Strategies and Techniques

Chapter 1 “Inquiry, the Path, Discovery, the Destination” The subtitle of this chapter is “it’s not just teaching science, it’s using science to teach thinking.” I think that is a poignant summary of this chapter. This chapter introduces the scientific method as a process that uses higher level thinking that must be taught and learned. The chapter touches on the science teachers job to teach their students to be skeptical and critical thinkers who try to solve problems using the principles of science. One takeaway I had from this chapter is the importance of teaching science to young children. I remember science being an upper-elementary study and it being relegated to watching the teacher perform science experiments while we watched closely. As I read this chapter, I thought about how my experience shaped my view of science as the stuffy scientific method, rigid and formal. Thinking about my future as an educator, I hope to bring science into the classroom in ways that will inspire wonder.  Chapter 2 “Constructing Knowledge and Discovering Meaning, How Children Learn Science” A part of this chapter that I took an interest in was about how students come to class with prior knowledge about a topic. If we were not privy to what they already know, then they might spend the entire lesson confused, or our lesson could accidentally reinforce their misinformation. This chapter also discusses the constructivist model of teaching. This model makes sense for science teaching. Re-framing a person’s prior knowledge by introducing new ways of thinking is a guiding principle of science.   Chapter 3 “Science Practices and Inquiry Process Skills” This chapter taught me about the inquiry model. At first this was a confusing concept. I read this chapter again out loud in order to understand the ideas. The inquiry method seemed so simple and obvious that I thought I was missing the point. Learning through discovery is an effective and obvious approach. It is a teacher’s role to model the necessary steps for having an inquiring mind and performing inquiry. Chapter 4 “Planning and Managing” There is so much to consider when creating a science lesson. It is important to remember your overarching goal (curriculum) when creating individual lessons and unit plans. The resources you use are also important to consider. Science textbooks can become out of date as new information is uncovered. Technology is also important to consider because it needs to meet the needs of the learners and not distract from the information being presented.