Anne M. Cox-Petersen

Teacher Preparation and Teacher-Student Interactions at a Discovery Center of Natural History.

As children’s museums become increasingly popular, they serve as ideal environments to supplement school learning. This study inquires into the pre-trip preparation and interaction between elementary teachers and students during a field trip to a Discovery Center of Natural History. We found that teachers did not specifically prepare students for their visit to the center and many teachers exhibited formal school behaviors in this informal environment. Students manipulated a variety of objects with and without teacher assistance; however, teachers who initiated hands-on experiences had students who were engaged in a variety of activities for greater lengths of time.

Teacher Professional Development and Informal Learning Environments: Investigating Partnerships and Possibilities

To provide meaningful science experiences for students, educators need quality science experiences themselves from which to draw. Informal learning contexts, such as museums, are well positioned to provide educators with these professional development experiences. We investigated the impact museum-created professional development experiences had on 54 elementary teachers. Quantitative data were collected through an exit survey and qualitative data through survey questions and interviews. We found a significant difference between how teachers rated these workshops and how they rated other workshops. Teachers reported that the workshops helped them to (a) increase science content knowledge, (b) understand the process of science-scientific fieldwork, (c) change instructional methods, (d) connect natural science content with formal instruction, and (e) learn about museum resources for the classroom.

Access to Science and Literacy through Inquiry and School Yard Habitats

In this article, the authors describe an integrated science and literacy instructional model in which students build background knowledge by engaging in free-choice learning options during an investigation of school yard habitats. Students interact with their peers while inquiring, discussing findings, and using print resources to enhance learning.

Promoting Puzzlement and Inquiry with Pillbugs.

T 1 he National Science Education Slam dards (National Research Council 1996) specify that teachers should eG’&asize fewer scientific facts and place more emphasis on understanding scientific concepts and methods of scientific inquiry. Students in Grades K-12 should participate in activities that investigate the natural world over extended periods of time, using a variety of process skills. The activities should involve investigation and the analysis of scientific questions. In this article, we present an example of an authentic inquiry-based investigation of living organisms that can be easily performed in a who01 setting or in students’ neighborhoods. Pillbugs are ideal organisms to use for extended, authentic inqujl because they are easy to locate in their natural habitat, and they have unique, easily observed behaviors. Students observe, ask questions, collect Illustration from Thr Pdlbue froieo. D. 7 B IYY2 hv Rohin Bumrti. .. . . . Arlmp.100. Va.: National Science Teachen Awmauon. Used with purmssiun.