Middle School, Science Curriculum

Nature of the Middle School Student

Early adolescence, between ages 10 and 15, is a time of great change. The changes in students can be fast and unpredictable. The students are [Page 571]experiencing changes associated with moving from elementary schools to middle schools. The students are also experiencing rapid physical, cognitive, social, and personality changes associated with moving from childhood into adolescence.

Due to a variety of social transformations, such as changes in the family structure and a world dominated by the media, the sociocultural context young adolescents are growing up in today is significantly different from that of only a few years ago. There is great diversity among students in terms of their interests, prior experiences, and home environments.

Gifted, Talented, and Creative Middle School Students

With respect to high-ability students, the joint position advocated by the National Association for Gifted Children and the National Middle School Association is that middle school teachers should “develop increasing awareness of and skills necessary to address the full range of learner needs—including needs of those who already demonstrate advanced academic abilities and those who have the potential to work at advanced levels.” The implication is that middle school teachers should attend to both equity and excellence when working with their students in science and other content areas. Historically, that has been easier said than done.

There have always been controversies over how the middle school curriculum should meet the needs of high-ability students in science, as well as other areas. One controversy is over equity: For some teachers, equity implies that all students should have an equal opportunity to achieve in areas such as science, whereas for other teachers, equity implies that all students should have an opportunity to reach their potential, and some students may have a higher potential than others. A second controversy has been over ability grouping: A heterogeneous grouping of students may be consistent with democratic values, but a homogeneous grouping may increase the likelihood that high-ability students will achieve their potential. A third controversy is labeling: Identifying some students as gifted, creative, or talented benefits them, but may hinder others by creating a feeling of elitism.

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