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Elementary Science

Everyday Phenomena in Science

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How can elementary teachers use everyday phenomena to engage students in science inquiry and exploration?

Ashleigh Dunn Ashleigh Dunn 287 Points

Hi, I am a student at Wilmington College, and I am currently taking a Science Methods course that is highly phenomena based for lessons. What we have covered so far is that we, as teachers, should us phenomena to introduce new topics to students. With that, as you choose what you will be using for a phnomena, pick an image, video, or activity that will create an interest in your students. You want to be able to allow students to ask questions about it. A great way to do this is to follow any introduction of a phenomena with a notice and wonder chart where the students can fill it out with anything that they saw or picked up on in the phenomena, and to write down any, even if slightly off topic, questions that they have about the phenomena. Then, throughout your lesson, tie information back to the phenomena, their notices, and the questions the students had.

Juliana Cimral Juliana Cimral 660 Points

Hi Jacqueline,
I am a pre-service educator in NE Iowa. I am currently taking Elementary Science Methods, and we recently had a session on phenomena-based science education. In this session, it was stressed heavily that phenomena should be used as a guide for the whole lesson, not just the anticipatory set. This seems obvious, but some thought is definitely needed when considering how to tie student investigation and the lesson's main ideas together. One resource I found particularly helpful in this endeavor is the Iowa PBS Science Phenomena site. On the website, there are a ton of lesson ideas, all of which are aligned to Iowa standards. Even if you are not located in Iowa, it would be a good place to start when considering new phenomena-based lessons to integrate into your classroom using your state's standards.
Best of luck!

Sarah Johnson Sarah Johnson 260 Points

I love to use a photo on the smartboard and have students try to figure out what the phenomena is.

Mallory O'Connor Mallory O'Connor 880 Points

I am a senior at UD. In my methods courses we have talked a lot about the benefits of phenomenon-based learning. Students should be exposed to a scientific event that they will figure out by asking questions and developing an investigation plan. There are lots of resources online that can help you brainstorm phenomenon lesson ideas if you search for phenomenon-based learning for elementary school. If you need to introduce a phenomenon that is related to a specific lesson or concept you can look at the NGSS standards and connect it to the event that is included. I have attacked a phenomenon based rubric to assess the chosen event and determine if it is effective for teaching. 

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