I started the Better Science Teaching blog as a way for me to share and exchange ideas about teaching secondary science. I am a 100% believer in creating and teaching a content-rich curriculum. Offering my students a strong foundation in physical, chemical and biological sciences on which higher-level classes can build upon is my primary focus.
I don’t apologize for believing content matters and that imparting knowledge is my primary job. Within this framework, I do the following:
- Create units around foundational scientific concepts and vocabulary within a particular area of study (such as a unit on forces and the laws of motion).
- Develop or find hands-on activities and investigations that reinforce those concepts and vocabulary. I want my students to enjoy these activities, but the purpose isn’t “fun”; rather, its engagement with the concepts we are learning.
- Include applied math and data analysis in the units as much as possible.
- Teach scientific writing skills.
Teaching requires the practitioner to also be a student in order to become better. Other serious science teachers and education researchers are my best teachers. I hope to share what I learn from them with you.
Many of my lessons, webquests and lab activities can be found at my TeachersPayTeachers store, Generation Science.
