Partnering to Progress K-5 Science Alliance February 26, 2008 Blue Licks State Park Welcome! Please help yourself to some refreshments and make sure you have signed in.

Group Norms Start and end on time Put cell phones on silent Be respectful of all comments Everyone participates Exercise the rule of “two feet” Come prepared for each meeting Keep side conversations to a minimum

Review from January Completed diagnostic quiz Reviewed CTS Completed deconstruction for each grade level Analyzed grade-band force and motion activities.

Road Map for Today Professional Learning Communities Ready, Set, Science! Understanding Motion Role of Vocabulary Getting to Proficiency Deconstructed Standards

Today’s Learning Targets I will understand the intent of the P2P grant and its relationship to PLC. I will understand the intent of the force and motion standards as they relate to the grade level I teach as well as the implications K-5. I can describe motion using different representations (e.g., motion diagrams, graphs, pictures). I can explain the relationship between concept development and vocabulary development.

Professional Learning Communities Definition “Educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. Professional learning communities operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for all educators” Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work TM (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, © Solution Tree, 2006, pp. 95–97) Fundamental Assumptions 1. We can make a difference: Our schools can be more effective. 2. Improving our people is the key to improving our schools. 3. Significant school improvement will impact teaching and learning.

The ONE Thing in a Professional Learning Community, “learning” rather than “teaching” is the fundamental purpose of your school.

Three Big Ideas Focus on Learning Collaboration Focus on Results

Four Corollary Questions Question 1 – What are the essential outcomes that we expect students to learn? What should students know and be able to do as a result of this course, class, or grade level? Question 2 – How will we know if they are learning? What evidence will we gather? Questions 3 – How do we respond when students do not learn? Question 4 – What will we do when students are already proficient? What’s the source for professional teachers?

“No one of us can be effective as all of us.” — Unknown “Build with your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another, and of strength derived from unity in the pursuit of your objective.” — Vince Lombardi

“If I had to reduce all of educational psychology to just one principle I would say this: The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach him accordingly.” –Ausubel, 1968, Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View

“The model of the child as an empty vessel to be filled with knowledge provided by the teacher must be replaced. Instead, the teacher must actively inquire into students thinking, creating classroom tasks and conditions under which student thinking can be revealed. Students’ initial conceptions then provide the foundation on which the more formal understanding of the subject matter is built.” –From How People Learn

Deconstruction Review View the deconstruction work that was done at the last meeting. Examine standards and targets for congruency and completeness. Make revisions as needed.

“Research strongly suggests that a more effective approach to science learning and teaching is to teach and build on core concepts of science over a period of years rather than weeks or months.” –Ready, Set, Science! pg. 59

Ready, Set, Science! Please read the handout provided. Complete the reading guide before, during, and after you read. Discuss implications of the vignette.

“Her students used evidence and a shared sense of fairness to make a decision. They were able to explain their reasons with evidence…and challenge someone else’s evidence with counterevidence. They were able to propose a simple experiment to evaluate a particular claim…They listened respectfully to each other’s opinions, agreed and disagreed, and even changed their minds as new evidence was introduced.” –Ready, Set,Science! pg. 10

Representing Motion

SC-P-MF-S-2 Students will observe and describe (e.g., using words, pictures, graphs) the change in position over time (motion) of an object SC-P-MF-S-4 Students will use tools (e.g., timer, meter stick, balance) to collect data about the position and motion of objects in order to predict changes resulting from pushes and pulls SC-P-MF-S-7 Students will use standard units of measurement (e.g., meters, inches, seconds) during investigations to evaluate/compare results SC-EP Students will describe the change in position over time (motion) of an object. An object’s motion can be observed, described, compared and graphed by measuring its change in position over time. DOK 2 SC-EP Students will describe the position and motion of objects and predict changes in position and motion as related to the strength of pushes and pulls. The position and motion of objects can be changed by pushing or pulling, and can be explored in a variety of ways (such as rolling different objects down different ramps). The amount of change in position and motion is related to the strength of the push or pull (force). The force with which a ball is hit illustrates this principle. By examining cause and effect relationships related to forces and motions, consequences of change can be predicted.

