By Peggy Ashbrook
Posted on 2012-01-06
Happy New Year! This year I look forward to more conversation in the early childhood community about science education.
The January 2012 Early Years column adapts an activity about making craters from Marie Faust Evitt’s book, Thinking BIG, Learning BIG.
Craters on the Moon are visible without a telescope, even in daytime, a time when teachers can point out the Moon to their students. Children enjoy making craters in snow, damp sand, or other fine material, by dropping balls of varying sizes and weights into the material. There are many ways to use imaginative play to allow children to explore the topic of Space, and the ideas they have already learned through media and at home. Some of what we learn as children (Think of “The cow jumped over the Moon”) may lead to misconceptions that, if teachers learn of them through conversation, we can help students replace with accurate information. Simply talking about the accurate information will not correct misconceptions, but through activities and discussion students can discard them.
Learn more about the Moon and its relationship to the Earth and Sun by using some of the resources in the National Science Teachers Association’s Learning Center such as the a collection of resources I created titled “Moon and sky—observations.” Register at no cost, go to Advanced Search and enter Keyword: Moon, Author: Ashbrook, and Type of Learning Resource: User created collections (select in both menus) to see resources in the “Moon and sky—observations” collection. Photos of features of the Moon can be viewed on GeologyRocks site by Dr. Katie Davis and Dr. Jon Hill.
Young children may know the word “gravity” but we don’t expect them to understand yet that it is a force between any two objects and that it pulls the objects together. In the case of the Earth and the objects on it, the gravitational pull of the Earth on the objects is greatest, so objects are pulled down to the Earth (ground). The January 2012 Teaching Through Tradebooks column, “Gravity and Weight”, by Emily Morgan and Karen Ansberry uses the 5E Learning Cycle in activities for grades K-2 and 3-5. These authors are sometimes referred to affectionately as “The Picture-Perfect ladies” because their “Picture-Perfect Science” books are very helpful to elementary teachers (note that the picture trade books they suggest are available through NSTA).
The article “Shadow Play” by Kathy Cabe-Trundle and Margilee P. Hilson is free to all—read about how students can observe shadows to learn about seasonal change. I recommend reading it (even if some of the activities are too advanced for your class) to see the authors’ approach to teaching concepts about which students commonly have misconceptions. I find the articles for older students a useful review of concepts at an elementary level, for myself.
Let me know what your plans are for the New Year, and what you’d like to see discussed on this Early Years blog by commenting below. Best wishes for the new year,
Peggy
Happy New Year! This year I look forward to more conversation in the early childhood community about science education.
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2012-01-03
My students are asking for “extra credit” work. I’m having second thoughts about doing this, especially since it seems that students wait until the end of the marking period to ask. Is there a good rationale for giving (or not giving) extra credit work?
—Wayne, Kansas City, Missouri
“Extra credit” seems to be part of school vocabulary. When students don’t complete assignments, don’t do well on tests, or are seeking a higher grade, they (or their parents) ask the teacher for additional assignments or activities.
I suspect this is more common in classes where the students’ grades are based on accumulating points. Students may view class assignments or tests in terms of earning these points. Teachers may reinforce this notion with statements such as “You’re 10 points away from a passing grade” or “Three more points and you’ll have an A+!”
Let’s assume your class activities and assignments such as lab reports, notebooks, or projects align with the unit or lesson learning goals and students are evaluated on the extent to which they meet those goals. It doesn’t seem to be productive to have a student who has not achieved the learning goals or who has not met the course requirements do an unrelated task just to “pull up a grade.” These tasks require time on the part of the teacher to create and assess. Ask yourself if activities such as reading and summarizing an article, completing puzzle sheets, or doing an extra book report allow the students the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of a concept.
In previous years, your students may also have been awarded extra points for tasks or behaviors that have little or no relation to learning goals: bringing in classroom supplies, assisting with chores such as cleaning glassware, putting up a teacher-created bulletin board, participating in nonacademic events at school, or their parents attending an open house. These are good activities, but it would be hard to align them with learning goals in science.
The bottom line: Can (or should) students earn a passing grade by doing activities not directly related to the learning goals? Should exemplary grades reflect an advanced level of academic performance or the completion of extra busywork?
