As a SciLinks webwatcher, I have the opportunity to look at many web-based project sites during the process of adding resources to the database. Many of the projects focus on high school science, but I recently discovered two that feature activities and investigations for younger students.
Marvelous Explorations Through Science and Stories: MESS® was developed by a consortium headed by the Florida Museum of Natural History. There are 10 units for young learners (ages 3-5), available as PDF files. The units focus on science-related topics (e.g., Investigating Water, Animals, My Body My Senses, Physical Science) and incorporate activities that can also be done at home. The Introduction to MESS describes how to support science learning and experiences for young learners and also how to implement the units. It also describes the units in detail. The Educator’s Guide for each unit or topic follows a similar format with a list of concepts, teacher background information on the topic, key vocabulary, ideas for setting up centers, and several “Experiences” or lessons. For each of experiences there is an “aim” or purpose, vocabulary, suggestions for a large group activity, activities for science centers, interdisciplinary connections, and a take-home card to share with parents and caregivers. The Materials document for each unit has an illustrated list of materials and an annotated list of books related to the topics. [SciLinks has additional resources related to most of the experiences. For example, What Are Forces?, Living Things, The Human Body, Adaptations of Animals]
My first teaching assignment was 8^th grade physical science. I wish Middle School Chemistry had been available then! This site from the American Chemical Society has topics found in middle school chemistry curricula: Matter, Changes of State, Density, the Periodic Table and Bonding, the Water Molecule, and Chemical Changes. Each unit has illustrated 5E lesson plans annotated for the teacher, student activity pages, a student reading page, and related multimedia (presentations, additional graphics, and animations). All of the resources can be downloaded. (I found that some of the animations are in the Flash format and did not display on my iPad.) In addition to the investigations, I like the Student Reading document for each chapter. The site suggests using this “to extend student comprehension after completing the lesson.” As a PDF file, students can read it anytime and it provides a summary and additional explanations of the concepts. There is also a link to a master list of materials for all six chapters. This is helpful for ordering and organizing, and most of the items are readily available from supermarkets, craft stores, or discount stores. Even though this is designed for middle level students, I suspect that high school students who have never studied physical science would benefit from some of the resources and activities, too. [SciLinks has additional resources related to most of the chapter topics. For example, Chemical Properties of Matter, States of Matter, Density, Chemical Bonding, Periodic Table, Chemical Reactions]

