Effective strategies for teaching science vocabulary

In order for students to develop scientific literacy, they need to gain a knowledge of science content and practice scientific habits of mind. This is impossible without knowledge of science vocabulary. Traditional science lessons have often begun with teachers presenting students with science vocabulary words and asking them to write the words, find the definitions in a dictionary or the glossary of the textbook, match the words to definitions, or use the words in a sentence. In this model of instruction, words are often presented in isolation and students are tested on the words alone, without application to concepts. 
 
Many of us were “taught” this way, so we remember how little these practices contributed to conceptual development. These traditional strategies stem from the assumption that students absorb the meanings of many science terms simply by writing the words and their definitions.
The job of science education is to teach students how to use thematic patterns of science to communicate meanings, “talking science” to solve problems in writing or speaking about issues in which science is relevant.
As science educators, we not only teach science but we may communicate a “mystique of science” attitude, promoting the idea that science is authoritative, impersonal and humorless, lacking creativity or values. This communicates a view that scientists are “experts” or “them,” rather than seeing ourselves as scientists.
Scientific writing and talk often project science as a description of the way the world works rather than as a human social activity that tries to make sense of the world. We instead should help our students learn that science is all around us, influenced by human uncertainties, judgments, values, and interests. It’s important that we emphasize the human side of science. These well-established ideas about the nature of science have a lasting effect on students, so we need to be sensitive about the messages we communicate. Science is creative and science is tentative, which means that scientists recognize that we understand things based on current research.
. By using these strategies, teachers can begin to help all students engage in the language of science.

Time to talk

It is important to promote students’ dialogue as they have instructional conversations. We need to provide students with opportunities to use their colloquial language and translate back and forth with scientific and technical terms. We can use this strategy, called interlanguage, to discuss the different explanations of the students’ experiences in the classroom. For example:

• Student: “We put this smooth powder in the bag along with the crunchy powder and the bag blew up and got hot.”
• Teacher: “We mixed baking soda and calcium chloride with water resulting in a gas, and heat was released.”
• Scientist: “The combination of baking soda and calcium chloride is an exothermic reaction with the products of sodium choloride, calcium carbonate, and carbon dioxide.”

Giving instructions

We can support students’ information processing by supplementing auditory information with visual clues. When we can provide students with multi-sensory experiences observing and communicating, it helps all students, especially emerging readers and English language learners. Instructions should be given using a variety of visual or aural support materials.

Reading science text cards

Text cards help students interact with words and their meanings. Teachers can create science text cards by writing statements about science concepts on index cards. Working individually or in small groups, students discuss the statements before sorting.

Word games

Traditional games can be adapted to help students experience the language of science. For advanced students, making their own games using science vocabulary promotes in-depth understanding of words and their meanings.

• Hangman
• Odd One Out
• Charades
• Bingo
• Scrabble
• Trivial Pursuit
• Pictionary
• Dingbats
• Twenty questions, Who am I?
• Breaking words down into smaller words. For example:
  • invertebrate — in, brat, tea, tear, rate, vertebrae…
  • photosynthesis — sit, sin, thesis, photos…
  • temperature — rate, temper, rut, tear, ate…

The importance of practical classes

The general aim for practical classes is to enhance students’ understanding of methods of scientific enquiry. This is pursued in a variety of ways where students are given the opportunity to undertake experiments; tackle problem-solving exercises; carry out survey and project work and experience at firsthand how the theory and principles of their discipline are applied.

In practical classes students will have the opportunity to:

• Consolidate highly and complex scientific knowledge.
• Explore principles through concrete or simplified examples.
• Revisit material taught in lectures.
• Simulate conditions in research and development laboratories.
• Develop skills in communicating technical concepts and solutions.
• Learn about theoretical material not included in lectures.

The hands on experience in practical classes will help students:

• Appreciate the methods and ethos of practitioners in a discipline and thus contribute to the shaping of professional attitudes.
• Become motivated to acquire specific knowledge.
• Learn to become independent thinkers.
• Maintain and deepen their interest in the subject.
• Learn the principles of experimental work in the subject.
• See the use of labs as a process of discovery.

It is very relevant to make our science lessons practical.

How do you keep an entire classroom of students engaged?

Teachers make several effort to prepare extensively for their instructional activities but there is one thing that teachers cannot predict: their students. in a class. There are different mix of student capabilities, interests, and motivation.




 

How can you engage students with different 

 motivations and interest?

 

In one class, teachers can have students who grasp the material quickly and students with learning disabilities. In addition, teachers will likely have a mix of highly motivated and not-so-motivated students. A student’s achievement and motivation can depend highly on the subject as well as their preferred learning style.

Here are four tips that may help teachers connect with all of their students.

 

• Use student input and interests to facilitate learning.

Before students invest in their own education, they have to be engaged with the material and be able to see the relevance of what they’re learning. A teacher is bound to have students with several different interests. Finding common ground that appeals to those interests is a great place to start.

• Encourage students to articulate individual questions and concerns.

 The best way to find out what students need is often the simplest—talking to them directly. Asking a few simple questions can tell you what students hope to gain from your class, and what support they need to succeed. You don’t necessarily need to schedule one-on-one conversations to get individual feedback. 

•  Offer optional challenges once a student has completed their work.

Imagine you have the perfect class period all figured out. You’ll start with some questions to get your students thinking. Then your students will start working on a lab or activity, and once they’re done, there’ll be just enough time for students to discuss what they’ve found.
Sadly, this is often far from reality. Often you’ll end up with a group of students who have completed the activity before you know it. What can you do?
One strategy is to be prepared with higher-order extension activities for students that quickly complete other planned activities.

Have extension activities ready that encourage critical thinking.

Prioritize your own engagement.

If you’re trying to keep students engaged, it’s important to be aware of your own engagement. Being mentally focused and present in class allows you to respond to student needs. In addition, teacher engagement can improve academic results.When teachers are engaged, their students will be engaged. When students are engaged, they will learn, and when they learn, they will show measurable achievement on any standard set.” 

Don’t lose focus — stay engaged with your students.

 

creativity matters

Recently every organization is trying to compete in a world of economic and technological change that is moving faster than ever. As the trend move towards intellectual labour and services,they urgently need people who are creative,innovative and flexible. Do you agree with me that fostering creativity has been a relatively neglected subject in our educational system?
Creative thinking and problem solving have to do with the application of ordinary cognitive processes that yield extraordinary results. Creative thought is available to almost everyone and creativity can be learned and enhanced in many ways.
We must create an environment  that fosters creativity in our schools as teachers, and we must teach individuals varied thinking methods that might facilitate creative performance.

Teaching science

At no time in history has improving science education been more important than it is today. Extensive rethinking of how teachers are prepared before they begin teaching and as they continue teaching- and as science changes is critical to improving science education in our primary and secondary schools in Ghana.

Science is both a body of knowledge and evidence-based, model- building enterprise that continually extends, refines and revises knowledge. Professional development is the key to supporting effective science instruction. Teachers need opportunities to deepen their knowledge of the science content of the primary and secondary curriculum. They also need opportunities to learn how students learn science and how to teach it. they need to know how children's understanding of core ideas in science builds across primary and secondary levels. They need to learn about the conceptual ideas that students have in the earliest grades and their ideas about science itself. They need to learn how to assess children's developing ideas overtime and how to interpret and respond to the results of assessment.