Candidates know, understand, and use fundamental concepts of physical, life, and earth/space
sciences. Candidates can design and implement age-appropriate inquiry lessons to teach science,
to build student understanding for personal and social applications, and to convey the nature of
science.
that students in the United States have fallen behind students in other western countries in the
area of science and this has led to a recent push by many states and school districts to improve
their science requirements. However, in today’s climate of high stakes testing, teachers are often
left with little choice but to focus more on reading and math skills during the school day and less
time is left to allocate to science education.[ CITATION McM08 \l 1033 ] I do not have an
classroom when it comes to prioritizing the needs of each student. I have found most success in
meeting each child’s needs through integrating science lessons into other subject areas, such as
For the last six years I have had the great fortune to work for the Aleutian Region School
District in Adak, Alaska. I am the Elementary Teacher, responsible for grades K-five at Adak
School. The population of Adak has fluctuated somewhat in the time I’ve been here and has
resulted in my class size changing considerably from year to year. I have had as many as fifteen
students and as few as seven. The Aleutian Region School District does not operate on a letter
grade scale, but instead a continuum defined by learning goals that identify a student’s progress.
This continuous progress curriculum allows students in a multi-grade setting, to still be in the
same content area as a group, but differentiate to a wide range of abilities. The students are
exposed to a broad variety of information, but not held accountable for it with expectations of
mastery. The benchmarks and standards are based on what the school district wants the learner
to show versus what they know, meaning skills and strategies of learning and not necessarily
memorization. Allowing students to progress through the levels lets students feel success at each
step, and the ability to demonstrate a skill that is realistic to achieve and then build upon in
another benchmark. The continuous progress curriculum at Adak School teaches students to be
risk takers and apply themselves, but you do not have only two options of pass and fail. Instead
you are able modify curriculum to the student, to help them be successful and meet the learning
expectation. If a student remains in the emerging stage for two years of a benchmark, it is
The Aleutian Region School District (ARSD) organizes their science curriculum into four
content areas: Scientific Method, Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth and Space Science.
I will discuss the importance, instruction, and experience in each area as it applies to my current
teaching environment. The state of Alaska’s science standards do not apply to students until
third grade, however ARSD does have level one standard for students in grades K-three. I’m
going to focus primarily on the learning goals for students in the third grade for both, as I feel it
best demonstrates their compatibility with each other and the multi-grade classroom setting.
Scientific Method
The Scientific Method is the process used by scientists to determine cause and effect
relationships by formulating and asking questions, collecting and observing evidence, and
determining if all the available information can be used to discover a logical answer. There are
There is a progression through the steps as numbered, but it is not a rigid process. Modifications
and reworking steps often occur as new thinking or information presents itself. Also important to
keep in mind when teaching young students is that a result that does not line up with the initial
prediction or hypothesis is not a failure. The Scientific Method is a learning tool without
opinion, which regardless of the initial prediction or hypothesis, still provides more information
The goals of the Aleutian Region School District as applied to the Scientific Method are
to ensure that students can demonstrate that science often requires working as a team, accurate
measurement, drawing conclusions, and sharing results. Students are expected to progress
through the benchmark and ultimately demonstrate proficient understanding of the Scientific
Method and apply it in all other areas of the science curriculum. This is the benchmark for Level
mastering the key concepts can be observed as they progress through the benchmark. I have
found the best way to assess student learning and monitor their development is to incorporate
Science Notebooks. Students are able to demonstrate writing and critical thinking skills, and
while most lessons require group work, it gives them a place to foster their own ideas and
develop some independence. [ CITATION Ful17 \l 1033 ] Science notebooks allow students to
make their thinking visible for assessment and observation by the instructor.[ CITATION Rit11 \l
1033 ] Students record what they observe, opinions, thoughts, and data. “They should engage in
the practices of making and defending claims, engaging in argument based on evidence, and
They also provide teachers with the ability to differentiate instruction and meet individual
learning goals. Young students (K-two) may have notebooks that are primarily drawings and
notes that result from group discussion and modeling by the teacher on the whiteboard.
Intermediate students (three-five) may use inventive spelling to describe observations and data,
while still modeling information from group discussion on the whiteboard. In a multi-grade
classroom, I am able to lead the discussion through the steps of the Scientific Method, recording
for students, information they may find important to include in their science notebooks. Initially,
student notebooks may look very similar, but as they move through the continuous progress
curriculum, their individuality, creativity, and independent thinking begin to shine. The content
may remain the same at its core, but their interpretation and understanding becomes apparent and
more individualized.
