Science Pacing and Content - Middle School Grade 7 Q3

1. Science Pacing and Content - Middle School Grade 7 Q3 Miami Dade County Public Schools Division of Mathematics, Science and Advanced Academics Facilitated by: RiaRamdath Curriculum Support Specialist

2. Ice-breaker On a name tent provide the following… Name School Essential Questions: What is a controversial issue? What controversial issue will you deal with this quarter? What type of controversial issues do you expect to encounter in the classroom when teaching this topic ?

3. AgendaFebruary 3, 2012 • Begin – 8:30 a.m. • Meet and Greet • Quarter 3 Pacing and Content • Formative Assessment Probe – Is it a Theory? • Conclusion Writing in Science • 3rd Quarter Laboratory Investigations • Differentiated Instruction in Science • Data and Secondary Benchmarks • Instructional Strategies that work • Follow up assignment • End – 3:30 p.m.

4. Poem - “pretty good” There once was a pretty good student Who sat in a pretty good class And was taught by a pretty good teacher, Who always let pretty good pass. He wasn’t terrific at reading, He wasn’t a whiz-bang at math; But for him education was leading Straight down a pretty good path. He didn’t find school too exciting, But he wanted to do pretty well, And he did have some trouble with writing And nobody had taught him to spell. When doing arithmetic problems Pretty good was regarded as fine.

5. Poem - “pretty good” Five plus five needn’t always add up to be ten, A pretty good answer was nine. The pretty good class that he sat in Was part of a pretty good school, And the student was not an exception, On the contrary, he was the rule. The pretty good school that he went to Was in a pretty good town. And nobody seemed to notice That he could not tell a verb from a noun. The pretty good student in fact was A part of a pretty good mob. And the first time he knew what he lacked was When he looked for a pretty good job.

6. Poem - “pretty good” It was then, when he sought a position, He discovered that life could be tough, And soon he had a sneaky suspicion Pretty good might not be good enough. The pretty good town in our story Was part of a pretty good state, Which had pretty good aspirations, And prayed for a pretty good fate. There once was a pretty good nation, Pretty proud of the greatness it had, Which learned much too late If you want to be great, Pretty good is in fact pretty bad.

7. Unwrapping Benchmarks • Get into groups of five(5) or six(6). • Unwrap the benchmark using the form provided. • Assign a scribe to transpose the information to the poster paper provided as you unwrap the benchmark. • Be prepared to present your information to the group.

8. 01/24/12 • IX.Fossils (SC.7.L.15.1 , SC 7.L. 15.2) • Formation of Fossils • Index Fossils • Evidence of Species Change • Evidence of the Scientific Theory of Evolution • X.Evidence of Species (SC.7.L.15.1 , SC.7.L.15.2 , SC.7.N.3.1) • Evidence of Scientific Theory of Evolution • Adaptations/Natural Selection • Extinction • XI.Environmental Factors and Evolution (SC.7.L.15.2 , SC.7.L.15.3 , SC.7.L.17.3 , SC.7.E.6.6) • Scientific Theory of Evolution • Limiting Factors • Limiting Factors Affecting the Everglades • Human activities and the Everglades 3rd Nine Weeks 02/01/12 02/16/12

9. 02/27/12 • XII. Relationships in Ecosystems (SC.7.L.17.2 , SC.7.L.17.1 , SC.7.L.17.3 ) • Relationships • Food Web • Energy Flow in Ecosystems • Revisit Limiting Factors (Topic XI) 3rd Nine Weeks 03/19/12 • XIII. Human Impact on Earth (SC.7.E.6.6 , SC.7.N.1.2 , MA.6.A.3.6 ) • Resources • Biodiversity • Land • Air • Water

10. What are Controversial Issues? • Usually they are a newly emerging idea or an issue that overlaps between science and some other non-science area such as philosophy, culture, or religion. • Sometimes they result from misconceptions… • We seem to have more than our share… …in all the science areas: • Biology • Earth Science • Physics • Chemistry • The Nature of Science • Issues that are controversial in one class, school or year may not be in another.

11. Teaching Controversial Topics Understand why the topic is controversial. Address any misconceptions that may be leading to the controversy. Be respectful and avoid appearing judgmental.

12. How biased are you?

13. Common Misconceptions with Evolution Measure of Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution (MATE) Survey

14. Common Misconceptions with Evolution MATE Scoring For questions 1, 3, 5, 8, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18, and 20 use: Strongly agree 5 points Agree 4 points Undecided 3 points Disagree 2 points Strongly disagree 1 point For questions 2, 4, 6, 7,9, 10, 15, 15, 17, and 19 use: Strongly agree 1 points Agree 2 points Undecided 3 points Disagree 4 points Strongly Disagree 5 points

15. Common Misconceptions with Evolution 89 – 100 Very High Acceptance 77 – 88 High Acceptance 65 – 76 Moderate Acceptance 53 – 64 Low Acceptance 20 – 52 Very Low Acceptance What Does the Score Mean?

