Article Review

This article was written to teach planning NGSS-Based Instruction. One of the authors, Mary Colson began with a mineral identification activity while considering how to start her first year ... See More

This article was written to teach planning NGSS-Based Instruction. One of the authors, Mary Colson began with a mineral identification activity while considering how to start her first year of Earth science. Nevertheless, she soon realized that students were not sufficiently curious or interested to explore the deeper mysteries and figure out the real reason beyond the scope of the task the teacher gave them. Based on this, in order to engage students in an authentic science investigation and to know what comprises an authentic classroom science experience, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States 2013) explicitly states a key idea that authentic classroom science should look a lot like authentic scientific research. Giving Koper’s team as an example, their work began with a compelling driving question, proceeded through a scientific exploration about seismic events of something unknown, and yielded a fundamental insight into our universe. In other words, they focused not on what was already known but on how scientific exploration might reveal something new. Accordingly the article further emphasizes three things students need to do in the science class, which are pursuing authentic questions, engaging in scientific practices, and coming up with big explanatory ideas. Referring to NGSS discussed in this article, to become a more successful educator in the future, I summarize the following applications. Firstly, although directly asking some scientific questions and then encourage elementary students to find the answer may help them understand the problems sometimes, in most cases I will just show the videos or illustrate the phenomenon to them at the beginning, meanwhile letting them pursue interesting ideas and questions individually. Throughout the process of seizing the opportunity to join my students in making sense of their measurements, observations, and tentative explanations, I believe this method will produce a better teaching and learning effect compared with the former because it is certainly comprehensible that everyone are more likely to seek the result to a question confusing and puzzling themselves. Furthermore, I have to admit real learning takes time. Instead of directly informing my students scientific research results, I have preferences for practicing science together with them in the lab so as to arise their curiosity and optimism about making sense of various scientific observations. Indisputably it is common for them to try something new and fail in it, but I may never convert the science class into a teacher-centered scene.

NGSS

Mary Colson (2016), as a teacher, designed lab and provide an activity about mineral identification for students. Students finished experiments successfully but they did not show enthusiasm ... See More

Mary Colson (2016), as a teacher, designed lab and provide an activity about mineral identification for students. Students finished experiments successfully but they did not show enthusiasm for it. The teacher found some reasons. Students recorded some data after testing hardness and heft of minerals but they just got the numbers. They had no idea about how it became the number and why. The activity just focused on the feature of minerals but did not make connections with the whole earth science. Students could not know and think about the relationship between minerals and the developing nature. Mary concluded that this activity failed to make students feel the reality of scientific investigation and NGSS can create an authentic classroom. Students should ask questions by their observation and they will pursue ideas they are interested in. Teachers can provide some opportunities for them to measure specific objects arouse their curiosity. Leaving some room for students to have scientific practices is essential. Engaging students in scientific practices is more effective than covering all the materials for them. To NGSS-ify this lab, Mary has different but necessary roles, like a manager to keep everyone safe, a coach to provide directions. Students will not get a ready answer from the teacher but they can figure out results together. In addition, “Use statements or questions to give an overall structure to your instruction”. The activities with larger context of ideas can help students think deeply and logically. Arranging time and structure of a class is important for effective teachers. They can learn to teach science in an interesting way and create NGSS-friendly classroom through NGSS.

Informative Article!

What I most like about this article is that it is written by a teacher who started out with just good lessons, but then problem solved to make great interactive lessons that really got stude... See More

What I most like about this article is that it is written by a teacher who started out with just good lessons, but then problem solved to make great interactive lessons that really got students interested and excited. The advice about letting students pursue their own questions is so valuable because if students come use their curiosity to form questions, they are going to be more motivated and engaged. I also appreciate the advice at the end of the article encouraging teachers to try new things and learn from them as it is okay to say I don't know as long as you help your students find out.