IBSE Final

Chapter 3 The Science Curriculum and Classroom Instruction

tHE tEACHING OF SCIENCE: 21 st-CENTURY PERSPECTIVES 55

Table 3.2 A Curriculum Framework for BSCS T.R.A.C.S.

Grade Level Physical Science

Earth and Space Science Life Science

Science and technology K (Teacher Edition only)

Investigating my world

1 Investigating properties

Investigating Earth materials

Investigating animals and their needs

Testing materials

2 Investigating position and motion

Investigating weather

Investigating plants

Designing sound systems

3 Investigating electrical systems

Investigating objects in the sky

Investigating life cycles

Designing structures

4 Investigating changing properties

Investigating the changing Earth

Investigating ecosystems

Solving pollution problems 5 Investigating heat and changes in materials

Investigating weather systems

Investigating human systems

Designing environmental solutions

Source: Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS). 1999. BSCS Science T.R.A.C.S. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.

New Designs for Science Instruction

As work progressed on the original design study for the Science for Life and Living,

we realized the need to make some changes in the original SCIS learning cycle.

The learning cycle evolved into the BSCS 5E Instructional Model. The 5Es repre-

sent engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate (see Table 3.3, p. 56).

What were the changes we introduced? First, we added an initial phase. We

recognized the need for an explicit engagement of the student with his or her ideas

and those of the curriculum. In its simplest form, this is a question that initiates a

student’s thinking about an object, organism, or phenomenon. Second, although

we maintained the term exploration and the original intent of the phase, we recog-

nized the research on cooperative learning (e.g., Johnson, Johnson, and Holubec

1986), so we adapted the exploration phase to include cooperative learning by

student groups. We maintained the invention or concept introduction phase but

changed the term to explanation. For the discovery phase, we again incorporated

cooperative learning and changed the phase to elaboration. Finally, we added a