16. Remember… • Be careful not to preach or be judgmental about controversial topics. • There is no place for opinion in the classroom. • Be aware when your word choice, attitude or body language may be broadcasting a judgmental tone. We must establish an open and non-judgmental learning environment where we teach all the Standards, and nothing but the Standards.

17. Common Misconceptions with Evolution Evolution (Big Idea / Standard #15) • Evolution tries to say how life originated. • Each new organism evolved to be better than the last one. • Organisms try to adapt. • Natural selection gives organisms what they need. • Humans evolved from monkeys/apes.

18. Addressing Misconceptions Use the nature of science to address misconceptions about many scientific theories: • Just a theory and not a fact. • Not even scientists agree on it. • No real evidence to prove it. Addressed in all grades in the Nature of Science Body of Knowledge Big Ideas/Standards # 1 – 4.

19. WHAT SCIENCE IS…

20. Science IS • LIMITED TO THE NATURAL WORLD • OBSERVABLE TESTABLE • MEASURABLE REPEATABLE • MODIFIABLE VERIFIABLE • BUILT UPON TESTABLE PREDICTIONS • BASED ON EXPERIMENTATION • OPEN TO CHANGE BIASED • DISPROVABLE OBJECTIVE • STRONG THEORIES INFERRED FROM SOLID EVIDENCE • MADE STRONGER BY DIFFERENT LINES OF EVIDENCE • A SEARCH FOR UNDERSTANDING

21. WHAT SCIENCE IS NOT….

22. Science IS NOT… • BASED ON PROOF (Do not use this word!) • RIGID • BASED ON BELIEF (Do not use this word either!) • BASED ON FAITH • BASED ON AUTHORITY • DECIDED BY DEBATE OR LAW • A SEARCH FOR TRUTH • CERTAIN (These either!) • FAIR • ABLE TO SOLVE ALL PROBLEMS • A COLLECTION OF FACTS • DEMOCRATIC • ABSOLUTE

23. Formative Assessments Uncover Student Thinking

24. Formative Assessment Dr. Erin Furtak, presented at SAN SERVE 2009 A.k.a. everyday assessment or assessment for learning, or the various formal and informal ways teachers get information about and act upon student thinking as part of their daily practice (Atkin & Coffey, 2003) Should be a seamless part of ‘good teaching.’ Can take many forms, including: • Asking questions to tap student thinking • Structured activities to elicit student ideas • Listening to group or classroom discussions • Looking at student work and giving feedback • …and…and…and…

25. Formative Assessment

26. Formative Assessment Probe The best choices are A, B, G, K, L, and M.

27. Conclusion Writing in Science Science Scope January 2012 Jig Saw

28. 3rd Quarter Laboratory Investigations • Becoming Whales • Bird Beak Adaptations • Moth Catcher • Fossils and the Law of Superposition • Disappearing Act • Deforestation – Virtual Activity (whole group)

29. Herding Cats

30. Differentiating Instruction What? Why? How? Presented By: Yoly McCarthy

31. DiffeRentiated Instruction Essential Questions? • What is Differentiated Instruction? • Why do we do Differentiated Instruction? • How do we do Differentiated Instruction?

32. Look at your data from the Baseline, fall and Winter Interims. • Based on the content that will be covered this quarter (Q3) where will it be possible to make connections with upcoming content and infuse those benchmarks not mastered into your instruction as your secondary benchmarks? • Be prepared to share your finding with the group.

33. Nine Categories of Research-Based Instructional Strategies • You are provided with a handout that lists description of nine strategies used when teaching based on Marzano’s research. • Task #1: Name the strategy based on the description? • Task #2: Once you name the strategies determine the ranking from 1-9 of the impact made by using each strategy, from largest to smallest (i.e. the strategy which makes the most impact on student achievement will be ranked as #1 and the strategy that makes the least impact will be ranked as #9).

34. PERCENTILE GAINS FOR EACH INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY

35. http://flpromise.org

36. REFLECTION • Reflection will be turned in on name tent at end of day is: • I Used to Think…. • But Now I know…..

37. Follow-up • Action Plan • Due: Tuesday February 14, 2012 • School Mail: 9628 or FAX: 305-995-7690 • Attn.: Dr. Ava D. Rosales