I’m already a fan of the Uncovering Student Ideas series, but authors Page Keeley and Cary Sneider piqued my interest with the 45 new formative assessment probes in this latest volume, Uncovering Student Ideas in Astronomy. Trying to get a sense of how and what students think about a particular science concept is tricky. As the authors’ say, “You cannot ‘fix’ your students’ misconceptions. However, by using these probes to formatively assess your students’ current thinking, you will be in a much better position to create a path that moves students from where they are to where they need to be scientifically.”
Organized into five sections, the book explores The Nature of Planet Earth; The Sun-Earth System, Modeling the Moon; Dynamic Solar System; and Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe. The probes presented in each section are designed to allow students to increase their perspective and improve their mental models of the Earth’s position among other bodies in space.
The probes, such as these examples, delve into astronomy concepts that will keep your science classroom discussions lively:

• Where did the Sun go?
• Sunrise to sunset
• How far away is the Sun?
• Does the Moon orbit the Earth?
• Earth or Moon shadow?
• Moon spin
• How do planets orbit the Sun?

Using the tools in this book, you can uncover the astronomy-related ideas your students bring to the classroom. Every student has his or her own unique approach to creating meaning in a learning situation. Whether or not a student’s ideas change depends on the willingness of the student to accept new ways of looking at his or her natural world.
Along with each probe, teacher notes are provided that define the purpose, provide related concepts and explanation, connect to the Benchmarks for Science Literacy and the National Science Education Standards, and suggest ideas for instruction and assessment.

It’s widely reported that the first “flex fuel” automobile able to run on either gasoline or ethanol was Henry Ford’s Model T. With hemp and other types of cellulosic biomass as the source instead of corn, Ford is quoted as saying that ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is “the fuel of the future” back in 1925. Well, the future is here and we’re still working to make it so. With biofuel innovations like the one highlighted in this installment of the “Science of Innovation” video series, perhaps the future is closer than we think.

The “Science of Innovation” video series from the collaborative team of NBC Learn, USPTO, NSF, and NSTA, can also fuel your STEM efforts. Use the series to fuel innovative thinking in your students as well. The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office defines an innovation as a new way of doing something or a new way of looking at something. An innovation is not necessarily an invention, but could be a precursor or prerequisite leading to or enabling one to emerge. The innovative mind is an open, active one, capable of synthesizing and testing the synthesis of many ideas and elements of knowledge. That mind can work through a series of nonlinear and often non-sequential steps to take an idea or solution that addresses a particular problem or need from concept to a product or service in the marketplace.

The “Science of Innovation” video series is available cost-free on www.NBCLearn.com, www.science360.gov, and www.uspto.gov/education. Use the link below to download the lesson plans in a format you can edit to customize for your situation. Then, let us know how you like them!

–Judy Elgin Jensen

Image of Dreaming Spires Model T Ford Rally, courtesy of Richard Peat.

Video

SOI: Biofuels highlights Dr. Steve Hutcheson and his innovative approach to producing biofuels from cellulosic biomass, using a bacterium discovered in the Chesapeake Bay.

Lesson plans

Two versions of the lesson plans help students build background and develop questions they can explore regarding the production of biofuels. Both include strategies to support students in their own quest for answers and strategies for a more focused approach that helps all students participate in hands-on inquiry.

SOI: Biofuels, A Science Perspective models how students might investigate a question about how differing substrates affect the production of a biofuel using a model organism—yeast.

SOI: Biometrics, An Engineering Perspective describes how students might model a growth chamber for large-scale production of a microbe.

