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Above: Hands-on learning and developing critical thinking skills are Imagine you are a fifth-grade teacher.
major components of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). One of your many roles is to teach science.
Below: Institute of Science Teaching Excellence (ISTE) participants receive Maybe, like many grade school science
priority invitations for their students to exhibit at the Brookfield Zoo teachers, you feel unsure about your science
Science Fair, along with assistance with Science Fair project preparation. knowledge. But, you recognize the importance
of STEM learning and you’ve carefully aligned
30 GATEWAYS | INSTITUTE your lessons with state and national standards
so you don’t miss a beat.
Science lends itself to be more hands-on
than other courses—sprinkled with interactivity
like labs and experiments. But, for the most
part, you play it close to the vest, following
lesson plans, leading instruction and discussion,
asking and answering student questions as
they arise.
After teaching for a few years, you gain some
mastery and feel more confident. But then
Illinois mandated new changes.
Spurred by international demands for
science literacy along with an enhanced
appreciation for how children learn science best,
in 2014, a brand-new set of science standards
were developed. Next Generation Science
Standards (NGSS) were instituted, requiring
many educators to teach science in a completely
different way than they had been previously.
NGSS asks teachers to take on the role of
active facilitator. Rather than deliver lectures
on a specific topic, teachers should strive to
encourage children to ask questions on
their own.
THANK YOU
for providing me with the tools and the
confidence to incorporate more consistent
inquiry-based learning in my classroom.
BARRY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER
