An MBER classroom looks and feels different than a traditional classroom. In MBER classrooms students are positioned to be scientists, they are asking questions, gathering and analyzing data, developing models, collaborating, and discussing their models. Teachers are facilitators and provide opportunities for students to learn by moderating discussions, providing resources and tools, and listening and acknowledging students' ideas. The classroom should be a safe place to ask questions and be arranged so that students can efficiently work in groups. Students often present their ideas to the whole class or to other groups, therefore, it is essential to have poster paper, white boards, pens, post-its, etc available for the whole class. Go to Setting the Stage on the Year at a Glance page for some specific activities other teachers have used to begin the year in their classrooms.
Here are some useful resources to create an MBER environment in your classroom:
On the wall:
- Poster of the MBER Curriculum (or your version of it): students will know where they are and where they are going.
- Group Norms: a poster with the “rules” of interaction and group work.
- Parking Lot: a designated space in the classroom to keep students questions that are not relevant at the moment but will become relevant in the following models. They will stay visible so that you can come back to them when they become relevant.
- If your wall space is limited--especially once you start posting student ideas in the course of each unit--you may need to consider some tricks for utilizing space.
Materials:
- Large whiteboards and markers for each group
- Poster paper and pens
- Post-its to be used in gallery walk, parking lot, etc.
Physical arrangement of students:
- Tables or desks arranged to facilitate working in groups of 3-4 are key to enacting sense-making.
- If you don't have separate lab tables or would need to move to a separate room, consider...
- The PODS strategy.
Additional Tools that Aid in Classroom Management:
- Red and Green Cups for each group for communicating with the teacher.