HS teachers play a round of Science Bingo CLE teachers and some administrators check out PHET simulations
On Thursday, the Science Leadership team met to discuss ongoing updates to our science curriculum to meet the new state science standards. We began our meeting by introducing games (both online and paper) that can be used to reinforce content and vocabulary being taught in the classroom. These games were interactive, involved both knowledge and application of the science content, and were engaging to all who participated.
Teachers played bingo where clues were read and they had to X out the correct word associated with that clue. This type of game would be used a s review of content. Similarly, Legends of Learning, an online educational game site, has students use science knowledge to complete gaming tasks. Both Taboo and Pictionary were chosen because they require students to really understand concepts in order to be able to describe/ draw them. By not allowing students to use the words normally associated with the rote definition of the words, students are asked to find other connections stored in the same “file folder” in their brains to get their point across. This helps students to deepen their understanding of the content. The PHET simulations provide similar support by giving students the chance to apply the content to new situations that are not possible to view in a science classroom. Allowing students to apply science knowledge in new situations.
We also discussed the upcoming visit from Tri-state Consortium this spring. This visit will include an overview of how we have used their recommendations to improve our science curriculum. We reviewed the recommendations and commendations made by Tri-state, then jigsawed the eight categories they commented on. Each grade level was able to list the improvements and changes that had been made to fit each indicator. The team listed various changes that have occurred since the visit including the adoption of the new middle school science program, increased engineering opportunities, increased Professional Development. The Science Leadership Team felt that we could benefit from more cross – grade level talks and visits and instructional rounds.
Some CLE teachers and administrators check out Legends of Learning Playing science pictionary and Taboo helps strengthen understanding
Written by: Samantha Levine, Instructional Science Coach
