Course 2 - Constructing the Big Idea: Inquiry Science taught in context. NOW OPEN!
Course Description
Do your students sometimes wonder why they need to learn certain lessons in science? Would you like to bring purpose and context to each of your lessons?In this VLE, we will learn to construct overarching big ideas in order to ground science lessons in relevant and engaging real world problems. We will also discover how allowing students to form initial models to explain the Big Idea can help teachers identify and prevent misconceptions.
Course Topics
What is a Big idea?
How puzzling phenomena, essential questions, or real world problems tied to the content being taught can offer context to student learning
Strategies for constructing big ideas in order to teach science lessons in the context of problems relevant and interesting to students
What it looks like for students to create initial models in response to the Big Idea
How to find value in students’ initial models for identifying misconceptions
Immediate Application in the Classroom
Teachers will be able to create rigorous and engaging unit and lesson plans tied to an overarching Big Idea by posing a puzzling phenomenon, essential question, or problems facing our society and global environment
Teachers will elicit ideas students already have about the Big Idea through talking, writing, and drawing out their ideas in order to engage them in the inquiry process
Teachers will be empowered to identify misconceptions from students’ initial models and take steps to correct them