A winning educational formula of engaging lessons and powerful strategies for science teachers in numerous classroom settings
The Teacher’s Toolbox series is an innovative, research-based resource providing teachers with instructional strategies for students of all levels and abilities. Each book in the collection focuses on a specific content area. Clear, concise guidance enables teachers to quickly integrate low-prep, high-value lessons and strategies in their middle school and high school classrooms. Every strategy follows a practical, how-to format established by the series editors.
The Science Teacher's Toolbox is a classroom-tested resource offering hundreds of accessible, student-friendly lessons and strategies that can be implemented in a variety of educational settings. Concise chapters fully explain the research basis, necessary technology, Next Generation Science Standards correlation, and implementation of each lesson and strategy.
Favoring a hands-on approach, this bookprovides step-by-step instructions that help teachers to apply their new skills and knowledge in their classrooms immediately. Lessons cover topics such as setting up labs, conducting experiments, using graphs, analyzing data, writing lab reports, incorporating technology, assessing student learning, teaching all-ability students, and much more. This book enables science teachers to:
- Understand how each strategy works in the classroom and avoid common mistakes
- Promote culturally responsive classrooms
- Activate and enhance prior knowledge
- Bring fresh and engaging activities into the classroom and the science lab
Written by respected authors and educators, The Science Teacher's Toolbox: Hundreds of Practical Ideas to Support Your Students is an invaluable aid for upper elementary, middle school, and high school science educators as well those in teacher education programs and staff development professionals.
Table of Contents
About the Authors xxv
About the Editors of the Toolbox Series xxvii
Acknowledgments xxix
Letter from the Editors xxxi
Introduction xxxiii
I Science Labs 1
1. Strategies for Teaching Lab Safety 3
What is It? 3
Why We Like It 3
Supporting Research 3
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Standards 4
Application 4
Student Handouts and Examples 7
What Could Go Wrong? 7
Technology Connections 8
Attribution 8
Figures 8
Figure 1.1 Science Safety Contract English (Student Handout) 8
Figure 1.2 Science Safety Contract Spanish (Student Handout) 11
Figure 1.3 Identifying Broken Lab Safety Rules (Student Handout) 13
Figure 1.4 Identifying Broken Lab Safety Rules - Answer Key 14
Figure 1.5 Science Lab Safety Quiz (Student Handout) 15
2. Strategies for Teaching Lab Procedures 17
What is It? 17
Why We Like It 17
Supporting Research 18
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Standards 18
Application 18
Student Handouts and Examples 29
What Could Go Wrong? 29
Technology Connections 30
Attributions 30
Figures 31
Figure 2.1 Folder Activity - Outside and Inside - Thermal Power Plant 31
3. Strategies for Teaching the Scientific Method and Its Components 33
What is It? 33
Why We Like It 34
Supporting Research 34
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Connections 35
Application 35
Student Handouts and Examples 50
What Could Go Wrong? 50
Technology Connections 52
Figures 54
Figure 3.1 Student Research Organizer (Student Handout) 54
Figure 3.2 Identifying Independent and Dependent Variables (Student Handout) 55
Figure 3.3 Identifying Independent and Dependent Variables - Answer Key 58
Figure 3.4 How to Write a Hypothesis (Student Handout) 61
Figure 3.5 How to Write a Hypothesis - Answer Key 64
Figure 3.6 Student Materials List (Student Handout) 67
Figure 3.7 Finding Controls and Making Data Tables (Student Handout) 68
Figure 3.8 Finding Controls and Making Data Tables - Answer Key 70
Figure 3.9 Example and Checklist - Making Graphs (Student Handout) 73
Figure 3.10 Discussion of Results (Student Handout) 74
Figure 3.11 Conclusion (Student Handout) 76
Figure 3.12 Discussion of Results and Conclusion Modified Version (Student Handout) 78
Figure 3.13 Scientific Method Pretest Stations 80
Figure 3.14 Scientific Method Pretest - Student Answer Sheet (Student Handout) 82
