Science Bits

Science Bits is a repository of multimedia science lessons designed to fire up science classes.

Science Bits provides teachers with lessons that help them teach science in a way that engages their students. Based on the constructivist 5E Model of learning, Science Bits lessons use high quality multimedia interactive content to develop an inquiry-based, learning-by-doing method. Science Bits empowers teachers with the guides and all necessary tools to deliver the science lessons that the 21st century demands. It can be used to either substitute or complement traditional science textbooks. Science Bits lessons include all the elements of a complete 5E constructivist learning process —from engaging students to evaluating them— using high quality multimedia interactive content. From their accounts, teachers can access a detailed teacher's guide that will assist them and guide them throughout each and every stage and activity in the lessons. Teachers can also link their accounts to the accounts of their students, create groups of students, bundle lessons together, and assign these bundles of lessons to their groups of students. With its user-friendly tools, Science Bits allows teachers to accurately track student achievement, schedule evaluations, and grade open-ended activities, among other features. ¬¬ Science Bits offers a wide variety of affordably priced annual subscriptions that provide teachers, schools, and families with engaging ways to help students succeed in science learning. THE 5E LEARNING MODEL In the content, the nature of science is integrated into every stage of a “learning-by-doing” process. Science Bits lessons are clearly organized according to the 5E Model. This learning model is a constructivist model with five stages: - Engage: a motivating video presents an initial situation familiar to the student and exposes some initial concepts. Then, an activity about the video activates the student's prior knowledge. - Explore: a guided inquiry-based activity challenges the student's initial knowledge and conceptions. In this stage we can find virtual experiments, interactive explorations, Predict-Observe-Explain video-activities, etc. - Explain: the conceptual contents of the lesson are formally presented in a systematic manner, using a wide range of multimedia resources. At this point, the ideas which have been learned —both intuitively and through discovery— are formalized and made universal. Every concept developed in this section is accompanied by interactive exercises that aim at consolidating what has been learned by means of practice. These exercises are designed to be carried out in groups using a digital whiteboard or projector, or individually on the student's computer. - Elaborate: this section includes a problem-based activity. This activity requires the application of concepts, attitudes, and procedures learned by the student in the lesson. - Evaluate: to finish, the lesson presents two resources of high educational value: one for review and another one for assessment. The first one is a video which goes over the main ideas taught as the final revision of the lesson. The second one is a final self-correcting test based on the principles of skills assessment. The test is not based on the evaluation of the students' ability to learn concepts by heart, but on the practical application of the knowledge acquired. BENEFITS OF USING SCIENCE BITS - Science Bits is an easy and effective way to implement the constructivist 5E Model of learning through a learning-by-doing method. - Science Bits is conceived and designed to make work in the classroom easier and to get the most out of the possibilities offered by the digital format. - Science Bits enriches teacher exposition and promotes interaction with the student body with its wide array of multimedia resources: illustrations, 3D models, videos, audios, animations, experiments, and simulations. - Science Bits increases student motivation and makes it easier to learn concepts by providing visual elements and interaction with the objects of learning. - Science Bits content promotes the educational use of computers or tablets by students. With Science Bits, these devices can either substitute traditional textbooks or become a complementary tool with a high educational value. - Science Bits is published in both English and Spanish. - Science Bits lessons are 100% curricular and correlated to the Next Generation Science Standards. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS AND SUPPORT - Science Bits does not require installation, as it is cloud-based. Its technical requirements include an Internet connection, a browser (preferably Chrome), and the latest version of the Adobe Flash plugin. This said, the Chrome App optimizes the exploration of the Science Bits content. - iOS and Android users can access Science Bits with Puffin Academy Web Browser, which is free of charge. - Using Science Bits does not require training. At the same time, the company offers customer support through a contact form at www.science-bits.com/#contact - Science Bits includes a “Help” section with detailed instructions on how to get the most out of the content and solve any possible issues. This section also offers links to all third party utilities needed.