Students in Emily Williams’ 7th grade science class at South Pasadena Middle School display drawings of what their children might look like as part of a genetics project. Credit: South Pasadena Middle School
The State Board of Education will grapple with physical and metaphysical principles this week when it considers how middle school science should be taught. The question is, does each field of science exist in a vacuum?
When the State Board approved the Next Generation Science Standards in September, it postponed the issue of whether middle school science should continue to be taught by discipline – earth sciences in 6th grade, life sciences in 7th and physical sciences in 8th – or if the subjects should be integrated with a bit of each, plus some engineering, in every grade to lay a foundation for more difficult concepts later on.
A Science Expert Panel, of 27 teachers, researchers, professors, and prominent scientists, that was established by the State Board unanimously recommended the integrated approach, splitting teachers and triggering a mild combustion reaction. Some veteran teachers say they’re being adequately trained to teach the new standards effectively, while others say the shift makes sense in a subject like science, where so many of the
As a parent in San Bernardino, I celebrated the passage of Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and the commitment I believed our state was making to support low-income students, English learners, and foster youth with the additional programs, services, and resources they need to be successful. I also celebrated the ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the Edsource Today website for full