1. SCE 4310 U04 SPRING, 2014 Teaching Elementary Science Instructor Dr. George O’Brien

2. January 8, 2014 First Class - Agenda Introduction 5 min Sign-in for attendance 5 min Discuss Syllabus and Tentative Schedule 20 min Discuss Research 10 min What is Sustainability? 15 min Data Gathering 30 Min Survey/Concept Map 3 X 5 cards – Info Science as a Culture 15 min Nature of Science 15 min Design Challenge Activity 45 min

3. The NEW Basics for Education 1.AWARENESS of problems we may face. 2.Ability to ACCESS information. 3.Ability to ANALYZE information. 4.Ability to APPLY information. 5.Ability to THINK CRITICALLY and SOLVE PROBLEMS.

4. Tentative Schedule

8. Preparing Sustainability Literate K-6 Teachers: Utilizing Activity Theory during On- campus and School-based Experiences George O’Brien Ph.D. Kathy Sparrow Ph.D. Jennifer Morales Jason Clayborn

9. Purpose Institutions across the United States are becoming aware of the role sustainability plays in demonstrating the interdisciplinary holistic model is best addresses across the curriculum versus being a single topic based lesson (Nolet, 2009). It is widely accepted that elementary science teachers are lacking the self-efficacy and content need to address inquiry based science teaching in today’s classroom.

10. Purpose Therefore, this research will investigate the influences of providing content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and application needed to increase pre-service science teachers’ self efficacy and dispositions in including sustainability in education.

11. Operational Definitions Sustainability education is the act of presenting knowledge to the current generation to meet their needs without jeopardizing the needs of future generations.

12. Todays Class

13. 3 X 5 Card Last Name, First Name (nickname) Email address Mailing address (snail mail) Contact phone number Quick-Click Style

14. LEARNING CYCLE - 5 Es SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION SCIENCE EDUCATION SCIENCE CONTENT NGSSS & NGSS HABITS OF MIND CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING SCIENCE EDUCATION

15. Chapter 1 Topics The Culture of ScienceScientific Habits of MindImages of TeachingTeaching for the Purpose of LearningScience within the School CurriculumWho is Included in “Science for All”?Exploring Reasons for Science Achievement GapsCultures In and Of the Classroom ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

16. The Culture of Science Group norms, certain materials and specific actions = A cultureCultures suffer from stereotypes, including for scientistsScientific worldview: Seeking to explain patternsScience can confer power, control, influence and strength Some people may find science difficult because nobody took the time to explain the workings of the scientific culture. ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

17. Scientific Habits of Mind Traditional and unique ways of thinking and perceivingIndicators of the cultural aspects of science CuriosityOpenness to New IdeasSkepticism ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

18. Images of Teaching Yellow school bus, red pencil, an apple, desks in rowsImages shape our beliefs about who we are as teachers MYTHS ABOUT TEACHING Everything depends on the teacher The teacher is the expertTeachers are self-made REALITIES ABOUT TEACHING Many sources of expertise are needed — including families and the children themselves There is too much to know to expect one person to be “all knowing” The best compromise is that teaching combines natural talent with learned skills ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

19. Teaching for the Purpose of Learning Teachers as Instructional PlannersKey: Develop YOUR Science Learning ConfidenceThen Acquire Skills for Teaching ConfidenceEmphasize Students’ Learning, Not Teacher Theater ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

20. Science within the Curriculum Knowing Science Empowers ChildrenScience Knowledge Opens Career OpportunitiesGood Citizens Rely on their Science KnowledgeScience is Our Cultural Heritage to Pass Along ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

21. Scientific Literacy More than knowing how to read and write scienceSpecialized combination of knowledge and skills Familiar with the natural worldKnow science concepts and principlesEmploy scientific reasoningRecognize the human aspectsApply science to decision-making from Science for All Americans ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

22. Who Gets to Learn Science When we say “Science for All”? All students, regardless of age, sex, cultural or ethnic background, disabilities, aspirations, or interest and motivation in science, should have the opportunity to attain high levels of scientific literacy. ~ National Research Council ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

23. Factors Contributing to Science Achievement Gaps Deficit Mentality: belief that some children just can’t learn science. Self-fulfilling Prophecy: lowered expectations  lower performance, and expectations are “verified” Inadequate Supplies and Materials, Lack of Qualified and Caring Teachers, Too Much Focus on “Basics” The Culture of Science May Be Too “Foreign” to Some Students— Until the Teacher Acts as the Diplomat ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

24. Cultures In and Of the Classroom The Tools of a Culture: The Objects that are UsedThe Actions of a Culture: Behaviors and Interactions Membership in Multiple Cultures: Families, Careers, Friendships, Entertainment, etc. The Value of Treating Science as a Culture and Not Simply as a Body of Knowledge ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

25. Explaining the Nature of Science The complexity of science can be appreciated by viewing science as if it is a culture Science culture: Underlying tendencies and unspoken assumptions that guide the actions of scientists In addition to the “stuff” of science, students should also learn the hows and whys of the science culture The knowledge created by science is shaped by the culture of science that produced it ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

26. Developing Scientific Knowledge Empirical: Knowledge comes from Observational DataEvidence (Data) is used to Produce ExplanationsScience Processes and Interpretations Benefit from CreativitySubjectivity: Our Perspectives Shape what we PerceiveNew Evidence is Used to Test the Explanation Evidence Explanations ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