Science notebooks not only engage students in their learning and scientific practices, but
provide educators with the opportunity to develop the language of science.[ CITATION Ful14 \l
successful in understanding concepts and performing on standards-based tests. One of the major
issues I’ve found is that the vocabulary can be far more complicated than the academic ability,
developmental level, or literacy of the students. Reading and discussion allows learners to
connect their previous experiences with scientific theories and relate them to classroom science
practices.[ CITATION Faz14 \l 1033 ] Introducing scientific vocabulary during the initial steps
of the Scientific Method, when students are forming questions, allows the teacher to use the
students’ own words to define scientific vocabulary and constant review of the terms as you
progress through the other steps. The science notebook is the perfect place to document the new
vocabulary with a written and/or drawn definition, and allows students to have a personal
reference if needed.
Physical Science
Physical science is the study of natural sciences, primarily involving nonliving materials.
This includes concepts on structure and property of matter, energy, motion, and earth and space.
Science instruction allows elementary students, who are typically inquisitive and curious in
nature, to explore the world around them and discover scientific concepts in real life occurrences.
Science curriculum needs to engage students through activities and phenomena that spark their
curiosity, while also imparting important science concepts and methodologies using inquiry and
guided learning. The science curriculum now used in Aleutian Region School District was
chosen by a panel of experienced teachers with the goal of getting away from instruction that
was little more than reading in the content area of science. They chose FOSS (Full Option
Science System) which prides itself on being a more than a program, it’s a philosophy to engage
students in science through active learning.[ CITATION Del17 \l 1033 ] FOSS modules all
follow a similar design in order to consistently use multiple learning strategies for students.
FOSS engages students through various instructional styles in order to engage all students by
Aleutian Region School District’s Science Standard align with the Alaska State Science
Standards and through the use of a continuous progress curriculum provide their educators with a
basic map for lesson planning and assessment of student learning. The district’s first physical
science standard states that students are able to apply understanding of the principles that explain
motion and the kinds of forces that exist between and within objects. This then broken down for
educators into a benchmark that is developmentally appropriate for various age groups in a
multi-grade classroom.
The goal of this benchmark is to introduce students to the physical science core concept
of forces, using magnetism and gravity they are able to explore and look for patterns of motion.
The FOSS instructional design is based on active investigation, ensuring students have hands-on
experience with concepts and are given the freedom to use their natural curiosity and instinct to
create science related questions and engage in developing the answers.[ CITATION Del17 \l
1033 ] Each module provides instructors with a Getting Ready section that helps set up a
successful investigation. This section advises teachers on scheduling and tools and techniques
that may prove helpful. The investigation relevant to the above benchmark has students
exploring the forces of magnetism and gravity using magnets and paperclips. The goal of the
investigation is to demonstrate that both magnetism and gravity can pull, and magnetism can
push also. The students should be able to observe and demonstrate that forces can make things
move even when there is not direct contact with another object. Students use their science
notebooks to collect data on what they see happening between the magnets and paper clips and
make predictions on how far the magnetic field reaches. As students work, vocabulary is
The experiment is one element of the FOSS program, during subsequent science lessons
students are introduced to the same concepts via reading, video, and online activities. This
allows students to have access to the same information through different learning methods that
may work best for them. I’ve also found that incorporating the investigations on a much more
informal scale during center time gives students a second opportunity to individually or as a
group continue to test theories and interact with the materials helps solidify previous results and
knowledge.
I think the seemingly simplistic breakdown of the Aleutian Region School District’s
benchmark can be misleading. It does not specify how each level of learning is achieved, nor
does it get prolific about science pedagogy, but it does provide an educator with the opportunity
to teach students with varying levels of ability important physical science concepts. Identifies
common magnets and objects that are attracted to them means the introduction of key
vocabulary and identifying that the strength of the magnetic force between objects is dependent
on the properties of the object. Explains that magnets can attract or repel objects provides the
opportunity to discuss orientation and its effect on magnets. Illustrates and explains how the like
and unlike poles on two magnets repel or attract demonstrates unbalanced forces and how they
Life Science
Life Science is an area of science dedicated to the structure and behavior of living
organisms. This includes concepts such as: diversity amongst living things, genetics, structures
and functions of cells, evolution, and the cycling of matter and flow of energy through a living
environment. The first ARSD life science standard focuses on the student applying knowledge
of diversity and unity that characterize life. The benchmark for level one learners is below:
organisms using a variety of strategies for life. Plants and animals are complex and have
numerous observable structures and behaviors, life cycles, and variations in traits that provide
advantages for surviving in an environment. The investigation provided by FOSS for this
benchmark involves students observing, comparing, categorizing, and caring for a selection of
seeds.[ CITATION Del17 \l 1033 ] The experiment calls for the opening of fresh fruit and
locating the seeds, then in their science notebooks describing and comparing physical properties
of two-four seeds. Students then examine the effect water has on the seeds over the period of a
week. The vocabulary of plants external structures are introduced and recorded in their
Life science benchmarks can create unique challenges for teaching in an area as remote
as Adak, Alaska. A lot of preparation goes into making sure fruits that are not readily accessible
for students in their homes or at our local grocery store are shipped by the district office in
advance. Also, when the investigations call for going out into the school yard to find leaves or
trees to reinforce learning, we often must use technology and web based pictures and videos.
