SCIENCE COMPANION , SESSION 3INTRODUCTION TO THE ________________ MODULE

[Your name here]

January 24, 2011

Morning Agenda

Goals Bridge from Earlier Sessions What’s in a Module? Big Ideas and Content Assessment

BREAK Intro to iTLM Suggested Spring Schedule Lesson Structure, Lesson Tour, Logistical

Planning Wrap-Up/Reflection

Goals for the Day

To review the philosophy and basic principles of Science Companion

To feel comfortable and excited about using your first Science Companion module

To become familiar with features of the program that support a high-quality implementation

To begin planning for implementation

To know where to go with questions, concerns, etc.

Science Companion PD: 2010-2011 August – Inquiry: An Exploration and

Overview; How Inquiry is Manifested in the Science Companion “I Wonder” Circle

November – Inquiry in Practice: How Does Science Companion Support Inquiry Teaching and Learning?

January – Digging into Your First Unit: Overview, Planning, and Preparation

Inquiry: Children learn science by engaging in the work of scientists.

I Wonder: notice, ask questions, state problems

I Think: consider, gather information, predict

I Try: experiment, model, test ideas, repeat

I Observe: watch, examine, measure

I Record: record data, organize, describe, classify, graph, draw

I Discover: look for patterns, interpret, reflect, conclude, communicate discoveries

Content and Process

Both are important for elementary students. Both should be developed with age-appropriate

activities and expectations. (SC Big Ideas encompass both disciplinary content and process skills.)

They should be connected and reinforce one another. For example: Children learn about the properties of rocks by

doing careful observation; AND Children learn how to do careful observations by

being given a meaningful context and purpose for developing/practicing this skill (e.g., observing rocks and recording properties)

Science Companion:What’s in a Module?

THE REALLY IMPORTANT STUFF Teacher Lesson Manual Student Science Notebooks [Student Reference Books] ExploraGear Kit

THE OTHER VERY USEFUL STUFF Assessment Book Science Notebook Teacher Guide Teacher Masters and Visuals Teacher Reference Materials (online only)

TAKE A MOMENT: Do you have all of these items for your unit? Do a “quick search” of your components to find a useful element or feature to share.

Lesson Clusters

Lesson Clusters and groups of lessons (not necessarily consecutive) that, together, develop/support one or more Big Ideas

Science Companion units generally consist of 2-5 lesson clusters

TAKE A MOMENT: Look at the Introduction to the _____ Unit and the Unit Summary table.

How many lesson clusters are there? What does each focus on? How do they connect with one another?

Getting to Know Your Module:Big Ideas

Science Companion units are designed to develop age-appropriate “Big Ideas” related to the topic being studied.

These Big Ideas help teachers (and students) focus on the most important content of the lesson and unit.

Big Ideas tend to be developed through groups of lessons (called “Lesson Clusters”).

TAKE A MOMENT: Read through the Big Ideas. What questions or confusions do you have? Discuss with a colleague or the session facilitator.

Getting to Know Your Module:Teacher Background Information

This section of the manual is intended to bolster teachers’ content knowledge and confidence.

The information goes beyond the content that students are expected to learn.

TAKE A MOMENT: Read through one section of the Teacher Background

Information What is one new thing you learned? What are some misconceptions students may have?

How does the module address these misconceptions?

Getting to Know Your Module:Process Skills

Science Companion places a strong emphasis on developing student’s knowledge about and comfort with science processes.

Skill Building Activities focus on a particular process skill.

TAKE A MOMENT: Find examples of students engaging in science processes during the lessons.

What science processes are students engaged in? What science content are they exploring at the same

time?

Assessment

In Science Companion, both content and process skills are assessed. Assessment is tied to Big Ideas and Lesson Clusters.

Assessment Resources: The embedded assessment suggestions in the lessons The assessment tools in the Assessment Book, including:

Rubrics for each Big Idea/Cluster Performance Tasks and Quick Check Items Skills and Attitudes Checklists and Self-Assessments Overviews of Assessment Opportunities Evaluation Guidelines, Blackline Masters, and

Recording Tools

Assessment

TAKE A MOMENT: Look at the Assessment section on the Quick

Look page of any lesson in your Teacher Lesson Manual. Do the embedded assessment suggestions make sense to you?

Look at any Opportunities Overview page in your Assessment Book. Is it clear will you will find more information about the various opportunities? Also look at the rubric on the facing page for more information about the criteria. What questions do you have at this point?

Interactive Teacher Lesson Manual (iTLM) All Science Companion print components

(TLM, SN, TM, AB, SRB, Visuals) are available as linked pdfs (the iTLM) on learning.com (very similar to the Everyday Mathematics iTLG).

See your handout packet for instructions for accessing and downloading the iTLMs. User Name: Password: District:

Take a look…

Suggested Spring Schedule… …is in your handout packet. A few notes:

These are just guidelines…you can adjust as needed. These include the essential Skill Building Activities

(SBAs). You may want to teach other SBAs as you have time.

Some lessons may have been omitted for time reasons. Feel free to include these. In many cases, the omitted lessons will be included in next year’s schedule.

TAKE A MOMENT: Look at your schedule alongside the Table of Contents in your Teachers Lesson Manual. Put an asterisk next to those lessons you are expected to teach this spring.

Science Companion:What’s in a Lesson?

Before the Lesson Quick Look and Preparation

During the Lesson Engage Explore Reflect and Discuss

After the Lesson Science Center Extensions Looking Ahead

Lesson Tour

During the Lesson Tour, you may want to take notes on the “Note-taking

and Cheat Sheets” in your handout packets.

Getting Ready to Teach:

Logistics for getting started: Use the Before You Begin Teaching (BYBT)

section as a checklist for preparing to teach the unit.

You might also look at the Lessons at a Glance to get the big picture for scheduling, etc.

TAKE A MOMENT: What do you want to get accomplished this afternoon in terms of planning and/or preparation?

Questions?? Don’t be Shy!

Contact:___Your Name_____email address__; __phone #__

Also check out www.sciencecompanion.com for lots of helpful information!