Several groups of fifth-graders share their thinking about a 1000-year-old artifact depicting the night sky, and which constellations may be represented. The teacher intentionally invites groups with divergent perspectives to share.
Elevating divergent perspectives helps to communicate that science involves more than “right” answers – it can include multiple ways of seeing and making sense of the world. Notice how the teacher encourages multiple ideas and presses students to share “how they know.”
For more on structuring share-outs, the 5 practices framework can support teachers in selecting and sequencing student work: Cartier, J., Smith, M. S. S., Stein, M. K., & Ross, D. (2013). 5 practices for orchestrating task-based discussions in science. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Teacher Jenny teaches Science along with other...
This page compiles the contributions to the 2026 NARST symposium, drawing on the expertise of local teachers in Seattle who participated in the PASTEL research project.
To raise awareness of the class’s diverse needs and expertise, teacher Emma intentionally adopts anti-ableist and linguistically-inclusive pedagogies that showcase her commitment to building a classroom of interdependence and care. See how she does this!
This site is primarily funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Award #1907471 and #1315995