Chapter 2: Planning and Teaching Science Lessons
Objectives:
1. Critique examples of science lessons
2. Examine pedagogical content knowledge
3. Discuss relevance, interest, and content of lessons
4. Discuss methodology, instructional strategies, and
teaching skills related to science instruction
5. Develop short and long-form lesson plans
I.
Introduction to Science Lesson Planning
A.
Challenge: we can’t just tell students terms and facts
1.
2.
3.
4.
B.
We must explain science and technology concepts
We must give students opportunities to use the concepts
We must help student find personal meaning that they can apply to
their daily lives
We must engage all of the students, not just the “science types”
Effective Instructional Strategies Exist
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Demonstrations, labs, homework problems, lectures, discussions
Questioning, wait time, and follow ups
Engaging activities help all students participate
Student Learning is more important than content coverage
Just knowing the content doesn’t mean you will teach it well
Understanding and using effective instructional strategies will help
you be a “science teacher” rather than “someone who know
science”
II.
Planning Science Lessons
A.
B.
Pedagogical Content Knowledge
1.
2.
3.
Most college science courses are lecture dominated
Science educators may tend to model the same style
Public schools have different goals and environments than college
4.
Effective science teachers possess pedagogical content
knowledge = understanding of content and how to teach it; having
an extensive array of instructional methods and knowing when to
use them
5.
Science content must be taught with an organization, complexity,
detail, and relevance that communicate to students that they can
learn the material and that they want to learn the material
Identifying the Content of the Lesson
1.
2.
3.
First step in Planning a Lesson
Typical target: Terms (cellular structures or compound names)
Better Idea: what about my lesson could get students interested?
4. Example: Biology lesson on cells
a. Parts of the cell are typically defined and memorized
b. More interesting might be to start with functions of cells
i. Students will be able give some examples right away
ii. Transport oxygen, communicate pain, eggs and sperm, etc…
5. Example: Chemistry lesson on atoms
a. Typical: define nucleus, electron, etc…
b. More interesting: properties of atoms
i. Give off light, have weight, combine to make new things
ii. Again, students will be able to contribute and relate from the start
C. Sources of Effective Pedagogical Content Knowledge
1. Effective Science Teachers: observing, student teaching, practicum
2. Science Textbooks
a. Publishing companies research activities, demonstrations, techniques
b. Supplementary materials can be very valuable
3. Innovative Curriculum Materials: discussed in Chapter 2
4. Internet: professional societies, government labs, museums, etc…
5. Science education catalogs or supply companies
D. Instructional Objectives
1. Describe what the learner should know or be able to do
2. Should be specific enough to be observed and measured
3. Domains
a. Cognitive: intellectual ability like recall, comprehension, problem solving
b. Affective: attitudes, beliefs, interests, values
c. Psychomotor: motor skills and hand-eye coordination (laboratory skills)
4. Don’t confuse with instructional activities (how you teach them)
a. Listening to a lecture doesn’t mean the students comprehend it
b. Watching a demonstration doesn’t mean students can perform the skill
5. Criteria to consider when writing objectives
a.
b.
c.
d.
Choose the most critical or important content
Focus on student learning
Describe what they should know, believe, or be able to do
Make sure objectives are observable/measurable by an assessment
6. Mager’s (1984) characteristics of clear objectives
a. Performance: specific observable behaviors
b. Condition: what the learner will be given or denied when measuring
c. Criterion: minimum level of acceptable performance specified
7. Example: Lesson on Radiation
a. Focus on important information about radiation
b. Include three components
c. “Given a vignette describing the number of rems received by an adult
working near a radiation accident, write a paragraph indicating harmful
health effects to the worker from radiation exposure and explain your
assessment”
i. Connection with health makes this relevant to the student
ii. Performance = “write a paragraph”
iii. Condition = “given a vignette…”
iv. Criteria = “indicating harmful effects…explain your assessment”
8. Evaluate these sample objectives
a. Given actual items or pictures of household cleaning products,
estimate the pH to within 1 unit of their actual pH values.
b. Write a report on cloning.
c. Compute the speed of a moving object, given the distance it travels
and the time it takes to go a certain distance.
E. Selecting the Pedagogy for a Lesson
1. Importance of choosing teaching techniques
a.
b.
c.
d.
