Differentiated Instruction for the Middle School Science Teacher: Activities and Strategies for an Inclusive Classroom (Differentiated Instruction for Middle School Teachers)

259 Pages·2010·3.9 MB·English

by  Joan D'Amico

D'Amico.ffirs.qxd:D'Amico.ffirs 1/6/10 8:45 AM Page ii
D'Amico.ffirs.qxd:D'Amico.ffirs 1/6/10 8:45 AM Page i
Jossey-Bass Teacher
Jossey-BassTeacherprovideseducatorswithpracticalknowledgeandtoolstocreateapos-
itiveandlifelongimpactonstudentlearning.Weofferclassroom-testedandresearch-
basedteachingresourcesforavarietyofgradelevelsandsubjectareas.Whetheryouarean
aspiring,new,orveteranteacher,wewanttohelpyoumakeeveryteachingdayyourbest.
Fromready-to-useclassroomactivitiestothelatestteachingframework,ourvalue-packed
booksprovideinsightful,practical,andcomprehensivematerialsonthetopicsthatmat-
termosttoK–12teachers.Wehopetobecomeyourtrustedsourceforthebestideasfrom
themostexperiencedandrespectedexpertsinthefield.
D'Amico.ffirs.qxd:D'Amico.ffirs 1/6/10 8:45 AM Page ii
D'Amico.ffirs.qxd:D'Amico.ffirs 1/6/10 8:45 AM Page iii
Differentiated
Instruction for the
Middle School
Science Teacher
Activities and Strategies for
an Inclusive Classroom
Joan D’Amico and Kate Gallaway
Foreword by Dorothy Lozauskas Sherwood
D'Amico.ffirs.qxd:D'Amico.ffirs 1/6/10 8:45 AM Page iv
Copyright©2010byJohnWiley&Sons,Inc.Allrightsreserved.
PublishedbyJossey-Bass
AWileyImprint
989MarketStreet,SanFrancisco,CA94103-1741—www.josseybass.com
IllustrationsbyAliceBeresin
Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorby
anymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,scanning,orotherwise,exceptaspermitted
underSection107or108ofthe1976UnitedStatesCopyrightAct,withouteitherthepriorwrittenper-
missionofthepublisher,orauthorizationthroughpaymentoftheappropriateper-copyfeetotheCopyright
ClearanceCenter,Inc.,222RosewoodDrive,Danvers,MA01923,978-750-8400,fax[phone],oron
theWebatwww.copyright.com.RequeststothepublisherforpermissionshouldbeaddressedtothePer-
missionsDepartment,JohnWiley&Sons,Inc.,111RiverStreet,Hoboken,NJ07030,201-748-6011,fax
201-748-6008,oronlineat www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Permissionisgivenforindividualclassroomteacherstoreproducethepagesandillustrationsforclassroom
use.Reproductionofthesematerialsforanentireschoolsystemisstrictlyforbidden.
ReadersshouldbeawarethatInternetWebsitesofferedascitationsand/orsourcesforfurtherinformation
mayhavechangedordisappearedbetweenthetimethiswaswrittenandwhenitisread.
LimitofLiability/DisclaimerofWarranty:Whilethepublisherandauthorhaveusedtheirbesteffortsin
preparingthisbook,theymakenorepresentationsorwarrantieswithrespecttotheaccuracyorcomplete-
nessofthecontentsofthisbookandspecificallydisclaimanyimpliedwarrantiesofmerchantabilityorfit-
nessforaparticularpurpose.Nowarrantymaybecreatedorextendedbysalesrepresentativesorwrittensales
materials.Theadviceandstrategiescontainedhereinmaynotbesuitableforyoursituation.Youshouldcon-
sultwithaprofessionalwhereappropriate.Neitherthepublishernorauthorshallbeliableforanylossof
profitoranyothercommercialdamages,includingbutnotlimitedtospecial,incidental,consequential,or
otherdamages.
Jossey-Bassbooksandproductsareavailablethroughmostbookstores.TocontactJossey-Bassdirectlycall
ourCustomerCareDepartmentwithintheU.S.at800-956-7739,outsidetheU.S.at317-572-3986,orfax
317-572-4002.
Jossey-Bassalsopublishesitsbooksinavarietyofelectronicformats.Somecontentthatappearsinprintmay
notbeavailableinelectronicbooks.
Imageonpage112istakenfromArtExplosion:250,000Images.
