Uncovering Student Ideas in Science

NSTA Web Seminar

Francis Eberle & Lynn FarrinMaine Mathematics and Science Alliance

Featuring

By Page Keeley, Francis Eberle, and Lynn Farrin

YES NO

Mark the box that describes you

I attended the first Uncovering Student Ideas in Science web seminar in April and I tried out one of the probes with a group.

I attended the first Uncovering Student Ideas in Science web seminar in April.

I did not attend the first Uncovering Student Ideas in Science web seminar in April.

Who Are You?

K-4 Teacher 5-8 Teacher 9-12 Teacher

Pre-Service Faculty

Scientist Informal Educator

Professional Developer

Administrator Other

In This Session We Will

• Review What is and the Purpose of Formative Assessment Probes

• Examine Samples of Students’ Ideas• Explore Instructional Implications: How

Probes can help Instruction and Programs• Overview of Using Formative Assessment• Try a Probe and Reflect: Assignment

Think & ShareDiscuss using the chat or volunteer to share your ideas about this comic with the group.

“We could be the 1st to land on a quarter moon!”

Please unmute your phone line (*6) if you are asked to respond.

Key Finding from How People Learn

“Students come to the classroom with preconceptions about how the world works. If their initial understanding is not engaged, they may fail to grasp the new concepts and information that are taught, or they may learn them for purposes of a test but revert to their preconceptions outside the classroom.”

How People Learn, Bransford, Brown & Cockling. pp 14-15

Assessment for LearningTo make assessment formative,one has to do something with theinformation gathered andchange or modify instructionfor all students.

The Mitten Problem(Uncovering Student Ideas in Science. page

103)

Mrs. Solórzano's class was investigating heat energy. She asked students what they thought would happen to the temperature reading on two thermometers- one thermometer was placed inside a mitten and another thermometer was placed on the table next to a mitten.

Poll Question: Which response do you

think students will select?

- The thermometer inside the mitten will have a lower temperature reading than the thermometer on the table.

- The thermometer inside the mitten will have a higher temperature reading than the thermometer on the table.

- Both thermometers will have the same temperature.

Using Formative Assessment Probes

1. Probe:Students Commit and Share Ideas

Sort by A, B or bytally, or by patterns of response Analyze Student Ideas

2. Teacher Review 3. Instructional Implications

Apply modifications (e.g., teaching in new context, engaging in an inquiry, etc.

New Topic

Reprobing

The Mitten Problem- Student Responses for Choice A

“I think it’s dark and probably cooler inside the glove – the temperature will be lower. There is no light or warmth in the mitten.”

“Due to the shade inside the mitten, the temperature may be lower.”

The Mitten Problem- Student Responses for Choice B

“Because the thermometer inside the mitten has insulation that would hit it quicker than the one on the table.”

“There is more heat in a confined space which would increase the temperature by a little.”

“The mitten is warmer because the amount of energy is concentrated in the mitten, more than the outside.”

The Mitten Problem- Student Responses for Choice C

“There is nothing inside the mitten creating energy or heat, therefore it stays the same temperature as the air around it.” “Neither of the thermometers are giving off heat to be reflected back on them so the mitten if at room temp isn’t keeping heat in, there is no friction and air is circulating to both materials.” “I think they will be the same because the thermometer is not moving around. When your hand is in the glove, it works with it to create heat. With just a thermometer, it’s not working with the glove to make heat.”

The Mitten Problem-Considerations about Students’ Ideas

• Prior knowledge (formal, informal learning, intuitive rules)

• Particularly difficult or complex ideas – emergent or naïve understanding

• Commonly used language

Student Responses- Mitten Problem N=16

A B C

Poll question:

What grade level do you think the Mitten Problem data represents?

Some Commonly Held Ideas

Grade Levels: Student Ideas:

K-5 Elementary Can’t distinguish between the ideas of heat and temperature

6-8 Middle Heat is related to hot and cold objects not energy

9-12 High Heat makes things rise

Probe: Can It Reflect Light? (Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, p 25)

Water Gray rock Leaf

Mirror Rusty nail Wax paper

Milk Wood Shiny metal

Glass Potato skin Crumpled paper

Virtually Analyze Student Ideas: Can it Reflect Light?

1. “Things that are shiny and new reflect light.”

2.“My rule on if items reflect light is that every item must reflect light because if an item didn’t reflect light we wouldn’t be able to see the object. So everything reflects light.”

3.”I was pretending I was shinning a light on the object and see if the light would bounce back. The ‘rule’ is reflection.”

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Strategies Bridging Formative Assessment to Instruction

• Student Idea Sampling• Philosophy Chairs• Classroom Circle• Peer/Student Marking• Partial Marking- (e.g. “4 of 6 answers are correct”

You find which are not and correct.)

Teaching and Learning Process

• Identifying students’ “misconceptions”• Review and reflect and make any changes

or modifications in instruction• Provide contexts for students to confront

their misconceptions and share their thinking

• Help students reconstruct their knowledge using appropriate science ideas and instructional strategies

Thank you,Francis and Lynn

Now you have to try a Probe!