Sci*Five: A promising model to enhance ecology research in the elementary science classroom

Background/Question/Methods

There are many challenges facing schools that serve culturally and linguistically diverse populations. In a mid-size district along the Front Range, science education has not been made equally accessible to all groups of students. Thus, we made it a priority to provide high quality science instruction to students who may otherwise not have any science exposure during the normal school day due to a lack of proficiency in reading as measured by district and state tests. Our team was composed of three fifth grade teachers and one GK-12 fellow. Our two main goals were: 1) to provide experiences in ecology with hands-on experimentation in outdoor settings, and 2) to challenge thinking skills to enable students from underrepresented backgrounds to build a better conceptual understanding of ecology through an earth systems approach.  The first year, we focused on providing science instruction for three days in an afterschool setting. We adopted a conceptual framework using inquiry-based methods within the typical classroom curriculum and outdoors as a means to organize scientific knowledge. 

Results/Conclusions

By the end of the first year, we had successfully implemented an afterschool science program and increased student scores in all content areas in the state assessments. We found that students that attended the afterschool science program regularly gained an average of 1.5 proficiency levels, whereas students who did not attend grew an average of 1 proficiency level. Second year goals were a result of the reflections, the data, and the program evaluation administered to the participants. The second phase of the afterschool program focused on a more disciplined approach to program evaluation. Using a clear logic model as our guide and an objective framework, we were able to plan more in-depth inquiry-based science instruction to meet the needs of all students. We extended our program to include a service-learning component, which focused on providing sustainability education and science to all students using the Poudre Learning Center, a local site where fellows and teachers work closely together to enrich students’ experience with inquiry-based research concepts and applications. Through our collective efforts, we anticipate greater student growth in district and standardized measures of performance.