makerspace in K-12 education and how makerspaces support school curriculum. Using interviews with twelve K-12 spacemakers, the study found spacemakers were experienced, self-motivated educators. These leaders…

Instituting a Standards-Based K--12 Science Curriculum Supplement Program at the National Institutes of Health: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witherly, Jeffre

2010-01-01

Research on student achievement indicates the U.S. K-12 education system is not adequately preparing American students to compete in the 21st century global economy in the areas of science and mathematics. Congress has asked the scientific entities of the federal government to help increase K-12 science learning by creating standards-based…

Science. A Guide to Curriculum Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connecticut State Dept. of Education, Hartford.

The purpose of this guide is to aid K-12 curriculum planners in the development and implementation of well-defined programs of study in science suitable for their local school districts. Among the national trends reflected in this guide are the interdisciplinary approach; the use of performance-based student assessments; the utilization of diverse…

CESAME: Providing High Quality Professional Development in Science and Mathematics for K-12 Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hickman, Paul

2002-04-01

It is appropriate that after almost half a century of Science and Mathematics education reform we take a look back and a peek forward to understand the present state of this wonderfully complex system. Each of the components of this system including teaching, professional development, assessment, content and the district K-12 curriculum all need to work together if we hope to provide quality science, mathematics and technology education for ALL students. How do the state and national standards drive the system? How do state policies on student testing and teacher licensure come into play? How do we improve the preparation, retention and job satisfaction of our K-12 teachers? What initiatives have made or are making a difference? What else needs to be done? What can the physics community do to support local efforts? This job is too big for any single organization or individual but we each can contribute to the effort. Our Center at Northeastern University, with support from the National Science Foundation, has a sharply defined focus: to get high quality, research-based instructional materials into the hands of K-12 classroom teachers and provide the support they need to use the materials effectively in their classrooms.

The Next Generation Science Standards: An Historic Opportunity for K-12 Earth and Space Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, R. M.; Passow, M. J.; Holzer, M. A.; Moore, J.

2014-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) provide an historic opportunity to significantly improve Earth and space science (ESS) education nationally at the K-12 level. The increased emphasis on ESS related topics in the NGSS relative to previous standards provides a real opportunity for ensuring all K-12 students in adopting states learn about the ESS - allowing us to reach many more students than are currently are exposed to our discipline. The new standards are also exciting in that they explicitly couple science and engineering practice, cross-cutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas in such a way that student must actively demonstrate their understanding through actions rather than through mere regurgitation of memorized responses. Achieving mastery of NGSS Performance Expectations will require practice with higher-order learning skills - with students engaging in the practices of scientists and engineers. Preparing students for this mastery will be a challenging task for teachers, since in many states professional development support is limited at best for the current curriculum - let alone the curricula that will be developed to address the NGSS. As adoption of the NGSS expands across the country, states will be at various levels of implementation of the new standards over the next several years - and there is real concern that teachers must have sufficient professional development to be able to be successful in preparing their students - particularly in view of likely coupled assessments and teacher evaluations. NESTA strongly supports implementation of the NGSS, and the rigorous and compelling ESS education it will engender, when coupled with a strong emphasis nationwide on teacher professional development. For the past two years, the National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA) has continued our leadership in K-12 ESS education through workshops, web seminars, events and publications that emphasize implementation of the NGSS in ESS

Investigating Purposeful Science Curriculum Adaptation as a Strategy to Improve Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Debarger, Angela Haydel; Penuel, William R.; Moorthy, Savitha; Beauvineau, Yves; Kennedy, Cathleen A.; Boscardin, Christy Kim

2017-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the potential and conditions for using curriculum adaptation to support reform of science teaching and learning. With each wave of reform in science education, curriculum has played a central role and the contemporary wave focused on implementation of the principles and vision of the "Framework for K-12 Science…

Alcohol and Drug Prevention Curriculum Resource Guide Grades 10-12: Science--Biology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh. Alcohol and Drug Defense Program.

This curriculum resource guide on alcohol and drug prevention provides suggested activities for teachers of grades 10 through 12. Three integrated learning activities for science/biology and healthful living are presented. The science/biology goal is understanding the biology of humans. Healthful living goals include analyzing drug and alcohol use…

Teachers' Curriculum Guide to the Hayward Shoreline, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bachle, Leo; And Others

This teaching guide gives environmental education ideas for grades K-12. The field trips and activities all relate to the Hayward shoreline of the San Francisco, California, Bay. Included in the guide are 44 science activities, 15 social science activities, and 18 humanities activities. Each activity description gives the experience level, site…

Application of the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stegelin, Dolores A.

2003-01-01

This article focuses on the relevance of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education for science knowledge and content standards for the preK-12 student population. The article includes: (1) a summary of key concepts; (2) a description of the science curriculum standards for K-3 in the United States; and (3) an example of an in-depth…

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Teacher, 2003

2003-01-01

Presents outstanding science trade books published in 2002 for students in grades K-12. Sections include Archaeology, Anthropology, and Paleontology; Biography; Environment and Ecology; Life Science; Physical Science; and Science-Related Careers. (KHR)

Partnerships Between K-12 Schools and Universities: Who Benefits?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regens, N.; Hall-Wallace, M. K.

2001-05-01

Collaborations between K-12 schools and universities for the purpose of improving science education are growing in number, but many question their effectiveness. After many years of outreach to local teachers, schools and districts, we have developed a collaboration that more effectively addresses school district goals and needs while providing university faculty and graduate students with real opportunities to contribute to science education in the schools. Funded by the NSF GK-12 program, we are working directly with school district curriculum specialists and classroom teachers to implement inquiry-based science investigations. Projects range from developing long-term research projects in middle and high school classrooms to assisting K-6 teachers in using kit-based science curriculum. As part of our program, we have gathered several types of data to document the impact of our efforts. Using surveys of knowledge and attitudes, we measured significant improvements in college student's knowledge and attitudes about inquiry teaching methods and the K-12 education system. Through analysis of the college student's journals, we have also documented critical elements of an effective collaboration. These journals, combined with evaluations by classroom teachers, provide evidence of how the program impacts the graduate students professionally. We have also surveyed classroom teachers to measure the impact of the college students on their attitudes about teaching science and the long-term impact of the collaboration on their classroom teaching.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science and Children, 2002

2002-01-01

Introduces a list of outstanding science trade books for grade levels K-12 in the areas of Archaeology, Anthropology, Paleontology, Biography, Life Sciences, Integrated Science, Physical Science, Science Related Careers, and Technology and Engineering. Includes information on the selection process. (YDS)

Unified Science Approach K-12, Proficiency Levels 7-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oickle, Eileen M., Ed.

Presented is the second part of the K-12 unified science materials used in the public schools of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Detailed descriptions are made of the roles of students and teachers, purposes of the bibliography, major concepts in unified science, processes of inquiry, a scheme and model for scientific literacy, and program…

Ocean Sciences as a Foundation for Curriculum Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakhmenkulova, I.; Gorshkalev, S.; Odriozola, A.; Dominguez, A.; Greely, T.; Pyrtle, A.; Keiper, T.; Watkins, J.

2005-05-01

The GK-12 OCEANS program is an initiative of the National Science Foundation (NSF). This program provides marine science graduate students within the College of Marine Science, USF, weekly interactions with K-12 teachers and students in Pinellas County schools with the overall purpose of enhancing the quality and effectiveness of science teaching. The GK-12 OCEANS program provides hands-on and minds-on ocean science learning inquiries. Campbell Park Elementary is a Marine Science attractor school designed to provide a child-centered approach to learning that integrates marine science activities into the daily curriculum while meeting the required state education standards. In 2003-04 a GK-12 Fellow helped third and fourth grade teachers design new teaching curricula that integrated ocean sciences. The current 2004-04 Fellow and teachers are implementing the new curriculum, assessing feasibility and impact on students' learning. One characteristic of the new curriculum includes several field trips to local natural settings during which students have the opportunity to collect data the way scientists do, and use real scientific instruments and approaches. The information collected is then used in different activities within the classroom. These activities encourage the students to use inquiry as the basis of their learning experience, in which the application of scientific thinking and methods are keys. This process also requires the students to apply skills from other disciplines such as writing, reading, and math. Towards the end of the school year the students have the opportunity to highlight their accomplishments through two projects, 1) a hall display of different ocean zones, which includes habitat characteristics and species adaptations, and 2) a marine science experiment presented at the school science fair. The results and accomplishments from the implementation of these new curricula will be presented at the conference.

Code to Learn: Where Does It Belong in the K-12 Curriculum?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moreno-León, Jesús; Robles, Gregorio; Román-González, Marcos

2016-01-01

The introduction of computer programming in K-12 has become mainstream in the last years, as countries around the world are making coding part of their curriculum. Nevertheless, there is a lack of empirical studies that investigate how learning to program at an early age affects other school subjects. In this regard, this paper compares three…

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Scope, 2002

2002-01-01

Presents a list of outstanding science trade books published in 2001 for use in the K-12 grade levels. Includes the areas of archaeology, anthropology, and paleontology; biography; life sciences; integrated science; physical sciences; science related careers; and technology and engineering. Provides information on the books and the selection…

A Nonverbal Language for Imagining and Learning: Dance Education in K-12 Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanna, Judith Lynne

2008-01-01

Curriculum theorists have provided a knowledge base concerning aesthetics, agency, creativity, lived experience, transcendence, learning through the body, and the power of the arts to engender visions of alternative possibilities in culture, politics, and the environment. However, these theoretical threads do not reveal the potential of K-12 dance…

Mi-STAR: Designing Integrated Science Curriculum to Address the Next Generation Science Standards and Their Foundations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gochis, E. E.; Huntoon, J. E.

2015-12-01

Mi-STAR (Michigan Science Teaching and Assessment Reform, http://mi-star.mtu.edu/) was funded by the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation to reform K-12 science education to present science as an integrated body of knowledge that is applied to address societal issues. To achieve this goal, Mi-STAR is developing an integrated science curriculum for the middle grades that will be aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Similar to the geosciences, the curriculum requires the integration of science, engineering and math content to explore 21st-century issues and demonstrates how these concepts can be used in service of society. The curriculum is based on the Mi-STAR Unit Specification Chart which pairs interdisciplinary themes with bundled NGSS Performance Expectations. Each unit is developed by a collaborative team of K-12 teachers, university STEM content experts and science education experts. Prior to developing a unit, each member on the team attends the on-line Mi-STAR Academy, completing 18+ hours of professional development (PD). This on-line PD program familiarizes teachers and experts with necessary pedagogical and content background knowledge, including NGSS and three-dimensional learning. With this background, teams use a staged, backwards design process to craft a multi-week unit based on a series of performance based tasks, or 'challenges' that engage students in actively doing science and engineering. Each unit includes Disciplinary Core Ideas from multiple disciplines, which focus on local and familiar examples that demonstrate the relevance of science in student's lives. Performance-based assessments are interwoven throughout the unit. Mi-STAR units will go through extensive pilot testing in several school districts across the state of Michigan. Additionally, the Mi-STAR program will develop teacher professional development programs to support implementation of the curriculum and design a pre-service teacher program in integrated

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Teacher, 2016

2016-01-01

Science teachers and mentors continue to be challenged to meet the high expectations of "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" and the "Next Generation Science Standards." Indeed the Framework urges teachers to help learners "[build] progressively more sophisticated explanations of natural phenomena..." while the…

Curriculum Implementation and Reform: Teachers' Views about Kuwait's New Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alshammari, Ahmad

2013-01-01

The MoE (Ministry of Education) in the state of Kuwait is starting to reform the science curriculum in all school academic stages: primary (1-5) grades, intermediate (6-9) grades, and secondary (10-12) grades. The purpose of this study was to explore the opinions of science teachers about Kuwait's new sixth and seventh grade science curriculum,…

(Re)Defining the Filipino: Notions of Citizenship in the New K+12 Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de los Reyes, Elizer Jay

2013-01-01

In June 2012, the Philippine government implemented what it called the K+12 Curriculum which reformed its basic education system by adding two more years of schooling to the then existing 10-year structure. Complicated by the long experience and participation of the Filipinos in the diaspora, the constantly lingering thought of leaving for greener…

Problem-Based Learning in the Life Science Classroom, K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConnell, Tom; Parker, Joyce; Eberhardt, Janet

2016-01-01

"Problem-Based Learning in the Life Science Classroom, K-12" offers a great new way to ignite your creativity. Authors Tom McConnell, Joyce Parker, and Janet Eberhardt show you how to engage students with scenarios that represent real-world science in all its messy, thought-provoking glory. The scenarios prompt K-12 learners to immerse…

Scientific and Engineering Practices in K-12 Classrooms: Understanding "A Framework for K-12 Science Education"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bybee, Rodger W.

2011-01-01

In this article, the author presents the science and engineering practices from the recently released "A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas" (NRC 2011). The author recognizes the changes implied by the new framework, and eventually a new generation of science education standards will present new…

Enriching K-12 Science and Mathematics Education Using LEGOs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Keeshan; Igel, Irina; Poveda, Ronald; Kapila, Vikram; Iskander, Magued

2012-01-01

This paper presents a series of illustrative LEGO Mindstorms-based science and math activities, developed under an NSF GK-12 Fellows project, for elementary, middle, and high school grades. The activities, developed by engineering and science graduate Fellows in partnership with K-12 teachers, are grade appropriate, address pertinent learning…

Small Schools Science Curriculum, K-3: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies. Scope, Objectives, Activities, Resources, Monitoring Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Learning objectives and suggested activities, monitoring procedures and resources for the Washington K-3 Small Schools Science Curriculum are based on the rationale that "young children need the opportunity to observe, classify, predict, test ideas again and again in a variety of contexts, ask questions, explain, discuss ideas, fail, and succeed.…

Life Science Standards and Curriculum Development for 9-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Speece, Susan P.; Andersen, Hans O.

1996-01-01

Proposes a design for a life science curriculum following the National Research Council National Science Education Standards. The overarching theme is that science as inquiry should be recognized as a basic and controlling principle in the ultimate organization and experiences in students' science education. Six-week units include Matter, Energy,…

A review of Computer Science resources for learning and teaching with K-12 computing curricula: an Australian case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falkner, Katrina; Vivian, Rebecca

2015-10-01

To support teachers to implement Computer Science curricula into classrooms from the very first year of school, teachers, schools and organisations seek quality curriculum resources to support implementation and teacher professional development. Until now, many Computer Science resources and outreach initiatives have targeted K-12 school-age children, with the intention to engage children and increase interest, rather than to formally teach concepts and skills. What is the educational quality of existing Computer Science resources and to what extent are they suitable for classroom learning and teaching? In this paper, an assessment framework is presented to evaluate the quality of online Computer Science resources. Further, a semi-systematic review of available online Computer Science resources was conducted to evaluate resources available for classroom learning and teaching and to identify gaps in resource availability, using the Australian curriculum as a case study analysis. The findings reveal a predominance of quality resources, however, a number of critical gaps were identified. This paper provides recommendations and guidance for the development of new and supplementary resources and future research.

Development and Evaluation of Food Safety Modules for K-12 Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapin, Travis K.; Pfuntner, Rachel C.; Stasiewicz, Matthew J.; Wiedmann, Martin; Orta-Ramirez, Alicia

2015-01-01

Career and educational opportunities in food science and food safety are underrecognized by K-12 students and educators. Additionally, misperceptions regarding nature of science understanding persist in K-12 students despite being emphasized as an important component of science education for over 100 y. In an effort to increase awareness…

Engaging Scientists in NASA Education and Public Outreach: K - 12 Formal Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartolone, Lindsay; Smith, D. A.; Eisenhamer, B.; Lawton, B. L.; Universe Professional Development Collaborative, Multiwavelength; NASA Data Collaborative, Use of; SEPOF K-12 Formal Education Working Group; E/PO Community, SMD

2014-01-01

The NASA Science Education and Public Outreach Forums support the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and its education and public outreach (E/PO) community through a coordinated effort to enhance the coherence and efficiency of SMD-funded E/PO programs. The Forums foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. We present opportunities for the astronomy community to participate in collaborations supporting the NASA SMD efforts in the K - 12 Formal Education community. Members of the K - 12 Formal Education community include classroom educators, homeschool educators, students, and curriculum developers. The Forums’ efforts for the K - 12 Formal Education community include a literature review, appraisal of educators’ needs, coordination of audience-based NASA resources and opportunities, professional development, and support with the Next Generation Science Standards. Learn how to join in our collaborative efforts to support the K - 12 Formal Education community based upon mutual needs and interests.

Massachusetts Science and Technology Engineering Curriculum Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massachusetts Department of Education, 2006

2006-01-01

This 2006 "Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework" provides a guide for teachers and curriculum coordinators regarding specific content to be taught from PreK through high school. Following this "Organization" chapter, the "Framework" contains the following sections: (1) Philosophy and…

Framework for the Social Studies in Wyoming, Grades K-12. A Guide for Curriculum Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyoming State Dept. of Education, Cheyenne.

GRADES OR AGES: K-12. SUBJECT MATTER: Social studies. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The introductory material includes sections on curriculum improvement, new social studies, and scope and sequence. A suggested conceptual framework for the program is presented in the form of a chart, with columns for history, anthropology-sociology,…

A Study of the Barriers K-12 Teachers Encounter when Integrating Technology into the Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown-Joseph, Theresa Denise

2010-01-01

This study utilized an outlined plan for a qualitative case study to explore the perceived barriers that teachers in K-12 grades encounter when integrating technology into the curriculum. A purposive sample of 20 teachers from both elementary and high schools provided information during structured interviews about their experiences with…

AIAA Educator Academy: Enriching STEM Education for K-12 Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slagle, E.; Bering, E. A.; Longmier, B. W.; Henriquez, E.; Milnes, T.; Wiedorn, P.; Bacon, L.

2012-12-01

Educator Academy is a K-12 STEM curriculum developed by the STEM K-12 Outreach Committee of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Consisting of three independent curriculum modules, K-12 students participate in inquiry-based engineering challenges to improve critical thinking skills and enhance problem solving skills. The Mars Rover Celebration Curriculum Module is designed for students in grades 3-8. Throughout this module, students learn about Mars and the solar system. Working with given design criteria, students work in teams to do basic research about Mars that will determine the operational objectives and structural features of their rover. Then, students participate in the design and construction of a model of a mock-up Mars Rover to carry out a specific science mission on the surface of Mars. At the end of this project, students have the opportunity to participate in a regional capstone event where students share their rover designs and what they have learned. The Electric Cargo Plan Curriculum Module is designed for students in grades 6-12. Throughout this module, students learn about aerodynamics and the four forces of flight. Working individually or in teams, students design and construct an electrically-powered model aircraft to fly a tethered flight of at least one lap without cargo, followed by a second tethered flight of one lap carrying as much cargo as possible. At the end of this project, students have the opportunity to participate in a regional capstone event where students share what they have learned and compete with their different cargo plane designs. The Space Weather Balloon Curriculum Module is designed for students in grades 9-12. Throughout this module, students learn and refine physics concepts as well as experimental research skills. Students participate in project-based learning that is experimental in nature. Students are engaged with the world around them as they collaborate to launch a high altitude

Art Education Curriculum Guide, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naperville Public Schools, IL.

GRADES OR AGES: K-12. SUBJECT MATTER: Art. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The guide is divided into numerous sections, one each for grades K-8, and one section for grades 9-12. Each section is in list form. The guide is mimeographed and spiral-bound with a paper cover. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES: Each section contains four sample lessons…

Industrial Enterprise Handbook. The Wisconsin Guide to Local Curriculum Improvement in Industrial Education, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison. Div. of Instructional Services.

This handbook is designed to aid industrial educators in developing a private enterprise component in their programs in order to help students learn how business and industry work. It is a guide to implementing The Wisconsin Guide to Local Curriculum Improvement in Industrial Education, K-12. The book contains the following three sections: (1)…

Integration of Geospatial Technologies into K-12 Curriculum: An Investigation of Teacher and Student Perceptions and Student Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldstein, Donna L.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore outcomes of a GIS/GPS integration process: to (a) examine student responses to GIS and GPS inclusion in their curriculum, (b) determine whether a relationship exists between inclusion of GIS into existing K-12 curriculum and student achievement, (c) examine the effectiveness of GIS professional development…

Review of the National Research Council's Framework for K-12 Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gross, Paul R.

2011-01-01

The new "Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas" is a big, comprehensive volume, carefully organized and heavily documented. It is the long-awaited product of the Committee on a Conceptual Framework for New K-12 Science Education Standards. As noted, it is a weighty document (more than 300…

Unified Science Approach K-12, Proficiency Levels 1-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oickle, Eileen M., Ed.

Presented are first-revision materials of the K-12 unified science program implemented in the public schools of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Detailed descriptions are given of the roles of students and teachers, purposes of bibliography, major concepts in unified science, processes of inquiry, scheme and model for scientific literacy, and…

The Engaged Microbiologist: Bringing the Microbiological Sciences to the K-12 Community.

PubMed

Westenberg, David J

2016-03-01

Exposing K-12 students to cutting edge science that impacts their daily lives can bring classroom lessons to life. Citizen-science projects are an excellent way to bring high-level science to the classroom and help satisfy one of the cornerstone concepts of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), "engaging in practices that scientists and engineers actually use." This can be a daunting task for teachers who may lack the background or resources to integrate these projects into the classroom. This is where scientific societies such as the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) can play a critical role. ASM encourages its members to engage with the K-12 community by providing networking opportunities and resources for ASM members and K-12 teachers to work together to bring microbiology into the classroom. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.

A K-6 Computational Thinking Curriculum Framework: Implications for Teacher Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angeli, Charoula; Voogt, Joke; Fluck, Andrew; Webb, Mary; Cox, Margaret; Malyn-Smith, Joyce; Zagami, Jason

2016-01-01

Adding computer science as a separate school subject to the core K-6 curriculum is a complex issue with educational challenges. The authors herein address two of these challenges: (1) the design of the curriculum based on a generic computational thinking framework, and (2) the knowledge teachers need to teach the curriculum. The first issue is…

Interactive Teaching as a Recruitment and Training Tool for K-12 Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg, J. L.

2004-12-01

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teacher Preparation (STEMTP) program at the University of Colorado has been designed to recruit and train prospective K-12 science teachers while improving student learning through interactive teaching. The program has four key goals: (1) recruit undergraduate students into K-12 science education, (2) provide these prospective teachers with hands-on experience in an interactive teaching pedagogy, (3) create an intergrated program designed to support (educationally, socially, and financially) and engage these prospective science teachers up until they obtain liscensure and/or their masters degree in education, and (4) improve student learning in large introductory science classes. Currently there are 31 students involved in the program and a total of 72 students have been involved in the year and a half it has been in existence. I will discuss the design of the STEMTP program, the success in recruiting K-12 science teachers, and the affect on student learning in a large lecture class of implementing interactive learning pedagogies by involving these prospective K-12 science teachers. J. L. Rosenberg would like to acknowledge the NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Fellowship for support for this work. The course transformation project is also supported by grants from the National Science Foundation.

Engineering Design Skills Coverage in K-12 Engineering Program Curriculum Materials in the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chabalengula, Vivien M.; Mumba, Frackson

2017-01-01

The current "K-12 Science Education framework" and "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) in the United States emphasise the integration of engineering design in science instruction to promote scientific literacy and engineering design skills among students. As such, many engineering education programmes have developed…

NSF GK-12 Fellows as Mentors for K-12 Teachers Participating in Field Research Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellins, K.; Perry, E.

2005-12-01

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) recognizes the value of providing educational opportunities to K-12 teachers who play a critical role in shaping the minds of young people who are the future of our science. To that end, UTIG established the "Texas Teachers in the Field" program in 2000 to formalize the participation of K-12 teachers in field programs that included UTIG scientists. In 2002, "Texas Teachers in the Field" evolved through UTIG's involvement in a University of Texas at Austin GK-12 project led by the Environmental Sciences Institute, which enabled UTIG to partner a subset of GK-12 Fellows with teachers participating in geophysical field programs. During the three years of the GK-12 project, UTIG successfully partnered four GK-12 Fellows with five K-12 teachers. The Fellows served as mentors to the teachers, as liaisons between UTIG scientists leading field programs and teachers and their students, and as resources in science, mathematics, and technology instruction. Specifically, Fellows prepared teachers and their students for the field investigations, supervised the design of individual Teacher Research Experience (TRE) projects, and helped teachers to develop standards-aligned curriculum resources related to the field program for use in their own classrooms, as well as broader distribution. Although all but one TRE occurred during the school year, Texas school districts and principals were willing to release teachers to participate because the experience and destinations were so extraordinary (i.e., a land-based program in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina; and research cruises to the Southeast Caribbean Sea and Hess Deep in the Pacific Ocean) and carried opportunities to work with scientists from around the world. This exceptional collaboration of GK-12 Fellows, K-12 teachers and research scientists enriches K-12 student learning and promotes greater enthusiasm for science. The level of mentoring, preparation and follow-up provided

Evaluation of the National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Julia; Levine, Roger; Gonzalez, Raquel; Bitter, Catherine; Webb, Norman; White, Paul

The GK-12 program of the National Science Foundation is an innovative program for enriching the value of graduate and advanced undergraduate students' education while simultaneously enriching science and mathematics teaching at the K-12 level. GK-12 is a fellowship program that offers graduate students and advanced undergraduates the opportunity…

A FIRST STEP TOWARDS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CAMBRIDGE MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM IN A K-12 UNGRADED SCHOOL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

FOSTER, GARRETT R.

A SERIES OF THREE CONFERENCES WAS HELD TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING A LONG-RANGE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROJECT FOR AN UNGRADED, K-12 SCHOOL, BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CAMBRIDGE CONFERENCE ON SCHOOL MATHEMATICS. OVER 50 MATHEMATICIANS, MATHEMATICS EDUCATORS, AND PERSONS INVOLVED IN THEORETICAL AND APPLIED PSYCHOLOGICAL…

Outreach and education in urban Los Angeles Schools: integration of research into middle and high school science curriculum through the NSF GK-12 SEE-LA program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniel, J. C.; Hogue, T. S.; Moldwin, M. B.; Nonacs, P.

2012-12-01

A National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K- 12 Education program at UCLA (SEE-LA; http://measure.igpp.ucla.edu/GK12-SEE-LA/ ) partners UCLA faculty and graduate students (fellows) with urban middle and high school science teachers and their students to foster programs of science and engineering exploration that bring the environment of Los Angeles into the classroom. UCLA science and engineering graduate fellows serve as scientists-in-residence at four partner schools to integrate inquiry-based science lessons, facilitate advancements in science content teaching, and ultimately, to improve their own science communication skills. As part of their fellowship, graduate students are required to develop three "major" lessons, including one based on their PhD research at UCLA. During the first four years of the project, the SEE-LA fellows have developed a range of research-based activities, including lessons on sustainable fisheries, ecosystems and remote sensing, earthquakes, urban water quality including invertebrate observations, and post-fire soil chemistry, among others. This presentation will provide an overview of the SEE-LA GK-12 program and development of research lessons that also address California State Science Standards. We also discuss potential sustainability of GK-12 type outreach and education programs. The SEE-LA program has provided development of graduate student communication and teaching skills while also contributing significantly to the integration of science education into K-12 curriculum in Los Angeles schools.

Research-infused K-12 Science at the "Uttermost Part of the Earth:" An NSF GK-12 Fellow's Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perry, E.; Ellins, K.; Ormiston, C.; Dovzak, N.; Anderson, S.; Tingle, D.; Knettel, P.; Redding, S.; Odle, K.; Dalziel, I.