You can use the following form to e-mail us edited versions of the lesson plans: [contact-form 2 “ChemNow]

Teaching that uses the Project Approach is one way for children to learn deeply about a topic or concept. Early Childhood Investigations Webinars hosted Dr. Sylvia C. Chard, Professor Emeritus of the University of Alberta, speaking and sharing photographs about this approach that involves an integrated curriculum. In Engaging Children’s Hearts and Minds: Teaching and Learning with the Project Approach, Dr. Chard shares children’s work documenting their observations and thinking, including photos and drawings. In addition to the webinar, a Project Approach Study Guide is available, and Dr. Chard invites us to “Enjoy the journey, and please get in touch with questions or comments along the way!” Fieldwork is central to a project. The fieldwork for this project included going to look at a horse and drawing it.
Learning about how a whole object is made of parts is part of learning about systems, one of the seven crosscutting scientific and engineering concepts in A Framework for k-12 education (NRC 2012). Parts of a whole are important in life science (sense organs, circulatory system, parts of a cell), physics (inclined plane and ball, mixing liquids and solids, matter is made of atoms), and earth science (soil is made of minerals and organic matter, rocks may be made of smaller pieces)
The Framework has an in-depth discussion about systems and how to model them. See if you think the excerpts that follow apply to the work of young children representing what they observe.
A good system model for use in developing scientific explanations or engineering designs must specify not only the parts, or subsystems, of the system but also how they interact with one another. Pg 93
In many early childhood programs children learn about their sense organs and those of other animals. Understanding the organs as parts of the whole organism is part of learning about systems. A progression leading to scientific understanding and use of modeling begins in early childhood.
Starting in the earliest grades, students should be asked to express their thinking with drawings or diagrams and with written or oral descriptions. They should describe objects or organisms in terms of their parts and the roles those parts play in the functioning of the object or organism, and they should note relationships between the parts. Students should also be asked to create plans— for example, to draw or write a set of instructions for building something—that another child can follow. Such experiences help them develop the concept of a model of a system and realize the importance of representing one’s ideas so that others can understand and use them. Pg 93
[National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.]
When we use language that describes the parts as parts of a larger system, we give children the vocabulary to build understanding of the system–bud, leaf, stem, twig, branch, bark and trunk, all parts of a living organism, a tree. What parts of a system have your students been interested in? How do you connect their interests to a larger system?
I’m updating this post to add a bit about two books by artist and writer Shelley Rotner that can support discussions about systems and their parts.
Parts is a book with seven short poems and many photographs exploring familiar objects in a child’s world and their parts…tail, tongue, eye, fur, tag around the neck, nose, paw…yes, a dog!
Body Actions is an NSTA Recommends reviewed book, an “an energetic introduction to body systems.”

When I was little, I had an “electric” map of the U.S. There were two wired probes, and the object of the game was to use them to connect the name of the state capital from a list in the margin with a state on the map. (This was long before computer games!) If the match was correct, a light bulb lit up. I played for hours. There was another overlay with a list of state birds, and I noticed that they were in the same order as the names of the cities (in other words, if the first city on the list was Richmond, the first bird on the list was a cardinal, both matching to Virginia). I was intrigued by my discovery–how did this work? So I took it apart and saw how the circuits were designed on the board. Rather than being angry, my dad suggested that we put it back together and make some additional lists with state flowers, nicknames, etc. But I was hooked on learning more about electricity (as well as geography).
The featured articles in this issue focus on real experiences with electricity, and if this topic is part of your curriculum, they are must-reads. This months Science 101 column, What’s Really Going On in Electric Circuits has background knowledge for teachers in a concise format. And the Safety First column, Getting Wired on Safety* will help you make students’ explorations safe as well as engaging. This month’s Formative Assessment Probe, When Equipment Gets in the Way*, examines some of the misconceptions students may have, especially if their experiences are limited to kits or simulations with extraneous materials that interfere with understanding the basic concepts (an example in the article is the use of sockets, battery holders, and switches that are not essential to an electric circuit.
Static Electricity: The Shocking Truth* has lesson ideas to help our youngest scientists explore static electricity. It’s Electric features trade books on the topic and two related activities: Toy Take-Apart for grades K-2 and Musical Greeting Cards for grades 3-5. There’s also a page that shows the connections for these activities between the science Framework and the Common Core standards. [SciLinks: Static Electricity, Electricity]

