2. Questions to Consider
Should a teacher use a commercially
prepared science program or commercially
prepared science kits?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
What are some of the models for using
commercial products?
What commercial products are available?
How should these products be evaluated?
3. Should a teacher use commercial
science programs/kits?
Many districts will make that decision for
you and provide programs or kits for you
to use.
Research does not clearly show
achievement differences with the use of
commercial products.
4. What does that mean?
Often it will be your decision about
whether to use science programs and/or
kits in the classroom OR to what extent
you will use materials provided by the
district or school.
It is important, therefore, for you to be
acquainted with what is available and
models for use.
5. What are the advantages and
disadvantages?
Advantages
◦ Materials and activities are available.
◦ Activities are usually keyed to national or
state standards.
◦ Typically hands-on.
◦ May increase student motivation and
engagement.
◦ Teachers will limited background in science
do not have to prepare materials.
6. What are the advantages and
disadvantages?
Disadvantages
◦ Students come to think it is the equipment,
not scientific principles, that make things
work the way they do.
◦ Activities may be hands-on, but not minds-on.
◦ The teacher may not really understand the
principles behind the activities.
◦ The teacher often feels limited and
uncreative.
7. What commercial products are
available?
Merck Institute for Science Education and
the National Science Resources Center
provider a list of some commercial
programs on the Internet at
http://www.mise.org/mise/index.jsp?p=inst
ructional_materials#stc .
During the Explore section of the lesson,
you were to investigate several of these
programs.
8. What commercial products are
available?
These programs may be classified by the
elements they provide. Examples include:
◦ Complete curriculum, with scope and sequence
and lesson plans for the entire science education
program
◦ Optional curriculum, and suggested lesson plans
that may supplement or replace a science
program
◦ Activities that may supplement a science program
◦ Kit-based science programs intended to a
complete curriculum
◦ Kits that may be purchased to supplement the
science curriculum
9. What are some of the models for
using commercial products?
Complete science program
Supplement for current science program
Occasional use
Other models according to school or
teacher preference
10. How should these products be
evaluated?
This is probably the most important
question. Does the (program, activity,
kit)…
◦ Correspond to state standards?
◦ Clearly teach the targeted scientific
standards?
◦ Engage students in minds-on as well as hands-
on science?
◦ Result in student achievement?
Is it reasonably priced? Easy to use?
11. How should these products be
evaluated?
Bottom line:
In your professional opinion, will use of
this product provide the best science
education experience for your students?
12. How should these products be
evaluated?
There is no right or wrong answer.
Whether commercial products or kits are
effective in teaching science depends on
the skill of the teacher using them…just
as effective science teaching without
commercial products.
Commercial products cannot replace
good teaching, but they can support it.
