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These Lessons support scientific inquiry on the student's behalf by allowing them to discuss what they know and then supporting their exploration of the material. This is specifically seen in the Animal Tracking lesson when they were using the software. The students basically led the lesson but I was there to maintain order and guide discussion.
 
 

These lessons help the children construct a meaningful conceptual understanding by relating the information to real world applications. The children used the fingerprinting lesson to see how a fingerprint can show up and what features of a print make it unique. The relationship between the two lessons, Fingerprints and Animal Tracks, also develops their conceptual understanding because they are asked to find the relationship between the two lessons on their own. The concept of diversity is important but it is more valid if they can construct the idea without having built for them.
 
 

National Standards: Content and Goal Standards for 6th grade
 
 

Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of:

· Science and technology in society
 
 

Science and Technology

As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop:

· Abilities of technological design

· Understandings about science and technology
 
 

Life Science

As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of

· Structure and function in living systems

· Diversity and adaptations of organisms
 
 

Resources:

National Science Education Standards: http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/

Connections to State Standards

Biological Sciences

Know the similarities and differences of living things:

· Know that some organisms have similar external characteristics (e.g.,

anatomical characteristics; appendages, type of covering, bodysegments) and that similarities and differences are related to environmental circumstances.
 
 

Inquiry and Design

Identify and apply the technological design process to solve problems:

· Define all aspects of the problem, necessary information and questions

Examine the problem, rank all necessary information and all questions that must be answered.

· The diversity objective relates back to the life science standard, which states that students should develop an understanding of diversity and adaptations of organisms.

· The technology objective relates to the science and technology standard, which states that students should have an understanding of science and technology.
 
 

Resources:

Proposed Academic Standards for Pennsylvania

http://www.pde.psu.edu/standard/stan.html

Connections to District Standards

· Explain how the transmission of heredity is controlled by chromosomes.

· List characteristics of mammals.

· Define and illustrate animal adaptations.

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The mini unit was developed from the Science Talk by using what the children knew and then working from there. Consequently students were able to use their prior knowledge to assist their acquisition of new knowledge. I was also able to determine what interested the students and as a result design a plan that would address their questions and incite an interest to find their own answers.