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Lewisville, Texas, School District Makes Science Projects Mandatory

Posted on: Friday, 19 September 2003, 06:00 CDT

Sep. 19--Lewisville school district leaders want to inspire elementary students to learn to investigate scientific questions and develop a lifelong love of science.

That's why science projects now will be mandatory.

Beginning this year, kindergarten through fifth-grade classes will be required to do a class project. In addition, third-graders will be required to prepare individual miniature display boards that explain the project. Fourth-graders will complete the miniature boards and do group projects. Fifth-graders will do the class boards and individual projects.

"Science fair was considered extracurricular, so the students who chose to participate did the projects on their own with their parents," said Rosemary Martin, the district's elementary science supervisor.

A task force of nearly 40 teachers and principals met for several months starting in the spring to brainstorm about ways to help students master the scientific method. The goal is to have all students learn it before the end of fifth grade, as required by the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.

Class projects will help them learn to develop a question, create a hypothesis, test variables, record data, create graphs and charts and reach a conclusion, teachers said.

"It is a big deal for them to be able to see the process," said Lisa Morales, a fifth-grade teacher at Creekside Elementary in Lewisville. "We do that in the real world we have a question and have to set up an investigation to get results."

Last year, the kindergartners in Susan Brown's classroom at Old Settlers Elementary in Flower Mound did a project that asked how worms react to light.

They did another that assessed what conditions were best for growing flower bulbs.

"To them, science is still fun," said Ms. Brown. "It is something they can see and do. They like the mystery and magic of science. They don't know what will happen until it unfolds before their eyes."

Flower Mound resident Anthony Theriault likes the new policy. His 8-year-old daughter, Adelaide, participated in the science fair last year as a second-grader at Heritage Elementary.

"She has a real interest in science, so we try to encourage that," Mr. Theriault said. "Last year, she did a soil test where she studied the difference in drainage in the various types of soil. She has had some success with her projects, and that works great for her self-esteem and keeps her interest in science going."

This year's policy changes mean the end of competitive science fairs at elementaries. The competitive element kept some children from participating, teachers say.

Now the fairs will be more like expositions, and students will explain their projects rather than display them and hope for a blue ribbon.

For parents who want their children to be in a competition, administrators will recommend the Texas Woman's University Area Science Fair in March. It's open to students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

The Lewisville district's new approach should give students more hands-on lessons, Ms. Martin said.

"We hope this class modeling will help students learn the scientific process," Ms. Martin said. "We want the students to see how it all pulls together in the end. We want our kids to learn science, enjoy science and be excited about their investigations."

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(c) 2003, The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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