2. CHARACTERISTICS/DESCRIPTION
Promotes inquiry among students
Fosters innovation and creativity
Focuses upon the development of skills (rather than
the rote memorization of facts)
Enables learning through experiences
Encourages collaboration among peers
3. IMPORTANCE OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE
Science and Math provide a foundation for success
in the 21st Century. These areas encourage critical
thinking and autonomy through experimentation,
journaling, data, and analysis. Rather than
promoting memorization of facts, the instructor
should coach students to develop skills that will
prepare them for life in the 21st Century.
4. ROLE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
The acquisition of math skills increases personal
development in the workplace and enhances
mental abilities.
Science is present in daily life through the
application of the scientific method, which allows
individuals to make sensible and safe decisions.
Math and science promote literacy and numeracy
skills and enhances essential technical skills.
5. TECHNOLOGY
WebQuest: to take a journey through the solar system
to learn more about the sun and our planets
Digital Stories: to complete lab reports (such as
demonstrating how to create a series circuit).
Podcasts: to describe how they solved a particular
math problem utilizing the order of operations
Voki: to create an avatar that resembles Galileo which
will describe why heavy objects fall at the same rate as
light objects when in free fall.
QR Codes: to post assignments or links to interactive
websites (such as Phet Tutorials)
Blogs: to write about experiments in which they used
the scientific method (such as testing rocks)
6. STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE
Discuss three major types of rocks: sedimentary,
metamorphic, and igneous
Participate in a “wonder wander” to collect rocks
Take pictures of collected rocks to upload onto class
blog
Make an educated guess (hypothesis)
Tests to identify rocks:
•
Calculate density using graduated cylinder
• Attempt to fracture rock
• Use a magnifying glass to determine texture/composition
• Scrape against white tile to determine rock’s streak
7. PROCEDURE, CONTINUED
Work in groups to research information regarding
discovered characteristics
Record test results and researched data in
graphical form
Create a podcast explaining their application of the
scientific method (post on class blog)
Create a Prezi to display data
9. CONCLUSION
Reality Check: In a recent international assessment
of 15-year-old students, the U.S. ranked:
•
28th in math literacy
• 24th in science literacy
• 20th among all nations in the proportion of 24-year-olds
who earn degrees in natural science or engineering
Overall, the goal of the Twenty First Century Skills
Movement is to prepare our students for their
futures within an increasingly competitive global
economy and to inspire the students to become
lifelong learners.
10. WORKS CITED
GeoMan's Rock Identiication. (2013, November 14).
Retrieved from
http://jersey.uoregon.edu/~mstrick/MinRockID/Rock
ID/RockIDChart.html
Rocks and Minerals. (2013, November 14).
Retrieved from Discover Education:
https://www.etap.org/demo/grade4_science/lesson5
/instructiontutor_last.html
Kuenzi, J. (2013, November 14). Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Education: Background, Federal Policy, and
Legislative Action. Retrieved from University of
Nebraska Lincoln:
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/crsdocs/35/