Coherent units are critical to student understanding

Here is a nice article about how, even as we integrate more activities and information sources into our lessons, it is critical to help students build a framework within learning units.

"When science teachers adopt innovative curricula, it’s important that they structure students’ activities as a unit, rather than as a set of linear, discrete events. That’s because students learn with deeper understanding when the teacher has woven the concepts and activities into a coherent whole. Recent research by UW-Madison education professor Sadhana Puntambekar has helped to pinpoint how that’s done, and how science teachers effectively facilitate classroom discussion."

http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/news/coverStories/2009/how_science_teachers_enact.php

Blending Science (or any other subject) and Service Learning

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) journal cover story this month is about integrating service learning into the curriculum. See how "Blending Science and Service Learning" inspires you to integrate service learning into the classes you teach.

Some specific science service learning ideas can be found at
http://www.paservicelearning.org/Project_Ideas/Science.html

For more information about service learning check out, "Learn and Serve" a national service learning clearinghouse at http://www.servicelearning.org/what-service-learning