Science Framework, part 1 - Free Downloads (CA Dept of Education)

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6Chapter 1Introduction tothe Frameworkdisciplines the minds of students; andthe benefits of this intellectual trainingare realized long after schooling, whenthe details of the science may be forgotten.Model Scientific AttitudesScience must be taught in a waythat is scholarly yet engaging. That is,an appropriate balance must be maintainedbetween the fun and serioussides of science. A physics teachermight have students build paper airplanesto illustrate the relationshipbetween lift and drag in airflow; but ifthe activity is not deeply rooted in thecontent of physics, then the fun oflaunching paper airplanes displaces theintended lesson. The fun of sciencemay be a way to help students rememberimportant ideas, but it cannot substitutefor effective instruction andsustained student effort.There are certain attitudes aboutscience and scientists that a teachermust foster in students. Scientists aredeeply knowledgeable about their fieldsof study but typically are willing toadmit that there is a great deal they donot know. In particular, they welcomenew ideas that are supported by evidence.In doing their research goodscientists do not attempt to prove thattheir own hypotheses are correct butthat they are incorrect. 11 Thoughsomewhat counterintuitive, this path isthe surest one to finding the truth.Classroom teachers must alwaysprovide rational explanations for phenomena,not occultic or magical ones.They need to be honest about whatthey do not know and be enthusiasticabout learning new things along withtheir students. They must convey tostudents the idea that there is much tolearn and that phenomena not currentlyunderstood may be understoodin the future. Knowledge in science iscumulative, passed from generation togeneration, and refined at every step.Provide Balanced InstructionSome of the knowledge of scienceis best learned by having students readabout the subject or hear about it fromthe teacher; other knowledge is bestlearned in laboratory or field studies.Direct instruction and investigativeactivities need to be mutually supportiveand synergistic. Instructional materialsneed to provide teachers with avariety of options for implementationthat are based on the science standards.For example, students might learnabout Ohm’s law, one of the guidingprinciples of physics, which statesthat electrical current decreases proportionatelyas resistance increases in anelectrical circuit operating under a conditionof constant voltage. In practice,the principle accounts for why a flashlightwith corroded electrical contactsdoes not give a bright beam, even withfresh batteries. It is a simple relationship,expressed as V=IR, and embodiedin high school Physics Standard 5.b.In a laboratory exercise, however, studentsmay obtain results that seem todisprove the linear relationship becausethe resistance of a circuit element varieswith temperature. The temperature ofthe components gradually increases asrepeated tests are performed, and thedata become skewed.In the foregoing example, it wasnot Ohm’s law that was wrong but anassumption about the stability of theexperimental apparatus. This assump-
7tion can be proven by additional experimentationand provides an extraordinaryopportunity for students tolearn about the scientific method.Had the students been left to uncoveron their own the relationshipbetween current and resistance, theirskewed data would not have easily ledthem to discover Ohm’s law. A sensiblebalance of direct instruction and investigationand a focus on demonstrationof scientific principles provide the bestscience lesson.Ensure the Safety ofInstructional ActivitiesSafety is always the foremost considerationin the design of demonstrations,hands-on activities, laboratories,and science projects on site or awayfrom school. Teachers need to be familiarwith the Science Safety Handbookfor California Public Schools. 12 It containsspecific and useful informationrelevant to classroom teachers of science.Following safe practices is a legaland moral obligation for administrators,teachers, parents or guardians,and students. Safety needs to betaught. Scientists and engineers in universitiesand industries are required tofollow strict environmental health andsafety regulations. Knowing and followingsafe practices in science are apart of understanding the nature ofscience and scientific procedures.Match InstructionalActivities with StandardsTeachers need to use instructionalmaterials that are aligned with theScience Content Standards, but how dothey know when a curriculum orsupplemental material is a good match?The State Board of Education establishescontent review panels to analyzethe science instructional materials submittedfor adoption in kindergartenthrough grade eight. The panels consistof professional scientists and expertteachers of science. Local educationalagencies would be well advised to usematerials that have passed this stringenttest for quality and alignment. Thecriteria are included in the ScienceFramework (Chapter 9) and may helpguide the decisions of school districtsand schools when they adopt instructionalmaterials for grades nine throughtwelve.In brief, teachers need to use instructionalactivities or readings that aregrounded in science and that provideclear and nonsuperficial lessons. Thecontent must be scientifically accurate,and the breadth and depth of the sciencestandards need to be addressed.Initial teaching sequences must communicatewith students in the moststraightforward way possible, and expandedteaching used to amplify thestudents’ understanding. 13 The concreteexamples, investigative activities,and vocabulary used in instructionneed to be unambiguous and chosen todemonstrate the wide range of variationon which scientific concepts can begeneralized.For example, in grade four Standard2.a is: “Students know plants arethe primary source of matter and energyentering most food chains.” 14 Thisstandard may be taught by using numerousconcrete examples. Mastery ofthe concept, however, requires thatstudents understand how the concept isgeneralized. Having learned by explicitChapter 1Introduction tothe Framework
Page 1 and 2: Science Frameworkfor CaliforniaPubl
Page 3 and 4: DEPARTMENTOFEDUCATIONSTATEOFCALIFOR
Page 5 and 6: vForeword“The education of young
Page 7 and 8: viiThe development of the Science F
Page 9 and 10: ixState Board of Education Policy o
Page 11 and 12: Introductionto theFramework1
Page 13 and 14: 3serve as a guide to the teaching o
Page 15: 5class may have a brief but spirite
Page 19 and 20: 9• Students in grades nine throug
Page 21 and 22: 11explanations of new terms and idi
Page 23 and 24: 13do science. In self-contained cla
Page 25 and 26: The Nature ofScience andTechnology2
Page 27 and 28: 17lends to the study of the natural
Page 29 and 30: 19peoples, for example, used the pr
Page 31 and 32: 21tably challenge citizens to rethi

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