2005-12-01

In March 2005, four students and three teachers from Boerne High School in Texas accompanied UTIG GK-12 Co-PIs Katherine Ellins and Ian Dalziel, and NSF GK-12 Fellow Ethan Perry to Tierra del Fuego to join an international team of scientists studying the climate-tectonic history recorded in Lago Fagnano, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. For two weeks, students and teachers engaged in authentic scientific research that included geologic field mapping and reconnaissance, and student/teacher developed water and soils sampling routines. The Lago Fagnano experience enabled: (1) the Boerne High School group to be integrated into an active field research program and to bring tangible experiences, knowledge and high-quality data back to the classroom; (2) participating research scientists to convey the importance of their science to a wider audience; and (3) the NSF GK-12 Fellow to gain valuable experience in communicating the essential scientific knowledge and field skills to high school participants before field deployment. The GK-12 Fellow's bridging role through the course of the project enhanced his scientific understanding of the climate-tectonic setting of Tierra del Fuego, fostered the development of new professional contacts with research scientists and led to a fresh perspective on how research science can be integrated in high school science curriculum. The GK-12 Fellow served as the primary mentor to the K-12 participants and the liaison between UTIG research scientists and the Boerne High School group. The Fellow helped prepare the Boerne group for the field research experience and to design a research project using water and soil analyses to assess chemical and isotopic trends within the lake's watershed. Preparatory activities began three months prior to field deployment and included workshops, classroom visits and teleconferences aimed at teaching field skills (reading and creating geologic maps, compass measurements, GPS, field notebooks) and increasing

Maryland State Department of Education: Analysis of the Voluntary State Curriculum (VSC) in Science Grades Pre-K-8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Achieve, Inc., 2005

2005-01-01

In response to a proposal request from the state, Achieve reviewed the draft of Maryland's Pre-K-8 Voluntary State Curriculum (VSC) in Science (dated May 2004). This preliminary report summarizes their findings and also reflects the discussion that followed their presentation to representatives of the Maryland State Department of Education on…

An Analysis of the Alignment of the Grade 12 Physical Sciences Examination and the Core Curriculum in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Nazeem

2010-01-01

I report on an analysis of the alignment between the South African Grade 12 Physical Sciences core curriculum content and the exemplar papers of 2008, and the final examination papers of 2008 and 2009. A two-dimensional table was used for both the curriculum and the examination in order to calculate the Porter alignment index, which indicates the…

New K-12 Science Education Standards May Face Implementation Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Mohi

2013-04-01

Kindergarten is not just a place to learn letters and numbers, practice finger painting, and listen to story time. If a new set of national science standards is adopted, it will also be the start of a carefully planned effort to engage students in science-based activities throughout their K-12 academic careers.

Development and Evaluation of an Experimental Curriculum for the New Quincy (Mass.) Vocational-Technical School. The Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Champagne, Audrey; Albert, Anne

Activities concerning the development of the science curriculum of Project ABLE are summarized. The science curriculum attempts to relate science content to vocational areas where applicable, but emphasizes generalizations which the student will apply in his specific vocational field. Intended for 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students, the…

Scientists Involved in K-12 Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robigou, V.

2004-12-01

The publication of countless reports documenting the dismal state of science education in the 1980s, and the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) report (1996) called for a wider involvement of the scientific community in K-12 education and outreach. Improving science education will not happen without the collaboration of educators and scientists working in a coordinated manner and it requires a long-term, continuous effort. To contribute effectively to K-12 education all scientists should refer to the National Science Education Standards, a set of policies that guide the development of curriculum and assessment. Ocean scientists can also specifically refer to the COSEE recommendations (www.cosee.org) that led to the creation of seven regional Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence. Scientists can get involved in K-12 education in a multitude of ways. They should select projects that will accommodate time away from their research and teaching obligations, their talent, and their interest but also contribute to the education reform. A few examples of effective involvement are: 1) collaborating with colleagues in a school of education that can lead to better education of all students and future teachers, 2) acting as a resource for a national program or a local science fair, 3) serving on the advisory board of a program that develops educational material, 4) speaking out at professional meetings about the value of scientists' involvement in education, 5) speaking enthusiastically about the teaching profession. Improving science education in addition to research can seem a large, overwhelming task for scientists. As a result, focusing on projects that will fit the scientist's needs as well as benefit the science reform is of prime importance. It takes an enormous amount of work and financial and personnel resources to start a new program with measurable impact on students. So, finding the right opportunity is a priority, and stepping

Health Curriculum Guide. Grade K. Bulletin 1988, No. 48.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Dept. of Education, Montgomery.

This curriculum guide supplements the Alabama "Health Education Course of Study," which offers a comprehensive planned sequential curriculum for grades K-12. The largest section of the guide consists of classroom activities which are tied to specific student outcomes. A list of materials needed to carry out the activities is provided.…

Some Trends in the Evolution of Science Curriculum Centres in Asia. Occasional Papers No. 12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maddock, M. N.

Recent trends in science education associated with the evolution of science curriculum development centers in the Asian region are reviewed. These trends, and factors influencing them, are discussed under the following headings: science education and curriculum development centers; adaptation phase; shifts toward indigenous programs; science…

Ready, Set, SCIENCE!: Putting Research to Work in K-8 Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michaels, Sarah; Shouse, Andrew W.; Schweingruber, Heidi A.

2007-01-01

What types of instructional experiences help K-8 students learn science with understanding? What do science educators, teachers, teacher leaders, science specialists, professional development staff, curriculum designers, and school administrators need to know to create and support such experiences? "Ready, Set, Science!" guides the way with an…

Changes in K-12 Education: Implications for the BC Post-Secondary System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McQuarrie, Fiona A. E.

2016-01-01

It is generally assumed by educators that the K-12 curriculum--the curriculum used in primary, elementary, and secondary education--will affect students' post-secondary educational experiences and their ability to enter the workforce. This report takes a multi-faceted approach to addressing the impact of changes in the K-12 curriculum on students'…

Basic Curriculum Guide--Science. Grades K-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starr, John W., 3rd., Ed.

GRADES OR AGES: K-6. SUBJECT MATTER: Science. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The guide is in two parts--the background, philosophy, and instructional principles of science teaching, including a resource unit model, and the development by grade level of the various basic scientific concepts. The guide also includes information of…

Building Our Children's Future: An Interdisciplinary Curriculum for Grades K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mumma, Tracy; Gant, Shaun; Stone, Laura Armstrong; Harnish, Chris; Fowle, Abigail

This interdisciplinary curriculum provides students with the opportunity to learn about the connection between natural resources and buildings while practicing skills in language arts, math, science, social studies, and visual arts. The learning activities are divided by topic into 15 Building Blocks (units). These units cover such topics as…

The Windows to the Universe Project: Using the Internet to Support K-12 Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardiner, L.; Johnson, R.; Bergman, J.; Russell, R.; Genyuk, J.; La Grave, M.

2003-12-01

The World Wide Web can be a powerful tool for reaching the public as well as students and teachers around the world, supporting both formal and informal science education. The Windows to the Universe Project, initiated in 1995, provides a case study of approaches for the use of the web to support earth and space science education and literacy efforts. Through the use of innovative approaches such as easy to use design, multi-level content, and science concepts presented in a broader background context that includes connections to culture and the humanities, Windows to the Universe is an accessible format for individuals of various ages and learning styles. A large global audience regularly uses the web site to learn about earth and space science as well as related humanities content such as myths from around the world. User surveys show that the site has over 4 millions users per year, 65 percent of which are K-12 teachers and students. Approximately 46 percent of users access the site once per week or more. Recently, we have had the opportunity to expand our efforts while we continue to update existing content based on new scientific findings and events. Earth science content on Windows to the Universe is currently growing with a new geology section and development efforts are underway to expand our space weather content with a new curriculum. Educational games allow users to learn about space in a playful context, and an online journaling tool further integrates literacy into the learning experience. In addition, we are currently translating the entire Windows to the Universe web site into Spanish. We have included educators in the project as co-designers from its inception, and by aggressively utilizing and providing professional development opportunities for teachers, the web site is now used in thousands of classrooms around the world. In the past year we have continued to support K-12 educators by adding to our suite of classroom activities and leading

Toward a Unified Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Showalter, Victor M.

The two major models of science curriculum change, textbook revision and national curriculum projects, are derived from, and reinforce, the present curriculum structure. This is undesirable in a time of increasing fluidity and change, because adaptation to new situations is difficult. Unified science, based on the premise that science is a unity,…

Curriculum Process in Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamčíková, Veronika; Tarábek, Paul

2010-07-01

Physics/science education in the communicative conception is defined as the continuous transfer of the knowledge and methods of physics into the minds of individuals who have not participated in creating them. This process, called the educational communication of physics/science, is performed by various educational agents—teachers, curriculum makers, textbook designers, university teachers and does not mean only a simple transfer of information, but it also involves teaching and instruction at all levels of the school system, the study, learning, and cognition of pupils, students and all other learners, the assessment and evaluation of learning outcomes, curriculum composition and design, the production of textbooks and other means of educational communication and, in addition, university education and the further training of teachers. The educational communication is carried out by the curriculum process of physics/science, which is a sequence of variant forms of curriculum mutually interconnected by curriculum transformations. The variant forms of curriculum are as follows: conceptual curriculum, intended curriculum, project (written) curriculum, operational curriculum, implemented curriculum, and attained curriculum.

Data Analysis and Statistics across the Curriculum. Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics Addenda Series. Grades 9-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burrill, Gail; And Others

The 1989 document, "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics" (the "Standards"), provides a vision and a framework for revising and strengthening the K-12 mathematics curriculum in North American schools and for evaluating both the mathematics curriculum and students' progress. When completed, it is expected…

K-12 Art Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furney, Trudy; And Others

The development of students in various art fields is the focus of this K-12 art curriculum guide. The philosophy of the art program and the roles of administrator, teacher, and parent are outlined. The underlying school community relationships, and the objective, goals, and purposes of art education are described. Phases of child development in…

A Mixed Methods Study on Teachers' Perceptions of Readiness of Higher Education Institutions to the Implementation of the K-12 Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acosta, Imee C.; Acosta, Alexander S.

2017-01-01

The Philippine Educational System is undergoing a major overhaul that shifts from a 10-year education to 12 years known as Enhanced Basic Education Curriculum or K-12. The purpose of this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study was to identify factors that determine readiness of select higher education institutions to the full implementation of…

Teaching Chemistry in a Spiral Progression Approach: Lessons from Science Teachers in the Philippines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orbe, Joymie R.; Espinosa, Allen A.; Datukan, Janir T.

2018-01-01

As the Philippines moves towards implementing the K-12 curriculum, there has been a mismatch in teacher preparation in science. The present teacher education curriculum prepares science teachers to specialise in a specific field (e.g. integrated science, biology, chemistry, and physics). However, in the K-12 curriculum, they are required to teach…

Involving Practicing Scientists in K-12 Science Teacher Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertram, K. B.

2011-12-01

The Science Teacher Education Program (STEP) offered a unique framework for creating professional development courses focused on Arctic research from 2006-2009. Under the STEP framework, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) training was delivered by teams of practicing Arctic researchers in partnership with master teachers with 20+ years experience teaching STEM content in K-12 classrooms. Courses based on the framework were offered to educators across Alaska. STEP offered in-person summer-intensive institutes and follow-on audio-conferenced field-test courses during the academic year, supplemented by online scientist mentorship for teachers. During STEP courses, teams of scientists offered in-depth STEM content instruction at the graduate level for teachers of all grade levels. STEP graduate-level training culminated in the translation of information and data learned from Arctic scientists into standard-aligned lessons designed for immediate use in K-12 classrooms. This presentation will focus on research that explored the question: To what degree was scientist involvement beneficial to teacher training and to what degree was STEP scientist involvement beneficial to scientist instructors? Data sources reveal consistently high levels of ongoing (4 year) scientist and teacher participation; high STEM content learning outcomes for teachers; high STEM content learning outcomes for students; high ratings of STEP courses by scientists and teachers; and a discussion of the reasons scientists indicate they benefited from STEP involvement. Analyses of open-ended comments by teachers and scientists support and clarify these findings. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze teacher and scientist qualitative feedback. Comments were coded and patterns analyzed in three databases. The vast majority of teacher open-ended comments indicate that STEP involvement improved K-12 STEM classroom instruction, and the vast majority of scientist open-ended comments

Food Science 7075. Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh. Div. of Vocational and Technical Education Services.

This curriculum guide was developed as a resource for teachers to use in planning and implementing a competency-based instructional program on food science in the 11th and 12th grades. It contains materials for a 2-semester course, based on the North Carolina Program of Studies (revised 1992); it is designed to help students learn about the…

K-12 Neuroscience Education Outreach Program: Interactive Activities for Educating Students about Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Deal, Alex L.; Erickson, Kristen J.; Bilsky, Edward J.; Hillman, Susan J.; Burman, Michael A.

2014-01-01

The University of New England’s Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences has developed a successful and growing K-12 outreach program that incorporates undergraduate and graduate/professional students. The program has several goals, including raising awareness about fundamental issues in neuroscience, supplementing science education in area schools and enhancing undergraduate and graduate/professional students’ academic knowledge and skill set. The outreach curriculum is centered on core neuroscience themes including: Brain Safety, Neuroanatomy, Drugs of Abuse and Addiction, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, and Cognition and Brain Function. For each theme, lesson plans were developed based upon interactive, small-group activities. Additionally, we’ve organized our themes in a “Grow-up, Grow-out” approach. Grow-up refers to returning to a common theme, increasing in complexity as we revisit students from early elementary through high school. Grow-out refers to integrating other scientific fields into our lessons, such as the chemistry of addiction, the physics of brain injury and neuronal imaging. One of the more successful components of our program is our innovative team-based model of curriculum design. By creating a team of undergraduate, graduate/professional students and faculty, we create a unique multi-level mentoring opportunity that appears to be successful in enhancing undergraduate students’ skills and knowledge. Preliminary assessments suggest that undergraduates believe they are enhancing their content knowledge and professional skills through our program. Additionally, we’re having a significant, short-term impact on K-12 interest in science. Overall, our program appears to be enhancing the academic experience of our undergraduates and exciting K-12 students about the brain and science in general. PMID:25565921

K-12 Neuroscience Education Outreach Program: Interactive Activities for Educating Students about Neuroscience.

PubMed

Deal, Alex L; Erickson, Kristen J; Bilsky, Edward J; Hillman, Susan J; Burman, Michael A

2014-01-01

The University of New England's Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences has developed a successful and growing K-12 outreach program that incorporates undergraduate and graduate/professional students. The program has several goals, including raising awareness about fundamental issues in neuroscience, supplementing science education in area schools and enhancing undergraduate and graduate/professional students' academic knowledge and skill set. The outreach curriculum is centered on core neuroscience themes including: Brain Safety, Neuroanatomy, Drugs of Abuse and Addiction, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, and Cognition and Brain Function. For each theme, lesson plans were developed based upon interactive, small-group activities. Additionally, we've organized our themes in a "Grow-up, Grow-out" approach. Grow-up refers to returning to a common theme, increasing in complexity as we revisit students from early elementary through high school. Grow-out refers to integrating other scientific fields into our lessons, such as the chemistry of addiction, the physics of brain injury and neuronal imaging. One of the more successful components of our program is our innovative team-based model of curriculum design. By creating a team of undergraduate, graduate/professional students and faculty, we create a unique multi-level mentoring opportunity that appears to be successful in enhancing undergraduate students' skills and knowledge. Preliminary assessments suggest that undergraduates believe they are enhancing their content knowledge and professional skills through our program. Additionally, we're having a significant, short-term impact on K-12 interest in science. Overall, our program appears to be enhancing the academic experience of our undergraduates and exciting K-12 students about the brain and science in general.

NGSS-Aligned, K-12 Climate Science Curricula, taught with citizen science and teacher-led inquiry methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zainfeld, S.

2017-12-01

Teacher-led inquiry into student learning is a promising method of formative assessment to gain insight into student achievement. NGSS-aligned K-12 Climate Science curricula taught with citizen science and teacher-led inquiry methods are described, along with results from a scientist-teacher collaboration survey.

Ocean Science in a K-12 setting: Promoting Inquiry Based Science though Graduate Student and Teacher Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lodico, J. M.; Greely, T.; Lodge, A.; Pyrtle, A.; Ivey, S.; Madeiros, A.; Saleem, S.

2005-12-01

The University of South Florida, College of Marine Science Oceans: GK-12 Teaching Fellowship Program is successfully enriching science learning via the oceans. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the program provides a unique opportunity among scientists and K-12 teachers to interact with the intention of bringing ocean science concepts and research to the classroom environment enhance the experience of learning and doing science, and to promote `citizen scientists' for the 21st century. The success of the program relies heavily on the extensive summer training program where graduate students develop teaching skills, create inquiry based science activities for a summer Oceanography Camp for Girls program and build a relationship with their mentor teacher. For the last year and a half, two graduate students from the College of Marine Science have worked in cooperation with teachers from the Pinellas county School District, Southside Fundamental Middle School. Successful lesson plans brought into a 6th grade Earth Science classroom include Weather and climate: Global warming, The Geologic timescale: It's all about time, Density: Layering liquids, and Erosion processes: What moves water and sediment. The school and students have benefited greatly from the program experiencing hands-on inquiry based science and the establishment of an after school science club providing opportunities for students to work on their science fair projects and pursuit other science interests. Students are provided scoring rubrics and their progress is creatively assessed through KWL worksheets, concept maps, surveys, oral one on one and classroom discussions and writing samples. The year culminated with a series of hands on lessons at the nearby beach, where students demonstrated their mastery of skills through practical application. Benefits to the graduate student include improved communication of current science research to a diverse audience, a better understanding of the

A Core Curriculum: Making Mathematics Count for Everyone. Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics Addenda Series, Grades 9-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meiring, Steven P.; And Others

The 1989 document, "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics," provides a vision and a framework for revising and strengthening the K-12 mathematics curriculum in North American schools and for evaluating both the mathematics curriculum and students' progress. When completed, it is expected that the Addenda Series will…

A phenomenological case study concerning science teacher educators' beliefs and teaching practices about culturally relevant pedagogy and preparing K-12 science teachers to engage African American students in K-12 science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Underwood, Janice Bell

Due to the rising diversity in today's schools, science teacher educators (STEs) suggest that K-12 teachers must be uniquely prepared to engage these students in science classrooms. Yet, in light of the increasing white-black science achievement gap, it is unclear how STEs prepare preservice teachers to engage diverse students, and African Americans in particular. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to find out how STEs prepare preservice teachers to engage African American students in K-12 science. Thus, using the culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) framework, this phenomenological case study explored beliefs about culturally relevant science teaching and the influence of reported beliefs and experiences related to race on STEs' teaching practices. In the first phase, STE's in a mid-Atlantic state were invited to participate in an electronic survey. In the second phase, four participants, who were identified as exemplars, were selected from the survey to participate in three semi-structured interviews. The data revealed that STEs were more familiar with culturally responsive pedagogy (CResP) in the context of their post-secondary classrooms as opposed to CRP. Further, most of the participants in part one and two described modeling conventional ways they prepare their preservice teachers to engage K-12 students, who represent all types of diversity, without singling out any specific race. Lastly, many of the STEs' in this study reported formative experiences related to race and beliefs in various manifestations of racism have impacted their teaching beliefs and practices. The findings of this study suggest STEs do not have a genuine understanding of the differences between CRP and CResP and by in large embrace CResP principles. Secondly, in regards to preparing preservice teachers to engage African American students in science, the participants in this study seemed to articulate the need for ideological change, but were unable to demonstrate pedagogical changes

A Review of Resources for Evaluating K-12 Computer Science Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randolph, Justus J.; Hartikainen, Elina

2004-01-01

Since computer science education is a key to preparing students for a technologically-oriented future, it makes sense to have high quality resources for conducting summative and formative evaluation of those programs. This paper describes the results of a critical analysis of the resources for evaluating K-12 computer science education projects.…

Survey of K-12 Science Teachers' Educational Product Needs from Planetary Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slater, Stephanie J.; Slater, Timothy F.; Olsen, Julia K.

2009-01-01

Most education reform documents of the last two decades call for students to have authentic science inquiry experiences that mimic scientific research using real scientific data. In order for professional planetary scientists to provide the most useful data and professional development for K-12 teachers in support of science education reform, an…

Unified Science Approach K-12, Proficiency Levels 13-21 and Semester Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oickle, Eileen M., Ed.

Presented is the third part of the K-12 unified science materials used in the public schools of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Detailed descriptions are presented for the roles of students and teachers, purposes of bibliography, major concepts in unified science, processes of inquiry, scheme and model for scientific literacy, and program…

Science Communication versus Science Education: The Graduate Student Scientist as a K-12 Classroom Resource

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strauss, Jeff; Shope, Richard E., III; Terebey, Susan

2005-01-01

Science literacy is a major goal of science educational reform (NRC, 1996; AAAS, 1998; NCLB Act, 2001). Some believe that teaching science only requires pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Others believe doing science requires knowledge of the methodologies of scientific inquiry (NRC, 1996). With these two mindsets, the challenge for science educators is to create models that bring the two together. The common ground between those who teach science and those who do science is science communication, an interactive process that galvanizes dialogue among scientists, teachers, and learners in a rich ambience of mutual respect and a common, inclusive language of discourse . The dialogue between science and non-science is reflected in the polarization that separates those who do science and those who teach science, especially as it plays out everyday in the science classroom. You may be thinking, why is this important? It is vital because, although not all science learners become scientists, all K-12 students are expected to acquire science literacy, especially with the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Students are expected to acquire the ability to follow the discourse of science as well as connect the world of science to the context of their everyday life if they plan on moving to the next grade level, and in some states, to graduate from high school. This paper posits that science communication is highly effective in providing the missing link for K-12 students cognition in science and their attainment of science literacy. This paper will focus on the "Science For Our Schools" (SFOS) model implemented at California State Univetsity, Los Angeles (CSULA) as a project of the National Science Foundation s GK-12 program, (NSF 2001) which has been a huge success in bridging the gap between those who "know" science and those who "teach" science. The SFOS model makes clear the distinctions that identify science, science communication, science

Engineering a Dynamic Science Learning Environment for K-12 Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardre, Patricia L.; Nanny, Mark; Refai, Hazen; Ling, Chen; Slater, Janis

2010-01-01

The present study follows a cohort of 17 K-12 teachers through a six-week resident learning experience in science and engineering, and on into the planning and implementation of applications for their classrooms. This Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program was examined using the strategic approach of design-based research, with its fluid,…

Fostering Student Sense Making in Elementary Science Learning Environments: Elementary Teachers' Use of Science Curriculum Materials to Promote Explanation Construction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zangori, Laura; Forbes, Cory T.; Biggers, Mandy

2013-01-01

While research has shown that elementary (K-5) students are capable of engaging in the scientific practice of explanation construction, commonly-used elementary science curriculum materials may not always afford them opportunities to do so. As a result, elementary teachers must often adapt their science curriculum materials to better support…

Small Schools Mathematics Curriculum, K-3: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies. Scope, Objectives, Activities, Resources, Monitoring Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Developed during 1975-76 by 40 primary teachers and 10 elementary principals from 12 small school districts in 2 Washington counties and first used during 1976-77 in more than 20 districts, this K-3 mathematics curriculum is designed to assist district compliance with Washington's Student Learning Objectives (SLO) Law, which requires…

Career education attitudes and practices of K-12 science educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Walter S.

A random sample of 400 K-12 science educators who were members of the National Science Teachers Association were surveyed regarding their attitude toward and practice of career education in their science teaching. These science teachers rejected a narrowly vocational view, favoring instead a conception of career education which included self-perception, values analysis, and vocational skills objectives. The science educators affirmed the importance of career education for a student's education, asserted career education ought to be taught in their existing science courses, and expressed a willingness to do so. Fewer than one-third of the science teachers, however, reported incorporating career education at least on a weekly basis in their science lessons. The major impediment to including more career education in science teaching was seen to be their lack of knowledge of methods and materials relevant to science career education, rather than objections from students, parents, or administrators; their unwillingness; or their evaluation of career education as unimportant. Thus, in order to improve this aspect of science teaching, science teachers need more concrete information about science career education applications.

Fort Benton Science Curriculum Outline.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fort Benton Public Schools, MT.

The science curriculum for the Fort Benton school system was developed with funds under Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to give students the background of a modern and forward-looking program in science taught in an imaginative, investigative, and inquiry-oriented fashion. The science curriculum guide outlines a planned…

Primary Science Curriculum Guide, A. Beginning Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Victoria Education Dept. (Australia).

Suggestions for providing science experiences for children in kindergarten and grades one and two are given in this first part of the Victorian Education Department (Australia) guide to the elementary school science curriculum. (See SE 012 720 and SE 012 721 for additional guides to this curriculum.) The suggestions are illustrated by brief case…

Critters: K-6 Life Science Activities. Project AIMS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Maureen Murphy; And Others

Project AIMS (Activities to Integrate Mathematics and Science) has as its purpose the integration of subject matter in grades K-9. Field testing of the curriculum materials produced by AIMS indicates that this integration produces the following beneficial results: (1) mathematics becomes more meaningful, hence more useful; (2) science is…

The Development of a Conceptual Framework for New K-12 Science Education Standards (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, T.

2010-12-01

The National Academy of Sciences has created a committee of 18 National Academy of Science and Engineering members, academic scientists, cognitive and learning scientists, and educators, educational policymakers and researchers to develop a framework to guide new K-12 science education standards. The committee began its work in January, 2010, released a draft of the framework in July, 2010, and intends to have the final framework in the first quarter of 2011. The committee was helped in early phases of the work by consultant design teams. The framework is designed to help realize a vision for science and engineering education in which all students actively engage in science and engineering practices in order to deepen their understanding of core ideas in science over multiple years of school. These three dimensions - core disciplinary ideas, science and engineering practices, and cross-cutting elements - must blend together to build an exciting, relevant, and forward looking science education. The framework will be used as a base for development of next generation K-12 science education standards.

Course Goals in Social Science, Grades K-12. Critique Draft.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Multnomah County Intermediate Education District, Portland, OR.

This document on course goals in the social sciences is one part of a critique series dealing with the development and evaluation of course goals in six subject matter areas for grades K-12. The series provides an initial pool of course-level goals that are expected to be of considerable value in assisting educators with goal definition related to…

K-12 Aerospace Education Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

NASA, the United States Air Force Academy, the Air Force Space Command, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS), and the United States Space Foundation teamed to produce a dynamic and successful graduate course and in-service program for K-12 educators that has a positive impact on education trends across the nation. Since 1986, more than 10,000 educators from across the United States have participated in Space Discovery and Teaching with Space affecting nearly a million students in grades K-12. The programs are designed to prepare educators to use the excitement of space to motivate students in all curriculum subjects.

A Supplementary Program for Environmental Education, Science, Grades K Through 12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warpinski, Robert

Presented in these 13 teacher's guides for grades K-12 are lesson plans and ideas for integrating science and environmental education. Each lesson originates with a fundamental concept pertaining to the environment and states, in addition, its discipline area, subject area, and problem orientation. Following this, behavioral objectives and…

Revising and Updating the Animal Science Components of the Connecticut Vocational Agriculture Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mannebach, Alfred J.; And Others

This guide is intended for use in teaching Connecticut's revised animal science curriculum at regional vocational agriculture centers. Like its predecessor, this curriculum includes exploratory (intended for grades 9 and 10) and specialized (intended for grades 11 and 12) animal science units and is based on the following major areas of…

Education for a Green and Resilient Economy: An Educator Framework for Teaching Climate and Energy Literacy for K-12 Teachers Across the Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niepold, F., III; Ledley, T. S.; Lockwood, J.; Youngman, E.; Manning, C. L. B.; Sullivan, S. M.

