First steps down the path of discovery:

Planning and teaching hands-on science in the elementary classroom

Instructors:

Dr. Karen Stine,  Professor , kstine@ashland.edu
Ms. Deb Martin, Laboratory Coordinator, dkmartin@ashland.edu

Dept. of Biology/Toxicology, Ashland University, Ashland, OH 44805

Workshop description: This workshop will present strategies for making hands-on science teaching in the elementary class room a positive experience for both teachers and students. Discussions on teaching centering on themes of attitude, process, and content will be combined with participation in sample hands-on science units. Participants will also have the opportunity to follow the model presented and design their own hands-on science units.

Workshop purpose: To help elementary teachers incorporate hands-on science teaching into their classrooms.

Workshop objectives:

• Participants will learn how to plan, organize, and carry out sets of hands-on science activities grouped around attitude, process, or content-related themes.
• Participants will learn to identify and take advantage of available resources to help them teach hands on science.
• Participants will become more comfortable and confident in their ability to teach hands-on science.

Workshop content:

• Discussions centering on what elementary students should be learning from science activities. Discussion will focus on:
  • How to ensure development of good attitudes toward science.
  • How to teach the process of "doing science".
  • How to teach content in a grade-appropriate manner.
• Participation in sample hands on science activities designed around four different process/content areas (Observation, Measurement, Light, and The Senses).
• Development of original hands-on science units, first by participants working together in teams during class hours, and then by each participant working independently outside of class hours.

Special materials to be required:

• Participants will be supplied with a hands-on science kit
• Each elementary school represented will be supplied with a set of reference materials

Requirements for Participants:

• Clinical: Participants will be expected to attend class sessions, participate in both discussions and hands-on activities, and to work with a group to develop their own hands- on science unit.
• Field: Participants will be expected to develop their own individual hands-on science unit for use in their own classroom in the fall.

Methods to be used in student performance evaluations:

• Attendance is expected, and roll will be taken. Attendance for each day will be recorded as satisfactory (present) or unsatisfactory (absent)
• The original hands-on science units produced by teams during class hours will be graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.
• The original hands-on science unit produced by each individual outside of class hours will be graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

Instructors will then assign an overall grade of S or U based on performance on these three requirements

Agenda

1^st session

9:00: Introductory remarks, Presentation/discussion: Introduction to attitude, process, and content areas, Workshop goals

9:30: Survey of participants, Discussion of results

10:00: Break

10:15: ACTIVITY 1: Observation unit

11:15 : Discussion and evaluation of Observation unit

11:45: Lunch break

12:15: ACTIVITY 2: Light unit

1:15: Break

1:30 : Discussion and evaluation of Light unit

2:00: End of day

2^nd session

9:00: Introductory remarks, Presentation/discussion: Resource utilization in teaching science

10:00: Break

10:15: ACTIVITY 3: Measurement unit

11:15: Discussion and evaluation of Measurement unit

11:45: Lunch break

12:15: ACTIVITY 2: Senses unit

1:15: Break

1:30: Discussion and evaluation of Senses unit

2:00: End of day

3^rd session

9:00: Introductory remarks, Presentation/discussion: Development of hands-on science units

10:00: Break

10:15: Teams work on development of units

11:45: Lunch break

12:15: Presentation of units by teams

1:15: Break

1:30: Assignment of individual units, Concluding remarks

2:00: End of day

return to K.E. Stine home page