K-12 SCIENCE: A NEW SERC PORTAL TO CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES AND PEDAGOGIC GUIDANCE
The K-12 activity collection contains hundreds of lessons, activities, lab investigations, and field trip ideas covering biology, chemistry, earth and space science and environmental science. Each activity contains a description of the lesson, notes for effective use in the classroom, and student handouts. Activities are separated by grade level, with individual collections developed for grades K-8, grades 9-12 and for advanced placement (AP), international baccalaureate (IB), or honors level courses. Within each grade level area the activities can be further sorted by subject area.
The portal also presents a series of web resources designed to improve teaching and to build understanding of how students learn. These materials are authored by educators and are supported by pedagogic research and classroom application. Teachers can browse many subjects of interest, with resources organized along pedagogic themes. Topics include strategies for motivating and engaging students, teaching controversial topics, innovative methods for teaching problem solving, tactics for group work, and ideas for assessment.
The contents of the K-12 portal were developed by several NSF and NASA funded projects, including the Earth Exploration Toolbook, Minnesota Science Teachers Education Project, Pedagogy in Action, EarthLabs, NAGT and On the Cutting Edge. Teachers can add their own materials to the site by sharing lessons plans, activities, and labs.
The SERC K-12 portal is free to all users and can be found at http://serc.carleton.edu/k12.