Teaching the Nature of Science Through Process Skills: Activities for Grades 3-8

by Randy L. Bell

Engage your students with inquiry-based lessons that help them think like scientists! ”[This] book…has made such a difference in my teaching of science this school year. I have had some of the most amazing science lessons and activities with my students and I attribute this to what I learned from…[this] book… I have watched my 5th grade students go from being casual observers in science to making some amazing observations that I even missed. We enjoy our class investigations and the students ask for more!” --Alyce F. Surmann, Sembach Middle School "Teachers will relate well to the author's personal stories and specific examples given in the text, especially the ones about events in his own classroom.... like having the grasshoppers escape into the classroom!" --Andrea S. Martine, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Warrior Run School District With Teaching the Nature of Science through Process Skills , author and science educator Randy Bell uses process skills you’ll recognize, such as inference and observation, to promote an understanding of the characteristics of science knowledge. His personal stories, taken from years of teaching, set the stage for a friendly narrative that illuminates these characteristics of scientific knowledge and provides step-by-step guidance for implementing inquiry activities that help children understand such important, yet abstract, concepts. With Randy as your guide, you can better adhere to current science education standards that urge teachers to go beyond teaching science content to teach children about the practice and the nature of science in a way that engages all learners in grades three through eight. Investigate further…

278 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 2007

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

an excellent book, showing new perspectives to science teachers

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed the way I think about teaching science in the high school classroom (yes, you can use it there, too!). I had previously only used Nature of Science instruction in those first few weeks of school, but this book has allowed me routes to keeping nature of science a continual theme throughout the year.