Gary Koppelman, now an award-winning science teacher, once realized that designing his own lab experiments and projects helped him understand how theories worked in the real world. His discoveries about his own learning challenged him to design an alternative method to teach science at Blissfield Elementary, a small rural school in southeast Michigan, where he began teaching in 1976.
“All lessons should start with the interests of young children”, is how Koppelman sums up the philosophy behind what he calls his “hands-on, minds-on” teaching approach. He tries to provide daily opportunities for students to engage with the natural world, ask questions, collect and analyze data, and work with their partners to come up with answers.
In Koppelman’s view, children are born with all the qualities of a good scientist: They are curious, eager to investigate their surroundings, and happy to experiment. But too many students enter elementary, school classrooms that extinguish that passion with lessons that, are disconnected from their lives and the natural world around them.
“Inquiry-driven science classrooms in elementary grades are rare,” says John L. Rudolph, the author of How We Teach Science: What’s Changed, and Why It Matters. “The approach requires more teacher training, funding, and complex assessments, but the payoff is worth it,” Rudolph said. Not only do students learn critical thinking and communication skills, but also they develop a deep understanding of how scientists, come, up with evidence and develop conclusions in these inquiry-driven science classrooms, which Rudolph views as a largely ignored part of science education.
The impact of Koppelman’s “hands-on, minds-on” teaching approach: has been huge: For some years Blissfield Elementary scored near the top in science tests of the state. More of the district’s students are going to major in STEM fields in college.
12. What is the idea behind Koppelman’s teaching approach?
A.Critical thinking should be avoided. |
B.Students should be encouraged to study alone. |
C.Teaching should satisfy the interests of students. |
D.Lab experiments and projects should be designed by teachers. |
13. What does the underlined word “extinguish” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.Follow. | B.Show. | C.Discover. | D.Remove. |
14. What does Rudolph say about the inquiry-driven science classroom?
A.It is fairly easy to carry out. |
B.It is worthwhile to apply it to practice. |
C.It inspires students to assess themselves. |
D.It has gained popularity in elementary schools. |
15. Which of the following can best describe Koppelman?
A.Creative. | B.Humorous. | C.Modest. | D.Talkative. |