Science and Literacy

In progress:
So much to keep track of:

http://www.planet-science.com/under11s/index.html

Coloring pages/minibooks with short English explanations:
http://www.dltk-teach.com/minibooks/index.htm
http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/index.html (life cycles)
http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/cartoons/zoo.html (cartoons etc.)
http://www.dltk-teach.com/index.htm

Animal Classification (wonderful resource - easy to read)
http://www.brunswick.k12.me.us/jas/pod2/animals/
http://www.brunswick.k12.me.us/technology/integrator/elementary/teachersites/integration/science/index.htm

Recommendations from Open Wide Look Inside blog
**http://blog.richmond.edu/openwidelookinside/archives/category/science
**Spectacular Science: A Book of Poems.
**Scien-Trickery: Riddles in Science by J. Patrick Lewis
**Science Verse
**The Who Lives Here? series, written by Deborah Hodge and illustrated by Pat Stephens, examines animals in their natural environments and explains how those animals are uniquely adapted to their habitats. The books are organized by habitat, and include titles on Desert Animals, Polar Animals, Rain Forest Animals and Wetland Animals.
**Looking Closely from Kids Can Press uses this type of visual puzzle as an introduction to natural environments.
**Magic School Bus books
**You Can’t Smell a Flower with Your Ear!
**Vicki Cobb books such as Perk Up Your Ears
**Neil Ardley has written a book entitled The Science Book of the Senses that offers fun and simple experiments you can do to learn more about how your five senses work.
**In The Sound of Colors: A Journey of the Imagination, Jimmy Liao tells a story that makes us realize what we do have, while also making us think once again on expanding our imagination even more.

Science Inquiry, Lesson & Unit Design

For science units and lesson building:

K-5 Inquiry-Based Science
http://lsc-net.terc.edu/do.cfm/report/7139/show/use_set-ref_mat
DDN Curriculum Lesson Plan Bank
http://ddncurriculum.k12.sd.us/
Academy Curriculum Exchange: K-5 Science http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/sci/elem.html
Science NetLinks Lesson Index
http://www.sciencenetlinks.org/matrix.cfm
UEN Resources: K-2 Core Lesson Plans (Scroll to content to find science lessons.)http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/LPview.cgi?core=1209
UEN Resources: 3-6 Science Lessons
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/LPview.cgi?core=3
Tools for Investigation
http://www.sci.mus.mn.us/sln/tf/nav/toolscluster.html
Curriculum Science Guide for Saskatchewan
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/elemsci/elemsci.html
Science Curriculum Exchange
http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/sci/elem.html
Science Teaching Ideas
http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/science/contents.htm
Elementary Science and Literacy Connections http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/departments/gheens/Science.html
Animal Classification
http://th022.k12.sd.us/Critter_classification.htm
Electricity Inquiry
www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/departments/gheens/EARSSmpE.pdf
Square of Life
http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/squareproj/
Bucket Buddies
http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/bucketproj/

Discrepant/EEEPS Events
http://engagetolearn.com/ETL/articles/EEEP.htm
http://thewondershop.blogspot.com/2008/11/fun-with-discrepant-events-magic-bottle.html
www.springerlink.com/index/213TG2N03R2G8KG5.pdf
http://www.uttyler.edu/education/bruce.htm
www.agpa.uakron.edu/p16/btp.php?id=discrepant-events
www.suite101.com/reference/discrepant_events

Action Research
http://tlc.ousd.k12.ca.us/~acody/3f.html

Inquiry rubric
http://www3.nsta.org/main/news/pdf/ss0209_22.pdf
Inquiry article
http://www3.nsta.org/main/news/pdf/ss0209_22.pdf
Dry ice:
http://tlc.ousd.k12.ca.us/~acody/Dry_Ice.html

Great Schools and Successful Kids
K: http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/419
1st: http://www.greatschools.net/articles/32/First-Grade
2nd: http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/420
3rd: http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/421
4th: http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/786
5th: http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/786

Projects
Bread Mold Garden
http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/414/

Ten Steps to Make the Most of Field Trips
http://tlc.ousd.k12.ca.us/~acody/fieldtrip.html

Inquiry Questions
from http://tlc.ousd.k12.ca.us/~acody/inquiryquery.html
What does this make you think of?
In what ways are these different?
In what ways are these the same?
What materials did you use?
What would happen if you ...
What might you try instead?
Tell me about your ...?
What does it look like?
What does it remind you of?
What does it feel like?
What can you do next time?
What can you tell me about it?
Tell me what happened.
What could you do instead?
Which one do you have more of?
Is one object longer/shorter than another?
What do you call the things you are using?
What can you tell me about the things you have?
Tell me what it looks like.
How are you going to do that?
What do you feel, see, hear, taste, smell?
How did you do that?
What will you do next after you finish that?
Is there anything else you could do/use?
How do you know?
What are some different things you could try?
What is it made of?
Show me what you could do with it?

Qatar Science Training
http://www.teachers.net.qa/Science_CfBT_Workshops/workshop3/Science3_TN_Session5.pdf
http://teachers.net.qa/content/professional_development/detail/824

Insightful Assessment Sites

Online Testmaking Resources:

• http://www.edselect.com/quizzes.htm
• http://www.edhelper.com/

ORAL ASSESSMENT:

• http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/Frameworks/wrldlang/wlinstr2.html#SampleTasks
• ENGLISH: http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/Frameworks/langarts/41task.htm
• MATH/SCIENCE: http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/Frameworks/mathsci/ms5_2as1.htm

ASSESSMENT CITATIONS:

• http://teaching.uncc.edu/resources/articles-tutorials/assessments/designing-questions
• http://teaching.uncc.edu/resources/articles-tutorials/assessments/developing-objectives-assessment
• http://tamu.qu.edu.qa/assessment.html
• http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/Frameworks/mathsci/ms5_2as1.htm

Best Test Practices:

A Test Worth Taking
Just as teachers vary their instructional techniques to suit different learning styles, they can also create tests that give students choices to show what they know and how they learn best.
Claudia Geocaris and Maria Ross

FORMATTING THE TEST

1. Seems silly but don't forget to put the place for the pupil's name in a prominent position.
2. After using varied questioning strategies to assess knowledge and understanding of concepts, reread and simplifly. Allow sufficient space to provide for teacher comments.
3. A prominently placed key to explain the use of criteria for the assessment with point value of questions or sections.

EVALUATING THE TEST

1. Take the test yourself.
2. Ask THE question: Does the test provide true evidence of what the student has learned.

Differentiating Tests

Using Bloom’s Taxonomy and Multiple Intelligences:

• Start with easiest cognitive questions (matching, T/F questions etc.) and progress to most difficult (essays, story problems, etc.).
• If a student is below level, simply grade completed questions and give them a percentage grade. For example: On a 10 question test, a “below level student” attempts to answer 7 questions. ONLY 5 questions are correct so this student gets 5/7 or 71% (instead of a 50%).
• Alternatively, a “below level” student answers 5 Remembering/Understanding questions correctly. It is the teacher’s decision that this student receives a high grade IF she decides that the student has studied and performed to their highest ability.

Alternate Assessment Differentiations/Modifications

PENCIL-PEN Modification which can be instituted routinely:
1. Allow the students to read and respond to the entire test in pencil.
2. Take the pencil and give them a pen, they then use their books and notes to answer test.
3. They are also allowed to correct answers by crossing through penciled answers.