Have you been looking at the new Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science and wondering how all of the information provided in each document helps you think about instruction to meet the goals of the standards? Recently, several 5th grade teachers were involved in a Facebook discussion about this very topic. In an attempt to provide […]
INQUIRY & 3 DIMENSIONAL SCIENCE LEARNING August 14, 2016 Don’t teach this linear method! Teaching students how to “do science” using the old, linear scientific method is not truly reflective of how scientists study the world around them. The scientific method gives a false sense that there is a step-by-step process for how to approach research, […]
Today we have Guest Blogger, Heather Johnston! She writes her own blog, Teaching Elements- Secondary Science Instructional Strategies and Resources, www.teachingelements.com Heather is a high school Chemistry teacher in Norman, OK. The term “phenomena” is the newest buzzword in many education circles, including science. You know what I think of every. single. time. I hear […]
Tiffany Neill and Levi Patrick Problems Understanding and Defining STEM Google “STEM activity” and you’ll see towers, bridges, and a lot of projects that use copious amounts of tape, candy, and spaghetti. Add “middle school” or “high school” to your search and you’ll find more wires, gears, and robot cars. In just a few moments, […]
OKSci Virtual Meetings: March 24th and March 25th We will be hosting the OKSci Virtual Meetings Thursday and Friday this week. We have a lot of new resources being released in the next two weeks to support teachers and districts with the implementation of the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science and we’d like to provide […]
The Oklahoma State Department of Education is proud to create and support a dynamic network of Oklahoma Math and Science educators through OKMath and OKSci Leadership. OKMath and OKSci Leadership selects, challenges, develops and educates Oklahoma math and science teachers, instructional coaches, and district curriculum specialists who have demonstrated an interest in leadership skills related to mathematics and […]
The Oklahoma State Department of Education is excited to announce the release of the Oklahoma Science Framework Overviews. In Phase 1 of the Oklahoma Science Framework Project, twenty K-12 teachers partnered with the Oklahoma State Department of Education to develop “Framework Overviews”. The Overviews represent how a small group of teachers, Framework Writers, at a given […]
Every year I allow my students to explore melting of ice. We conduct an investigation where students study how quickly a cube of ice will melt in their bare hands versus a hand with a glove on it. Materials: Ice cubes mittens/gloves data sheet (I made mine, you can find it here: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Melting-Ice-Experiment-Data-Sheet-1700635 ) Optional: Timers for […]
Several months ago, I stood on my front porch with my two elementary aged kids (ages 7 and 9) and watched it rain. Actually, it was pouring down rain, buckets of rain; we sat and we watched and we talked about the rain. In the midst of our talking, I wondered out loud how all […]
What If They Fail? Is it possible that children are born with engineering skills and we educate those skills out of them? Six year-old Wesley had a problem. His toy soldier had a broken leg. Like most children his age, Wesley is a natural problem-solver. Young children experiment with solving problems as they play. They […]