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.
Explore ways to select science read-alouds that center justice
This professional learning resource shares the story of the Seattle Public Schools science specialists and how they organized professional learning communities across the district to inquire about justice-centered science teaching and learning.
How science investigations can expand beyond standard classroom activities
This site is primarily funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Award #1907471 and #1315995