CYPRESSFAIRBANKS I.S.D. SCIENCE CURRICULUM
The elementary science curriculum guides have six parts that have activities from life, earth, and physical science. The guides are arranged to follow the sequence charts for each unit of study. The charts designate the TEKS covered in each lesson. Each of the six parts is copied on different colored paper for organizational purposes. After each part, there is a unit test over the science concepts taught in that unit of study.
Each activity has an objective, a list of materials needed to complete the lesson, and a reference to the vocabulary power point to be used with the vocabulary words. Teachers are to introduce the vocabulary using the power point. After the students have competed all activities, investigations, and reading material, they will make their vocabulary cards. When they make their cards, they include the word, a definition in their own words, and a drawing that represents the word.
Lessons give multiple teaching activities to select from for differentiating instruction. The district requires that all students do the investigation or hands-on activities first. Then teachers can select from the remaining activities to differentiate instruction. The TEKS requirementsfor classroom and outdoor investigations are 50% of the instructional time for grades 4 and 5 and 60% of the instructional time for grades 2 and 3. Teacher demonstrations do not count as classroom investigations. Students must handle the equipment and conduct the investigations to meet the state requirements. The TEKS also require students to record their data and other information in science notebooks.
Most activities have some type of formal or informal assessment. Science notebooks should be assessed after students complete each of the six parts of the curriculum. The elementary science department requires that all students in grades 2 through 5 be taught the SQ-RQ-CQ strategies for answering questions. In addition, district assessments (benchmarks), which emphasize both content and process skills, are used to assess student achievement. Science benchmark tests will be cumulative at grades 3, 4, and 5, but not at grade 2. Student scores will be reported to the district.
Teachers need to use Bloom’s higher level questioning strategies along with the scientific process with every investigation or activity, so that students learn to think critically and creatively to solve problems. The “goggles” logo indicates activities where safety should be emphasized and goggles need to be used by the students.
1