Ep 061 — Less Content, More Mastery: Stripping Back Science Teaching with Lisa Fort

Can mastering only 70% of the material at a high level of mastery truly prepare students for life’s scientific challenges? Join us on the Minimalist Educator Podcast as we chat with Lisa Fort, an accomplished earth science teacher from New York State, who believes it can. Lisa shares her expert strategies for organizing science curriculum and planning lessons that emphasize a deep understanding of core concepts through backward planning. She stresses the importance of reinforcing practical skills like measurement and graphing, ensuring students build a solid foundation that equips them for real-world applications. By prioritizing depth over breadth, Lisa aims to cultivate informed citizens and lifelong learners.Discover the secrets behind effective science teaching as we discuss methods for engaging high school students through interactive activities and real-world connections. Lisa talks about the significance of relationship-building in maintaining classroom focus, especially in the age of social media distractions. From memorable Mars exploration projects to hands-on activities that simulate real-world scenarios like forensic crime scenes, Lisa’s approach fosters curiosity, problem-solving, and communication skills. Tune in to learn how nurturing these foundational skills and curiosity in students can prepare them for more complex scientific challenges ahead.Lisa continues her almost 20 year career as a science teacher in New York State. Lisa’s classroom is a rigorous learning environment with strong collaborative relationship-driven education. In addition to constantly improving the inquiry student-centered learning, she works with teachers around the state to create assessment kits for the new science standards. She continues to share her love of science and classroom structure at a variety of conferences and social platforms.Send us Fan MailSupport the show Find our book The Minimalist Teacher  and Your School Leadership Edit: A Minimalist Approach to Rethinking Your School's Ecosystem at the links!Follow on Instagram @PlanZEducation and @minimalist_ed_podcast.The Minimalist Educator Podcast is a Plan Z Education Services adventure.