Special Education in the Science Term Paper

.." (2004, p.3) the hands-on experience is also related as being important in the science class in the work entitled: "The National Curriculum" which states that science through inquiry: "...stimulates and excites pupils' curiosity about phenomena and events in the world around them" (the National Curriculum, 2006) and that science also "satisfies this curiosity with knowledge." (the National Curriculum, 2006) Scientific inquiry teaches students investigate skills in the areas of: (1) Planning; (2) Obtaining and Presenting Evidence; (3) Exploration; and (4) Consideration of evidence and making evaluations. In the area of planning students ask questions and then make decisions how to search out the answers to those questions. Students use first-hand experience and simple information sources for locating answers to these questions and as well enter a thought process about the results of decisions and learn to make comparisons. In obtaining and presenting evidence the students learn to follow instructions in the lab in order to avoid risks to themselves and others and make exploration through use of the senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste as appropriate while making observations and recording those observations and measurements. Finally, students communicate their observations and findings through use of speech and writing, drawing, tables, graphs and pictures. In the application of consideration of the evidence and making evaluations, comparisons are made by students and patterns and associations are identified. Also, students make a review of their own work and go on to explain their work to other students.

V. The SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY MODEL is related by EDQUEST which contains specific steps including: (1) Problem statement (initial inquiry); (2) Hypothesis (Predicting); (3) Experimental Design (Materials and Procedure); (4) Data Collection (Observations/Measurements); (5) Analysis/Interpretation of the Data (Inferring); (6) Drawing Conclusions (Answering the question/problem); and (7) Extension (further inquiry). (EDQUEST, 2007) the illustration of this model is shown in Figure 2.

The Scientific Inquiry Model

Source: EDQUEST (2007)

EDQUEST (2007) states that Science Process Skills include the following with the accompanying descriptions: (1) Observing: Using all the senses; (2) Classifying: Grouping related objects and ideas; (3) Quantifying: Using numbers & measurements related to length, width, volume and ratios; (4) Communicating: Describing verbally or non-verbally, tabulating, graphing; (5) Interpreting Data: Explanation of an observation; (6) Hypothesis: A hypothesis is a possible tentative explanation for a phenomenon (7) Predicting - Based on observations, measurements, and relationships between observed variables; (8) Defining Terms: All our interactions are vitally dependent on the precise use of terms; (9) Defining and Using Variables: Identify and distinguish when using variables in an investigation which are controlled (held constant) and which are manipulated.

SUMMARY and CONCLUSION

Science, whether taught to general classrooms or special education classrooms has a unique capacity, when taught through the method of inquiry to advance the knowledge and cognition of the student with each level of learning building upon the previous level as illustrated in Bloom's Taxonomy. As the student becomes adept at each level of learning and advances to the next level, the student's knowledge increases, but as well the student's capacity for learning grows as well. Bloom's Taxonomy sets out a specific guide that may be effectively used by the science teacher in the special education classroom or in the general classroom that is characterized by inclusion.

Bibliography

Building Bridges Between Science and Special Education: Inclusion in the Science Classroom. Electronic Journal of Science Education Vol. 4 No. 3 March 2000. Online available at http://ejse.southwestern.edu/original%20site/manuscripts/v4n3/issue.html

Bloom's Taxonomy (nd) Online available at http://www.officeport.com/edu/blooms.htm

Primary Science (2003) No. 202. Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. 2003.

The National Curriculum (2006) Teaching in England. Online available at http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachinginengland/detail.cfm?id=314.

Friedlander, Brian S. (2004) Changing the Face of Science Education in the Classroom with Technology. Inclusion Times: Technology for Children & Youth with Disabilities. Vol. 12 No. 1 September/October 2004. Online available at http://www.assistivetek.com/HomeImages/InclusionTimesV12n1.pdf

The Scientific Inquiry Model (2007) EDQUEST…