2. Welcome to Texas Eighth Grade Science

3. Texas Eighth Grade Science (TEGS)
The goals for this course are targeted at:
Teaching the TEKS
Passing the TAKS
Preparing for TExES
Developing qualified teachers

4. Texas Eighth Grade Science (TEGS)
The materials in this course are organized by TAKS objectives except for Chapter One.
Chapter One – Pedagogy
Chapter Two – Life Science
Chapter Three – Chemistry
Chapter Four – Physics
Chapter Five – Earth and Space Science

5. The teaching strategies for these materials are designed around the 5 E Model.

6. 5 E’s A Constructivist Approach to Teaching
Engage
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Evaluate

7. Engage
Capture the attention of students. Get them curious and excited about the content. The learner is introduced to a new experience and must draw from prior experiences to make sense of the engage activity.

8. Explore
The student becomes directly involved with a particular phenomena by manipulation of materials that are used to discover the phenomena.

9. Explain
The student communicates in verbal and written form about information derived from the learning experience. Communication occurs on many levels: learner reflection, peer to peer, student to teacher, and/or media tools.

10. Elaborate
During the elaboration phase, student expand their knowledge by making connections about what they have learned and applying this new knowledge to real world situations.

11. Evaluate
Evaluation throughout the learning experience is an ongoing process and has a diagnostic function.

12. Teaching the TEKS
What prior knowledge is associated with TEKS 8.7 A? C?
When are atoms first introduced into the middle school curriculum?
Compare the action verbs in 6.13 A, 7.13 B, and 8.12 A. What do you observe?
Compare the scientific concepts of TEKS 6.12, 7.12, and 8.12.
Hand out the colored TEKS pages – 6th through 8th grade TEKS. Use these pages to answer the questions posed in the slide.

13. TAKS Puzzle
After exploring the TEKS pages, have participants to put together the TAKS puzzle.