4-H Science: Are you 4-H Science Ready?
Science Abilities
The Processes of Doing Science
Presented by Steven Worker, University of California
January 9, 2012
Agenda
• 4-H Science-Ready Checklist
• 4-H SET Abilities
• Connections to Science Process Skills
• A Potential Path for the Future: Scientific and
Engineering Practices
The Processes of Science
• What processes, skills, and practices are used
by scientists and engineers in their work?
• [Respond in the Chat Box]
The Processes of Science
From the Framework for K-12 Science Education:
“Science is not just a body of knowledge that reflects
current understanding of the world; it is also a set of
practices used to establish, extend, and refine that
knowledge. Both elements— knowledge and practice—
are essential” (2011, p. 2-3)
• In 4-H, we help youth understand content and
learn scientific and engineering practices.
• Engaging youth in this manner is an essential
component of inquiry-based teaching!
• These can only be learned by practice.
4-H Science Checklist
Anchored in a
Activities follow the
Positive Youth Development Context
Experiential Learning Cycle
Provides opportunities for youth to develop their 6 C’s:
Competence, Confidence, Connections, Character,
Caring/Compassion, and Contribution.
After the activity, the facilitator leads youth through a period of
reflection where the learner shares and processes the experience
and applies new learning in authentic situations.
Facilitated and delivered with
Adult mentors who partner with youth
Activities promote
Inquiry Learning using Effective
Questioning
Through learning experiences, youth are encouraged to think,
explore, question, and make decisions. Youth build
understanding through active exploration and questioning.
Provides opportunities to improve
Science, Engineering and Technology
Abilities
Engages youth in science, engineering and technology through
one or more of the thirty most important science, engineering,
and technology processes.
Learning experiences led by trained, caring adults and teens who
create environments in which they work together as active
learners.
Programs offer
Extended Learning Opportunities
Projects offer long-term experiences to significantly increase youth
knowledge, skills and attitudes. Experiences are designed for
extended frequency and duration that serve to build learning over
time.
Programs based on
National Science Education Standards
SET activities delivered through inquiry-based learning focusing
on concepts of physical science, life science, earth and space
science, science and technology, science in personal and social
perspectives, history and nature of science.
4-H Science Checklist
 Are you providing children and youth
opportunities to improve their science,
engineering, and technology abilities?
• May 2007 Report Outlining 30 Abilities
http://www.ohio4h.org/publications/documents/SET2007.pdf
4-H Science Abilities
Thirty 4-H Science Abilities
Build/Construct
Categorize/Order/Classify
Collaborate
Collect Data
Communicate/Demonstrate
Compare/Contrast
Design Solutions
Develop Solutions
Draw/Design
Evaluate
Hypothesize
Invent/Implement
Solutions
Infer
Interpret/Analyze/Reason
Measure
Model/Graph/Use Numbers
Observe
Optimize
Organize/Order/Classify
Plan Investigations
Predict
Problem Solve
Question
Redesign
Research a Problem
State a Problem
Summarize
Test
Troubleshoot
Use Tools
4-H Science Checklist
• Distinct and measurable behaviors and are
critical elements of experiential learning and
inquiry.
For example
A young person may state a problem about water
quality (content), plan an investigation, collect data,
analyze the data, graph results, summarize,
communicate to others, and then work on
implementing a solution.
• Through these steps, content is learned by
engaging youth in the process of science,
engineering and technology.
• This process promotes inquiry-based learning.
4-H Science Professional Development
• Tools of the Trade II
Session 3: SET Abilities for the 21st Century
http://www.ca4h.org/Projects/SET/Initiative/ToTII/
• Exploratorium’s workshop on process skills
http://www.exploratorium.edu/ifi/workshops/fundam
entals/skills/index.html
Science Process Skills
• How do the 4-H Science Abilities connect with
broader research and practice in science
education?
• There is no definitive list which defines science
literacy or to help youth develop scientific
reasoning.
