Science Essential Standards

1. Science Essential Standards Facilitator: Katie McGregor RC Day Workshop 1 of 3 October 31st, 2011 Happy Halloween

2. What processes must all science teachers initiate when teaching the NC Science Essential Standards with efficacy? • How will we frame our instructional practices to meet the requirements for student-mastery based on the Next Generation of Science Standards and Assessments? Session Essential Questions

3. Standard I: Teachers demonstrate leadership • Standard III: Teachers know the content they teach • Standard IV: Teachers facilitate learning for their students Focus: North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards

4. The BIG Picture These sessions are about Teachers! nstacmu.wikispaces.com

5. Locate “Improving Adult Content Knowledge Before Teaching a Unit.” Handout 6.1 • Put a √ next to the strategy you most frequently use during the school year to improve or refresh your own adult content knowledge before teaching a new unit. • Discussion: How does adult content knowledge influence instruction? Why must science teachers remain abreast current information concerning the content they teach? How do you prepare for teaching?

6. Locate “Ten Common Beliefs about Standards & Research on Learning.” Handout 2.1 • Complete the chart by reading each statement and marking whether you “Agree,” “Disagree,” or are “Not Sure or It Depends.” • In small groups, discuss your responses to each statement. • We will revisit these statements throughout the day. Beliefs about Standards and Research on Learning

7. The Three Little Pigs story metaphorically describes various approaches to and considerations for K-12 science curriculum development. In a small group, read the story. • On the Post-It note provided, please write down which pigs’ house you believe most represents your district’s current curriculum design process (this includes work that was done previously, if you have not started developing or revising your curriculum yet). For example, if you believe your district design process is most like the second little pig’s house, record a “2”. (You can have 1.5 and 2.5 if you feel you are in-between.) • Place your Post-It notes on the chart to create a bar graph with your group. Make sure to label your graph! Science Curriculum Metaphors: The Three Little Pigs

8. Identify and discuss the metaphors used in describing the construction of each pig’s house as they apply to curriculum development (Handout 6.13). As you discuss these metaphors, talk about where you see your district in the story. Do any of these metaphors apply to your curriculum? • Translate one metaphor from each pig’s house into a curriculum design practice as listed on your supplemental handout. 3 Pigs Metaphor • Generate a list, on chart paper, of things you think should be considered as we examine The Essential Standards and develop our local science curriculum. Science Curriculum Metaphors: The Three Little Pigs

9. BREAK 9:40-9:45ish

10. 2.E.1 Understand patterns of weather and factors that affect weather • To introduce weather: • Schoolhouse Rocks Video or Weather Flip Chart • The Local Forecast • Daily Temperatures Graph Activity #1: Introducing Weather

11. For the following activity, you will engage as a student learner. • You may only speak and respond as a student. Please use your Post-It notes to jot down teacher thoughts. Pre-Activity Instructions

12. Face the Wind By: Vicki Cobb • Now that you’ve investigated more about the air and the wind, how can we MEASURE how fast the wind is blowing? Activity #1: Let’s Build a Weather Tool!

13. Your Challenge: Design a tool to measure wind speed. It must feature free-spinning cups that spin faster as the wind increases. The wind should blow into the cups pushing them away.Materials:-5 Paper cups-A Skewer -2 Straws-Scissors-A marker-Tape With your group: How will you use your tool to measure wind speed?

14. What’s the tool called? AnAnemometer Making an Anemometer Weather Tools Flip Chart www.fi.edu/weather/ todo/dixie.gif www.daviddarling.info/ images/anemometer.jpg http://www.reuk.co.uk/OtherImages/kestrel1000-anemometer.jpg

15. Do you see the correlation of this activity to the Essential Standards? • Which of the 5Es does this lesson address? See handouts. • Do you facilitate similar activities in your classroom already? • Questions? Teacher Talk

16. 2.E.1 Understand patterns of weather and factors that affect weather. 2.E.1.1 Summarize how energy from the sun serves as a source of light that warms the land, air and water. 2.E.1.2 Summarize weather conditions using qualitative and quantitative measures to describe: • Temperature • Wind direction • Wind speed • Precipitation2.E.1.3 Compare weather patterns that occur over time and relate observable patterns to time of day and time of year. 2.E.1.4 Recognize the tools that scientists use for observing, recording, and predicting weather changes from day to day and during the seasons.

17. There must be a balance between teacher-directed instruction and student independent exploration of concepts • Does this mean that teachers cannot guide students? • Read the article, “To Hypothesize or Not to Hypothesize” • Group Discussion: How important is the adult’s understanding of an activity and ability to question in the execution of a hands-on activity? Questioning in Science: “To Hypothesize or Not to Hypothesize”

18. Second Grade Earth Science

19. National Science Education Standards • Young children are naturally interested in everything they see around them—soil, rocks, streams, rain, snow, clouds, rainbows, sun, moon, and stars. • During the first years of school, they should be encouraged to observe closely the objects and materials in their environment, note their properties, distinguish one from another and develop their own explanations of how things become the way they are. • As children become more familiar with their world, they can be guided to observe changes, including cyclic changes, such as night and day and the seasons; predictable trends, such as growth and decay, and less consistent changes, such as weather or the appearance of meteors. CTS Curriculum Topic Study

20. Science For All Americans • The earth has a variety of climatic patterns, which consist of different conditions of temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, air pressure, and other atmospheric phenomena. These patterns result from an interplay of many factors. • The basic energy source is the heating of land, ocean, and air by solar radiation. Transfer of heat energy at the interfaces of the atmosphere with the land and oceans produces layers at different temperatures in both the air and the oceans. • These layers rise or sink or mix, giving rise to winds and ocean currents that carry heat energy between warm and cool regions. • The earth's rotation curves the flow of winds and ocean currents, which are further deflected by the shape of the land. CTS Curriculum Topic Study

