Chapter 2

Karen Saa

9/16/2009

Weekly Reflection

 

            This chapter was very interesting and helpful. The chapter discusses the skills used in investigating. Those skills are called the processes of science. The chapter goes through the specific processes that elementary and middle school students should go through in science. Some of the steps involved in that investigating process include observation, hypothesis, conducting, controlled investigations, predicting, explaining, and communicating. All of these skills contribute to a successful thought process with students. Students also can be expected to participate in descriptive, classificatory, and experimental inquiries. The type of investigation that a student conducts is based on the student’s age and grade level. The higher the grade level of the student the more detailed and deeper an investigation and experiments are. These skills should be emphasized in elementary school and middle school. The chapter discusses these skills in detail and provides various examples on how to successfully implement these processes in the classroom. Students also can be expected to participate in descriptive, classificatory, and experimental inquiries. The type of investigation that a student conducts is based on the student’s age and grade level. The higher the grade level the more detailed and complex the investigation and analysis will be.  Having students participate in investigations that incorporate the science processes is necessary to have students understand science. 

 The one thing that surprised me was the emphasis that was placed on how the processes of science help student to develop their critical thinking, analysis, and investigating skills. In the past when I thought of the various processes of science I never thought they would help with any other area of a student’s academic life. The chapter really emphasizes that understanding these processes help students effectively analyze and investigate scientific topics, as well as, real world scenarios. The book gives a great example at the beginning of the chapter that mentions that investigative skills will help students to try to figure out why their automobile won’t start or decide what presidential candidate to vote for. These skills will become a part of their everyday lives. All of these skills contribute to a successful thought process with students. Students also can be expected to participate in descriptive, classificatory, and experimental inquiries. The type of investigation that a student conducts is based on the student’s age and grade level. Higher-grade levels need more detailed and specific investigations. Having students participate in investigations that incorporate the science processes is necessary to have students understand science. 

After reading the chapter I would like to know more about how to successfully teach students these processes?