I agree that there are some fundamental scientific concepts that every primary school science curriculum should revolve around.

These concepts help us put our very lives in perspective. Who are we in relation to the universe? What exactly are we made up of? Where did we come from? To create models that students can actually conceptualize, where they can walk in and out of and envision creates a platform for developing this perspective. Understanding the vast amount of space in our universe and our minuscule relation to that vastness, or understanding the complexity of our intricate genetic make up and how we have evolved into the beings we are today, all of this is crucial to our capability to exist rationally in this lifetime.

I have always considered the main goal of teaching to be to inspire students to think for themselves and eagerly seek out information and experiences that will help them understand the world around them. I always have felt that the main goal of education should be to create well-rounded individuals with a strong grasp on identity- personally and conceptually- so that they can better understand themselves and the reasoning behind people's actions, both historically and in contemporary contexts.  Education should aid students in their quest to gain better perspective on themselves, other people, and the world in general. This article prompts me to consider the ways in which I can articulate the means necessary in order make that goal more attainable. In other words- I can find overarching concepts in each subject area that are fundamentally necessary to fully embrace in order to approach the world individually, intellectually, and inquisitively... but also with perspective on the greater picture, and the individual's relationship with that which transcends the notion of ego.   

"I wouldn't care very much if a sixth grader didn't know the definitions of acid and alkali, or pistil and stamen. If the kid had a sense of scale, a sense of place in the web of creation, a sense of wonder- that would be scientific literacy enough for me."
 
Chapters 1-3 are packed full of valuable information, and I could write an entire essay just on how imperative everything discussed actually is.

I definitely  feel that the "Four stages of teaching" discussed in chapter one are realistic. I feel that I can only place myself in certain stages hypothetically, though, seeing as how I am not yet in a classroom of my own. I definitely hope to reach a level of mastery within my first year so that I can impact student's lives... but,  I know that may be easier said than done. I don't want to be a teacher for the paycheck or benefits, but that doesn't mean that I won't feel that I am in constant survival MODE my first year. I understand the necessity of being accountable for your students, and understand that activities and lessons serve a purpose far beyond entertainment... and should serve to spark inquiry above simply relaying factual knowledge. I guess I just realize that mastery takes work, and that in order to reach that stage a lot of time and energy has to be put into creating efficient and effective practices. I have the passion to put in the time and work, and I am therefore hoping that it will pay off for both myself and my students in my first year. 

The most important thing I am taking away from this text has to do with the teacher/student relationship. A lot of my students ask me if I am their "friend". As a young teacher, I am still trying to figure out how to correctly respond to this question. A lot of times I say "I am your friend because I can help you learn something, so in that case I am like an 'adult friend'. But it is a different kind of friend than the friends you have in class, in your neighborhood, through your family, or in extra curricular activities. I am your teacher, but your friend because I help you learn"

I don't know if that is what I am supposed to say. But I know that every teacher has always told me, "DON'T BE YOUR STUDENT'S FRIEND" I always understood why that was important, but not the reasoning behind it. Now I get it- if you are a student's friend, they will expect you to act similarly to the way their other friends act. They will "expect favors" from you that you just cannot give without maintaining neutrality amongst the class and remaining fair. If you do not grant them certain things they want, or act toward them in ways that they consider to be imperative to "friendship", they will resent you. This makes me think of how hard it has been to live with roommates who are friends for the very same reason! Anyway- now I feel that I have a better grasp on just why everyone has told me "don't be your student's friends".

Also- I never thought of it this way, but it really is true that in your first year of teaching you are expected to "perform your full complement of duties immediately while learning them at the same time." I realize this is why it is imperative to keep in touch with my peers so that I can share experiences, and also "beg borrow and steal" from more seasoned teachers who know what they are doing.

