SCI.

2 (MidTerm Coverage)

TEACHING SCIENCE IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES (PHYSICS, EARTH

AND SPACE SCIENCE)

INTRODUCTION

Science is valued because it has helped in satisfying many basic human needs and improving
living conditions. Advances in technology and science are transforming our world at an
incredible and unimaginable pace. We cannot escape from it, and we cannot measure the
significance of science. Science has shaped the world. Technology and the products of scientific
knowledge surround us every day. Public and private policy decisions that impact every aspect
of our lives are driven by scientific processes and scientific evidence. The enormously complex
physical world around us illustrates boundless scientific concepts. Being “science literate” has
become not just an advantage but an absolute necessity in the 21st century.

Unit I The Elementary Science Curriculum

Lesson 1: What is Science?

*Science - is our way of understanding the world – its wondrous structure, natural events,
interrelated elements and systems, and processes. It is an exciting and, at the same time, a useful
endeavor that benefits our community and society at large.

*Another important goal of science has emerged during the past decades:
- To find a way to responsibly and ethically use natural resources to
guarantee their continuity and that of humanity itself an endeavor and advocacy that is referred
to as “sustainability”.
- Aside from sustainability movement, education could become the most important
application of science in the next decades (“Importance of Science...”, 2017).
- It is crucial to provide humanity with a basic understanding of how science has shaped
the world and human civilization. It is for this reason that education institutions need to
constantly equip science educators with the tools and competence to advance science
education and to engage the learners in the love for learning and doing science.
*The word “science” is derived from the Latin word sciencia meaning knowledge.
Science is commonly referred to as a systematic and organized body of knowledge in any area of
inquiry that is acquired using “the scientific method.”

Science has many facets and definitions that can be summarized into the following:

 Science as a broad body of knowledge – Physical science consists of disciplines such

as physics (the science of physical objects), chemistry (the science of matter), and astronomy
(the science of celestial objects). Earth sciences consists of disciplines such as geology (the
science of the earth).
  Science as a set of skills – The science process skills form the foundation of scientific
methods.

There are six basic science process skills:

- Observation, communication, classification, measurement, inference, and prediction.

These basic skills are integrated when scientists design and carry out experiments.
All six basic skills are important individually as well as when they are integrated.

 Science as an intellectual activity – Science is the intellectual, practical, and

systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through
observation and experiment.

 Science as a social activity – Science is a social activity shaped by history, institutions,

beliefs, and values. Society shapes science and vice versa.
 Science as problem-solving – Problem-solving skills are necessary in all areas of life,
and the science class provides the students opportunity to develop and utilize their problem-
solving skills, which include the ability to critically analyze a problem, determine all its
elements, and prepare a feasible solution. These are valuable skills one san acquire in life.
 Science as a career – individuals who have devoted themselves in studying and doing
science have established careers in science, such as biologists, chemists, environmentalists,
astronomers, medical practitioners, among others.
 Science as a global human endeavor – Science is a result of human imagination,
ingenuity, and creativity. Individuals and team from many nations and cultures have contributed
to advances in technology.
 Science as a process – The scientific methods is a set of steps for verifying and
building scientific knowledge. When performing this process, one employs skills necessary to
research a topic, develop a plan and timeline, and draw conclusions from research results.

The Facets of Science

*Science means several things to various individuals and institutions.

Facets of Science
1. Science as a broad body of knowledge
2. Science as a set of skills
3. Science as an intellectual activity
4. Science as a social activity
5. Science as problem-solving
6. Science as a career
7. Science as a global human endeavor
8. Science as a process
*Characterizing an Inspiring Science Teacher
Research shows that the teacher is the most important factor in the effective delivery of
classroom instruction. Engaging classes are facilitated by inspiring science teachers.

But what are the important traits of an inspiring science teacher?

ANATOMY OF A PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER

 Good Shoes Academic brain

 Strong knees Extra eyes
 Creativity Big voice
 Quick witted Big heart
 Broad Shoulder Clear handwriting
 Stamina Strong immune system

Lesson Synthesis

What should be the purpose for every science class? What makes an engaging and inspiring
science class?
An effective science teacher:
 Think analytically, critically, and creatively to solve problems, judge arguments and
make decisions.
 Appreciate the benefits and limitations of science and its applications.
 Understand the international nature of science and the interdependence of science,
technology and society.
 Demonstrate attitudes and develop values of honesty, responsibility and respect for
oneself, for other and for the environment.

