Activating Students' Ideas in Science

This guide brings student thinking and instructional sequencing to the forefront of science teaching. Grounded in cognitive science, it provides a practical approach to engage middle school students in doing science, not just memorizing it. Ideal for science educators of grades 6-8, this guide supports your instructional design journey.

Patrick Brown is the executive director of STEAM and CTE at Fort Zumwalt School District in Missouri, and a former science classroom teacher and coordinator. Page Keeley is an educational consultant, former middle- and high-school science teacher, and Past President of the National Science Teaching Association.

1. Exploring "Ice Cold Lemonade" 2. Exploring "Mixing Water" 3. Exploring "Watermelon and Grape" 4. Exploring "What Is the Result of a Chemical Change?" 5. Exploring "What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?" 6. Exploring "Do the Waves Move the Boat?" 7. Exploring the "Grand Canyon" 8. Exploring "Dropping Balls" 9. Exploring "Light and Dark" 10. Exploring "Going through a Phase" 11. Exploring "The Swinging Pendulums" Lessons Learned