Book
Saving science class : why we need hands-on science to engage kids, inspire curiosity, and improve education / Chris McGowan.
Record details
- ISBN: 1633882179
- ISBN: 9781633882171
- Physical Description: 302 pages : illustrations
- Publisher: Amherst, New York : Prometheus Books, 2017.
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references, Internet addresses and index. |
| Immediate Source of Acquisition Note: | LSC 26.50 |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Science > Study and teaching. Science > Study and teaching > Great Britain. Motivation in education. Motivation in education > Great Britain. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroud Branch | 507.1 McG | 31681020039806 | NONFIC | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
Argues that science education is focusing too much on concepts that are not useful or practical in the real world, and advocates a curriculum centered on a hands-on approach. - Book News
Author Christopher McGowan is a scientist, science educator, and classroom teacher who has written other books on science for general readers. In this book, he criticizes the Next Generation Science Standards and shows whatâs wrong with science education in American public schools. He recommends bringing science education back to hands-on classroom learning, an approach that he claims was perfected by the Nuffield Science Teaching Project in the UK in the 1960s. He describes the experiences of that project, which partnered classroom teachers with working scientists who helped teachers design curriculum, and asserts that these techniques could still work today in American classrooms. Along the way, McGowan describes many hands-on lessons and demonstrations he has developed and conducted with real children. B&w photos and illustrations are included. Annotation ©2017 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com) - NBN
Much of what our students are learning about science in school bears little resemblance to real science. That is the main theme of this critique of science education by a veteran scientist and former school teacher. The author charges that today's teaching mandate has been taken over by educational specialists, people with little or no understanding of science. They clutter curricula with extraneous material, like engineering and technology, and focus so much attention theorizing over hypotheses and models and categorizing everything, that no time remains for doing science. There is little to entice youngsters to the science classroom today. McGowan emphasizes that the problem is not the teachers but the materials they are obliged to teach. He is especially critical of the widely influential "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS). This is based upon "A Framework for K-12 Science Education," which has been inordinately influenced by educational specialists. This is evident from the esoteric language, the almost exclusive citation of educational publications, and by glaring errors in science. The author urges a rethinking of science education to bring the focus back to conducting real hands-on science in the classroom. This approach was pioneered by the Nuffield Science Teaching Project in the UK, where working scientists acted as resource personnel for teachers designing curricula. Given the catastrophic problems facing planet Earth, scientific literacy has never been more important. - Random House, Inc.
Much of what our students are learning about science in school bears little resemblance to real science. That is the main theme of this critique of science education by a veteran scientist and former school teacher. The author charges that today's teaching mandate has been taken over by educational specialists, people with little or no understanding of science. They clutter curricula with extraneous material, like engineering and technology, and focus so much attention theorizing over hypotheses and models and categorizing everything, that no time remains for doing science. There is little to entice youngsters to the science classroom today.
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McGowan emphasizes that the problem is not the teachers but the materials they are obliged to teach. He is especially critical of the widely influential "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS). This is based upon "A Framework for K-12 Science Education," which has been inordinately influenced by educational specialists. This is evident from the esoteric language, the almost exclusive citation of educational publications, and by glaring errors in science.
The author urges a rethinking of science education to bring the focus back to conducting real hands-on science in the classroom. This approach was pioneered by the Nuffield Science Teaching Project in the UK, where working scientists acted as resource personnel for teachers designing curricula.
  Â
Given the catastrophic problems facing planet Earth, scientific literacy has never been more important.