Historical Development of Science Education in the Philippines

Below, adapted from Pawilen (2005), list some of the key events in the development of science
education in the Philippines.

Year Highlights:
*1960s - Printing and distributions of science textbooks by the United States Operations
Mission-National Economic Council (USOM-NEC) Project and UP Science Teaching Center

*1970s - Teaching of Integrated Science and Health in schools

- Development of The Elementary Learning Continuum (ELC)

*1980S - Introduction of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) approach to teaching

 - Development of science and technology textbooks for secondary schools
- Recognition of the UPISMED
- Start of the Needs-Based Curriculum Project

*1990s - Development of “Science Made Easy” video course and television programs like “Sine
Eskuwela” for science in the elementary level

*2000 - Development of an Indigenous Curriculum for science in selected local communities

- Integration of language and science for Grades I and II
- Increased time for learning science

*2001 - Development of the Science Framework for Philippine Basic Education by Department
of Science and Technology Science Education Institute and University of the Philippines
national Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development

*2013 - President Benigno Aquino III approved Republic Act (RA) 10533, signing into law the
K-12 program Contemporary Programs

 Science teaching is concerned about the teaching of scientific knowledge and

development of science process skills, scientific attitudes, and values among the learners.

Domains of Teaching Science

1. Scientific Knowledge (Cognitive Domain)

 Definition/Examples
*Scientific Knowledge Scientific knowledge refers to the knowledge that is based on scientific
methods:
Examples:
 Cell Theory
 Binomial System of Nomenclature
 DNA Synthesis

2. Science Process Skills (Psychomotor Skills)

 Observation
 Communication
 Classification
 Measurement
 Inference
 Prediction

3. Scientific Attitudes and Values (Affective Domain)

 Critical-mindedness
 Respect for Evidence
 Honesty
 Objectivity
 Open-mindedness
 Precision
 Curiosity
 Persistence
 Patience

*Science education aims to develop scientific literacy among the Filipino learners that will
prepare them to be active and engaged citizens in the society. As a whole, the K-12 science
curriculum is learner-centered and inquiry-based, emphasizing the use of constructivist pedagogy
in teaching. Concepts and skills in life sciences, physics, chemistry, and earth sciences are
presented with increasing levels of complexity from one grade level to another in spiral
progression, thus paving the way to a deeper understanding of core concepts. The science
curriculum promotes a strong link between science and technology, including indigenous
technology, thus preserving our country’s cultural heritage (K to 12 Curriculum Guide Science,
2016).

*This curriculum is designed around the three domains of learning science: understanding and
applying scientific knowledge in local setting as well as global context, performing scientific
processes and skills, and developing and demonstrating scientific attitudes and values.

The acquisition of these domains is facilitated using the following approaches:

*Multi/interdisciplinary approach
*Science-technology-society approach
*Contextual learning
*Problem/issue-based learning
*Inquiry-based approach.

The approaches are based on constructivism, social cognition learning model, learning style
theory, and brain-based learning.

Science content and science processes are linked in the K-12 curriculum. Organizing the
curriculum around situations and problems that challenge the learners’ curiosity motivates them
to learn and appreciate science. The aim of the K-12 science curriculum is for the learners “to
demonstrate understanding of basic science concepts and application of science -inquiry skills.
They exhibit scientific attitudes and values to solve problems critically, innovate beneficial
products, protect the environment and conserve resources, enhance the integrity and wellness of
people, make informed decisions, and engage in discussions of relevant issues that involve
science, technology, and environment “(K to12 Curriculum Guide Science, 2016).
Things to keep in mind when considering a science teaching method.

 Group dynamics.
Who works well with who? Who can handle cooperative group situations and who needs time to
work by themselves?

 Student ability.
This is not simply about science understanding; this is also about their ability to undertake the
work with the materials at hand.

 Timeframe.
Is the teaching method likely to be successful given how long it takes to get students on task and
the anticipated outcomes?

 Context.
How does the scientific concept relate to their lives?

 Content.
Which teaching method will help the students best understand the lesson material?

Methods for teaching science

All science teaching methods come down to either teacher-centered or student-centered
instruction. Both types of instruction have their place, however in practice they have very
different dynamics in the classroom.

