1. Welcome to FOSS VARIABLES Workshop
Charlotte McDonald, FOSS Consultant
Introductions: Cards to get to know one another
De-briefing session: Put concerns on parking lot chart
Restrooms:
Lunch 11:30-12:30 p.m.

2. Goals for You
Participate in FOSS investigations and see how they are part of the larger goals of the kit.
See how inquiry learning models are woven into the lessons/investigations
Get to know the FOSS Variables lessons, equipment, manual, assessment. Fossweb, DVD and Science Stories
Get answers to your questions.
Feel more confident about teaching Variables
Goals

3. Assessment Chart Assessment chart for each investigation. Student name
Space for each Part of the Investigation
Systematic Observation
+ (plus)
√ (check)
- (minus)
Prepare Assessment chart –show from manual

4. Prepare the Assessment Chart for Clipboard Cruising.

5. Collaborative Groups
Getter 1 – getting and returning materials/equipment
Getter 2 – getting and returning materials/equipment
Starter – sees that everyone gets a turn and that everyone contributes to the investigation
Reporter – make sure that everyone has recorded the information. Reports group data to the class.
Cards on tables. For some investigations – work in pairs.

6. Kansas Indicators Inquiry Standard 1.
Students questions that he/she can answer by investigating.
Student plans and conducts a simple investigation.
Student employs appropriate equipment, tools, and safety procedures to gather data.
Student begins developing the abilities to communicate, critique, analyze his/her own investigations, and interprets the work of other students.

7. Why incorporate science notebooks into FOSS?
Documentation: An organized record
Cognitive Engagement: Constructing concepts and building explanations
A benefit to students
A benefit to teachers
Research shows they work!
For this workshop, we will set up a Science Notebook similar to the students. You may take notes in this – it is for your learning. Student benefits: become better organized and efficient in work;
will learn a variety of ways to collect and display data, have more
Meaningful science discussions because they have their own data;
Notebooks become a reference.
Teacher benefits: informal assessment;
look for conceptual understanding; way to provide student feedback;
Focal point for discussions; use during parent conferences;
Provides a different way to think about unit. (Make notebooks)

8. Who is the Audience for the Science Notebook?
Teacher
Parents
Students
Principal
Other Scientists
With whom are the students communicating with when they write their entries? If the teacher is the audience, then students try to please the teacher. The students also assume that the teacher knows what the students have done therefore does not help students write to an audience outside the classroom which is an important writing skill. Other Scientists – the standards of communication are other scientists. “What do you think another scientist would need to know if she or he were trying to understand more about what you observed?” Based on research done at Seattle Public Schools.

9. SCIENCE NOTEBOOKS www.sciencenotebooks.org
LET’S GET STARTED…
Cover or Title Page
Give your science notebook a title.
This should give the reader an idea of what this notebook will be about.
The Cover will emerge for you as you take this notebook with you from place to place. Some people will doodle, some will cover the cover, some will leave it just the way it is, some will add stickers.
Put name on front of notebook.
It is yours and you can express yourself through the cover, if you so desire.
WSTA Presentation October 2006

10. Organization Of Science Notebooks Table of Contents Numbered Pages
Documentation of Work
Glossary and/or Index
Appendix for inserts or rubrics to be used for assessment
Basic set up of notebook. Some lower grade teachers number pages for the students.

11. Students sample of table of contents. What do you notice
Students sample of table of contents. What do you notice? Set up your Table of Contents using pages 1-5.

12. TABLE OF CONTENTS Use the first 1-5 pages for the Table of Contents…
DATE ACTIVITY/TITLE PAGE #
How to set up a science
notebook.
You are going to create a student generated Table of Contents when the student takes a ruler and creates a simple table in which the data will be housed. Three columns with a ruler width on the left and right with the center section left for the activity. Paper clip pages of ToC together so they are not used for investigations.
Teachers usually follow a pattern in having students make entries into the Table of Contents. It happens right before the lesson or directly after. A partner check works well for reinforcing entries are made.
Facilitator (Give them a few minutes to create a one page Table of Contents), paper clip pages together so student don’t use up pages that should be dedicated to Table of Contents

13. Number your pages
Now take a few moments to number your pages. You will notice that the #1 is on the right hand side. This is a convention you will find in any published material. 1

14. Number through 10 2 3 Continue to number your pages through page 10.
WRITE first entry, date, How to set up a science notebook, start with Page #1 – each person write what you have done so far. Can organize this with bullet points or numbers. 2 3

15. Index: References Vocabulary
Example:
TURN & TALK: What helps you remember or learn something? (writing, highlighting, underlining) (Use the last 4 pages in notebook to mark off alphabetical grid. Show handout and let them know that I will send that to Ryanne)
The index is a powerful tool for two reasons. First, it allows the student to construct a real time reference tool for finding definitions and use of the new science vocabulary in the context of the meaningful experience of the first hand investigation. Next, it provides exposure to elements of non-fiction text, one of which is the index. What better way to learn about how an index functions than to be involved in construction and using one of your own?
Turn notebook upside-down so don’t run out of room if need to add more vocabulary. Discuss other ways to have glossary – more traditional for checking. 15