2015-12-01

The U.S. is embarking on a major transition to a green and resilient economy, a monumental change requiring all sectors and segments of the population to pull together. Transforming our nation's economic, energy, and environmental systems to in this way will require a sustained level of expertise, innovation, and cooperative effort unseen since the 1940s to meet the challenges involved. Education can - and must - help people understand the true connections, the linkages and interdependencies, between the environment, our energy sources and the economy which underpin and form the very foundation of the concept of a green and resilient economy. To produce such a literate future workforce and citizenry, the United States will need to make major new investments in our educational systems. Teachers across the nation are helping to increase science-based understanding and awareness of current and future climate change, enhancing climate and energy literacy in K-12 classrooms, on college and university campuses. There has been tremendous progress to date, but there is still more work to be done. The new academic standards in mathematics and science (the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)) represent a sea change from the nation's previous sets of standards. Addressing these standards in the currently over 40 percent of the nation's classrooms that have adopted or adapted the NGSS will demand that we prepare new and current teachers, who can effectively address the interdisciplinary nature of climate change and societal responses. To address this opportunity and need a collaboration between NOAA, TERC and CIRES has been established to develop an Educator Framework for Teaching Climate and Energy Literacy for K-12 teachers across the curriculum based on the NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas. This collaboration is developing an effective way to frame the use of

Problems Associated with a Lack of Cohesive Policy in K-12 Pre-College Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chandler, John; Fontenot, A. Dean; Tate, Derrick

2011-01-01

This article identifies a number of issues associated with current STEM education reform efforts, especially with regard to efforts to integrate engineering education into the K-12 curriculum. Precollege engineering is especially problematic in STEM reform since there is no well-established tradition of engineering in the K-12 curriculum. This…

Revolutionizing Arts Education in K-12 Classrooms through Technological Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lemon, Narelle, Ed.

2015-01-01

Educational technologies are becoming more commonplace across the K-12 curriculum. In particular, the use of innovative digital technology is expanding the potential of arts education, presenting new opportunities--and challenges--to both curricular design and pedagogical practice. "Revolutionizing Arts Education in K-12 Classrooms through…

Computational Thinking in High School Science Classrooms: Exploring the Science "Framework" and "NGSS"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sneider, Cary; Stephenson, Chris; Schafer, Bruce; Flick, Larry

2014-01-01

A "Framework for K-12 Science Education" identified eight practices as "essential elements of the K-12 science and engineering curriculum" (NRC 2012, p. 49). Most of the practices, such as Developing and Using Models, Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, and Analyzing and Interpreting Data, are well known among science…

Bringing Inquiry Science to K-5 Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schachtel, Paula L.; Messina, D. L.; McDermott, L. C.

2006-12-01

As a science coach in the Seattle School District, I am responsible for helping other elementary teachers teach science. For several years, I have been participating in a program that consists of intensive NSF Summer Institutes and an ongoing academic-year Continuation Course. Teachers in this program work through modules in Physics by Inquiry, a research-based curriculum developed by the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington.1 I will discuss how this type of professional development has deepened my understanding of topics in physical science, helped me to teach science by inquiry to my own students, and enabled me to assist my colleagues in implementing inquiry science in their K-5 classrooms. Sponsored by Lillian C. McDermott. 1. A research-based curriculum developed by L.C. McDermott and the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington, Physics by Inquiry, New York, NY, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (1996.)

Teacher Field Research Experiences: Building and Maintaining the Passion for K-12 Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunton, K.; Schonberg, S.

2006-12-01

Academic scientists and researchers are increasingly encouraged to develop connections with K-12 educators to promote scientific literacy and bring excitement into the classroom. Such partnerships carry long-term benefits to both teachers and researchers. Teachers gain the tools, confidence, and knowledge to develop research activities with their students that promote scientific inquiry, and researchers benefit from outreach activities that improve communication skills for sharing scientific knowledge with the public. Our K-12 programs have been field based under a theme of Classrooms Without Walls, to take advantage of our local marine environment and a long-term research program on the Alaskan Arctic coast. Our professional development programs for teachers have included the creation of an annual summer graduate level course (Application of Field Research Experiences for K-12 Science and Math Educators) as an introduction to scientific methodology, observation, and inquiry based learning. We provide graduate students as resources in classrooms and for field trip experiences and provide supplies and instrumentation to teachers for K-12 field projects. Finally, teachers have an opportunity to join our researchers to remote sites under various competitive programs that receive federal support (e.g. GK-12, ARMADA). We provide examples of our activities, which are based on recent needs assessment surveys of science teachers; these included development of content knowledge and providing students with opportunities to connect concepts with experiences. Our goal is to provide field experiences to teachers and students that enable them to relate science concepts to the real world.

Supporting Science Teachers in Alignment with State Curriculum Standards through Professional Development: Teachers' Preparedness, Expectations and Their Fulfillment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paik, Sunhee; Zhang, Meilan; Lundeberg, Mary A.; Eberhardt, Jan; Shin, Tae Seob; Zhang, Tianyi

2011-08-01

Since A Nation at Risk was released in the 1980s, standards-based reform has been the most dominant trend in American educational policy, and the No Child Left Behind Act pushed the trend further by requiring states to develop rigorous curriculum standards. Though much has been said about these new standards, less has been said about whether or how well professional development helps teachers link their instruction to these standards. This study examined the impact of a professional development program for K-12 science teachers in helping teachers meet state curriculum standards. Seventy-five science teachers in Michigan participated in a 2-week summer workshop that used Problem-Based Learning for improving teachers' content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Researchers surveyed participating teachers about the change of teachers' preparedness for standards-based teaching, their expectations to meet state curriculum standards, and whether their expectations were met. In addition, the usefulness of workshop activities was examined. Data analysis showed that to align teaching with state curriculum standards, participating teachers expected to learn instructional strategies and enhance science content knowledge through professional development, and by and large their expectations were well met. Collaboration with colleagues and facilitators helped teachers achieve their goals in terms of teaching within state curriculum standards. These findings have important implications for designing professional development to help teachers align instruction with curriculum standards.

Language Arts Resource Guide K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pitman, John C.

One of a series designed to help districts refine and upgrade their current curricular offerings, this resource guide deals with the development of a unified K-12 language arts curriculum that combines the four major language arts components of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Following a brief foreword and list of acknowledgments, the…

Surviving the Implementation of a New Science Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowe, Beverly; Appleton, Ken

2015-12-01

Queensland schools are currently teaching with the first National Curriculum for Australia. This new curriculum was one of a number of political responses to address the recurring low scores in literacy, mathematics, and science that continue to hold Australia in poor international rankings. Teachers have spent 2 years getting to know the new science curriculum through meetings, training, and exploring the new Australian curriculum documents. This article examines the support and preparation for implementation provided in two regional schools, with a closer look at six specific teachers and their science teaching practices as they attempted to implement the new science curriculum. The use of a survey, field observations, and interviews revealed the schools' preparation practices and the teachers' practices, including the support provided to implement the new science curriculum. A description and analysis of school support and preparation as well as teachers' views of their experiences implementing the new science curriculum reveal both achievements and shortcomings. Problematic issues for the two schools and teachers include time to read and comprehend the curriculum documents and content expectations as well as time to train and change the current processes effectively. The case teachers' experiences reveal implications for the successful and effective implementation of new curriculum and curriculum reform.

K-12 science education reform will take a decade, and community partnerships hold best hope for success

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Keever, J.R.

1994-12-31

Fundamental change in K-12 science education in the United States, essential for full citizenship in an increasingly technological world, will take a decade or more to accomplish, and only the sustained, cooperative efforts of people in their own communities -- scientists, teachers, and concerned citizens -- will likely ensure success. These were among the themes at Sigma Xi`s national K-12 science education forum.

Georgia science curriculum alignment and accountability: A blueprint for student success

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reining-Gray, Kimberly M.

Current trends and legislation in education indicate an increased dependency on standardized test results as a measure for learner success. This study analyzed test data in an effort to assess the impact of curriculum alignment on learner success as well as teacher perceptions of the changes in classroom instruction due to curriculum alignment. Qualitative and quantitative design methods were used to determine the impact of science curriculum alignment in grades 9-12. To determine the impact of science curriculum alignment from the Quality Core Curriculum (QCC) to the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) test data and teacher opinion surveys from one Georgia School system were examined. Standardized test scores before and after curriculum alignment were analyzed as well as teacher perception survey data regarding the impact of curriculum change. A quantitative teacher perception survey was administered to science teachers in the school system to identify significant changes in teacher perceptions or teaching strategies following curriculum realignment. Responses to the survey were assigned Likert scale values for analysis purposes. Selected teachers were also interviewed using panel-approved questions to further determine teacher opinions of curriculum realignment and the impact on student success and teaching strategies. Results of this study indicate significant changes related to curriculum alignment. Teachers reported a positive change in teaching strategies and instructional delivery as a result of curriculum alignment and implementation. Student scores also showed improvement, but more research is recommended in this area.

Science 25. Curriculum Guide. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northwest Territories Dept. of Education, Yellowknife.

This science curriculum is an activity-oriented program in which an attempt has been made to provide sufficient information for non-science specialists to enable them to offer an effective course at the grades 10 and 11 levels. This curriculum offers a solution to the unique needs of life in the Canadian Northwest Territories. The role of…

Interstellar Molecules in K-12 Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuiper, T. B. H.; Hofstadter, M. D.; Levin, S. M.; MacLaren, D.

2006-12-01

The Lewis Center for Educational Research (LCER) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) collaborate in a K-12 educational project in which students conduct observations for several research programs led by radio astronomers. The Goldstone-Apple Valley Radio Telescope (GAVRT) program provides participating teachers with curriculum elements, based on the students' observing experiences, which support national and state academic standards. The current program is based on 2.2-GHz and 8.4-GHz radiometric observations of variable sources. The research programs monitor Jupiter, Uranus, and a selected set of quasars. The telescope is a decommissioned NASA Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, California. In the next three years, a second telescope will be added. This telescope will at least operate at the above frequencies as well as 6 GHz and 12 GHz. Possibly, it will operate in a continuous band from 1.2 GHz to 14 GHz. In either case, the telescope will be able to observe at least the 6.6-GHz and 12.2-GHz methanol maser lines. The success of the GAVRT program depends critically on the participation of scientists committed to the research who have the ability and enthusiasm for interacting with K-12 students, typically through teleconferences. The scientists will initially work with the LCER staff to create curriculum elements around their observing program.

Offering a Geoscience Professional Development Program to Promote Science Education and Provide Hands-on Experiences for K-12 Science Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fakayode, Sayo O.; Pollard, David A.; Snipes, Vincent T.; Atkinson, Alvin

2014-01-01

Development of an effective strategy for promoting science education and professional development of K-12 science educators is a national priority to strengthen the quality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. This article reports the outcomes of a Geoscience Professional Development Program (GPDP) workshop…

Defining the requisite knowledge for providers of in-service professional development for K--12 teachers of science: Refining the construct

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tucker, Deborah L.

Purpose. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to refine, using a Delphi study process, the four categories of the theoretical model of the comprehensive knowledge base required by providers of professional development for K-12 teachers of science generated from a review of the literature. Methodology. This grounded theory study used data collected through a modified Delphi technique and interviews to refine and validate the literature-based knowledge base required by providers of professional development for K-12 teachers of science. Twenty-three participants, experts in the fields of science education, how people learn, instructional and assessment strategies, and learning contexts, responded to the study's questions. Findings. By "densifying" the four categories of the knowledge base, this study determined the causal conditions (the science subject matter knowledge), the intervening conditions (how people learn), the strategies (the effective instructional and assessment strategies), and the context (the context and culture of formal learning environments) surrounding the science professional development process. Eight sections were added to the literature-based knowledge base; the final model comprised of forty-nine sections. The average length of the operational definitions increased nearly threefold and the number of citations per operational definition increased more than twofold. Conclusions. A four-category comprehensive model that can serve as the foundation for the knowledge base required by science professional developers now exists. Subject matter knowledge includes science concepts, inquiry, the nature of science, and scientific habits of mind; how people learn includes the principles of learning, active learning, andragogy, variations in learners, neuroscience and cognitive science, and change theory; effective instructional and assessment strategies include constructivist learning and inquiry-based teaching, differentiation of instruction

Revising and Updating the Plant Science Components of the Connecticut Vocational Agriculture Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connecticut Univ., Storrs. Dept. of Educational Leadership.

This curriculum guide provides the plant science components of the vocational agriculture curriculum for Regional Vocational Agriculture Centers. The curriculum is divided into exploratory units for students in the 9th and 10th grades and specialized units for students in grades 11 and 12. The five exploratory units are: agricultural pest control;…

Cool Science: K-12 Climate Change Art Displayed on Buses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, R. F.; Lustick, D. S.; Lohmeier, J.; Thompson, S. R.

2015-12-01

Cool science is an art contest where K12 students create placards (7" x 22") to educate the public about climate change. Students are prompted to create their artwork in response to questions such as: What is the evidence for climate change? How does climate change impact your local community? What can you do to reduce the impacts of climate change? In each of three years, 500-600 student entrees have been submitted from more than 12 school districts across Massachusetts. A panel of judges including scientists, artists, rapid transit representatives, and educators chooses elementary, middle, and high school winners. Winners (6), runners-up (6), and honorable mentions (12) and their families and teachers are invited to an annual Cool Science Award Ceremony to be recognized and view winning artwork. All winning artwork is posted on the Cool Science website. The winning artwork (2 per grade band) is converted into placards (11" x 28") and posters (2.5' x 12') that are placed on the inside (placards) and outside (posters) of buses. Posters are displayed for one month. So far, Cool Science was implemented in Lowell, MA where over 5000 public viewers see the posters daily on the sides of Lowell Rapid Transit Authority (LRTA) buses, making approximately 1,000,000 impressions per year. Cool Science acts to increase climate literacy in children as well as the public, and as such promotes intergenerational learning. Using art in conjunction with science learning about climate change appears to be effective at engaging not just traditionally high achieving science students, but also those interested in the creative arts. Hearing winners' stories about how they created their artwork and what this contest meant to them supports the idea that Cool Science attracts a wide diversity of students. Parents discuss climate change with their children. Multiple press releases announcing the winners further promotes the awareness of climate change throughout school districts and their

Graded Course of Study, Science (K-12).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Euclid City Schools, OH.

This course of study specifies the science skills and concepts that are to be taught in the various grades of the Euclid (Ohio) City Schools. Included are instructional objectives for the life, physical, and earth sciences for grades K to 6, suggested field trips and planetarium schedules (by elementary grade levels), and scope and sequence charts…

Reinventing the Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bybee, Rodger W.; Van Scotter, Pamela

2007-01-01

For many, the dominant model of curriculum development in science includes generating a topic, clarifying science content, identifying activities associated with the topic, and figuring out an assessment. Unfortunately, this approach tends to overemphasize activities and underemphasize mastery of science concepts and the process of scientific…

The Changing Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ediger, Marlow

2014-01-01

Science, as a curriculum area, has gone through many changes recently with the oncoming of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), as well as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Science is a part of everyday life which individuals experience. Even the drying up of a puddle of…

Environment in the science curriculum: the politics of change in the Pan-Canadian science curriculum development process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hart, Paul

2002-11-01

This paper draws on the experience of the Pan-Canadian science curriculum development process as an instance of the more general problem of integrating science and environmental education. It problematizes the issue of incorporation of social and environmental dimensions within the science curriculum in terms of both policy and practice. The agenda of environmental education, as eco-philosophical and eco-political, provides a radically different base from which to explore the impact of change on science teachers and schools. Thus, the very idea of environmental education as an educational policy goal must be examined in light of conflicting agendas of science and environmental education. This paper argues that transforming structures and processes of school science to enable different teacher and student roles involves closing the gap between curriculum (policy) development and professional development as well as reconceptualizing science education, but from more overtly open moral value and political perspectives than have been considered in the literature of science education.

NGSS and the Landscape of Engineering in K-12 State Science Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Tamara J.; Tank, Kristina M.; Glancy, Aran W.; Kersten, Jennifer A.

2015-01-01

Recent documents pertaining to K-12 education have fostered a connection between engineering and science education to help better prepare our students and future citizens to better meet the current and future challenges of our modern and technological society. With that connection, there has been a concerted effort to raise the visibility of…

Evaluation of Online Teacher and Student Materials for the Framework for K-12 Science Education Science and Engineering Crosscutting Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwab, Patrick

2013-01-01

The National Research Council developed and published the "Framework for K-12 Science Education," a new set of concepts that many states were planning on adopting. Part of this new endeavor included a set of science and engineering crosscutting concepts to be incorporated into science materials and activities, a first in science…

The Extra Strand of the Maori Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Georgina

2011-01-01

This paper comments on the process of re-development of the Maori-medium Science (Putaiao) curriculum, as part of overall curriculum development in Aotearoa New Zealand. A significant difference from the English Science curriculum was the addition of an "extra strand" covering the history and philosophy of science. It is recommended that…

Leading Change in the Primary Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waller, Nicky; Baker, Chris

2014-01-01

Nicky Waller and Chris Baker believe that change can be a good thing and explain how their training has helped others to adjust to the new science curriculum. In September 2013, teachers across England received the definitive version of the new primary curriculum "Leading Change in the Primary Science Curriculum." This course aimed to…

AIAA Educator Academy - Mars Rover Curriculum: A 6 week multidisciplinary space science based curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henriquez, E.; Bering, E. A.; Slagle, E.; Nieser, K.; Carlson, C.; Kapral, A.

2013-12-01

The Curiosity mission has captured the imagination of children, as NASA missions have done for decades. The AIAA and the University of Houston have developed a flexible curriculum program that offers children in-depth science and language arts learning culminating in the design and construction of their own model rover. The program is called the Mars Rover Model Celebration. It focuses on students, teachers and parents in grades 3-8. Students learn to research Mars in order to pick a science question about Mars that is of interest to them. They learn principles of spacecraft design in order to build a model of a Mars rover to carry out their mission on the surface of Mars. The model is a mock-up, constructed at a minimal cost from art supplies. This project may be used either informally as an after school club or youth group activity or formally as part of a class studying general science, earth science, solar system astronomy or robotics, or as a multi-disciplinary unit for a gifted and talented program. The project's unique strength lies in engaging students in the process of spacecraft design and interesting them in aerospace engineering careers. The project is aimed at elementary and secondary education. Not only will these students learn about scientific fields relevant to the mission (space science, physics, geology, robotics, and more), they will gain an appreciation for how this knowledge is used to tackle complex problems. The low cost of the event makes it an ideal enrichment vehicle for low income schools. It provides activities that provide professional development to educators, curricular support resources using NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) content, and provides family opportunities for involvement in K-12 student learning. This paper will describe the structure and organization of the 6 week curriculum. A set of 30 new 5E lesson plans have been written to support this project as a classroom activity. The challenge of developing interactive

Perspectives and Visions of Computer Science Education in Primary and Secondary (K-12) Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubwieser, Peter; Armoni, Michal; Giannakos, Michail N.; Mittermeir, Roland T.

2014-01-01

In view of the recent developments in many countries, for example, in the USA and in the UK, it appears that computer science education (CSE) in primary or secondary schools (K-12) has reached a significant turning point, shifting its focus from ICT-oriented to rigorous computer science concepts. The goal of this special issue is to offer a…

Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 6-8: Climate Change Curriculum Developed Through a Collaboration Between Scientists and Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, E.; Skene, J.; Tran, L.

2011-12-01

aligns with the Ocean Literacy and Climate Literacy Frameworks, as well as multiple core ideas in the new National Academy of Sciences Framework for K-12 Science Education. In brief, the curriculum comprises 33 45-minute sessions organized into three thematic units that are each driven by an exploratory question: Unit 1 (11 sessions)-How do the ocean and atmosphere interact?; Unit 2 (8 sessions)-How does carbon flow through the ocean, land, and atmosphere?; and Unit 3 (12 sessions)-What are the causes and effects of climate change? The curriculum deliberately explores the ocean and climate as global systems, and challenges students to use scientific evidence to make explanations about climate change. The Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 6-8 is currently being classroom tested by teachers across the United States in a wide variety of classroom settings. Evaluation is also being undertaken to determine the efficacy of the sequence in addressing the curriculum's learning goals.

Tech-Savvy Science Education? Understanding Teacher Pedagogical Practices for Integrating Technology in K-12 Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hechter, Richard; Vermette, Laurie Anne

2014-01-01

This paper examines the technology integration practices of Manitoban K-12 inservice science educators based on the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content knowledge (TPACK) framework. Science teachers (n = 433) completed a 10-item online survey regarding pedagogical beliefs about technology integration, types of technology used, and how often…

Developing Partnerships between Higher Education Faculty, K-12 Science Teachers, and School Administrators via MSP initiatives: The RITES Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caulkins, J. L.; Kortz, K. M.; Murray, D. P.

2011-12-01

The Rhode Island Technology Enhanced Science Project (RITES) is a NSF-funded Math and Science Partnership (MSP) project that seeks to improve science education. RITES is, at its core, a unique partnership that fosters relationships between middle and high school science teachers, district and school administrators, higher education (HE) faculty members, and science education researchers. Their common goal is to enhance scientific inquiry, increase classroom technology usage, and improve state level science test scores. In one of the more visible examples of this partnership, middle and high school science teachers work closely with HE science faculty partners to design and teach professional development (PD) workshops. The PD sessions focus on technology-enhanced scientific investigations (e.g. use of probes, online simulations, etc.), exemplify inquiry-based instruction, and relate expert content knowledge. Teachers from these sessions express substantial satisfaction in the program, report increased comfort levels in teaching the presented materials (both via post-workshop surveys), and show significant gains in content knowledge (via pre-post assessments). Other benefits to this kind of partnership, in which K-12 and HE teachers are considered equals, include: 1) K-12 teachers are empowered through interactions with HE faculty and other science teachers in the state; 2) HE instructors become more informed not only about good pedagogical practices, but also practical aspects of teaching science such as engaging students; and 3) the PD sessions tend to be much stronger than ones designed and presented solely by HE scientists, for while HE instructors provide content expertise, K-12 teachers provide expertise in K-12 classroom practice and implementation. Lastly, the partnership is mutually beneficial for the partners involved because both sides learn practical ways to teach science and inquiry at different levels. In addition to HE faculty and K-12 science teacher

Water Pollution, Environmental Science Curriculum Guide Supplement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKenna, Harold J.

This curriculum guide is a 40-day unit plan on water pollution developed, in part, from the National Science Foundation Environmental Science Institutes' Ninth Grade Environmental Science Curriculum Guide. This unit contains teacher lesson plans, suggested teacher and student modules, case studies, and activities to be developed by teachers…

Student Teachers' Views: What Is an Interesting Life Sciences Curriculum?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Villiers, Rian

2011-01-01

In South Africa, the Grade 12 "classes of 2008 and 2009" were the first to write examinations under the revised Life Sciences (Biology) curriculum which focuses on outcomes-based education (OBE). This paper presents an exploration of what students (as learners) considered to be difficult and interesting in Grades 10-12 Life Sciences…

What Matters to Career K-12 Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Mary M.

2014-01-01

Case studies about issues arising from education policy were written between 2003 and 2011 by doctoral candidates in Curriculum and Instruction who were career K-12 educators. Literary analysis was employed in grouping 57 case studies, which described primarily situations that occurred in school districts in one large metropolitan area, by topic…

Life Science Curriculum Guide. Bulletin 1614.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Louisiana State Dept. of Education, Baton Rouge. Div. of Academic Programs.

This curriculum guide, developed to establish statewide curriculum standards for the Louisiana Competency-based Education Program, contains the minimum competencies and process skills that should be included in a life science course. It consists of: (1) a rationale for an effective science program; (2) a list and description of four major goals of…

A program to enhance k-12 science education in ten rural New York school districts.

PubMed

Goodell, E; Visco, R; Pollock, P

1999-04-01

The Rural Partnership for Science Education, designed by educators and scientists in 1991 with funding from the National Institutes of Health, works in two rural New York State counties with students and their teachers from kindergarten through grade 12 to improve pre-college science education. The Partnership is an alliance among ten rural New York school districts and several New York State institutions (e.g., a regional academic medical center; the New York Academy of Sciences; and others), and has activities that involve around 4,800 students and 240 teachers each year. The authors describe the program's activities (e.g., summer workshops for teachers; science exploration camps for elementary and middle-school students; enrichment activities for high school students). A certified science education specialist directs classroom demonstrations throughout the academic year to support teachers' efforts to integrate hands-on activities into the science curriculum. A variety of evaluations over the years provides strong evidence of the program's effectiveness in promoting students' and teachers' interest in science. The long-term goal of the Partnership is to inspire more rural students to work hard, learn science, and enter the medical professions.

Problem-Based Learning in the Earth and Space Science Classroom, K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConnell, Tom J.; Parker, Joyce; Eberhardt, Janet

2017-01-01

If you've ever asked yourself whether problem-based learning (PBL) can bring new life to both your teaching and your students' learning, here's your answer: Yes. This all-in-one guide will help you engage your students in scenarios that represent real-world science in all its messy, thought-provoking glory. The scenarios will prompt K-12 students…

Social Science Curriculum Guide and Selected Multi-Media, K-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaydosh, Ronald; And Others

GRADES OR AGES: K-6. SUBJECT MATTER: Social science. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The introductory material includes an explanation of the rationale, definitions of the social science core disciplines, glossary of terms, guidelines for teaching, and descriptions of concepts. The main body of the guide is designed in a five-column…

K-12 Physical Education. 1981. Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manitoba Dept. of Education, Winnipeg.

This physical education curriculum guide for kindergarten through twelfth grade has two main components. The first is a program overview that includes information relating to program organization and implementation for early, middle, and senior grades. The second section contains suggested activities and teaching notes for realizing specific…

A Scientist's Guide to Achieving Broader Impacts through K-12 STEM Collaboration.

PubMed

Komoroske, Lisa M; Hameed, Sarah O; Szoboszlai, Amber I; Newsom, Amanda J; Williams, Susan L

2015-03-01

The National Science Foundation and other funding agencies are increasingly requiring broader impacts in grant applications to encourage US scientists to contribute to science education and society. Concurrently, national science education standards are using more inquiry-based learning (IBL) to increase students' capacity for abstract, conceptual thinking applicable to real-world problems. Scientists are particularly well suited to engage in broader impacts via science inquiry outreach, because scientific research is inherently an inquiry-based process. We provide a practical guide to help scientists overcome obstacles that inhibit their engagement in K-12 IBL outreach and to attain the accrued benefits. Strategies to overcome these challenges include scaling outreach projects to the time available, building collaborations in which scientists' research overlaps with curriculum, employing backward planning to target specific learning objectives, encouraging scientists to share their passion, as well as their expertise with students, and transforming institutional incentives to support scientists engaging in educational outreach.

Anti-Litter Curriculum Packet, Interdisciplinary, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tillis, Richard

This curriculum packet consists of 20 illustrated cards with 15 activities designed to create "positive feelings" about a clean environment. Activities range from picture coloring for younger students, to lessons such as the economic and health problems litter creates for older students. Objectives include encouraging anti-litter and…

Target: Communication Skills. K-12 Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lincoln Public Schools, NE.

Intended to help elementary and secondary school teachers model and teach communication skills in all subject matters, this curriculum guide is divided into four sections. The introduction describes the program's goals, explains how to use the guide, and presents grade appropriate profiles of communication skills competence. The second section…

Health Education Curriculum Standards K-12, Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delaware State Dept. of Public Instruction, Dover.

The health education program focuses on wellness and health promotion, with emphasis on the need to influence children and youth to make early decisions about positive lifestyles that will continue into adulthood. These comprehensive health education curriculum standards focus on positive self-image, decision-making, nutrition, stress management,…

Technology Integration in K-12 Science Classrooms: An Analysis of Barriers and Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hechter, Richard P.; Vermette, Laurie Anne

2013-01-01

This paper examines the barriers to technology integration for Manitoban K-12 inservice science educators (n = 430) based on a 10-item online survey; results are analyzed according to teaching stream using the Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. Quantitative descriptive statistics indicated that the leading barriers…

Business Education Curriculum Standards K-12. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delaware State Dept. of Public Instruction, Dover. Div. of Vocational Education.

These State Curriculum Standards for Business Education are designed for use by school district administrators and teachers in developing local business education programs. The first section shows a cross-reference of new courses and programs to existing courses and programs in Delaware. Course descriptions that identify the title, length, and…

Using Cue Cards throughout the K-12 Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conderman, Greg; Hedin, Laura R.

2015-01-01

As a flexible instructional tool, cue cards offer support for students with and without disabilities. By providing different amounts of support, they also can be used to differentiate instruction in a variety of subject areas and grade levels. This article describes various strategies for using cue cards and includes examples from K-12 classrooms.

Laboratory Safety Guide for Arkansas K-12 Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arkansas State Dept. of Education, Little Rock.