If you have students who do not turn in assignments (such as lab reports) and then ask for extra credit, perhaps you should allow them to turn in the original assignments. If a student had a poor test performance, you could offer a retake or an alternative that shows the student has met the learning goals, at least at a minimum level. If projects do not meet the requirements, have the student review the rubric and make revisions.
I know teachers who provide students with a list of the unit’s learning goals and several options or alternatives for each to demonstrate their learning. Having choices can give students more ownership of the learning process and capitalize on their interests. The literature on differentiation has many suggestions, such as choice boards or alternate assessments (NSTA journals have had many articles on the idea of differentiation. Click here to see a few of them. Also check the work of Carol Ann Tomlinson).
Another response would be to put the responsibility back on the students: “These are the learning goals for the lesson/unit. How will you demonstrate you have accomplished them?” If the students give you a blank stare, you could offer suggestions. However, you might be surprised at what some students come up with. Their ideas can become alternative activities in the following year.
Some students who are interested in a topic may ask for opportunities to expand their knowledge, with no thought of earning extra points. (Pinch yourself to make sure you’re not dreaming!) Encourage them to pursue their interests, especially those that relate science to other subjects or personal interests. For example, a student in my life science class was interested in finding words relating to arthropods that had origins in mythologies (e.g., the Luna moth, nymphs, arachnids, the Cyclops copepod). I shared this with the language arts teacher (who did a unit on mythology) and we both encouraged her to pursue this interest. She shared a journal in which she kept her notes on the subject. She had an intrinsic “extra interest” rather than a need for extrinsic bonus points.
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/daviddmuir/1410227652/sizes/m/in/photostream/
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1328/1410227652_e0f5cf7f0e.jpg
My students are asking for “extra credit” work. I’m having second thoughts about doing this, especially since it seems that students wait until the end of the marking period to ask. Is there a good rationale for giving (or not giving) extra credit work?
—Wayne, Kansas City, Missouri
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2011-12-26
I recently talked with a high school senior who wants to become an elementary teacher. “Working with younger students, one thing I won’t have to think about is technology,” she said. She certainly has some misconceptions about elementary students! I thought about her as I read this issue of Science and Children and the examples of young students using technology for many tasks and in many contexts.
Space and technology seem to go hand in hand. To the Moon and Back show how students in Grades 2 and 3 used the Starry Night resource to gather data on phases of the moon and look for patterns and develop questions. The article includes a rubric, an example of a student journal entry, and a discussion of other technology application on the topic, including iPad/iPhone apps and online simulations. [SciLinks: Moon Phases]
The authors of Caught on Video use videos to document student projects. Students were both the subjects and the videographers as they demonstrated their work. The article has suggestions for incorporating more local videos in instruction. [SciLinks: Engineering Structures]
“No child left inside” could be the subtitle for Trail Blazers. The article describes a project in which 4th-graders created field guides (on iPods) for the school’s nature trail. Starting with a site study, they also created kits for teachers to use with students to study weather on the trail. [SciLinks: Identifying Trees, Nature]
What technology (if any) is appropriate for primary students? Harness Your Tech Side includes resources from the NAEYC on technology integration in the younger grades and a lesson plan on using technology to create a class book. Smart Boards Rock has pictures of students (not the teacher) at the board, manipulating objects and words. [SciLinks: Rocks]
Virtual Inquiry Experiences incorporated technology into a study of pond insects. Students shared their specimens with scientists who shared (through videoconferencing) the use of an electron microscope—quite an experience for these young students. Another option for younger students as described in Time for Slime, is a digital microscope connected to a projector. The pictures of students show the benefits of the large projected images. The formative assessment probe Representing Microscopic Life looks at student conceptions and misconceptions about microscope pond organisms. [SciLinks: Microscopes, Insects, Protozoa]
Classroom communications is changing, too. Not an Unfeasible “Extra” shows how students in 4th grade are blogging about their science learning. The teacher-author offers suggestions for starting a blogging project and a rubric to assess the blog content. In Turtles and Technology, other 4th graders took on a challenge to protect and advocate for an endangered species. They raised turtles to release in the wild used a variety of technology (blogging, producing videos, creating webpages, and even developing an online game) to inform the community of threats to the turtles.
