Differentiation for Effective Instruction in Science

Abstract

Scientists-in-Schools (SIS) is a research project funded by the U.S. Department of Education Javits Program for Gifted and Talented that targets the achievement gap between underrepresented students and other students. SIS, a five year project seeks to increase student achievement in Science for low income minority students to enable them to qualify for their district's gifted program. This article shares examples of differentiation in Science curriculum focusing on the use of inquiry with teachers working side-by-side with university professors in Saturday Science labs. Results indicate that the outcomes of increased student achievement, increased science content for teachers, and increased numbers of underrepresented students being identified for their district gifted program are being met. Currently, 90 teachers and 300 students have been involved in the SIS project, with 56% of the students able to qualify for the gifted program.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

American Association for the Advancement of Science. (AAAS) (1990). Science for all Americans: Project 2061. New York: Oxford University Press.

National Research Council (2005). National Science Education Standards. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press.

Pedersen

(2006). Theory, Facts and Knowledge. Presentation at Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas, July 2006.

Sisk

D.A.

Torrance

E.P.

(1999). Gifted and talented in the regular classroom. Buffalo, New York: Creative Education Press.

Wallace

Louden

(2002). Dilemmas of Science Teaching. New York: Routledge/Falmer.

Smutny

Von Fremd . (2004). Differentiating for the young child, Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

Wilson

E.O.

(1998), Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge. New York: Knopf.