Method of instruction can make or break a lesson
Engaging the students initially and continually is key
Keep students on task
Provide opportunity for assessment
2. Teaching Skills = specific skills to conduct lessons
a. Introduction: prepares student for learning, engages interest
b. Questioning: involves students, clarifies concepts, allows assessment
i. Can be simple, higher order, open-ended
ii. Should include appropriate wait times
c. Giving Directions: guide students to proper and productive behaviors
d. Interpersonal Interactions and management
i. Establishes a positive learning environment
ii. Maximizes learning encouraging participation and discouraging
disruptions
e. Closure: review and crystallize main ideas
F. Instructional Strategies
1. Method used to achieve a given outcome
2. Traditional Science instruction has three phases
a. Present new information (lecture or demonstration)
b. Allow students to verify the information (laboratory)
c. Students practice using the information (problems, discussion)
3. Instructional Methods (Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Lecture: efficient method of direct presentation of a lot of new concepts
Discussion: clarification of ideas by student involvement
Demonstration: engaging way illustrate concepts concretely
Laboratory: hands-on activity by students
Simulations/Games: provide “real-world” experiences
Recitation: students demonstrate knowledge by responding to teacher
Using Teaching Aids: posters, models, videos, power point
Accessing Prior Knowledge: build on what students already know
Engage Student Thinking: active learning is better than passive
Multiple Learning Opportunities: reinforce concept multiple times
III. Examples of Science Lesson Plans
A.
Importance of Detailed Lesson Plans
1.
2.
3.
Experience teacher often teach by feel or “wing it”
Beginning teachers don’t have the pedagogical content knowledge
to do this effectively
Detailed Lesson Plans
a.
b.
c.
d.
B.
Provide a guide; teacher doesn’t have to remember every detail
Allows for feedback from observers/mentors
Reduces mistakes like skipping activity or not having all lab supplies
Basis for reflection and growth; can be modified and/or used again
The Daily Plan Book
1.
2.
3.
This is not a lesson plan, but an itinerary
Often required by school districts for accountability, subs, etc…
Figure 12.1 page 246 of your text is an example
a.
b.
c.
d.
Instructional objective
Procedure
Resource Material
Evaluation
C. Short-Form Lesson Plan
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Usually about 1 page
Includes a moderate amount of detail
Allows for timekeeping during the lesson
Assignment, materials, procedures detailed
Usually only contains the performance components of outcomes
Doesn’t detail the introduction, activities, or closure
Figure 12.2 page 247 is an example
D. Long-Form Lesson Plan
1. Includes complete details of all aspects of the lesson
2. Provides teacher a thorough and meaningful plan of instruction
3. Can be analyzed for appropriateness, completeness, preparation,
relevance and continuity
4. May include: title, purpose, objectives, material, introduction,
instructional activities, discussion and review, assessments
5. Figure 12.3 page 248 is an example
IV. The 5E Lesson Plan
A.
Learning Cycles (SCIS, 1974)
1.
2.
3.
Approach to teaching science that is inductive (students discover)
Page 97-98 of your book discusses it
All variations contain at least three phases
a.
b.
c.
B.
Exploration
Invention
Application/Concept Development
5E Lesson Plan variation of the Learning Cycle
1.
Engagement: non-threatening introductory exercise aimed at
getting interest and participation of all students
a.
Divergent Question = all students can respond and all responses are
accepted (What was one product you used to get ready for school?)
b.
Discrepant Event or Demonstration (Suck an egg into a bottle)
c.
Problem or Puzzle
2. Exploration: students find out more about topic on their own or in
groups and are allowed to draw their own conclusions
a. Provide books to look things up
b. Provide materials to make their own experiment
3. Explanation: Direct teaching
a. Instructor clears up misconceptions; uses Convergent questions
b. Instructor directly states the concept and how to apply it
c. Instructor extends discussion to related concepts
4. Elaboration: assignment, activity, laboratory, or other exercise
where students practice using the concept
a. Provides guided practice
b. Can incorporate “Holistic Science” areas: aesthetic, philosophical,
empirical, futuristic, technological, historical
a
p
5. Evaluation: data gathering, assessment
Engagement
Exploration
Explanation
Elaboration
Evaluation
Divergent
Convergent
Divergent
h
E
t
e
f