Teacher professional development and coaching for hands-on science
in Elementary, Middle School and Afterschool Classrooms.
ACTIVE SCIENCE
Active science learning is students working collaboratively to explore science and engineering problems and phenomena through direct hands-on investigations. It puts the students in charge of their own learning and opens the doors of success to students who have not previously considered themselves to be "scientists" or future STEM workers.
Active Science learning brings the content of the science standards alive. First-hand experience of relationships, patterns and phenomena in the physical world nurture creativity, collaborative problem solving, critical thinking, skepticism about claims and conclusions, as well as the skill of communicating ideas and findings to others.
Active science Learning requires a strong commitment to the students' use and understanding of the NGSS science practices . Disciplined and rigorous engagement with real investigations and problems - including the design of experiments and gathering and analysis of data and evidence - gives context and meaning to cognitive learning of science content.
Active Science Learning
3523 Westminster West Road, Putney, VT 05346
Tel: 617-417-2634
Making the transition to NGSS requires a careful assessment of student needs and teacher capacity. The Understanding by Design protocol helps districts, schools and teachers unpack the new standards, set clear learning objectives and plan lesson units backwards from authentic and rigorous assessments.
Science practice are the habits and skills which make science exploration accurate, reliable and consistent (and fun). They are embedded into each of the Next Generation Science Standards. Bringing them alive in the classroom requires new approaches to science teaching
Kit-based science curricula can provide students with first hand opportunities to test ideas, form hypotheses, collect and analyze data and evidence and communicate findings and conclusions to each other and to others.
Afterschool engineering and science projects that use simple and inexpensive materials allow students to explore how things work and how they can make them work better. These projects build interest, confidence and use of the science process practices that can boost engagement in formal science classes.
Targeted help to:
- Understand the scope and goals of the assignment.
- Review understanding of the processes and concepts involved.
- Plan the steps to completion
- Review and assess your work.