Conducting Science with Students

The following methods take different approaches to assisting

educators in conducting science with students. In some methods,
students collect data and analyze it following a series of guided
questions. In another, students are made aware of how they can
conduct science outside the classroom. Whichever method is used,
students learn how scientific knowledge is gained and learn to
interpret data.

Indoor Labs - Indoor labs are a staple of K-12 education. This

teaching strategy encourages cooperation in small groups and
participation in doing science. This resource gives tips for making
individuals accountable during group work, making handouts, and
structuring lab time. Also, many examples of indoor labs are given.

Field Labs- Field labs are engaging to students because they can
experience the science that they have been taught in the classroom.
This resource has information on safety and how to choose field
locations on your school grounds. Specific lesson examples are
given.

Process of Science- Teaching the process of science means taking

the aspects of how science is conducted and making these ideas
explicit for students, allowing them to discover how scientific
knowledge is gained.

Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning - In this approach,

groups of students work together through data and questions to
discover a scientific concept. A similar resource is titled Classroom
Experiments.
Guided Discovery Problems - Guided Discovery Problems lead
students through a progression of questions with supporting
diagrams from simple to complex to build student's understanding
of a concept as they discover it themselves.

Campus Based Learning - Campus-based projects can provide

hands-on, real-world projects that can be accomplished without a
field trip budget or transportation by using buildings and grounds
as teaching tools.

Teaching with Data- Data can be observations, raw data, or

processed data and can be collected by or presented to students.
Several examples of how data can be used and sources for finding
data to present to students are included. A second related
resource, Using Data in the Classroom, has information regarding
research supporting the use of data in the classroom and nearly 200
lesson examples.

Teaching Students to Write Quantitatively - This resource teaches

students how to use and interpret data in their writing. Assignments
are presented that utilize a variety of formats ranging from formal
essays to informal reports and posters.

Group Work Methods

Group work is a way of getting students to work together to solve a
problem or learn new information. By using group work, educators
teach students how to learn from one another's ideas. Since
scientists do not work in isolation, using group work in a structured
way can teach students skills in collaboration and accountability,
similar to skills scientists must have.
Cooperative Learning - Cooperative Learning involves structuring
classes around small groups that work together so that each group
member's success is dependent on the group's success.

Jigsaws - In a jigsaw, teams of students prepare separate but

related assignments. Teams regroup and peers then teach each
other about their prepared portion of the learning.

Gallery Walks - In a Gallery Walk, questions are posted at stations

around the room. Teams of students rotate around the classroom,
composing answers to questions while reflecting upon the answers
given by other groups.

Innovative Methods for Application and Analysis

Students ability to respond to higher order questioning
demonstrates the degree to which they understand a particular
topic. In the following methods, students are required to justify
answers, apply information, or analyze ideas. These methods are
very useful for eliciting student's understanding of what they have
been taught and also for identifying any remaining misconceptions
students may hold.

Direct Measurement Videos - These short, high-quality videos of

real events that students can use to explore and apply physics
concepts. The videos can be used for labs, homework, assessments,
or open-ended problems. Several of the videos are paired
with classroom-ready activities that integrate videos into the
introductory mechanics curriculum. What sets these videos apart
from others is that students can measure distances, time, angles,
and other variables right from the videos, allowing for a wide variety
of quantitative and theoretical exploration.
Documented Problem Solving- This process requires students to
record their thought process as they solve a problem. Instead of
simply presenting a solution, students must explain their reasoning
for arriving at their solution.

Game Based Learning - In game based learning, students compete

to learn material. Included in this resource are tips for making a
meaningful game, making rules fair, and grading.

Interactive Lecture Demonstrations- This resource provides

formatting for scaffolding learning from demonstrations. Students
predict an outcome, observe the demonstration and reflect on their
previous assumptions of the outcome.

Socratic Questioning - Educators present thoughtful questions for

students to discuss which cause them to think critically about a
topic or issue. The educator then requires students to justify their
responses.

Experience based Environmental projects - Experience-based

environmental projects offer a way for students to apply classroom
topics like energy use, global warming, water quality and land use
to their own lives, and to realize that although these issues may be
global or regional, they ultimately have roots at the individual level.
Civic Engagement and Service Learning - Connecting students
with community members to conduct science in areas similar to
what you are teaching in the classroom can be a very powerful
lesson to students that what they are learning is relevant and useful
to their future careers and lives as informed citizens. This resource
provides more information about this approach and offers many
examples you can use in your class.

Service Learning - When students link a learning project with

community service, they are conducting service learning. This
resource presents information on why service learning is valuable,
tips on how to start a service learning component in your classroom,
and how to assess students' learning and get students to reflect on
their work.

Making Lecture Interactive

Interactive Lecture Demonstrations- This resource provides
formatting for scaffolding learning from demonstrations. Students
predict an outcome, observe the demonstration and reflect on their
previous assumptions of the outcome.

Lecture Tutorials - This resource offers suggestions and rationale

for creating worksheets for students to complete as they listen to
lecture presentations. These worksheets make lectures more
interactive and help students understand what information is most
important from lectures.

Teaching in Urban Settings

Teaching Urban Students - Urban students may experience the
natural world differently than students from rural backgrounds.
Urban students also may have cultural and ethnic backgrounds that
may benefit from teaching in non-traditional ways. This resource
presents methods for engaging urban students in science classes.

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