16. Investigation 1, Part 1. Exploring Swingers
We are going to learn how to design and conduct scientific experiments.
Record your data and information in your science notebook.
We will work in teams of two. Each team will build the equipment that we need for our investigation.
Each team will build a “Swinger.” See the instructions on “How to Build a Swinger.”
Demonstrate the Swinger. Let students play with the swinger. Introduce the word “Pendulum”. Go over the parts – of the pendulum – bob or Mass (not weight). Add to word bank. Ask students to write words in notebook.
Question: How many times do you think your swinger will swing in 15 seconds? Prediction.

17. Each person make a swinger according to directions
Each person make a swinger according to directions. 50 cm string (38 cm), 1 paper clip, masking tape, meter tape, 1 penny. Practice making your swinger/pendulum swing.

18. Establishing Procedures
Swinger Test
Standardize pivot point using pencils
Standardize: what is a swing? Introduce CYCLE
Standardize; release point
Test your pendulum: How many cycles do you have in 15 seconds?
Page 14

19. Notebook Entries Planning the Investigation
Data Acquisition and Organization
Making Sense of Data
Reflection and Self-Assessment
We will go over each of these… There are 4 major functions of the notebook.

20. Notebook Entry
How many cycles (swings) does your pendulum have in 15 seconds?
Record information in your notebook.
What standards do you have?
Mass of the bob _______________
Length of the string ____________
Release position _______________
Write the question in your notebook. Be sure to date the page and write this in your Table of Contents. Highlight the vocabulary words and put in index. With your student each pair makes a swinger but in the training each participant builds a swing to take home.

21. Planning the Investigation
Narrative Plans
Based on focus question
Short description of plan
Lists
Materials list
Dates of observations, people
Step-by-Step Procedures
A lot of FOSS worksheets provide a procedure. It is not advised to have student spend a lot of time copying a procedure. A short description could be about what you are testing. Only list materials that are VERY important to the investigation. Students usually don’t know their “procedure” until they have investigated so this should be in the reflection.
Teach each of these parts of a plan over the year.
Keep the step-by-step procedures simple when starting out.
It’s very time consuming. You need to decide what’s critical to teach
At your grade level.

22. Data Acquisition and Organization
Records:
Clearly related to focus question
Accurate and precise
Organized for efficient reference
Acquisition: Words, phrases, numbers, drawings
Display: narratives, drawings, charts, graphs, diagrams, calendars, artifacts
Once again, these need to be taught. For some reason, students
forget year to year…
Observations might be words and drawings
Phrases - I think of landforms quick student descriptions of what’s
Happening in the stream table
Numbers: measurements, counts

23. Word Bank
Add words to Word Bank: bob, mass, Pendulum, cycle, variable. Page 15. Definitions imbedded in notebook.

24. Notebook Entry
What could you change in your swinger system that might change the number of swings in 15 seconds?
List the things that the class comes up with on the Board and notebook – Could use white Boards
Introduce VARIABLES. Add Variable to the Word Bank. List the variables in your notebook and write about what a variable is. Highlight and put in index.

25. Content/Inquiry Chart
What is a variable?
What is a pendulum and where have you seen one?
What variables might affect the number of cycles the pendulum makes in 15 seconds?
Write on the Content/Inquiry Chart (page 15) answering these questions. After writing in notebook ask participants to “turn and talk” to another person (not their partner)

26. Line of Leaning
This strategy allows students to add to their written ideas with additional ideas generated in class.
After writing their own ideas in their notebooks, students draw a line underneath their work.
During class discussion, students add new ideas below their line of learning.
The Line of Learning gives students the opportunity to continue to construct a concept through the discussion and ideas of other students.
Use the line of learning after turning and talking. Add anything more you learned about pendulums.

27. Formative Assessment Monitor student progress through
Teacher Observation
Student Sheets
Science Notebooks
Formative (ongoing) Assessment allows teachers to monitor student progress through observation and students’ responses in their science notebooks. Clip Board Cruz.
Scoring Guides are included to help you interpret students’ responses.

28. Time for a break!

29. Does changing the variable of:
Investigation 1, Part 2
Does changing the variable of:
release position effect the number of swings?
mass effect the number of swings?
length of the string effect the number of swings?
A controlled experiment is where one variable is changed. Prepare student sheets #5 &6.
Test the release position and put on number line then record class results in notebook.
Test Variable of Mass and put on number line then record class results in notebook.
Test the variable of length – student will make different length of pendulums.
Draw a Table on Chart paper: Length and No. of swings (page 20). Hang on number line.
Add to Content chart: Is there a relationship between the length of the pendulum and the number of swings a pendulum makes in 15 seconds? (page 21)

