Implementing Science PACE 8 Resources & Advice

1. Implementing Science PACE 8Resources & Advice Lynnea Shafter & Christa Tlucek Heritage Middle School August 2011 Tech Expo

2. Science PACE 8 is…

3. Implementing Science PACE 8: Resources & Advice • Science Components • Successes/Obstacles/Resources • English Components • Successes/Obstacles/Resources • Collaboration • Lab Report vs. Technical Paper • Oral Presentation/Powerpoint • Heritage Middle School Timeline • Questions and Answers

4. Science PACE 8Science Successes • We begin with simple problems and experiments in class and have students • practice with various parts of the scientific method. • We demonstrate with each experiment listing key terms, related scientists and • writing a problem, hypothesis, procedure, data table and graph. • We meet with each student to assign key terms before primary research begins. • This year we will try allowing them to work on their own, with a partner or team of 3. However, each person must test a different variable.

5. Science PACE 8Science Obstacles • Difficult for students to come up with the scientific problem first. • Difficult for students to evaluate credible science information. • Difficult for students to avoid duplicating an experiment found from a book or website.

6. Science PACE 8Science Helpful Document: Primary Research

7. Science PACE 8 Resources for Science Teachers • We make lists of key terms, scientists and experiments to help us brainstorm • with students. • Ongoing collaboration with librarians and English teachers is critical. • All grade level science teachers are helping us come up with experiment ideas from 6th and 7th grade topics. (They are going to include key terms or related scientists to help direct research.) • Building teachers and administrators come to the library during research for extra help and brainstorming sessions with the students.

8. Science PACE 8Science Helpful Document: Famous Scientists

9. Science PACE 8Community Resources Students and teachers were able to access these companies in Idaho for help.

10. Science PACE 8Web Resources Gale Research Website is a database of scientific articles and material. Searches can be narrowed by topic and reading level. This was purchased with a grant. http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/meri9001?db.SCIC The Libraries Linking Idaho has resource links for data bases related to professional articles, magazines and newspapers.http://lili.org/portal/about-d.php Khan Academy has over 2000 short video clips and exercises to help students with extension and reinforcement of content. They should go to the category of interest such as Chemistry, Physics, Algebra and chose topics from those menus. They can also try to search for a specific topic. http://www.khanacademy.org/#browse Ask a scientist allows you to pose questions and have responses emailed to you. Be careful of giving out personal information. You can always come in and we can use my account at school.http://www.hhmi.org/askascientist/

11. Science PACE 8Web Resources (continued) The following is a list of science sites we have utilized in past years: Biology for kids: http://www.biology4kids.com/ Energy Quest: http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/projects/index.html Fact Monster: http://www.factmonster.com/science.html How Stuff Works: http://science.howstuffworks.com/ Physics For Kids: http://www.physics4kids.com/files/motion_intro.html PBS Science Link: http://www.pbs.org/topics/science-nature/ The Physics Front: http://www.thephysicsfront.org/static/topic.cfm?course=1 Virtual Middle School Library: http://www.sldirectory.com/studf/research.html#science Science Buddies: www.sciencebuddies.com

12. Science PACE 8Science Links and Documents Available for Parents and Students

13. Science PACE 8English Successes • English teachers, science teachers and the library work closely together before the year starts and as the year continues to create cohesive PACE documents and useful strategies. • Timely written and email communication with parents is critical. • During 2nd Quarter, we begin with a mini-research project that teaches the Big 6 Research Process. We teach the process using content from other units.

14. Science PACE 8English Successes (continued) • During 3rd Quarter, we review the Big 6 Research Process and take the entire quarter to teach the English components of PACE, including research, technical writing and public speaking. • Due dates are posted at the beginning of the quarter and celebrations occur for each benchmark completed. • Students experience true research in which they are taking bits of information and analyzing, synthesizing and applying the information to their lives.

15. Science PACE 8English Obstacles • It is difficult for students to articulate their experiment components to English teachers (problem, hypothesis, variables, results). • It is difficult for students to make the connection between what happens in their experiment and the concepts they need to research (gravity and results). • If students don’t fully understand their experiments, students cannot successfully write the technical paper. • English teachers must have some understanding of the science content in order to grade the papers.

16. Science PACE 8English Helpful Document: Guiding Questions

17. Science PACE 8English Helpful Document: Technical Paper Outline

18. Science PACE 8English Helpful Document: Technical Paper Outline (continued)

19. Science PACE 8English Links and Documents Available for Parents and Students

20. Science PACE 8Collaboration With the LibraryLibrary participation is critical for success in PACE. • Plan library time. • Teach search techniques. • Teach website validation. • Teach students how to utilize sources such as the Gale online database. • Collaborate on best teaching practices. • Actively help students with research questions, Excel graphs, PowerPoints, and lab reports and papers.

21. Science PACE 8Science Lab Report Vs. English Technical Paper

22. Science PACE 8Oral Presentation/PowerPoint • Students use ideas in the technical paper to write the speech. • Our librarian teaches all 8th graders effective PowerPoint techniques. • It is useful to teach a lesson on saving documents, pictures and videos to portable memory devices or attaching them to emails. • Teachers provide speech practice sessions for students before the final presentation.

23. Science PACE 8Heritage Middle School Timeline

24. Science PACE is a constant challenge, but when we hit the target, it’s rewarding.

25. Science PACE 8Questions and Answers