Learning the Ropes with Electricity has a 5e lesson that gets students up and moving in a simulation of electric currents. The authors of Supercharging Lessons with a Virtual Lab* describe how they complemented a hands-on activity with simulations, concluding that “the use of virtual tools does have a place in exploration and concept development, but these simulation tools may not be as useful as first-hand, multisensory experience.” Sounds like a topic for action research! (Unfortunately, I did not see the name or URL of the simulation in the article). [SciLinks: Current Electricity, Batteries]
You might want to review the article Shoe Box Circuits from the December 2009 issue. In this inquiry-based science project, students work in pairs to design and wire a shoe box “room” to solidify their understandings of electricity and gain a better understanding of the ways in which electricity concepts are related to the electrical circuits in their homes.
Three articles in this issue look at a different kind of connection—our relationship with the outdoors. Get Connected has a 5e lesson on observing, describing, and mapping the physical and biological components of the schoolyard with Google Earth. [SciLinks: Mapping]  The interdisciplinary project How Much Trash Do You Trash?* evolved from a class discussion on solid waste management. [SciLinks: Waste Management] Both articles feature resources that can be adapted to your school and situation, including examples of student work. The authors of Bat Bonanza* introduced kindergarten students to these fascinating animals through models, field guides, and photographs.[SciLinks: Bats]
* Many of these articles have extensive resources to share, so check out the Connections for this issue (March 2013). Even if the article does not quite fit with your lesson agenda, there are ideas for handouts, background information sheets, data sheets, rubrics, and other resources.

I’m student teaching now at an elementary school, and I want to emphasize science. In the classrooms I observe, I see many different layouts and arrangements, but what is the best way to organize a classroom? When I get my own classroom, where do I start?
—Alexander,  Albuquerque, New Mexico
I’ve been in dozens of engaging and exciting elementary classrooms, and I have yet to see two that were identical. I’m not sure there is a “best” way to set up a classroom, but here are some considerations.

• Students need a safe physical environment with workspaces conducive to learning and free from hazards. As you organize the learning space and classroom materials, experiment with ways to ensure easy, safe movement within the classroom, orderly entry and exit, ready access to safety equipment and class supplies, and teacher proximity to assist students and deter undesirable behavior.
• At the elementary level, most of the science activities will happen at students’ desks. Try to be flexible in how you and the students arrange them so the arrangement helps to facilitate the learning goals.
• Reserve a place in the room as a “science center” where students access the materials they need for activities. This science center could also have objects or materials related to the topic for students to explore when other assignments are completed. Any science-specific safety equipment (such as goggles or aprons) could also be stored here. This could also be a place for plants, an aquarium, or classroom critters.
• Have a designated place with general class supplies (such as pencils, markers, paper, and rulers), handouts, and places for students to submit assignments and store their notebooks.

• Designate part of the classroom as a technology center with desktop computers (if you have them), and a place to store the laptop cart, printers, calculators, cameras, and other electronics.
• Reserve shelf space for a classroom library with books on a variety of topics and reading levels. If your school has a reading specialist or librarian, he or she can help you select materials.
• Set up a private study center for students doing make-up work and independent study or who need fewer distractions. You’ll probably want to have another area for small group instruction or project work.
• Many elementary classrooms have closets, cubbies, or shelves for students to store their backpacks and coats. Use these to keep objects off the floor and out of the aisles.
• Many elementary teachers do not put their desks at the front of the room, giving the classroom a more open feeling. (Be sure students know wherever it is, your desk and its contents are off-limits.)
• Determine a focal point of the classroom (e.g., whiteboard or projection screen, demonstration table) where you’ll do any large group instruction, give directions, or do demonstrations. Be sure your seating arrangements do not require some students to have their backs to this focal point.
• At the beginning of the year, review students’ individual education plans to determine if any require special seating requirements. Make sure your room design can accommodate the visual, auditory, and physical needs of your students as well as any assistive technologies or devices they use.

