Science Teaching Essentials

Science Teaching Essentials: Short Guides to Good Practice serves as a reference manual for science faculty as they set up a new course, consider how to teach the course, figure out how to assess their students fairly and efficiently, and review and revise course materials. This book consists of a series of short chapters that instructors can use as resources to address common teaching problems and adopt evidence-based pedagogies. By providing individual chapters that can be used independently as needed, this book provides faculty with a just-in-time teaching resource they can use to draft a new syllabus. This is a must-have resource for science, health science and engineering faculty, as well as graduate students and post-docs preparing for future faculty careers. Provides easily digested, practical, research-based information on how to teach Allows faculty to efficiently get up-to-speed on a given pedagogy or assessment method Addresses the full range of faculty experiences as they being to teach for the first time or want to reinvent how they teach

How can a potato be a battery? How quickly will a shark find you? What food should you take with you when climbing a mountain? The Really Useful Book of Secondary Science Experiments presents 101 exciting, ‘real-world’ science experiments that can be confidently carried out by any KS3 science teacher in a secondary school classroom. It offers a mix of classic experiments together with fresh ideas for investigations designed to engage students, help them see the relevance of science in their own lives and develop a passion for carrying out practical investigations. Covering biology, chemistry and physics topics, each investigation is structured as a problem-solving activity, asking engaging questions such as, ‘How can fingerprints help solve a crime?’, or ‘Can we build our own volcano?’ Background science knowledge is given for each experiment, together with learning objectives, a list of materials needed, safety and technical considerations, detailed method, ideas for data collection, advice on how to adapt the investigations for different groups of students, useful questions to ask the students and suggestions for homework. Additionally, there are ten ideas for science based projects that can be carried out over a longer period of time, utilising skills and knowledge that students will develop as they carrying out the different science investigations in the book. The Really Useful Book of Secondary Science Experiments will be an essential source of support and inspiration for all those teaching in the secondary school classroom, running science clubs and for parents looking to challenge and excite their children at home.

Where is U.S. secondary-level science education heading today? That's the question that The Essentials of Science, Grades 7-12 sets out to answer. Over the last century, U.S. science classes have consistently relied on lectures, textbooks, rote memorization, and lab demonstrations. But with the onset of NCLB-mandated science testing and increased concern over the United States' diminishing global stature in science and technology, public pressure is mounting to educate students for a deeper conceptual understanding of science. Through lively examples of classroom practice, interviews with award-winning science teachers and science education experts, and a wide-ranging look at research, readers will learn * How to make use of research within the cognitive sciences to foster critical thinking and deeper understanding. * How to use backward design to bring greater coherence to the curriculum. * Innovative, engaging ideas for implementing scientific inquiry in the classroom. * Holistic strategies to address the complex problems of the achievement gap, equity, and resources in the science classroom. * Strategies for dealing with both day-to-day and NCLB assessments. * How professional learning communities and mentoring can help teachers reexamine and improve their practice. Today's secondary science teachers are faced with an often-overwhelming array of challenges. The Essentials of Science, Grades 7-12 can help educators negotiate these challenges while making their careers more productive and rewarding.

How can elementary school teachers—the proverbial jacks-of-all-trades—feel more confident in their knowledge of science and teach science more effectively? The Essentials of Science, K-6 aims to unleash every elementary educator's inner science teacher. Through a plethora of classroom examples, interviews with award-winning elementary science teachers and science education experts, and a wide-ranging look at recent research examining the state of science education, readers will learn * How to align curriculum to state standards using such practices as backward design. * How to use inquiry-based science to infuse meaning into class investigations and teach students problem-solving skills. * Strategies for engaging students and keeping the curriculum fresh. * Ways to increase English language learners' participation in and understanding of science. * How to use formative assessment techniques to determine what students know both before and during lessons. * How professional development can orient teachers to new content and to a deeper way of seeing the natural world. With the right practices, science teachers can make their students' journey into learning about the natural world both productive and enjoyable.The Essentials of Science, K-6 provides practical information to help teachers reflect on their own approaches to teaching science and make the transition from apprehension to self-assurance.

If you are teaching - or learning - to teach primary science, this is the toolkit to support you! Highly respected and widely used, Essential Primary Science 2E blends essential subject knowledge with a vast array of teacher activities. Updated and revised throughout to reflect the requirements of the new National Curriculum, it covers the essential knowledge and understanding that you need; plus it offers over 200 great ideas for teaching primary science at KS1 and KS2 - so no more late nights thinking up creative new ways to teach key concepts! Written in a friendly and supportive style this new edition offers: Over 200 original and new activities to complement the new curriculum, ready for you to try out in the classroom Tips on how to ensure each lesson includes both practical and investigative elements Suggestions on how to make your lessons engaging, memorable and inclusive How to deal with learners' common scientific misconceptions in each topic Two new chapters on working scientifically and how to tackle assessment New up-to-date web links to quality free resources Drawing on their own extensive teaching experience and understanding of the new National Curriculum, the authors provide the essential guide to teaching primary science for both trainee teachers and qualified teachers who are not science specialists.