After reading and reflecting on these articles, future elementary teachers have a lot to look forward to, with students who are very comfortable with technology. Secondary teachers have a lot to look forward to, also, as younger students become more familiar with technology as a tool for learning, communicating, and creating.
Several other articles have SciLinks connections: One Hungry Dinosaur [SciLinks: Dinosaurs] and Simple Machines [SciLinks: Simple Machines] And check out more Connections for this issue (December 2011). 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.
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2011-12-26
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2011-12-23
As a principal, I’d like to work with the teachers to develop some indicators to use during walkthroughs and classroom visits to assess how instructional practices in our science classes are changing as a result of the technology we’re using. Rather than reinventing the wheel, are you familiar with existing protocols we could use?
–Delores from Washington
It’s a good idea to develop a common language regarding what effective teaching could look like, especially when an entire school or department is engaged in a project. This common language clarifies discussions and fosters collaboration. You’re very wise to consider existing resources first to find descriptions and examples of this language.
I’m familiar with several protocols, including a few relating to science teaching in general. These protocols do not have indicators for technology integration per se, so you would have to determine how your technology initiative would relate:
The HEAT framework can be used to look at how students are integrating higher order thinking, engaged learning, authentic connections, and technology use. It’s not related to science specifically. The website includes a one-page document that summarizes look-fors.
A tool I’ve recently learned about is the Technology Integration Matrix from the Florida Center for Instructional Technology. The matrix shows the relationship between levels of technology integration (entry, adoption, adaptation, infusion, and transformation) and characteristics of the learning environment (active, collaborative, constructive, authentic, and goal directed). This matrix is applicable to K-12 and includes detailed descriptors and sample lessons in science, mathematics, social studies, and language arts. The samples can be searched by grade level and type of technology. The matrix site also has resources for professional development, including presentations, videos, and handouts of the matrix. I’m considering it for some projects I’m involved with because it considers not just doing things better with technology (taking notes from a PowerPoint instead of an overhead or looking up answers on a website instead of a textbook) but also doing better things with technology (collaborative activities, authentic learning, student reflection, or creative problem solving).
In my experience, however, it’s not the technology itself that changes classroom practices. Providing effective teachers with technology can make them more effective; providing technology to less effective teachers will not guarantee that instruction will improve. The key is focused and continuous feedback and professional development.
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nooccar/5495911044/
As a principal, I’d like to work with the teachers to develop some indicators to use during walkthroughs and classroom visits to assess how instructional practices in our science classes are changing as a result of the technology we’re using. Rather than reinventing the wheel, are you familiar with existing protocols we could use?
–Delores from Washington
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2011-12-16
In my Earth science classes, I require the students to keep notebooks. I give them directions as to what pages to put in the notebook and in what order. I thought this would be an easy grade for the students, but many of the students don’t follow the directions. Short of a failing grade for the notebooks, how can I demonstrate the value of organized notes?
—Sarah, Edison, New Jersey
A traditional approach to science notebooks uses a folder or binder to hold lab reports, homework, handouts and notes, tests and quizzes, and/or completed worksheets. The students are given a list of documents and the order in which they must appear in the notebook. The notebooks are graded periodically on how complete they are and on whether the documents are in the order required by the teacher. But how do students perceive the purpose of a notebook? Is the notebook a means to an end (to use in learning) or an end in and of itself (an archive for the teacher to grade)?
What makes a notebook useful?
Many teachers work with their students to create a personalized learning tool, one that will be used daily throughout the year. These teachers recognize the importance of helping their students to learn organizational strategies, but they also know the importance of helping students become better at recording and analyzing data and at using writing to reflect on and communicate what they are learning. These notebooks are dynamic documents in which students record their lab investigations, vocabulary, class notes, sketches, summaries, and other assignments.
To help students see the value of their notes, you could encourage them to use their notes to complete class assignments and projects. You could also allow students to refer to their notebooks for essay questions on a test. Giving students choices in what to include and how to organize it may give them more ownership in the process.