This document presents laboratory safety rules for Arkansas K-12 schools which were developed by the Arkansas Science Teachers Association (ASTA) and the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). Contents include: (1) "Laboratory Safety Guide for Arkansas K-12 Schools"; (2) "Safety Considerations"; (3) "Safety Standards for Science Laboratories";…

Vocational Agriculture 4. A Curriculum Guide. 12th Grade. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeder, Dean

The curriculum guide for Vocational Agriculture 4 (Grade 12) contains 27 color-coded units of instruction organized into four sections: farm business management, leadership and careers, plant and soil science, and agricultural mechanics. The instructional units are designed to account for 60% of an instructor's time, the remaining 40% is left to…

The Next Generation Science Standards: A Focus on Physical Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krajcik, Joe

2013-01-01

This article describes ways to adapt U.S. science curriculum to the U.S. National Research Council (NRC) "Framework for K-12 Science Education" and "Next Generation of Science Standards" (NGSS), noting their focus on teaching the physical sciences. The overall goal of the Framework and NGSS is to help all learners develop the…

Charles Darwin and Evolution: Illustrating Human Aspects of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kampourakis, Kostas; McComas, William F.

2010-01-01

Recently, the nature of science (NOS) has become recognized as an important element within the K-12 science curriculum. Despite differences in the ultimate lists of recommended aspects, a consensus is emerging on what specific NOS elements should be the focus of science instruction and inform textbook writers and curriculum developers. In this…

Educating K-12 Students about Glacier Dynamics in a Changing Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stearns, L. A.; Hamilton, G. S.

2005-12-01

Public awareness of climate change is growing in the United States. Popular movies, books and magazines are frequently addressing the issue of global warming - some with careful scientific research, but many with unrealistic statements. Early education about the basic principles and processes of climate change is necessary for the general public to distinguish fact from fiction. The U.S. National Science Foundation's GK-12 program (GK-12; grades K to 12) currently in its sixth year, provides an opportunity for scientific enrichment for students and their teachers at the K-12 level through collaborative pairings with science and engineering graduate students (the Fellows). The NSF GK-12 program at the University of Maine has three goals: to enrich the scientific education of the students by providing role models, expertise, and equipment that may not be accessible otherwise; to provide professional development for the teachers through curriculum enrichment and participation at science conferences; and to improve the teaching and communication skills of the Fellows. The University of Maine is one of over 100 U. S. universities participating in this program. During the 2004-05 academic year, 11 graduate and one undergraduate student Fellows, advised by University faculty members, taught at schools across the state of Maine. Fellows from, biology, earth science, ecology, engineering, food science, forestry, and marine science, and taught in their area of expertise. We created a hands-on activity for middle and high school students that describes glacier mass balance in a changing climate. The students make a glacier using glue, water and detergent ('flubber') and construct a glacier valley using plastic sheeting. Flubber behaves in mechanically similar ways to glacier ice, undergoing plastic deformation at low stresses and exhibiting brittle failure at high stresses. Students are encouraged to run several tests with different values for valley slope, glacier mass

Project WET: Curriculum & Activity Guide. K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Dennis; And Others

Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) is a nonprofit water education program for educators and young people. This curriculum and activity guide for kindergarten through twelfth grades is a collection of innovative, water-related activities that are hands-on, easy to use, and fun. The activities incorporate a variety of formats such as large…

Future Studies in the K-12 Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haas, John D.

This guide is designed to help elementary and secondary school teachers and curriculum developers plan units on the future. It is presented in five sections. Section I discusses the origins of the modern futures movement and the concepts of future studies, time dimensions, global approach, self-fulfilling and self-defeating forecasts, and types of…

UTIG's Contributions to Seismology in K-12 Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellins, K. K.

2004-12-01

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) conducts research in many areas of seismology, including the study of earthquakes, the structure of Earth's interior and targeted geologic settings, and the development of methods to monitor nuclear explosions. In addition, UTIG scientists engage in educational outreach that takes seismology and its applications into K-12 classrooms. Activities include (1) the development of standards-aligned, inquiry-based curriculum materials that use real seismic data to convey concepts in earthquake seismology and which introduce modern technologies based on the principles of seismology; (2) a year-long teacher professional development institute that incorporates seismology and teacher workshops at which scientists, GK-12 Fellows and teachers team up to deliver science content and learning activities; and (3) a "Teacher in the Field" program through which teachers have participated in marine geophysical cruises to study tectonic processes in the Bransfield Strait, Hess Deep, Terror Rift in the Ross Sea, the southeastern Caribbean, and the Blanco Fracture Zone. UTIG has supported these efforts through grants from the NSF and state agencies, and by partnering with other programs and organizations. For example, teacher workshops were organized around public lectures by IRIS/SSA Distinguished Speakers Roger Bilham (Global Death and Construction: Earthquakes on an Urban Planet) and David Wald (Rapid Earthquake Information: Citizen Science and New Tools for Emergency Response) and presented as part of The University of Texas Environmental Science Institute Outreach Lecture Series.

Preparing Science Teachers to Address Contentious and Sensitive Science Topics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ado, Gustave

2015-01-01

Purpose: Despite high HIV prevalence rates in Ivory Coast, the formal K-12 curriculum was not developed to address HIV/AIDS information completely for many African students. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that influenced Ivorian teachers' teaching of the HIV/AIDS curriculum in middle school science curricula in nine middle…

Small Schools Reading Curriculum, K-3: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies. Scope, Objectives, Activities, Resources, Monitoring Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Designed to assist teachers in small schools with the improvement of curriculum and instruction and to help smaller districts which do not have curriculum personnel to comply with Washington's Student Learning Objectives (SLO) Law, this guide contains reading curriculum materials for grades K-3. The objectives listed are correlated to the Goals…

Test Of Astronomy STandards TOAST Survey of K-12 Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Timothy F.; Slater, Stephanie; Stork, Debra J.

2015-01-01

Discipline-based education research in astronomy is focused on understanding the underlying mental mechanisms used by students when learning astronomy and teachers when teaching astronomy. Systematic surveys of K-12 teacher' knowledge in the domain of astronomy are conducted periodically in order to better focus and improve professional development. These surveys are most often done when doing contemporary needs assessments or when new assessment instruments are readily available. Designed by Stephanie J. Slater of the CAPER Center for Astronomy & Physics Education Research, the 29-item multiple-choice format Test Of Astronomy STandards - TOAST is a carefully constructed, criterion-referenced instrument constructed upon a solid list of clearly articulated and widely agreed upon learning objectives. The targeted learning concepts tightly align with the consensus learning goals stated by the American Astronomical Society - Chair's Conference on ASTRO 101, the American Association of the Advancement of Science's Project 2061 Benchmarks, and the National Research Council's 1996 National Science Education Standards. Without modification, the TOAST is also aligned with the significantly less ambitious 2013 Next Generation Science Standards created by Achieve, Inc., under the auspices of the National Research Council. This latest survey reveals that K-12 teachers still hold many of the same fundamental misconceptions uncovered by earlier surveys. This includes misconceptions about the size, scale, and structure of the cosmos as well as misconceptions about the nature of physical processes at work in astronomy. This suggests that professional development in astronomy is still needed and that modern curriculum materials are best served if they provide substantial support for implementation.

Experiences of Computer Science Curriculum Design: A Phenomenological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sloan, Arthur; Bowe, Brian

2015-01-01

This paper presents a qualitative study of 12 computer science lecturers' experiences of curriculum design of several degree programmes during a time of transition from year-long to semesterised courses, due to institutional policy change. The background to the study is outlined, as are the reasons for choosing the research methodology. The main…

Inquiry-Based Science Education: A Scenario on Zambia's High School Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chabalengula, Vivien M.; Mumba, Frackson

2012-01-01

This paper is aimed at elucidating the current state of inquiry-based science education (IBSE) in Zambia's high school science curriculum. Therefore, we investigated Zambian teachers' conceptions of inquiry; determined inquiry levels in the national high school science curriculum materials, which include syllabi, textbooks and practical exams; and…

Uncovering Portuguese Teachers' Difficulties in Implementing Sciences Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vasconcelos, Clara; Torres, Joana; Moutinho, Sara; Martins, Idalina; Costa, Nilza

2015-01-01

Many countries recognize the positive and effective results of improving science education through the introduction of reforms in the sciences curriculum. However, some important issues are generally neglected like, for example, the involvement of the teachers in the reform process. Taking the sciences curriculum reform under analysis and…

Making Curriculum Decisions in K-8 Science: The Relationship between Teacher Dispositions and Curriculum Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eidietis, L.; Jewkes, A. M.

2011-01-01

This study examined teachers' dispositions toward and choices to teach ocean science using a survey design. A sample of 89 in-service K-8 teachers in the United States reported their (1) feelings of preparedness to teach about ocean literacy and (2) attitudes toward ocean science on three measures. Results of multiple linear regression showed that…

Incorporating Skills into Social Studies Programs, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, George, Ed.

Designed to assist schools in implementing developmental skills in the social studies programs for grades K-12, this guide is divided into seven sections. The first section, a literature review, cites publications on social studies skills. Section 2 gives an interdisciplinary view of shared skills in the New York state curriculum. Three skill…

Food-based Science Curriculum Increases 4th Graders Multidisciplinary Science Knowledge

PubMed Central

Hovland, Jana A.; Carraway-Stage, Virginia G.; Cela, Artenida; Collins, Caitlin; Díaz, Sebastián R.; Collins, Angelo; Duffrin, Melani W.

2013-01-01

Health professionals and policymakers are asking educators to place more emphasis on food and nutrition education. Integrating these topics into science curricula using hand-on, food-based activities may strengthen students’ understanding of science concepts. The Food, Math, and Science Teaching Enhancement Resource (FoodMASTER) Initiative is a compilation of programs aimed at using food as a tool to teach mathematics and science. Previous studies have shown that students experiencing the FoodMASTER curriculum were very excited about the activities, became increasingly interested in the subject matter of food, and were able to conduct scientific observations. The purpose of this study was to: 1) assess 4th graders food-related multidisciplinary science knowledge, and 2) compare gains in food-related science knowledge after implementation of an integrated, food-based curriculum. During the 2009–2010 school year, FoodMASTER researchers implemented a hands-on, food-based intermediate curriculum in eighteen 4th grade classrooms in Ohio (n=9) and North Carolina (n=9). Sixteen classrooms in Ohio (n=8) and North Carolina (n=8), following their standard science curricula, served as comparison classrooms. Students completed a researcher-developed science knowledge exam, consisting of 13 multiple-choice questions administered pre- and post-test. Only subjects with pre- and post-test scores were entered into the sample (Intervention n=343; Control n=237). No significant differences were observed between groups at pre-test. At post-test, the intervention group scored (9.95±2.00) significantly higher (p=.000) than the control group (8.84±2.37) on a 13-point scale. These findings suggest the FoodMASTER intermediate curriculum is more effective than a standard science curriculum in increasing students’ multidisciplinary science knowledge related to food. PMID:25152539

Responsible Use of Live Animals and Dissection in the Science Classroom. NSTA Position Statement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Teachers Association (NJ1), 2005

2005-01-01

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), led by a panel of K-12 science teachers, has developed a new position statement, "Responsible Use of Live Animals and Dissection in the Science Classroom." This statement examines the issues surrounding the integration of animals into the K-12 science curriculum and highlights key…

Modern & Classical Languages: K-12 Program EValuation 1988-89.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Margaret Perea

This evaluation of the modern and classical languages programs, K-12, in the Albuquerque (New Mexico) public school system provides general information on the program's history, philosophy, recognition, curriculum development, teachers, and activities. Specific information is offered on the different program components, namely, the elementary…

Integrating the history of science into a middle school science curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huybrechts, Jeanne Marie

This study examined the effect of incorporating the history of science into a middle school physical science curriculum on student attitudes toward science and the work of scientists. While there is wide support for including some science history in middle school science lessons within both the science and science-education communities, there is little curriculum designed to meet that objective. A series of five lessons was written specifically for the study. Each lesson included a brief biography of a scientist whose work was of historical significance, and a set of directions for duplicating one or more of the experiments done by that scientist. A thirty-question, Likert scale survey of the attitudes of middle school students toward science and the work of scientists was also written for this study. The survey was administered to two groups of students in a single middle school: One group---the experimental group---subsequently used the science history curriculum; the second (control) group did not. The same attitude survey was readministered to both groups of students after study of the science-history curriculum was completed. The results of the study indicate that there was no statistically significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores of either the experimental or control group students. Further analysis was done to determine whether there were differences between the pretest and posttest scores of boys and girls, or between "regular" or "honors" students. In both cases no statistically significant difference was found.

Climate Change Education Today in K-12: What's Happening in the Earth and Space Science Classroom?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holzer, M. A.; National Earth Science Teachers Association

2011-12-01

Climate change is a highly interdisciplinary topic, involving not only multiple fields of science, but also social science and the humanities. There are many aspects of climate change science that make it particularly well-suited for exploration in the K-12 setting, including opportunities to explore the unifying processes of science such as complex systems, models, observations, change and evolution. Furthermore, this field of science offers the opportunity to observe the nature of science in action - including how scientists develop and improve their understanding through research and debate. Finally, climate change is inherently highly relevant to students - indeed, students today will need to deal with the consequences of the climate change. The science of climate change is clearly present in current science education standards, both at the National level as well as in the majority of states. Nonetheless, a significant number of teachers across the country report difficulties addressing climate change in the classroom. The National Earth Science Teachers Association has conducted several surveys of Earth and space science educators across the country over the past several years on a number of issues, including their needs and concerns, including their experience of external influences on what they teach. While the number of teachers that report external pressures to not teach climate change science are in the minority (and less than the pressure to not teach evolution and related topics), our results suggest that this pressure against climate change science in the K-12 classroom has grown over the past several years. Some teachers report being threatened by parents, being encouraged by administrators to not teach the subject, and a belief that the "two sides" of climate change should be taught. Survey results indicate that teachers in religious or politically-conservative districts are more likely to report difficulties in teaching about climate change than in

Standards for K-12 Engineering Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academies Press, 2010

2010-01-01

The goal of this study was to assess the value and feasibility of developing and implementing content standards for engineering education at the K-12 level. Content standards have been developed for three disciplines in STEM education--science, technology, and mathematic--but not for engineering. To date, a small but growing number of K-12…

Living in a Materials World: Materials Science Engineering Professional Development for K-12 Educators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anne Seifert; Louis Nadelson

2011-06-01

Advances in materials science are fundamental to technological developments and have broad societal impacs. For example, a cellular phone is composed of a polymer case, liquid crystal displays, LEDs, silicon chips, Ni-Cd batteries, resistors, capacitors, speakers, microphones all of which have required advances in materials science to be compacted into a phone which is typically smaller than a deck of cards. Like many technological developments, cellular phones have become a ubiquitous part of society, and yet most people know little about the materials science associated with their manufacture. The probable condition of constrained knowledge of materials science was the motivationmore » for developing and offering a 20 hour fourday course called 'Living in a Materials World.' In addition, materials science provides a connection between our every day experiences and the work of scientists and engineers. The course was offered as part of a larger K-12 teacher professional development project and was a component of a week-long summer institute designed specifically for upper elementary and middle school teachers which included 20 hour content strands, and 12 hours of plenary sessions, planning, and collaborative sharing. The focus of the institute was on enhancing teacher content knowledge in STEM, their capacity for teaching using inquiry, their comfort and positive attitudes toward teaching STEM, their knowledge of how people learn, and strategies for integrating STEM throughout the curriculum. In addition to the summer institute the participating teachers were provided with a kit of about $300 worth of materials and equipment to use to implement the content they learned in their classrooms. As part of this professional development project the participants were required to design and implement 5 lesson plans with their students this fall and report on the results, as part of the continuing education course associated with the project. 'Living in a Materials World

Defining Social Studies Education in Michigan (K-12).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michigan State Board of Education, Lansing.

This document begins by providing some introductory guidelines on constructing a K-12 social studies program and conducting a curriculum program review and then goes on to focus on the goals and objectives for social studies education in Michigan. These are divided into three groups: knowledge; democratic values; and skills. For each of these…

Crossroads: A K-16 American History Curriculum. Bibliographic Essay. [Part One--II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernstein, Richard B.

This bibliographic essay supports a K-16 history curriculum called "Crossroads," which is chronologically organized into 12 historical periods. The bibliographic essay presents authoritative and accessible thematic treatments of U.S. history and scholarship for each period. Paperback books are indicated by an asterisk. Following a preface and a…

Earth Science for Educators: Preparing 7-12 Teachers for Standards-based, Inquiry Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sloan, H.

2002-05-01

"Earth Science for Educators" is an innovative, standards-based, graduate level teacher education curriculum that presents science content and pedagogic technique in parallel. The curriculum calls upon the resources and expertise of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) to prepare novice New York City teachers for teaching Earth Science. One of the goals of teacher education is to assure and facilitate science education reform through preparation of K-12 teachers who understand and are able to implement standard-based instruction. Standards reflect not only the content knowledge students are expected to attain but also the science skills and dispositions towards science they are expected to develop. Melding a list of standards with a curriculum outline to create inquiry-based classroom instruction that reaches a very diverse population of learners is extremely challenging. "Earth Science for Educators" helps novice teachers make the link between standards and practice by constantly connecting standards with instruction they receive and activities they carry out. Development of critical thinking and enthusiasm for inquiry is encouraged through engaging experience and contact with scientists and their work. Teachers are taught Earth systems science content through modeling of a wide variety of instruction and assessment methods based upon authentic scientific inquiry and aimed at different learning styles. Use of fieldwork and informal settings, such as the Museum, familiarizes novice teachers with ways of drawing on community resources for content and instructional settings. Metacognitive reflection that articulates standards, practice, and the teachers' own learning experience help draw out teachers' insights into their students' learning. The innovation of bring science content together with teaching methods is key to preparing teachers for standards-based, inquiry instruction. This curriculum was successfully piloted with a group of 28 novice teachers as

Curriculum-Dependent and Curriculum-Independent Factors in Preservice Elementary Teachers' Adaptation of Science Curriculum Materials for Inquiry-Based Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forbes, Cory T.

2013-01-01

In this nested mixed methods study I investigate factors influencing preservice elementary teachers' adaptation of science curriculum materials to better support students' engagement in science as inquiry. Analyses focus on two "reflective teaching assignments" completed by 46 preservice elementary teachers in an undergraduate elementary science…

Consumer Citizenship Curriculum Guides for Social Studies, English, Science, Mathematics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacKenzie, Louise; Smith, Alice

These four consumer citizenship curriculum guides for social studies, English, science, and mathematics incorporate consumer education into these subject matter areas in grades 8-12. Each guide is organized around 10 main component/goals. They are basic economics in the marketplace, credit, consumer law/protection, banking skills, comparison…

Preservice Elementary Teachers' Adaptation of Science Curriculum Materials for Inquiry-Based Elementary Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forbes, Cory T.

2011-01-01

Curriculum materials are important resources with which teachers make pedagogical decisions about the design of science learning environments. To become well-started beginning elementary teachers capable of engaging their students in inquiry-based science, preservice elementary teachers need to learn to use science curriculum materials…

On track for success: an innovative behavioral science curriculum model.

PubMed

Freedy, John R; Carek, Peter J; Dickerson, Lori M; Mallin, Robert M

2013-01-01

This article describes the behavioral science curriculum currently in place at the Trident/MUSC Family Medicine Residency Program. The Trident/MUSC Program is a 10-10-10 community-based, university-affiliated program in Charleston, South Carolina. Over the years, the Trident/MUSC residency program has graduated over 400 Family Medicine physicians. The current behavioral science curriculum consists of both required core elements (didactic lectures, clinical observation, Balint groups, and Resident Grand Rounds) as well as optional elements (longitudinal patient care experiences, elective rotations, behavioral science editorial experience, and scholars project with a behavioral science focus). All Trident/MUSC residents complete core behavioral science curriculum elements and are free to participate in none, some, or all of the optional behavioral science curriculum elements. This flexibility allows resident physicians to tailor the educational program in a manner to meet individual educational needs. The behavioral science curriculum is based upon faculty interpretation of existing "best practice" guidelines (Residency Review Committee-Family Medicine and AAFP). This article provides sufficient curriculum detail to allow the interested reader the opportunity to adapt elements of the behavioral science curriculum to other residency training programs. While this behavioral science track system is currently in an early stage of implementation, the article discusses track advantages as well as future plans to evaluate various aspects of this innovative educational approach.

Survey on Teaching Science to K-12 Students with Disabilities: Teacher Preparedness and Attitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahn, Sami; Lewis, Anna R.

2014-12-01

Students with disabilities are increasingly included in general education science classrooms and are expected to demonstrate academic proficiency on standardized assessments. Teacher preparation and attitudes have been cited as major factors contributing to either the success or failure of students with disabilities in science. In order to assess the current state of what could be facilitative or inhibitory influences, a national online survey to which 1,088 K-12 science teachers responded was conducted. Mixed methods' analyses suggest that science teachers receive little formal training and feel underprepared to teach students with disabilities. Results identify specific gaps in science teachers' education, as well as attitudinal and institutional barriers that may inhibit students with disabilities' success. However, science teachers remain highly receptive to training and collaboration. Implications for science teacher education are discussed.

Science Curriculum Components Favored by Taiwanese Biology Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Chen-Yung; Hu, Reping; Changlai, Miao-Li

2005-09-01

The new 1-9 curriculum framework in Taiwan provides a remarkable change from previous frameworks in terms of the coverage of content and the powers of teachers. This study employs a modified repertory grid technique to investigate biology teachers' preferences with regard to six curriculum components. One hundred and eighty-five in-service and pre-service biology teachers were asked to determine which science curriculum components they liked and disliked most of all to include in their biology classes. The data show that the rank order of these science curriculum components, from top to bottom, was as follows: application of science, manipulation skills, scientific concepts, social/ethical issues, problem-solving skills, and the history of science. They also showed that pre-service biology teachers, as compared with in-service biology teachers, favored problem-solving skills significantly more than manipulative skills, while in-service biology teachers, as compared with pre-service biology teachers, favored manipulative skills significantly more than problem-solving skills. Some recommendations for ensuring the successful implementation of the Taiwanese 1-9 curriculum framework are also proposed.

Comprehension Across the Curriculum: Perspectives and Practices K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ganske, Kathy, Ed.; Fisher, Douglas, Ed.

2009-01-01

Successful students use comprehension skills and strategies throughout the school day. In this timely book, leading scholars present innovative ways to support reading comprehension across content areas and the full K-12 grade range. Chapters provide specific, practical guidance for selecting rewarding texts and promoting engagement and…

You Asked, We Answered! A Podcasting Series by Scientists for K-12 Teachers Through the Pennsylvania Earth Science Teachers Association (PAESTA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guertin, L. A.; Tait, K.

2015-12-01

The Pennsylvania Earth Science Teachers Association (PAESTA) recently initiated a podcasting series "You Asked, We Answered!" for K-12 teachers to increase their science content knowledge through short audio podcasts, supplemented with relevant resources. The 2015-2016 PAESTA President Kathy Tait generated the idea of tapping in to the content expertise of higher education faculty, post-doctoral researchers, and graduate students to assist K-12 teachers with increasing their own Earth and space content knowledge. As time and resources for professional development are decreasing for K-12 teachers, PAESTA is committed to not only providing curricular resources through our online database of inquiry-based exercises in the PAESTA Classroom, but providing an opportunity to learn science content from professionals in an audio format.Our goal at PAESTA has been to release at least one new podcast per month that answers the questions asked by PAESTA members. Each podcast is recorded by an Earth/space science professional with content expertise and placed online with supporting images, links, and relevant exercises found in the PAESTA Classroom. Each podcast is available through the PAESTA website (http://www.paesta.psu.edu/podcasts) and PAESTA iTunes channel (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/paesta-podcasts/id1017828453). For ADA compliance, the PAESTA website has a transcript for each audio file. In order to provide these podcasts, we need the participation of both K-12 teachers and science professionals. On the PAESTA Podcast website, K-12 teachers can submit discipline questions for us to pass along to our content experts, questions relating to the "what" and "how" of the Earth and space sciences, as well as questions about Earth and space science careers. We ask science professionals for help in answering the questions posed by teachers. We include online instructions and tips to help scientists generate their podcast and supporting materials.

Social Science Curriculum Guide and Selected Multi-Media, 10-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaydosh, Ronald

GRADES OR AGES: Grades 10-12. SUBJECT MATTER: Social science. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The extensive introductory material includes rationale, definitions of the social science core disciplines, glossary of terms, and descriptions of concepts. The course material includes political science, history, economics, geography, sociology,…

Environmental Education, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Janet

The Environmental Education program of Great Falls Public Schools, which was Montana's state winner in the National Science Teacher Association 1986 Search for Excellence in Science Education, is described in this report. An overview is presented of the district's policies, administrative procedures, staff development plans, and curriculum and…

Turning K-12 Science Education Inside Out, Knocking Down Walls and Empowering the Disenchanted.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, A. Y. M.

2016-12-01

For a 'user' there are several genres of citizen science activities one can enlist themselves in, from microtasked analytics to data collection. Often times design conversation for these efforts are focused around the goal of collecting high quality data for an urgent scientific question. However, there is much to be discussed around the opportunity to expand upon the interaction experience of the 'user'. This is particularly relevant in the integration of citizen science in the classroom. Here we explore the role of citizen science in formal K-12 science education through the lens of "Project Based Learning", examining design challenges in classroom adoption (including standards alignment) as well as interaction design focused around long term user/student motivation and engagement in the science exploration.

Designing Successful Science Contests for K-12

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwerin, T.; Colleton, N.

2006-12-01

Contests can engage, motivate, instruct and inspire students of all grade levels and interests. What are the ingredients necessary for a successful science contest? The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) has recommendations for designing science-based competitions that are both fun and educational for for elementary and secondary students. These recommendations were developed as a result of IGES' experience gained through two annual student competitions that focus on Earth science topics: An annual art contest, for grades 2-4, challenges U.S. students to explore a specific Earth science topic. For example, past themes have included Polar Explorations: Going to Extremes (2006); Connect-4: Air, Land, Water, and Life (2005); and Picture Me: What Kind of Earth Explorer Would I Be? (2004). The contest supports national science education standards for grades K-4, and includes suggested classroom activities, books, and movies. The Thacher Scholarship was founded in 2000 by IGES in honor of the late Peter S. Thacher, a former IGES board member and leader in promoting the use of satellite remote sensing. The $4,000 scholarship is awarded to exceptional high school students displaying the best use of satellite remote sensing in understanding our changing planet.

Impact of the Knowledge and Beliefs of Egyptian Science Teachers in Integrating a STS based Curriculum: A Sociocultural Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansour, Nasser

2010-08-01

The failure of much curriculum innovation has been attributed to the neglect by innovators of teachers’ perceptions. The purpose of this study was to investigate inservice science teachers views of integrating Science, Technology and Society (STS) issues into the science curriculum and identify the factors that influence their decisions concerning integrating STS issues (or not). The study used mixed methods (questionnaire and interviews) with Egyptian science teachers who teach science courses for 12- to 14-year-old students. The findings indicate that unless curriculum developers take account of teachers’ beliefs and knowledge and the sociocultural factors that shape or influence those beliefs in designing and planning new STS curriculum materials, these materials are unlikely to be implemented according to their intended plan.

K-12 Urban Career Education Infusion Project. Final Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denton, William T.; Kleck, Wil

The K-12 Urban Career Education Infusion Project of the Dallas (Texas) Independent School District focused on fourteen schools located in the East Oak Cliff Subdistrict, a predominantly (98%) black community. Conducted in two phases, the project attempted to demonstrate that through infusing career education into the existing curriculum, trained…

Course and Curriculum Improvement Materials: Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences - Elementary, Intermediate, Secondary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Foundation, Washington, DC.

This is a list of curriculum improvement materials produced by major course and curriculum projects supported by the National Science Foundation's Division of Pre-College Education in Science. The materials are grouped by educational level (elementary, intermediate, and secondary) and within each level by broad discipline groupings (mathematics,…

Composing as the Curriculum: A Guide for Instruction in Written Composition, Grades K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blake, Robert W.; Tuttle, Frederick B., Jr.

