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The way we teach our students is just as critical as the content we provide them. STEMscopes Science Powered by CNN combines research-proven pedagogy with practitioner experience to engage students in learning science.
It is the goal of STEMscopes to provide an inquiry-based curriculum, which incorporates the research-based, constructivist phases of the BSCS 5E Instructional Model (Bybee et al., 2006). The development of the STEMscopes 5E+IA model in the delivery of science online curriculum takes into account the research of the National Research Council in their publications How People Learn (2000) and How Students Learn Science in the Classroom (2005).
STEMscopes also addresses an additional level of support for teachers of English Language learners (ELL) and Response to Intervention (RtI) (NASDSE, 2010) implementation as teachers meet the needs of all students in their classrooms. Within the development and delivery of the 5E+IA STEMscopes science curriculum model, teachers are provided a sequenced pathway, resources, and support for meeting the needs of all students.
The BSCS 5E Instructional Model is an effective way to engage students in learning. "Developed in the 1980s, the 5E Model consists of five phases: engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation.
Each phase has a specific function and contributes to the teacher’s coherent instruction and to the learners’ formulation of a better understanding of scientific concepts." (Bybee et al., 2006) Using sequences of lessons that incorporate student-centered, hands-on investigations, the 5E Instructional Model is designed to challenge current conceptions and provide opportunities for reconstruction to occur. This can assist students in their development of understanding.
The 5E Instructional Model and the additional Intervention and Acceleration (+IA) within the resources, provide teachers with additional opportunities to identify and close the gaps in student content knowledge which can lead to achievement gains, as well as provide enrichment activities for other content areas linked to science.
There is no doubt that science — and therefore science education — is central to the lives of students all over the world. Never before has our environment been so complex, and scientific literacy is critical to making sense of it all. Science is also at the heart of innovation and future job creation. That’s why all students — regardless of whether they pursue STEM careers — should have access to high-quality science education.
What is it like to spend the night in a volcano?
Think about a time that you watched or participated in a race. What are some factors that affected the outcome of the race?
Describe what happened to the Rosetta space probe that allowed us to see parts of the 67P/Churymov-Gerasimenko?
What are some reasons different species are diminishing?
STEMscopes Science Powered by CNN resources are delivered digitally on an HTML5 platform, meaning you can access them from any device at any time. Digital learning allows for student ownership of content through a context in which 21st-century learners (digital natives) are comfortable and familiar. Whether viewing a Great Big Story or interacting and taking an online assessment, digital learning allows students to engage with material faster and more fluidly than ever before. As a teacher, you can receive instant feedback on their online work while supporting both struggling and advanced learners with small-group and one-on-one pull-outs.
Using a combination of hands-on materials, videos, simulations and observation of the natural world, students can explore phenomena the way scientists do: through their five senses. Hands-on activities include teacher facilitation support, suggested materials lists and procedures. Short on time? With the click of a button, activities can be digitally assigned to students so they can conduct the exploration at home.