once you begin to think of science as a never-ending process ...
your perception of what a teacher's role is in bringing it
into the lives of children will change.
- observing
- communicating
- inferring
- classifying
- predicting
- making a graph
- estimating
- making models
- control variables
- collecting data
- measuring
- hypothesizing
- interpreting data
- define operationally
The "content" vs "process" argument will rage forever, but there shouldn't be any problem because process and product are like love and marriage -- you need both.
With primary-aged kids, doing process allows them to build a positive perception of science and teaches them that they "can do it."
Older children are able to understand the importance of "the product" -- the knowledge they discovered, and are challenged to transfer this new information to a new setting.
if the task of an elementary teacher is to help children solve problems and develop thinking skills, then science must be taught in a conscientiously applied program of daily hands-on activities.
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