Is there an age at which we can expect children to understand that disagreement can be about an idea—not a personal statement of dislike—that they can have a different opinion and still “be friends?” Dr. Amelia Church, Lecturer in Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) at the University of Melbourne, finds that “the four-year-olds I worked with do not necessarily hear opposition as ‘dislike’. In fact, the further away from personal objections reasons for opposition are, the more likely they are to be persuasive (eg “because that wasn’t a block, it was a cylinder” meets with acquiescence). Conflict is not necessarily a threat to friendship. From a young age children can see that the problem lies with what they are doing rather than who they are.”
The summer 2013 issue in this 50^th year of publication of Science and Children, focuses on argumentation in science, one of the eight science and engineering practices described by the Framework as “essential for learning science and engineering in grades K-12” (NRC, pg 41). In the free article, “Developing a Scientific Argument: Modeling and practice help students build skills in oral and written discourse” by Lori Fulton and Emily Poeltler, we see how second graders developed their argumentation skills going far beyond, “uh-uh” and “uh-huh”, and, “is too” and “is not.” With support for understanding that a discussion of ideas is not a personal attack, talking to each other rather than the teacher, and practice using sentence starters or frames, the second grade class began to use evidence to support their ideas and to disagree with others. I’ve observed this type of discussion introduced in both kindergarten and first grade classes where they were making progress towards using it smoothly.
“Science talk” is the format for using the formative assessment probes in Page Keeley’s Uncovering Student Ideas in Primary Science Vol. 1 (2013). Each “probe” is a picture and a question designed to prompt student thinking and discussion so teachers can find out students’ ideas (including misconceptions.) She recommends reading Ready, Set, Science! Putting Research to Work in K-8 Classrooms (Michaels, Shouse and Schweingruber 2008), especially Chapter 5, “Making Thinking Visible: Talk and Argument.” (Ready, Set, Science! is a free download from the National Academy Press.) Keeley further describes the use of the six “talk moves” from Ready, Set, Science! which teachers can use to help students clarify and expand their reasoning and arguments.
In The Early Years column, “Pondering Strawberries,” I wrote about activities that can be part of an inquiry into how plants reproduce, or make baby plants. There are many opportunities for scientific argumentation, to express ideas and the evidence to support them, when investigating plants. “Are seeds alive?” and “Do all plants grow from seeds?” are two questions that may be part of such an inquiry. Strawberry plants are interesting because, like the houseplant “Spider plant,” they grow new plants on the ends of runners (stolons) in addition to growing from seed. Children like to eat strawberries and varieties can grow in much of the continental United States (USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3-8). When planted in the fall, young strawberry plants may become well established by spring and bear fruit. Do you have a large pot or garden space for a few strawberry plants? (See a short list of resources for growing strawberries at the end of this post.)
Before children can argue with evidence for their ideas in science, the culture of the classroom must support this. In discussion groups, I tell my young students that scientists may have ideas that are different from other scientists, and that’s okay. I encourage them to say what they think and why they think that.
Fascinatingly, whole books are written about how young children argue and the meaning of it. Argumentation is an important part of learning math concepts as children explain their reasoning in solving problems. The processes used in establishing productive discussion in science are similar to those used by teachers in establishing a safe, productive environment for learning mathematics.
Australian researchers, Bob Perry, Sue Dockett and Elspeth Harley describe “argumentation” as one of the powerful mathematical ideas, “the process that allows children to justify their own mathematical thinking and to understand that of other people” (Perry 2007). The authors recognize that providing justification for thinking is also important in other areas of learning. See the numeracy matrix they developed with others to be used to reflect on one’s practice of teaching mathematics and supporting children as they develop. The matrix uses questions to help early childhood educators reflect on what practices they are using to teach mathematical ideas and in helping children develop Developmental Learning Outcomes, such as, “Children develop trust and confidence.” I can see how these questions can be very helpful. The authors describe the numeracy matrix as, by its very nature, a work in progress.
In another article in the Summer 2013 issue of Science and Children, “Using Language Positively: How to encourage negotiation in the classroom,” authors Emily Schoerning and Brian Hand recommend using the term “negotiation” to replace “argument.” They point out that in a negotiation, people work together, people are not verbally attacked, and  nobody wins. They offer specific listening and speaking tips for negotiation in the classroom, and note that “Students come to the science classroom with different levels of familiarity with formal argumentation, but all of them find it easier to learn and grow in environments that are not threatening.”
Searching for “argument,” in the archives of the NAEYC  journal Young Children, I found one article with discussion of arguments among children, “Assessing and Scaffolding Make-Believe Play” by Deborah J. Leong and Elena Bodrova in the January 2013 issue,  none for “argumentative” and none for “argumentation.” Discussions between children are noted as part of the science learning described in Spotlight on Young Children: Exploring Science (NAEYC 2013). Suggested strategies for promoting inquiry-based learning in the classroom are similar to Schoerning and Hand’s speaking and listening tips for establishing negotiation in the classroom. Authors encourage teachers to use questions, similar to the numeracy matrix, to create a classroom where children are encouraged to develop and maintain respectful relationships even though they may not agree with others’ ideas, and to contribute constructively to discussions and arguments.
Listen to Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer’s rendition of Bill Harley’s “Is Not Is Too” for an example of arguing, familiar to us all, that is unproductive for science but helps children develop social skills. And reflect on what classroom practices you have to support productive argumentation.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDIB4MJkQNs[/youtube]
 
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Church, Amelia. 2009. Preference Organisation and Peer Disputes: How Young Children Resolve Conflict. University of Melbourne, Australia (Ashgate Publishing Limited). http://www.ashgate.com/isbn/9780754674412
Keeley, Page. 2013. Uncovering Student Ideas in Primary Science: 25 New Formative Assessment Probes for Grades K-2, Vol. 1. Arlington, VA: National Science Teachers Association.
Leong Deborah J., and Elena Bodrova. 2013. Assessing and Scaffolding Make-Believe Play. Young Children. 67 (1): 28-34.
Michaels, Sarah, and Andrew W. Shouse, Heidi A. Schweingruber. 2008. Ready, Set, Science! Putting Research to Work in K-8 Classrooms. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11882
National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13165
Perry, Bob and Sue Dockett and Elspeth Harley. 2007. Learning Stories and Children’s Powerful Mathematics. Early Childhood Research and Practice, Volume 9 Number 2. http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v9n2/perry.html
Schoerning, Emily and Brian Hand. 2013. Using Language Positively: How to encourage negotiation in the classroom. Science and Children. 50 (9): 42-45
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Resources for growing plants with stolons:
Smith, Brian R, and D. Mahr, P. McManus, and T. Roper.1999. Growing Strawberries in Wisconsin. Madison, WI: Cooperative Extension of the University of Wisconsin-Extension. http://milwaukee.uwex.edu/files/2010/05/GrowingStrawberriesA1597.pdf
StrawberryPlants.org. When to plant strawberries, growing from seed and other topics. http://strawberryplants.org/2011/04/strawberry-planting-guide/
DoItYourSelf.com, Practical tips on growing spider plants. http://www.doityourself.com/stry/spiderplants#.UTjHHBysiSo
 
 
 

With budget issues facing many of the schools I’ve worked with, district-sponsored professional development (PD) has been scaled back. But teachers have a professional obligation to stay current with new findings about student learning, teaching strategies, technology applications, and initiatives such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Science teachers also need to keep up with subject area content and topics in lab safety.
Most of us would not mourn the loss of large group presentations on topics that do not meet our needs as science teachers. NSTA blogs have addressed the idea of individualized PD designed by individual teachers or groups of teachers as a meaningful (and cost-effective) alternative to traditional programs:

• The difference between PD and teacher training  “I just sat through another full day of ‘professional development.’ As a middle school science teacher, I’m interested in many topics related to my subject, but this day was a series of generic presentations to the entire faculty. I kept thinking about better ways to use my time.”

