Every quarter we
are expected to give a science test. One might think this is no big deal
because kids need to be tested on what they learn. The problem is no one has
time to teach science. There are certain state standards that must me taught
before the “high stakes” state testing date. On my district’s pacing guide
there are 65 English Language Arts standards, 34 Math standards and 10 Speaking
and listening standards. That’s 107 standards!
Those of you that
are math whizzes did the math and realized that’s only about 3 standards a
week. That would be true if the test was given at the end of the school year,
but is usually given about six weeks before the end of the school year. Fifth
grade teachers in Arizona are expected to teach 3.5 to 4 standards per week. No
big deal? Below is an example of a fifth grade state standards:
ELA Standard
Demonstrate
understanding of figurative, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figurative language including
similes and metaphors in context.
b. Recognize and explain the meaning of common
idioms, adages, and proverbs.
c. Use the relationship between particular
words (e.g. synonyms, antonyms, homophones, homographs) to better understand
each of the words.
That’s a lot to teach with three other
standards in one week.
Unfortunately,
there is no time to open the science kit. Many say science can be integrated
into teaching the reading standards. That’s correct but it’s no fun reading
about catapults and force. It’s so much more fun building them and using them,
but it takes up so much time.
All this is leading
up to some funny answers that I got from students from one of the questions on
the science test:
Mary, Sue and Janet
wanted to have a contest on who could throw a ball the farthest. They all
brought balls from home. Mary had a football, Sue had a basketball and Janet
had a baseball. They drew a line on the ground that they could not cross. Mary
threw the football standing behind the line, Sue took two steps and threw the
basketball and Janet took a running start and threw the baseball.
How could you
change the contest to make it fair?
Answers:
I would let the air
out of the football and basketball.
To make the contest
fair I would make them all bake a cake since they are girls. (This answer was written by a girl.
Apparently being in an all girl class hasn’t taught her the importance of not
stereotyping.)
To win the contest
I would take all the balls and I would run. I would run like the wind. (This student may not have understood the
question but she showed me that she knows how to use similes to strengthen her
writing.)
Paco’s Perspective
Apparently, you
need to be teaching the effects of variables on competitions.
The Flip Side
BALLS! You said
balls! Tee hee hee hee . . . . .
