This week in class, we talked about investigable
questions. Asking questions is a critical part of science. Wondering about the
world and questioning the human experience has inspired many a scientist.
Asking “why” will inspire the scientists of the future, as well. I believe that
the old saying, “no such thing as a bad question,” has merit.

However, not all questions are created equal. In
science education, we focus on a particular type of question – investigable
questions. Asking questions is one of the Science and Engineering Practices
defined by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Other practices include
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Analyzing and Interpreting […]

CLASS #2 We had our second class this semester in Implementing Innovation this past week. Many of us have started our second student teaching placement (Robin you will be there soon! Alyssa I hope you are feeling better!)

WHERE WE’RE COMING FROM, WHERE WE’RE GOING Many of us are that same combination of nervous and excited to start student teaching. What will it be like to jump into a new school culture? Students have already done “school” for the last 5 or so months, how will we fit into already established classroom norms […]

This evening the masters and doctoral students presented to science teachers at The World of Inquiry School, School 58. Masters students focused on their best lesson and presented the components of their unit bundle that make a highly effective science unit. The doctoral students presented their work from the science lessons on social justice, identity, respect, and indigenous knowledge.

Sherin and I presented on our studies in social justice in science education. Sherin focused on increasing access to science in informal spaces, specifically after-school programs. One of the key-takeaways from Sherin’s presentation is how informal learning opportunities greatly impact the fostering of […]

There’s a stranger in town …

Howdy Gang!  As I slide into the guest chair this week I wanted to wish you all a very happy post-Thanksgiving.  Maybe your turkey soup is simmering as you read this … Be sure to see my blog for further post-Thanksgiving instructions and remember, I’ll be following up with you!

You can do it if they can!1
As you learned from Lisa’s blog last week, the master’s students have completed their Ambitious Science Teaching mini-unit in their classrooms. Congrats to all!  In December, the rest of us will get to see the fruit of their labors during our […]

By the end of this week in the middle of November, each person in our Get Real! Science cohort will be teaching a mini-unit in our student teaching classrooms. Depending on our experiences with our cooperating teachers this semester, this may be the first time we will be leading instruction in these classrooms.

We have learned a lot of theory since we started in May, and we have had varied experiences in informal education settings. We have talked with each other and our cooperating teachers about what we plan to teach, and we have developed detailed lesson plans for review […]

Scale, proportion, and quantity in NGSS

In Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), scale, proportion, and quantity play an important role as one of the Crosscutting Concepts we consider when thinking about ecosystems, chemical reactions, particles, space, and so much more! According to NGSS Hub,
“…it is critical to recognize what is relevant at different size, time, and energy scales, and to recognize proportional relationships between different quantities as scales of change.”
From K-2, when learners discuss the sizes of objects and events in relation to one another (bigger and smaller, faster and slower), to High School, when learners use orders of magnitude […]