Science Instructional Materials Review Form

Science Instructional Materials Review Form

Title:

Publisher:

Copyright:

Grade Level:

Pedagogy

Addressing the Goals of Elementary Science Teaching and Learning
Does the material focus on concrete experiences by the children with science phenomena?	Yes	No	NA
Does the material enable children to investigate important science concept(s) in depth over an extended period of time?	Yes	No	NA
Does the material contribute to the development of scientific reasoning and problem-solving skills?	Yes	No	NA
Does the material stimulate student interest and relate to their daily lives?	Yes	No	NA
Does the material allow for or encourage the development of scientific attitudes and habits of mind, such as curiosity, respect for evidence, flexibility, and sensitivity to living things?	Yes	No	NA
Are the assessment strategies aligned with the goals for instruction?	Yes	No	NA
Will the suggested assessment strategies provide an effective means of assessing student learning?	Yes	No	NA

Focusing on Inquiry and Activity as the Basis of Learning Experiences
Does the material engage students in the processes of science?	Yes	No	NA
Does the material provide opportunities for students to make and record their own observations? Are the students responsible for organizing this data on their own, or all charts made for them?	Yes	No	NA
Does the material provide opportunities for students to gather and defend their own evidence?	Yes	No	NA
Does the material provide opportunities for students to express their results in a variety of ways?	Yes	No	NA
Does the material provide opportunities for students to work collaboratively with others?	Yes	No	NA
Does the material include a balance of student-directed and teacher-facilitated activities?	Yes	No	NA
Are opportunities available for all four areas of the Balanced Instructional Model (Demonstrated, Shared, Guided, Independent)?	Yes	No	NA

Instructional Approach
Does the material present a logical sequence of related activities that will help students build conceptual understanding over several lessons?	Yes	No	NA
Does the suggested instructional sequence take into account children's prior knowledge and experiences?	Yes	No	NA
Is background material provided to help build prior knowledge?	Yes	No	NA
Are ideas given to activate prior knowledge?	Yes	No	NA
Are opportunities included to assess children's prior knowledge and experiences?	Yes	No	NA
Do suggested activities develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills?	Yes	No	NA
Does the material incorporate effective strategies for the teacher and/or the students to use in assessing student learning?	Yes	No	NA
Does the material incorporate technological applications of science and the interactions among science, technology and society?	Yes	No	NA
Do the subject matter and methods of instruction provide suggestions for integrating science with other important learning experiences in the elementary curriculum, such as health, math, language arts, and social studies?	Yes	No	NA

Presentation & Format, Materials, and Equity

Presentation Format
Teacher Materials:
Does the background material for the teacher provide sufficient information on the scientific content?	Yes	No	NA
Does the background material for the teacher provide sufficient information on common student misconceptions?	Yes	No	NA
Does the material provide strategies on how to re-construct knowledge?	Yes	No	NA
Is the format easy for a teacher to follow?	Yes	No	NA
Are the directions on implementing activities clear?	Yes	No	NA
Are the suggestions for instructional delivery adequate?	Yes	No	NA
Are the suggested times for instruction reasonable?	Yes	No	NA
Is the time for teacher preparation reasonable?	Yes	No	NA
Student Materials:
Are the written materials for the students well-written, age appropriate, and compelling in content?	Yes	No	NA
Are graphic organizers included?	Yes	No	NA
Is the writing style interesting and engaging, while respecting scientific language?	Yes	No	NA
Is vocabulary used to facilitate understanding rather than as an end in itself?	Yes	No	NA

Hands-On Science Materials
Teacher Materials:
Is a master list of materials, both consumables and non-consumables, provided?	Yes	No	NA
Is a list of materials included for each activity?	Yes	No	NA
Is a complete set of materials available at a reasonable cost?	Yes	No	NA
Are there any items that teachers are responsible for?	Yes	No	NA
Are refurbishment materials easily obtained and affordable?	Yes	No	NA
Do student worksheets have to be copied for activities?	Yes	No	NA
Student Materials:
Are the materials recommended for use appropriate for the designated age levels?	Yes	No	NA
Are appropriate safety precautions included, where needed?	Yes	No	NA
Are instructions on manipulating laboratory equipment and materials clear and adequate?	Yes	No	NA

Science For All
Is the material free of cultural, racial, ethnic, gender and age bias?	Yes	No	NA
Are appropriate strategies included/used to meet the needs of special/diverse populations?	Yes	No	NA

Science Content

Science Content
Are the district standards, benchmarks, and body of knowledge for science addressed?	Yes	No	NA
Is the science content incorporated in the materials accurately represented?	Yes	No	NA
Is the science content consistent with current scientific knowledge?	Yes	No	NA
Are important ideas included?	Yes	No	NA
Are generalizations adequately supported by facts?	Yes	No	NA
Do the suggested activities lead to an understanding of the basic principles trying to be taught?	Yes	No	NA
Do experiments and activities promote student understanding of how scientists test and revise their thinking?	Yes	No	NA
Are the district standards, benchmarks, and body of knowledge for health addressed?	Yes	No	NA

Back to Curriculum Study Index