|
Richard Therrien
K-12 Science Supervisor
New Haven Schools
54 Meadow Street, 3rd Floor
New Haven, CT 06519
Phone: 203-946-7933
Fax: 203-946-8664
|
New Haven Public
Schools
OUTLINE OF PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT DAY SCIENCE
Assessing Experiments SEP
18th
(revised)
8:00 – 8:15 Welcome, Orientation, Breakfast
8:30 – 9:45
Intro/Direction
-Fill out teacher info
form
Auditorium
Whole Group, Table
discussion: What makes a good experiment, designing experiments,
common vocabulary
math/science connection.
10:00 – 12:00 Break
out by grade. Practice embedded task/lab:
seventh grade: matter
(staying afloat) A305
eighth grade: bridges A301
ninth grade: plastics A308
tenth grade: enzymes A304
eleventh + grade: matter
(cold packs) A307
12:00-1:00 lunch
1:00- 2:20 break out groups,
design/examine assessment questions, discussion on scaffolding to teach skills
needed for assessment. Examination of holistic rubric.
2:35-3:00 group share, draft of initial quarterly
assessment.
Attachments:
Teacher
Info Form (Turn IN)
Open
Ended Experimentation Notes
Draft
New Haven Science Standards
Workshop
Evaluation (Turn IN )
Science
Professional Development Draft Schedule
Lab
Report Rubric Scoring
Open
Ended Questions Scoring
Grade
Level Tasks, Scoring, Example Assessments
OTHER
NEW HAVEN SCIENCE!
WHY TEACH SCIENCE?
RICHARD THERRIEN
K-12
SCIENCE SUPERVISOR
-DRAFT NEW
HAVEN SCIENCE STANDARDS AND PACING GUIDE
-QUARTERLY
ASSESSMENTS BASED ON EMBEDDED TASKS
TODAYS
GOAL:
Using science embedded tasks, teachers will
-examine learning goals for
experiments.
-review common vocabulary and
methods
-conduct instruction in
hands-on embedded task experiments
-design embedded task
follow-up assessments
-be able to use holistic
rubrics to score student work on embedded task follow ups.
|
Core Scientific Inquiry, Literacy and
Numeracy
How is scientific knowledge
created and communicated?
|
|
POWER CONTENT STANDARDS
|
EXPECTED PERFORMANCES
|
|
SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
·
Scientific
inquiry is a thoughtful and coordinated attempt to search out, describe,
explain and predict natural phenomena.
·
Scientific
inquiry progresses through a continuous process of questioning, data
collection, analysis and interpretation.
·
Scientific
inquiry requires the sharing of findings and ideas for critical review by
colleagues and other scientists.
SCIENTIFIC LITERACY
·
Scientific
literacy includes the ability to read, write, discuss and present coherent
ideas about science.
·
Scientific
literacy includes the ability to search
for and assess the relevance and credibility of scientific information
found in various print and electronic media.
SCIENTIFIC NUMERACY
·
Scientific
numeracy includes the ability to use mathematical operations and procedures
to calculate, analyze and present scientific data and ideas.
|
INQ1. Identify questions that
can be answered through scientific investigation.
INQ2.
Read,
interpret and examine the credibility and validity of scientific claims in
different sources of information.
INQ3.
Formulate
a testable hypothesis and demonstrate logical connections between the
scientific concepts guiding the hypothesis and the design of the experiment.
INQ4.
Design
and conduct appropriate types of scientific investigations to answer
different questions.
INQ5.
Identify
independent and dependent variables, including those that are kept constant
and those used as controls.
INQ6.
Use
appropriate tools and techniques to make observations and gather data.
INQ7.
Assess
the reliability of the data that was generated in the investigation.
INQ8.
Use
mathematical operations to analyze and interpret data, and present
relationships between variables in appropriate forms.
INQ9.
Articulate
conclusions and explanations based on the results of the research, and assess
their validity based on the design of the investigation.
