For Educators

 

"Early-childhood professionals have worked to create learning-rich environments in which art projects, rudimentary science experiments, and extended conversations aim to build young children’s oral language and background knowledge. The impact of those activities on later learning may not have the same level of quantitative evidence, some experts say, but they have strong, and often indirect or delayed influence on how well children understand what they read." [emphasis added]

                  ~from Experts Eschew Narrow Reading of Early-Literacy Study, By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo
January 8, 2009 (Updated: January 21, 2009) (EducationalWeek)

Science knowledge is important - both the content and the thinking skills. Including a balanced science program in the elementary grades provides much more than 'The Science'. It will:

• engage
• push thinking
• develop communication
• build background

Some essential components include:

1. Quality commercial science kits (engaging for students with hands - on and inquiry based work)
   
2. PD (introductory and on-going)
3. Shared management (students and teacher)
4. Group work
5. Notebooking

Related Resources:

About Inquiry (and The Scientific Method)

Conversations for Understanding (structures that make student conversation more powerful)

Why Teach Science? (A summary of what was implemented in El Centro, CA) 

Implementing Science Notebooking (a basic approach, developmental for students and teacher - downloads a pdf)

Samples of Student Work (Gr 3; some are large files and appear slowly)