Books

Are you interested in using argument-driven inquiry for high school lab instruction but just aren't sure how to do it? Argument-Driven Inquiry in Physics, Volume 1 focuses on mechanics and will provide you with the information and instructional materials you need to start using this method right away. The book is divided into two basic parts: an introduction to the stages of argument-driven inquiry, and a well-organised series of 23 field-tested labs designed to be much more authentic for instruction than traditional laboratory activities. The book features easy-to-use, reproducible student pages, teacher notes and checkout questions. The labs also support today’s standards and will help your students learn science practices, crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas.

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This second edition of Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 1, is loaded with classroom-friendly features to pinpoint what your students know (or think they know) so you can adjust your teaching accordingly. At the book's heart are 25 'probes' - easily administered formative assessments will determine your students' thinking on 60 core science concepts in a variety of areas, including light, sound, matter, gravity, heat, temperature, life science, and Earth and space science. The probes are invaluable formative assessment tools to use before you start a topic or unit. Each probe has been field-tested across multiple year levels and can be used at any point in an instructional cycle, and will help you understand what your students are thinking and adjust your instruction accordingly.

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The Dr Birdley Teaches Science series presents a fun and exciting new way to teach science to your Years 9-12 students. Each book features comics that explain critical concepts in science using easy-to-understand terminology, engaging illustrations and memorable characters. It is focused on standards-based learning objectives - correlating to the Australian F-10 Curriculum: Science and Senior Secondary Curriculum: Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Science, and Physics - and makes science accessible to all learners. Learn More

Properties of Matter, a Dr Birdley Teaches Science book, explains critical concepts in science using words, images and characters. It is focused on standards-based learning objectives and makes science accessible to all learners. It exemplifies good science teaching. Following the outline provided, teachers help students warm up by assessing prior knowledge and developing vocabulary, learn about a new concept with the source cartoon, apply the new concepts in independent practice, and assess new learning with quizzes and tests that check for understanding of key ideas. Properties of Matter features chemistry topics including: the scientific method; mass, volume and density; boiling point; chemical and physical properties; density and buoyancy; and phases of matter.

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Parts of the Cell, a Dr Birdley Teaches Science book, explains critical concepts in science using words, images and characters. It is focused on standards-based learning objectives and makes science accessible to all learners. It exemplifies good science teaching. Following the outline provided, teachers help students warm up by assessing prior knowledge and developing vocabulary, learn about a new concept with the source cartoon, apply the new concepts in independent practice, and assess new learning with quizzes and tests that check for understanding of key ideas. Parts of the Cell features biology topics including: three parts of the cell, cytoplasm, plant cells, membrane, DNA, bacterial cell parts, and cells and the city.

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Mysteries of the Earth, a Dr Birdley Teaches Science book, explains critical concepts in science using words, images and characters. It is focused on standards-based learning objectives and makes science accessible to all learners. It exemplifies good science teaching. Following the outline provided, teachers help students warm up by assessing prior knowledge and developing vocabulary, learn about a new concept with the source cartoon, apply the new concepts in independent practice, and assess new learning with quizzes and tests that check for understanding of key ideas. Mysteries of the Earth features Earth and environmental science topics including: the fossil record, a microbial planet, geologic time, introducing rocks, sedimentary rocks, igneous rocks, origin of life and volcanoes.

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Introducing Cells, a Dr Birdley Teaches Science book, explains critical concepts in science using words, images and characters. It is focused on standards-based learning objectives and makes science accessible to all learners. It exemplifies good science teaching. Following the outline provided, teachers help students warm up by assessing prior knowledge and developing vocabulary, learn about a new concept with the source cartoon, apply the new concepts in independent practice, and assess new learning with quizzes and tests that check for understanding of key ideas. Introducing Cells features biology topics including: why cells are important, smallest units of life, discovering cells, hierarchy of life, characteristics of life, the cell theory and one-celled organisms.

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Forces and Motion, a Dr Birdley Teaches Science book, explains critical concepts in science using words, images and characters. It is focused on standards-based learning objectives and makes science accessible to all learners. It exemplifies good science teaching. Following the outline provided, teachers help students warm up by assessing prior knowledge and developing vocabulary, learn about a new concept with the source cartoon, apply the new concepts in independent practice, and assess new learning with quizzes and tests that check for understanding of key ideas. Forces and Motion features physics topics including: understanding acceleration, calculating speed, calculating velocity, calculating force and mass, law of inertia, Newton's Laws of Motion and Law of Universal Gravitation.

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Elements, Compounds and Mixtures, a Dr Birdley Teaches Science book, explains critical concepts in science using words, images and characters. It is focused on standards-based learning objectives and makes science accessible to all learners. It exemplifies good science teaching. Following the outline provided, teachers help students warm up by assessing prior knowledge and developing vocabulary, learn about a new concept with the source cartoon, apply the new concepts in independent practice, and assess new learning with quizzes and tests that check for understanding of key ideas. Elements, Compounds and Mixtures features chemistry topics including: symbols and formulas, compound coolness, two types of mixtures, subatomic particles, all about elements, element blocks and Mendeleev.

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Constructing the Earth, a Dr Birdley Teaches Science book, explains critical concepts in science using words, images and characters. It is focused on standards-based learning objectives and makes science accessible to all learners. It exemplifies good science teaching. Following the outline provided, teachers help students warm up by assessing prior knowledge and developing vocabulary, learn about a new concept with the source cartoon, apply the new concepts in independent practice, and assess new learning with quizzes and tests that check for understanding of key ideas. Constructing the Earth features Earth and environmental science topics including: the big bang, plate tectonics, oceans and the water cycle, early Earth and its layers, origin of the Solar System and the oxygen revolution.

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Classifying Cells, a Dr Birdley Teaches Science book, explains critical concepts in science using words, images and characters. It is focused on standards-based learning objectives and makes science accessible to all learners. It exemplifies good science teaching. Following the outline provided, teachers help students warm up by assessing prior knowledge and developing vocabulary, learn about a new concept with the source cartoon, apply the new concepts in independent practice, and assess new learning with quizzes and tests that check for understanding of key ideas. Classifying Cells features biology topics including: two types of cells, heated microbes, from a cell's point of view, temperature tolerance, cell scientists, cells and the kingdoms, body cells.

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Atomic Structure and Chemical Reactions, a Dr Birdley Teaches Science book, explains critical concepts in science using words, images and characters. It is focused on standards-based learning objectives and makes science accessible to all learners. It exemplifies good science teaching. Following the outline provided, teachers help students warm up by assessing prior knowledge and developing vocabulary, learn about a new concept with the source cartoon, apply the new concepts in independent practice, and assess new learning with quizzes and tests that check for understanding of key ideas. This book features chemistry topics including: models by Rutherford, Bohr and Thomson, Dalton's atom, electron cloud models, conservation of mass, atomic bonding, Lewis structures and balancing equations.

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