Originally appears in the Winter 2010-2011 issue
Every day, teachers try to tackle the problem of having to fit too much learning into too little time. After trying many different ways to solve this problem, we always draw the same conclusion. The truth is that the number of learning objectives has increased over the years, but the available instructional minutes have shrunk.
But wait! There must be some way to solve this problem. The secret rests in the age old tradition of integration. One area in which time seems abundant in the primary classroom is during small group reading instruction, also known as guided reading groups. During this time, the teacher works with small groups of readers, providing a wonderful opportunity for the rest of the class to independently practice and improve other academic skills. To help teachers utilize this time fully, Debbie Diller developed the “literacy work station”. This work station creates a place where students work alone or with one another to explore and practice reading skills.
Building upon the effectiveness of the “literacy work station”, science work stations set up areas in the classroom where students can use instructional materials to explore and practice science concepts. These work stations allow students to build on their environmental knowledge and expand core science skills, while other students are in their reading groups. Each work station focuses on a key skill required by all successful scientists, including measuring, observing, drawing, and researching. Through these science work stations, students remain engaged during small group reading instruction while giving instructional time to important science objectives.
The Observation Work Station
Observing the natural world over time helps young scientists become more attuned to recognizing important details and recording them in an organized way. By studying an animal, students can learn to chronicle information about how the animal changes, as well as practice their drawing and writing skills.
Set up: Start by choosing a class pet. Although many think of rabbits, hamsters, or other rodents, class pets can be very simple. Different kinds of insects, including crickets, ants, and caterpillars, fish, frogs, and turtles make easy to manage pets. Create a notebook called the Class Observation Journal. Choose a notebook that has space for drawing and writing. Stock the work station with a variety of writing and drawing supplies, including pencils, colored pencils, and crayons. Add a set of magnifying glasses for up close observations.
Procedure: In this work station, students are responsible for writing and drawing a detailed observation of the animal. Students can write about what the animal did, what the animal ate, or what is different about the animal today versus other observation days. Provide students with the opportunity to share what they observed at the end of class or read aloud the observation journal at the end of each week.
The Plant Work Station
Plants provide an easy way to bring nature into the classroom. They give a green ambiance to the room while also serving as an excellent nature study project. When setting up this work station, consider planting your own seeds at the beginning of the school year as a class project. Through growing their own plants, students have ownership over the work station and become enthusiastic about the plants’ progress during the year.
Set-up: This work station requires an assortment of plants, a Plant Data Journal, and a set of pencils. Students will also need some measuring tools including a ruler and measuring cup.
Procedure: At this work station, students focus on observing and taking care of the plants. They can write and draw their daily observations. Using a ruler, students can measure the plant’s growth and record it in the Plant Data Journal. Students should also take care of the plants, giving them water each day and recording the amount of water in the Data Journal. To extend this work station, encourage students to design experiments using the plants. For example, students could test what happens when one plant gets more water than another plant or compare how quickly different plants grow.
The Weather Work Station
Monitoring the weather daily allows students to explore how science changes right outside the classroom door. Weather stations integrate measurement, observation, meteorological tools, and technology to teach students how real scientists do their jobs.
Set-up: To assemble an outdoor weather station, identify the weather tracking tools your science department has on hand. Students need a thermometer, rain gauge, and weather vane to make daily measurements. In addition, you need to set up a Weather Journal to record observations, provide a set of pencils, and find access to a classroom computer.
Procedure: At this work station, students are responsible for recording their daily weather observations in the Weather Journal. Students record the type of weather, temperature, rain fall amount, and wind direction each day. For accurate temperature readings, find a shady spot for the thermometer near a classroom window or outside door. To measure rainfall amounts, place the rain gauge in an open location outside the classroom. If access to the outside is too difficult for your students, they can use a weather website to gather weather data. Both Weather Bug and the Weather Channel provide comprehensive coverage of local weather information. Students can also watch the local radar movements and read predictions of upcoming weather patterns.
Animal Fact File Work Station
Young scientists are curious about learning and exploring the world of information around them. With a new found confidence in reading, students love to find out facts about an interesting topic on their own. Young readers are especially motivated to learn about animals. With a wealth of grade level books, encyclopedia articles, websites, and other interactive tools, students can independently research and collect information about their favorite living things.
Set-up: For this work station, you will need to locate a variety of animal focused research materials. These materials could include library books, leveled readers, encyclopedias, and bookmarked websites. In addition, students will need 4 x 6 lined index cards, index card box, index card box dividers, sticky notes and pencils.
Procedure: To get started, students choose an animal they would like to research. Encourage children to choose animals that they do not know much about, or provide a list of animals for students to select from. In order to help students research their animal, create a list of guiding questions. Questions can include finding out where the animal lives, what it eats, if the animal is endangered, and other interesting facts. Students can write their research in a writing journal or on sticky notes.
After students have collected information about their animal, they create an Animal Fact File Card. On the blank side of each index card, students write their name, the animal’s name and draw a picture of the animal. On the lined side of the card, students organize and write the information they learned about their animal. Each card is filed in the Animal Fact File box under the animal’s classification. For example, a bald eagle would be put under the Birds section. Provide students with an opportunity to share their research at the end of class.
Science Reader’s Theater Work Station
With a focus on developing strong verbal fluency in the younger grades, there has been a renewed spotlight on performing plays during reading time. “Reader’s theater” involves reading a play aloud and taking on the roles of the characters. Today, there are hundreds of reader’s theater plays focused on science topics, such as animals, weather, the earth and habitats. In addition to prewritten plays, students can also write their own reader’s theater play about a current topic of study.
Set-up: In this work station, find a place in your classroom to set up a stage area. The front of the classroom, carpet area, or library area usually have plenty of space for students to move around in. At the station, provide students with multiple copies of the reader’s theater script and a selection of necessary props to help them act out their parts.
Procedure: Assign each student a role or allow students to choose the roles on their own. Students rehearse the play multiple times. They can change characters or move around the stage in different ways each time. After students have practiced the play, they can perform it for their classmates.
With limited teaching time during the school day, small group reading instruction provides an opportunity to integrate science skills into independent work stations. Students gain additional time to practice key science skills, making them stronger scientists in the areas of measurement, observation, research, and data collection. The possibilities for science work stations are endless. With innovative thinking and teacher collaboration, any science objective can be incorporated into a successful science work station.
Bibliography
Diller, Debbie. (2003). Literacy Work Stations: Making Centers Work. Stenhouse Publishers, Portland, Maine.
Fountas, Irene C. and Pinnell, Gay Su. (2001). Guiding Readers and Writers. Heinemann, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
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Natalie Stern is a second grade teacher who currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia. She loves finding new ways to work science into her students’ daily learning, including raising crickets, growing plants, and encouraging her students’ daily exploration of the outside world.