• The need for individualized PD  “The middle school where I teach just changed the topics taught each year to align with our state standards. My specialty is biology/life science, but now I’m also expected to address topics in earth and physical science. The in-service agenda for this year focuses on teaching strategies, but what I really need are crash courses in earth and physical science. I can’t go back to college—what should I do?”

• How to get PD on a shoestring  “We were informed that our district professional development budget will be drastically reduced for next year. Each department is asked for input on how to provide professional development on a shoestring. Any suggestions for our science department?”

• Incorporating teacher book groups  “Some of my colleagues in the science department and I would like to start a book group, but we’re not sure how to get started. What books should we read? How often should we meet? Any other suggestions?”

• Personalized PD at all levels  “I am part of a team of elementary teachers (pre-K through fifth grade). Where can we find professional development (PD) in Earth sciences?”

• Iron Science Teacher  “As part of a three-year PD project for elementary and middle school science teachers, the directors and coaches wanted to have a culminating activity to demonstrate what the teachers had learned. In addition to the questionnaires and surveys, they decided to do a local version of The Iron Science Teacher. I was invited to be one of the judges. Here’s how it worked.”

• Online PD http://nstacommunities.org/blog/2013/02/18/online-pd-courses/  “I’m looking for PD opportunities. I have a master’s degree, but as part of my PD plan, I’d like to earn additional graduate credits. In my current situation, commuting in the evenings or on weekends to a university is not possible. I’m thinking of trying an online course for the first time. What do I need to know or think about?”

• From NSTA Press: What are best practices in professional development?

If you’re interested in starting your own IPDP (Individualized Professional Development Plan), you can use the resources of the NSTA Learning Center. You’ll find tools to help you identify your content needs, design a plan, assemble a portfolio, reflect on your learning, and create a report.
Photo: MLB

I’m looking for suggestions on what to do with students on the first day of school. I’m starting my first year teaching science at a middle school.
—Shelly, Illinois
Put yourself in the students’ place. On the first day, they’re subjected to six, seven, or eight  teachers reading the syllabus, describing their grading system, and going over laundry lists of class rules. By the end of the day, everything blends together, and the following day students won’t remember who said what. They might appreciate a break from this scenario.
Save your syllabus discussion and safety contract for another day in the first week. You could start with a brief description of the purpose of the science course, including any big ideas that serve as a theme or organizer. Rather than going over all of the rules, describe the overall expectations on which the rules are based. For example, I would tell students that respect was most important in my class—I would respect them, they would respect me, they would respect each other, and we would all respect the learning process. (One year after I said this in an elective class, a student got up and left the room. The other students stared at him, and one remarked, “I guess he wanted a class where he could be disrespectful!”)
Depending on the length of your class period, you could then use an activity to get to know your students’ personalities and interactions. (However, until you have their safety contracts on file, avoid any activities in which students use chemicals, flames, projectiles, or heat sources.) In a recent  discussion on the NSTA members–only email list, several teachers posted some examples:

• Franklin W. suggested the marshmallow challenge. Students have 20 pieces of spaghetti, one meter of tape, one meter of string, one marshmallow and 8 minutes. Working in teams, they have to build a structure to get the marshmallow as high off the desk as possible. They then measure to the top of the marshmallows and the highest wins.
• Ryan R. asks students to arrange themselves in alphabetical order by first names or chronologically by birthdate and then sit in the corresponding numbered seat.
• Karen D. gives her students a deck of cards (or some index cards) and asks them to build a structure.
• Dave D. groups students and gives each group a “secret” object. Their goal is to write a list of observable characteristics so other groups can identify it.

As students do an activity, you’ll have a chance to observe their thinking and problem-solving skills. You can start to identify the leaders, organizers, followers, thinkers, disrupters, class clowns, and bystanders.
If time is an issue, you could do a brief demonstration to get their interest. You could also try a formative assessment probe from the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series of books from NSTA. Try a different one in each class to get a cross section of previous experiences and/or misconceptions. You’ll also get a writing sample from the students.
There may be some required housekeeping tasks expected of teachers on the first day. When I taught in a large, two-story middle school, my principal wanted us to check attendance to make sure students found their way to their classrooms. I dutifully called names, but I usually mispronounced a few or called students by their full name rather than a preferred nickname. Although the students often found this hilarious, I was embarrassed. So I started asking the students to introduce themselves. I could annotate my list with a phonetic spelling or nickname.
The first day of school is exciting, stressful, busy, and a little scary for students (as well as their teachers). As a teacher you want to set a welcoming tone for your students and communicate your passion for science and your interest in helping them learn.
 
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kacey3/1263403799/