21. Benchmarks for Science Literacy • There are many ways to acquaint children with earth-related phenomena that they will only come to understand later as being cyclic. • For instance, students can start to keep daily records of temperature (hot, cold, pleasant) and precipitation (none, some, lots), and plot them by week, month, and years. It is enough for students to spot the pattern of ups and downs, without getting deeply into the nature of climate. • They should become familiar with the freezing of water and melting of ice (with no change in weight), the disappearance of wetness into the air, and the appearance of water on cold surfaces. • Evaporation and condensation will mean nothing different from disappearance and appearance, perhaps for several years, until students begin to understand that the evaporated water is still present in the form of invisibly small molecules. CTS Curriculum Topic Study

22. Essential Standards: Crosswalks

23. Essential Standards: Crosswalks

24. 2.E.1.1 Students know that light travels from the sun to the earth. Some of this light is reflected back into space, some is absorbed by the land, water, and air. Bill Nye: The Sun 2.E.1.2 Students know that numbers are used to describe air temperature, wind speed, and the amount of precipitation that occurs. Students know that wind direction is described using cardinal directions (N, S, E, W) and numbers. Students know how to measure air temperature with a thermometer, wind direction with a wind sock or vane, wind speed with an anemometer, and precipitation with a rain gauge.My Weather Tools PowerPoint Essential Standards Unpacked: What the students need to be able to know, understand and do!

25. 2.E.1.3 Students know that over time there are patterns that can be observed in the weather and that these patterns are influenced by the time of day (cooler morning, warmer afternoon) and the time of year (seasonal changes). On the Same Day in March By: Marilyn Singer 2.E.1.4 Students are familiar with manual and electronic weather instruments, sensors, and computers as well as how they can produce a ‘running record’ of weather changes that occur over time by collecting and recording data. This collection of data can be analyzed as a basis for predicting weather trends. Want to be a meteorologist?And Build Your Own Forecast Essential Standards Unpacked: What the students need to be able to know, understand and do!

27. Essential Standards: Vocabulary:www.wordle.netHow to Use it in the Classroom

28. Hierarchy of Scientific Content Knowledge (See Handout 6.7) • The Essential Standards intentionally reflect the importance of topics and ensure that some topics covered under the strands of Life, Earth and Physical Science continue from kindergarten through high school. • In reading the “Unpacked Document,” be sure to note prerequisite knowledge often introduced with “Students should already know…” • Focus on identifying learning targets and criterion for success. (How will you know that know it?) Vertical Curriculum

29. Based on the Essential Standards, evaluate the content of your lesson plans using the criterion. (Handout 6.14) • Essential Understandings • Important Understandings • Worth Being Familiar With But Not Necessary • Not Worth • How will this evaluative practice improve your planning as a science teacher? Prioritize Your Instruction!

30. BREAK 1:50ish

31. For the following activity, you will engage as a student learner. • You may only speak and respond as a student. Please use your Post-It notes to jot down teacher thoughts. Pre-Activity Instructions

32. A group of friends is looking up at a rain cloud. Each had a different idea about how rain falls from the clouds. This is what they said: Will: “I think rain falls when clouds melt.” Chandra: “I think rain falls when clouds open up.” Bettina: “I think rain falls when clouds get too cold.” Fern: “I think rain falls when clouds are shaken or pushed together.” Lorna: “I think rain falls when the evaporated water in clouds condenses.” Marcus: “I think rain falls when water droplets in the clouds get too heavy.” Jonah: “I think rain falls as the ice crystals in the clouds begin to melt.” Noah: “I think rain falls when the water falls through little holes in the clouds.” Which person do you agree with most and why? Explain your answer. Water Cycle Song Activity #2: Formative Assessment Probe (2.E.1)

33. Camping Trip Five friends were camping in the north woods. It was a clear night with mild weather conditions. Sunset was at 9:14 p.m. Sunrise was at 5:22a.m. The five friends wondered when it would be coldest as they slept under the stars. This is what they said: Collin: “I think it will be coldest right after the Sun sets.” Bono: “I think it will be coldest at midnight.” Jeri: I think it will be coldest around 3:00a.m.” Emma: “I think it will be coldest at the beginning of sunrise.” Kit: “I think it will be coldest a few hours after sunrise.” Which person do you agree with most and why? Explain your answer. Formative Assessment Probe #2

34. Do you see the correlation of this activity to the Essential Standards? • Which of the 5Es does this lesson address? See handouts. • Do you facilitate similar activities in your classroom already? • Questions? “Teacher Talk”

35. In your groups, share lesson ideas that correlate with your group’s essential standard. Write your ideas and be ready to share. Think about what you do in YOUR science classroom: -picture books or novels -videos/music/PowerPoints -websites & technology -skits/plays -experiments/hands-on activities -discussions -assessments -mini lessons Activity #3: Ideas for lesson plans: Isn’t that what we REALLY want from a workshop?

36. Resources: • My school website: Katie McGregor http://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Page/28743 • Wikispace • http://wsfcselementaryscience.wikispaces.com/ • Edmodo • http://wsfcs.edmodo.com/ • Questions? Comments? Concerns? We will meet again on: Jan. 23rd & Feb. 20th

37. Your Ticket Out The Door:-Please write your name, school and email address on the index card, so that I can email you the ideas/ lesson plans that we shared.-If there are ideas, questions or materials you would like from me: please note that on the index card.-Also, if you have comments or questions for the WS/FCS Science Department, please note that on the index card as well. I will forward those for you!