Teaching Science 2.0

Exposing students to high quality non-fiction is critical to fostering a love of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The journal, Science Books & Films, reviews print and non-print materials in science for all age groups.  Additionally, each year they award SB&F prize for Excellence in Science Books.  This prize is given in four categories (Children’s Picture Books, Middle Grades Science Book, Young Adult Science Book, and Hands-On Science Book) that are very useful for K-12 educators.

Last spring, I worked with Tim Gerber (UWL Department of Biology) to expose K-8 preservice teachers to many of these books through a Mock SB&F Prize project.  During this project, preservice teachers read and evaluated each book in a category (either Children’s Picture Book or Middle Grades Science Book).  Small groups of preservice teachers then came to consensus on the book that they felt was the best.  This same model can be used to engage middle school students in reading high-quality “STEM” non-fiction while improving reading comprehension skills..  Modifications to the evaluation rubric could also allow this model to be used with elementary students.  An overview of the Mock SB&F Prize model was published in the September / October 2008 issue of Science Books & Films.

“Discourse in science, mathematics, and technology calls for the ability to communicate ideas and share information with fidelity and clarity and to read and listen with understanding.” This quote taken from Science For All Americans (p. 192), which contains a series of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education recommendations produced by Project 2061 (http://www.project2061.org/publications/sfaa/online/sfaatoc.htm), succinctly identifies the importance of communication in the STEM disciplines. The development of these communication skills should begin early in the elementary years and progress throughout life. To assist students in developing these skills, K-12 teachers should be able to effectively evaluate quality STEM trade books and educational materials. This article describes the development of a Mock Science Books and Films (SB&F) Election project as a mechanism for improving elementary / middle level pre-service teacher’s abilities to evaluate STEM non-fiction.

• Read the entire article
• Get rubrics and details for the Mock SB&F Prize project.
• See previous winners and finalists for the SB&F Prize.

A great quote to think about–

“A teacher that can be replaced by a computer should be.”

— Arthur C. Clarke

Measurement is an important concept and skill in both math and science.  In elementary school, students are expected to be able to measure distances (and length, width, etc.), weight, volume, time, etc.  They are asked to measure in both standards (ie: feet, meters, pounds, etc.) and non-standard (ie: paperclips, straws, pennies, etc) units.  In middle and high school, students are expected to be able to make precise measurements, use a variety of units, and convert between units.

Next time you teach your students about measuring, use the story of the Smoot!

During the debate last night, Senator McCain repeatedly derided Senator Obama for securing an federal earmark (pork) for a $3 million dollar overhead projector.   Do you mean a planetarium projector for the Adler Planetarium?  Perhaps it is fair criticism that federal money shouldn’t be spent this way.  But, to call it an overhead projector seems either dishonest or clueless.

This comment on a New York Times article about the debate seems appropriate-

I am an Associate Professor of Astronomy at the University of Chicago (the University that today has added yet another Nobel Prize winner in the sciences for the US). I would like to comment on Sen. McCain’s statement during the today’s debate that Sen. Obama has earmarked “$3 million for an overhead projector at a planetarium in Chicago, Ill. My friends, do we need to spend that kind of money?”

The way Sen. McCain has phrased it suggests that Sen. Obama approved spending $3 million on an old-fashioned piece of office equipment (overhead projector).
The 3 million is actually for an upgrade of the SkyTheater - a full dome projection system, which is probably the main attraction of the Adler Planetarium and is quite sophisticated and impressive piece of equipment.

I find it appalling that Sen. McCain would call a science education tool for public (largely children) for a historic planetarium with millions of visitors a year a wasteful earmark. The planetarium’s focus, as stated on their website (http://adlerplanetarium.org) is “on inspiring young people, particularly women and minorities, to pursue careers in science.” Is an investment in such public facility at the time when US competitiveness in math and sciences is a constant source of alarm a waste?

“American’s ability to compete in a 21st Century economy rests on our continued investments in math and science education,” said Rep. Brian Baird, Chairman of the Research and Science Education Subcommittee in Congress, after the passage of The 21st Century Competitiveness Act of 2007.

Considering such investments “wasteful earmarks” today, even in the face of the financial crisis, will severely cripple US economic competitiveness in the increasingly high-tech world down the road.
— Andrey Kravtsov, Chicago, IL

Quite often, U.S. students are compared to International students and found “lacking.” The Third World College Exam gives you the chance to see actual questions from India’s 11th grade entrance exam.  Many of these questions would challenge the best U.S. students…and many U.S. adults.  There is a lot of talk about reforming U.S. education so that we can remain competitive in a global economy.  So, here is my question…  Does this exam identify what you want U.S. high school kids to be able to do?  If not, what questions would you suggest?

This week, Becky Hack and I have been working with 20 elementary and middle school kids in a robotics strand to the University of La Crosse Young Scholars program.  The students built and programmed LEGO Mindstorm NXT robots to solve a variety of challenges that were presented to them.  Students were provided with introductory tutorials and “troubleshooting” from us, but the designs and programming were there own inventions. Here are a few examples.

Three girls took on the challenge of making a dancing robot.

Three boys built and programmed a robot to climb steps.  It IS NOT as easy as they make it look!

Four boys completed the “handshake” challenge.  In industry, robots often work in concert to complete a taks.  In this case, they built and programmed two robots to play basketball.

(They did score 3 times in a row…then the camera came on!)