EMSE 3123
Math and Science in Elem. Ed.
Elementary School Science:
Emphasizing the Basics
Presented by
Frank H. Osborne, Ph. D.
© 2015
Teaching Science the Right Way
• The best way to teach science is to have
children DO science. Doing science is what
scientists do.
• Scientists ask questions about the world and
try to find answers to these questions.
• Sometimes they use the Scientific Method, but
many times they use Trial and Error.
• We start with a guess or hypothesis.
• Answers are known as theories. The word
“theory” in science means “explanation.”
Teaching Science the Wrong Way
• Many teachers transfer facts to children
using lectures straight out of the textbook.
• Very little attention is given to developing
thinking processes and skills.
• Children are naturally curious but bad
teaching turns them off to science.
• Straight memorization of facts spoils this.
• By eight grade, ¾ of all students hate science.
• DON’T TEACH THIS WAY!
The Nature of Science
Teachers are expected to be able to talk to
school students about:
• What science is—its goals, values and
assumptions
• How it is different from such philosophies as
religion or others
• All science knowledge is tentative
• There is not necessarily one method
• Science acts by disproving rather than
proving
The Nature of Science
• What science is—its goals, values and
assumptions
– The goal of science is to increase knowledge
about the natural world around us.
– Science is a set of concepts, principles, theories
and laws that are based on observations,
measurements, or counting of observable objects
or phenomena.
– Science is not a consensus field. Drawing
conclusions by consensus is political not
scientific.
The Nature of Science
Science is different from such philosophies as
religion or other non-scientific ways of thinking
• Religion is a faith-based system. It involves a
belief in something that cannot be observed,
measured or counted.
• For example, if a person says, “I believe in
global warming,” they have made a religious
statement, not a scientific one.
The Nature of Science
All science knowledge is tentative
• Scientific explanations are known as theories.
• When a scientific theory is proposed, other
scientists try to see if it can be weakened,
knocked down, or disproven using
observations, measurements and counting.
• Any theory that can stand up to this type of
scrutiny can be acceptable, but there is
always the chance of other scientists proving
it wrong.
The Nature of Science
There is not necessarily one method
• We generally teach the scientific method
which involves the use of a control.
• As noted earlier, some discoveries are made
by trial and error.
• In mathematics and physics there have been
times where several equations were proposed
and the one that fit best was used.
The Nature of Science
Science acts by disproving rather than proving
• To explain the formation of mountains,
William Herschel suggested that Earth was
cooling and therefore shrinking such as an
apple would do.
• Scientists who took thermometers into deep
mines noted that as you descend, the
temperature increases. Therefore, Earth is
not cooling and Herschel’s theory was
disproved.
Inquiry
• Children are naturally curious.
• We take advantage of this curiosity by using
“hands-on” science teaching.
• We must emphasize observation,
measurement, collecting, organizing and
interpreting data, and, making and testing
hypotheses.
• Drills and memorization are out.
Teaching Math and Science
• The forgoing discussion also applies to
mathematics, which is the purest science.
• Science activities involve lots of measurement
and working with data. Measurement and
Data are also a major component of the
Common Core Math Standards.
• We will study science emphasizing methods,
especially activities, that develop thinking
skills such as hypothesis building, collection
and analysis of data.
Teaching Math and Science
• We need to ask how can such skills can be
developed?
• What are the best teaching techniques to
enhance thinking skills?
• To do this we will study measuring systems.
In order to collect and analyze data, one
must have measuring tools and a system of
measurement.
• We will follow the Learning Cycle Approach.
The Learning Cycle Approach
• The Learning Cycle Approach is designed to
create maximum chance for mental
disequilibrium.
• This will lead the student to ‘discover”
concepts instead of merely being given the
information.
• As the teacher, you are looking for evidence
that mental changes in the student have
occurred as a result of internalization of these
discoveries of knowledge.
The Learning Cycle Approach
Exploration Activity
• Students are presented with a problem and a
period of free exploration.
• Emphasis is on concrete open-ended student
experiences designed to place them into a
state of mental disequilibrium.
• In a measurement activity, students devise a
measurement system. The point here is to
make them think about how such a system
would work.
The Learning Cycle Approach
Exploration Activity
• Mental disequilibrium comes about when
students see that whatever system they have
developed (and there are really no right or
wrong answers in this case), will probably
have limitations and other difficulties
associated with it.
• The activity provides concrete experiences.
• It allows students to formulate ideas.
The Learning Cycle Approach
Exploration Activity
• Social interaction is important element for
mental development according to Piaget.
• Therefore, it is a good idea to divide the class
into small groups which work together.
• During Exploration Activity the instructor
supplies encouragement and provides hints
and/or suggestions to maintain the
appropriate level of disequilibrium.
The Learning Cycle Approach
Exploration Activity
• The role of the teacher is extremely important.
• Always try to work with what the students are
doing but do not try to teach them the
“correct” way or your own way.
• At this point the most important function of
the student is to think about the problem
rather than coming up with answers.
The Learning Cycle Approach
Invention or Concept Formation Activity
• This is the phase with emphasis on
generalization of concrete experience and
abstract possibilities.
• During the invention activity, students are
encouraged to formulate relationships which
generalize the ideas and concrete experiences.
• The teacher acts as a mediator in assisting
students to formulate these relationships.
The Learning Cycle Approach
Invention or Concept Formation Activity
• In the measurement activity, you were
encouraged to continually divide your
measurement tool into 10 equal parts.
• This is based on the fact that you are probably
doing so already.
The Learning Cycle Approach
Application Activity
• Emphasis is on the relevant use of generalized
concepts and/or skills.
• These activities should be designed to provide
further experience which will act as
broadening experiences relevant to new skills
and concepts.
Measurement Systems
Lab Activity on How to Teach Measurement
• Lab activity began with you being asked about
how you would go about teaching the metric
system.
• This was the exploration part of a Learning
Cycle activity designed to make you think
about measurement systems and how to
introduce them to your students.
Measurement Systems
Lab Activity on How to Teach Measurement
• You may have thought about lecture ideas
because you were probably taught that way.
• Maybe you even were placed in a state of
mental disequilibrium as you thought about
the problems you might encounter.
• Then you did the Lab Activity on
Measurement Systems.
Measurement Systems
Lab Activity Measurement Systems
• After doing the Lab Activity on Measurement
Systems, you were asked to compare what you
wrote with the contents of the activity.
• After being introduced to the learning cycle
you were asked to rethink your own ideas.
• This was actually the concept introduction
part of the learning cycle.
Measurement Systems
Lab Activity Measurement Systems
• Finally, you read the last few slides which
made you rethink everything that was done in
term of this cycle.
• This is the application part of the learning
cycle.
The End