1. The Science Lesson Summary
Gary Carlin, CFN 603
April 2012

2. “Summary” Definition:
“comprehensive; especially : covering the main points succinctly”
“expressing or covering the main points briefly : CONCISE”
“a comprehensive and usually brief abstract, recapitulation, or compendium of previously stated facts or statements.”

3. Starting Your Final Summary
“And now to SUMMARIZE the lesson, lets start by re-reading our AIM”
1. Restate the Main Points
2. Make it Clear & Concise (brief and to the point)
3. Discuss the Accuracy
4. Connect to: previous lessons/knowledge, real world, beliefs/misconceptions, and/or predictions

4. Check Understanding Application Situation (Roles)
New/Additional Information
Defend Thinking: Explain why/how …

5. For example, a student explains …
“LIFE: The property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism.”
… But do they really understand the difference between living and nonliving things?

6. August 2012 Regents
1 The ability to grow in size is a characteristic of living organisms. Although an icicle may grow in size over time, it is considered nonliving because there is
(1) an increase in matter, but no increase in the number of icicles
(2) an interaction between the icicle and the environment
(3) no way for the icicle to move away from heat
(4) no metabolic activity present

7. LE/ES MCQ Stem Processing Marks
Task Pronoun/(Ad)verb/Conjuction:
which, what, how, why, because, described, represents
Circle
Main Object, Organism, Process (-s/es)
Square
Key Information for Basis of Answer (2)
Double Underline
Quantifier:
least, greatest(ly), most, furthest, higher, lower, increase, decrease, oldest, youngest, #, reduced, insufficient, rapid, declined, deplete
“Sawtooth-Line”
Unit of Measure:
years, min, hr, etc.
“Sided-Underline”
Location
“L” above or below L
Albany
Letter(s) a
Circle with line above and below
Absolute Words
every, always, never
“Cloud-coil”
Negative Words
Not, No
Shaded

8. Processing the Answer Choices
/ - Divide answers when “and” or “but” is used to give two qualities
Circle the two most “similar” answers
Divide (line down) “matching answers”
Underline a key word/same word

9. August 2012 Regents
1 The ability to grow in size is a characteristic of living organisms. Although an icicle may grow in size over time, it is considered nonliving because there is
(1) an increase in matter, / but no increase in the number of icicles
(2) an interaction between the icicle / and the environment
(3) no way for the icicle to move away from heat
(4) no metabolic activity present

10. August 2012 Regents
2 The diagram below represents a woodpecker finch. This bird may best be described as
(1) a decomposer that most likely feeds on nectar (a sugary liquid) from flowers
(2) a heterotroph that may eat insects /and is more closely related to a robin than to an earthworm
(3) a scavenger that feeds on animals /and reproduces asexually
(4) an autotroph that probes tree bark for insects /and is pathogenic

11. August 2012 Regents
3 Which cell structure is correctly paired with its primary function?
(1) ribosome– protein synthesis
(2) mitochondrion– movement
(3) vacuole–cell division
(4) nucleus–storage of nutrients

12. August 2012 Regents 4 The diagram below represents many species
of plants and animals
and their surroundings.
The diagram best represents
(1) a population (3) an ecosystem
(2) a community (4) the biosphere

13. August 2012 Regents 5 The cytoplasm in a cell carries out a function
similar to a function of which human system?
(1) respiratory system (3) circulatory system
(2) reproductive system (4) nervous system

14. August 2012 Regents
6 Which statement best describes a human chromosome?
(1) It is made of amino acid subunits that form genes.
(2) It contains genes that may code for the production of enzymes.
(3) It is normally passed to the next generation through a placenta.
(4) It varies in function from one generation to the next.

15. August 2012 Regents
10 A scientist wants to change the DNA of a sexually reproducing organism and have the new DNA present in every cell of the organism. In order to do this after fertilization, she would change the DNA in the
(1) zygote
(2) placenta
(3) testes of the father
(4) ovaries of the mother

16. Medial Summary
Provides students with an opportunity to revisit the AIM to see what they have addressed in the lesson at the halfway point AND what they still need to address to complete to “answer the AIM”. (Summarize then Predict: “What’s Next”)
Helps students focus their thinking, practice summation, and learn ways to re-process information into new formats (ie. a graph, table, diagram, etc.)

17. “Chunk Summaries” (3-5) For each “chunk of a lesson”:
Stop and ask students to “summarize” main points/ideas ( Think Bullets)
Create/Modify notes and visuals
Create an Analogy
Ask a Question

18. Final Summary
Reviews main ideas, essential points, and highlights of the lesson and describes how they were used to answer the AIM.
Initiate related, deeper, and/or interesting questions, insights, or issues.
Intra- and Inter-unit connections and relationships

19. Relationships What’s the Relationship between …
____________ and ____________?
… Chromosomes and Enzymes?
… Cell Organelles and Body Systems?
… Population Size and Survival?
… Genes and Sex Cells?
… Sexual Reproduction and Genetic Information?
… Ozone and Carbon Dioxide?

20. Example of Summaries Verbal Recap/“Condenses and Connects”
“Process a Visual” to “Put it All Together”
*Filling in a Graphic Organizer/Template
*Writing of an Explanation/Description/Connection/Summary
Demonstration/Explanation of a final “Summary Problem(s)”
*Creation of a “process steps chart”, “problem check steps” or a “skill evaluation rubric”, etc. for future class use

21. Application
The application allows the teacher to assess student understanding and ideally, provides students with the opportunity to “use what they have learned”.
Students can now explore questions or problems that are “different” (higher level, different format, have something new that students should be able to figure out) from the questions/problems from the developmental section.
And most importantly, the application connects the ideas/concepts of the lesson to the real world.

22. Summary Reflection
►How did the summary bring out and connect the highlights of the lesson? Explain.
► How did you/students assess the summary of the lesson? Explain.
►How/Why did you supplement the student’s summation? Why?
►How did the “reprocessing” of the lesson’s content, help students develop greater understanding?