You’ll drive yourself crazy if you try to have a classroom that looks like something out of a Classroom Beautiful magazine. The learning activities you and the students do are more important than elaborate teacher-created bulletin boards.  Over the years you’ll accumulate lots of stuff, so think about how you’ll store unit-related and seasonal materials when not in use. Plastic tubs and bins will be at the top of your wish list.
Classrooms usually reflect the personalities, interests, and styles of the teachers and students who occupy them. If you see a classroom buzzing with activity that still has “a place for everything and everything in its place,” this level of organization did not happen overnight. The teacher and students worked together to create this learning environment.
 
Photo: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3022/2942099404_1a7248a39a.jpg
 
 

Budget dollars for teacher professional development can be scarce, particularly in these economic times. Evaluating the quality of the professional development options available is more critical than ever. The Exemplary Science Monograph Series has updated Best Practices in Professional Development with a revised second edition.
The 14 professional development programs are presented in a series of essays that detail the real-life models that can serve as exemplars for districts and schools.
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) advocate for achieving teaching excellence with teachers who:

1. Understand and respond to an individual student’s interests, strengths, experiences, and needs;
2. Select and adapt the curriculum;
3. Focus on student understanding and use of scientific knowledge, ideas, and inquiry processes;
4. Guide students in active and extended scientific inquiries;
5. Provide opportunities for scientific discussion and debate among students;
6. Continuously assess student understanding (and involve students in the process);
7. Share responsibility for learning with students;
8. Support a classroom community with cooperation, shared responsibility, and respect; and
9. Work with other teachers to enhance the science program.

The editors for this monograph, Susan B. Koba and Brenda S. Wojnowski, organize the book into an overview of the need for quality professional development, several chapters highlighting exemplars of professional development, systemic approaches to teacher learning and change processes, and a reader’s guide to the book for professional learning communities, university classrooms, and other collaborative settings.
The reflective questions at the end of each chapter make this book a useful tool for science leaders, professional developers, and university instructors.
The entire Exemplary Science Monograph series is available either as a set or individual volumes.

Middle school students typically have a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Channeling these into learning opportunities is the challenge for teachers. The Editor’s Roundtable lists key points in designing student-centered, interest-based instruction: get to know your students, use authentic tasks to build conceptual bridges between school and everyday life, design tasks at the right level, and give students choices (see the article for more in-depth on these). The featured articles in this month’s issue have examples of classroom activities that fit this description.
I suspect that many principals think of the word “circus” when they walk into a middle school science class! But Science Circus: Preparing Students and Engaging the Scientific Community* uses the word in a very different context—the three interconnected “rings” of core areas (life, physical, and earth science). The authors describe a community event (similar to science fairs and family nights) that involves students with the local scientific community in projects/demonstrations in these areas. They provide timelines for planning such an event and examples of “exhibits” that students could make and demonstrate, along with related exhibits from community partners.
The author of Using School-Yard Restoration to Engage Students in Water Stewardship notes that sometimes students are more aware of rain forests and polar bears than they are of the issues in their own communities. The article has suggestions and resources (such as a sample lesson and activity sheet) that ties into the Water Stewardship project.   [SciLinks: Watersheds]
“Sense of place” is defined as the integration of the geology, ecology, and cultural history of an area. The authors of Field-Trip Pedagogy for Teaching “Sense of Place” in Middle School describe how to transform a traditional field trip from a superficial scavenger hunt to an authentic, multidisciplinary learning experience. Although the examples in the article are from the desert and mountain regions of Arizona, the authors note that every location has a geological history, native plants and animals, and a cultural history of the people that live there. The article Sense-of-Place Writing Templates: Connecting Student Experiences to Scientific Content Before, During, and After Instruction* has suggestions for writing activities that ask students to reflect on their experiences and connections with their surroundings. A sample template for meteorology is included in the article.

