Elementary Science Methods: A Constructivist Approach

by David Jerner Martin

In this pioneering text, Martin uses a constructivist approach to guide students in learning how to teach in a constructivist manner. Grounded in the belief that it is more important for children to learn how to do science than it is for them to learn about science, this text is predicated on the reality that teachers of elementary science do not need to know a great deal of science to be good science teachers, but need to be co-inquirers with their students. To facilitate your students' learning, this text features a wealth of exercises: for teacher candidates, the book includes open-ended inquiry activities that help them to construct their own personal conceptualizations about science content and teaching science in the elementary school; and, it contains over 170 process-oriented, open-ended activities that teachers can use to encourage children to develop and perform their own investigations. The Book Companion CD-ROM, included with each new copy, provides tools and resources, such as additional activities and video, which students can use both in their college course and later in elementary science classrooms. All activities are linked to National Science Education Standards for content, professional development, assessment, and teaching, and the activities contain suggestions of appropriate children's literature.

Genres: Professional Development, Education

578 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 1999

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful and accessible textbook that serves as an introduction to constructivist education.

[Mr. Southmayd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This text is full of helpful strategies, but is vague in places of importance. Where there should have been talk of pedagogy I found a light touch on instruction and more about content. This directly contradicts what the text says about how much science knowledge teachers have to have (which is said to be "not much"). The author didn't seem to be able to make up his mind when it came to content vs. instruction and the melding of the two.

As scattered as this text is, it does provide a lot of great strategies for teaching, but that can all be found on the internet just as easily without having to pay the hefty price.