Efficient: Doing things right
Effective: Doing the right thing
"The effective teacher affects lives"

The following notes are for my benefit:

The Effective Teacher:
1) Establishes good control the first week of school.
2) Does things right, consistently
3) Affects and touches lives.
4) Exhibits positive expectations for all students
5) Establishes good classroom management techniques
6) Designs lessons for student mastery
7) Works cooperatively and learns from colleagues
8) Seeks out a mentor who serves as a role model
9) Goes to professional meetings to learn
10) Has a goal of striving for excellence
 
I can see why this book won the Caldacott award medal- the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and truly aid in the telling of the story. I feel that this book could definitely be read aloud (probably only the main text and not the cursive portion) and/or be part of the classroom library. As an independent read, I think this book is more suitable for older elementary students- however I think the small, bold, cursive text is deterring for even the most fluent and adamant readers. It is very hard to read and decipher, and unless the reader is sincerely intrigued and actively engaged enough in the text to take the time to decode the cursive passages, they will most likely be skimmed through or overlooked. There is a wealth of information in these portions of the text- integral information for one who wishes to gain further insight into Galileo's life- and I think the font does a true disservice to the factual content of this story by making it relatively inaccessible. Also- I am concerned that there is no bibliographic information in the back of the book. With no proof of research, this text loses some credibility for me. Regardless of the accuracy, I think it is bad practice for a non-fiction book to exclude resources... thanking a few professors and crediting a quoted text seems sort of like a cop-out to me when a book is expected to relay factual information to students learning about certain subject matter. 

That being said, I still think this book would be a great asset to any science curriculum or classroom library. If it is part of a classroom library, I would suggest that the teacher types up the cursive passages on a separate piece of paper so that students have an easier time accessing the information.
 
I read this article out of order in regards to the other two articles I reflected on from NSF. If I were to have read it in order, I may have felt that the importance of inquiry was purposefully nuanced in this article. Unfortunately, because I read it third- though the subject matter is definitely important- it seems relatively redundant. Regardless, I believe it does convey the fundamental importance of inquiry. What do children gain? They gain the capacity to enrich their own lives, and to exercise their mental ability to speculate, investigate, and constantly acquire new information about the world around them. Inquiry expands student's capabilities to articulate their questions, reason with their findings, and grapple with the meaning derived from their investigations- all of which are important to an individual's intellectual growth and ability to interpret the world around them.

"Through the processes of asking questions, obtaining answers, attaching meaning to the results of their investigations,
and relating the meanings they make to established scientific knowledge, children build a repertoire of knowledge, skills, and habits of mind that affirm their human capacity to productively use inquiry for their development."
 
"As we play out our restless urge to understand and control our surroundings, the power to destroy now rivals the power to invent. Perhaps now, more than ever before, the ability of average citizens to think for themselves may be the best protection in a world of increasing technological and scientific complexity. If so, the skills of skeptical questioning and independent thinking may be essential goals of schooling. "

The above quote eloquently voices my entire argument behind my own passion for teaching. I feel so strongly that cultivating minds that think for themselves should be of utmost importance in any classroom, especially in this day in age where advertising and technological instruments which constantly grant users instant gratification go hand in hand in vegetating intelligent minds in our society. As you can imagine, I agree with Dewey that children should be allowed to learn through direct experience and that, as teachers, we should cultivate their innate sense of curiosity- only then will they truly be able to grow into self-sufficient learners with their own, independent ability to reason. In my mind, didactic teaching should not be the only method in any classroom- especially for students in elementary school! Its sad that there seems to be some sort of dichotomy between didactic and hands-on teaching- of course some information needs to be relayed to children in an explicit manner, but implicit teaching through engaging hands-on activities actually helps children develop the ability to inquire and build their own ways of thinking and learning. I like Bruner's theory that there our brains only have the ability to hold seven discrete bits of information at a time, and that we should therefore help students fill those slots with sincere understanding rather than unconnected facts.
Experiential learning should be at the forefront of any curriculum, because it really is the only type of learning that will have a long lasting effect on students, and will help them learn to shape themselves as highly intelligent individuals who can think for themselves.

"The essence of good teaching lies in framing the right questions, regardless of the sophistication of the subject matter"- Socrates
 
I really enjoyed reading these poems- I think they are an accessible way for kids to grasp concepts that pertain to other creatures and happenings in this world that are outside our human experience. I, of course, enjoyed the poems about turtles and snakes the most.

After being presented to a class, I definitely believe that these poems can be extended into a lesson. Students could brainstorm questions about the world or certain species, research their topic, then write a short poem about it in a style similar to those in this compillation. Great way to integrate science and language arts.
 
