Based on years of experience and prior publications, the two-volume book, STEM RESEARCH for STUDENTS, is a vital resource for K-12 teachers, higher education faculty, and their students.
In Volume One, students acquire the fundamentals and apply them to their investigations:
- Conduct experiments and refine the design and procedures;
- Construct data tables and graphs, use descriptive statistics, and make sense of an experiment;
- Meet a human need by designing, building, and testing a model;
- Communicate findings through reports and interactions with peers;
- Apply mathematical concepts to data including ratio and proportional relationships, geometry and measurement, algebra, and statistics.
STEM Research for Students, Volume 1, is:
- Student friendly! Chapters contain investigations with readily available materials, explanations of major concepts, practice sets, and formative assessment tools. Use as a sequence or as individual units of study for specific content.
- STEM encompassing! For each core experiment, students have multiple options for making connections to various scientific disciplines, engineering, and mathematics.
- Teacher enhanced! Each chapter contains learning objectives and assessment tools – checklists or rubrics. Answers to the practice sets are available on a secure Kendall Hunt web site.
- Standards aligned! All chapters are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core Standards for Mathematics and Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects, and the International Standards for Technology in Education Standards for Students.
Available in print and e-Book formats, STEM Research for Students, Volume 1, may be used:
- As a supplemental text in upper elementary, middle, and senior high classrooms;
- As a core text for introductory research courses and STEM research clubs;
- For pre-service and in-service teachers of science, mathematics, career and technical courses, and gifted students;
- As a resource for all teachers involved with experiments, engineering designs, mathematical investigations, and competitive STEM projects.
The companion volume, STEM Research for Students, Volume 2 enables students to build upon this strong foundation and create effective science experiments, engineering designs, and mathematical investigations.
Preface
About the Authors
PART ONE: ENGAGING IN EXPERIMENTATION
Chapter 1 Conducting Experiments
Chapter 2 Refining Experiments
Chapter 3 Analyzing an Experimental Design
Chapter 4 Experimenting Precisely
PART TWO: ANALYZING AND INTERPRETING EXPERIMENTAL DATA
Chapter 5 Selecting and Calculating Descriptive Statistics
Chapter 6 Selecting and Constructing Graphs
Chapter 7 Making Sense of Experiments
PART THREE: ENGAGING IN ENGINEERING DESIGN
Chapter 8 Designing, Building, and Testing Models
APPENDIX
A Correlations With Nationwide Learning Standards
B Using Safe Procedures
C Definitions of Key Terms
INDEX
Julia H
Cothron
Julia H. Cothron, Ed.D. has worked with middle and high school teachers to create effective strategies for developing students’ research skills and has served as a mentor to thousands of students and teachers. During her “official career,” she taught middle and senior high students, led the Hanover County (VA) Public Schools’ science and general secondary programs, served as the Executive Director of the MathScience Innovation Center in Richmond, Virginia, and taught numerous workshops and courses for K-12 teachers. Now retired, she maintains her active involvement with STEM education and serves on the boards of the Virginia Mathematics & Science Coalition, Virginia Association of Science Teachers, and Virginia Junior Academy of Science. Her commitment to student research is based upon her high school research experience, which inspired her to become a science educator.
Ronald N
Giese
Ronald N. Giese, Ed.D. is a professor emeritus of science education at The College of William and Mary; he has worked with both pre-service and in-service teachers to develop strategies for generating research topics and to implement science fairs that maximize student learning. Dr. Giese has served as a consultant to Scholastic Science World, to the Naturalist Center at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, and to numerous school systems, museums, and science curricular projects.
Paula
Klonowski Leach
Paula Klonowski Leach, Ed.D. is the Director of the Institute for Teaching through Technology and Innovative Practices (ITTIP) at Longwood University. She leads implementation of professional development programs for K-12 science and mathematics teachers which are focused on the integration of engineering, robotics, and emerging technologies in the classroom. Previously, she was the state Science Coordinator at the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), where she was responsible for coordinating and sustaining statewide science initiatives that supported the Virginia Standards of Learning. Prior to working at VDOE, she was a division science coordinator and a middle school science and special education teacher in Powhatan, Virginia.
Virginia
Vimpeny Lewis
Virginia (Ginger) Vimpeny Lewis, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education at Longwood University where she teaches mathematics courses for pre-service elementary, middle, and high school teachers. She also provides professional development for practicing teachers focused on improving mathematics instruction. Prior to working at Longwood University, Dr. Lewis was a middle school mathematics teacher in Powhatan, Virginia. Her interest in the use of technology and the integration of science to enhance mathematics instruction began during her middle school teaching career. Dr. Lewis has presented at state and national conferences and serves on the board of the Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Richard J
Rezba
Richard J. Rezba, Ph.D. is a professor emeritus of science education at Virginia Commonwealth University where he worked with elementary and secondary teachers to develop instructional strategies in science that are challenging and fun. His research interests include parental involvement, student experimentation, and assessment. Dr. Rezba directed several projects that involved the infusion of various forms of instructional technology into the teaching and learning of science.
