Problem-Based Learning in the Earth and Space Science Classroom, K-12

Implementing PBL is difficult for teachers, and few curriculum guides are available to support their efforts. This book fills that gap by providing the kinds of strategies and examples teachers need to facilitate open-ended inquiry in their science classrooms.” —Peggy A. Ertmer, Professor Emerita of Learning Design and Technology, Purdue University, and Founding Editor of the Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning. If you’ve ever asked yourself whether problem-based learning (PBL) can bring new life to both your teaching and your students’ learning, here’s your answer: Yes. This all-in-one guide will help you engage your students in scenarios that represent real-world science in all its messy, thought-provoking glory. The scenarios will prompt K–12 students to work collaboratively on analyzing problems, asking questions, posing hypotheses, and constructing solutions This book is both informative and practical. In addition to complete lesson plans that support the Next Generation Science Standards, the book offers extensive examples, instructions, and tips. The lessons cover four categories: Earth’s landforms and water, the rock cycle and plate tectonics, weather, and astronomy. Just like Problem-Based Learning in the Life Science Classroom, K–12, this book provides you with what many think is the trickiest part of PBL: rich, authentic problems. The authors not only facilitated the National Science Foundation–funded PBL Project for Teachers but also perfected the problems in their own teaching. You can be confident that the problems and the teaching methods are teacher tested and approved. Let this book ignite your creativity through strategies that will help students develop a deeper understanding of science concepts and how to apply them.