This document discusses several instructional strategies for teaching secondary science students. It describes strategies such as creative response, where students summarize materials by writing letters, news segments, or speeches. Another strategy discussed is two column comparison, where students brainstorm words to compare two groups, like women and scientists. The document also outlines student teams achievement divisions (STAD) where students work in diverse groups on quizzes to earn points for their team. Additional strategies cover classroom management techniques focused on community rather than compliance and getting to know individual students.

1. Teaching Strategies
Nicole Halstead
Secondary Science
ED330 P60
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2. Instructional Strategy
Creative Response
•Students creatively summarize
informational material by writing a
letter to the editor, TV news
segment, or speech
•Excellent opportunity to focus on local
issues or topics
•Provides an opportunity for students
to share their opinions about a topic or
find creative solutions to tough
questions
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3. Instructional Strategy
Creative Response
Example Activity: A new store is being built on
a wooded property in town. Assign students to
read about and discuss habitat destruction and
the influence of a new business in a town.
Have students write a letter to the editor, TV
news segment, or speech explaining their
opinion of the new business in town.
Some questions for students: Do you support
the building of the business? Why or why not?
If not, where do suggest the new business be
built? If so, provide some suggestions on how
the business might co-exist with the nature
already on the property?
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4. Instructional Strategy
Two Column
Comparison
This strategy can be used to compare two
groups of people that are often thought to be
very different, but are actually not
Present the first group to the students and
have them brainstorm words that they
associate with it. Repeat with the second
group.
Share as a class what was brainstormed.
Notice that:
•There is diversity in the responses of the
students
•There Powerpoint Templates the groups
Free is overlap between
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5. Instructional Strategy
Two Column
Comparison
Example Activity:
Have students brainstorm ideas about women
and write in one column, then have them
brainstorm ideas about scientists in the other
column.
Share ideas as a group and notice the
diversity of response found among the
students.
Notice the similarities and differences
between the two lists that were created.
What do they indicate?
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6. Instructional Strategy
Student TeamsAchievement Divisions
(STAD)
•After a lesson students are assigned to
diverse four member groups.
•Each group then works together to ensure
that all members have mastered the
material.
•Students individually take a quiz. Their
individual scores are compared to previous
achievement and points are awarded.
•Individual points are added for each team
and privileges are rewarded for the winning
team.
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7. Instructional Strategy
Student TeamsAchievement Divisions
(STAD)
•This method encourages diverse
students to learn from each other
and motivates them to perform well
individually for the sake of their
team
•This method works well for
reinforcing facts and concepts and
would be appropriate for use in a
secondary science course
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8. Classroom Management
Focus on Cooperative
Community, not Compliance
•Explain more than just what the
expectations are, teach them why they are
used.
oDo not assume that students will
understand the expectations, they may
be unfamiliar with them.
•Don’t Just Reprimand, Explain!
oEspecially in the beginning it is
important to reinforce both what the
expectations are and why they exist.
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9. Classroom Management
Get to Know Your
Students
•Each student is an individual!
oWhat are their interests?
oWhat is important to them?
Being able to answer these questions helps
teachers to understand what motivates a
student
Knowing more about their interests and
motivations means we are better able to
provide effective and interesting learning
activities!
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10. Team Building
Me Too!
Students take turns sharing a fact
about themselves aloud. If that fact
is true about anyone else in the class
they stand up and say “me too.”
This gives everyone a chance to
share about themselves and focus on
all that they have in common!
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11. References
Annenberg Learner. (2014). Creative Response.
Retrieved from: http://www.learner.org
/jnorth/tm/InstrucStrat12.html
Buxton, C. and Provenzo, E. (2007). Teaching
Science in Elementary & Middle School.
Retrieved from: http://www.sagepub.com/
upm-data/14252_Chapter4.pdf
Slavin, R. (1991). Synthesis of Research on
Cooperative Learning. In R. Diessner & S.
Simmons (Eds.), Notable Selections in
Educational Psychology (pp.269).
Guilford, CN: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.
TeachThought Staff. (2012). 10 Team-Building
Games for the First Day of Class.
Retrieved from: http://www.
teachthought.com /teaching/10-teambuilding-games-for-the-first-day-of-class/
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http://www.powerpointstyles.com
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