Thinking like a Ssssscientist! Fear of snakes inspires a unit on science as inquiry.

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Catherine E. Matthews, Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: As supervisors of undergraduate elementary education majors, we are often in the classrooms of local elementary schools, watching science instruction take place. Recently, we were disappointed when a fifth-grade field trip to a river near the school was cancelled partially due to parents' fear of snakes. This fear of snakes developed into an opportunity to teach students about the processes of science: formulating questions, collecting and analyzing data, and communicating findings to the public. By using snakes to help students "think like a scientist," we engaged students in a five-day unit on inquiry while providing information about snakes found in our local community.

Additional Information

Publication
Science and Children 48.1 (2010): 38-42.
Language: English
Date: 2010
Keywords
snakes, elementary school children, education, science

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