P ACING AND C ONTENT F IRST G RADING P ERIOD G RADE 6 Presented by Dr. Ava D. Rosales Instructional Supervisor Miami-Dade County public Schools Division of Mathematics, Science and Advanced Academic Programs

W ELCOME Make a Name Tent and include: NAME SCHOOL One thing exciting that happened in your classroom last year

A GENDA Day 1  Goals of the Inservice  Making Sense of Science Instruction:  Why is the Nature of Science the foundation of science courses?  Effective Instructional Strategies to teach the Nature of Science.  Lab #1  Effective Implementation of the 2010 Pacing Guides Emphasizing Hands-On Instruction  Modeling a Lesson  Content Knowledge in Science  Rotation Labs  Resources and Web Sites

G OALS FOR THE S ESSION ◦ Effective Implementation of the 2010 Pacing Guides with an emphasis in hands-on learning ◦ Explore aspects of the nature of science (NOS) as it is embedded in content lab and exploration activities ◦ Enhance questioning strategy skills ◦ Explore learning activities designed to promote understanding of content and nature of science using an “explicit- reflective” approach.

N ORMS  P articipate Actively  A sk questions  L earn by doing  Set your own learning into action  _______________________________ Bathroom and Electronic Devices

M AKING S ENSE OF S CIENCE : T HE F OUNDATION OF S CIENCE T EACHING THE N ATURE OF S CIENCE (NOS) Activity: Why is the Nature of Science the foundation of all science courses? What aspects of the NOS must be revisited and reinforced?

T EACHING THE N ATURE OF S CIENCE As with content knowledge, the concepts underlying the nature of science need to be made explicit to our students if we want them to develop a clear working knowledge of what science is and how it is done.

G ETTING W ARMED U P … We are going to watch a short clip from a nature video. Take a minute before the video begins and think about how you would distinguish an observation from an inference. As the video proceeds, write down everything that you observe.

W HAT DID YOU OBSERVE ? Observations:

A RE ALL OF OUR “ OBSERVATIONS ” ACTUALLY OBSERVATIONS ? How can we differentiate between observations and inferences?

H OW ARE OBSERVATIONS AND INFERENCES DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER ? Observations describe what is readily discernable by the senses. They tend not to create controversy among different observers because the evidence of their senses agree. Example: There is a book on the table. Inferences attempt an explanation of some phenomenon or describe something not readily discernable by the senses. Example: Sam left his book on the table.

A RE OBSERVATIONS MORE IMPORTANT IN SCIENCE THAN INFERENCES ? NO! Observations and inferences are both fundamental elements of science. All scientific knowledge is based on observation and inference. Humans are naturally inclined to create explanations for the observations that we make, so students often need help thinking about differences between what can be perceived (observations) and their interpretations (inferences).

N OW THAT WE HAVE DISTINGUISHED BETWEEN THE TWO, LET ’ S TRY IT AGAIN. We have three pictures taken of a rock surface with a set of impressions on it. As you are shown each picture, write down what you observe in that picture and then come up with as many inferences as possible based on those observations.

Picture 1

P ICTURE 2

How have our inferences changed with the addition of this new information?

P ICTURE 3

Which inferences are we left with?

O BSERVATIONS AND I NFERENCES The emphasis on distinguishing between observations and inferences is not meant to keep students from making inferences. Inferences are also critical to the process of science. The point is to help students recognize that inferences based on scientific observations and other forms of data are influenced by background experiences, prior knowledge, creativity, etc. This is why scientists find it helpful to discuss their inferences with others, particularly those with different backgrounds.

I NSTRUCTIONAL S TRATEGIES  Explicit-reflective approach ◦ In the day’s activities, participants were encouraged to explicitly reflect on how they were thinking about ideas relative to NOS  In the past, it was common to assume that students would learn NOS by doing science ◦ Students learn about observations by making observations ◦ Students learn about scientific theory in the course of studying specific theories  Research in science education disputes this idea ◦ Students tend NOT to learn about the nature of making observations, laws, theories and other aspects of science by just engaging in science. ◦ Students need to be encouraged to explicitly reflect on NOS ideas. 20

E FFECTIVE I MPLEMENTATION OF THE 2010 P ACING G UIDES WITH AN E MPHASIS IN H ANDS -O N I NSTRUCTION Year at a Glance Unwrapping the Benchmarks Examining the New Pacing Guides and the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards What Does it Mean to Effectively Implement the Pacing Guide?

C ONNECTING I NSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES, C ONTENT, AND S TANDARDS Design of this session 1- Examine Standards & benchmarks 2- Narrow the focus to benchmarks of particular interest 3- Identify important content represented within these benchmarks 4- Develop learning goals related to that content 5- Select activities and instructional strategies consistent with the learning goals

NGSSS Observations and Inferences

Y EAR - AT - A -G LANCE

U NWRAPPING THE B ENCHMARKS W HAT ?...W HY ?...H OW ?...

M ODELING A L ESSON E VAPORATION AND C ONDENSATION

L AB ROLES

L AB W RITE - UP F ORMATS Writing in ScienceWriting in Science – tapping into student thoughts Selecting the appropriate format Modeling Framework – demonstrations, models Power Writing and the Art of Scientific Conclusions Parts of a Lab Report Engineering design

E XPLORING THE P ACING G UIDES T OPICS I THRU V Group Activity: What are the priority activities for each topic? What are the specific instructional strategies? How can “depth of knowledge” be achieved for each topic?