30. Making Sense of Data Frames and Prompts Claims and Evidence
Conclusion and predictions
I wonder…
What did you find out? Ways to address your findings.
First of all…Always talk first…Research is showing the strength
Of discourse

31. Frames and Prompts Sentence Starters I used to think…but now I think…
The most important thing to remember about ________ is…
One thing I learned about…
Questions
How can you use…to …?
What is the best way to…?
Why do you think so?
A lot of times, teachers will use the questions so that
students can have a discussion about their experiments. Participants write in their notebook about one of these for the crayfish.
Students need to think about what they learned and how they learned it

32. Pendulum Swings I claim that the number of swings The evidence is
CLAIMS
EVIDENCE
I claim that the number of swings
The evidence is
Look at your notebook at the results of the three tests for the pendulums. In your notebook make a Claims and Evidence chart. Training – write a class claim together and write evidence together. “I claim that the number of swings can be changed by changing the length of the string. The evidence is that difference length of strings produced difference amounts of swings.”

33. Picture the Relationship
Length
No. of Swings
Use the information from the “length” number line to make this T chart: See page 21.

34. Relationship Statements
The longer the pendulum, the _________the swings.
The shorter the pendulum, the _______ the swings
The greater the number of swings, the ______the pendulum.
The fewer the number of swings the ________the pendulum.
1. fewer greater 3. shorter longer. As the length of the string increases, the number of swings decreases. And the converse: as the length of the string decreases, the number of swings increases

35. Investigation 1: Part 3 – Predicting Swings
Introduce the Two-Coordinate Graph
See page 25 – have participants make their 2 coordinate graph. Student Sheet No. 7.
Making predictions with two-coordinate graph
Predict from the graph what 80 cm would be?- 8.5 cycles
SHOW teacher video re: 2 coordinate graph lesson

36. Word Bank & Content/Inquiry Chart
Page 27
Two – Coordinate Graph
If one variable is known, a two-coordinte graph can be used to predict the value of its corresponding vaiable.

37. Writing Conclusions
Links the claims and evidence plus can apply science concepts.
Addresses the prediction, answers the focus question or the solution to the problem identified.
Describes what was learned from the investigation. I learned……, We found……
Extend learning with “after reading” strategies
Make connections to real world applications
Use experimental write up to do this. Each participants share. For Scaffolding see “Data Analysis” hand-out. Then hand out “Conclusion Writing Frame.” Tape in notebook or write in notebook.

38. Summative Assessment Assessment Scoring Guide 0-4
Performance Assessment – answering questions based on manipulating materials.
Drawing pictures or schematics to answer questions.
Explain through writing
Multiple choice with pictures and words.
Narrative items – engaging scenario to explain.
Turn to page 5 in the Assessment folio.

39. Plan with the end in mind.
Answers: 1. C, 2. B, 3. D, 4. C, 5. A
Answers in the Assessment Folio after the “assessment” tab.

40. It’s not the experience that makes the learning.
It’s the reflection on that experience.

41. FOSS Science Stories
Original student books developed to enhance the investigations
3-6 books are a collection of content rich stories and articles
32 softcover books included in kit
FOSS Science Stories are a series of original books developed to extend the hands-on investigations.
Participants read “Science in the Bathtub” page 12 and see the FOSS Stories instructional section page 8-9.
The books for grades K-2 are expository with text that relates directly to large, colorful images, calling student attention to particular details, suggesting comparisons, and encouraging students to think critically about images.
Science Stories for Grades 3-6 are collections of articles that relate directly to the content of the module. They are text driven, and use a number of writing styles.
32 softcover books are included in Drawer 1 of the kit. The K-2 modules also include one Big book.
FOSS Science Stories are available in Spanish.

42. Citation (MLA) A demonstration of the Foucault pendulum. 2005. Image
Citation (MLA) A demonstration of the Foucault pendulum..  Image. 19 July 2010. <

43. Getting to know the manual
FOSS Introduction
Overview
Materials
Investigations
Investigation Duplication Masters
Assessment
Assessment Duplication Masters
Science Stories
Resources
Foss Website

44. Getting to know the kit
Dig into the kit

45. Overview of investigations How to prepare equipment
Teacher Prep DVD’s
Overview of investigations
How to prepare equipment
Materials to collect
Model teaching
Student’s learning
Found on-line also
Remind them about the 2 Coordinate Graph Lesson. Show some of the “Boats” lessons

46. Sample Module Page www.fossweb.com Each module page includes
Interactive simulations to extend and apply the science content
additional resources and information,
a glossary of scientific terms introduced in the course,
And additional resources for Teachers and Parents
We are going to listen to the audio stories and go to the website.

47. Your Questions & Ideas

48. Variables Investigations
Investigation 2: Lifeboats
Investigation 3: Plane Sense
Investigation 4: Flippers
Work in 3 groups to develop a presentation of the instruction and equipment used in the investigation. Actually make airplane and flipper to take home.

49. Evaluation of Training
Questions
Concerns
Ideas
Contact: Charlotte McDonald, FOSS Consultant,
August 2010