“This transformation from challenging to interested student is not uncommon when students are engaged in project-based learning.” Most of us have experienced this! Fossil Finders: Engaging All of Your Students Using Project-Based Learning describes how projects that are open-ended, challenging, and relevant can enhance student interest. Fossil Finders is an authentic investigation that can be implemented with middle or high school earth science classes.  [SciLinks: Fossil Discoveries, Fossils, Looking at Fossils, Fossil Record]
Upload, Download: Empowering Students Through Technology-Enabled Problem-Based Learning illustrates how student interest in technology can be channeled into problem-based learning. The article includes an overview of problem-based learning and an example of a challenge for students to address. Middle school students are social beings (most of them). So rather than ignoring this, the authors of Using Social Networking Sites to Facilitate Teaching and Learning in the Science Classroom have many suggestions for selecting and using information and communications technology in the classroom. They provide an example of what this would “look like” in a classroom, including a lesson on photosynthesis: researching a topic, organizing and illustrating their data, presenting their findings. [SciLinks: Photosynthesis]
Movies, IMAX theatres, even television—three-dimensional images are becoming more common. But what do students know about these images, the technology used to produce them, and how our eyes process these images? An In-Depth Look at 3-D* (this month’s Everyday Engineering article) features a 5e lesson (including images and an activity worksheet. (And I did have a Viewmaster similar to the one described in the article!) [SciLinks: Vision]
Choice: The Dragon Slayer of Student Complacency (this month’s Teacher’s Toolkit article) has an example of how giving students choices can be engaging and challenging for students. To investigate pendulum motion, the author describes three approaches to inquiry—structured, guided, self-directed. Students can choose their level of investigation. Each level begins with the same basic steps and safety information and then the levels are differentiated according to the input from the students. [SciLinks: Pendulums]
*For more ideas, check out the Connections http://www.nsta.org/middleschool/connections.aspx for this issue (March 2013). Even if the article does not quite fit with your lesson agenda, this resource has ideas for handouts, background information sheets, data sheets, rubrics, etc.

Elementary teachers can experience a sense of isolation when their schedules don’t allow a lot of interaction with their colleagues. I remember those days well. That’s why I was excited to see the new book, Perspectives: Research & Tips to Support Science Education, K–6. A compendium of the popular column from Science & Children, Perspectives offers teachers research and tips in a format that are easy to tackle in brief reading sessions.
The book is organized into six sections:

• General Teaching Goals
• Strategies to Facilitate Learning in Science
• Teaching Science and Other Disciplines Together
• Student Thinking and Misconceptions
• Society and Science Learning
• Developing as a Teacher

Within each section, several chapters are organized to save you time as you delve deeper into the topic. Each chapter presents a particular challenge, such as learning to observe and infer; using analogies in elementary science; cultural diversity in the classroom; the myth of catering to learning styles; and mentoring new teachers. The research findings are presented as a series of questions, and then each chapter concludes with specific advice you can use right away.
The editors of Perspectives suggest that the book can be useful in two ways: for professional development or for preservice teacher education. The original editor of the Perspectives column and the inspiration for this collection, Sandi Abell, approached the column with “the mindset of empowering teachers with approaches and methods that would not only support the teaching of science as inquiry but also the development of scientific literacy for all learners.”
Other NSTA Press resources that can assist you in your own professional development as an elementary school science teacher include Designing Effective Science Instruction: What Works in Science Classrooms and Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, Expanded 2nd Edition, Using Children’s Books to Guide Inquiry, 3–6.