Representing Motion I.Moving on a Map On a piece of chart paper, map the motion of the Kick Dis using the data provided Summarize your observations about the motion of the Kick Dis from this data Can you tell how fast the Kick Dis is moving?

Representing Motion II.Graphing Distance vs. Time Set up a graph on a piece of chart paper; put distance on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal Plot Runs 1, 2 and 3 (use different colors for each run) Compare the information the graph provides to the information the map provides; write your response on your chart paper. Is the Kick Dis moving faster in Run 1 or Run 3? How do you know? Add Run 4 to your graph. –What is the effect of speed on the appearance of the graph?

Representing Motion III. Interlude: a game to play Produce a set of diagrams representing the motion of an imaginary object, the Simonsaysmobile. Prepare to explain the motion of the Simonsaysmobile from your diagrams to your small group.

Representing Motion IV. A Quiz

Representing Motion V. Representing speeding up and slowing down Sketch the resulting graphs from each demonstration in your notebook. Clearly summarize the change in motion each graph represents. Are these graphs different from the earlier graphs you did? Explain. How does each graph describe motion in a way that is different from just watching the cart move? How can you use the graphs to predict what the motion would be like at a later time if the pusher had just continued longer?

Representing Motion How do these graphs provide you with a different perspective on motion from watching the motion itself? How can these graphs be used to distinguish types of motion? What types of motion are represented by these graphs? Which graphs indicate something is undergoing a change in motion? –Under what circumstances is a change in motion taking place?

“Evidence is the heart of scientific practice. Proficiency in science entails generating and evaluating evidence as part of building and refining models and explanations of the natural world.” –Ready, Set,Science! pg. 19

Science and Vocabulary What is the role of vocabulary in assisting student’s understanding of science concepts? What are some myths about vocabulary and understanding of scientific concepts? What does research suggest about effective vocabulary instruction in science?

Science and Vocabulary “Students must learn scientific vocabulary after they have had a concrete experience…Ideas develop from experiences, and technical terms develop from the ideas and operations that are rooted in those experiences. When terms come first, students just tend to memorize so much technical jargon that it sloughs off in a short while.” Writing in Science pg. 30 “Place a word card in the science word bank after the students have had a concrete experience with something and have a need to know the appropriate term.” Writing in Science pg. 30

Science and Vocabulary “Word learning in science can and should be approached as conceptual learning. Even though it is true that words are labels for concepts, it is better to think of them as inherently conceptual in order to prevent ourselves from teaching them as a set of labels and definitions. If we assert that words are concepts, we are more likely to help students understand how they connect to other concepts to form rich conceptual networks.” Linking Science and Literacy in the K-8 Classroom pg. 235 “…create opportunities for students to encounter and use a focused set of core concepts words in discussion and in print.” Linking Science and Literacy in the K-8 Classroom pg. 236

Science and Vocabulary Characteristics of effective direct vocabulary instruction from Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement by R. Marzano pgs –Effective vocabulary instruction does not rely on definitions. –Students must represent their knowledge of words in linguistic and nonlinguistic ways. –Effective vocabulary instruction involves the gradual shaping of word meanings through multiple exposures. –Teaching word parts enhances students’ understanding of terms. –Different types of words require different types of instruction. –Students should discuss the terms they are learning. –Students should play with words. –Instruction should focus on terms that have a high probability of enhancing academic success.

“The point is to emphasize the goal of understanding concepts, which is very different than merely memorizing vocabulary or definitions. By not emphasizing technical terms in the early grades, the teacher avoids sending the counterproductive message to students that science is about memorizing terms and definitions for phenomena that they fundamentally don’t understand.” –Ready, Set, Science! pg. 65

To Proficiency and Beyond! What do our standards suggest about developing students who are proficient in science? Verb lists from PoS and CCA

Take Home Message Developing students’ understanding of force and motion requires providing numerous experiences, making observations, organizing evidence, and explaining the evidence from K-12 th grade.

Road Map for Today Professional Learning Communities Ready, Set, Science! Understanding Motion Role of Vocabulary Getting to Proficiency Deconstructed Standards

Next Time Next meeting is March 25 th Continue development of force and motion concepts K-5