Science Process Skills
• 1963 Science in a 4-H Study
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Making observations
Collecting, identifying, and classifying
Learning why
Learning by doing
Treating science as inquiry
Making comparisons
Experimenting, testing, and demonstrating
• Science Guidelines for Nonformal Education
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–
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Observing
Communicating
Comparing and measuring
Ordering
Categorizing
Relating
Inferring
Applying
(Carlson & Maxa, 1997)
Science Process Skills
• Bloom’s Taxonomy Cognitive Processes
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Remember
Understand
Apply
Analyze
Evaluate
Create
(Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001)
• Exploratorium’s Institute for Inquiry (2006)
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Observing
Questioning
Hypothesizing
Predicting
Planning and Investigating
Interpreting
Communicating
Science Process Skills
• Understanding Science
http://undsci.berkeley.edu
– Exploration
– Gathering data
– Interpreting
Science Process Skills
• Smarter Science (Canada)
http://smarterscience.youthscience.ca/
– Initiate and Plan
– Perform and Record
– Analyze and Interpret
– Communicate
From Univ of New Hampshire
Mapping 4-H Abilities to Exploratorium’s list
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Observing – Observe & Compare
Questioning – Question & State a problem
Hypothesizing – Hypothesize & Troubleshoot
Predicting – Predict & Test
Planning and Investigating – Plan an Investigation, Use Tools, etc.
Interpreting – Categorize, Organize, Infer, Evaluate, etc.
Communicating – Model, Demonstrate, etc.
Promising Practices
• How do you provide youth opportunities to
improve their science, engineering, and
technology abilities?
• [Respond in the Chat Box]
Scientific and Engineering Practices
A Potential Path for the Future
A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices,
Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (2011)
Tension in the goals of science education:
1. Development of content knowledge
2. Development of scientific practices
• Cultivate scientific habits of mind
• Develop capability to engage in scientific inquiry
• Reason in a scientific context
Where do 4-H Science programs fit within
this tension?
Scientific and Engineering Practices
What Scientists and Engineers Do
Inquiry
Analysis, Debate, Eval
Creative Thinking
Scientific and Engineering Practices
1. Asking questions (science) and defining problems (engineering).
2. Developing and using models.
3. Planning and carrying out investigations.
4. Analyzing and interpreting data.
5. Using mathematics, information and computer technology, and
computational thinking.
6. Constructing explanations (science) and designing solutions
(engineering).
7. Engaging in argument from evidence.
8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.
Scientific and Engineering Practices
• To be science and engineering literate, youth need to
jointly understand scientific and engineering
concepts and be able to utilize processes in order to
engage in scientific and engineering practices.
• 4-H programs offering science education, guided by
the 4-H SET Checklist, should:
provide children and youth opportunities to engage
in scientific and engineering practices - intertwining
content, skills, and attitudes.
References
• Lehrer, R. and Schauble, L. 2007. Scientific thinking and science
literacy. In W. Damon & R. Lerner (Eds.) Handbook of Child
Psychology, 6th Edition (pp. 153-196). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley &
Sons, Inc.
• Carlson, S., and Maxa, S. (1997). Science guidelines for nonformal
education. Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture,
Cooperative Extension Service, Children, Youth, and Family Network.
Retrieved from:
http://www1.cyfernet.org/prog/schl/science/4h590.html
• Horton, R., Gogolski, J., & Warkentien, C. (2007). Science,
engineering, and technology (SET) programming in the context of 4-H
Youth Development. Chevy Chase, MD: National 4-H Council.
Retrieved from
http://www.ohio4h.org/publications/documents/SET2007.pdf
• National Research Council. (2011). A framework for K-12 science
education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. [Advance
Copy July 19, 2011] Washington, DC. Retrieved from
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13165
4-H Science - Are you 4-H Science Ready?
Science Abilities
The Processes of Doing Science
Steven Worker
4-H Science, Engineering, and Technology Coordinator
University of California
smworker@ucdavis.edu
530-754-8519