As you’ve observed, many students do need some guidance in getting and staying organized, whether they’re using a traditional notebook or an online version such as a wiki or LiveBinders. But how important is it for students to comply with the teacher’s directions on how to organize a notebook? I remember a high school teacher who required us to put the notes in one section, the lab reports in another, and the returned quizzes at the end. This may have been her way to organize her own notes, but it didn’t make sense to me—I preferred having all of the resources for a particular topic in one place. I complied with her directions, but the notebook was an assignment for her to grade, not a useful reference for me.
With high school students, they should experiment with different organizational strategies. I would share several examples, and students could choose the strategy that made sense to them. As I met with students, I looked at the table of contents and asked them to explain their strategy. Most chose a topical or chronological strategy, although one student had a notebook that was a total mess—papers upside down and in no particular order. I asked what strategy he used. He thought for a few seconds and said with a sheepish grin, “Would you believe random access?” He was doing very well in class, so I had to laugh with him.
In the NSTA Learning Center, I’ve compiled a sampling of articles from NTSA journals that have examples of how students and teachers are creating and using notebooks.
Photograph: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomsaint/2987926396/
In my Earth science classes, I require the students to keep notebooks. I give them directions as to what pages to put in the notebook and in what order. I thought this would be an easy grade for the students, but many of the students don’t follow the directions. Short of a failing grade for the notebooks, how can I demonstrate the value of organized notes?
—Sarah, Edison, New Jersey
By Claire Reinburg
Posted on 2011-12-14
From news that scientists have discovered the biggest black holes yet to dramatic video footage of volcanic eruptions, the new information science gleans about Earth and space grabs students’ attention. To help teachers capitalize on student curiosity and interest in Earth science, NSTA Press recently launched updated editions of the popular Project Earth Science Series for grades 5–10 teachers. Check out some of the creative lessons in these four resource books as well as additional lessons from NSTA Press books in the December issue of NSTA’s Book Beat. One timely lesson offered for free in this Book Beat issue is “Habitable Zone: How Distance and Temperature Are Related.” In this lesson, you can investigate with your students how distance from a light source and temperature help us understand why Earth is “just right” in its ability to support life. A recent New York Times article focused on findings from NASA’s Kepler satellite telescope that suggest astronomers may soon announce progress in the search for other habitable planets. Imagine other Earth-like planets that we might soon be studying in the lab and the classroom! The Project Earth Science Series includes individual books on Astronomy, Geology, Meteorology, and Physical Oceanography chock full of activities on a wide range of Earth and space topics.
From news that scientists have discovered the biggest black holes yet to dramatic video footage of volcanic e
By Peggy Ashbrook
Posted on 2011-12-12
What engineering practices do you do in your classroom?
Peggy
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2011-12-11
My middle schoolers were full of energy! This month’s Science Scope has many suggestions for channeling their enthusiasm into studying energy transformations. What’s really relevant is that most of the activities require simple materials and can be completed within a few class periods, while still focusing on higher-order thinking and science/engineering practices.
