PLANNING AND MANAGING INQUIRY

INSTRUCTION

SCED 475, Fall 2009 by Dr. Song

CHAP 5.

4 Steps in planning well-designed science lessons

1. Select science content that is

consistent with state or national

content standards

2. Write learning objectives

3. Develop learning activities

4. Plan assessment tasks and procedures

1. Select Science Content

NSES: broad goals State standards / District curriculum

guides: specific contents FOSS (Full Option Science System) Developing teachers’ knowledge of

science Resources: books (textbooks, teachers’

guides, children’s books), internet, other teachers, science specialists, college courses and institutions, conferences, professional development

Professional Development (groups)

CAST: Colorado Association of Science Teachers http://coloradocast.org/

NSTA: National Science Teachers Association http://www.nsta.org/

What do they offer? Who is their target audience? How do they contribute to the P.D. of

educators? What benefits for you?

MAST: Mathematics and Science Teaching Institute http://www.mast.unco.edu/ Email to “webconnect@unco.edu”

2. Writing Appropriate Objectives

Goals vs. Objectives

Goal: general statement of where you

want to goEx.) Students will learn about instructional

objectives.

Objective: specific, measurable statement

Ex.) Given elementary science text material, students will be able to write learning objectives in each of the 3 major domains.

What are instructional objectives? Specific intended learning outcomes Defined by the teacher Used to define the learning

experience Are directly linked to assessment Should address the 3 domains of

educational outcomes with 3 main components

How do teachers use instructional objectives?

Planning, Design assessment, Communicate with students

3 Educational Domains

Cognitive: student knowledge and thinking processes (know)

Psychomotor: students’ fine and gross motor development (do)

Affective: students’ values, attitudes and beliefs (be like)

3 Main Components: ABCs of Objectives

Audience (who)

Behavior (how learning demonstrated)

Conditions (activity, reflection, etc.)

Straw Airplane

1. Cut out both of the paper strips on the handout.

2. Bend the paper strips into a loop and use the tape to stick the two ends together. You should have two loops, one larger than the other.

3. Place one piece of tape at the very end of the straw. Make sure that the tape is sticking out so the straw and the tape look like a capital T. Place the other strip of tape at the other end.

4. Slide one loop over the end of the straw and fasten it to the tape there. Do the same thing on the other side of the straw.

5. Toss your airplane.

Sample objectives

“Using a straw airplane, the student will be able to accurately diagram and explain lift, thrust, and drag.”

ABCs of Objectives: Audience

Identify who will be expected to achieve the objectives

Look at the sample:“Using a straw airplane, the student will be able to accurately diagram and explain lift, thrust, and drag.

Audience

ABCs of Objectives: Behavior

Identify specific type of performance that will be expected

Should be measurable. Use action verbs – do not use words

like know or understand. What does know look like?

Look at the sample:“Using a straw airplane, the student will be able to accurately diagram and explain lift, thrust, and drag.

Action verbs

ABCs of Objectives: Condition

Identify the context of the performance What materials will student use to complete

the task; How will students accomplish the task; Where the performance will occur

Look at the sample:“Using a straw airplane, the student will be able to accurately diagram and explain lift, thrust, and drag.

ConditionCriterion (Describes how well the student

must perform the desired task.)

Objectives call for different levels of thinking

Verbs used in instructional objectives (class/test questions) call for different levels of thought

Bloom’s Taxonomy (Bloom, 1956) : Provide basis for writing behavioral objectives at different cognitive level• Knowledge: repeat back facts• Comprehension: interpret, put in own words• Application: use in new situation• Analysis: break into parts• Synthesis: create new pattern• Evaluation: state and defend opinion based on

criteria

Write your own objectives (class points)

Using the activities we have done in the classroom, write at least three objectives for that in each domain: Cognitive Psychomotor Affective

Underline the audience and the behaviors (performance), box the conditions, circle the criterion.

Lift & Drag are mechanical forces generated by a solid object moving through a fluid (gas or liquid)

Thrust is a mechanical forces generated by the engines to move the aircraft through the air.

Weight is a forces caused by the gravitational attraction of the Earth.

(From the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) website)

Four forces on an airplane

Balloons Rocket

1. Attach a string to the ceiling or wall on the far side of the room.

2. Anchor the string across the room so that it stretches as far as possible.

3. Feed the string through the straw.4. Blow the balloon up but do not tie it off,

and attach it to the straw using the tape.5. Release the balloon. 6. Record the distance it travels.

Newton's Third Law of Motion

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction;The forces of two bodies on each other

are always equal and are directed in opposite directions.

Balloons Rocket

3. Select and Design Lesson Activities Introduction to the lessons Designed to engage the students in an

activity or lesson. (Engage in 5E) Discrepant events A scientific phenomenon that has a

surprising or unusual outcome for students to consider.

May be a teacher demonstration, video or embedded within activities.

Reveal the alternative conceptions held by learners.

Try your hand at figuring out this discrepant event…

3. Select and Design Lesson Activities Use a variety of lesson activities Learning experiences should be aligned

with objectives. Should be designed to develop students’

conceptual understanding and inquiry abilities.

Include a variety of teaching and learning approaches.

Activities to develop inquiry abilities 3 types of Investigations

Open inquiry activities Students are given the problem and

materials, and have time and freedom to explore.

3. Select and Design Lesson Activities

Science learning centers Created by the teacher for independent

activities of students. Motivate, guide, and support students’

learning. Allow teachers to meet individual needs. Provide students with self-directed learning

opportunities. Various types (e.g., guided discovery learning

center) Field trips Create interest and rich learning experiences. Key: the advance preparation

4. Designing Assessment Experiences

Chapter 6 Use both formative and summative

assessments

Managing Inquiry Instruction and Learning

Grouping students for learning Diverse structures • Whole class structure• Cooperative group structure• Pair structure• Individual structure

Building “communities of learners” Safety in the science classroom Managing classroom behavior Establish rules, monitor students’

activates, enforce disciplinary consequences

Implementing Learning Activities

Teacher preparation Pre-activity teacher/student activities Distribution and collection of science

materials Beginning the activity During the activity After the activity