Figure 3.15 Scientific Method Pretest - Answer Key 84
4. Strategies for Teaching the Inquiry Process 87
What is It? 87
Why We Like It 88
Supporting Research 89
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Connections 89
Application 89
Student Handouts and Examples 99
What Could Go Wrong? 99
Technology Connections 100
Attributions 100
Figures 102
Figure 4.1 Quantitative vs. Qualitative Examples (Student Handout) 102
Figure 4.2 Quantitative vs. Qualitative Examples - Answer Key 103
Figure 4.3 Observing with Quantitative and Qualitative Data (Student Handout) 104
Figure 4.4 Observing with Quantitative and Qualitative Data - Answer Key 105
Figure 4.5 Owl Pellet Step-by-Step Procedures and Questions (Student Handout) 106
Figure 4.6 Question Stems for Observers (Student Handout) 108
Figure 4.7 Discussion of Results and Conclusion (Student Handout) 109
Figure 4.8 Using the Inquiry Process (Student Handout) 111
Figure 4.9 Checklist for Verifying Online Resources (Student Handout) 113
5. Strategies for Using Project-Based Learning 115
What is It? 115
Why We Like It 115
Supporting Research 116
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Connections 116
Application 117
Student Handouts and Examples 126
What Could Go Wrong? 127
Technology Connections 127
Attributions 128
Figures 128
Figure 5.1 Example of Project-Based Learning Task Manager - Carbon Footprint of a Restaurant (Student Handout) 128
Figure 5.2 Blank Project-Based Learning Task Manager (Student Handout) 129
Figure 5.3 Example of PBL Scoring Guide - Restaurant Project (Student Handout) 130
Figure 5.4 Example of PBL Rubric - Location of the Next Wind Farm in the United States (Student Handout) 131
Figure 5.5 Peer Presentation Evaluation (Student Handout) 132
6. Strategies for Teaching the Engineering Process 133
What is It? 133
Why We Like It 135
Supporting Research 135
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Connections 136
Application 136
Student Handouts and Examples 149
What Could Go Wrong? 149
Technology Connections 150
Attributions 152
Figures 153
Figure 6.1 Student Examples of Mousetrap Catapult Designs 153
Figure 6.2 Mousetrap Catapult Lab Worksheet (Student Handout) 154
Figure 6.3 Mousetrap Catapult Picture 155
Figure 6.4 Mousetrap Catapult Rubric (Student Handout) 156
Figure 6.5 Mousetrap Catapult Sentence Frames (Student Handout) 157
II Integration of ELA, Mathematics, and the Arts 159
7. Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary 161
What is It? 161
Why We Like It 161
Supporting Research 162
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Standards 162
Application 162
Student Handouts and Examples 170
What Could Go Wrong? 171
Technology Connections 171
Attributions 171
Figures 172
Figure 7.1 The Language of Introductory Ecology (Student Handout) 172
Figure 7.2 Vocabulary Definition Worksheet (Student Handout) 174
Figure 7.3 Word Wall Challenge Rubric (Student Handout) 175
Figure 7.4 Word Wall Examples (Student Examples) 176
Figure 7.5 Limiting Factors: Interactive Fast Facts (Student Handout) 177
Figure 7.6 Limiting Factors: Interactive Fast Facts - Answer Key 179
8. Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension 181
What is It? 181
Why We Like It 181
Supporting Research 181
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Standards 182
Application 182
Student Handouts and Examples 192
What Could Go Wrong? 193
Technology Connections 193
Attributions 193
Figures 194
Figure 8.1 Annotations 194
Figure 8.2 Annotations Model Think Aloud Example (Teacher Model) 194
Figure 8.3 Example of a Text-Dependent Question and Answer (Student Example) 195
Figure 8.4 Photochemical and Industrial Smog Venn Diagram (Student Example) 195
Figure 8.5 Cultural Eutrophication Cause and Effect (Teacher Model) 196
Figure 8.6 Water Cycle Concept Map (Student Example) 197
Figure 8.7 Carbon Cycle Story (student handout) 198
Figure 8.8 Example of the Carbon Cycle (Student Example) 199
Figure 8.9 Hints for Drawing the Atmospheric Layers - High School (Student Handout) 200
Figure 8.10 Drawing the Atmospheric Layers - Elementary and Junior High School 201
Figure 8.11 Drawing the Atmospheric Layers - Answer Key 202
Figure 8.12 4 × 4 (Student Example) 203
