1. CHAP
10.
SCIENCE FOR ALL
LEARNERS
SCED 570, Fall 2011

2. Science for all learners: NSES
SCIENCE IS FOR ALL STUDENTS. This principle is one of
equity and excellence. Science in our schools must be for all
students: All students, regardless of age, sex, cultural or ethnic
background, disabilities, aspirations, or interest and motivation in
science, should have the opportunity to attain high levels of
scientific literacy.
The Standards assume the inclusion of all students in challenging
science learning opportunities and define levels of understanding
and abilities that all should develop. They emphatically reject any
situation in science education where some people—for example,
members of certain populations—are discouraged from pursuing
science and excluded from opportunities to learn science.
Excellence in science education embodies the ideal that all
students can achieve understanding of science if they are given
the opportunity. … students will achieve the outcomes at different
rates, some sooner than others. But all should have opportunities
in the form of multiple experiences over several years to develop
the understanding associated with the Standards. (p. 20)

3. Science for all learners
1. Students with disabilities
2. Science for gifted and talented
students
3. Science for students from
linguistically and culturally diverse
backgrounds

4. 1. Science for students with
disabilities
 Students with specific learning disabilities
 Students with mental retardation
 Students with emotional/behavioral
disorders
 Students with visual impairments
 Students with hearing impairments
Use Individualized Education Plans
(IEPS)

5. 2. Science for gifted and talented
students
 Possess above average intelligence and
unusual skills, interest, talents, and attitudes
about learning.
 Enjoy being challenged with meaningful
enrichment activities.
 Provide a different kind of challenge for
teachers.

6. 3. Science for students from
linguistically and culturally
diverse
 What does it mean by children form
“culturally diverse” backgrounds?
 What is a definition of “culture”?
 What it is :  What it is not:
•Dynamic, neither fixed nor •Mere artifacts or material used by a
static people
•A continuous and cumulative •A “laundry list” of traits and facts
process •Biological traits such as race
•Learned and shared by a •The ideal and romantic heritage of a
people people as seen through
•Behavior and values exhibited music, dance, holidays, etc.
by a people •Higher class status derived form a
•Creative and meaningful to our knowledge of the
lives arts, manners, literature, etc.
•Symbolically represented •Something to be bought, sold, or
through language and people passed out

7. English Language Learners
(ELL)
 Increasing ELLs in American schools.
 Inquiry and hands-on activities help ELLs
span the gap between their past
experiences and the development of
language.
 Sheltered Instruction Model
 Minimum dependency on language
 Concept + language development
 Non-language cues and prompts
=> What would be good teaching strategies

8. Mapping English-language
learners
http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/bystate/Map.aspx?state=CO&loct=5&map_colors
=Solid&dtm=8058&ind=3857&tf=133

9. Culture and Science Education
 School science is shaped by culture.
 Students’ perspective about science and
scientists.
 Gender issues in science education.
 Multicultural Science Education (NSTA)
=>
http://www.nsta.org/about/positions.aspx