ERIC Number: EJ1001641
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Oct
Pages: 7
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-8148
EISSN: N/A
More Is Less
Willey, Aaron; Klosterman, Michelle
Science and Children, v50 n2 p35-41 Oct 2012
Not only is science perceived by some as a hard-to-teach subject, but there are certain topics that all teachers regard as notoriously hard to teach. While their natural inclination may be to eliminate some of the details, teachers have to be careful not to water down the curriculum. How do they share the complexity of the natural world without introducing content that is over students' heads? How do teachers facilitate experiences for students that encourage their natural curiosity while at the same time delivering content that is cognitively appropriate? Instead of asking "What do I need to eliminate?" teachers should start asking, "Which details can I 'add' to increase my students' understanding?" By playing into their students' inquisitive nature and taking a closer look into the details of their content, teachers can start uncovering student misconceptions, correcting them, and even preventing future misconceptions from developing. This third-grade lesson provides a unique approach to teaching about plants as living things that are responsive to their environment, which typically presents a challenge to students and teachers alike. In this lesson, students were able to visually see how plants move in adaptive ways as well as the genetic features that plants have in common with all living things. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Learning Activities, Teaching Methods, Misconceptions, Science Instruction, Elementary School Science, Grade 3, Plants (Botany), Role Playing
National Science Teachers Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: http://www.nsta.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 3
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A