Figure 8.13 Jigsaw Directions 203
9. Strategies for Teaching Writing 205
What is It? 205
Why We Like It 205
Supporting Research 206
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Connections 206
Application 206
Student Handouts and Examples 220
What Could Go Wrong? 220
Technology Connections 221
Attributions 222
Figures 223
Figure 9.1 Severe Weather Book Project Research (Student Handout) 223
Figure 9.2 Severe Weather Book Project Scoring Guide (Student Handout) 224
Figure 9.3 Severe Weather Book Project Research Example 225
Figure 9.4 Plot Map Outline (Student Handout) 226
Figure 9.5 Severe Weather Book Plot Map Example 227
Figure 9.6 Comic Strip PSA Checklist (Student Handout) 228
Figure 9.7 Chicken Pox PSA Comic Strip (Student Example) 230
Figure 9.8 Asthma PSA Comic Strip (Student Example) 231
Figure 9.9 Ecology Essential Questions Argument Essay (Student Handout) 233
Figure 9.10 Argument Essay Organizer (Student Handout) 235
Figure 9.11 Ecology Example Argument Essay Organizer 236
Figure 9.12 Argument Essay Peer Editing Checklist (Student Handout) 237
10. Strategies for Discussions 239
What is It? 239
Why We Like It 239
Supporting Research 239
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Connections 240
Application 240
Student Handouts and Examples 251
What Could Go Wrong? 251
Technology Connections 253
Figures 254
Figure 10.1 Discussion Ground Rules (Teacher Poster) 254
Figure 10.2 Group Discussion Ratings Scale 255
Figure 10.3 Socratic Seminar Participation Checklist (Student Handout) 256
11. Strategies for Teaching Math 257
What is It? 257
Why We Like It 258
Supporting Research 258
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Connections 259
Application 259
Student Handouts and Examples 282
What Could Go Wrong? 283
Technology Connections 284
Figures 285
Figure 11.1 Bar Graph Example for Teaching Graphing to Fourth Grade Students (Student Handout) 285
Figure 11.2 Line Graph Example for Teaching Graphing to Fifth Grade and Beyond (Student Handout) 287
Figure 11.3 Example of Graphing Pretest (Student Handout) 289
Figure 11.4 Example of Graphing Pretest - Answer Key 290
Figure 11.5 Which Type of Graph Should I Use? (Student Handout) 291
Figure 11.6 Which Type of Graph Should I Use? - Answer Key 292
Figure 11.7 Temperature vs. Number of Escherichia coli Colonies 294
Figure 11.8 Year vs. Number of Deer and Wolves 295
Figure 11.9 Wildlife Strike Data Analysis and Interpretation (Student Handout) 295
Figure 11.10 Wildlife Strike Data Analysis and Interpretation - Answer Key 297
Figure 11.11 Dimensional Analysis Practice (Student Handout) 299
Figure 11.12 Dimensional Analysis Practice - Answer Key 301
Figure 11.13 Practice Measuring Your Friends and Their Things (Student Handout) 303
Figure 11.14 Practice Measuring Your Friends and Their Things - Answer Key 305
Figure 11.15 Metric System Ladder 307
Figure 11.16 Converting Within the Metric System (Student Handout) 308
Figure 11.17 Metric System Ladder and Abbreviations 309
Figure 11.18 Converting Within the Metric System - Answer Key 310
Figure 11.19 Metric System Measuring Challenge (Student Handout) 313
Figure 11.20 Example of 10 Items to be Measured 314
Figure 11.21 Metric System Measuring Challenge - Answer Key 315
Figure 11.22 Metric and Imperial System Internet Search Lab (Student Handout) 317
Figure 11.23 Metric and Imperial System Internet Search Lab - Answer Key 320
Figure 11.24 Excel - Selecting All Cells in a Spreadsheet 323
Figure 11.25 Excel - Pop-up Box 323
Figure 11.26 Excel - Rows vs. Columns 323
Figure 11.27 Celebrating Pi Day in the Sky (Student Handout) 324
Figure 11.28 Excel - Calculating Radius 325
Figure 11.29 Excel - Screenshots of Before and After Cell Fix 325
Figure 11.30 Excel - Screenshot of the Formula Bar 325
Figure 11.31 Excel - The Sun’s Surface Area 325
Figure 11.32 Celebrating Pi Day in the Sky - Answer Key 326
Figure 11.33 Making Graphs in Excel (Student Handout) 327
Figure 11.34 Excel - Graph for Celebrating Pi Day in the Sky 329
12. Strategies for Incorporating the Arts and Kinesthetic Movement 331
What is It? 331
Why We Like It 331
Supporting Research 331
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Connections 332
