Activity Four: Exploration of Science Education

Choose a sub-standard under each of the Standards A thru H and describe something that you have done either in this class or outside of this class, perhaps in previous classes, that indicated that you have met the sub-standard.

Science, Standard A: Science Connections Performance Standards- Grade 4

A. 4. 3 When investigating a science-related problem, decide what data can be collected to determine the most useful explanations
>I feel like in any science related classroom for as long as I can remember I have had to represent this quality.  Deciding what data is important and what is going to be the most helpful in determining the explanations, is something that any person is going to do while conducting an experiment.  For example, in the first activity for this chemistry class, I had to decide what data to record and what was more useful in proving my hypothesis wrong.  Also this comes in great handy when you are creating your own experiment, where you don't have certain requirement as to what data you have to record.  Every experiment is going to be unique and different is what I have learned through my education.

Science, Standard B: Nature of Science Performance Standards- Grade 4

B. 4. 1 Use encyclopedias, source books, texts, computers, teachers, parents, other adults, journals, popular press, and various other sources, to help answer science-related questions and plan investigations
>As a student, right from the beginning of the schooling years, we are taught to utilize our sources.  We are taught to seek help and guidance from our elders, and also the computer.  Times have changed however, and sadly nowadays research is done mostly on the computer.  I can remember in middle school having requirements that we couldn't even use the computer for a research assignment or experiment, and now that's the first go to method.  Gaining outside knowledge from others is information that is priceless, and the most valuable to an experiment or assignment.

Science, Standard C: Science Inquiry Performance Standards- Grade 4

C. 4. 7 Support their conclusions with logical arguments
>This reminds me a lot of the conclusion part of an experiment, and more specific the first activity that we had to do for this class. Your conclusion is nothing without the support of logical arguments, that is what makes it stronger.  That is what can make or break a conclusion, without the support to back up your conclusion people are most likely not going to believe it.  The more factual information you have, such as quotes, the better you are going to look.  Another easy way to fail with a conclusion is to use bias information, that is going to steer the readers away.  In the end, remembering that your conclusion is very important is going to make things go much smoother.

Science, Standard D: Physical Science Performance Standards- Grade 4

D. 4. 3 Understand that substances can exist in different states- solid, liquid, gas
>Everyone knows that there are three different states that matter can exist, I have known this for as long as I can remember.  When doing an experiment however, it is important to mention this, acknowledging that you understand. Also these three different states of matter can play a role in how the experiment is conducted, or how it can effect the outcome.  Taking in all different options or situations that can take place is going to help you better conduct the experiment.

Science, Standard E: Earth and Space Science Performance Standards- Grade 4

E. 4. 4 Identify celestial objects (stars, sun, moon, planets) in the sky, noting changes in patterns of  those objects over time
>This is an example of a learning process that has taken place way back in my times of education.  When I help out with the kindergarteners at my school, they can easily name the most important objects in the sky.  Its a remarkable sight to see that children as young as five years old, can easily identify the objects in the sky, it is a normal part of life.  Children of five years old however may not be able to identify the changes in patterns that take place in celestial objects.  The patterns that take place in celestial objects over time is something that is learned later on in a child's life, in middle school. 

Science, Life and Environmental, Performance Standards F- Grade 4

F. 4. 3 Illustrate the different ways that organisms grow through life stages and survive to produce new members of their type
>This is something that is learned throughout the education of a child.  I am still learning more to this day about life stages and the survival processes.  Also the topic of reproduction is something that is well learned in a child's life.  Reproduction is what makes life go round, every student should at least know the basics and the farther down the road in their education they get, the more they should continue to learn.  Anyone you ask about the topic of reproduction may squirm a bit, but in the end they would know how to discuss the topic.

Science, Standard G: Science Applications Performance Standards- Grade 4

G. 4. 2 Discover what changes in technology have occurred in a career chosen by a parent, grandparent, or an adult friend over a long period of time
>This is something interesting, and especially for how I was raised with my family.  My dads owns his own business, and for as long as I can remember I had to help work at the family business.  Tying back to the topic stated above, I got to first hand witness the technology and how much it has changed throughout the years.  I personally work front desk at my dad's motel and get to work with the front desk programs daily.  Throughout the five years that I have worked at the desk, the system has done an update twice, which is a huge change.  I have learned that technology is something that is never going to slow down, young kids in elementary school are now being provided with iPad's, its really getting out of hand.  Students are getting out of touch with the hands on research that they should be doing. I think that is the only bad thing with technology is that people rely on it so much, and are veering away from the hands on characteristics that are needed in the business world. 

Science, Standard H: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Performance Standards- Grade 4

H. 4. 3 Show* how science has contributed to meeting personal needs, including hygiene, nutrition, exercise, safety and health care
>Science, it is everything, its life, it is what makes the world go round and round.  Most people don't realize that there is a bit of science in everything.  Hygiene, nutrition, exercise, safety, and heath care are a wide range of topics that rate very high in a persons life.  Without those things, it would be very hard to live a healthy lifestyle.  It seems like every year there is new information and more ways to lead that ideal "healthy lifestyle".  Hygiene, nutrition, exercise, safety, and health care are things that are learned early on for a child, mostly from their parents.  Parents are the main contributors to the knowledge and they way children live their lives, which can be a good or bad thing.  For example, if a parent leads a life with not good nutrition ways, a child can learn this behavior and do the same bad thing for themselves.  Its a horrible cycle.  However it is good that now days society is putting  a bigger deal on the "healthy lifestyle" that they want people to live.

 

 

What do you see are big changes compared to the previous standards?

Standards are something that are constantly going to be changing, it is what keeps the children constantly moving forward and improving knowledge.  I noticed after some research that there is a large amount of sub standards. There is also something called the "Individual Performance Expectations".  These expectations are continuously getting higher and higher for students, which in my opinion is a very good thing.  Another aspect that I noticed was being incorporated into the standards was technology, which we all know has a huge impact on education.  We must face reality, technology now days is everything, we just don't want children to rely on it too much. 

How are these standards connected to the other displines such as math and literacy?

The Next Generation Standards are very focused on the subject of science, and all other subjects seem to fall in line after that.  I don't know if that is a good or bad thing.  These new starts are claimed to be consistent, and the new way of life, however it is going to take time to see if that will happen. It was very crazy to read that is has been 15 years since the last revised set of standards, that seems way to long to me, and it is definitely a good thing that standards are getting re-done.  I feel like that in itself is a huge positive for people.  It will be interesting to see how these standards play out in the field of education.

What do you see will be challenges for teachers when considering some of the changes in the proposed science standards?

As a future educator, I already understand that changing standards is always a struggle for teachers.  It is going to be a struggle for any educator to keep up with standards, because they are constantly changing.  Which means new lesson plans and schedules, which are things that you can't just whip up in five minutes.  The biggest struggle is just going to be keeping up for the educators, and you can't forget the children as well.  Think about the poor children in the classrooms now days, constantly being assessed and asked to be doing something different, it is an unstable process.