INQ10. Communicate about
science in different formats, using relevant science vocabulary, supporting
evidence and clear logic.
|
FEEDBACK AND DISCUSSION
ACTIVITY 2:
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
What makes a good experiment?
What are the parts to a good
experiment?
What is the scientific method?
PROPOSAL: Consistent approach to
terminology to designing good experiments.
SCIENTIFIC METHOD: No
one "right" number of steps!
Includes the idea of
finding out something
to investigate (the "problem"),
coming up with a theory
or hypothesis based on observations: how one property (chemical, physical,
environmental, biological) affects another.
designing a good
experiment to test the idea, and making a prediction.
conducting the
experiment.
organizing and
analyzing the results.
drawing a conclusion
and stating the validity.
OBSERVE, ORGANIZE, CONCLUDE
(repeat)!
HYPOTHESIS:
One property affects another property
(factor, stimuli,
characteristic, measurement, observation, etc..), both can be
observed/measured.
CAUSE and EFFECT
Independent and Dependent
Variable Variable
"Control" "Responding"
"Manipulated" Measured
Result
Input Output
All other properties remain the
same, they are "controlled".
A "VALID" experiment
is one that assures that the result output (dependent variable) is due to the
input (independent variable), not to any other factor.
It also has a starting point to
compare to, the "control"
An experiment is a
controlled procedure designed to test a hypothesis. There are several parts to
any good scientific experiment.
HYPOTHESIS: The educated guess,
or conclude part of observe, organize, and conclude. Usually it is stated as
how one physical property affects another physical property. Example: I
think that
the amount of light causes
plant growth. (Light affects height)
PREDICTION: This is what you think is going to
happen in your particular experiment, based on the hypothesis. A hypothesis can
usually be tested in many ways, so it is important to predict for your specific
experiment. A prediction usually indicates how you are going to MEASURE each of
the properties
Example: I think that a plant
growing in dark will be shorter than one in the light.
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE: This is
the factor, or variable that you change. This is the physical property that you
have direct control over to change. It should be the ONLY difference between
the two groups for it to be a good experiment. It is the CAUSE property
mentioned in the hypothesis.
Example: the amount of light.
DEPENDENT VARIABLE: This is the
factor, or property that you measure for, or the result. It could be different
between the groups, or it could be the same. You don't know the value of this
variable until the end of the experiment. This is the EFFECT property mentioned
in the hypothesis.
Example: how high the plant
grows
CONTROL: All other variables
should be the SAME in all groups, or they should be CONTROLLED.
A CONTROL GROUP is the group that is used as the basis for
comparison. It could be: the BEFORE part of a before and after experiment
(mixing two chemicals to see a color change, the control group is the setup
before they were mixed). It could be: the "normal, or it could be the
group in which the value of the independent variable is zero.
EXPERIMENTAL GROUP(S): The
experimental group differs from the control group in just ONE factor or
variable. This is the group that is usually mentioned in the prediction. It can
also be the "after" part of a before and after experiment. It is the
actual physical set of objects that you have changed or are doing something to.
Example: a plant set in a
room with only a small light bulb.
CONCLUSION: after organizing the
results of the observations made in the experiment, you check to see whether
you are right by stating whether your predictions came true, and what you found
out about the hypothesis
A good experiment, besides
having careful observations, and using instruments, will always have a control
group to compare to, even though it is not always clear which is the control or
"normal" group, and which is the experimental group. But it is also
very important to have groups in which only ONE property or variable is changed
at a time, so that you can be sure that the property is the cause of whatever
effect you are measuring.
OPEN
ENDED ACTIVITIES ( CAPT), ask students to design good experiments, with a cause
and effect. (or to determine which cause has the greatest effect, and what the
trend there is).
YOUR
TASK:
USING
THE EXAMPLES AS A STARTING POINT DISCUSS IN GROUPS:
How
do you introduce the important points of experimental design in your science
class?
What
are some good ways to teach the scientific method and parts of good experiments
throughout the year?
What
other resources are needed or steps should the system take to help infuse this
common theme throughout the science curriculum?
