The New Teaching Elementary Science: Who's Afraid of Spiders?

This book is designed for teachers-to-be and practicing teachers who want to teach science with confidence and for those who are fearful of trying. It presents an inquiry-oriented method (instead of a smorgasbord of approaches) that capitalizes on children's natural curiosity by emphasizing scientific exploration. The book removes the fear of teaching science by encouraging teachers to be scientific inquirers themselves, learning side-by-side with their students. The text features a theoretical model of inquiry-based teaching -- Play-Debrief-Replay -- that incorporates elements of investigative play with critical thinking skills. In the longest chapter, 60 fully developed, field-tested investigative science activities are included to promote experiential learning and concept development. Anxieties about teaching science are addressed head-on and dealt with sensitively and thoughtfully.