Formal & Informal Scientists’ Meetings: Exploring Circles of Dynamic Science & Literacy Learning

1. Formal & Informal Scientists’ Meetings:Exploring Circles of Dynamic Science & Literacy Learning Joan Armon, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Regis University, Denver, Colorado jarmon@regis.edu Linda J. Morris, M.S. District Science Curriculum Coordinator Jefferson County Schools, Golden, Colorado ljmorris@jeffco.k12.co.us Connecting Science & Literacy in the Classroom:Challenges, Promises & Opportunities Conference St. Louis, MO October 1, 2005

2. Framing Questionsfor Workshop • What is a scientists’ meeting? =from literacy perspective =from science perspective • Why use scientists’ meetings? • How do teachers facilitate them?

3. Goals of Workshop Today • Open Inquiry • Define a scientists’ meeting • Identify purposes of scientists’ meetings =from literacy perspective =from science perspective • Describe approaches to scientists’ meetings

4. How We Got StartedUsing Scientists’ Meetings • Overlapped science and literacy because science was not being taught in elementary classrooms • Explored overlapping through Dr. Saul and colleagues’ foundational work • Teachers selected a focus on scientists’ meetings • Two types evolved as evident in video clips

5. Open Inquiry • Definition & Purpose • Today’s Example: How are craters formed on the moon?

6. Possibilities for Open Inquiry Today • Examine materials and books(s) at your table • Generate and write a testable question on a sentence strip • Design a procedure to test your question • Gather evidence • Formulate explanation(s) • Connect to scientific knowledge • Communicate and justify explanation(s)

7. Debrief • What did you do? • Why? • How?

8. Video Clips • Introduce videos • View Mr. Plock, Grade 3, debrief informal scientists’ meeting • Ms. Staggs, Grade 6, debrief formal scientists’ meeting • Analyze students’ and teachers’ thinking using Essential Features of Classroom Inquiry and Comprehension Strategies • Report to whole group

9. Revisit Framing Questions

10. Framing Questionsfor Workshop • What is a scientists’ meeting? =from literacy perspective =from science perspective • Why use scientists’ meetings? • How do teachers facilitate them?

11. Action Plan In your role as an educator, generate 3 actions you want to take to initiate or continue scientists’ meetings:

12. Why do scientists’ meetings matter?