Nebel, Bernard J, PhD

Middle School Science Education: Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding, Vol. III, Grades 6-8 - Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding Nebel, Bernard J, PhD

How to Teach Science for Kids' Success

The "Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding" (BFSU) series provides lesson plans that will enable even a novice teacher with little science background to conduct a high-quality science curriculum.

Gone from this curriculum is the helter-skelter approach of a bit of this and a bit of that. Starting with BFSU [Volume I] for K-2 and continuing through Volume III for grades 6-8, lessons build in a logical, systematic, stepwise fashion embracing and integrating all the major areas of science. Through first-hand observation, experimentation, and exercising their own reasoning, students will gain a broad knowledge and understanding concerning underlying principles and develop their cognitive skills in the process.

Additional assets include:

- Skills of inquiry and rational thought become habits of mind as each lesson draws students, hands-on, to examine, reflect, question, discuss, test, and reason their way toward rational conclusions.

- Lessons become meaningful and retention is enhanced by constantly relating lessons to real-world experience.

- Standards are achieved, not by teaching to the test, but by being natural outcomes of integrated learning.

- Math, reading, writing, and other subjects are easily integrated. Lists of additional readings are provided with each lesson.

- Special training for teachers is not required. Teachers will learn along with their students and be excellent role models in doing so.

- Costs are kept minimal by utilizing commonly available items and materials.

B. J. Nebel, Ph. D. was an early initiator of environmental science education and authored a still widely used text Environmental Science (Prentice Hall, 1981 and subsequent editions). Challenged by the need for and potential of early science education, Nebel has now devoted himself to this K-8 series, Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding, which is being acclaimed by users as the best elementary science curriculum found anywhere (see reviews on Amazon.com).