The draft recommendations for science TEKS streamlining are now posted on the TEA website.
I highly encourage you to provide feedback to TEA after you have read through the changes and justifications. Informal feedback will be accepted in response to the draft recommendations through December 16, 2016. Comments on the draft recommendations will help to inform the streamlining committee's final recommendations. If you provide specific comments and recommendations for any of the student expectations, please identify the grade level and the specific student expectation number that is included in the draft recommendations document. (For example, grade 1 (1)(A)) By the way, many of the changes made were supported by feedback that many of you gave through the initial survey. Although I serve on the streamlining committee, I may or may not agree with all the particular changes. I too will send feedback to the email address listed below. Your feedback is greatly appreciated as we refine the draft. You may submit your comments to TEA at [email protected]. Please indicate “Science TEKS Streamlining” in the subject line.
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According to the Texas science standards in grades 5-8, students are expected to ask well-defined questions [and] formulate testable hypotheses when engaging in experimental investigations.
As most every science teacher knows, students struggle with forming hypotheses. So, for many years going back who knows how long, teachers have defined “hypothesis” as an “educated guess.” Honestly, I cringe when I hear that definition. Can you develop a hypothesis as to why I would cringe at that definition? If you perhaps mentioned something about the negative connotation that the word “guess” brings to the table, you’d be on the right track. “Guess” implies pulling something out of nowhere…like you actually have no idea. That is a horrible word to tie into scientific investigations. In most situations, a scientist isn’t guessing. They likely have quite a bit of data or observations to garner some well-constructed response to a particular question or problem. In order to fix this misleading definition, we have to start back at the beginning of scientific methodology. As many 5th grade science classrooms cover 5.8A where students are required to differentiate between weather and climate, some teachers may have students enact a mock weather report / forecast.
A great current events application to your students’ forecast project would be to look at the most recent forecast bust for New York just a few days ago:
Some great critical thinking questions for students to consider are:
Students, and sometimes teachers, struggle with understanding variables within investigations. This is required in SE 5.2A & 5.6D. By providing students with a super cheap, super fun & simple physics investigation (the Magnus Glider* Challenge), teachers can effectively teach the learner how to identify and understand variables in investigations. watch our Variables Video, click HereView our video showing how to create a Magnus GliderDownload our training handoutCheck out our TEKS and STAAR Science Explainer for 5th grade Texas Science! We have a short video, ebook and poster available. Click the image below or go to our science page...
Learn and practice the Scientific Method...By utilizing the following lab template for experimental investigations, students will be able to know what they need to do in order to complete a fundamental investigation.
Click the image below to download: |
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