Content Questions:

2) The process that determines that life on Earth can only access ten percent of the sun's energy that reaches the planet is called photosynthesis.
3) The passage states that when the ecosystem is damaged, “top carnivores” are the first to go hungry because they live off such a small portion of life’s available energy. It further explains this by going into the two hierarchies of biological diversity, one of which is the energy pyramid. The energy pyramid is defined as a “straightforward consequence of the law of diminishing energy flow... a relatively large amount from the sun’s energy incident on earth goes into the plants at the bottom, tapering to a minute quantity to the big carnivores on top.” (p 256) What does all this mean? Well, essentially what is being said is that plants soak up ten percent of the sun’s energy, this energy is then dispersed respectively throughout the different species in the food chain, starting with those who directly consume the plants. As each creature on the food chain consumes those below it, the percentage of that energy exponentially decreases. By the time “top carnivores” consume their prey, the portion of the sun’s energy being ingested is only a fraction of the initial energy that was used in photosynthesis.
4) The energy and biomass pyramids that Wilson describes are essentially congruent to one another (for species above sea level). This suggests that the amount of solar energy absorbed/consumed by a species is directly related to it's respective weight within the biosphere. This concept can at first be confusing because of course a mountain lion or peregrine falcon is in fact much heavier than a fern or even mold, but biomass is measured in regards to a species as a whole. Though this is going on to answer question five, I think it is important to note that Wilson’s biomass pyramid is actually inverted below sea level. Why? Because the photosynthetic organisms below sea level are not plants, they are phytoplankton- microscopic single-celled algae that is continually displaced by water currents. Zooplankton then consume this algae and are likewise consumed by larger fish and marine animals (“top carnivores”) The larger animals ultimately amount to more bulk than these single-celled organisms (which, interestingly enough, actually generate more protoplasm tan plans on land and affix more solar energy, and grow, divide, and die at a much faster rate).
 
I felt that this article was very redundant in regards to how it went about explaining the March equinox; after reading this article, I can't foresee ever forgetting that on March 20th (or 21st, depending) the length of day and night is nearly equal in all parts of the world. There were also a few other (not as nuanced) facts discussed in this article that I believe to be imperative to understanding the equinox. For one, it is evident that different hemispheres experience alternate seasons based on the axis of the earth which is why- for the most part- certain sources refer to the equinoxes by month name rather than by seasonal name to avoid confusion (i.e. vernal and autumnal). Though this makes sense, I’m confused as to why this is the case when the solstices are referred to in a seasonal manner (summer and winter)- do sources go out of their way to refer to these as the June and December solstices rather than summer and winter? If so, that doesn’t seem quite right to me, seeing as how scientifically they are referred to in other terms. Or, is that not the case because the solstice marks the end of one season and the beginning of another- and likewise, the beginning and end- based on hemisphere... and therefore, technically the terms summer and winter make sense? I don’t even know if that is a cohesive statement/question... and I think I may have answered it for myself just then... but regardless, I’d be curious to find out the reasoning behind how similar sources reference the summer and winter solstices.
    Also, I thought it was purposeful the way the article went into greater detail about day length, and explained that (though the day will be pretty much the same worldwide) places further away from the equator will experience a slightly longer day due to the fact that the “sun takes longer to rise and set farther from the equator because it does not set straight down - it moves in a horizontal direction.” I wasn’t crazy about how the article fell short of further explaining certain things such as the reasoning behind the atmospheric refraction which causes the sun to appear higher in the sky, and simply redirected the reader to another website rather than taking the time to go a little more in depth. However, I guess that this information is not necessarily imperative to the equinox. Regardless, I also enjoyed the brief snippets of information regarding the history behind the equinox and the role it plays in the celebrations amongst varying cultures. The fact that the March equinox is a symbol of rebirth for many cultures contextualizes religious beliefs within the natural sector, making the thread which synthesizes different worldly customs conceptually accessible and- in less academic terms- I just think the whole idea behind that phenomenon in general is totally wicked awesome.
 
