Putnam City Schools will team up with Norman, Little Axe and Noble school districts this summer and next school year to train 50 elementary teachers in more effective ways of teaching science, thanks to a recently-awarded $267,000 federal grant administered by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

The school districts, along with the University of Oklahoma’s Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and the Science Education Center in the University of Oklahoma’s College of Education, will begin the project by conducting a summer institute for elementary teachers at the Sam Noble Museum.

At the institute, teams of teachers will work shoulder to shoulder with Sam Noble Museum scientists on a research project of their own devising. Teams will use museum laboratories, equipment and collections to collect data and develop scientific conclusions. Sam Noble Museum scientists will also help elementary teachers choose a science project to take back to their classrooms and develop instructional materials to help teach it.

The project revolves around the idea of teaching science through the “inquiry-based” method. The process of inquiry is modeled on the scientist’s method of discovery. Instead of teachers predominantly presenting information to students through lecture and videos while students take notes, teachers who use the inquiry method involve students in a more investigative approach. Students are presented with questions and then explore answers with experiments.

“We’re excited to be working with these partner institutions to bring high-quality training to our teachers. This opportunity will translate into additional highly interactive, effective science learning experiences for Putnam City elementary students in the coming years,” says Bob Melton, Putnam City’s science coordinator.

The inquiry method of teaching science has been endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation and the National Committee on Science Education Standards and Assessment as the best way to deliver science instruction.

The grant to the team of four districts is one of $2.5 million in Mathematics and Science Partnership Grants announced by the State Department of Education to boost math and science programs in schools in 37 Oklahoma counties.