Middle-schoolers love a challenge, especially when they can work in teams. Powering the Future describes a wind turbine design challenge. Students demonstrate their understanding of how energy changes form in the process. The authors provide suggestions on time (2 class periods), equipments needed, student handouts, and a rubric. The photos show the creativity of the students. Generating Excitement has a related activity in which students build generators. (It’s a coincidence that I was reading this article while traveling–as a passenger–through western NY and PA where there are many windmills on the ridges, providing a real-life application). [SciLinks: Wind Energy, Kinetic and Potential Energy]
NSTA journals have published have published articles describing investigations using common objects such as pencils and paper. Clips and Clamps describes a 5E hands-on activity (including a student handout) with these common classroom objects. This would certainly fit into a unit on simple machines (levers). [SciLinks: Mechanical Advantage, Pencils, Paper, Simple Machines]
Students can demonstrate their creativity as well as their understanding of motion and forces as described in Drivers, Start Your Glue Guns. In this challenge, students build “stock car pasta pods” and test the distance their model can travel. [SciLinks: Forces and Motion, Measuring Motion, Laws of Motion]
Every four years, it seems that people are intrigued by the Winter Olympic sport of curling. The author of Swept Away describes how her students learn science concepts along with a new sport—and if you don’t have a curling rink or club nearby, the article has video resources. [SciLinks: Friction]
As the author of Teaching About Heat and Temperature Using an Investigative Demonstration notes, the transfer of thermal energy is a difficult concept for middle school students (and others!). He shares how he uses the Predict-Share-Observe-Explain sequence for class demonstrations and formative assessment probes to help students with concepts of conduction and convection. [SciLinks: Heat Transfer, Conduction, Convection]
Energy Scavenger Hunt provides a real-life look at uses and costs of electricity. Students find examples of energy use at home (the authors provide suggestions for students who are unable to complete the activity at home). [SciLinks: Ohm’s Law, Current Electricity, Electrical Circuits]
Look at That! shows a different sort of transfer of energy–from Eww and Gross to Wow and Cool as students observe and describe the behavior of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. Instead of just keeping these (or other classroom pets) in the back of the room, the authors show how putting them center stage can be an effective way to improve students’ skills in observation and description. [SciLinks: Insects]
By Claire Reinburg
Posted on 2011-12-11
Can it reflect light? Is it a plant? Is it made of cells? These questions are among more than 100 formative assessment probes developed by Page Keeley and her colleagues to help teachers elicit information about what students think about key science concepts. A capacity crowd at Keeley’s Seattle conference session turned out to learn more about these powerful tools and how to use them in the classroom to delve deeper into student thinking. Keeley began her session, “What Were They Thinking?” by pointing out that teachers realize “students don’t come to us as empty vessels; they have preconceptions about science.” A teacher who brings those student ideas to the surface can challenge students’ existing ideas and encourage them to think more deeply about a science concept. As Keeley noted, lab equipment like Vernier probes can help us see below the surface and collect additional information, thereby deepening our knowledge. The formative assessment probe is a specific type of question that similarly can help us look beneath the surface to learn more about student thinking.
The probes in Uncovering Student Ideas in Science are engaging questions that promote a lot of talk, argumentation, and thought among students. Teachers who use probes at the beginning of a lesson or unit help make students’ thinking visible to the teacher, the class, and sometimes to the students themselves, who might not have realized their ideas until they were brought to the surface in a probe activity. One probe that Keeley highlighted is “Can It Reflect Light?” Students are given a list of items such as water, soil, mirror, rusty nail, and red apple and asked to sort them into items that reflect light and items that do not. The second part of these activity is the most powerful part, Keeley said, because students are then asked to explain their reasoning for the sorted lists they created. The student explanations give teachers rich insights into preconceptions or gaps in students’ knowledge, thereby guiding the teacher in how to structure an ensuing lesson. Several common ideas students have about light and reflection include the assumption that only light-colored or shiny objects reflect light, for example. A teacher might structure a lesson that offers numerous opportunities for students to explore light and reflectivity to gain first-hand understanding that “if you can see it, it is reflecting light.”
Several different types of questions are used in the probes, including one Keeley called “Familiar Phenomena Probes.” These probes are designed to get at students’ thinking about familiar events. Examples are “Wet Jeans,” in which students ponder where the water has “gone” from a pair of wet jeans that dried while hanging on a clothesline, and “What’s in the Bubbles?”, in which students discuss what they think is in the bubbles that form in boiling water. The probes “What’s in the Bubbles?” and “Can It Reflect Light?” are available for download in the NSTA Science Store. Keeley’s session prompted a lively discussion among the teachers present about commonly held misconceptions and how strongly held they can become among students. Formative assessment probes like those in Uncovering Student Ideas in Science can be just the tool for teachers to employ when urging students to reexamine their existing ideas and deepen their understanding about important concepts in science.
Can it reflect light? Is it a plant? Is it made of cells? These questions are among more than 100 formative assessment probes developed by Page Keeley and her colleagues to help teachers elicit information about what students think about key science concepts. A capacity crowd at Keeley’s Seattle conference session turned out to learn more about these powerful tools and how to use them in the classroom to delve deeper into student thinking.