*Lecture (teacher-centered)
In this approach, it is the teacher that is the focus. Students either passively take notes or ask
questions through the teacher’s presentation. Handy for large groups of students or for when you
need to get through a large body of information. The key to this lesson style is to keep it lively
by inserting graphics, video snippets, animations, science demonstrations, audio grabs or guest
appearances via video conference. To help increase the engagement during a lecture, try
incorporating student polling using Poll Everywhere, Plickers, Quizizz or Kahoot. The advantage
of getting active student feedback is that this formative assessment can help shape your lecture
and future lessons to fit the student’s needs.

*Hands-on activities (student-centered)

Break out the experiment materials! Whether the students work in small groups or by
themselves, the lesson has a clear question that students need to find an answer to with the
teacher acting as a facilitator.

There are a few variations here.

• Students follow an experimental procedure with a clear set of instructions and scaffold for their
scientific report.

• Students explore the materials themselves to design and test their own fair experiment, keeping
variable testing in mind. This version is better for students who already have a clear
understanding of the scientific method and are now ready for independent thinking.
• Station-based rotations. Here the students rotate around the classroom to explore a variety of
hands-on materials that all cover an aspect of your lesson topic. The trick here is to ensure that
there is enough time for the students to complete each activity and that there are no bottlenecks
in terms of access to resources or one particular activity that takes too long to complete. A fun
way to link all the stations together to pull together a scenario such as a forensics investigation;
some students will enjoy the role-play!

*Project Based learning (student-centered)

This teaching method draws on the hands-on nature of the activities above and extends this to
involve students in a deep dive into a given topic. Time is the key here, as students will be
engaged over an extended period of time in researching their topic, designing their experiment or
model, writing a scientific report or creating a poster and presenting their findings in a short talk.
When planning this in your scope and sequence, consider access to resources both within and
beyond your school and how the students might be able to involve the community in their
research or as an audience for the final presentation at a school science fair.
Often part of inquiry-based instruction, the outputs of Project Based Learning (PBL) can include
several of the following as a major work.
• Field journal
• Student Podcast
• Working model
• Science poster
• Research paper
• Video diaries
• Augmented reality or Virtual reality
• App creation

*Peer-led team learning (student-centered)

Peer-led team learning (PLTL) is about empowering the students to teach other students. Often
employed in undergraduate studies, this approach also works in schools where it is most
effective when connecting older students with younger students. Alternatively, PLTL can also be
used when pairing students with a high subject aptitude with students needing help. Guidance is
important here as you need to ensure that what is being covered is correct and safely performed.
With supervision, this approach can be effective for students to learn leadership skills and can
create a positive atmosphere around scholarship.

*Flipped learning (student-centered)

Flipped learning has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. The idea is that the instructional
content is given to the students outside of normal school time, with the intention that students
can then come to school with deeper questions for teacher clarification. You can present this
content via a series of videos, articles and books to read, podcasts to listen to, investigating a
problem and so on. There is much debate on how to best implement this in the classroom; in
essence, you need to consider how your students will respond to flipped learning and how you
can motivate them to try it. A handy app to use with this is Flipgrid, whereby you can record a
very short video question to your class and the students then respond to you with their answers
via video as well.

*Differentiation (student-centered)
Differentiation is all about ensuring that students of all levels can be involved in your lesson.
You may want to create worksheets with different tasks or levels of difficulty, perhaps have a
variety of activities for students to choose from or create a variety of job roles for students when
running PBL. Of course, with differentiation comes a time requirement to prepare the lesson,
however it can help students being more on task as they can choose tasks that they can achieve.
You can differentiate tasks such as both extension activities as well as design activities for
students who need more support.

What is a Lesson Plan?

A lesson plan is a teacher’s guide for facilitating a lesson. It typically includes the
goal (what students need to learn), how the goal will be achieved (the method of
delivery and procedure) and a way to measure how well the goal was reached
(usually via homework assignments or testing).
A lesson plan is a detailed outline or guide that teachers use to structure their
teaching and learning activities for a specific class or lesson. It serves as a roadmap
for educators to follow during a teaching session to ensure that learning objectives
are met effectively.
A well-structured lesson plan is essential for effective teaching and learning, as it
helps teachers stay organized, focused, and ensures that learning objectives are
achieved successfully.