The Albion (New York) school district provides this guide to written composition instruction in its kindergarten through grade 12 curriculum because of the importance and necessity of writing, not only as a school activity but also as a lifelong intellectual, self-actualizing, and daily-living activity. Following a brief overview that summarizes…

Community Resource Curriculum Development: Grades K-2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bentley, Michael L.; And Others

This manual was developed by the Community Resource Curriculum Development Project (CRCDP), a cooperative project to develop multi-disciplinary, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural science/social sciences teaching units based upon the Illinois State Goals for Learning and the Chicago Public Schools outcomes for a seamless kindergarten, first, and second…

Windmills by Design: Purposeful Curriculum Design to Meet Next Generation Science Standards in a 9-12 Physics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Concannon, James; Brown, Patrick L.

2017-01-01

The "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) challenges science teachers to think beyond specific content standards when considering how to design and implement curriculum. This lesson, "Windmills by Design," is an insightful lesson in how science teachers can create and implement a cross-cutting lesson to teach the concepts…

Investigating the Transition Process when Moving from a Spiral Curriculum Alignment into a Field-Focus Science Curriculum Alignment in Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alwardt, Randi Kay

2011-01-01

This investigation examined the transition from a spiral science curriculum to a field-focus science curriculum in middle school. A spiral science curriculum focuses on a small part of each field of science during each middle school year, more of a general science concept. In contrast to that, the base of a field-focus curriculum is that each…

An Environmental Education Program (K-12), Based on Environmental Encounters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stapp, William B.

1971-01-01

Describes a strategy for development and implementation of a comprehensive environmental education program (K-12) which can be integrated into existing curriculum of a school. Environmental encounters" stressed as meaningful approaches to goal achievement. Philosophy of spaceship earth" is fundamental to the program. (LK)

Science CAP: Curriculum Assistance Program. [Multimedia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DEMCO, Inc., Madison, WI.

Science Curriculum Assistance Program (Science CAP(TM)) is a multimedia package developed to create a model for preserving classroom science activities that can be shared and customized by teachers. This program is designed to assist teachers in preparing classroom science activities for grades five through eight, and to foster an environment of…

The Role of the National Science Foundation in K-12 Science and Math Education. Hearing before the Committee on Science, House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session (May 3, 2006). Serial Number 109-46

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US House of Representatives, 2006

2006-01-01

The purpose of this hearing was to review the effectiveness and value of the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) past and present programs in support of improvement of K-12 science and math education and to examine what role the Foundation should play in future federal initiatives for strengthening K-12 science and math education. This hearing…

Computer Science in K-12 School Curricula of the 2lst Century: Why, What and When?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Mary; Davis, Niki; Bell, Tim; Katz, Yaacov J.; Reynolds, Nicholas; Chambers, Dianne P.; Syslo, Maciej M.

2017-01-01

In this paper we have examined the position and roles of Computer Science in curricula in the light of recent calls for curriculum change and we have proposed principles and issues to consider in curriculum design as well as identifying priority areas for further research. The paper is based on discussions within and beyond the International…

School Teachers' Experiences of Science Curriculum Reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryder, Jim; Banner, Indira

2013-02-01

We examine teachers' experiences of a major reform of the school science curriculum for 14-16-year olds in England. This statutory reform enhances the range of available science courses and emphasises the teaching of socio-scientific issues and the nature of science, alongside the teaching of canonical science knowledge. This paper examines teachers' experiences of the reform and the factors that condition these experiences. A designed sample of 22 teachers discussed their experiences of the reform within a semi-structured interview. Our analysis considers how the external and internal structures within which teachers work interact with the personal characteristics of teachers to condition their experiences of the curriculum reform. In many cases, personal/internal/external contexts of teachers' work align, resulting in an overall working context that is supportive of teacher change. However, in other cases, tensions within these contexts result in barriers to change. We also explore cases in which external curriculum reform has stimulated the development of new contexts for teachers' work. We argue that curriculum reformers need to recognise the inevitability of multiple teaching goals within a highly differentiated department and school workplace. We also show how experiences of curriculum reform can extend beyond the learning of new knowledge and associated pedagogies to involve challenges to teachers' professional identities. We argue for the extended use of teacher role models within local communities of practice to support such 'identity work'.

K-8 Career Awareness/Exploration Curriculum Materials. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grimes, Daniel B.

To assist local school districts by making available curriculum materials that can be incorporated into the regular instructional program, a set of career awareness curriculum kits were developed by elementary and junior high school teachers in Oregon for grades K-8. The curriculum was based upon five program goals which were mastered by a set of…

Competency-Based Education: A New Architecture for K-12 Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colby, Rose L.

2017-01-01

"Competency-Based Education" introduces educators to a new model for anytime, anywhere schooling and provides tools and curriculum resources for redesigning the traditional structures of K-12 schools. Based on pioneering work across multiple states, the book shows how educators can design central elements of competency-based…

Interest-Based Curriculum for House Care Services: Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Natchitoches Parish School Board, LA.

The interest-based curriculum materials are designed to correlate the subjects of English, math, science, and home economics and infuse academic skills into the world of work. The House Care Science curriculum guide is divided into five units: (1) measurement, (2) household chemistry, (3) household electricity, (4) household machines, and (5)…

Indians of Northwest California: History/Social Science and Literature Based Curriculum Units.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Supahan, Sarah, Ed.

This curriculum guide was developed to provide material about the Indian culture of Northwest California for students in grades K-6. Many of the units were developed for a specific grade, but can be adapted for older or younger children. The material can be integrated with such curricular areas as language, literature, social studies, science, and…

Surveys of Enacted Curriculum Content & Instruction in Focus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council of Chief State School Officers, 2013

2013-01-01

The "Surveys of Enacted Curriculum" (SEC) is a Web-based tool that provides K-12 mathematics, science, English language arts, and social studies teachers with consistent data, both on current instructional practices and the content actually being taught in their classrooms (the "how" and the "what"). Survey results are presented in clear and…

Infusing Quantitative Approaches throughout the Biological Sciences Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Katerina V.; Cooke, Todd J.; Fagan, William F.; Gulick, Denny; Levy, Doron; Nelson, Kären C.; Redish, Edward F.; Smith, Robert F.; Presson, Joelle

2013-01-01

A major curriculum redesign effort at the University of Maryland is infusing all levels of our undergraduate biological sciences curriculum with increased emphasis on interdisciplinary connections and quantitative approaches. The curriculum development efforts have largely been guided by recommendations in the National Research Council's "Bio…

Course Goals in Mathematics, Grades K-12. Critique Draft.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Multnomah County Intermediate Education District, Portland, OR.

This document is one part of a critique series that deals with the development and evaluation of course goals in six subject matter areas for grades K-12. The series provides an initial pool of course-level goals that are expected to be of considerable value in assisting educators with goal definition related to curriculum planning and…

Effects of a novel science curriculum versus traditional science curriculum on problem solving skills and attitudes for 10th grade students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gauchat, Carrie

This study utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods in investigating how a novel science curriculum, geared towards the 21 st century student, affected skills and attitudes towards science for tenth grade students. The quantitative portion of the study was a quasi-experimental design since random groups were not possible. This portion of the study used a pretest/posttest design to measure any improvement in science skills, and a Likert scale survey to measure any improvements in students' attitudes. Statistical tests revealed no significant differences between students who received the novel curriculum versus those students who received a traditional curriculum. Both groups showed significant improvements in all skill areas. Qualitatively, the researcher used informal teacher interviews and student surveys to identify the most relevant and effective curriculum components for the 21st century student. The findings suggest that the task of creating a meaningful and relevant curriculum based on the necessary skills of this century is not an easy task. There is much more work to be done in this area, but according to the qualitative findings integrated design and student technology are promising.

Earth and Life Science: Eighth Grade. Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harlandale Independent School District, San Antonio, TX. Career Education Center.

The guide is arranged in vertical columns relating curriculum concepts in earth science to curriculum performance objectives, career concepts and career performance objectives, suggested teaching methods, and resource materials. The course for eighth graders attempts to place the curriculum concepts in order of increasing difficulty. Occupational…

A Metasynthesis of the Complementarity of Culturally Responsive and Inquiry-Based Science Education in K-12 Settings: Implications for Advancing Equitable Science Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Julie C.

2017-01-01

Employing metasynthesis as a method, this study examined 52 empirical articles on culturally relevant and responsive science education in K-12 settings to determine the nature and scope of complementarity between culturally responsive and inquiry-based science practices (i.e., science and engineering practices identified in the National Research…

Connecting Cultures & Classrooms. K-12 Curriculum Guide: Language Arts, Science, Social Studies. Indian Education for All

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Sandra J., Ed.

2006-01-01

This curriculum guide is but one of the resources that the Montana Office of Public Instruction is providing to help teachers implement Indian Education for All. The philosophy of this document promotes the use of Indian literature as an instructional tool. There are no textbooks presently for including aspects of Montana Indian cultures into the…

Children's Literature and the Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ediger, Marlow

2010-01-01

A quality children's literature program needs to be correlated with ongoing science lessons and units of study. It can enhance and enrich the science curriculum. Pupils tend to enjoy reading library books and the the literature may assist pupils to explore topics in greater depth. In addition to science experiments, demonstrations, and…

Improving the Science Curriculum with Bioethics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lundmark, Cathy

2002-01-01

Explains the importance of integrating bioethics into the science curriculum for student learning. Introduces a workshop designed for middle and high school science teachers teaching bioethics, its application to case studies, and how teachers can fit bioethics into their classroom. (YDS)

Fostering K-12 Inquiry-based Lesson Development on Regional Water Resource Issues in Los Angeles Urban Schools through the NSF UCLA SEE-LA GK-12 program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogue, T. S.; Burke, M. P.; Thulsirag, V.; Daniel, J.; Moldwin, M.; Nonacs, P.

2010-12-01

A National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K- 12 Education program at UCLA (SEE-LA; http://measure.igpp.ucla.edu/GK12-SEE-LA/ ) partners UCLA faculty and graduate students (fellows) with urban middle and high school science teachers and their students to foster programs of science and engineering exploration that bring the environment of Los Angeles into the classroom. UCLA graduate fellows serve as scientists-in-residence at four partner schools to integrate inquiry-based science lessons, facilitate advancements in science content teaching, and ultimately, to improve their own science communication skills. As part of their fellowship, graduate students are required to develop inquiry-based lessons in their partner classroom. During the first two years of the project, the SEE-LA fellows have developed a range of inquiry-based activities, from invertebrate observations in an urban stream system, to water and home energy consumption surveys, to a school biodiversity investigation, to a school-wide alternative energy fair, to engineering the cleanup of environmental disasters, such as the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Several of the current fellows have dissertation research in water resource related fields and are specifically integrating lessons specific to their research into their partner classrooms, including urban stream water quality, post-fire watershed behavior, beach water quality assessment and E. coli source tracking. This presentation will provide an overview of goals of the SEE-LA GK-12 program, development of inquiry-based water resource lessons and resulting engagement in the partner classrooms. University and local pre-college school partnerships provide an excellent opportunity to support the development of graduate student communication and teaching skills while also contributing significantly to the integration of science education into K-12 curriculum.

K-12 Bolsters Ties to Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robelen, Erik W.

2013-01-01

When science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education is discussed in the K-12 sphere, it often seems like shorthand for mathematics and science, with perhaps a nod to technology and even less, if any, real attention to engineering. But recent developments signal that the "e" in STEM may be gaining a firmer foothold at…

Project BioEYES: Accessible Student-Driven Science for K-12 Students and Teachers.

PubMed

Shuda, Jamie R; Butler, Valerie G; Vary, Robert; Farber, Steven A

2016-11-01

BioEYES, a nonprofit outreach program using zebrafish to excite and educate K-12 students about science and how to think and act like scientists, has been integrated into hundreds of under-resourced schools since 2002. During the week-long experiments, students raise zebrafish embryos to learn principles of development and genetics. We have analyzed 19,463 participating students' pre- and post-tests within the program to examine their learning growth and attitude changes towards science. We found that at all grade levels, BioEYES effectively increased students' content knowledge and produced favorable shifts in students' attitudes about science. These outcomes were especially pronounced in younger students. Having served over 100,000 students, we find that our method for providing student-centered experiences and developing long-term partnerships with teachers is essential for the growth and sustainability of outreach and school collaborations.

Navajo Materials For Classroom Use: K-12 Curriculum Directory (Preliminary Edition).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Gene, Comp.; And Others

Compiled as part of Title IV-B Materials Development Project at Rough Rock Demonstration School, the bibliography attempts to address: (1) what Navajo-based materials already exist and are available; (2) where Navajo curriculum development is currently taking place; and (3) what needs exist at the present stage of Navajo curriculum development.…

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) as a Means for School-Based Science Curriculum Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Browne, Christi L.

The challenge of school-based science curriculum change and educational reform is often presented to science teachers and departments who are not necessarily prepared for the complexity of considerations that change movements require. The development of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) focused on a science department's curriculum change efforts, may provide the necessary tools to foster sustainable school-based curriculum science changes. This research presents a case study of an evolving science department PLC consisting of 10 middle school science teachers from the same middle school and their efforts of school-based science curriculum change. A transformative mixed model case study with qualitative data and deepened by quantitative analysis, was chosen to guide the investigation. Collected data worked to document the essential developmental steps, the occurrence and frequency of the five essential dimensions of successful PLCs, and the influences the science department PLC had on the middle school science department's progression through school-based science curriculum change, and the barriers, struggles and inhibiting actions of the science department PLC. Findings indicated that a science department PLC was unique in that it allowed for a focal science departmental lens of science curriculum change to be applied to the structure and function of the PLC and therefore the process, proceedings, and results were directly aligned to and driven by the science department. The science PLC, while logically difficult to set-up and maintain, became a professional science forum where the middle school science teachers were exposed to new science teaching and learning knowledge, explored new science standards, discussed effects on student science learning, designed and critically analyzed science curriculum change application. Conclusions resulted in the science department PLC as an identified tool providing the ability for science departmental actions to lead to

Elementary Science Curriculum, Grade 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoneham Public Schools, MA.

This is one of a set of curriculum guides for the Stoneham Elementary School Science Program (see SE 012 153 - SE 012 158). Each guide contains a chart illustrating the scope and sequence of the physical, life, and earth sciences introduced at each grade level. For each of the topics introduced at this grade level an overview of the topic, a list…

Elementary Science Curriculum, Grade 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoneham Public Schools, MA.

This is one of a set of curriculum guides for the Stoneham Elementary School Science Program (see SE 012 153 - SE 012 158). Each guide contains a chart illustrating the scope and sequence of the physical, life, and earth sciences introduced at each grade level. For each of the topics introduced at this grade level an overview of the topic, a list…

Small Schools Social Studies Curriculum, K-3: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies. Scope Objectives, Activities, Resources, Monitoring Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Small schools will find this social studies curriculum guide for grades K-3 helpful in complying with Washington state education laws that require districts to identify student learning objectives and evaluate each student's performance relative to the attainment of the objectives. This curriculum, developed during 1975 and 1976 by teachers and…

Questioning the Fidelity of the "Next Generation Science Standards" for Astronomy and Space Sciences Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slater, Stephanie J.; Slater, Timothy F.

2015-01-01

Although the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are not federally mandated national standards or performance expectations for K-12 schools in the United States, they stand poised to become a de facto national science and education policy, as state governments, publishers of curriculum materials, and assessment providers across the country…

Measuring Science Curriculum Improvement Study Teachers' Attitudinal Changes Toward Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hovey, Larry Michael

Investigated were three questions related to the relationship between a science teacher's attitude regarding the use of a newer science program, in this instance the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS): (1) Could the Projective Tests of Attitudes, originally designed for fifth-grade students, be modified for use with adults? (2) Is there a…

Linking ice core and climate research to the K-12 and broader community in Denali National Park, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, S. W.; Williams, K.; Marston, L.; Kreutz, K. J.; Osterberg, E. C.; Wake, C. P.

2013-12-01

For the past six years, a multi-institution effort has undertaken a broad glaciological and climate research project in Denali National Park. Most recently, two ~208 m long surface to bedrock ice cores were recovered from the Mt. Hunter plateau with supporting geophysical and weather data collected. Twenty two individuals have participated in the field program providing thousands of person-hours towards completing our research goals. Technical and scientific results have been disseminated to the broader scientific community through dozens of professional presentations and six peer-reviewed publications. In addition, we have pursued the development of interactive computer applications that use our results for educational purposes, publically available fact sheets through Denali National Park, and most recently, with assistance from PolarTREC and other affiliations, the development of a children's book and roll-out of K-8 science curriculum based on this project. The K-8 curriculum will provide students with an opportunity to use real scientific data to meet their educational requirements through alternative, interactive, and exciting methods relative to more standard educational programs. Herein, we present examples of this diverse approach towards incorporating polar research into K-12 STEM classrooms.

Teachers' sense-making of curriculum structures and its impact on the implementation of an innovative reform-based science curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beckford-Smart, Meredith

This study discusses the social interactions involved in teachers' enactment and use of new science curricula. The teachers studied participated in the LiFE program, a university-school partnership, which is an inquiry based science and nutrition education program. In this program fifth and sixth grade students learned science through the study of food. The program used the study of food and food systems to teach life sciences and nutrition through inquiry based studies. Through the partnership teachers received professional development which aimed to deepen their conceptual understandings of life science and develop skills in implementing inquiry-base teaching. Using qualitative research methods of ethnography and narrative inquiry to study teachers' sense-making of messages from curriculum structures, the intention was to explore how teachers' sense-making of these structures guided their classroom practices. Two research questions were addressed: (a) How do teachers make sense of curriculum given their perceptions, their school context and their curricular context; (b) What influence do their identities as science teachers/learners have on their enactment of an innovative science curriculum. I used comparative analysis to examine teacher's beliefs and identities as teachers/learners. In the process of studying these teachers an understanding of how teachers' stories and identities shape their use and enactment of science curriculum came to light. The initial analysis revealed four distinct teacher identities: (a) social responsibility teacher/learner; (b) experiential teacher/learner; (c) supportive institution teacher/learner; and (d) turning point teacher. Besides these distinct teacher identities three cross cutting themes emerged: (a) creating environments conducive to their teaching visions; (b) empowering student through science teaching; and (c) dealing with the uncertainty of teaching. The information gathered from this study will illuminate how these

Teacher Directed Design: Content Knowledge, Pedagogy and Assessment under the Nevada K-12 Real-Time Seismic Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cantrell, P.; Ewing-Taylor, J.; Crippen, K. J.; Smith, K. D.; Snelson, C. M.

2004-12-01

Education professionals and seismologists under the emerging SUN (Shaking Up Nevada) program are leveraging the existing infrastructure of the real-time Nevada K-12 Seismic Network to provide a unique inquiry based science experience for teachers. The concept and effort are driven by teacher needs and emphasize rigorous content knowledge acquisition coupled with the translation of that knowledge into an integrated seismology based earth sciences curriculum development process. We are developing a pedagogical framework, graduate level coursework, and materials to initiate the SUN model for teacher professional development in an effort to integrate the research benefits of real-time seismic data with science education needs in Nevada. A component of SUN is to evaluate teacher acquisition of qualified seismological and earth science information and pedagogy both in workshops and in the classroom and to assess the impact on student achievement. SUN's mission is to positively impact earth science education practices. With the upcoming EarthScope initiative, the program is timely and will incorporate EarthScope real-time seismic data (USArray) and educational materials in graduate course materials and teacher development programs. A number of schools in Nevada are contributing real-time data from both inexpensive and high-quality seismographs that are integrated with Nevada regional seismic network operations as well as the IRIS DMC. A powerful and unique component of the Nevada technology model is that schools can receive "stable" continuous live data feeds from 100's seismograph stations in Nevada, California and world (including live data from Earthworm systems and the IRIS DMC BUD - Buffer of Uniform Data). Students and teachers see their own networked seismograph station within a global context, as participants in regional and global monitoring. The robust real-time Internet communications protocols invoked in the Nevada network provide for local data acquisition

Integrating local environmental research into K-12 science classrooms and the value of graduate student-educator partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, N. D.; Petrik-Finley, R.

2015-12-01

Collaboration between researchers and K-12 educators enables an invaluable exchange of teaching philosophies and educational tools. Programs that partner graduate students with K-12 educators serve the dual purpose of training future educators and providing K-12 students with unique opportunities and perspectives. The benefits of this type of partnership include providing students with enhanced educational experiences and positive student-mentor relationships, training STEM graduate students in effective teaching strategies, and providing teachers with a firsthand resource for scientific information and novel educational materials. Many high school students have had little exposure to science beyond the classroom. Frequent interactions with "real-life" scientists can help make science more approachable and is an effective strategy for promoting science as a career. Here I describe my experiences and several lessons designed as a NSK GK-12 fellow. For example, a month-long unit on biogeochemical principles was framed as a crime scene investigation of a fish kill event in Hood Canal, Washington, in which students were given additional pieces of evidence to solve the mystery as they satisfied checkpoints in their understanding of key concepts. The evidence pieces included scientific plots, maps, datasets, and laboratory exercises. A clear benefit of this investigation-style unit is that students were able to learn the material at their individual pace. This structure allowed for a streamlined integration of differentiated materials such as simplified background readings or visual learning aids for struggling students or more detailed news articles and primary literature for more advanced students. Although the NSF GK-12 program has been archived, educators and researchers should pursue new partnerships, leveraging local and state-level STEM outreach programs with the goal of increasing national exposure of the societal benefits of such synergistic activities.

An Undergraduate Computer Science Curriculum for the Hearing Impaired.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perkins, A. Louise

1995-01-01

Presents an example section from a computer-science-integrated curriculum that was originally based on the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) 1978 curriculum. The curriculum was designed to allow both instructors and students to move away from teaching and learning facts. (DDR)

Alabama Course of Study: Humanities, K-12. Bulletin 1983, No. 16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Dept. of Education, Montgomery.

A scope and sequence for incorporating humanities into the existing K-12 curriculum contains 8 sections. Following an introduction, the first section outlines characteristics of an effective humanities program. The second and third sections contain teacher and student objectives for a humanities program, minimum requirements, and alternatives for…

Guidelines for Science Curriculum in Washington Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duxbury, Alyn, Ed.

This document contains guidelines for science curriculum in Washington State schools. Statements of philosophy and program goals are presented and explained. Four major program goals (which address societal demands) operationally describe science education toward the learning of: (1) factual and theoretical knowledge; (2) applied science skills;…

Elementary Integrated Curriculum Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montgomery County Public Schools, 2010

2010-01-01

The Elementary Integrated Curriculum (EIC) Framework is the guiding curriculum document for the Elementary Integrated Curriculum and represents the elementary portion of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools (MCPS) Pre-K-12 Curriculum Frameworks. The EIC Framework contains the detailed indicators and objectives that describe what…

Teaching and Learning about Complex Systems in K-12 Science Education: A Review of Empirical Studies 1995-2015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoon, Susan A.; Goh, Sao-Ee; Park, Miyoung

2018-01-01

The study of complex systems has been highlighted in recent science education policy in the United States and has been the subject of important real-world scientific investigation. Because of this, research on complex systems in K-12 science education has shown a marked increase over the past two decades. In this systematic review, we analyzed 75…

Examining the Impact of Using the Science Writing Heuristic Approach in Learning Science: A Cluster Randomized Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hand, Brian; Therrien, William; Shelley, Mack

2013-01-01

The U.S. began a new national standards movement in the area of K-12 science education curriculum reform in the 1980s known as "Science for All" to develop a population that is literate in economic and democratic agendas for a global market focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) (Duschl, 2008). The National…

Linking Science and Statistics: Curriculum Expectations in Three Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Jane M.

2017-01-01

This paper focuses on the curriculum links between statistics and science that teachers need to understand and apply in order to be effective teachers of the two fields of study. Meaningful statistics does not exist without context and science is the context for this paper. Although curriculum documents differ from country to country, this paper…

Broadening Educational Horizons: The National Science Foundation GK-12 Teaching Fellowship Program at the University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, K. R.; Kelley, J. T.

2005-12-01

The future of meaningful scientific research in the United States depends heavily upon the quality of the science and mathematics education received by students in our grade K-12 education system. The National Science Foundation's GK-12 Teaching Fellowship Program provides opportunities for scientific enrichment for students and their teachers at the K-12 level. Currently in its fifth year at the University of Maine, Orono, the program is one of over 100 such programs in the country. Last year, the program was honored by the New England Board of Higher Education with a Regional Award for Excellence in Project Achievement. The program has three broad goals: to enrich the scientific education of students by providing equipment, role models, and expertise that they may not otherwise be exposed; to provide professional development for teachers through curriculum enrichment and participation at scientific conferences; and to improve the teaching and communication skills of fellows. Fellows represent a broad spectrum of research interests at the University of Maine, including Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Forestry, Geological Sciences, and Marine Science. This past year, 13 graduate students and 1 undergraduate student worked with 52 teachers and 2300 students in 26 schools across the state of Maine. The benefits of this program are tangible and substantial. New awareness of the innovative ways that K-12 and University education systems can work together to promote hands-on science and the scientific method, is one of the major contributions of the NSF GK-12 Teaching Fellowship Program.

Secondary School Curriculum Guide: Business: Grades 9-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cranston School Dept., RI.

The Cranston Secondary School Curriculum Guide (9-12) for Business Education is intended to serve as a resource for teachers, students, department chairman, guidance personnel, curriculum planners, and others involved in present or future curriculum planning. At least one broadly stated major objective is provided for each section, encompassing…

How to Implement Rigorous Computer Science Education in K-12 Schools? Some Answers and Many Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubwieser, Peter; Armoni, Michal; Giannakos, Michail N.

2015-01-01

Aiming to collect various concepts, approaches, and strategies for improving computer science education in K-12 schools, we edited this second special issue of the "ACM TOCE" journal. Our intention was to collect a set of case studies from different countries that would describe all relevant aspects of specific implementations of…

The Impact of Science Integrated Curriculum Supplements on Early Childhood Teachers' Attitudes and Beliefs towards Science while In-Service: A Multiple Case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Kellian L.

Science at the early childhood level has been rarely taught as a single subject or integrated into the curriculum. One reason why early childhood educators avoid teaching science are their attitudes, beliefs, and lack of understanding scientific concepts as presented in traditional science curriculums. The intervention used by researchers for improving beliefs and attitudes in K-6 pre-service teachers towards teaching science in early childhood has been science method courses. For in service teachers, the intervention has been professional development workshops, seminars, and symposiums. Though these interventions have had a positive impact on teachers' attitudes and beliefs toward teaching science, the interventions have not necessarily guaranteed more science being taught in the preschool classroom. The specific problem investigated for this study was how to improve the interventions designed to improve preschool teachers' attitudes and beliefs so that they would feel more confident in teaching science to young children. The purpose of this study was to examine how implementing a one-week science integrated curriculum supplement could be an effective tool for improving preschool teachers' attitudes and beliefs toward teaching science. This study utilized the qualitative multiple case study research method. A logical model was created based on negative teacher attitudes and beliefs attributes that were the core components of the Preschool Teachers' Attitudes and Beliefs toward Science teaching (P-TABS) questionnaire. The negative attributes were paired with positive interventions and encapsulated in a one-week science integrated curriculum supplement based on the factors of teacher comfort, child benefit and challenges. The primary source of evidence for this study was the semi-structured interview. The researcher contacted 24 early childhood facilities, 44 emails were sent to preschool teachers, four teachers agreed to participate in the study. The results of the

Mathematics and Science across the Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thorson, Annette, Ed.

2002-01-01

This issue, intended for classroom teachers, provides a collection of essays organized around the theme of mathematics and science across the curriculum as well as a guide to instructional materials related to the theme. Topics addressed in the essays include experiencing mathematics through nature; connecting science, fiction, and real life;…

The SERC K12 Educators Portal to Teaching Activities and Pedagogic Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, K.; Kirk, K. B.; Manduca, C. A.; Ledley, T. S.; Schmitt, L.