Learning any new skill requires scaffolding and practice, and inquiry is a skill that students must develop over time in order to implement effectively into their exploration of science.  I definitely agree with the article in regards to the steps necessary to construct a stable foundation for inquiry- building community, modeling, practice, building process skills(questioning, predicting, hypothesizing, investigating, observing, interpreting, and communicating), questioning, and the “Do, Talk, Reflect Write” Cycle.  In addition- before allowing them to engage in inquiry based activities, I agree it is important for students to get their feet wet while still guiding their inquiry with open ended questions as well as group discussion and reflection. In my own teaching, I sometimes find that I forget how on earth I acquired the skills I have as an adult; I therefore think this text is a valuable resource for any teacher. It allowed me to step back and consider the fact that while children are innately intelligent and curious, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we can just throw science in their face and expect them to impulsively have the investigative skills to ask appropriate and leading questions.
    I thought the last chunk of this article was extremely valuable because if offered ideas for ways to extend a lesson to suit the needs and questioning of students, especially those based on kits or controlled materials. Some extensions mentioned that I also believe are important were: modifying kit activities to reference student’s questions, focusing on the direction a class can take after using the kit, and allowing students to base further inquiry investigations based on certain concepts expressed in the kits.
    All in all- I think the topic of inquiry applies to all grade levels, and is something that should be practiced year after year after year.
 
Quite honestly, when reviewing the Massachusetts Frameworks in other subject areas I never took the time to read over the introductory pages. Why? I’m not sure- but I feel that this was just as important as knowing what topics apply to each grade. I liked how the basics skills and concepts were outlined for each grade, especially because I am still a little confused about which age range I’d like to teach. After reading the brief outline in this article, I have to admit I’m still a little bit confused. I want to pinpoint my “desired age range” based on what I myself can and will be passionate about. Maybe it is because I think science is awesome, but from the looks of it I could teach any elementary grade and be passionate about what I am teaching (which, to me, is imperative to being a good teacher). I also feel that the frameworks are a great tool for not only knowing what you’re students need to learn about, but that it is important to have a sense of what students are learning in all grades so that you can gauge where your students understanding and learning is in relationship to what they should have learned, and what skills they will need to harness in order to understand future material.
    “Inquiry, experimentation, and design should not be taught or tested as separate, stand- alone skills. Rather, opportunities for inquiry, experimentation, and design should arise within a well-planned curriculum. Instruction and assessment should include examples drawn from life science, physical science, earth and space science, and
technology/engineering standards. Doing so will make clear to students that what is
known does not stand separate from how it is known.”
    This is perhaps my favorite quote in the entire article- I agree that inquiry based skills (and many other scientific skills) should be integrated into the entire curriculum. If they were to be taught as stand alone skills, students may have a hard time actually applying them in the classroom and in everyday life as well! I think there are many skills taught in the classroom that serve as “life skills” in addition to “understanding the material” skills (please excuse the made-up lingo). I think that, so often, the frameworks can be approached as a hurtle for teachers rather than an opportunity to sharpen students’ real life skills and minds in an educational context. Quite honestly, when reviewing the Massachusetts Frameworks in other subject areas I never took the time to read over the introductory pages. Why? I’m not sure- but I feel that this was just as important as knowing what topics apply to each grade. I liked how the basics skills and concepts were outlined for each grade, especially because I am still a little confused about which age range I’d like to teach. After reading the brief outline in this article, I have to admit I’m still a little bit confused. I want to pinpoint my “desired age range” based on what I myself can and will be passionate about. Maybe it is because I think science is awesome, but from the looks of it I could teach any elementary grade and be passionate about what I am teaching (which, to me, is imperative to being a good teacher). I also feel that the frameworks are a great tool for not only knowing what you’re students need to learn about, but that it is important to have a sense of what students are learning in all grades so that you can gauge where your students understanding and learning is in relationship to what they should have learned, and what skills they will need to harness in order to understand future material.
    “Inquiry, experimentation, and design should not be taught or tested as separate, stand- alone skills. Rather, opportunities for inquiry, experimentation, and design should arise within a well-planned curriculum. Instruction and assessment should include examples drawn from life science, physical science, earth and space science, and
technology/engineering standards. Doing so will make clear to students that what is
known does not stand separate from how it is known.”
    This is perhaps my favorite quote in the entire article- I agree that inquiry based skills (and many other scientific skills) should be integrated into the entire curriculum. If they were to be taught as stand alone skills, students may have a hard time actually applying them in the classroom and in everyday life as well! I think there are many skills taught in the classroom that serve as “life skills” in addition to “understanding the material” skills (please excuse the made-up lingo). I think that, so often, the frameworks can be approached as a hurtle for teachers rather than an opportunity to sharpen students’ real life skills and minds in an educational context.