Connecting Science Classrooms to the Real World

October 1, 2015

(Photo courtesy of Kerry Nolan)

SCALE: Science Curriculum Advancement through Literacy Enhancement is a program of Inspired Teaching, which we run in partnership with DCPS. SCALE is a multi-year program that each year trains a core group of Teacher Leaders who write new, standards-aligned curricula and provide professional development to their colleagues district wide.

During Chancellor Henderson’s recent address to the DCPS community, she touted the amazing science teaching and learning going on across the District as a part of the Cornerstones initiative. Below is a piece written by two SCALE Teacher Leaders – Kerry Nolan and Jennifer Wehner, teachers at John Burroughs Elementary School (DCPS) – who contributed to that effort and whose science Cornerstone, “Plant Pollinators,” is being implemented in second grade classrooms across the city.

Recently, we embarked on a journey by joining SCALE: Science Curriculum Advancement through Literacy Enhancement —a yearlong program of Center for Inspired Teaching that trains teachers to re-engineer science instruction for the 21st century. One of our biggest SCALE projects is creating engaging and exemplary classroom lessons, called Cornerstones, that will be made available to all educators teaching science and other subjects in the school district. Cornerstones are a key DC Public Schools’ initiative to ensure that each and every student experiences engaging and excellent classroom lessons; we are proud to be key partners in this important work.

SCALE started this summer, and we were immersed in workshops that focused on teaching science through inquiry and student-led investigations. This professional development improved our teaching methods and deepened our understanding of how to teach science by doing science in the classroom. With this deeper understanding, we were then ready and excited to write our science Cornerstones.

We decided to tackle the fascinating topic of insects and pollination. But our Cornerstone wasn’t going to be the kind of lesson where students plod through worksheet after worksheet, ticking off answers to multiple choice questions, showing only a surface-level grasp of the amazingly intricate symbiotic relationships between insects and plants.

Our Cornerstone posed tough questions to students. What if the right insects aren’t around to do the work? Who are “agricultural engineers” and what do they do? What materials and properties of materials work best for picking up and dropping off pollen? How can we create a hand pollinator using our knowledge of pollination, materials and their properties?

We have students explore and discuss the life cycle of a plant, seed dispersal, and the role of insects in the natural system of pollination. The activities in this lesson engage students in understanding the interdependence between plants and animals while developing an understanding of how adaptations in our natural world aid in that mutually beneficial relationship.

At the end of our Cornerstone lesson, we encourage our students to harness all that they have learned so far and to think like agricultural engineers. We invite students to apply their knowledge of insects, insect life cycles, pollination, and natural systems as they test a variety of materials and then engineer their own technologies for pollinating plants by hand.

By helping our students not just skim the surface of a science lesson, but dive into the big, messy, and fascinating real-world issues in science, we are helping transform not just how science is taught in our classrooms, but how our students perceive science. Our students’ eyes now light up when we introduce science.

Here are some of our favorite student quotes we have heard while they complete lessons from our Cornerstone: “Oh, that’s what engineering is!” “Wait, I agree with my STEM Buddy we need to rethink how we are building this because look how it is tilting.” And finally, “Wow! Is our time up already? What are we doing tomorrow?”

Micaiah Anderson

Community Outreach Specialist

As a Community Outreach Specialist, Micaiah is responsible for program promotion and outreach support for Inspired Teaching events and workshops. Micaiah has a passion for collaborating with community members to build-power and connect. She is an educator with a heart for youth and has experience supporting students fight injustices within their schools and communities. She has a BA in Political Science from, the real HU, Hampton University & anticipates graduating in May 2024 with a Masters of Arts degree in Educational Policy Transformation from Georgetown University.

AUTONOMY

"I want to have a say in what happens to me."

Autonomy is the need for independence; the ability to make choices, to create, to explore, and to express oneself freely; to have sufficient space, to move around, and to feel unrestricted with opportunities to exercise free will.

Brady Maiden

Outreach Coordinator

As the Outreach Coordinator, Brady helps maintain Inspired Teaching’s social media presence and supports the organization’s mission to connect with DC community leaders, educators, and parents. Brady has her Master’s in Public Policy from George Mason University and her BS in Political Science from Northern Arizona University. She is passionate about community, equity, and coalition building recognizing that learning and growing with the community at large is how we continue to be impactful.

What brings you joy in life?

I find joy in spending time with my friends and family and meeting new people. I like going to concerts and festivals, and finding new books to read.

The Learner’s Cycle, Wonder-Experiment-Learn, and the Teacher’s Cycle, Observe-Plan-Instigate, comprise Inspired Teaching’s approach to engaging students in inquiry-based learning.

When they are engaged in the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, students are immersed in learning. They take the lead in designing authentic learning experiences around their own interests and their school’s standards of learning. Each discovery leads to a new question which in turn leads to more wondering and more learning. In the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, Learn is not a destination or an endpoint; it is a deeper understanding, leading to a deeper wondering and new possibilities that create new entry points to further exploration. The cycle continues because what students have learned generates more wonderings that require more experiments that foster more learning – and on and on.

The Observe-Plan-Instigate Cycle is the work of an Inspired Teacher. While a student is expected to follow the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, the teacher joins them on the learning journey while following their own cycle of Observe-Plan-Instigate. This cycle ultimately serves to ensure an inquiry-based atmosphere is at play in the classroom.

Jaqueta Abbey

Teaching and Learning Specialist

Jaqueta is the Teaching and Learning Specialist for Inspired Teaching. In addition to her current role with Inspired Teaching, Jaqueta is a first-grade teaching assistant. Her background features a variety of traditional and non-traditional experiences in the field of education, including working as an adjunct professor, teaching summer reading programs to children and adults, and tutoring children in the foster care system. Jaqueta earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University.

What brings you joy in life?

Creative self-expression! In addition to my passion for storytelling, I love dancing of all kinds. I've studied belly dance, bachata, and Brazilian Zouk among other styles. I also enjoy glass fusing, crocheting, photography, and cross stitching. These art forms allow me to express myself and build connections with other people at the same time. I think life would be a lot less vibrant without artists and storytellers!

Michelle Welk

Communication & Marketing Specialist

As Communications and Marketing Specialist, Michelle is responsible for finding and creating new ways to highlight Inspired Teaching and promote its programs in order to expand and deepen the organization's impact. Michelle has worked in communications in an array of settings, from creative agencies to state politics to national nonprofits. She has a BA in Journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia and is passionate about education, access, and equity.

What brings you joy in life?

My son, the beach, making a persuasive argument and good food!

Max Peterson

Real World History Assistant Teacher

Max received his Bachelor’s degree in History and African American Studies from Boston University in May 2016. He has worked in museum curation at the Museum of the White Mountains in New Hampshire and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Max has worked with young people of varying ages from young children to young adults transitioning to college.

Feedback and Accountability

We grow through feedback and an understanding that the quality of our work is a reflection of what we are learning, but the shift to remote learning this spring disrupted a lot of the tools teachers were used to using to evaluate student growth. How might we do things differently this fall? Participants in this workshop will explore ways to bring meaningful assessment into the virtual and/or socially-distanced classroom and approaches to student feedback that strengthen motivation, and build relationships and achievement.