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ERIC Number: EJ1020460
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Apr
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-8148
EISSN: N/A
Methods & Strategies: Poor, Poor Pluto
Graham, Lori; West, Courtney; Jones, Lindsay
Science and Children, v50 n8 p80-85 Apr 2013
Just as students never stop learning, neither do librarians and teachers. Learning is a process that is facilitated by interest and applicability. Therefore, it is imperative to develop instructional activities that students deem important and relevant. "Why is Pluto no longer a planet?" is a question whose answer many people, young and old alike, want to know. That is why a school librarian and a team of third-grade teachers decided to collaboratively develop a research project focusing on this topic. In this study, the librarian led 140 third graders through this research project. While the primary focus was science and research, the integration of information literacy skills, technology, reading, and writing were all involved in the process. This provided opportunities for students to use this integrated technique for building basic research skills in their quest for answers to their questions. They learned about the solar system in new and different ways and, as a culminating activity, were able to present some of their findings using a webcam avatar. It proved to be not only exciting and interesting but a challenging activity designed to help students critically evaluate information and become seekers of knowledge. The project fits well within "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (NRC 2012) in Dimension 3: Disciplinary Core Ideas-Earth and Space Sciences, particularly within ESS1.B on Earth and the Solar System. There is also a clear connection to the English Language Arts standards regarding informational text, literacy, and scientific ideas and concepts. With appropriate adjustments on either end, this project could easily be modified for second through sixth grade.
National Science Teachers Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: http://www.nsta.org
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive; Journal Articles
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 3
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A