Giving students opportunities to explore and observe plants, birds, or bugs on the school grounds or in nearby gardens and parks can bring multiple benefits. The Children & Nature Network highlights research findings that support the positive benefits of environment-based studies on school achievement, citing standardized measures in basic subject areas and other indications that environment-based programs foster cooperative learning and civic responsibility. NSTA Press has a rich collection of resources on easy ways to incorporate outdoor science activities in any green area in your schoolyard or nearby park. Read April’s issue of NSTA’s Book Beat for free lessons about seeds, plants, schoolyard surveys, and “Diary of a seed” writing prompts for students preK through high school.

I’m interested in finding some science assessments to supplement the state tests at the high school level. I’m especially looking for ones that will help me understand students’ thinking.
—Lisa, Fort Myers, Florida
It would be very difficult to find an existing test that matches your curriculum exactly. Some textbooks have test-generators as an option, but the questions and unit topics may not align with your curriculum or match up with your learning objectives (and some of the questions I’ve seen in these resources are not well designed and many of them are focused on factual recall). Another option would be to create the items yourself, but constructing items can be a time-consuming process.
The state science assessments I’m most familiar with give teachers yearly reports on their students’ scores but do not provide information on how the students answered individual items. It can be useful to see what percentage of the students chose the incorrect distracters. This information can help the teacher identify misconceptions and areas in which additional instruction is necessary. But most standardized test results do not provide this type of item analysis.
I’m really interested in the Science Assessment tool recently published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). High school level topics address concepts in life science, physical science, earth science, and the nature of science. For each topic, there are several key ideas and sub-ideas (some schools may refer to these as big ideas and essential concepts) you can match to your science curriculum. Each sub-idea has a collection of multiple-choice items to add to your test bank. The items are designed to help you determine what your students understand and what misconceptions they may bring to class (there’s a section for each item with an analysis of how students in the pilot group answered the questions). You must register (free) to use the site, and you can save the items you select and print them as PDF or HTML files (or copy and paste into a word processor, spread sheet, or test generator).

TIMSS has released items in science and mathematics for grades 4 and 8. A scoring guide is provided for the open-ended questions. Another option would be to look at the website of your state assessment system to find released items and scoring samples for science.
The resources I’ve noted are not test-generators. You would have to copy and paste into your own documents. But the bonus information they provide on misconceptions and how students performed on these items is worth the formatting work. If you use the test (or individual items) with a clicker system, you can get immediate feedback on the students’ answers for your own item analysis.
PALS (Performance Assessment Links in Science) is another resource you could consider. There are dozens of performance assessment tasks, organized by standard, grade level, and topic. Each one references one or more of the National Science Education Standards. Each assessment includes a detailed description, a student handout with places to record data and observations, a scoring rubric, and the results of any formal validation. There are examples of actual student work at each of the rubric levels. This could definitely be a supplement to traditional paper-and-pencil tests.
I’d also recommend the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series of books from NSTA. These formative assessment probes can help you uncover student preconceptions and can be used as a pre-assessment or warm-up for a unit.
 
