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Middle school

Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Selected Works

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Education

Students Talk About Energy In Project- Based Inquiry Science, Benedikt W. Harrer, Virginia J. Flood, Michael C. Wittmann Jan 2013

Students Talk About Energy In Project- Based Inquiry Science, Benedikt W. Harrer, Virginia J. Flood, Michael C. Wittmann

Benedikt W. Harrer

We examine the types of emergent language eighth grade students in rural Maine middle schools use when they discuss energy in their first experiences with Project-Based Inquiry Science: Energy, a research-based curriculum that uses a specific language for talking about energy. By comparative analysis of the language used by the curriculum materials to students’ language, we find that students’ talk is at times more aligned with a Stores and Transfer model of energy than the Forms model supported by the curriculum.

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Infusing Computational Thinking Into The Middle- And High-School Curriculum, Amber Settle, Baker Franke, Ruth Hansen, Frances Spaltro, Cynthia Jurisson, Colin Rennert-May, Brian Wildeman Jul 2012

Infusing Computational Thinking Into The Middle- And High-School Curriculum, Amber Settle, Baker Franke, Ruth Hansen, Frances Spaltro, Cynthia Jurisson, Colin Rennert-May, Brian Wildeman

Amber Settle

In recent years there have been significant efforts to revamp undergraduate and K-12 curricula to emphasize computational thinking, a term popularized by Jeannette Wing in 2006. We describe work introducing and enhancing computational thinking activities and assessments in the middle- and high-school curriculum at the University of Chicago Lab Schools. In total six courses were altered as a part of the Computational Thinking across the Curriculum Project: middle-school and high-school computer science, and high-school Latin, graphic arts, English, and history. We detail the modifications to the curriculum and discuss the successes and challenges of the project.

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Characterizing Preservice Teachers’ Mathematical Understanding Of Algebraic Relationships, Leah A. Nillas Sep 2010

Characterizing Preservice Teachers’ Mathematical Understanding Of Algebraic Relationships, Leah A. Nillas

Leah A. Nillas

Qualitative research methods were employed to investigate characterization of preservice teachers’ mathematical understanding. Responses on test items involving algebraic relationships were analyzed using with-in case analysis (Miles and Huberman, 1994) and Pirie and Kieren’s (1994) model of growth of mathematical understanding. Five elementary and special education preservice teachers were the focus of this study. Analysis showed that preservice teachers demonstrated different levels of mathematical understanding. The nature of the mathematical tasks they completed in class provided contexts for their developing understanding. Findings support the need to engage preservice teachers in mathematical sense-making and reasoning in order to experience what it …

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