Application 332
Student Handouts and Examples 353
What Could Go Wrong? 353
Technology Connections 354
Attributions 355
Figures 356
Figure 12.1 Engineering Process: A Case Study in Inventions (Student Handout) 356
Figure 12.2 Rewriting a Song (Student Handout) 357
Figure 12.3 Example of the First Rewritten Stanza for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 359
Figure 12.4 Rubric for Cell and Germ Theories Skit (Student Handout) 360
Figure 12.5 Timeline Graphic Organizer for the Cell and Germ Theories (Student Handout) 361
Figure 12.6 Timeline Graphic Organizer for the Cell and Germ Theories - Answer Key 362
Figure 12.7 Directions and Scoring Guide for Rube Goldberg Cartoon (Student Handout) 363
Figure 12.8 Picture of a Student’s Constructed Rube Goldberg Machine 365
Figure 12.9 Dams! are They Constructive or Destructive? (Student Handout) 366
Figure 12.10 Meiosis vs. Mitosis Review (Student Handout) 368
III Additional Resources 371
13. Strategies for Activating Prior Knowledge 373
What is It? 373
Why We Like It 373
Supporting Research 373
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Connections 374
Application 374
Student Handouts and Examples 386
What Could Go Wrong? 386
Technology Connections 387
Attributions 387
Figures 388
Figure 13.1 KWL Chart Example - States of Matter 388
Figure 13.2 Astronomy Anticipation Guide (Student Handout) 389
Figure 13.3 Blind Kahoot! Nervous System Notes (Student Handout) 390
Figure 13.4 Blind Kahoot! Teacher Notes - Nervous System 391
Figure 13.5 Altitude Pretest for Misconceptions (Student Handout) 392
Figure 13.6 Climate Change Pretest for Misconceptions (Student Handout) 393
14. Strategies for Cultural Responsiveness 395
What is It? 395
Why We Like It 396
Supporting Research 396
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Connections 397
Application 397
Student Handouts and Examples 415
What Could Go Wrong? 415
Technology Connections 415
Attributions 417
Figures 418
Figure 14.1 All About Me! Form (Student Handout) 418
Figure 14.2 First Day of School Student Survey (Student Handout) 419
Figure 14.3 High School Student Survey (Student Handout) 420
Figure 14.4 Contributors to Science (Student Handout) 421
Figure 14.5 13 Culturally Responsive Teaching Ideas 422
15. Strategies for the Beginning and Ending of Class 423
What is it?.423
Why We Like It 423
Supporting Research 424
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Connections 424
Application 424
Student Handouts and Examples 433
What Could Go Wrong? 433
Technology Connections 433
Figures 434
Figure 15.1 is Water Wet? 434
Figure 15.2 Reviewing Previous Material 434
16. Strategies for Reviewing Content 435
What is It? 435
Why We Like It 435
Supporting Research 436
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Connections 436
Application 436
Student Handouts and Examples 448
What Could Go Wrong? 448
Technology Connections 449
Figures 450
Figure 16.1 Blank BINGO Card (Student Handout) 450
Figure 16.2 are the Winners Losers? Game Cards 451
17. Strategies for Assessing Student Learning 453
What is It?.453
Why We Like It 454
Supporting Research 455
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Connections 455
Application 456
Student Handouts and Examples 479
What Could Go Wrong? 479
Technology Connections 480
Attributions 481
Figures 482
Figure 17.1 Final Day Cool Down Activity 482
Figure 17.2 Example Scale 482
Figure 17.3 Example of a Unit’s First Practice Test 483
Figure 17.4 Reflecting on My Learning - Blank (Student Handout) 484
Figure 17.5 Reflecting on My Learning - Completed Example 486
Figure 17.6 Toxicology Unit Thinking Test (Student Handout) 487
Figure 17.7 Toxicology Unit Thinking Test - Answer Key 490
Figure 17.8 Student-Choice Performance-Based Assessment (Student Handout) 493
Figure 17.9 Cell City Models - Student Examples 494
Figure 17.10 Checklist for Cell City Models (Student Handout) 497
Figure 17.11 Toxicology Unit Thinking Test Modified (Student Handout) 498
18. Strategies for Co-Teaching 501
What is It? 501
Why We Like It 501
Supporting Research 502
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Connections 502
Application 502
What Could Go Wrong? 508
Technology Connections 508
References 509
Index 531
