Fulfilling the Promise Biology Education in the Nation's Schools (1990) / Chapter Skim
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7. Other Modes and Contexts For Teaching Science
7. Other Modes and Contexts For Teaching Science
Pages 81-93
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From page 81... ...
The pragmatic "solution" has been either to teach aspects of chemistry in the biology course, to require students to memorize biochemical names and organic chemical structures in a context destined to kill interest, or to combine the two. If students have not even studied enough chemistry to know that "carbon has a valence of 4" or even to comprehend what that statement means, there is no justification for expecting them to know the much more complicated molecular structures of glucose and alanine.
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From page 82... ...
In almost every developed nation but not the United States secondary schools teach biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics either in parallel streams or in integrated multiyear courses. The pedagogical advantages of those approaches are clear and obvious.
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From page 83... ...
7~. First-level college biology courses typically consist of 40-50 hours of lecture and 25-30 hours of laboratory work per semester, and equivalent time should be allocated for the AP biology course.
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From page 84... ...
Students often report that they found themselves wellprepared for the sequence of advanced college-level courses in which they could enroll, but that view is not universally shared by college faculty. The Success of AP Biology "7 ~ If the recommendations of the College Board are followed by a properly prepared teacher with adequate laboratory facilities, the AP biology program could provide the equivalent of an introductory college biology course.
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From page 85... ...
, and~with the impact on other course enrollments. We are concerned that the AP biology course has been modeled on introductory college biology courses that for many students are notoriously poor educational experiences.
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From page 86... ...
Recommendations · A consensus needs to be reached as to what the AP biology course should be. The present policy of modeling the AP course after a composite view of college courses is missing opportunities for generating a unique high-school experience, providing a more realistic introduction to experimentation, and providing better college preparation.
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From page 87... ...
The College Board should be asked to study fully its own record of success, follow up on the college placement of students, and assess compliance of high schools with its recommendations for prerequisites. · Whatever their form, AP or other advanced biology courses should not be taken instead of chemistry, physics, or mathematics.
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From page 88... ...
The lead teacher should have advanced training in science. Examples of topics that could be included in the course today are acid rain; agricultural biotechnology; human applications of biotechnology; toxic wastes and pollution of groundwater; technology and development of the less-developed countries; environmental values; nuclear energy, fossil fuels, renewable energy, and commercial power requirements; and the ecological, sociological, and economic impacts of population growth.
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From page 89... ...
Benefits and Costs The primary benefit of the capstone course is the educational reward to students in discovering interdependences, complexities, dilemmas, ambiguities, and the need to synthesize information in designing solutions to society's problems. Such a course will develop skills in reading critically and will foster understanding that scientific inquiry is open-ended and that studying science is not simply reading and memonzing.
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From page 90... ...
Newer urban public schools referred to as magnet schools. · State-sponsored residential schools of science and mathematics.
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From page 91... ...
· Interest in educational options and diversity in curricular offerings (such as advanced programs, arts, science, and foreign languages) and in school organization (such as alternative schools, open schools, traditional or basic education, and individualized instruction)
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From page 92... ...
Research to address the latter question requires sophisticated analysis of many variables measures of student outcomes in both magnet and nonmagnet schools, longitudinal studies of both student populations, analyses of district and school policies and organization, and so forth (Blank, 1989~. Few districts have conducted such a study, but, as costs of magnet schools increase, studies will be needed to justify increased expenditures.
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From page 93... ...
They are private and publicly funded regional centers that offer advanced courses in science and technology to students from many high schools. Students usually spend half their in-class time at their home schools and attend the science and technology centers specifically for their science classes.
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