Summer Science Splash 1998
The Texarkana Preservice Science Improvement Project (TPSIP) is an effort to improve the training of preservice elementary teachers in science. It is a collaborative venture involving personnel from Texarkana College, Texas A&M University-Texarkana, Liberty-Eylau Independent School District, Redwater Independent School District, St. James Day School, and Texarkana Independent School District. This project was funded by a $30,000 grant from the Texas Statewide Systemic Initiative (Texas SSI). TPSIP was one of seven projects being funded by the Texas SSI in the area of preservice science. TPSIP addressed three content areas: physical science, chemistry, and life science. Each content area was focused on by a team of elementary teachers, undergraduate elementary education majors, and college science faculty. Click here to check the composition of the action teams.
Each team developed a module with five hours of science activities. These modules consist of lesson plans and kits of materials. The modules were field-tested by undergraduate elementary education majors with elementary school children during May, 1998. They were revised after the field test and then used to conduct a week-long science institute for children at Pine Street Middle School during June, 1998. After that the modules will be utilized in courses taken by elementary education majors at Texarkana College. The modules will also be available for local elementary teachers to check out and use with their classes.
The action teams decided to use water as theme for module development. Water provides many unique opportunities to integrate chemistry, physical science, biology, and earth science. The program used the Texas Watch Water Quality Monitoring Kit as one of the major activities to organize the modules.
The TPSIP conducted an organizational meeting on December 11, 1997 and their first working meeting on January 23, 1998. Meeting dates were established for the rest of the spring. These were February 6 and 13, March 6, and April 24. Modules were ready for field-testing by May 1, 1998. The February 6 meeting was an outstanding workshop on Constructivism and the Learning Cycle conducted by Dr. Charles Barman from Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis.
For information about this program, please contact David
Allard.
