Chapter 9

This chapter is all about connecting science with other subjects. The first subject that comes to mind when hearing this topic is mathematics. Many concepts and skills in mathematics can be used with in science as well. The four ways in which teachers can connect science with mathematics are by engaging students in quantifying the real world, organizing and interpreting data, using patterns and relationships, and operating on numbers. In the science lesson plans we created a few weeks ago, I had students quantifying the real world by measuring volume and mass, and using their data to perform operations. Measuring is a math concept that is very useful in science, but something we don't always remember. When I took a science course in college I was surprised that I could not remember how to find the volume of an object. The section about measuring in this chapter emphasizes the importance of practice and rehearsal of measuring so students can improve their performance and be able to use their skills in different contexts. I like how the section about measurement talks about using nonstandard units to introduce the concept of measuring. I remember using the classes shoes to measure the length of our classroom in first grade, and even remember being told to use the width of the tip of a pinky finger to estimate the length of distances or objects in centimeters. I also like that this section informs teachers not to ask for conversions between two systems of measurement. I think it is less confusing for students if they don't have to always compare measurements of the same length with different units of measurement. Accepting students' concepts of a unit of length is something that would be important to do with students with all students including those with special needs.

The next part of this chapter I like is its explanation of organizing and interpreting data. I remember this always being not only helpful to visualize results, but also interesting to see the results that other classmates came up with in comparison. Data recorded consistently over a period of time can also be compared with each other. I also like the part in the graphing section that explains dependent and independent variables. I think it is important for students to see what is a dependent and independent variable in a study in order to realize that changing one thing can have an effect or change something else. When it comes to incorporating operating on numerical data with science lessons, i think it would be a good idea to try and synchronize what is being learned in math with what mathematics skills are being used in science so that students use math skills in science after or while they are mastering them in math class. I like that this chapter talks about how textbooks are often times too confusing for students. In my clinicals I tried to use the classes science textbook to a curriculum based measurement (CBM) of a students reading skills, but quickly realized after the first session that the textbook was at much too high of a reading level for the student. Luckily, the class never really worked out of that textbook from what I could see. I think it is always important for teachers to assist students in pre-reading, reading, and postreading when working out of a textbook, especially for students with difficulties in reading.