ISBN:9780787984670
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
firstedition
PBPrinting 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
D'Amico.ftoc.qxd:D'Amico.ftoc 1/6/10 8:45 AM Page v
Contents
AboutThisBook vii
AbouttheAuthors ix
Acknowledgments xi
Foreword xiii
Part One: Being Successful
in the Inclusive Classroom
Chapter1: Collaborating Effectively 3
CollaboratingforIntervention 3
CollaboratingwiththeChildStudyTeam 4
CollaboratingwithParentsandFamilies 13
TipsforTalkingwithParents 16
Chapter2: Preparingfor DifferentiatedLearning 17
WorkingwithCoreCurriculumStandards 17
AssessingLearningStyles 18
MultipleIntelligencesandLearningStrengths 20
PlanningforStudentswithSpecialNeeds 21
Chapter3: EffectiveTeachingStrategiesforDifferentiatingInstruction 25
TheEffectiveInclusiveClassroom 26
MeasuringSuccess 28
Part Two: Science Activities for
the Inclusive Middle School Classroom
Chapter4: ScientificInquiry 33
Activity1:ScientificMethod 34
Activity2:FamousScientists 40
v
D'Amico.ftoc.qxd:D'Amico.ftoc 1/6/10 8:45 AM Page vi
Chapter5: PhysicalScience 45
Activity1:Force 46
Activity2:Motion 52
Activity3:PropertiesofMatter 58
Activity4:PhasesofMatter 63
Activity5:AcidsandBases 69
Activity6:UsingthePeriodicTable 76
Activity7:AlternativeEnergySources 82
Chapter6: EarthandSpaceScience 89
Activity1:TypesofRocks 90
Activity2:Volcanoes 95
Activity3:Minerals 101
Activity4:OceansandSeas 107
Activity5:TheSolarSystem 115
Activity6:StarsandGalaxies 123
Activity7:TheWaterCycle 129
Chapter7: LifeScience 137
Activity1:ClassificationofOrganisms 138
Activity2:TheStructureandFunctionofCells 145
Activity3:CellDivision—Mitosis 150
Activity4:CellDivision—Meiosis 155
Activity5:HeredityandGenetics 160
Activity6:Plants 166
Chapter8: TheHumanBody 173
Activity1:TheSkeletalSystem,Joints,andMuscles 174
Activity2:TheCardiovascularSystem 180
Activity3:TheCentralNervousSystem 188
Activity4:TheDigestiveSystem 194
Activity5:Blood 200
Activity6:TheEar 207
Activity7:TheEye 213
AnswerKey 219
NationalCurriculumStandards 225
Glossary 229
Bibliography 237
Index 238
vi Contents
D'Amico.fbetw.qxd:D'Amico.fbetw 1/6/10 8:46 AM Page vii
About This Book
Thegoalofthisbookistohelpmiddleschoolscienceteacherseffectivelyteachthewide
rangeofstudentsfoundintheirclassrooms.Scienceisabalancebetweenthevastamount
ofcontentknowledgeandtheprocessofscientificinvestigation.Middleschoolscience
isanimportantfoundationforstudentsbecausethereisanemphasisondifferentdisci-
plines at each grade level. Teachers strive to provide students with the core concepts,
principles,andtheoriesofscience.Studentscanthenbuilduponandinvestigatethesein
moredepthinhighschool.Teachersmustdeliverinstructioninavarietyofwaystoensure
thatthereisabalancebetweenproceduresandcreativeproblemsolving.Itcanbetricky
toaccomplishthiswithaclassfilledwithstudentsofvaryinglearningstylesandskilllev-
els.Thisbookisthepractical,easy-to-useanswertothisproblem.Itapproachesscience
conceptsthewayyoudo,asamiddleschoolteacher,andhelpsyoufindaneffectiveway
topresentthematerialtothewholeclass.Thenitshowshowtoguidepracticewhilealso
modifyingthematerialtoprovideaccesstothesamecontentstandardforallyourstu-
dents.Justasimportant,ithelpsyoufindwaystoinvolvestudents’familiesandtiethe
scienceconceptsintotheireverydaylives.Relevanceisapowerfulmotivator.Through
suchmethodsasincorporatingtechnology,sciencebecomesrelevanttotheneedsofthe
middle school student in the twenty-first century. The conversational style and thor-
oughnessofthisbookmakeiteasytostartusingitrightaway.