While this can be viewed as a drawback or negative, I think it only strengthens the students’
understanding of the role adaption and survival traits play in the landscape of one’s environment.
We are able to discuss why a typical oak tree would not survive the harsh Adak elements but a
Sitka Spruce, although sparse in Adak, can. Also, our unique location means several times a year
we have botanists and other biologists that visit our island and are more than willing to come in
investigation goals and the ARSD benchmark listed above. Names four external structures of
plants allows for the introduction of key vocabulary and the commonalities between similar
organisms that allow them to survive. Describes how external structures help plants survive in
their environment invites discussion about how a plant grows and interacts with its environment.
Identifies and describes external and internal structures and functions of plants using local
examples provides for discussion on how plants disperse their seeds and reproduce, and the
ability to investigate in-depth local plants that have adapted to their island.
Earth and space science technically falls under the category of physical science, but given
address separately. It covers the concepts of weather, atmosphere, land forms, earth, the sun, and
planetary science. The first earth and space standard addressed by ARSD states students will be
able to apply their understanding of basic features and process of the earth. This is the
important substance on Earth. It overwhelmingly dominates the surface of our planet, can have
profound effects on the land, and provides life. The level one benchmark provides students with
pertinent vocabulary and understanding that will move them into the level two benchmarks that
cover in depth the components of the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and
runoff. The FOSS module, Water and Climate, gives students opportunities to explore the
properties of water, interactions between earth materials and water, and how humans use it as a
natural resource.[ CITATION Del17 \l 1033 ] This benchmark is an example of when FOSS
does not specifically address all of the learning goals that are required in the ARSD benchmark.
The emerging and developing categories must be created and planned through alternative sources
and investigations created by the instructor. Thankfully Adak has many examples of fresh and
ocean water, which allows the investigation by students to remain hands-on. I typically teach
this lesson immediately following our geography benchmark on oceans. Students have the
knowledge of the names and locations of the Earth’s oceans and are able to locate them on a map
or globe. A field trip is then planned to observe the Pacific Ocean and a local lake. At each
location students observe physical characteristics of the water and landscape, as well as take
water samples. In the classroom students will document vocabulary and observations in their
science notebook as well as work together to create a Venn diagram comparing solely the
physical properties of both locations. The following science lesson is then dedicated to the water
samples, first the physical properties are compared: color, weight, and taste. Using their daily
environment to address the initial stages of the district benchmark. Demonstrating proficiency in
this benchmark and moving into the requirements for the student in level two, I use a
combination of FOSS modules Water and Climate, and Environments. Investigations include
setting up a fresh water aquarium and salt water concentration needed to hatch brine shrimp. In
both investigations observations and vocabulary are recorded in their science notebook to
demonstrate understanding and proficiency. These experiments show that organisms have a
range of acceptance of environmental factors and adaptations allow an organism to survive and
School District I’m provided with a road map of learning for my students that is intentional and
engaging. It does not limit my creativity as an educator with a passion for making every student
work for a school district that long ago had to adapt to such a wide variety of learning and
developmental levels in order to educate each student and as a result have been provided with
standards and benchmarks that help me create a quality lesson plan for all. I do think these same
References
Delta Education. LLC. (2017, June 10). How FOSS Works. Retrieved from A Delta Education
Website: www.deltaeducation.com/foss
Fazio, X., & Gallagher, T. (2014). Morphological Development Levels of Science Content
Fulton, L. (2017). Science Notebooks as Learning Tools. Science and Children, 80-85.
Fulton, L., & Campbell, B. (2014). Science Notebooks: Writing About Inquiry. Portsmouth:
Heinemann.
McMurrer, J. (2008). Instructional Time in Elementary Schools: A Closer Look at Changes for
Ritchhart, R., Church, M., & Morrison, K. (2011). Making Thinking Visible. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.