Teaching Science in Elementary and Middle School Classrooms: A Project-Based Approach

This text was required reading for the University of Michigan's Elementary MAC program three years ago, and with good reason. It covers everything, from learning theory, to how to structure lesson plans, to room layout, to teaching teamwork and collaborative skills. It's a workbook, really. It is meant to be worked through, not read. When I finally have my own elementary classroom, I will take a year to go through the book, page by page, experimenting with the various methods, doing all of the reflective journaling assignments, once again. I do have to throw in a little irritation I have with most of these teaching textbooks: they state too much of the obvious. For instance: "Humans have always used tools to help them perform difficult tasks, both physical and intellectual." (p. 193). There are lots of "duh" comments like that, in this and every other teaching textbook I have read, as though people in the educational field believe that they're the only ones that really get things like brainstorming and group dynamics. (In fact, the business world has always been way ahead of the curve on many of these methodologies). But, I love the treatment of how to run a project-based classroom, how to teach benchmark lessons and utilize a "driving question." And the techniques addressed here are of great use in other subjects, not just Science. I recommend this book be on the shelf of every elementary and middle-school teacher.