Randi Stone - Best Practices for Teaching Science: What Award-Winning Classroom Teachers Do

Other Books by Randi Stone

Best Practices for Teaching Mathematics: What Award-Winning Classroom Teachers Do, 2007

Best Practices for Teaching Writing: What Award-Winning Classroom Teachers Do, 2007

Best Classroom Management Practices for Reaching All Learners: What Award-Winning Classroom Teachers Do, 2005

Best Teaching Practices for Reaching All Learners: What Award-Winning Classroom Teachers Do, 2004

What?! Another New Mandate? What Award-Winning Teachers Do When School Rules Change, 2002

Best Practices for High School Classrooms: What Award-Winning Secondary Teachers Do, 2001

Best Classroom Practices: What Award-Winning Elementary Teachers Do, 1999

New Ways to Teach Using Cable Television: A Step-by-Step Guide, 1997

Copyright 2007 by Corwin Press

First Skyhorse Publishing edition 2015

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Scott Van Atta

Print ISBN: 978-1-63220-545-2

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63220-962-7

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Preface

I n the pages that follow, award-winning teachers generously share their best teaching practices with us. I hope you enjoy reading about their classrooms and trying out their teaching techniques as much as I have.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to a wonderful group of teachers for sharing your stories with us.

About the Author

Randi Stone is a graduate of Clark University, Boston University, and Salem State College. She completed her doctorate in education at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. She is the author of nine books with Corwin Press, including her latest in a series: Best Practices for Teaching Writing: What Award-Winning Classroom Teachers Do, Best Practices for Teaching Mathematics: What Award-Winning Classroom Teachers Do, and Best Practices for Teaching Science: What Award-Winning Classroom Teachers Do. She lives with her teenage daughter, Blair, in Keene, New Hampshire.

About the Contributors

Frieda Taylor Aiken, Gifted Teacher

Jackson Elementary School

218 Woodland Way

Jackson, Georgia 30233

School Telephone Number: (770) 504-2320

E-mail:

Number of Years Teaching: 18

Awards: Toyota Tapestry Mini-Grant, Environmental Science Education, Ecology in a Box, 2005

Teacher of the Year, Jackson Elementary School, 20002001

District Georgia Science Teacher of the Year, 20002001

Douglas L. Bailer, PhD, Mathematics/Science Teacher

Earnest Pruett Center of Technology

29490 U.S. Highway 72

Hollywood, Alabama 35752

School Telephone Number: (256) 574-6079

E-mail:

Number of Years Teaching: 16

Award: Alpha Award for Teaching Excellence, 2000

Cindy Corlett, Building Resource Teacher

Sierra Middle School

6651 Pine Lane Avenue

Parker, Colorado 80138

School Telephone Number: (303) 387-3851

E-mail:

Number of Years Teaching: 16

Awards: Disney Teacher Honoree, 2005

Milken National Educator, 2003

Nancy Elliott, Science Teacher

Chillicothe Middle School

1529 Calhoun Street

Chillicothe, Missouri 64601

School Telephone Number: (660) 646-1916

E-mail:

Number of Years Teaching: 20

Awards: Regional and State Conservation Teacher of the Year, 2006

Disney Teacher Award, 2005

Water Educator of the Year, 2005

Vernier Technology Award, 2005

Toyota TIME Grant recipient, 2005

Toyota Tapestry Grant recipient, 2006

Mark Goldner, Science Teacher

Heath School

100 Eliot Street

Brookline, Massachusetts 02467

School Telephone Number: (617) 879-4570

E-mail:

Number of Years Teaching: 13

Award: NSTA/Toyota Tapestry Grant for Teachers, 1999

Jason E. Hughes, Agriscience Teacher

St. Marys High School

Route 1 Box 106C

Ravenswood, West Virginia 26164

School Telephone Number: (304) 684-2421

E-mail:

Number of Years Teaching: 13

Awards: National Association of Agricultural Educators Outstanding Teacher, 2005

West Virginia Teacher of the Year, 2005

Distinguished Young Alumnus, West Virginia University College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, 2005

Peter M. Menth, Teacher, Expeditionary Learning Science and Mathematics

Mountain Shadows Middle School

7165 Burton Avenue

Rohnert Park, California 94928

School Telephone Number: (707) 792-4800

E-mail:

Number of Years Teaching: 9

Award: Toyota Tapestry Grant

Sally Ogilvie, First-Grade Teacher

Syracuse Elementary

1503 South 2000 West

Syracuse, Utah 84075

School Telephone Number: (801) 402-2600

E-mail:

Number of Years Teaching: 20

Awards: Toyota Tapestry Award, 2005

Agriculture in the Classroom Utah Teacher of the Year, 2003

National Presidential Award for Excellence in Elementary Science, 1999

Deborah Perryman, Science Teacher

Elgin High School

1200 Maroon Drive

Elgin, Illinois 60120

School Telephone Number: (847) 888-5100

E-mail:

Number of Years Teaching: 14

Awards: Ten Outstanding Young People of Illinois, 2006

Illinois Teacher of the Year, 2005

National River Hero, River Network, 2005

Lindsey Prentice, Fifth-Grade Teacher

Evansville Lutheran School

120 East Michigan Street

Evansville, Indiana 47711

School Telephone Number: (812) 424-7252

Number of Years Teaching: 6

Awards: Best Buy Teacher Award, 2005

Toyota Tapestry Grant, 2005

Kim Reining-Gray, Science Department Chair/Teacher

Central High School

2155 Napier Avenue

Macon, Georgia 31204

School Telephone Number: (478) 751-6770

E-mail:

Number of Years Teaching: 17

Awards: CIBA Specialty Chemicals Education Foundation, NSTA Exemplary Science Teaching Award, High School Level, 2005

Bibb County Board of Education Beacon Light Award, 2005

Georgia Science Teachers Association, District VII Secondary Teacher of the Year, 2004

Pam Roller, Second-Grade Teacher

Galveston Elementary

401 South Maple Street

Galveston, Indiana 46932

School Telephone Number: (574) 699-6687

E-mail:

Number of Years Teaching: 32