BSCS Science Tracks: Connecting Science And Literacy: Investigating Earth Materials Student Guide

EARTH & SPACE SCIENCE-As the title implies, this is an earth science module in which students investigate rocks, soils, and water and the interactions among them. The students observe the earth materials around them and compare different types of soils and rocks. They become aware that soils and rocks vary from place to place in terms of color, texture, and reactions with water. The module includes an introduction to fossils and their formation.

BSCS Science Tracks includes a comprehensive Student Guide and resource book at every level, 1-5. The Student Guide is not a "read-about-science" book; rather, it serves as a guide to help students learn to do the following things.

• Conduct scientific inquiries within a collaborative team and on their own
• Become more responsible for their own learning
• Manage the hands-on activities themselves
• Structure collaborative learning tasks
• Develop science and technology concepts and skills
• Reflect on their learning and assess their own conceptual and skill development
• Conduct independent inquiries related to questions or topics of personal interest
• Develop skills for reading in the content areas
• Follow and interpret directions

In addition, the Student Guides reinforce components of basic literacy, including shared reading and writing, guided reading and writing, continuous assessment, skills instruction, reading procedural text, listening and speaking skills, journal writing, record keeping, hints and reminders, reading and writing in a social context, and reading and writing in a content area.