2013-12-01

The Science Education Resource Center (SERC) has created a portal to information for K12 educators to provide high-quality grade level appropriate materials from a wide variety of projects and topics. These materials were compiled across the SERC site, showcasing materials that were created for, or easily adaptable to, K12 classrooms. This resource will help support implementation of Next Generation Science Standards by assisting educators in finding innovative resources to address areas of instruction that are conceptually different than previous national and state science standards. Specifically, the K12 portal assists educators in learning about approaches that address the cross-cutting nature of science concepts, increasing students quantitative reasoning and numeracy skills, incorporating technology such as GIS in the classroom, and by assisting educators of all levels of K12 instruction in using relevant and meaningful ways to teach science concepts. The K12 portal supports educators by providing access to hundreds of teaching activities covering a wide array of science topics and grade levels many of which have been rigorously reviewed for pedagogic quality and scientific accuracy. The portal also provides access to web pages that enhance teaching practices that help increase student's system thinking skills, make lectures interactive, assist instructors in conducting safe and effective indoor and outdoor labs, providing support for teaching energy and climate literacy principles, assisting educators in addressing controversial content, provide guidance in engaging students affective domain, and provides a collection of tools for making teaching relevant in 21st century classrooms including using GIS, Google Earth, videos, visualizations and simulations to model and describe scientific concepts. The portal also provides access to material for specific content and audiences by (1) Supporting AGIs 'Map your World' week to specifically highlight teaching

K-12 Students Flock To ToxTown In San Diego: Results of an SOT K-12 Education Outreach Workshop

EPA Science Inventory

Just prior to the start of the 2015 Annual Meeting in San Diego, hundreds of K-12 students, teachers, and science enthusiasts visited the ToxTown booth at the annual San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering grand finale event, EXPO Day. Over 20,000 attendees participated in ...

Child Passenger Safety: A Pilot Test of a K-6 Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Livia K.; And Others

A Car Passenger Safety Curriculum was developed for Grades K-6 and pilot tested in 10 elementary schools. Five schools served as treatment schools, five as comparison schools. The curriculum included materials at K-1, 2-3, and 4-6 grade levels. Observations were made of belt usage by students, and knowledge tests were administered to students…

Developing a Culturally Sensitive Curriculum: Teaching Native American Children about Psychological and Behavioral Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warzak, William J.; Dogan, Rebecca K.; Godfrey, Maurice

2011-01-01

The SEPA (Science Education Partnership Award) is a NIH (National Institutes of Health) program to provide science education to children K-12. In 2009, the NIH provided a supplement to develop a curriculum to inform students about factors that affect the mental health of native Americans. The goal of the current project was to develop a behavioral…

Engaging Scientists in K-12 Professional Development and Curriculum Development in the Context of Alaska's Large Marine Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sigman, M.; Anderson, A.; Deans, N. L.; Dublin, R.; Dugan, D.; Matsumoto, G. I.; Warburton, J.

2012-12-01

Alaska marine ecosystem-based professional development workshops have proven to be a robust context for engaging scientists from a variety of disciplines in overcoming barriers to communication and collaboration among scientists and educators. Scientists came away from scientist-teacher workshops with effective K-12 outreach strategies as well as a deeper understanding about how to contribute meaningfully to K-12 education. The establishment of the Alaskan Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE-AK) in 2009 was the catalyst for a series of professional development workshops related to the North Pacific Research Board's (NPRB) marine focus areas (Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands, Gulf of Alaska, and Arctic Ocean) for Integrated Ecosystem Research Programs (IERPs). During 2010-2012, COSEE-AK and NPRB partnered with the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS), the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS), and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) to support a five-day professional development workshop focused on each ecosystem. The workshops brought together three types of participants: 1) Alaska-focused marine ecosystem scientists; 2) rural Alaskan teachers living within each ecosystem; and 3) teachers from outside Alaska who had research experiences with scientists in the ecosystem. Over the course of the workshops, we developed a workshop model with four objectives: 1) to increase the science content knowledge of educators and their ability to teach ecosystem science; 2) to provide the scientists an opportunity to have broader impacts from their research on educators and Alaska Native and rural students; 3) to increase the knowledge and skills of educator and scientist participants to provide effective learning experiences for K-12 students; and 4) to facilitate the collaborative development of lesson plans. A total of 28 scientists and 41 educators participated in the three workshops. The success of the workshop for the educators was

Surveys of Enacted Curriculum: Tools and Services to Assist Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blank, Rolf K.

2005-01-01

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) partnered with Andrew Porter and John Smithson of Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) to develop an advanced, in depth approach to collecting and reporting data on the "enacted curriculum" in K-12 math and science, i.e. the actual subject content and instructional practices experienced…

An Undergraduate Environmental Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gupta, Gian C.

1982-01-01

Describes a curriculum in Environmental Sciences adopted by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Includes lists of lower-level courses for the first two years, required courses, and recommended electives. Discusses cooperative education/on-the-job training component, implementation, and evaluation. (Author/JN)

K-12 Education in Germany: Curriculum and PISA 2015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atmacasoy, Abdullah

2017-01-01

Against the backdrop of PISA 2015 results, the aim of this study is to review basic structures of German education system by exploring curriculum development process, key features of each educational level and teacher education in order to grasp how Germany has amended her poor performance after PISA 2000 and persistently improved the quality of…

Horizontal integration of the basic sciences in the chiropractic curriculum.

PubMed

Ward, Kevin P

2010-01-01

Basic science curricula at most chiropractic colleges consist of courses (eg, general anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, etc) that are taught as stand-alone content domains. The lack of integration between basic science disciplines causes difficulties for students who need to understand how the parts function together as an integrated whole and apply this understanding to solving clinical problems. More horizontally integrated basic science curricula could be achieved by several means: integrated Part I National Board of Chiropractic Examiners questions, a broader education for future professors, an increased emphasis on integration within the current model, linked courses, and an integrated, thematic basic science curriculum. Horizontally integrating basic science curricula would require significant efforts from administrators, curriculum committees, and instructional faculty. Once in place this curriculum would promote more clinically relevant learning, improved learning outcomes, and superior vertical integration.

Horizontal Integration of the Basic Sciences in the Chiropractic Curriculum

PubMed Central

Ward, Kevin P.

2010-01-01

Basic science curricula at most chiropractic colleges consist of courses (eg, general anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, etc) that are taught as stand-alone content domains. The lack of integration between basic science disciplines causes difficulties for students who need to understand how the parts function together as an integrated whole and apply this understanding to solving clinical problems. More horizontally integrated basic science curricula could be achieved by several means: integrated Part I National Board of Chiropractic Examiners questions, a broader education for future professors, an increased emphasis on integration within the current model, linked courses, and an integrated, thematic basic science curriculum. Horizontally integrating basic science curricula would require significant efforts from administrators, curriculum committees, and instructional faculty. Once in place this curriculum would promote more clinically relevant learning, improved learning outcomes, and superior vertical integration. PMID:21048882

The All-Day Kindergarten and Pre-K Curriculum: A Dynamic-Themes Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fromberg, Doris Pronin

2011-01-01

Grounded in theory and research, "The All-Day Kindergarten and Pre-K Curriculum" provides an activity-based and classroom-proven curriculum for educators to consider as they plan and interact with pre-k and kindergarten children. Allowing young children the opportunities to become independent, caring, critical thinkers who feel comfortable asking…

Language games: Christian fundamentalism and the science curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freund, Cheryl J.

Eighty years after the Scope's Trial, the debate over evolution in the public school curriculum is alive and well. Historically, Christian fundamentalists, the chief opponents of evolution in the public schools, have used the court system to force policymakers, to adopt their ideology regarding evolution in the science curriculum. However, in recent decades their strategy has shifted from the courts to the local level, where they pressure teachers and school boards to include "alternate theories" and the alleged "flaws" and "inconsistencies" of evolution in the science curriculum. The purpose of this content analysis study was to answer the question: How do Christian fundamentalists employ rhetorical strategies to influence the science curriculum? The rhetorical content of several public legal and media documents resulting from a lawsuit filed against the Athens Public Schools by the American Center of Law and Justice were analyzed for the types of rhetorical strategies employed by the participants engaged in the scientific, legal, and public discourse communities. The study employed an analytical schema based on Ludwig Wittgenstein's theory of language games, Lawrence Prelli's theory of discourse communities, and Michael Apple's notion of constitutive and preference rules. Ultimately, this study revealed that adroit use of the constitutive and preference rules of the legal and public discourse communities allowed the school district to reframe the creation-evolution debate, thereby avoiding a public spectacle and ameliorating the power of creationist language to affect change in the science curriculum. In addition, the study reinforced the assertion that speakers enjoy the most persuasive power when they attend to the preference rules of the public discourse community.

Starting a Community-Wide Internet Turnkey Training Program for K-12 Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGrath, Beth; Baron, Joshua

Based on the work of the New Jersey Networking Infrastructure in Education (NJNIE) project, it has been demonstrated that thoughtful integration into the curriculum of Internet-based resources has enormous potential to improve teaching and learning. "The Alliance for Training K-12 Teachers in Instructional Technologies: A National…

Industrial Education Guide for Elementary and Secondary Program Development and Improvement in Industrial Arts, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Dakota State Div. of Elementary and Secondary Education, Pierre.

This guide for a model industrial arts curriculum for state and local planning has been designed for public school administrators and teachers who wish to establish an industrial arts curriculum in their school or would like to expand an existing one. Covering levels K-12, the guide first suggests a program by operational levels. It then outlines…

Science Curriculum Design: Views from a Psychological Framework.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linn, Marcia C.

It is now almost universally acknowledged that science education must be rejuvenated to serve the needs of American society. An emerging science of science education based on recent advances in psychological research could make this rejuvenation dramatic. Four aspects of psychological research relevant to science curriculum design are discussed:…

Science as the Center of a Coherent, Integrated Early Childhood Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

French, Lucia

2004-01-01

This article describes the ScienceStart! Curriculum, an early childhood curriculum that takes coherently organized science content as the hub of an integrated approach. ScienceStart! maps onto the typical preschool day and may be adapted for use in full-day or half-day preschool programs. It is designed to support the important developmental…

MICHIGAN SCIENCE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT. (TITLE SUPPLIED).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VAN DEVENTER, W.C.

REPORTED ARE THE RESULTS OF A CURRICULUM RESEARCH PROJECT OF THE MICHIGAN SCIENCE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT FOR USE IN TEACHING JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL UNIFIED SCIENCE. THE COMMITTEE USED PREVIOUS RESEARCH DATA, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF INSTRUCTION AND INQUIRY TRAINING, TO DEVELOP 13 UNITS INCLUDING 55 OPEN-ENDED LABORATORY…

An overview of conceptual understanding in science education curriculum in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widiyatmoko, A.; Shimizu, K.

2018-03-01

The purpose of this article is to discuss the term of “conceptual understanding” in science education curriculum in Indonesia. The implementation of 2013 Curriculum focuses on the acquisition of contextual knowledge in respective areas and environments. The curriculum seeks to develop students' evaluation skills in three areas: attitude, technical skills, and scientific knowledge. It is based on two layers of competencies: core and basic competencies. The core competencies in the curriculum 2013 represent the ability level to achieve the gradute competency standards of a students at each grade level. There are four mandatory core competencies for all educational levels and all subjects including science, which are spiritual, social, knowledge and skills competencies. In terms of knowledge competencies, conceptual understanding is an inseparable part of science concept since conceptual understanding is one of the basic competencies in science learning. This competency is a part of science graduation standard indicated in MoEC article number 20 in 2016. Therefore, conceptual understanding is needed by students for learning science successfully.

Ka Hana `Imi Na`auao: A Science Curriculum Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Napeahi, K.; Roberts, K. D.; Galloway, L. M.; Stodden, R. A.; Akuna, J.; Bruno, B.

2005-12-01

In antiquity, the first people to step foot on what are now known as the Hawaiian islands skillfully traversed the Pacific Ocean using celestial navigation and learned observations of scientific phenomena. Long before the Western world ventured beyond the horizon, Hawaiians had invented the chronometer, built aqueduct systems (awai) that continue to amaze modern engineers, and had preventive health systems as well as a comprehensive knowledge of medicinal plants (including antivirals) which only now are working their way through trials for use in modern pharmacopia. Yet, today, Native Hawaiians are severely underrepresented in science-related fields, reflecting (in part) a failure of the Western educational system to nurture the potential of these resourceful students, particularly the many "at-risk" students who are presently over-represented in special education. A curriculum which draws from and incorporates traditional Hawaiian values and knowledge is needed to reinforce links to the inquiry process which nurtured creative thinking during the renaissance of Polynesian history. The primary goal of the Ka Hana `Imi Na`auao Project (translation: `science` or `work in which you seek enlightenment, knowledge or wisdom`) is to increase the number of Native Hawaiian adults in science-related postsecondary education and employment fields. Working closely with Native Hawaiian cultural experts and our high school partners, we will develop and implement a culturally responsive 11th and 12th grade high school science curriculum, infused with math, literacy and technology readiness skills. Software and assistive technology will be used to adapt instruction to individual learners` reading levels, specific disabilities and learning styles. To ease the transition from secondary to post-secondary education, selected grade 12 students will participate in planned project activities that link high school experiences with college science-related programs of study. Ka Hana `Imi Na

Science and Technology Teachers' Views of Primary School Science and Technology Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildiz-Duban, Nil

2013-01-01

This phenomenographic study attempts to explicit science and technology teachers' views of primary school science and technology curriculum. Participants of the study were selected through opportunistic sampling and consisted of 30 science and technology teachers teaching in primary schools in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. Data were collected through an…

Curriculum optimization of College of Optical Science and Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaoping; Zheng, Zhenrong; Wang, Kaiwei; Zheng, Xiaodong; Ye, Song; Zhu, Yuhui

2017-08-01

The optimized curriculum of College of Optical Science and Engineering is accomplished at Zhejiang University, based on new trends from both research and industry. The curriculum includes general courses, foundation courses such as mathematics and physics, major core courses, laboratory courses and several module courses. Module courses include optical system designing, optical telecommunication, imaging and vision, electronics and computer science, optoelectronic sensing and metrology, optical mechanics and materials, basics and extension. These curricula reflect the direction of latest researches and relates closely with optoelectronics. Therefore, students may combine flexibly compulsory courses with elective courses, and establish the personalized curriculum of "optoelectronics + X", according to their individual strengths and preferences.

Aviation and Space Curriculum Guide K-3

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1992-01-01

The Alabama Aerospace Curriculum Guide is designed for teachers of grades K-3 who have little or no experience in the area of aviation or space. The purpose of this guide is to provide an array of aviation and space activities which may be used by te...

Small Schools Curriculum: Physical Education, K-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; Hartl, Doris, Ed.

The self-contained sections within the document (one for grades K-3, the other for grades 4-6) present objectives, activities, monitoring procedures and resources for the elementary physical education curriculum for Washington small school districts. Identical introductory materials describe the organization of Small Schools materials,…

Curriculum Design for Inquiry: Preservice Elementary Teachers' Mobilization and Adaptation of Science Curriculum Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forbes, Cory T.; Davis, Elizabeth A.

2010-01-01

Curriculum materials are crucial tools with which teachers engage students in science as inquiry. In order to use curriculum materials effectively, however, teachers must develop a robust capacity for pedagogical design, or the ability to mobilize a variety of personal and curricular resources to promote student learning. The purpose of this study…

Elementary Core Curriculum Standards: Levels K-3: Arts, Information Technology, Science, Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Health, Lifestyles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utah State Office of Education, Salt Lake City.

Utah's 1987 minimum course description standards for students in kindergarten through third grade are provided in the required core curriculum areas of arts, information technology, science, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and healthy lifestyles. For each curricular area a rationale is given, followed by a brief course description…

Inquiry in early years science teaching and learning: Curriculum design and the scientific story

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McMillan, Barbara Alexander

2001-07-01

Inquiry in school science, as conceived by the authors of the Common Framework of Science Learning Outcomes K--12, is dependent upon four areas of skills. These are the skills of initiating and planning, performing and recording, analysing and interpreting, and communication and teamwork that map onto what Hodson calls the five phases of scientific inquiry in school science: initiation, design and planning, performance, interpretation, and reporting and communicating. This study looked at initiation in a multiage (Grades 1--3) classroom, and the curriculum, design tools, and inquiry acts believed to be necessary precursors of design and planning phases whether the inquiry in which young children engage is archival or laboratory investigation. The curriculum was designed to build upon children's everyday biological knowledge and through a series of carefully organized lessons to help them to begin to build scientifically valid conceptual models in the area of animal life cycles. The lessons began with what is called benchmark-invention after the historical work of Robert Karplus and the contemporary work of Earl Hunt and Jim Minstrell. The introduction of a biological concept was followed by a series of exploration activities in which children were encouraged to apply the concept invented in the benchmark lesson. Enlargement followed. This was the instructional phase in which children were helped to establish scientifically valid relationships between the invented concept and other biological concepts. The pre-instruction and post-instruction interview data suggest that the enacted curriculum and sequence in which the biological knowledge was presented helped the nineteen children in the study to recognize the connections and regularities within the life cycles of the major groupings of animals, and to begin to build scientific biological conceptual models. It is, however, argued that everyday biology, in the form of the person analogy, acts as an obstacle to

Forensic Science Curriculum for High School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgess, Christiana J.

Over the last several decades, forensic science---the application of science to civil and criminal legal matters---has become of increasing popularity with the public. The range of disciplines within the field is immense, offering individuals the potential for a unique career, regardless of their specific interests or expertise. In response to this growth, many organizations, both public and private, have recognized the need to create forensic science programs that strive to maintain and enhance the quality of forensic science education. Unfortunately, most of the emphasis placed on developing these materials relates to post-secondary education, and creates a significant lack of forensic science educational materials available in the U.S., especially in Oklahoma. The purpose of this project was to create a high school curriculum that provides the foundation for building a broad, yet comprehensive, overview of the field of forensic science and its associated disciplines. The overall goal was to create and provide course materials to high school teachers in order to increase their knowledge of forensic science such that they are able to teach its disciplines effectively and with accuracy. The Forensic Science Curriculum for High School Students includes sample lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, and lab activities with step-by-step instructions.

NUCLEAR SCIENCE CURRICULUM PROJECT, PROJECT I, INSTRUCTIONAL SPECIFICATIONS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CAMAREN, JAMES

ON THE PREMISE THAT A KNOWLEDGE OF NUCLEAR SCIENCE IS ESSENTIAL FOR INTELLIGENT DECISION-MAKING REGARDING ITS USES, THE NUCLEAR SCIENCE CURRICULUM PROJECT WAS DEVELOPED. ITS OBJECTIVE IS TO PROVIDE A PROGRAM THAT CAN BE EFFECTIVELY USED IN SCIENCE CLASSES TO PROVIDE AN UNDERSTANDING OF NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ITS IMPACT ON SOCIETY. THOUGH TEACHER…

The Study of the Atmosphere in the Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Brian

1998-01-01

Seeks to justify the inclusion of meteorology within the science curriculum. Reflects upon the nature of science and some current issues in science education, and examines the reality of including meteorology within worldwide science curricula. Contains 37 references. (Author/DDR)

The Pursuit of Humanity: Curriculum Change in English School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donnelly, Jim; Ryder, Jim

2011-01-01

This paper is concerned with the recent history of science curriculum reform in England, though it traces these developments back to the mid-nineteenth century. It first reviews approaches to science in the curriculum until the mid-1960s, identifying the curricular settlement of the postwar years and the beginning of the so-called "swing from…

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES CURRICULUM STUDY NEWSLETTER.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MAYER, WILLIAM V.; AND OTHERS

RESEARCH STUDIES CONCERNED WITH THE APPROPRIATENESS AND EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE CURRICULUM STUDY (BSCS) MATERIALS ARE DESCRIBED IN THIS NEWSLETTER. BSCS TESTS WERE ANALYZED AND RELATED TO OTHER TESTING INSTRUMENTS USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE BSCS PROGRAMS. DATA COLLECTED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TEST NORMS WERE ALSO USED IN A…

A Needs Assessment for the Adoption of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in K-12 Education in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Karleah; Sithole, Alec; Kibirige, Joachim

2017-01-01

Since its inception, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) blue print has attracted interest from more than 40 states in the United States. The overall objective of these proposed changes is to align K-12 science education with current trends in technology and career needs. However, the assessment of teacher preparedness and classroom…

Mentoring BUGS: An Integrated Science and Technology Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrell, Pamela Esprivalo; Walker, Michelle; Hildreth, Bertina; Tyler-Wood, Tandra

2004-01-01

The current study describes an authentic learning experience designed to develop technology and science process skills through a carefully scaffolded curriculum using mealworms as a content focus. An individual mentor assigned to each 4th and 5th grade girl participating in the program delivered the curriculum. Results indicate mastery of science…

Bringing Data Science, Xinformatics and Semantic eScience into the Graduate Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fox, P.

2012-04-01

Committee on Information and Data (SCCID), features this excerpt from section 4.2.4 Data scientists and professionals: "An unfortunate state in the recognition of data science, is that there is a lack of appreciation of the need for a set of professional knowledge in skill in key areas, many of which have not been emphasized to date, e.g. professional approaches to the management of data over its lifecycle. As such, the effort required to be a data scientists is not valued sufficiently by the remainder of the scientific community." SCCID Recommendation 6 reads: "We recommend the development of education at university level in the new and vital field of data science. The curriculum included in appendix D can be used as a starting point for curriculum development. Appendix D. is entitled "Example curriculum for data science" and explicitly uses the "Curriculum for Data Science taught at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA" . This contribution will present relevant curriculum offerings at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. http://tw.rpi.edu/web/Courses

The Study of Literacy Reinforcement of Science Teachers in Implementing 2013 Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dewi, W. S.; Festiyed, F.; Hamdi, H.; Sari, S. Y.

2018-04-01

This research aims to study and collect data comprehensively, new and actual about science literacy to improve the ability of educators in implementing the 2013 Curriculum at Junior High School Padang Pariaman District. The specific benefit of this research is to give description and to know the problem of science literacy problem in interaction among teacher, curriculum, facilities and infrastructure, evaluation, learning technology and students. This study uses explorative in deep study approach, studying and collecting data comprehensively from the interaction of education process components (curriculum, educator, learner, facilities and infrastructure, learning media technology, and evaluation) that influence the science literacy. This research was conducted in the districts of Padang Pariaman consisting of 17 subdistricts and 84 junior high schools managed by the government and private. The sample of this research is science teachers of Padang Pariaman District with sampling technique is stratified random sampling. The instrument used in this study is a questionnaire to the respondents. Research questionnaire data are processed by percentage techniques (quantitative). The results of this study explain that the understanding of science teachers in Padang Pariaman District towards the implementation of 2013 Curriculum is still lacking. The science teachers of Padang Pariaman District have not understood the scientific approach and the effectiveness of 2013 Curriculum in shaping the character of the students. To improve the understanding of the implementation of Curriculum 2013, it is necessary to strengthen the literacy toward science teachers at the Junior High School level in Padang Pariaman District.

Designing a Science Curriculum Fit for Purpose

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Millar, Robin

2014-01-01

The science curriculum to age 16 should be judged on how well it meets the needs of students who progress to A-level science courses and those (a larger number) who do not. To address the diversity of students' interests and aspirations, we need a clear view of the purposes of science education rooted in a view of the purposes of education itself.…

Evaluation of an Environmental Science Laboratory Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berger, Toby Esther

The curriculum evaluated in this study is a series of innovative exercises offered as part of an introductory science course at Barnard College. It was hypothesized that students receiving the experimental treatment in the laboratory would show significant changes in cognitive achievement in environmental science and in their attitudes towards…

Curriculum for Excellence Science: Vision or Confusion?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Day, Stephen; Bryce, Tom

2013-01-01

Policy studies in science education do not have a particularly high profile. For science teachers, policy lurks in the background, somewhat disconnected from their normal classroom practice; for many, it is simply taken-for-granted. This paper analyses policy documents which have emerged from Curriculum for Excellence ("CfE") that impact…

Small Schools Student Learning Objectives, K-3: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Developed by primary teachers and elementary principals from small districts in Snohomish and Island counties in Washington, this handbook contains sequenced student learning objectives for grades K-3 in the curriculum areas of reading, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Each student learning objective is correlated to the…

Earth Science Education for the 21st Century: A Planning Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Geological Inst., Alexandria, VA.

In response to the growing national concern about precollege science education, this guide was developed to assist school administrators, curriculum planners, teachers, and scientists in incorporating earth science in K-12 science curricula. The guide is divided into four main sections that provide a framework for planning and implementing earth…

Grade 3 Science Curriculum Specifications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Curriculum Branch.

The specific content areas and objectives from which the Alberta, Canada, Grade 3 Science Achievement Test questions were derived are outlined in this bulletin. The document contains: (1) curriculum summary (providing a general listing of the process skills, psychomotor skills, attitudes, and subject matter covered at the grade 3 level); (2) a…

Surviving the Implementation of a New Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowe, Beverly; Appleton, Ken

2015-01-01

Queensland schools are currently teaching with the first National Curriculum for Australia. This new curriculum was one of a number of political responses to address the recurring low scores in literacy, mathematics, and science that continue to hold Australia in poor international rankings. Teachers have spent 2 years getting to know the new…

Health and Nutrition Curriculum. Informative and Fun for K-8!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Heart Savers Association, Omaha, NE.

This health and nutrition curriculum for students in grades K-8 teaches students good health habits in order to improve their quality of life. The curriculum consists of a series of activity sheets that offer entertaining and educational activities designed to motivate students to learn while they have fun. Each activity sheet contains a…

Teachers and Science Curriculum Materials: Where We Are and Where We Need to Go

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Elizabeth A.; Janssen, Fred J. J. M.; Van Driel, Jan H.

2016-01-01

Curriculum materials serve as a key conceptual tool for science teachers, and better understanding how science teachers use these tools could help to improve both curriculum design and theory related to teacher learning and decision-making. The authors review the literature on teachers and science curriculum materials. The review is organised…

Connecting with Teachers and Students through K-12 Outreach Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapman, Susan; Lindbo, David; Robinson, Clay

2014-05-01

The Soil Science Society of America has invested heavily in a significant outreach effort to reach teachers and students in the primary/secondary grades (K-12 grades in US/Canada) to raise awareness of soil as a critical resource. The SSSA K-12 committee has been charged with increasing interest and awareness of soil science as a scientific pursuit and career choice, and providing resources that integrate more information on soil science into biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science areas taught at multiple grade levels. Activities center around five main areas: assessment and standards, learning modules/lesson plans, website development, and books and materials, and partnership activities. Members (professionals and students) of SSSA are involved through committee participation, local events, materials review, and project development.

The Association between Preservice Elementary Teacher Animal Attitude and Likelihood of Animal Incorporation in Future Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagler, Ron

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the association between United States K-4 preservice teacher's attitudes toward specific animals and the likelihood that the preservice elementary teachers would incorporate these specific animals in their future science curriculum. A strong statistically significant association was found between the…

Scientific Participation at the Poles: K-12 Teachers in Polar Science for Careers and Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowley, S.; Warburton, J.

2012-12-01

PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded program in which K-12 teachers participate in hands-on field research experiences in the polar regions. PolarTREC highlights the importance of involving teachers in scientific research in regards to their careers as educators and their ability to engage students in the direct experience of science. To date, PolarTREC has placed over 90 teachers with research teams in the Arctic and Antarctic. Published results of our program evaluation quantify the effect of the field experience on the teachers' use of the real scientific process in the classroom, the improvement in science content taught in classrooms, and the use of non-fiction texts (real data and science papers) as primary learning tools for students. Teachers and students both report an increase of STEM literacy in the classroom content, confidence in science education, as well as a markedly broadened outlook of science as essential to their future. Research conducted with science teams affirms that they are achieving broader impacts when PolarTREC teachers are involved in their expeditions. Additionally, they reported that these teachers making vital contributions to the success of the scientific project.

An Exploratory Essay on Listening Instruction in the K-12 Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopper, Joanne E.

