Primary Science: Taking the Plunge

by Harlen, Wynne

• ISBN13: 9780325003863
• ISBN10: 0325003866
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-08-23
• Publisher: HEINEMANN (TX)

Summary

This book is written for preservice and inservice classroom teachers in primary, elementary, and middle schools.

Author Biography

WYNNE HARLEN has spent a lifetime as a teacher, researcher, and author in science education. Until recently, she was Director of the Scottish Council for Research in Education and before that was Professor of Science Education and Head of the Education Department at the University of Liverpool. In 1991, she was honored by the Queen for her services to education. Harlen is now Visiting Professor at the University of Bristol, editor of Primary Science Review, and a consultant to various science projects in the United States and United Kingdom.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
Introduction	ix
Why Science? What Science?	1	(12)
Why Science?	1	(3)
What Science?	4	(3)
How?	7	(5)
Summary of Main Points	12	(1)
Bringing Children and Science Together	13	(12)
Motivation for Learning	14	(4)
Use of Evidence	18	(3)
The Classroom Atmosphere	21	(1)
Summary of Main Points	22	(3)
The Right Question at the Right Time	25	(11)
Jos Elstgeest
What Is a ``Wrong'' Question?	26	(1)
Productive Questions	27	(3)
Teachers' How and Why Questions	30	(2)
Children's How and Why Questions	32	(1)
Teachers' Explanations	33	(1)
Summary of Main Points	34	(2)
Helping Children Raise Questions-and Answering Them	36	(12)
Sheila Jelly
Improving Teachers' Questioning Skills	38	(1)
Establishing a Classroom Climate Conductive to Children's Question Asking	39	(4)
Handling Children's Spontaneous Questions	43	(3)
Summary of Main Points	46	(2)
Taking Children's Own Ideas Seriously	48	(17)
Examples of Children's Ideas	49	(6)
Why Might Children Hold These Ideas?	55	(2)
Finding Out Children's Ideas	57	(3)
What Can We Do to Change Children's Ideas?	60	(2)
Involving the Children	62	(1)
Summary of Main Points	63	(2)
Helping Children to Plan and Interpret Investigations	65	(20)
Different Kinds of Investigations	65	(2)
Planning Investigations	67	(3)
The Skills Involved in Planning	70	(7)
Interpreting Findings	77	(1)
Ways of Helping Children's Planning	78	(5)
Summary of Main Points	83	(2)
Helping Children to Observe	85	(15)
About Observation	85	(2)
Aspects of Observation	87	(5)
The Teacher's Role	92	(5)
Summary of Main Points	97	(3)
Helping Children to Communicate	100	(19)
Discussion	100	(5)
Children's Notebooks/Journals	105	(4)
Drawing, Painting, and Modeling	109	(6)
Summary of Main Points	115	(4)
Assessing for Learning	119	(17)
Meanings and Purposes	119	(4)
Why Formative Assessment?	123	(1)
Using Assessment to Adapt Teaching	124	(5)
Feedback from Teacher to Children	129	(1)
Children Assessing Their Own Work	130	(3)
Summary of Main Points	133	(3)
References	136	(2)
Index	138