Elementary Science Methods : A Constructivist Approach, Fifth Edition

✍ Scribed by David Jerner Martin

• Publisher: Cengage Learning
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 649
• Edition: 5
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

ELEMENTARY SCIENCE METHODS: A CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH, Fifth Edition, is based on two fundamental and complementary ideas: it is more important for children to learn how to do science than to learn about science, and elementary science teachers do not need to know a great deal of science but rather should be co- inquirers with their students. To facilitate learning, this text features a wealth of exercises, including open-ended inquiry activities that help teacher candidates construct their own personal conceptualizations about science content and teaching methods. The text also contains over 170 process-oriented, open-ended activities, organized by grade level, that practicing teachers can use to encourage children to develop and perform their own investigations. The Book Companion DVD (available separately) provides valuable tools and resources such as additional activities and video clips that students can use both in their college course and later in elementary science classrooms.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 2
Copyright......Page 3
Contents......Page 5
PART 1 CONSTRUCTING THE ELEMENTARY SCIENCE PROGRAM......Page 24
CHAPTER 1 THE SCIENCE EDUCATION IMPERATIVE......Page 26
How Much Science Does the Elementary Science Teacher Need to Know?......Page 28
Right and Wrong......Page 40
The Processes of Science......Page 46
Ownership of Knowledge and Thought......Page 53
Attitudes About Science and Science Teaching......Page 59
Teacher Voice......Page 63
Research in Science Education......Page 64
Internet Activities......Page 65
CHAPTER 2 SCIENCE EDUCATION TODAY......Page 66
The Nature of Science......Page 67
Goals of Elementary Science Education......Page 84
What Do You Think?......Page 94
Internet Activities......Page 96
CHAPTER 3 THE PROCESSES OF SCIENCE......Page 98
Observing......Page 100
Classifying......Page 111
Communicating......Page 124
Measuring......Page 131
Predicting......Page 149
Inferring......Page 155
Interrelationships Among the Basic Processes......Page 163
The Integrated Processes......Page 164
The Pendulum......Page 165
Identifying and Controlling Variables......Page 170
Formulating and Testing Hypotheses......Page 176
Interpreting Data......Page 184
Defining Operationally......Page 195
Experimenting......Page 199
Constructing Models......Page 204
The Process-Oriented Objective......Page 215
Conclusion......Page 216
Internet Activities......Page 217
CHAPTER 4 CONSTRUCTIVISM IN ELEMENTARY SCIENCE EDUCATION......Page 218
Constructivism......Page 221
Inquiry......Page 230
Piaget, The Constructivist......Page 232
Vygotsky, The Social Constructivist......Page 237
Characteristics of Constructivist Teaching......Page 238
Stages of Cognitive Development......Page 239
Dinosaurs and the Solar System......Page 255
Conclusion......Page 261
Internet Activities......Page 262
CHAPTER 5 INQUIRY......Page 264
The Expository-Discovery Continuum......Page 265
Teacher Voice......Page 281
The Guided Inquiry Lesson Plan......Page 283
Microteaching......Page 290
Is Learning Taking Place?......Page 292
A Different Kind of Bloom......Page 295
Internet Activities......Page 300
CHAPTER 6 SCIENCE EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES......Page 302
Learning Modalities......Page 303
Locus of Control......Page 313
Field Dependence/Field Independence......Page 317
Multiple Intelligences......Page 319
Teacher Voice......Page 324
Teachers' Learning Styles......Page 326
Internet Activites......Page 327
CHAPTER 7 SCIENCE EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFERENCES......Page 328
Gender Bias......Page 330
Science Education for Children with Disabilities......Page 332
Science Education for Students Who Are Gifted and Talented......Page 337
Science Education for English Language Learners......Page 339
Teacher Voice......Page 346
Multicultural Factors......Page 348
Internet Activities......Page 357
CHAPTER 8 ASSESSMENT......Page 360
Authentic Assessment......Page 362
What is Assessed in Elementary Science Education?......Page 364
Additional Authentic Assessment Techniques......Page 378
Report Cards......Page 390
High-Stakes Testing and the Standardized Achievement Test......Page 393
Assessment of the Elementary Science Teacher and Program......Page 398
Teacher Voice......Page 403
Internet Activities......Page 405
CHAPTER 9 THE ELEMENTARY SCIENCE CLASSROOM......Page 406
Trust......Page 407
Strategies for Successful Science Activities......Page 413
Safety in the Elementary Science Classroom......Page 414
Animals and Plants in the Classroom......Page 422
Family Involvement......Page 425
Cooperative Teaching and Cooperative Learning......Page 429
Time Management......Page 431
Classroom Management......Page 432
Teacher Voice......Page 435
Outdoor Classrooms......Page 437
Science Outside the Classroom......Page 440
Revisiting Your Metaphor......Page 447
Additional Questions for Discussion......Page 448
Internet Activities......Page 449
PART 2 BEYOND THE SCIENCE CLASSROOM......Page 450
CHAPTER 10 READING, WRITING, AND INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES......Page 452
Reading, Writing, and Literature......Page 454
Integrating Children's Literature and Science......Page 456
Science Textbooks......Page 470
The Role of Reading and Writing in Elementary Science......Page 478
Interdisciplinary Approaches......Page 481
Teacher Voice......Page 486
Internet Activities......Page 492
CHAPTER 11 TECHNOLOGY IN ELEMENTARY SCIENCE EDUCATION......Page 494
Why Use Advanced Technology in Elementary Science Education?......Page 498
A Technology Inquiry Continuum......Page 501
Tutoring Uses of Computers......Page 502
Interactive Uses of Computers......Page 503
Experimenting Uses of Computers......Page 512
Evaluating Computer Software......Page 515
The Internet......Page 518
Using the Internet in the Elementary Science Classroom......Page 521
Video and Television in the Elementary Science Classroom......Page 526
Interactive Whiteboards......Page 527
Technology for Teachers......Page 528
Teacher Voice......Page 529
Getting Started......Page 533
Conclusion......Page 534
Internet Activities......Page 535
CHAPTER 12 CONCEPT MAPPING IN ELEMENTARY SCIENCE......Page 536
Exploring Concept Mapping......Page 537
Concept Mapping Technique......Page 544
Uses of Concept Maps in Science Education......Page 545
Teacher Voice......Page 551
Additional Questions for Discussion......Page 553
CHAPTER 13 THE ELEMENTARY SCIENCE EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL......Page 554
Decisions About Methodology......Page 556
Decisions About Curriculum......Page 557
Professional Development Workshops and Institutes......Page 561
Professional Organizations......Page 562
The Elementary Science Teacher as Researcher......Page 564
Grants......Page 567
Excellence in Science Teaching......Page 569
Conclusion......Page 570
Internet Activities......Page 571
PART 3 BACK TO THE FUTURE......Page 572
CHAPTER 14 A MODEL OF TEACHING BY LISTENING......Page 574
The Need for a Different Model......Page 576
A Model of Teaching by Listening......Page 577
Concluding Remarks......Page 587
Appendix A: Activities Cross-Referenced to Basic Scientific Concepts and Principles......Page 590
Appendix B: Listing of Children's Literature......Page 593
Glossary......Page 598
References......Page 603
Index......Page 633