833 Elementary Science Scoop
November 2014
This month elementary science leaders previewed the video, "What is Inquiry-Based Learning" and shared ideas about How does inquiry-based teaching and learning help increase student achievement in science?
What is Inquiry-Based Learning?
The National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) recently released their Strategic Goals 2015; Building A Better Future report. Whereas elementary science was deemed a strategic focus goal- seeking to nurture scientific curiosity among children in the earliest grades. “Why?” It’s a question that underpins all of scientific enterprise and one that’s often heard from young children. Yet research shows that students lose interest in science—deem the study too hard or the memorization of facts too boring—by middle school. In today’s world, in which citizens face important decisions about their health and well-being, the environment, and digital technology on a daily basis, science is everywhere. Fostering the development of a scientifically literate citizenry is more crucial than ever before, and it needs to begin in elementary school. As educators, we must encourage the inherent curiosity of our youngest students and guide them as they seek answers to their questions and develop the ability to uncover evidence. We must encourage students to continue asking, “Why?” and we must provide them with the intellectual tools they need to find answers, now and throughout their lives.
U of MN STEM Survey
Students from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota are
researching STEM education in our state and need feedback from you!
researching STEM education in our state and need feedback from you!
Want to Bring ExploraDome to Your School?
The ExploraDome is an inflatable planetarium that can be set- up in a gym, cafeteria or other large space. But it is much more than a static star show. A class of students can virtually travel from inside of the subatomic realm to the edge of the universe.
Interested in bringing the ExploraDome Outreach Dome to your school, but concerned about tight funds? Scholarships are now available for single-day ExploraDome visits in the 2014-2015 school year. Visit us online for eligibility requirements and to download the application. We have a limited number of scholarships, and will award them to eligible schools on a first-come, first served basis.