2007-01-01

Even though the importance of effective listening skills is well recognized and many K-12 language arts standards include listening skills, the amount of time devoted to the teaching of listening and the quality of instructional resources that will enable the effectiveness of teaching listening as a two-way communication process are in question.…

Encouraging Greater Student Inquiry Engagement in Science through Motivational Support by Online Scientist-Mentors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scogin, Stephen C.; Stuessy, Carol L.

2015-01-01

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) call for integrating knowledge and practice in learning experiences in K-12 science education. "PlantingScience" (PS), an ideal curriculum for use as an NGSS model, is a computer-mediated collaborative learning environment intertwining scientific inquiry, classroom instruction, and online…

A Teaching Guide and Experience Units K-12. Social Studies. Grade Four.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arapahoe County School District 6, Littleton, CO.

The unit experiences for the K-12 curriculum guide, including these for grade 4, are outlined in SO 001 139. These units initiate the study of geographic regions of the world. Emphasis in these area studies is placed on the regional topography, geographic factors, and people's economic, social, and cultural adjustment to their environment or…

Tobacco Education Curriculum: Kindergarten. Health Education: Substance Abuse Prevention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Christine K.; And Others

This teaching guide for a tobacco education curriculum at the kindergarten level is part of a coordinated K-12 educational support program for reducing smoking. It includes a tobacco curriculum matrix for grades K-12, sample teaching methods, concepts and objectives for grades K-3, and a resource materials list. The basic instructional concepts…

Food-based science curriculum yields gains in nutrition knowledge.

PubMed

Carraway-Stage, Virginia; Hovland, Jana; Showers, Carissa; Díaz, Sebastián; Duffrin, Melani W

2015-04-01

Students may be receiving less than an average of 4 hours of nutrition instruction per year. Integrating nutrition with other subject areas such as science may increase exposure to nutrition education, while supporting existing academics. During the 2009-2010 school year, researchers implemented the Food, Math, and Science Teaching Enhancement Resource (FoodMASTER) Intermediate (FMI) curriculum in 18 fourth-grade classrooms, whereas 16 classrooms served as comparison. FMI is a hands-on, integrative curriculum for children in grades 3-5 that uses food as a tool to teach mathematics and science. Researchers developed a 28-item multiple-choice questionnaire to assess students' nutrition knowledge in 6 content areas. Students were evaluated at baseline and post-intervention. Data were analyzed using independent t tests. Analysis of covariance was employed to control for differences at baseline when assessing the effectiveness of the FMI curriculum to increase nutrition knowledge. A significant improvement was observed in total nutrition knowledge at post-intervention (adjusting for baseline) between groups (F [1] = 128.95; p < .01) and in all content areas post-intervention. Findings from this study suggest teachers were successfully able to integrate science and nutrition to meet multiple academic standards. More specifically, results showed implementation of the integrative FMI curriculum effectively improved fourth-graders' nutrition knowledge compared with students not exposed to FMI. © 2015, American School Health Association.

Health Education Teacher Resource Handbook: A Practical Guide for K-12 Health Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahoney, Beverly Saxton, Ed.; Olsen, Larry K., Ed.

This handbook provides background information on the health curriculum, as well as current, comprehensive information on publications, standards, and special materials for K-12 health education. The manual begins with an introduction, by P. Bruce Uhrmacher, which provides an overview of the ideologies and philosophies that have affected curriculum…

A New Curriculum For a Lab-Based Course in Introductory Earth Science: the Combined Effort of a Regional University and Local Community Colleges in the North Cascades Olympic Science Partnership.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debari, S. M.; Bachmann, J.; Dougan, B.; Fackler-Adams, B.; Grupp, S.; Linneman, S.; Plake, T.; Smith, B.

2005-12-01

The North Cascades Olympic Science Partnership (NCOSP) is a partnership between Western Washington University, three local community colleges, the Northwest Indian College, and 29 K-12 school districts in western Washington State. One of the partnership goals is to improve the teaching and learning of science at the post-secondary level with specific emphasis on the training of future teachers. To this end, Western Washington University (WWU) joined with grass-roots efforts by local 2-year colleges to develop a yearlong science sequence that would directly impact pre-service elementary school teachers and other non-science majors. Students from these 2-year colleges who identify themselves as pre-service teachers go on to a teacher preparation program at WWU. The multi-year process of collaborative work among ~20 faculty from these institutions has produced three quarters of new curriculum in the sciences (including one quarter of Earth Science) that uses the pedagogical approach of Physics for Elementary Teachers (PET) (cpucips.sdsu/web/pet). Each of the science quarters utilizes the theme of the transfer of matter and energy. The Earth Science curriculum (transfer of matter and energy in Earth systems) is a quarter-long, lab-based course that emphasizes a metacognitive approach. The curriculum utilizes questioning, small group work, and small and large class discussions. Whiteboarding, or the process of sharing small-group ideas to a larger group, occupies a central theme in the curriculum. Students learn concepts by doing the lab activities, but the group discussions that promote discourse and questioning among students is a crucial tool in the sense-making and solidification of those concepts. The curriculum stands alone and does not require lectures by the instructors. The instructor's role is as a facilitator and questioner. The Earth Science curriculum is focused on only a few "Big Ideas" that the faculty developers identified in the planning stages. These

A Teaching Guide and Experience Units K-12. Social Studies. Grade One.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arapahoe County School District 6, Littleton, CO.

The unit experiences for the K-12 curriculum, including these for grade 1, were designed by the district staff to achieve a more comprehensive knowledge of the world in which we live; to develop the ability to think critically and creatively; to use inquiry and problem solving skills in human relations situations; to understand major social…

Where Can We Find Future K-12 Science and Math Teachers? A Search by Academic Year, Discipline, and Academic Performance Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moin, Laura J.; Dorfield, Jennifer K.; Schunn, Christian D.

2005-01-01

Responding to the increasing math and science teacher shortage in the United States, this study intended to determine which science, engineering, and math (SEM) majors during which years in their undergraduate education and from which academic performance levels are most interested in K-12 teaching. Results may aid policymakers and practitioners…

Practical Application of Research in Science Education (PARSE) -- A New Collaboration for K-12 Science Teacher Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwicker, Andrew; Lopez, Jose; Clayton, James

2008-11-01

A new collaboration between PPPL, St. Peter's College, the Liberty Science Center, and the Jersey City Public School District was formed in order to create a unique K-12 teacher professional development program. St. Peter's College, located in Jersey City, NJ, is a liberal arts college in an urban setting. The Liberty Science Center (LSC) is the largest education resource in the New Jersey-New York City region. The Jersey City School District has 28,000 students of which approximately 90% are from populations traditionally under-represented in science. The new program is centered upon topics surrounding energy and the environment. In the first year, beginning in 2009, 15-20 teachers will participate in a pilot course that includes hands-on research at PPPL and St. Peter's, the creation of new curricular materials, and pedagogical techniques. Scientists, master teachers, and education professors will teach the course. In subsequent years, the number of participants will be significantly expanded and the curricular material disseminated to other school districts. In addition, an outside evaluator will measure the educational outcome throughout the project.

The Mobile School Health Information Initiative: Creating and Sustaining a Free Curriculum for P-12 Staff to Find Credible Health Information.

PubMed

Olmstadt, William; Hansen, Judy; Engeszer, Robert J

2012-01-01

Three health sciences librarians created a curriculum to connect pre-school - grade 12 (P-12) personnel with credible health information. The course focuses on MedlinePlus® and KidsHealth.org®. They obtained external funding to deliver a revised curriculum for free throughout the metropolitan area. The funded portion of the project reached 93 people at 8 sites. Efforts to sustain the program beyond its funded cycle have reached another 33 people. Evaluations indicate the curriculum successfully equips staff to be health information champions within their schools. Participants report increased confidence locating credible health information. Written comments indicate both short-term gains and sustained use of the knowledge.

Arctic-Nesting Shorebirds: Curriculum for Grades K-12. [Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fish and Wildlife Service (Dept. of Interior), Anchorage, AK.

This teaching guide focuses on Arctic-nesting shorebirds. The format of each section consists of background information, student activities, observation and research ideas, and key words. Basic information on how to use this curriculum and seven sections devoted to different aspects of Arctic-nesting shorebird life are provided. Sections cover…

Cisco Networking Academy: Next-Generation Assessments and Their Implications for K-12 Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Meredith

2014-01-01

To illuminate the possibilities for next-generation assessments in K-12 schools, this case study profiles the Cisco Networking Academy, which creates comprehensive online training curriculum to teach networking skills. Since 1997, the Cisco Networking Academy has served more than five million high school and college students and now delivers…

Curriculum Orientations of Virtual Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singleton, Nicole Y.

2013-01-01

This study explored the curriculum orientation preferences of K-12 public school teachers who provided instruction in virtual settings (n = 47) in a midwestern state. Curriculum orientations were explored using a mixed-methods design. Quantitative assessments data revealed a pattern of curriculum orientations similar to teachers working in…

Achieving a coherent curriculum in second grade: Science as the organizer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park Rogers, Meredith A.

The purpose of this study was to examine how a team of four second grade teachers used their approach to teaching science as a means for designing and implementing a coherent curriculum. Within this study, curriculum coherency refers to making logical instructional connections that are both visible and explicit for students. A teacher using a common teaching strategy or critical thinking skills in such a way that the commonalities between subject areas are clearly demonstrated to students is one example of curriculum coherency. The research framework guiding this study was phenomenology; I used a case study method for data analysis. The primary data source was field notes gathered during 10 weeks of classroom observations. Secondary data sources included observations of team meetings, two sets of interviews with each of the four teachers, an interview with the school principal, and artifacts used and developed by the teachers. An analysis of the data led me to interpret the following findings: (1) the teachers viewed science as a tool to motivate their students to learn and believed in teaching science through an inquiry-based approach; (2) they described science inquiry as a process of thinking organized around questions, and saw their teaching role as shifting between guided and open classroom inquiry; (3) they taught all subjects using an inquiry-based approach, emphasized the process skills associated with doing scientific inquiry, and consistently used the language of the process skills throughout their instruction of all disciplines; (4) their team's collaborative approach played a significant role in achieving their vision of a coherent curriculum; the successfulness of their collaboration relied on the unique contributions of each member and her commitment to professional development. This study demonstrates how an inquiry-based science curriculum can provide educators with an effective model for designing and implementing a coherent curriculum. Furthermore

Curriculum Review: Standing Tall. Teaching Guides for Kindergarten to Grade 12 from the Giraffe Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuhmerker, Lisa

1994-01-01

Describes the development and content of teacher guides from The Giraffe Project, a social values and community service program. States that the teacher guides are available for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-9, and 10-12. Maintains that the materials would be appropriate for schools integrating a service component into the curriculum. (CFR)

Complementary Social Sciences Courses in the Alberta High School Curriculum: A Conceptual Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staszenski, Donna; Smits, Hans

2008-01-01

In keeping with Alberta Education's goals and responsibilities to develop and evaluate curriculum and to set standards and assess outcomes, the Ministry is reviewing the status and purpose of social sciences courses as part of the high school curriculum. The present social sciences curriculum was revised in 1985. As part of the social sciences…

Champions or Helpers: Leadership in Curriculum Reform in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Elizabeth D.; Bird, Fiona L.; Fyffe, Jeanette; Yench, Emma

2012-01-01

This study describes the perceptions of embedded teaching and learning leadership teams working on curriculum reform in science teaching departments. The teams combined a formally recognised leader, School Director of Learning and Teaching, with a project-based, more junior academic, Curriculum Fellow, to better leverage support for curriculum…

Disciplined knowledge: Differentiating and binding the elementary science curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, Michael Thomas

The purpose of this research was to investigate elementary science curriculum differentiation at two schools with widely divergent student demographics. Historically, elementary school students of ethnic-minority and low-socioeconomic backgrounds have not performed on traditional assessments of academic achievement and progress in science education at the same level as their White and more affluent peers. This inequality has long been of interest to the proponents of science education reform who are concerned with the ability of students to participate successfully in a democratic society and in the labor market. Differentiating the curriculum such that students, because of their socioeconomic, ethnic, or racial backgrounds, receive different knowledge, skills, and experiences is a key component of school activity that supports social inequality. Participants in the study included the teachers and students of four classrooms in two schools with student populations that differed in their socioeconomic and ethnic demographics. Qualitative research methods, including fieldnotes, audiorecordings, and interviews, were utilized to gather data. The collection and analysis of data were articulated in a developmental research process in which theories and interpretations were continuously constructed and tested for validity. The results of this research show that the science curricula at the two schools were different, with differences being understood in terms of the populations served. The particular form of differentiation observed in this study was closely correlated to elements of social discipline, knowledge segmentation and reconfiguration, time and pacing, control of bodies, and testing. The elementary science curriculum at the two schools differed in the formality and intensity with which the curriculum was constructed in adherence to these elements of discipline. Such differences cannot be understood in traditional terms as supporting White middle-class students

Testing the effect of a science-enhanced curriculum on the science achievement and agricultural competency of secondary agricultural education students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haynes, James Christopher

Scope and Method of Study. The purpose of this study was to determine if a science-enhanced curriculum produced by the Center for Agricultural and Environmental Research and Training (CAERT) taught in a secondary level animal science or horticulture course would improve students' understanding of selected scientific principles significantly, when compared to students who were instructed using a traditional curriculum. A secondary purpose was to determine the effect that the science-enhanced CAERT curriculum would have on students' agricultural knowledge when compared to students who were instructed using a traditional curriculum. The design of the study was ex post facto, causal comparative because no random assignment of the treatment group occurred. Findings and Conclusions. No statistically significant difference was found between the treatment and comparison groups regarding science achievement. However, the mean score of the treatment group was slightly larger than the comparison group indicating a slightly higher achievement level; a "Small" effect size (d = .16) for this difference was calculated. It was determined that a statistically significant difference (p < .05) existed in agriculture competency scores in animal science (p = .001) and horticulture (p = .000) as a result of the treatment. Moreover, this was considered to be a "very large" effect (d = 1.18) in animal science and a "large" effect (d = .92) in horticulture. When considering student achievement in science, this study found that the use of the science-enhanced CAERT curriculum did not result in a statistically significant increase (p < .05) in student performance as determined by the TerraNova3 science proficiency examination. However, students who were instructed using the CAERT curriculum scored better overall than those who were instructed using a "traditional" curriculum.

C-MORE Science Kits: Putting Technology in the Hands of K-12 Teachers and Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achilles, K.; Weersing, K.; Daniels, C.; Puniwai, N.; Matsuzaki, J.; Bruno, B. C.

2008-12-01

The Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE) is a NSF Science and Technology Center based at the University of Hawaii. The C-MORE education and outreach program offers a variety of resources and professional development opportunities for science educators, including online resources, participation in oceanography research cruises, teacher-training workshops, mini-grants to incorporate microbial oceanography-related content and activities into their classroom and, most recently, C- MORE science kits. C-MORE science kits provide hands-on classroom, field, and laboratory activities related to microbial oceanography for K-12 students. Each kit comes with complete materials and instructions, and is available free of charge to Hawaii's public school teachers. Several kits are available nationwide. C-MORE science kits cover a range of topics and technologies and are targeted at various grade levels. Here is a sampling of some available kits: 1) Marine Murder Mystery: The Case of the Missing Zooxanthellae. Students learn about the effect of climate change and other environmental threats on coral reef destruction through a murder-mystery experience. Participants also learn how to use DNA to identify a suspect. Grades levels: 3-8. 2) Statistical sampling. Students learn basic statistics through an exercise in random sampling, with applications to microbial oceanography. The laptops provided with this kit enable students to enter, analyze, and graph their data using EXCEL. Grades levels: 6-12. 3) Chlorophyll Lab. A research-quality fluorometer is used to measure the chlorophyll content in marine and freshwater systems. This enables students to compare biomass concentrations in samples collected from various locations. Grades levels: 9-12. 4) Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD). Students predict how certain variables (e.g., temperature, pressure, chlorophyll, oxygen) vary with depth. A CTD, attached to a laptop computer, is deployed into deep water

Science-based occupations and the science curriculum: Concepts of evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aikenhead, Glen S.

2005-03-01

What science-related knowledge is actually used by nurses in their day-to-day clinical reasoning when attending patients? The study investigated the knowledge-in-use of six acute-care nurses in a hospital surgical unit. It was found that the nurses mainly drew upon their professional knowledge of nursing and upon their procedural understanding that included a common core of concepts of evidence (concepts implicitly applied to the evaluation of data and the evaluation of evidence - the focus of this research). This core included validity triangulation, normalcy range, accuracy, and a general predilection for direct sensual access to a phenomenon over indirect machine-managed access. A cluster of emotion-related concepts of evidence (e.g. cultural sensitivity) was also discovered. These results add to a compendium of concepts of evidence published in the literature. Only a small proportion of nurses (one of the six nurses in the study) used canonical science content in their clinical reasoning, a result consistent with other research. This study also confirms earlier research on employees in science-rich workplaces in general, and on professional development programs for nurses specifically: canonical science content found in a typical science curriculum (e.g. high school physics) does not appear relevant to many nurses' knowledge-in-use. These findings support a curriculum policy that gives emphasis to students learning how to learn science content as required by an authentic everyday or workplace context, and to students learning concepts of evidence.

Incorporating climate change and technology into the science classroom: Lessons from my year as a GK-12 Fellow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abramoff, R. Z.

2012-12-01

Climate change is not included in the K-8 science standards in Massachusetts; as a result, students learn what climate is, but not how human activities affect it. Starting in 2010, Boston University launched the GK-12 GLACIER program, funded with 2.9M from the National Science Foundation. The purpose of the program is to incorporate the fundamentals of climate change into the K-12 curriculum, focusing on grades 5-8 when quantitative science enters the curriculum. Graduate students are partnered with teachers in Boston public schools for 10 hours a week of teaching with additional curriculum development. I will focus on the curriculum that I developed as a part of this program for the 5th grade science class at The Curley School in Jamaica Plain, MA, where I worked with Grades 3-5, ESL, and PACE autism program science teacher, Stephanie Selznick. The Curley School is an ethnically and economically diverse Boston public school with about 800 students and an 83% minority population. At the Curley, I taught two full days a week, meeting with all of the 5th grade classes and some of the 4th grade classes of all academic levels. The lessons that I created were designed to fit into the state standards and enrich student understanding plant ecology and earth science, as well as develop their capacity to design experiments and use technology. These include Question of the Day, Digital Field Guide to the Outdoor Classroom, Phototropism, Solar System Weather Report, Soil and Water, Local Landforms, and the Earth as a Closed System Unit for which materials and lesson plans are available on my website. Our secondary goals were to improve tech literacy at Curley. Due to funding restrictions, there were few technology resources available to the students at the beginning of the 2011/2012 school year. To improve technology resources at Curley, I organized a fundraiser at Boston University, selling donated items from graduate students and faculty; the 1000 raised was used to supply

Extending the Pathway: Building on a National Science Foundation Workforce Development Project for Underserved k-12 Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slattery, W.; Smith, T.

2014-12-01

With new career openings in the geosciences expected and a large number of presently employed geoscientists retiring in the next decade there is a critical need for a new cadre of geoscientists to fill these positions. A project funded by the National Science Foundation titled K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators and Higher Education Faculty: Partners Helping Rural Disadvantaged Students Stay on the Pathway to a Geoscience Career involving Wright State University and the Ripley, Lewis, Union, Huntington k-12 school district in Appalachian Ohio took led to dozens of seventh and eighth grade students traveling to Sandy Hook, New Jersey for a one week field experience to study oceanography with staff of the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium. Teachers, parent chaperones, administrators and university faculty accompanied the students in the field. Teachers worked alongside their students in targeted professional development during the weeklong field experience. During the two academic years of the project, both middle school and high school teachers received professional development in Earth system science so that all students, not just those that were on the summer field experience could receive enhanced science learning. All ninth grade high school students were given the opportunity to take a high school/college dual credit Earth system science course. Community outreach provided widespread knowledge of the project and interest among parents to have their children participate. In addition, ninth grade students raised money themselves to fund a trip to the International Field Studies Forfar Field Station on Andros Island, Bahamas to study a tropical aquatic system. Students who before this project had never traveled outside of Ohio are currently discussing ways that they can continue on the pathway to a geoscience career by applying for internships for the summer between their junior and senior years. These are positive steps towards taking charge of their

Leveraging Cognitive Science Underpinnings to Enhance NGSS Astronomy Concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Stephanie; Slater, Timothy F.

2014-06-01

National-scale science education reform efforts have been hampered by highly fragmented frameworks and standards that vary considerably from one state to the next. In an effort to improve the quality of science education across the nation’s K-12 schools, the 2013 Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have been designed to guide states in specifying the learning targets and performance expectations of all K-12 students. The NGSS is designed to reflect the 2011 Framework for K-12 Science Education developed by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. As teachers, curriculum developers, and assessment experts begin to implement the NGSS in specific geographical and socio-economic contexts, moving beyond an examination of common student misconceptions and reasoning difficulties to delineate the specific cognitive sources of those difficulties, and the specific interventions that can serve as countermeasures, should be a fruitful next step. While astronomy education researchers have already documented challenges in teaching system processes that operate with the space system, solar system, and interconnected Earth science systems, we are far from a thorough understanding of student thinking in astronomy. Many of these ideas can be better taught-and tested-by carefully examining the underlying cognitive science including learners’ difficulties with spatial thinking and the prescribed astronomy and space science concepts. The NGSS may prove to be useful as a framework for next steps in the cognitive science within astronomy, and this work may benefit from deliberate collaborations between education researchers, curriculum developers, and those who engage in teacher professional development.

K-12th Grade Math and Science Education: The View from the Blackboard. Hearing Before the Committee on Science, House of Representatives, 107th Congress, First Session (March 7, 2001).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House.

The hearing reported in this document focuses on mathematics and science education at the K-12 grade levels. The hearing includes the opening statements of Representative Sherwood Boehlert, Chairman, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives and Representative Ralph Hall, Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Science, U.S. House of…

A Teaching Guide and Experience Units K-12. Social Studies. Grade Six.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arapahoe County School District 6, Littleton, CO.

The unit experiences for the K-12 curriculum, including these for grade 6, are outlined in SO 001 139. These units include the study of the culture, history, geography, and economics of regions of Latin American and Canada. Again, the emphasis for both grade 5 and grade 6 is twofold: 1) to know his American heritage, as well as to become aware of…

Toward a Lived Science Curriculum in Intersecting Figured Worlds: An Exploration of Individual Meanings in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Price, Jeremy F.; McNeill, Katherine L.

2013-01-01

As knowledge of and familiarity with science becomes an increasingly important aspect of contemporary life and citizenship, efforts have been made to make the science curriculum a “lived” curriculum (Hurd, 2000), one that reaches out to the lives, communities, and experiences of students. In this research around a high school urban ecology…

Teacher Self-Efficacy during the Implementation of a Problem-Based Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodges, Charles B.; Gale, Jessica; Meng, Alicia

2016-01-01

This study was conducted to investigate eighth-grade science teachers' self-efficacy during the implementation of a new, problem-based science curriculum. The curriculum included applications of LEGO® robotics, a new technology for these teachers. Teachers' responded to structured journaling activities designed to collect information about their…

The Internet Resource Directory for K-12 Teachers and Librarians. 97/98 Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Elizabeth B.

This directory is the fourth in an annual series of Internet guides for educators, librarians, and school administrators, and provides tips on access to, as well as addresses for, online resources that support and enrich the K-12 curriculum and supplement the school library core collection. Sites that help educators develop professionally are also…

Tobacco Education Curriculum: Grade 3. Health Education: Substance Abuse Prevention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Christine K.; And Others

This teaching guide for a tobacco education curriculum at the third-grade level is a part of a coordinated K-12 educational support program for reducing smoking. It includes a tobacco curriculum matrix for grades K-12, sample teaching methods, concepts and objectives for grades K-3, and a resource materials list. The basic instructional concepts…

Tobacco Education Curriculum: Grade 1. Health Education: Substance Abuse Prevention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Christine K.; And Others

This teaching guide for a tobacco education curriculum at the first-grade level is a part of a coordinated K-12 educational support program for reducing smoking. It includes a tobacco curriculum matrix for grades K-12, sample teaching methods, concepts and objectives for grades K-3, and a resource materials list. The basic instructional concepts…

The Preparation of Teacher Candidates for K-12 Online Learning Environments: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Nicole V.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine how teacher education programs may better prepare teacher candidates to teach in K-12 online learning environments. The primary research question addressed was: What specific knowledge, skills, and dispositions should teacher education programs include in their curriculum to better prepare teacher…

The Mobile School Health Information Initiative: Creating and Sustaining a Free Curriculum for P-12 Staff to Find Credible Health Information

PubMed Central

Olmstadt, William; Hansen, Judy; Engeszer, Robert J.

2012-01-01

Three health sciences librarians created a curriculum to connect pre-school – grade 12 (P-12) personnel with credible health information. The course focuses on MedlinePlus® and KidsHealth.org®. They obtained external funding to deliver a revised curriculum for free throughout the metropolitan area. The funded portion of the project reached 93 people at 8 sites. Efforts to sustain the program beyond its funded cycle have reached another 33 people. Evaluations indicate the curriculum successfully equips staff to be health information champions within their schools. Participants report increased confidence locating credible health information. Written comments indicate both short-term gains and sustained use of the knowledge. PMID:23243394

Project Clarion: Three Years of Science Instruction in Title I Schools among K-Third Grade Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kyung Hee; VanTassel-Baska, Joyce; Bracken, Bruce A.; Feng, Annie; Stambaugh, Tamra; Bland, Lori

2012-10-01

The purpose of the study was to measure the effects of higher level, inquiry-based science curricula on students at primary level in Title I schools. Approximately 3,300 K-3 students from six schools were assigned to experimental or control classes ( N = 115 total) on a random basis according to class. Experimental students were exposed to concept-based science curriculum that emphasized `deep learning' though concept mastery and investigation, whereas control classes learned science from traditional school-based curricula. Two ability measures, the Bracken Basic Concept Scale-Revised (BBCS-R, Bracken 1998) and the Naglieri Nonverbal Intelligence Test (NNAT, Naglieri 1991), were used for baseline information. Additionally, a standardized measure of student achievement in science (the MAT-8 science subtest), a standardized measure of critical thinking, and a measure for observing teachers' classroom behaviors were used to assess learning outcomes. Results indicated that all ability groups of students benefited from the science inquiry-based approach to learning that emphasized science concepts, and that there was a positive achievement effect for low socio-economic young children who were exposed to such a curriculum.

Foundational Approaches in Science Teaching (FAST)--A Structured "Inquiry" Oriented Junior Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dekkers, John; Rouse, Fae

1977-01-01

Provides a detailed description of the three-year Foundational Approaches in Science Education curriculum developed at the University of Hawaii. The program utilizes a spiral approach with topics in ecology, physical science and relational study. Sample units and implementation suggestions are provided. (CP)

Specifying a curriculum for biopolitical critical literacy in science teacher education: exploring roles for science fiction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gough, Noel

2017-12-01

In this essay I suggest some ways in which science teacher educators in Western neoliberal economies might facilitate learners' development of a critical literacy concerning the social and cultural changes signified by the concept of biopolitics. I consider how such a biopolitically inflected critical literacy might find expression in a science teacher education curriculum and suggest a number of ways of materializing such a curriculum in specific literatures, media, procedures, and assessment tasks, with particular reference to the contributions of science fiction in popular media.

Small Schools Language Arts Curriculum, K-3: Scope, Objectives, Activities, Resources, Monitoring Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Designed to assist teachers in small schools with the improvement of curriculum and instruction and to help smaller districts that do not have curriculum personnel to comply with Washington's Student Learning Objectives (SLO) Law, this guide contains language arts curriculum materials for grades K-3. Learning objectives are correlated to the Goals…

A behavioral science/behavioral medicine core curriculum proposal for Japanese undergraduate medical education.

