Preface Acknowledgments About the Author 1. Take Us Out, Mr. Data: What's the most important thing to know about scientific knowledge? 2. Think Different: How is scientific thinking different from everyday thinking? 3. I've Got a Theory About That: How do scientists explain observations? 4. Elementary, My Dear Watson: Why is there no such thing as the scientific method? 5. I Must Be a Bit Indirect in This Chapter: Why is indirect evidence important to science? 6. Scientists Do Experiments . . .: What procedures do scientists use when answering questions? 7. We're Counting on You: What do I need to know about data? 8. Bob the Builder and You: What about engineering and NGSS? 9. Learning to Fish: Where do you go next? Appendix A. An Introduction to the Next Generation Science Standards Appendix B. Teacher to Teacher: Advice From Elementary and Middle School Colleagues Glossary References Index
Most teachers learned about science from traditional textbooks stressing scientific conclusions without discussing how scientists created those conclusions, leaving them ill equipped to face new science standards. If you're a time-strapped teacher worried about the instructional shifts the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) require, this book is here to help. Each chapter walks teachers through time-tested, inquiry-based classroom activities and case studies of what real scientists do to illustrate such ideas as: what makes up scientific questioning, the differences between hypotheses, theories, and laws, inductive and deductive reasoning, common procedures for scientific experimentation and more.