Differentiation Through A Science Cluster

Research has shown that as much as 40 to 50 percent of traditional classroom material can be eliminated for certain students when it comes to science and other core subjects.

That means that these students could essentially start mid-school-year and not miss any new instruction. What that also means is that teachers have the responsibility of identifying these children and doing something different with them.

Id like to offer one possible solution~ which I recently have implemented at the school where I work. The approach addresses science curriculum~ but with a little revising~ it could be used for any subject.

Its called the science enrichment cluster~ and heres how it works.

As the teacher of gifted and the enrichment specialist at my school~ I asked classroom teachers for recommendations on students~ who performed exceptionally well in the area of science. I opened the program up to third-through-fifth graders~ but again~ you can design the program to meet your schools needs.

I requested that teachers provide these students with a pre-assessment for the science material that was going to be covered in the next month~ with the goal being to determine if these students had already mastered the content. Once it was determined which students qualified~ I wrote an introductory letter and sent it home to parents explaining the program and its goals.
The students meet on Fridays afternoons for an hour in a specials classroom not being used at that time. In reality~ the students are not missing class time or instruction since they have already proven that they know the material.

The group takes part in enrichment activities based around the theme of flight and rocketry. The curriculum comes from a Delta Education science kit~ which I was able to acquire using funds from a Bright House education grant. The kit~ which cost $400.00~ provides twelve~ hands-on lessons.

Last week~ the students studied air resistance by building various parachutes and testing them. This week~ they will learn about thrust by designing propeller planes. The students are assessed using various tests provided with the kit.

The kit makes it easy in the sense that I have all the materials and a curriculum guide; however~ you can establish a science enrichment cluster by being a little creative. Perhaps you can design a bridge-building/engineering theme with the help of a local engineer (maybe one of the parents) or study plants by creating a garden in the school courtyard or hold an invention convention. The point is to challenge these scientific-minded students through research~ hands-on activities and exposure to new experiences and knowledge.

Developing a science enrichment cluster can take many forms: perhaps; consider meeting with students within the same grade or classroom. If scheduling proves a challenge~ you might consider holding the cluster before or after school or during lunchtime. Also~ securing permission and trust from your administrators and colleagues is essential~ which will be easier after pre-assessing students and documenting the need for differentiation.

Like any worthwhile goal~ extra effort will be required~ but the excitement you see in the childrens eyes and knowing that you are meeting their academic needs~ should provide the fuel to make the science enrichment cluster happen!
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