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/46632302@N06/4279477491/

CNN video: Kindergartners getting iPads

Years ago, I followed closely the Maine schools 1-to-1 laptop project. I found it interesting on multiple levels, but also I was skeptical for several reasons. Not that I wasn’t in favor of laptops in the classroom or one-to-one initiatives, but for more because of ratios. Concerns of cost/benefit and training/outcomes were obvious, but the the thought festering in my mind was if the collective imagination of the teachers was ready to embrace the immense power and opportunity that a 1 to 1 laptop program would allow. Or instead, would the laptops merely be another vehicle for doing digitally exactly the same things that were done in the analog classroom.
Now it is time to dust off my past thoughts and update them given the changes across education, technology, and the 21st century world in general.
In the meantime, here are a few links to get you up to speed:
The Impact of Maine’s One-to-One Laptop Program on Middle School Teachers and Students: Phase One Summary Evidence Research Report #1
The Impact of Maine’s One-to-One Laptop Program on Middle School Teachers and Students Use of Laptop Computers and Classroom Assessment: Are Teachers Making the Connections? Research Report #4
Article: Going One-to-One from the December 2005/January 2006 issue of Learning in the Digital Age
And a video:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBAduBgV0LI[/youtube]
Personally, I have an iPad and am quite pleased with the device’s potential in education. The iPad2 is even better, but ultimately, it is not the machine but its use. As an instructional technologist encouraging the effective and appropriate application of technology in education, my goals include the fearless use of technology in academic and creative endeavours in order to pursue, with reckless abandon, great teaching and learning. In other words, the tech should become invisible within the experience and the learning be conceptualized and owned independent of the device.
In the above CNN video, I tired to figure out what the students were doing with iPads. A lesson learned (from my perspective anyway) from the earlier Maine 1:1 Laptop initiative was that in order for the technology to truly impact the students within the overall longterm goals of American public education, it had to take a backseat to the content and message of the lessons. However, in studying the 1-to-1 results of the past including those in the links I referenced above, I sometimes had a hard time separating out the computer from its effects.
The yardstick I am using here is not to make the project platform-independent whereby any similar looking or sounding tech might/should yield similar results (as I believe that is often a mistake by the uninformed that leads to 1) the rapid downfall of a project, 2) measurable results contrary to those intended, and 3) a clear path for opponents to challenge the hardware decisions and budget), but instead to focus on the learning objectives and outcomes by which the device is an efficient conduit to personalization and success.
The kindergarten entry point for this integration will also be something to watch. Not only is the project launching from a grade level often contrary to conventional district technology expenditures, but provides a wonderfully effective leverage point causing all grades to follow to either get with the program or risk giving the impression that a student’s matriculation is actually downhill slide into mediocrity.
So grab a bowl of popcorn, make yourself comfortable and let’s watch the action.

Salads, sandwiches, and, of course, hamburgers feature condiments for flavor and texture. Tuna and chicken cling to onions and celery with the aid of mayonnaise. A teaspoon or so of mustard might add some bite to the salad. And if you’re feeling inventive, you could add a drop or two of hot sauce mixed with ketchup. How are these condiments made, and how do they manage to sit in the refrigerator door for so many months without breaking down into their constituent parts? Chemistry, my dear Ms. Child… chemistry.

As you’ll learn from the Chemistry Now video, mustards and ketchups are suspensions in which the vegetative matter, tomatoes and mustard seeds respectively, are mixed in with a bit of water and other liquids to make a flow-able paste. Mayonnaise is a colloidal dispersion in which two materials that don’t normally mix—oil and water—are held together by an emulsifying agent, in this case lecithin found in egg yolks. Throw in some garlic and an herb or two and you have a secret sauce to spice up the menu.

We have reached the 11th week of the weekly, online, video series “Chemistry Now,” and the chemistry of the kitchen sticks around as a source of interesting video and lessons. As we’ve written before, please view the video, try the lessons, and let us know what you think.

Photo: Morten Rand-Hendriksen

Through the Chemistry Now series, NSTA and NBC Learn have teamed up with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to create lessons related to common, physical objects in our world and the changes they undergo every day. The series also looks at the lives and work of scientists on the frontiers of 21st century chemistry.

Video: “The Chemistry of Condiments” (one in a 6-part Cheeseburger Chemistry series) uses ketchup, mustard and mayo to explain two different types of mixtures: suspensions and colloidal dispersions (emulsions).

Middle school lesson: the Aqueous Systems lesson helps students an understand the properties of different types of aqueous mixtures: solutions, colloids, and suspensions.

High school lesson: the Solubility and Bonding lesson describes the  relationship between types of bonding, polarity, and solubility.

