Science Curriculum Topic Study Bridging the Gap Between Standards and Practice

1. Science Curriculum Topic Study Bridging the Gap Between Standards and Practice Joyce Tugel The Blake School January 2, 2007

3. Who’s in the Room?

4. 3 Goals for Today • (Review) Review Curriculum Topic Study (CTS) as a tool you can use to connect standards and research on learning to classroom practice. • (Explore)Examine a scaffold that helps “unpack” a concept. • (Apply) Consider ways CTS can help inform the writing of essential questions.

5. (Re)Introduction to CTS “I got you a bunch of stuff- this is just the tip of the iceberg!”

6. The CTS Project • NSF-funded TPC Professional Development Materials Project awarded to the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance in partnership with West Ed • 2 resources guides: Science and Mathematics Curriculum Topic Study books • Facilitator’s Guide to Using Curriculum Topic Study • Web Site: www.curriculumtopicstudy.org • National Professional Development

7. What is CTS? A process that incorporates systematic study of standards and research A set of tools and collective resources for improving curriculum, instruction, and assessment An intellectually engaging professional development experience where teachers focus on and discuss student learning

8. What CTS Is Not CTS IS NOT: • A remedy for weak content knowledge (CTS is used to enhance and support content learning) • A collection of teaching activities (CTS describes considerations one must take into account when planning or selecting teaching activities) • A description of “how to’s” (CTS helps you think through effective teaching based on knowledge of learning goals and how students learn) • A quick fix (CTS takes time and dedication to use it effectively) • The end-all for professional development (CTS helps you identify additional experiences that will help you grow as a teacher)

9. Why Use CTS? • Clarify and deepen knowledge of relevant curricular topics • Develop a common knowledge base and language about standards and research • Move beyond personal opinions and assumptions to consider key ideas and practices developed through consensus by the science education community • “Stand on the Shoulders of Giants”- Experts at your fingertips 24/7!

10. Having State and National Standards Is Not Enough… What has been missing is a systematic, scholarly, deliberate process to help educators intellectually engage with standards and research on student learning so they can make effective use of them. CTS provides that “Missing Link.”

11. The CTS Guide • Each guide has 6 CTS sections (Left Column) • Purposes of the sections • I : Identify Adult Content Knowledge • II : Consider Instructional Implications • III : Identify Concepts and Specific Ideas • IV : Examine Research on Student Learning • V : Examine Coherency and Articulation • VI : Clarify State Standards and District Curriculum • Each section links to CTS sources and pre-vetted Readings (Right Column) See Chapter 2- The CTS Study Guide pp 19- 22

12. CTS: The Swiss Army Knife of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Improve adult science literacy(I) Improve knowledge of content teachers teach(I) Examine instructional considerations(II) Identify alternative conceptions(IV) Consider developmental implications(II, IV) Examine scope and sequence(III) See connections within and across topics(V) Clarify state standards and district curriculum (VI) Identify “Big Ideas”, Concepts, Specific Ideas, and Skills(III)

13. CTS Collective Resources- Experts at Your Fingertips 24/7     Indicates the resource is online

14. Getting to Know the Resources Parallel Resources in Mathematics CTS Science Pages 24-26 Science for All Americans Science Matters Benchmarks for Science Literacy The National Science Standards Making Sense of Secondary Science Atlas of Science Literacy Mathematics Pages 27-30 Science for All Americans Beyond Numeracy Benchmarks for Science Literacy Principles and Standards for School Mathematics Research Companion Atlas of Science Literacy

15. Quick Summary of the CTS Scaffold STEP 1:Scan and select the CTS category.  STEP 2: Scan the list of topics within the category that include the content you are examining.  STEP 3:Select the CTS guide you will use.  STEP 4: Determine which section(s) of the CTS guide will help you find the information you need.  STEP 5:Select the resource(s) you will use, the grade span(s), and the readings.  STEP 6: Examine the reading for information relevant to your topic and task.  STEP 7: Record your findings. If you do not find what you need, go back to Step 2 and repeat with another topic.

