Integrating technology into the science curriculum. Challenging. ENC#: ENC-013782 Series: TechKNOWLEDGEy. Publisher: Teacher Created Materials, Inc Date: 1999

For more details see the Brief ENC Record or Full ENC Record.

This book, part of the techKNOWLEDGEy series, is designed to provide technology coordinators, resource teachers, media specialists, and classroom teachers ideas about integrating computers and peripheral devices into the science curriculum for grades 5 to 8. The series contains management ideas to help set up a computer lab, ways to organize records, and suggestions for lesson plans and activities which facilitate the use of technology in the curriculum. This book covers computer systems, software licensing, and telecommunications requirements. Information concerning acceptable use policies and other lines of defense to ensure appropriate use of the Internet is included. Techniques for both time management and behavior management are suggested. The thirty lesson plans include lesson duration, a materials list, and instructions concerning what should be done before and after the students start to use the computers. Biological and physical science topics, such as animals, chemistry, the solar system, and weather, are included. Teachers are given additional options for conducting the activities. Web links for follow up activities are found in each lesson plan. Data sheets and dark line drawings are available for reproduction. One lesson deals with analyzing owl pellets. The activity should take one to two class periods with additional time necessary for data entry on the computer. Students are to inspect the owl pellets externally and internally and to keep bones for identification and display. They should record their findings on the provided data sheet and then enter them into the class data base on the computer. Other lesson options include comparing pellets of different raptors or pooling data with classes from different schools. The lesson plan ends with Web links about owl pellets and owls. Ideas concerning science fair project management, telecollaboration with other classes globally, and other methods to integrate technology into the curriculum are given. (Author/JSR)

Grade(s):
5 6 7 8

Contributor(s):
Charles Payne; Debi Hooper; Ken Tunell;