You can use the following form to e-mail us edited versions of the lesson plans:

[contact-form 2 “ChemNow]

Children in my preschool love to cook, and in some ways cooking is much like science learning. We feel the ingredients, measure them, follow a procedure to (hopefully) replicate the results of others, and make observations as we mix and apply heat. We get to eat our work, something we do not do in science activities, and we collect data (was it yummy, too dry, not enough salt) and share the results (actual product and written observations) with others (classes or families).
Collecting data and analyzing it can be part of a non-edible cooking-as-science activity: making play doughs. The April 2011 Early Years column shares the steps for making play dough cookery into a science activity, including observing the nature of the ingredients, measuring, mixing to make a change, evaluating the product, and recording the data .
There are many play dough recipes collected online and in books.
Online
Here are some sites to get you started, but note that I have not made all the recipes on these sites. Check for allergies. Do try them first yourself at home, and plan for safety by having the children wear goggles (salt in the eyes hurts!) and using a wooden cover for an electric skillet to protect from burns.  

• http://teachnet.com/lessonplans/art/play-dough-options-do-it-yourself-recipes-for-kids/
• http://www.playdoughrecipe.org/
• http://www.hummingbirded.com/play-doh-recipes.html
• http://www.easy-kids-recipes.com/play-dough-recipes.html

 In print
A classic from the 1960’s, Mud Pies and Other Recipes by Marjorie Winslow with illustrations by Erik Blegvad, is a cookbook for imaginative play—use it outdoors to make pretend food with natural materials.
Mudworks: Creative Clay, Dough and Modeling Experiences by MaryAnn F. Kohl. Look for real recipes you need in the cooking, no cooking, air dry, bake dry, edible, caution, and “adult supervision always necessary” categories.
Children are discerning consumers of play materials, but not all have the same preferences. Have your students record their observations on a chart (see an example at www.nsta.org/SC1104) and see which play dough recipe they want to make again. Do you have a favorite recipe or cautionary tale to share?
Peggy

Should science instruction before grade 3 be eliminated to make more time in the school day for Language Arts and Math instruction?
That question has energized the NSTA General Science email list in recent days. It was raised by a science teacher asking for research on the question so he can guide a study committee to best practice rather than slashing a whole section of the curriculum.
Here are a few responses.

• I am in firm agreement that it is not only okay but absolutely necessary that young children PK – 2 have quality science instruction. As referenced in the research, young children not only learn when presented quality instruction but also are engaged and excited by the instruction.
• I was just the other day talking with two of our granddaughters about science activities they were doing in school – 3 and 5 grade.  Both happily talked about the writing and more they did following the activities. The third grader said they were writing a related play, making props, for presentation to class.
• …youngsters are naturally curious about EVERYTHING – most especially science.  Therefore the initiation of science education right away is not only important as a component of every student’s general education; …stimulating [content] is an intrinsic motivation for learning AND to further the independent and voluntary efforts of youngsters in informal learning.
• 

  Children sound out words to label their observatio n drawings. "Baby beetle" and "Beetle adult"

  
  I agree that the hands-on science activities motivate children (beginning in preschool) to want to use language arts and math skills to explain their discoveries and reasoning. They want to sound out or copy the word “caterpillar”, measure and record the length of a sprout on a calendar, and record their explanation of how the steepness of a ramp changes the speed of the ball.
• Science is everywhere and can be integrated into all topics. Instead eliminating it, we should be looking for ways to integrate it into more curriculum. The schools that have done this kind of cross curricular integration have been able to utilize their limited classroom time more efficiently. Admittedly, it takes cooperation and some time to work out how to cover all the standards, but to just eliminate science in this age group — which is full of a sense of wonder about nature and a sponge for learning concepts — seems almost like they are giving up and I think they would regret this in the years to come. 
• Teaching science in the primary classroom significantly increases students’ vocabulary which is a biggie in any testing environment. As a retired 1st grade teacher I saw science as a way to BOOST my students’ verbal skills as it addresses communicating their findings as they perform experiments. VERY logical. You can’t do this with just reading/math. Science was my hook, line and sinker to get them to LOVE reading and writing.  
• Ask the committee how the 3^rd and 4^th grade teachers will prepare the students for the 4^th grade science standardized test if students do not have science instruction in K-2.
• Spread science out throughout the week in varied, appropriate formats—have a group lesson of about 20-30 minutes, one at the beginning and one near the end of the week to introduce concepts and procedures, and to have a discussion and sense-making wrap up. In the middle of the week the children use centers to carry out and repeat hands-on activities, complete data-gathering, write, math work, and vocabulary development, scheduled during the time for small groups or independent work.

