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Teaching Children Science Book Cover
Teaching Children Science: A Project-Based Approach, 2/e
Joe Krajcik, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Charlene Czerniak, University of Toledo
Carl Berger, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

How Do I Develop and Use Benchmark Lessons?

Chapter Summary

  • Benchmark lessons play a critical role in project-based science.
  • Benchmark lessons
    • Help students learn difficult concepts during project activities.
    • Illustrate important laboratory techniques.
    • Develop investigation strategies that students will need to complete a project.
    • Model thinking.
    • Stimulate curiosity.
  • Teachers decide when to plan a benchmark lesson by
    • Using concept maps to evaluate what students understand.
    • Observing and listening to students.
    • Using the KWL strategy to probe what students know, want to know, and have learned.
  • Benchmark lessons must be carefully planned to be successful.
  • Lesson plans are a roadmap to teaching.
  • The learning cycle model and the 5-E model are constructivist models for planning lessons.
  • Several tools enhance benchmark lessons:
    • Demonstrations.
    • Discrepant events.
    • Student demonstrations.
    • Large group discussions.
  • Discussions must be planned to ensure success.
  • Wait-time, probing, and redirecting are techniques that can be used to improve the quality of discussions.
  • Sometimes information must be presented to students.
  • Several tools are useful in presenting information:
    • Metaphors, similes, and analogies.
    • Diagrams, graphs, and pictures.
    • Movies, videos, and educational television.
    • Guest lectures.
    • Community resources.
  • Reading is an important aspect of project-based science.
  • Teachers use many reading resources in project-based science:
    • Children's literature.
    • Magazines and periodicals for children.
    • The World Wide Web.
  • Teachers must help students make sense of written material. This can be accomplished through questioning, monitoring of reading, and student evaluation of reading materials.
  • Questioning is critical in project-based science.
  • Different types of questions affect the quality of responses from students and classroom discourse.