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Hello, I am a preservice teacher. I have noticed that most teacher that I have observed either do not have enough time to teach science or they do most of the scientific investigations for the students. Recently, a 5th grade teacher did a lesson on temperature. Instead of facilitating the investigation, she told the students exactly what to do, instead of letting the students investigate. I understand that time is limited but what can teachers do to allow students to partake in scientific investigations?

Hello Rebeca,

I feel like the question of, 'how can elementary teachers make time for science?', will be a question that plagues the teaching society for years to come. However, I feel that with the help of organizations like the NSTA, the situation is already making strides. I am also a preservice teacher, but some of the solutions my science methods class has come up with could really help. The first is cross-curricular instruction, our class saying is, 'There's science in everything.' So, just look around or search through the book you are reading to your elementary students, what questions can you ask that could lead to a science investigation without taking too much time or money on supplies. 

Another solution is to stretch investiagtion across several days. If you don't have time for an hour long science experiment in the middle of the day, maybe you do have time for a fifteen minute step of the experiement one day, maybe half an hour the next, maybe another fifteen minutes the next. 

Brooke Keller

Hello Rebecca!

I am a pre-service teacher and I have observed similarly the same thing. What I didn't know is that they do science experiments that last over several days or weeks, so when they have the 30-45 minutes in the afternoon instead of doing indepentdent practice, students have the option to make observations and predictions, plus other activites that are suppose to be worked on alongside the experiment. I then have come to realize that they fit science in where ever they have time. I believe as far as just giving students the results, isnt doing the students justice. I think that is something you can take away from your observations and now know what to do in your future classroom!

Halle Lynch