P ACING G UIDE T OPIC I C OMPREHENSIVE S CIENCE 1

O UR TASK Complete Unpacking Benchmarks Worksheet and lab activity for assigned topic What?…Why?…How? Report-out Findings What are the priority activities for each topic? What are the specific instructional strategies? How can “depth of knowledge” be achieved for each topic? Benefits Constraints/limitations Modifications

T AKE THE L EAD Complete Unpacking Benchmarks Worksheet and lab activity for assigned topic Report-out Findings What are the priority activities for each topic? What are the specific instructional strategies? How can “depth of knowledge” be achieved for each topic? Benefits Constraints/limitations Modifications

W HAT ARE THE PRIORITY ACTIVITIES ? Topic 1: Thermal Energy Movement Essential Lab  Melting Ice Addresses: SC.6.E.7.1 …radiation, conduction, and convection…; SC.6.E.7.2 …cycling of water between atmosphere and hydrosphere…  Modeling the Greenhouse Effect ExploreLearning Gizmos: Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse Effect Addresses: SC.6.E.7.4 (AA) … interactions among atmosphere, biosphere…

W HAT ARE THE PRIORITY ACTIVITIES ? TOPIC II: Atmosphere and Spheres of the Earth Essential Lab  Observing Evaporation and Condensation Addresses: SC.6.E.7.2 …cycling of water between atmosphere and hydrosphere… SC.6.E.7.4 (AA) … interactions among hydrosphere…atmosphere…

W HAT ARE THE PRIORITY ACTIVITIES ? TOPIC 3: Causes of Weather Essential Lab  Difference Between Climate and Weather ◦ Addresses: SC.6.E.7.6… difference between climate and weather… Explorelearning Gizmo: Coastal Winds and Clouds ◦ Addresses: SC.6.E.7.3 … jet stream and ocean currents influence local weather in measurable terms such as temperature wind direction and speed…

E XPLICIT I NSTRUCTION Nature of Science Discuss and compare results obtained among groups of students Define a problem, investigate and report Differentiate among radiation, conduction and convection – mechanisms by which heat is transferred through Earth’s system

F INDINGS Benefits Constraints/limitations Modifications

What’s the difference between a fish and a submarine? One has lettuce and tomato and one has tarter sauce! W HAT A RE T HEY T HINKING ?

Q UESTIONING IN S CIENCE

U SING A R EADING S TRATEGY - J IGSAW Jigsaw: The Jigsaw helps students learn new material using a team approach. Students are responsible for becoming an "expert" on one part of a lesson and then teaching it to the other members of their team. Divide the sections into however many students are in each group. Have each student take one of the sections. They are to read it and know it well - become “experts.” "experts" of each individual section meet together to discuss their ideas on that particular section. After group discussions, each "expert" returns to his group and relates all the information about his particular topic. Source: Weber State University

Q UESTIONS TO S TIMULATE S TUDENT T HINKING To encourage students' reasoning about mathematics and science, and to involve them in higher-order thinking processes, teachers must be adept at posing clarifying and provocative questions. Florida Curriculum Framework, p. 146

Helping students work together to make sense of mathematics or science: "What do others think about what Sam said?" "Do you agree? Disagree?" "Does anyone have the same answer but a different way to explain it?" "Would you ask the rest of the class that question?" "Do you understand what they are saying?" "Can you convince the rest of us that makes sense?" Q UESTIONS TO S TIMULATE S TUDENT T HINKING

Helping students to rely more on themselves to determine whether something is correct:  "Why do you think that?"  "Why is that true?"  "How did you reach that conclusion?"  "Does that make sense?“  "Can you make a model to show that?" Q UESTIONS TO S TIMULATE S TUDENT T HINKING

Helping students learn to reason:  "Does that always work?"  "Is that true of a counter example?"  "How would you prove that?"  "What assumptions are you making?" Q UESTIONS TO S TIMULATE S TUDENT T HINKING

Helping students learn to conjecture, invent, and solve problems:  "What would happen if...?"  "Do you see a pattern?"  "What are some possibilities here?"  "Can you predict the next one? What about the last one?"  "How did you think about the problem?"  "What decision do you think he should make?"  "What is alike and what is different about your method of solution and hers?" Q UESTIONS TO S TIMULATE S TUDENT T HINKING

Helping students to make connections within the content, between content areas, and to the real world  "How does this relate to...?"  "What ideas that we have learned before were useful in solving the problem?"  "Have we ever solved a problem like this one before?"  "What uses of mathematics [science] did you find in the newspaper last night?"  "Can you give me an example of... in the real world?" Q UESTIONS TO S TIMULATE S TUDENT T HINKING

REMEMBER Questions drive the inquiry process.

E NHANCING C ONTENT K NOWLEDGE Lab Rotations: ◦ Melting Ice (Topic I) ◦ Modeling the Greenhouse Effect (Topic I) ◦ Observing Evaporation and Condensation (Topic II) ◦ Climate and Weather (Topic III) ◦ Coastal Winds and Clouds (Topic III) Discussion of Content with Depth of Understanding

W HAT CAN I DO ? T EACHING THE C ONTENT How might you use your current curricular materials and the discussions we have had within this session to teach the following in your classroom? Nature of Science Earth and Space What do you expect your students to find challenging about these ideas? What misconceptions might students hold about NOS that you will need to address?

D ISTRICT S CIENCE W EB S ITE

R ESOURCES  Curriculum and Instruction  Florida Department of Education  Florida Standards and Course Descriptions  Florida PROMiSE  Gizmos

T HE S CIENCE C LASSROOM E SSENTIALS Contact information: Dr. Ava D. Rosales, Instructional Supervisor

R EFLECTIONS AND F OLLOW - UP