Three Reasons AL Needs a New Science Course of Study by Sarah Lowman

Thanks to Sarah Lowman, PAEMST Winner, for outlining these 3 important reasons we need to adopt Alabama's Science Course of Study:

1. Alabama’s students need science standards that prepare them for the dynamic nature of scientific content. New discoveries are constantly being made. Instead of memorizing scientific facts, students should become scientifically literate by developing skills to read complex text, investigate, design, model, analyze, and support their findings from evidence. The science course of study, adopted in 2005, lacks rigor, is out of date, and can cause misconceptions due to errors in phrasing. Example: 2005 Biology COS Standard 8 associates Downs-Syndrome with inherited diseases when in fact most of the time, this disorder is caused by an error in meiosis, the process that makes gametes. Most cases of Downs are not inherited.

2. Alabama’s economy needs Alabama’s students to be educated in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). The science standards, adopted in 2005, make no provision for technology and engineering in all science courses. The proposed science standards promote proficiency in STEM by embedding STEM in all science disciplines. This is crucial because current trends show that the demand for STEM jobs far exceeds the supply of qualified personnel. STEM affects all citizens even if they do not consider themselves to be scientific. Whether our graduates attend medical school, become machine operators, farmers, or culinary specialists, proficiency in the science and engineering practices supported by the proposed Science Course of Study Draft will increase their ability to become contributing members of a scientific and technologically rich society.

3. Alabama’s students need to be immersed in STEM education in all grades, k-12. Children are born investigators and need hands on, experienced based STEM education that causes them to question, discover, design, and innovate. Louis Braille, as a 12 year old, engineered a solution to his disability that allowed him to read. His discovery opened up a whole new world for the blind forever. Science engages learners of all ages and adds excitement to learning. Real world experiences used as a basis for applying math and using language to articulate scientific discovery give meaning to learning. The proposed standards are vertically aligned in grades k-12 so that there is a progression of instructional sequences and inquiry across scientific content that promote a depth of learning that students need in order to be scientifically literate as well as college and career ready upon graduation.

Alabama's new Science Course of Study will open doors to a scientifically literate Alabama that will result in a better state, nation, and world.

Written by Sarah Lowman

Why I like the new Science Course of Study

I like the new Science Course of Study for many reasons, but here are the two most important. First, the new course of study changes the classroom culture from a teacher-centered environment to a student-centered environment. Students will be asking the questions, defining the problems, planning and carrying out the investigations, constructing the explanations, and communicating the information – not the teachers. This is a significant shift for many teachers because it requires students to be active participants rather than passive listeners. With the new standards, students will be able to experience science and not solely learn about it from a textbook, lecture, or worksheet. Additionally, students will learn content with a deeper understanding. For example, a teacher can tell students everything they need to know about gas laws in a class period. However, with the new course of study, students can plan and carry out an investigation with balloons to identify the relationships that exist among the pressure, volume, density, and temperature of a confined gas. The lesson may take longer, but students gain a more thorough understanding of the concept. Our students in Alabama deserve this opportunity to engage, explore, and experience science in every classroom. If you haven't looked at the new course of study, take a look…it's awesome!!! Science Course of Study draft Jennifer Brown