PubMed

Tsutsumi, Akizumi

2015-01-01

Behavioral science and behavioral medicine have not been systematically taught to Japanese undergraduate medical students. A working group under the auspices of Japanese Society of Behavioral Medicine developed an outcome-oriented curriculum of behavioral science/behavioral medicine through three processes: identifying the curriculum contents, holding a joint symposium with related societies, and defining outcomes and proposing a learning module. The behavioral science/behavioral medicine core curriculum consists of 11 units of lectures and four units of practical study. The working group plans to improve the current core curriculum by devising formative assessment methods so that students can learn and acquire attitude as well as the skills and knowledge necessary for student-centered clinical practice.

Science in Hawaii/Haawina Hoopapau: A Culturally Responsive Curriculum Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galloway, L. M.; Roberts, K.; Leake, D. W.; Stodden, R. S.; Crabbe, V.

2005-12-01

The marvels of modern science often fail to engage indigenous students, as the content and instructional style are usually rooted in the Western experience. This 3 year project, funded by the US Dept. of Education for the Education of Native Hawaiians, offers a curriculum that teaches science through (rather than just about) Native Hawaiian culture. The curriculum focuses on the interdependence of natural resources in our ahupuaa, or watersheds, and helps students strengthen their sense of place and self to malama i ka aina, to care for the land. Further, the curriculum is designed to: engage students in scientific study with relevant, interesting content and activities; improve student achievement of state department of education standards; increase student knowledge and skills in science, math and language arts; respond to the learning needs of Native Hawaiian and/or at-risk students. The project will be presented by a curriculum writer who created and adapted more than a year's worth of materials by teaming with kupuna (respected elders), local cultural experts and role models, educators (new, veteran, Hawaiian, non-Hawaiian, mainland, general and special education teachers), and professionals at the Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii and ALU LIKE, Inc, a non-profit organization to assist Native Hawaiians. The materials created thus far are available for viewing at: www.scihi.hawaii.edu The curriculum, designed for grades 8-11 science classes, can be used to teach a year-long course, a unit, or single lesson related to astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, geology, oceanography, physical and environmental sciences. This project is in its final year of field testing, polishing and dissemination, and therefore this session will encourage idea sharing, as does our copyright free Web site.

Aerospace Science Education, A Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilburn, Paul

This curriculum guide was developed by the Alaska State Department of Education for the purpose of aiding elementary and secondary school teachers in incorporating elements of aerospace science in the classroom. The section of the guide designed for elementary school teachers includes chapters under the headings: Aircraft, Airports, Weather,…

Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications (IITA) Program: Annual K-12 Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Paul; Likens, William; Leon, Mark

1995-01-01

The purpose of the K-12 workshop is to stimulate a cross pollination of inter-center activity and introduce the regional centers to curing edge K-1 activities. The format of the workshop consists of project presentations, working groups, and working group reports, all contained in a three day period. The agenda is aggressive and demanding. The K-12 Education Project is a multi-center activity managed by the Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications (IITA)/K-12 Project Office at the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). this workshop is conducted in support of executing the K-12 Education element of the IITA Project The IITA/K-12 Project funds activities that use the National Information Infrastructure (NII) (e.g., the Internet) to foster reform and restructuring in mathematics, science, computing, engineering, and technical education.

The Internet Resource Directory for K-12 Teachers and Librarians, 95/96 Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Elizabeth B.

This directory is the second in an annual series of Internet guides for educators and librarians, and provides tips on access to, as well as addresses for, online resources that support the K-12 curriculum and supplement school library core collections. The listings in the catalog are limited to free and frequently updated resources; over 300 new…

Virtual Fieldwork and Critical Zone Observatories as Vehicles for Teaching "Three Dimensional" (NGSS) Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duggan-Haas, D.; Ross, R. M.; Derry, L. A.; White, T.

2014-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) offers a vision for K-12 science education that has important differences from common and long-standing classroom practice in many ways. NGSS's three dimensions (Scientific and Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas), coupled with the recognition that it takes years to develop deep understandings of big ideas, do not mesh well with common K-12 (or K-16) teaching practices. NGSS also infuses systems and complexity into the K-12 curriculum. The Critical Zone lies between the bottom of the groundwater and the tops of the trees -- the layer of the Earth system where most life resides. Critical Zone Observatories (CZOs) are NSF-funded observatories in markedly varied ecosystems throughout the US, where interdisciplinary teams study the interplay of geological, biological, physical, and chemical sciences. The work being done in CZOs is three-dimensional science that is both deepening the scientific community's understandings of Earth systems and providing a cutting edge and highly relevant model for K-12 science education. Virtual Fieldwork Experiences (VFEs) are multi-media representations of actual field sites that are intended to mimic fieldwork by allowing for open-ended inquiry. The Paleontological Research Institution has developed tools and strategies to build VFEs of any site that use consistent formats, yet allow for inquiry to take multiple directions. Working together with CZO scientists, PRI staff are developing VFEs and accompanying curriculum materials for each CZO site. Ready-to-use VFEs act as models that teachers and students can use to create VFEs local to their schools. VFEs, like CZOs, facilitate use of interdisciplinary science to better understand the environment. A local VFE can be built up over time with contributions from students and teachers in middle school sciences, high school biology, Earth science, and environmental science -- classes where most curriculum

History of Science in the Physics Curriculum: A Directed Content Analysis of Historical Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seker, Hayati; Guney, Burcu G.

2012-05-01

Although history of science is a potential resource for instructional materials, teachers do not have a tendency to use historical materials in their lessons. Studies showed that instructional materials should be adaptable and consistent with curriculum. This study purports to examine the alignment between history of science and the curriculum in the light of the facilitator model on the use of history of science in science teaching, and to expose possible difficulties in preparing historical materials. For this purpose, qualitative content analysis method was employed. Codes and themes were defined beforehand, with respect to levels and their sublevels of the model. The analysis revealed several problems with the alignment of historical sources for the physics curriculum: limited information about scientists' personal lives, the difficulty of linking with content knowledge, the lack of emphasis on scientific process in the physics curriculum, differences between chronology and sequence of topics, the lack of information about scientists' reasoning. Based on the findings of the analysis, it would be difficult to use original historical sources; educators were needed to simplify historical knowledge within a pedagogical perspective. There is a need for historical sources, like Harvard Case Histories in Experimental Science, since appropriate historical information to the curriculum objectives can only be obtained by simplifying complex information at the origin. The curriculum should leave opportunities for educators interested in history of science, even historical sources provides legitimate amount of information for every concepts in the curriculum.

UPSeis - Visiting Seismographs for K-12 Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, S. R.; Len, S.; Pennington, W. D.

2004-12-01

Upper Peninsula Seismic Experiments in Schools (UPSeis) is an educational program developed to engage K-12 students in hands-on activities learning about earthquakes and Earth science. The system is intended to enhance teaching earth sciences to students, typically using teleseismic and regional earthquakes recorded directly in the classroom. This seismograph is computer-based and self-contained, requiring no hook-ups to the Internet or to advanced timing devices. It is easy to operate and relatively inexpensive to purchase. The UPSeis curriculum is designed so that a seismograph operates in a classroom for two or three months at a time, allowing the recording of at least 2 to 3 very large earthquakes somewhere in the world. The system comes with classroom activities, which are broken into several units, such as 'Seismic Waves', 'The UPSeis Technique' and 'Earthquake Hazards'. Within each unit, activities are rated for the appropriate grade level. All of the units have also been correlated to the Michigan Content Standards, and are easily adaptable to other state educational content standards as well. Our intention is to assist teachers and volunteers with bringing earth science into the classroom, by making it easier to obtain and operate seismographs. Ideally, a sponsor (University or Company) will pay for a system and any related costs. We further plan to train volunteers at conferences and meetings (such as AGU or SEG) in order to train them on a system and provide them with the knowledge required to assist teachers in the classroom. The volunteer would be available to come into the school and work with the teacher and students on some of the activities, particularly after they have recorded an earthquake. In addition, the volunteer would rotate their system between local area schools every 2 or 3 months. This allows teachers to use the system for a few months without the concern for maintenance of a permanent system. For schools interested in having a

Increasing participation in the Earth sciences through engagement of K-12 educators in Earth system science analysis, inquiry and problem- based learning and teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burrell, S.

2012-12-01

Given low course enrollment in geoscience courses, retention in undergraduate geoscience courses, and granting of BA and advanced degrees in the Earth sciences an effective strategy to increase participation in this field is necessary. In response, as K-12 education is a conduit to college education and the future workforce, Earth science education at the K-12 level was targeted with the development of teacher professional development around Earth system science, inquiry and problem-based learning. An NSF, NOAA and NASA funded effort through the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies led to the development of the Earth System Science Educational Alliance (ESSEA) and dissemination of interdisciplinary Earth science content modules accessible to the public and educators. These modules formed the basis for two teacher workshops, two graduate level courses for in-service teachers and two university course for undergraduate teacher candidates. Data from all three models will be presented with emphasis on the teacher workshop. Essential components of the workshop model include: teaching and modeling Earth system science analysis; teacher development of interdisciplinary, problem-based academic units for implementation in the classroom; teacher collaboration; daily workshop evaluations; classroom observations; follow-up collaborative meetings/think tanks; and the building of an on-line professional community for continued communication and exchange of best practices. Preliminary data indicate increased understanding of Earth system science, proficiency with Earth system science analysis, and renewed interest in innovative delivery of content amongst teachers. Teacher-participants reported increased student engagement in learning with the implementation of problem-based investigations in Earth science and Earth system science thinking in the classroom, however, increased enthusiasm of the teacher acted as a contributing factor. Teacher feedback on open

Computer Science (CS) in the Compulsory Education Curriculum: Implications for Future Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Passey, Don

2017-01-01

The subject of computer science (CS) and computer science education (CSE) has relatively recently arisen as a subject for inclusion within the compulsory school curriculum. Up to this present time, a major focus of technologies in the school curriculum has in many countries been on applications of existing technologies into subject practice (both…

Participation in a Multi-Institutional Curriculum Development Project Changed Science Faculty Knowledge and Beliefs about Teaching Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donovan, Deborah A.; Borda, Emily J.; Hanley, Daniel M.; Landel, Carolyn C.

2015-01-01

Despite significant pressure to reform science teaching and learning in K12 schools, and a concurrent call to reform undergraduate courses, higher education science content courses have remained relatively static. Higher education science faculty have few opportunities to explore research on how people learn, examine state or national science…

A model marine-science curriculum for fourth-grade pupils in Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulte, Philip James

This dissertation focused on the development of a model marine-science curriculum for fourth-grade pupils in the State of Florida. The curriculum was developed using grounded theory research method, including a component of data collected from an on-line survey administered to 106 professional educators and marine biologists. The results of the data collection and analysis showed a definitive necessity for teacher preparedness, multidisciplinary content, and inquiry-based science instruction. Further, three important factors emerged: (a) collaborative grouping increases achievement; (b) field excursions significantly impact student motivation; (c) standardized testing influences curriculum development. The curriculum is organized as an 11-day unit, with detailed lesson plans presented in standard curricular format and with all components correlated to the Florida State Educational Standards. The curriculum incorporates teacher preparation, multimedia presentations, computer-assisted instruction, scientific art appreciation, and replication as well as assessment factors. The curriculum addresses topics of ichthyology, marine animal identification, environmental conservation and protection, marine animal anatomy, water safety, environmental stewardship, and responsible angling techniques. The components of the curriculum were discussed with reference to the literature on which it was based and recommendations for future research were addressed.

The University Scientist's Role in Promoting Collaborative K-12 Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuster, D.; Brown, L. L.; Carlsen, W. S.

2004-12-01

Comprehensive K-12 science teacher professional development is dependent upon the successful interaction between the university and K-12 communities (National Research Council, 2001), which can be realized through partnerships between university scientists and K-12 science teachers. This paper will identify some best practices of university scientists in the professional development of science teachers, first by citing the professional development and science education literature (Loucks-Horsley, Hewson, Love, & Stiles, 1998; National Research Council, 1996a, 1996b), and then by highlighting how these best practices were actualized in summer workshops for science educators offered at Penn State. Each summer the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium supports seven one-week courses for secondary science teachers taught by university scientists from disciplines representative of NASA's research interests. Approximately 100 teachers enroll in these two-credit, graduate-level workshops from a variety of locations and contexts throughout the United States. These summer courses share a number of important features (duration, general format, teacher recruitment and admission, location, number of participants, etc.), making them a unique dataset for comparative research on science teacher professional development. By recognizing the role of university scientists relating to both practice and standards of professional development, we identify areas in which teachers could be empowered to lead and, alternatively, where scientists and administrators should improve and continue to direct-- both supporting a culture of collaboration that builds K-12 science teacher capacity (Fullan, 2001, 2003; Hawley & Valli, 1999). In our observations and analysis of the evaluations, three best practices, as defined by the literature, appeared to distinguish the exceptional workshops: First, teachers give high marks and make affirmative comments about workshops with clearly presented curricular

History and Social Science Curriculum Framework.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massachusetts State Dept. of Education, Boston.

This curriculum framework represents the first statewide guideline for learning, teaching, and assessment in history and social science for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts's public schools. The framework is based on sound research and effective practice and reflects a vision of how classrooms can and should look to assist all students to achieve…

Consumer Education in the Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kowalski, Stephen W.

In this monograph, the implementation of consumer education topics into the science curriculum of secondary schools is advocated. Not only is the need for such activities explained, but several suggested instructional topics are provided. One area of recommended study is that of product comparison. A model outline of operation is provided, along…

Science Curriculum Guide. Kindergarten. Bulletin 1989, No. 70.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Dept. of Education, Montgomery.

The purpose of this curriculum guide is to help teachers implement the Alabama Course of Study: Science. The major emphasis of the guide is to provide student-oriented, hands-on activities that engage students in "sciencing" behaviors. This guide has two major components, the table of contents and the activities. The table of contents…

Arguing for Computer Science in the School Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fluck, Andrew; Webb, Mary; Cox, Margaret; Angeli, Charoula; Malyn-Smith, Joyce; Voogt, Joke; Zagami, Jason

2016-01-01

Computer science has been a discipline for some years, and its position in the school curriculum has been contested differently in several countries. This paper looks at its role in three countries to illustrate these differences. A reconsideration of computer science as a separate subject both in primary and secondary education is suggested. At…

Exemplar: A Model for Social Studies Curriculum Development in Delaware, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delaware State Dept. of Public Instruction, Dover.

GRADES OR AGES: Grades K-12. SUBJECT MATTER: Social studies. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The subject matter is divided into the following five themes: 1) Man develops within his physical and cultural environment. 2) Man functions within an interdependent society. 3) Man seeks justice and order. 4) Man experiences conflict and change. 5)…

Chemical Science and Technology I. A Study Guide of the Science and Engineering Technician Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ballinger, Jack T.; Wolf, Lawrence J.

This study guide is part of an interdisciplinary program of studies entitled the Science and Engineering Technician (SET) Curriculum. This curriculum integrates elements from the disciplines of chemistry, physics, mathematics, mechanical technology, and electronic technology with the objective of training technicians in the use of electronic…

Infusing Culturally Responsive Science Curriculum into Early Childhood Teacher Preparation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Jiyoon; Martin, Leisa A.

2017-08-01

Previous research studies in early childhood teacher education have indicated that teacher candidates are not adequately prepared to demonstrate the knowledge and skills needed to teach science to all children including culturally and linguistically diverse students. To address this issue, the researchers provided 31 early childhood teacher candidates with instructions through a culturally responsive science education curriculum that integrates American and Korean science curriculum corresponding to the American and Korean standards for teacher education. The results showed a statistically significant increase in their Personal Science Teaching Efficacy (PSTE). In addition, the teacher candidates were able to create a multicultural/diverse lesson in the developing and proficiency levels based on Ambrosio's lesson matrix. This study provides teacher candidates' knowledge as well as an additional resource for developing their self-efficacy and understanding the role of multicultural/diverse lesson planning for science instruction. Also, teacher candidates could be better prepared by understanding how other countries approach science education and integrating this knowledge to enrich their own science instruction.

A Framework for Quality K-12 Engineering Education: Research and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Tamara J.; Glancy, Aran W.; Tank, Kristina M.; Kersten, Jennifer A.; Smith, Karl A.; Stohlmann, Micah S.

2014-01-01

Recent U.S. national documents have laid the foundation for highlighting the connection between science, technology, engineering and mathematics at the K-12 level. However, there is not a clear definition or a well-established tradition of what constitutes a quality engineering education at the K-12 level. The purpose of the current work has been…

The Green Pages: Environmental Education Activities K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clearing, 1990

1990-01-01

Presented are 20 science activities for students K-12. Topics include role playing, similarities between urban and forest communities, ecosystems, garbage, recycling, food production, habitats, insects, tidal zone, animals, diversity, interest groups, rivers, spaceship earth, ecological interactions, and the cost of recreation. (KR)

The Iowa K-12 Climate Science Education Initiative: a comprehensive approach to meeting in-service teachers' stated needs for teaching climate literacy with NGSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanier, C. O.; Spak, S.; Neal, T. A.; Herder, S.; Malek, A.; Miller, Z.

2017-12-01

The Iowa Board of Education voted unanimously in 2015 to adopt NGSS performance standards. The CGRER - College of Education Iowa K-12 Climate Science Education Initiative was established in 2016 to work directly with Iowa inservice teachers to provide what teachers need most to teach climate literacy and climate science content through investigational learning aligned with NGSS. Here we present teachers' requests for teaching climate with NGSS, and an approach to provide resources for place-based authentic inquiry on climate, developed, tested, and refined in partnership with inservice and preservice teachers. A survey of inservice middle school and high school science teachers was conducted at the 2016 Iowa Council of Teachers of Mathematics/Iowa Academy of Sciences - Iowa Science Teaching Section Fall Conference and online in fall 2016. Participants (n=383) were asked about their prior experience and education, the resources they use and need, their level of comfort in teaching climate science, perceived barriers, and how they address potential controversy. Teachers indicated preference for professional development on climate content and complete curricula packaged with lessons and interactive models aligned to Iowa standards, as well as training on instructional strategies to enhance students' ability to interpret scientific evidence. We identify trends in responses by teaching experience, climate content knowledge and its source, grade level, and urban and rural districts. Less than 20% of respondents reported controversy or negativity in teaching climate to date, and a majority were comfortable teaching climate science and climate change, with equal confidence in teaching climate and other STEM content through investigational activities. We present an approach and materials to meet these stated needs, created and tested in collaboration with Iowa teachers. We combine professional development and modular curricula with bundled standards, concepts, models, data

Teaching Creativity through Inquiry Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Taylor

2017-01-01

The experience that students gain through creative thinking contributes to their readiness for the 21st century. For this and other reasons, educators have always considered creative thinking as a desirable part of any curriculum. The focus of this article is on teaching creative thinking in K-12 science as a way to serve all students and,…

Science for Survival: The Modern Synthesis of Evolution and the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Lisa Anne

2012-01-01

In this historical dissertation, I examined the process of curriculum development in the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) in the United States during the period 1959-1963. The presentation of evolution in the high school texts was based on a more robust form of Darwinian evolution which developed during the 1930s and 1940s called…

Leading change: curriculum reform in graduate education in the biomedical sciences.

PubMed

Dasgupta, Shoumita; Symes, Karen; Hyman, Linda

2015-01-01

The Division of Graduate Medical Sciences at the Boston University School of Medicine houses numerous dynamic graduate programs. Doctoral students began their studies with laboratory rotations and classroom training in a variety of fundamental disciplines. Importantly, with 15 unique pathways of admission to these doctoral programs, there were also 15 unique curricula. Departments and programs offered courses independently, and students participated in curricula that were overlapping combinations of these courses. This system created curricula that were not coordinated and that had redundant course content as well as content gaps. A partnership of key stakeholders began a curriculum reform process to completely restructure doctoral education at the Boston University School of Medicine. The key pedagogical goals, objectives, and elements designed into the new curriculum through this reform process created a curriculum designed to foster the interdisciplinary thinking that students are ultimately asked to utilize in their research endeavors. We implemented comprehensive student and peer evaluation of the new Foundations in Biomedical Sciences integrated curriculum to assess the new curriculum. Furthermore, we detail how this process served as a gateway toward creating a more fully integrated graduate experience, under the umbrella of the Program in Biomedical Sciences. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Eighth Grade Earth Science Curriculum Guide. Part 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Div. of Curriculum and Instruction.

This is a curriculum guide composed of lessons which can serve as models for the beginning teacher as well as for the teacher who needs activities to broaden the earth science perspective in the classroom. It was designed to supplement the New york State Earth Science Syllabus and encourages students to develop inquiry and problem solving skills.…

A System-Science Approach towards Model Construction for Curriculum Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Ren-Jung; Yang, Hui-Chin

A new morphological model based on modern system science and engineering is constructed and proposed for curriculum research and development. A curriculum system is recognized as an engineering system that constitutes three components: clients, resources, and knowledge. Unlike the objective models that are purely rational and neatly sequential in…

kNOw Soil - kNOw Life: Integrating soil science across disciplines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindbo, D. L.; Kozlowski, D.; Robinson, C.; Chapman, S.

2014-12-01

Teaching primary and secondary school students (K-12) about science and art, although absolutely critical, can be difficult. Teachers have specific standards or subject matters that they are required to cover and often soils and soil science is not included in that list. We have struggled with ways to bring soil science information to the larger audience as the direct approach meets with resistance due to the time commitments to other standards. Our approach now is to use soils as a media or vehicle to teach key concepts in broad subject areas. We have developed several lesson plans in science, geography, math and art that focus on a concept but use soils to convey it. For example students make "mini" monoliths of a state soil. During this exercise students need to use skills in geography to find where their state soil occurs in their state and in the country. They need to understand colors in order to choose the correct colors to use to make their monolith. Finally, they must understand how scales work in order to make the monolith accurate in terms of horizon depths. Throughout the exercise discussion on my certain colors occur in the soil can be discussed. This discussion can lead to a qualitative understanding of chemistry and biology. This presentation will demonstrate this lesson and several others that have been developed and available through the Soil Science Society of America's K12 Education Committee and our International Year of Soil website.

Speaking of Science: Invite Speakers from Your Community to Bring the Science Curriculum to Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Karol

2012-01-01

Establishing relevant applications for the science curriculum can be a challenge. However, the key that opens science for students is within a teacher's grasp: It is as simple as bringing science connections into his or her classroom through community resources and taking the students to the science that is available. The author encourages…

The Green Pages: Environmental Education Activities K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clearing, 1990

1990-01-01

Presented are 37 environmental science activities for students in grades K-12. Topics include water pollution, glaciers, protective coloration, shapes in nature, environmental impacts, recycling, creative writing, litter, shapes found in nature, color, rain cycle, waste management, plastics, energy, pH, landfills, runoff, watersheds,…

The Innovative Immersion of Mobile Learning into a Science Curriculum in Singapore: an Exploratory Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Daner; Looi, Chee-Kit; Wu, Longkai; Xie, Wenting

2016-08-01

With advancements made in mobile technology, increasing emphasis has been paid to how to leverage the affordances of mobile technology to improve science learning and instruction. This paper reports on a science curriculum supported by an inquiry-based framework and mobile technologies. It was developed by teachers and researchers in a multiyear program of school-based research. The foci of this paper is on the design principles of the curriculum and its enactment, and the establishment of a teacher learning community. Through elucidating the design features of the innovative curriculum and evaluating teacher and student involvement in science instruction and learning, we introduce the science curriculum, called Mobilized 5E Science Curriculum (M5ESC), and present a representative case study of how one experienced teacher and her class adopted the curriculum. The findings indicate the intervention promoted this teacher's questioning competency, enabled her to interact with students frequently and flexibly in class, and supported her technology use for promoting different levels of cognition. Student learning was also improved in terms of test achievement and activity performance in and out of the classroom. We propose that the study can be used to guide the learning design of mobile technology-supported curricula, as well as teacher professional development for curriculum enactment.

Curriculum Assessment in Social Sciences at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saleh, Hanifah Mahat Yazid; Hashim, Mohmadisa; Yaacob, Norazlan Hadi; Kasim, Adnan Jusoh Ahmad Yunus

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effectiveness of the curriculum implementation for undergraduate programme in the Faculty of Human Sciences, UPSI producing quality and competitive educators. Curriculum implementation has to go through an assessment process that aims to determine the problem, select relevant information and collect and…

Science and Engineering Graphics I. A Study Guide of the Science and Engineering Technician Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craig, Jerry; Stapleton, Jerry

This study guide is part of a program of studies entitled Science and Engineering Technician (SET) Curriculum. The SET Curriculum was developed for the purpose of training technicians in the use of electronic instruments and their applications. It integrates elements from the disciplines of chemistry, physics, mathematics, mechanical technology,…

Web Connects K-12 Students with Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanagh, Sean

2009-01-01

This article reports that Derek Cummings and Justin Lessler, Johns Hopkins University epidemiologists, have come to the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) to give a live webinar on the spread of swine flu. This web-based audio and video presentation is one of many efforts by universities and science organizations to put K-12 students in…

Seeking the Trace of Argumentation in Turkish Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cetin, Pinar Seda; Metin, Duygu; Capkinoglu, Esra; Leblebicioglu, Gulsen

2016-01-01

Providing students with inquiry-oriented learning environments is a major concern in science education. Argumentation discourse can enhance the effectiveness of inquiry-oriented learning environments. This study seeks the trace of argumentation in Turkish Elementary and Secondary Science Curriculum developed by the Turkish Ministry of Education…

Tobacco Education Curriculum: Grade 4. Health Education: Substance Abuse Prevention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Christine K.; And Others

This teaching guide for a tobacco education curriculum at the fourth grade level is part of a coordinated K-12 educational support program for reducing smoking. It includes a tobacco curriculum matrix for grades K-12, sample teaching methods, concepts and objectives for grades 4-6, and a resource materials list. The basic instructional concepts…

Sea World Curriculum Guide. Program Theme: Behavior K-3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sea World, Inc., San Diego, CA.

This document provides science curriculum instructional material relating to marine biology. Items presented relate to live animal exhibits seen during visits to Sea World marine aquarium exhibits; however, all materials are also useful for in-class instruction without visits to Sea World displays. Ideally, material should be reviewed immediately…

Sea World Curriculum Guide. Program Theme: Adaptations K-3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sea World, Inc., San Diego, CA.

This document provides science curriculum instructional material relating to marine biology. Items presented relate to live animal exhibits seen during visits to Sea World marine aquarium exhibits; however, all materials are also useful for in-class instruction without visits to Sea World displays. Ideally, material should be reviewed immediately…

A Library approach to establish an Educational Data Curation Framework (EDCF) that supports K-12 data science sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Branch, B. D.; Wegner, K.; Smith, S.; Schulze, D. G.; Merwade, V.; Jung, J.; Bessenbacher, A.

2013-12-01

It has been the tradition of the libraries to support literacy. Now in the realm of Executive Order, Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information, May 9, 2013, the library has the responsibility to support geospatial data, big data, earth science data or cyber infrastructure data that may support STEM for educational pipeline stimulation. (Such information can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/09/executive-order-making-open-and-machine-readable-new-default-government-.) Provided is an Educational Data Curation Framework (EDCF) that has been initiated in Purdue research, geospatial data service engagement and outreach endeavors for future consideration and application to augment such data science and climate literacy needs of future global citizens. In addition, this endorsement of this framework by the GLOBE program may facilitate further EDCF implementations, discussion points and prototypes for libraries. In addition, the ECDF will support teacher-led, placed-based and large scale climate or earth science learning systems where such knowledge transfer of climate or earth science data is effectively transferred from higher education research of cyberinfrastructure use such as, NOAA or NASA, to K-12 teachers and school systems. The purpose of this effort is to establish best practices for sustainable K-12 data science delivery system or GLOBE-provided system (http://vis.globe.gov/GLOBE/) where libraries manage the data curation and data appropriateness as data reference experts for such digital data. Here, the Purdue University Libraries' GIS department works to support soils, LIDAR and water science data experiences to support teacher training for an EDCF development effort. Lastly, it should be noted that the interdisciplinary collaboration and demonstration of library supported outreach partners and national organizations such the GLOBE program may best foster EDCF development. This trend in data

Investigating the impact of a LEGO(TM)-based, engineering-oriented curriculum compared to an inquiry-based curriculum on fifth graders' content learning of simple machines