Dr. Russ Wright Science Teacher Retired from MCPS (after 32 years) Program Coordinator The George Washington University Award-Winning Author Event-Based Science Event-Based Science Peabody Museum of Natural History July 11, 2011

Dr. Russ Wright Science Teacher Retired in from MCPS 1998 (after 32 years of service as a science teacher and curriculum developer) Program Coordinator The George Washington University Award-Winning Author Event-Based Science Event-Based Science Peabody Museum of Natural History July 11, 2011

Dr. Russ Wright Science Teacher Retired from MCPS Program Coordinator The George Washington University Award-Winning Author Event-Based Science Event-Based Science Peabody Museum of Natural History July 11, 2011

Dr. Russ Wright Science Teacher Retired from MCPS Program Coordinator The George Washington University Award-Winning Author Event-Based Science Event-Based Science Peabody Museum of Natural History July 11, 2011

EBS - What is it?

EBS is a Prototype At the Foundation, we view the Event-Based Science Project as a prototype for the rest of the nation. It encompasses much of what we envision as the future for mathematics and science education: connecting to real-world events, integrating ideas and information from different classes, incorporating computers and information from television and newspapers, and teaching through team-based, hands-on activities. Walter Massey, Director National Science Foundation ( )

EBS  Event-Based Science is a different way to teach: it uses newsworthy events to establish relevance and context; it uses authentic tasks to create the need-to-know; and it uses interviews, photographs, Web pages, and inquiry-based activities to provide information.

EBS  Newsworthy events come in two flavors: Disasters: HURRICANES FLOODS OUTBREAKS FAMINES EARTHQUAKES FIRES Non-disasters: NEW THRILL RIDES CRIMES SPORTING EVENTS NEW RECORDS SET NEW MEDICINES DISCOVERIES in the NEWS

EBS  Television News is used to establish relevance, interest, and context. CNN and NBC News partnered with us to provide video clips on VHS tape. SHOW HURRICANE! HOOK HOOK

EBS  Television News is used to establish relevance, interest, and context.

EBS  Television News is used to establish relevance, interest, and context. EBS Hooks are now available on YouTube.

EBS  TV News is also used as the context for exploring students’ background knowledge. 1.What are hurricanes and what causes them? 2.What is it about this part of the country that accounts for the fact that we rarely experience hurricanes? 3.There are other forms of violent weather that affect New Haven. Make a list of the violent weather events that we experience, and rank them from most to least frequent. 4.What is the most important way that weather affects your life?

EBS  TV News is also used as the context for exploring students’ background knowledge. Small groups work together to answer the questions. Why small groups? Reporting out. What should the teacher do when answers are different?

EBS  An authentic Task creates the need-to-know. Hurricane! Publish a newspaper for a city being threatened by a hurricane.

EBS  The authentic Task puts kids in teams with roles to play. Hurricane! Roles: Editor-in-Chief Reporter Hurricane Specialist Environmental Scientist Meteorologist Natural Hazards Planner

EBS  Activities provide the information and skills students need to accomplish the task.

EBS  EBS activities are scenario based.

18 Strategies that Promote Learning Strategies that promote learning take advantage of how the brain works naturally: The brain looks for patterns so that it knows how different concepts connect to one another. The brain learns best in social settings especially when there is positive emotion involved. The brain learns through the senses… the more senses involved the better we learn.

19 Strategies that Promote Learning Which teaching strategies actually work? In 2003, the Texas Legislature passed a law requiring the improvement of science education at all levels to prepare Texas students for postsecondary success. One of the goals was to identify research-based instructional strategies. (Other goals: identify research-based classroom materials, and research-based professional development strategies).

20 Strategies that Promote Learning The Texas Education Agency commissioned Texas A&M University to conduct a meta-analysis of national science education research to identify the most effective science instructional strategies. 390 studies were investigated and the results compiled. Strategies were ranked according to their effect size.

21 Strategies that Promote Learning effect size = standard deviation

22 Strategies that Promote Learning Collaborative Grouping Questioning Strategies Placing Learning In Context Inquiry Hands On Manipulation Assessment Strategies Use of Instructional Technology Tailoring Instructional material to meet the needs of students Strategies with a positive effect:

23 Strategies that Promote Learning Tailoring Instructional material to meet the needs of students Use of Instructional Technology Assessment Strategies Hands-On Manipulation Inquiry Questioning Strategies Collaborative Grouping And the winner is…

24 Strategies that Promote Learning Placing Learning In Context Context gives meaning to facts, it connects concepts to students’ lives, and gives students opportunities to solve complex problems. More importantly… context allows students to see patterns and make connections. It’s even better when the context is emotionally-charged and many senses are engaged.

25 Developing an Event-Based Unit What are the Steps? 1.Select a topic that addresses one of your standards. 2.Choose an event that connects naturally to the topic. 3.Review possible hooks and select the best one. 4.Identify a task that flows from the event and challenges students to learn the standard. 5.Develop activities that prepare students to complete the task.

The End