The Next Generation Science Standards are scheduled to be released this spring (after several drafts and comment periods). The NSTA journals continue a discussion with NGSS–A Focus on Physical Science (a similar article in the February issue dealt with life science). A Look at the NGSS has a one-page “Inside the NGSS Box” visual that describes the relationship between the standards, performance expectations, and supporting information.
But what would using these standards “look like” in a real classroom? The featured articles in this issue have examples of learning experiences and strategies that incorporate the NGSS:

The author of The Patterns Approach uses the question “How can we discover and use patterns in nature to predict the future or understand the past?” He describes the procedures used in his freshman physics class to guide students through the process of identifying patterns, which in this case are mathematical: linear, quadratic, inverse, and inverse square. Beyond Slopes and Points focuses on how graphs are used to describe the relationships between science phenomena (another example of patterns). The authors note that students often learn about graphing in a math class without the context of real data or science concepts. The article includes a lesson that uses activities related to shapes and categories—from observations to measurements to graphing to interpreting and predicting. No special equipment necessary! [SciLinks: Graphing]
Looking for ideas to connect chemistry to real-life situations? The author of The Ethanol Project* incorporates chemistry with role-play and writing in a project with implications beyond the classroom. She includes a scope and sequence chart for the activity, checklist on which you can base an evaluation rubric, and suggestions for adapting it to other topics in science. [SciLinks: Alternative Energy Resources]
The investigation described in What Color Do You See? is actually a foundation for more complex studies and questions. Students sort colored candies (or similar materials) under different colored lights. The lesson integrates visual perception and optics with graphing and data analysis. The author is affiliated with Project Neuron, whose website has more on this and other learning activities. [SciLinks: Color, Vision, Visible Light]
Banking on the Future addresses several misconceptions students may have about seed banks and their role in maintaining diversity. In addition to large seed banks, described in the article (and on SciLinks sites), the activity here guides students through the creation of their own classroom seed bank, with suggestions for discussion and the actual assembly of samples. [SciLinks: Seed Banks, Biodiversity]
*Don’t forget to look at the Connections for this issue (March 2013), which includes links to the resources mentioned in the articles. These Connections also have ideas you could adapt for handouts, background information sheets, data sheets, rubrics, etc.

Imagine glancing over to the next car during your commute and seeing the driver with a coffee in hand AND a magazine! Okay—some of you have already witnessed such stupidity—but in the near future none of us will give it a second thought. Instead we’ll all be figuring out how to spend that time because innovative guidance systems built into our cars will “drive” us to our destinations. Preview the future in this installment of the “Science of Innovation” video series from the collaborative team of NBC Learn, USPTO, NSF, and NSTA.

Now imagine the creative brainstorming that must have gone into developing such guidance systems. “Let’s build a system that…!” and “You think we can make the car do what???” Perhaps post the following rules from the USPTO to foster creative brainstorming sessions with your students:
• Accept all ideas
• Encourage that no idea is a bad idea
• Think of as many ideas as possible
• Build on one another’s ideas
• Use wild and crazy ideas
• Keep looking for ideas

Use any one of the videos as a springboard for creative brainstorming and innovative thought. They’re available cost-free on www.NBCLearn.com, www.science360.gov, and www.uspto.gov/education. Use the link below to download the lesson plans in a format you can edit to customize for your situation. Then let us know how they work for you!

–Judy Elgin Jensen

Video

SOI: Self-Driving Cars highlights Sebastian Thrun, a computer scientist supported by NSF and a Google fellow at Stanford University, who has focused his research on designing a car that uses artificial intelligence, or AI, to “drive” the car.

Lesson plans

Two versions of the lesson plans help students build background and develop safe procedures that control variables and enable them to make accurate measurements or to make good working models of the devices they are investigating. Both include strategies to support students in their own quest for answers and strategies for a more focused approach that helps all students participate in hands-on inquiry.

SOI: Self-Driving Cars, A Science Perspective describes how students might model how a typical laser range finder (LIDAR) or radar device determines the distance between it and another object.

SOI: Self-Driving Cars, An Engineering Perspective models how students might test how a simple kit robot with built-in sensors could navigate a maze.

You can use the following form to e-mail us edited versions of the lesson plans: [contact-form 2 “ChemNow]