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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
A Word
to the Teacher
Venn Diagrams and T-Charts
Having students identify similarities and differences among concepts being learned
enhances their understanding of and ability to use knowledge (Marzano et al,
2001). The use of a simple T -chart to have
students organize their initial thinking
while identifying the similarities and differences can be useful.
A more sophisticated
graphic called a Venn diagram has students display the similarities between
elements in the intersection between two overlapping circles. The differences are
placed in the parts of each circle that do not intersect.
Physical Models, Simulations, and Drawings
In general, physical models are concrete representations of knowledge, while
simulations are representations of a process.
Drawings may represent knowledge,
process, or both.
Models, simulations, and drawings are powerful ways to generate
nonlinguistic representations in the mind.
Each time students engage in transferring
information into a new format that makes their thinking visible to others, their
understanding increases.
Digital Cameras in the Science Classroom
Digital cameras can serve
several purposes in the science classroom. T o
help
students build vocabulary skills, have
students take photographs to represent
science terms being studied.
Or introduce photos to students, asking them to
identify science terms represented in images.
Digital cameras can be used as data
collection devices and as tools for creating digital collections of items such as leaves
or insects.
Teacher Edition
T eacher pages include a materials list, basic instructions for each lesson, facilitation
questions and answers, hints and suggestions for implementation, snapshot visuals
of handouts and reproducible masters from the T eacher Resource CD, and answers
to the questions and activities in the student edition.
Pages from the student edition
are embedded throughout the lesson to allow for ease of use when observing
directives and activities. The Gateways
Features page illustrates these components.
Teacher Resource CD
The CD included with each teacher edition of Gateways
includes reproducible
masters, lab station cards, manipulatives, and handouts for student distribution.
Reproducible masters for assessments are also located on the CD.
Assessments
include Curriculum-Based Assessments (CBAs) that follow each unit.
CBAs are
written to both address the specific curriculum learned during a particular unit
of study and spiral back to reinforce development of scientific investigations and
reasoning skills.
Copyright law prohibits the copying or sharing of these materials for any purpose
outside of direct classroom instruction by
the one teacher for whom the teacher
edition was purchased.