What do you think, what does research show? Add your two cents as a comment.
Peggy
PS—If you are not yet an NSTA member, here is your chance to get $10 off your new membership (discount code: SMBR2011). Join NSTA for $65 until April 30th …and get all journal articles (4 journals, and their archives) online for free, and a 20% discount on every NSTA Press book in the NSTA Store. Members can join any of 12 members-only listservs to share valuable knowledge from other science teaching professionals. This blog is just the tip of the iceberg in sharing with, and learning from, the greater community of science-interested teachers. Peggy

Spring is a great time to focus on botany! This issue has many ideas to enhance traditional plant activities to make inquiry “bloom” in the classroom. I’ve noted the SciLinks topics that would support the content or include additional activities. The editor has also included quotations on the value of plants from many different authors Words to Grow On – perhaps they could be the center of your bulletin board on the topic.

The next time you see an advertisement on TV for “chia pets,” you’ll have a different perspective after reading Ch-ch-ch-chia Seeds for Inquiry. (I did not realize that chia is considered a “superfood” by some). The article describes how working with these seeds can help to clear up misconceptions about seeds and extend the typical plant-a-seed activity. The student activity worksheet is included. [SciLinks: Seed Germination]
Earth’s Most Important Producers: Meet the Phytoplankton illustrates several activities to help students explore the basis of aquatic food webs in the field and create their own plankton blooms. I wish I would have had the directions for making simple plankton nets (having students make them would give them some ownership in the investigation. [SciLinks: Plankton, Protists, Food Webs]

The guest editorial Biodiversity and the Future of Food notes “…we have come to regularly purchase and ingest products that have no recognizable connection to anything that would historically have been called food.” I wonder how many of our students really understand where the “food” they eat comes from, and how plants are the basis of food chains and webs. (My students were surprised that what they called “vegetables” were actually parts of plants – fruits, seeds, stems, roots, leaves, flowers.) The author describes how the biodiversity of plants is the key to sustainability. On a similar food-related topic, Organic Milk: Is the Grass Greener on the Other Side considers the definition of “organic” and issues related to nutrition, health concerns, additives, and animal welfare. There is also a chart showing the worst and best fruits and vegetables for pesticides. The investigation in Food-System Botany helps students to consider the relationship between their own eating habits and agricultural diversity. [SciLinks: Plants as Food,  Sustainable Agriculture, Nutrition, Biodiversity, Antibiotics]
The authors of Our Human-Plant Connection raise some interesting points about the “plant deficit” in schools. How many schools or classrooms have live plants in them? Is plant science an important part of the curriculum (more than just learning the parts of a flower or planting seeds in paper cups)? Do we include botanical gardens in our field trips? Even worse than a deficit is “plant blindness” in which we overlook the plants in an environment to focus on the animals and their adaptations (and then it’s mostly the vertebrates that get the attention!). The article has a wealth of suggestions and resources to get students (and teachers) interested in plant biology. In What’s So Special About Plants? Inquiry in the Classroom, the author shares her passion for plants with her students through many activities, including the 5E lesson described in detail here. Students explore the characteristics of plants and learn how to do biological drawings. [SciLinks: Plant Adaptations, Plant Growth]
Seeds of Wonder and Discovery describes the PlantingScience online community that fosters communication between students and scientists as they investigate topics in botany. These investigations could be used as both ongoing or culminating activities. (You may also be interested in Project BudBurst, a citizen-science project related to plants.
I’m ready to work in my garden with a new appreciation for plants.