VOA常速英语:Scientists Help US Science Teachers i...

VOA常速英语:Scientists Help US Science Teachers in the Classroom

Source: VOA    2011-11-21   English BBS   Favorite  

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Students in the United States in their last year of high school  are not performing as well on the same science tests as their peers in many other countries. Educators say there should be more emphasis on science in American schools. A visit to one school where a retired engineer is using his expertise in science to help both teachers and students shows how it can benefit everyone.

“Welcome to science class. So good to see you guys today,” said retired engineer Dave Weiss, greeting 10-year-old students at Georgian Forest Elementary school in Silver Spring, Maryland. One day each week, he works with [substitute] teacher Fred Tenyke on science projects. Before class, they discuss the day’s assignment before the students arrive.

“In this experiment, I think it might be confusing to the kids that we’re dealing with two masses,” said Weiss to Tenyke, in advance of the class.

Today’s experiment demonstrates the principles of motion and involves string and cars made of paper.

"But the experiment we’re going to do, we want to keep all of our variables constant,” said Weiss.

Student Jada Lockwood said she enjoys Weiss’ visits to her classroom. She especially likes the diagrams he uses to explain scientific concepts.

“Mr. Weiss would go in the back and draw these pictures, and he helps us a lot,” said Lockwood.

Weiss has been a volunteer for many years in the senior scientists and engineers program sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The scientists and engineers are teaching teachers in elementary schools more about science so they can improve their skills to help their students.

Weiss said he and the other volunteers help teachers by providing hands-on expertise, in an area with which many elementary school teachers have little experience.

“In elementary school, for the most part, your regular classroom teacher is responsible for teaching science, along with reading and math, and if they don’t have a strong science background, just by nature, they’re going to tend to under-represent science in the curriculum,” said Weiss.

Tenyke agrees. He just started teaching science classes a few months ago. 

"A lot of time I’ll spit out information I learned in the book, or things that are part of the curriculum. Dave helps me learn how to supplement that information so that it’s more relevant to them, so that it will be more relevant to their work experience later on in life," said Tenyke.

Weiss said he enjoys sharing his knowledge.

“Fred is so enthusiastic and he’s so much fun with the kids. I can see he really loves what he’s doing. I get as much pleasure from helping the teachers as I do helping the students,” said Weiss.

The retired engineer is concerned, though, that U.S. students are lagging in science, behind countries such as China, Japan, the Czech Republic and Finland. But he is optimistic American students will catch up.

“In elementary school I just try to give them a solid foundation. I hope they’ll develop a curiosity about what’s going on around them,” said Weiss.

Tenkye thinks volunteers like Weiss are helping students’ do that.

“And if you can develop a passion for science, then eventually the grades and test scores will follow [and increase, too]," said Tenkye.

Weiss hopes by getting children interested in science early, more of them will follow in his footsteps.

词汇讲解：

1. peer n.贵族；同辈; 同龄人
例句：Children are easily influenced by their peer.
孩子很容易受同辈影响。

2. emphasis n. 强调,重视,重点
例句：They put emphasis on quality rather than on quantity.
他们重质不重量。

3. benefit vt. 对...有益,有益于
例句：The sea air will benefit you.
海边的空气对你有益。

4. confusing adj. 莫名其妙的, 难以理解的, 不清楚的
例句：The instructions on the box are very confusing.
盒子上的使用说明含混不清。

5. demonstrate vt.说明, 演示；论证, 证明；显示, 表露
例句：All of those demonstrated the correctness of his analysis.
这一切都证明了他分析的正确性。

6. diagram n. 图解, 简图, 图表，示意图
例句：The engineer drew a diagram of the bridge.
工程师绘制了一幅这座桥的示意图。

7. sponsor vt.赞助, 发起, 主办
例句：The United States sponsored the important meeting.
美国主办了那次重要的会议。

8. expertise n. 专门知识或技能
例句：We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.
他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。

9. curriculum n. 总课程，（学校等的）全部课程
例句：The student is very knowledgeable because he also studies things not in the curriculum.
这个学生知识很丰富,因为在学校课程以外他还学习别的东西。

10. lag vt. 落后于;滞后于
例句：The child lags his peers in intellectual development.
这孩子在智力发展方面比同龄人迟缓。

11. passion n. 激情, 热情
例句：He could not control his passion.
他无法控制自己的激情。

短语讲解：

1. “In this experiment, I think it might be confusing to the kids that we’re dealing with two masses,” said Weiss to Tenyke, in advance of the class.

deal with应付, 处理; 对待
例句：Be careful. She is very difficult to deal with.
可得当心, 她很难对付。
in advance of在…之前, 超过
例句：British Summer Time is one hour in advance of Greenwich Mean Time.
英国的夏季时间比标准时间快一小时。

2. Today’s experiment demonstrates the principles of motion and involves string and cars made of paper.

make of用…做成
例句：The table is made of wood.
桌子是木制的。

3. “In elementary school, for the most part, your regular classroom teacher is responsible for teaching science, along with reading and math, and if they don’t have a strong science background, just by nature, they’re going to tend to under-represent science in the curriculum,” said Weiss.

for the most part多半; 就绝大部分而言
例句：Summers in the south of France are for the most part dry and sunny.
法国南部的夏季大部分时间天气干燥且晴朗。
be responsible for为…负责,形成…的原因
例句：She is responsible for sales promotion
她负责推销工作。
tend to趋向
例句：Modern furniture design tends to simplicity.
现代家具设计越来越简单。

4. I’ll spit out information I learned in the book, or things that are part of the curriculum.

spit out愤怒地说
例句：He spat out angry words at his tormentors.
他厉声地咒骂着折磨他的人。

5. Dave helps me learn how to supplement that information so that it’s more relevant to them, so that it will be more relevant to their work experience later on in life

relevant to与…有关的
例句：I don't think his remarks are relevant to our discussion.
我认为他的话不切我们的议题。

6. But he is optimistic American students will catch up.

catch up追上, 赶上
例句：You just go ahead and I'll catch up later.
你先走一步, 我随后赶来。

7. “In elementary school I just try to give them a solid foundation. I hope they’ll develop a curiosity about what’s going on around them,” said Weiss.

go on发生
例句：Tell me what's going on over there!
告诉我那边发生了什么事儿。