Your Science Classroom ─ Becoming an Elementary / Middle School Science Teacher

Goldston (science education, U. of Alabama) and Downey, a former elementary and middle school math and science teacher, help new elementary and middle school science teachers create instruction that uses inquiry and hands-on approaches. They emphasize the role of teachers as reflective, knowledgeable facilitators of standards-based, inquiry-based, constructivist practices, and outline an approach based on the 5E inquiry instructional model (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate). They discuss the nature of science, its evolving status in society, and how the work of scientists can be reflected in inquiry; National Science Education Standards and scientific literacy; the relationship between science and technology; theories and findings on how students learn science; constructivist classrooms and how to teach concepts from this perspective as well as metacognitive thinking and conceptual change approaches; teaching aspects like questioning, process skills, planning, and assessments and evaluations; and learning styles, student diversity, and integrating science with other areas. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)