Here’swhatyouwillfindinthisbook.InPartOne,ChapterOnefocusesonsuccess-
fulcollaborationwiththeschoolteamandwithparentsandfamilies.Thereareseveral
checkliststohelpstreamlinetheprocess.ChapterTwofocusesonassessingstudents’learn-
ingstylestodifferentiateinstruction.Thereareseveraldifferentwaystoassessyourstu-
dents so that you can choose the learning styles that best fit you and your classroom.
Finally, Chapter Three focuses on tips for successful instruction in the inclusive class-
room,includingalternativeassessmenttechniques.
TheactivitiesinPartTwoconformtonationalcontentstandards,andtheyarespe-
cially designed to help you differentiate instruction for your inclusive classroom. The
activitiesappealtoawiderangeoflearningstylesandabilities,allwithinindividualles-
sons.Alistofsuppliesisgivenatthebeginningofeachactivity.Theneachactivitywalks
youthroughalessonforpresentingatraditionallessontothewholeclass.Youhavesev-
eraloptionswhenitcomestomakingthenotesaccessibletoallstudents:youcanmake
transparenciestouseontheoverhead,scanthemintoyourcomputertoprojectusingan
LCDorinteractivewhiteboard,ormakecopiesforindividualstudents.
Eachlessonisfollowedbyaworksheetdesignedtoreviewandreinforcetheconcepts
presentedinthelesson.Studentsmaycompletetheworksheet“asis,”oryoumayuseit
asapretesttodefinevariouslevelsofstudentunderstanding.Thereisalsoanexciting,
vii
D'Amico.fbetw.qxd:D'Amico.fbetw 1/6/10 8:46 AM Page viii
hands-oncomponentincludedwitheachactivity,theWholeClassLab.Theselabspro-
videstudentswithanopportunitytoreallyseethescientificconceptsinaction.Because
thesearelabs,theyrequiremoretimeandmaterials,soitisuptoyouwhetherornotto
useanygivenone.Thelessonscanstandalonewithoutthelabs.
Understandingsafesciencepracticesisakeypieceinunderstandingscienceitself,
andsafetymustbetaught.Asciencelaboratorycanandshouldbeasafeplacetoperform
experiments.Studentscanpreventaccidentsiftheythinkaboutwhattheyaredoingat
alltimes,usegoodjudgment,observesafetyrules,andfollowdirections.Herearesome
generallaboratorysafetyprocedures:
• Weareyeprotectionwhenworkingonexperiments.
• Donoteatordrinkwhileinthelaboratory.
• Donottasteanychemical.
• Longhairmustbetiedbacksoitwillnotfallintochemicalsorflames.
• Followdirectionsandwaitforpermissiontobegin.
• Wipeallcountersurfacesandhandswithsoapandwater.
• Neverpointtheopenendofatesttubeatyourselforanotherperson.
• Ifyouwanttosmellasubstance,donotholditdirectlytoyournose.Instead,
holdthecontainerafewcentimetersawayanduseyourhandtofanvapors
towardyou.
• Flushthesinkwithlargequantitiesofwaterwhendisposingofliquidchemicals
orsolutions.
TheScienceSafetyHandbookforCaliforniaPublicSchoolswascreatedtohelpscience
teachersunderstandandavoidsituationsinwhichaccidentsmightoccurinthesciencelab-
oratoriesoronfieldtripsandoutdooreducationexperiences.Itcanbeaccessedthroughthe
CaliforniaDepartmentofEducationatwww.cde.ca.gov/pd/ca/sc/documents/scisafebk.pdf.
Eachactivityincludesasection,“HowtoAdaptThisLessonfortheInclusiveClass-
room,”thatoffersavarietyofteachingstrategies,methods,andtoolstouseafteryouhave
separatedtheclassintoappropriatestationstodifferentiateinstruction.Thesestations
includeamultitudeofmodalitiesofferedtoremediate,reinforce,orenrichtheconcepts
presented.
Anothersection,titled“Home/SchoolConnection,”canbeusedtoinviteparentsto
beapartofthelearningprocess.Activitiesherearefamilybased,andincludelifeskills
andpracticallearning.
Attheendofeachactivity,we’vegivensomesuggestionsforassessmentoftheskills
presented.Theseactivitiescanbeusedasanintegralcomponentofthesciencecurricu-
lumorasasupplementtothechosentextbook.Theformatcanbeadaptedtotheindi-
vidualmiddleschoolteacher’scurriculumneeds.
viii About This Book