16. Quick Scaffold PracticeSteps 1-3 “What specific ideas about the moon phases I should focus on at the middle school level?” Category? Astronomy CTS Topic Guide? Earth, Moon, Sun System Page Number of CTS Guide? Page194

17. Quick Scaffold Practice- Step 4 “What specific ideas about the moon phases I should focus on at the middle school level?” Section? Section III (Could also include Section V and VI) Outcome? Identify Concepts and Specific Ideas

18. Quick Scaffold Practice- Step 5 “What specific ideas about the moon phases should we focus on at K-8?”(Hint: Out of the suggested readings in the broader topic of Earth, Moon, and Sun System, which readings should you start with to find information about moon phases?) Which resource, grade level, and page numbers do I read? Benchmarks- The Earth pp 67-70 and/or and/or NSES- Changes in the Earth and Sky p 134 and Earth in the Solar System pp 160-161 What part of the page do I focus on? Just the bulleted learning goals, not the essay.

19. CTS III Summary • Major Concepts and Specific Ideas • Why create summaries?

20. Pair Talk

21. Any Burning Questions So Far?

22. For Additional Information • Visit the CTS web site at www.curriculumtopicstudy.org • Contact: Page Keeley, CTS Principal Investigator and Project Director pkeeley@mmsa.org Joyce Tugel, MMSA Science Specialist jtugel@mmsa.org

23. Elbow Partner Talk What does it mean to unpack a concept? What’s the purpose?

24. Unpacking a Concept • Level 6 • Level 5 • Level 4 Moon’s motion Phases of the moon, moon’s orbit • Level 3 • Level 2 • Level 1

25. Unpacking a Concept • Level 6 • Level 5 • Level 4 Moon’s motion • Level 3 Phases of the moon, moon’s orbit • Level 2: “Bullets” in Benchmarks, NSES -the moon orbits around the earth (BSL) -the turning of the earth (rotation) makes it seem as if the moon is orbiting the earth once a day (BSL) -objects (such as the moon) in the sky have patterns of movement (NSES) -the observable shape of the moon changes from day to day in a cycle that lasts about a month (NSES) • Level 1

26. Unpacking a Concept • Level 6 • Level 5 • Level 4: Moon’s motion Phases of the moon, moon’s orbit • Level 3: • Level 2: “Bullets” in Benchmarks, NSES If you were teaching this, what facts, terms would you use or find in a textbook? • Level 1:

27. Unpacking a Concept • Level 1: Facts and Terminology Names of phases, rotation, lunar month, moon orbits the earth once every 28 days

28. Unpacking a Concept • Level 6 Models Changes in the moon’s shape can be described by predictable, repeated patterns of motion around the earth. • Level 5 • Level 4 Moon’s motion • Level 3 Phases of the moon, moon’s orbit • Level 2: “Bullets” in Benchmarks, NSES • Level 1: Facts and Terminology (names of phases, • rotation, lunar month, moon orbits every 28 days)

29. Unpacking a Concept • Level 6 Unifying Concepts, Ideas • Level 5 “Big Ideas” • Level 4 Concept Subconcepts • Level 3 Specific Ideas (NSES, BSL “bullets”) • Level 2 • Level 1 Facts and Terminology

31. Practice Unpacking • Topic = properties of matter • Concept = characteristic properties of matter • Building our common understanding: Frayer diagram, “Characteristic properties” • Card sort: arrange in a hierarchy, using colored strips as organizers. As you sort, discuss, justify how you are deciding which card goes where

32. Choose Your Own Topic • Find a CTS guide related to your topic. • Pick one single concept (Scan CTS III to choose a concept). • Using the Guiding Questions and Hierarchy Scaffold, unpack the concept. (Use CTS Section III for specific ideas) • Once the concept is unpacked to “Facts and Terminology”, build it up to a “Big Idea” and “Unifying Concept or Idea”. • Prepare a chart to share with the group.

33. Writing Essential Questions • Use your hierarchy to practice writing questions at different levels. • Using sticky notes, place your questions on your hierarchy of ideas.