Tools for Learning - Teacher Edition (Integrated Mathematics, Science, and Technology (IMaST), Introductory Module for all grade levels)

In this National Science Foundation-funded middle school curriculum Tools for Learning introduces the tools used throughout the IMaST programs (e.g., observation, design, data display) The teacher's edition begins with a detailed description introducing the challenge and introducing the module. Descriptions for each student activity and a corresponding teacher's text providing answers, offering suggestions for class discussion, and describing possible student outcomes for each phase of the learning cycle. Each activity has an assessment or progress check section with outlined evaluation criteria. The edition concludes with a comprehensive integrated End-of-module assessment. The teacher's resource edition includes the activity assessment at the end of each mathematics, science, and technology activity. It contains outlines of grading criteria to assess discipline-specific skills, processes, and content. With slight modifications, teachers can use these activity assessments for either individual or team assessment. The student text for each module contains the following components: Challenge: an interdisciplinary activity designed to introduce students to the concepts covered in the module, explorations, applications, and expansions. Focus on This: questions to guide the learning experience. Guiding questions appear at the beginning of each Exploring component to help students see the problem that will be addressed. The same question appears again as the final Getting the Idea discussion question. The Focus on This question for the Applying the Idea activity encompasses concepts from the Explorings, while providing direction for the activity. These guiding questions are sometimes general in nature and may not be fully answered by completing the activity. Exploring: exploratory activities where students interact with materials, design and try ideas, collect and record data, and make predictions.