27. Science as Social and Tentative The “steps of the scientific method” is a mythTeaching children that science as a recipe is misleadingScientists work with others and knowledge is deliberatedAllowances made for new explanations of the evidenceTentativeness of science knowledge is a cultural norm ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

28. Making Explanations from Evidence Evidence of Continental Drift eventually led to the Explanation of Plate Tectonics ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

29. Scientific Theories Theories Explain Phenomena, Laws Describe Patterns Theories have the Power to PredictTheories are Not as Simple as Hypotheses ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

30. Science as a Way of Knowing Science is One Perspective Characteristics of THIS Way of Knowing: Empirical, Creative, Social, and Tentative Science is Insufficient for Understanding Some ExperiencesScience and Technology are Not One and the Same ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

31. Limits of Science The scientific study of a work of art, say a picture, may give an exhaustive account of the chemical constitution of the pigments, the wavelengths of the light they reflect, their reflection factors, masses and physical distributions. But such a scientific account has hardly begun to say much of interest to the viewer or to the artist. … It is not that pictures cannot be described in terms of chemicals, or mental activities in terms of brain functions—they can. What is wrong to assert … is that these scientific accounts are the only valid ones there are. ~ Michael Poole ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

32. Nature of Science and Diversity Since science is one way of knowing, it should not be used to demean or displace other perspectives Treating science as a special culture suggests that a teacher can help to demystify the world of science The capacity to learn science is unrelated to gender, language, ethnicity, or physical abilities Learning to function and be comfortable within the science culture requires participating in it ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

33. Chapter 2 Summary The Nature of Science Explains its CultureScientific Knowledge: Process of Evidence  ExplanationSocially Derived and Tentatively Applied: No Single MethodTheories Serve as Tools for Explaining, Not SpeculatingScience Offers One Way for UnderstandingTreating the Nature of Science as Cross-Cultural ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

34. Scientific Communication Read the handout (both sides) Strategies to Reveal, Support, and Challenge Student Thinking Discuss with your tablemates the information and how it applies to this class and teaching science.

35. What is SUSTAINABILITY? At your tables, discuss among you what you think SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION is. Then, individually, create a concept map to illustrate what concepts are included in this big idea.

36. THINKING SKILLS HABITS OF MIND COGNITIVE TASKS THAT DEMAND SKILLFUL THINKING EFFECTIVE THINKING REQUIREMENTS: CONTENT THINKING SKILLS

37. WHY HABITS OF MIND?  TRANSDISCIPLINARY  AS GOOD FOR ADULTS AS THEY ARE FOR STUDENTS  FOCUSED ON LONG RANGE, ENDURING, ESSENTIAL LEARNINGS  SUPPORT 21 ST CENTURY SKILLS AND COMMON CORE STANDARDS

38. THINKING SKILLS EFFECTIVE THINKING REQUIREMENTS:

39. THINKING VERBS FOUND IN COMMON CORE STANDARDS ANALYZE APPLY CLASSIFY COMPARE CONNECT CONTRAST DESCRIBE DIAGRAM DISCUSS ELABORATE EXPLORE IDENTIFY INTERPRET JUDGE OBSERVE ORGANIZE PARAPHRASE PREDICT REASON REPRESENT RESPOND SIMPLIFY SOLVE SUMMARIZE SUPPORT VERIFY VISUALIZE

40. COGNITIVE TASKS THAT DEMAND SKILLFUL THINKING EFFECTIVE THINKING REQUIREMENTS :

41. LEARNING TASKS Engaging skillfully in a variety of authentic, rich activities that require strategic planning, creative approaches and the application of organized, multiple and complex thinking skills.

42. RICH TASKS REQUIRING SKILLFUL THINKING

43. HABITS OF MIND

44. The Habits of Mind 1.Persisting 2.Managing Impulsivity 3.Listening with Understanding and Empathy 4.Thinking Flexibly 5.Thinking about Thinking 6.Striving for Accuracy 7.Questioning and Posing Problems 8.Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations 9. Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision 10. Gathering Data Through All Senses 11. Creating, Imagining, Innovating 12. Responding with Wonderment and Awe 13. Taking Responsible Risks 14. Finding Humor 15. Thinking Interdependently 16. Remaining Open to Continuous Learning

45. THINKING SKILLS HABITS OF MIND COGNITIVE TASKS THAT DEMAND SKILLFUL THINKING EFFECTIVE THINKING REQUIREMENTS: CONTENT THINKING SKILLS

47. Access Code for Learning Center

49. Engineering Design Process

50. BUILD A CAR Materials 2 - 8 X 11.5 paper 2 - plastic straws 4 - Life Savers 2 - index cards 2 - large paper clips 4 - straight pins 3 feet masking tape PROBLEM: Design a vehicle that will move all the way across your table without your touching it. Brainstorm in your group how to design, build and power your car. Work together to come up with the best design. Construct your car and test it. Conditions: You can only use the materials provided. You cannot touch the car to move it. You cannot touch any object that touches the car to make the car move.

51. Assignments 1.Purchase your subscription to the NSTA Learning Center (see handout for info). 2.Thoroughly read Syllabus Part 1 (class) & Part 2 (email) —Write down any questions or concerns. 3.Bring your bound composition book (100 pages) to class. Have pages numbered from 1- 200 (front & back).. 4.Read: