Comprehensive and Engaging Middle School Science Lessons
Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education is a critical component of K-12 education. We're focusing on middle school because for a lot of students, it's the first time they have a science class with a science-focused teacher. By the time students get to high school and pick their classes, they're setting their course for their future.
If we can set students up in middle school to be excited about science and engineering, and empower them to feel they are creative, intelligent individuals who are capable of going into any field, then they will have access to more opportunities going forward.
Made For Teachers, by Teachers
Being teachers ourselves with over 40 years of combined experience, we know what works in a classroom and what doesn't. No more "read this chapter and take the quiz at the end" — our lessons are hands-on and creative, which allows students to critically engage with the material rather than forgetting it soon after they read it.
What Makes ISE Different
Easy to Use
More than half of all middle school science teachers in California are new or teaching outside their content area. We provide background information, teacher guides, and discussion prompts to facilitate their teaching.
Studies Show that Middle Schoolers Learn Best by Doing
Students cannot comprehend scientific practices, nor fully appreciate the nature of scientific knowledge itself, without directly experiencing those practices for themselves (National Resource Council, "Framework for K12 Science Education, p. 30)
Young adolescents have an intense curiosity about the world around them and are trying to make sense of that world. Instructional strategies that capitalize on that curiosity and require students to actively make sense of the content are ideal for the middle grades. Instruction is most effective when teachers use that curiosity to build on the existing knowledge students bring to the classroom (Nesin, 2012)
We incorporated this pedagogy into the design of our lessons. Each lesson gets middle schoolers to create and build to better understand and retain scientific knowledge.
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