Science Curriculum Topic Study Bridging the Gap Between Standards and Practice

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Science Curriculum Topic Study Bridging the Gap
Between Standards and Practice
Joyce Tugel The Blake School January 2, 2007
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(No Transcript)
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Whos in the Room?
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3 Goals for Today

• (Review) Review Curriculum Topic Study (CTS) as a
  tool you can use to connect standards and
  research on learning to classroom practice.
• (Explore) Examine a scaffold that helps unpack
  a concept.
• (Apply) Consider ways CTS can help inform the
  writing of essential questions.

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(Re)Introduction to CTS
I got you a bunch of stuff- this is just the tip
of the iceberg!
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The CTS Project

• NSF-funded TPC Professional Development Materials
  Project awarded to the Maine Mathematics and
  Science Alliance in partnership with West Ed
• 2 resources guides Science and Mathematics
  Curriculum Topic Study books
• Facilitators Guide to Using Curriculum Topic
  Study
• Web Site www.curriculumtopicstudy.org
• National Professional Development

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What is CTS?

• A process that incorporates systematic study of
  standards and research
• A set of tools and collective resources for
  improving curriculum, instruction, and assessment
• An intellectually engaging professional
  development experience where teachers focus on
  and discuss student learning

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What CTS Is Not

• CTS IS NOT
• A remedy for weak content knowledge (CTS is used
  to enhance and support content learning)
• A collection of teaching activities (CTS
  describes considerations one must take into
  account when planning or selecting teaching
  activities)
• A description of how tos (CTS helps you think
  through effective teaching based on knowledge of
  learning goals and how students learn)
• A quick fix (CTS takes time and dedication to use
  it effectively)
• The end-all for professional development (CTS
  helps you identify additional experiences that
  will help you grow as a teacher)

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Why Use CTS?

• Clarify and deepen knowledge of relevant
  curricular topics
• Develop a common knowledge base and language
  about standards and research
• Move beyond personal opinions and assumptions to
  consider key ideas and practices developed
  through consensus by the science education
  community
• Stand on the Shoulders of Giants- Experts at
  your fingertips 24/7!

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Having State and National Standards Is Not Enough

• What has been missing is a systematic,
  scholarly, deliberate process to help educators
  intellectually engage with standards and research
  on student learning so they can make effective
  use of them.
• CTS provides that Missing Link.

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The CTS Guide

• Each guide has 6 CTS sections (Left Column)
• Purposes of the sections
• I Identify Adult Content Knowledge
• II Consider Instructional Implications
• III Identify Concepts and Specific Ideas
• IV Examine Research on Student Learning
• V Examine Coherency and Articulation
• VI Clarify State Standards and District
  Curriculum
• Each section links to CTS sources and pre-vetted
  Readings (Right Column)
• See Chapter 2- The CTS Study Guide pp 19- 22

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CTS The Swiss Army Knife of Curriculum,
Instruction, and Assessment
Improve adult science literacy (I) Improve
knowledge of content teachers teach (I) Examine
instructional considerations (II) Identify
alternative conceptions (IV)
Consider developmental implications (II,
IV) Examine scope and sequence (III) See
connections within and across topics (V) Clarify
state standards and district curriculum
(VI)
Identify Big Ideas, Concepts, Specific Ideas,
and Skills (III)
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CTS Collective Resources- Experts at Your
Fingertips 24/7
?
?
?
?
?Indicates the resource is online
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Parallel Resources in Mathematics CTS
Getting to Know the Resources
Science Pages 24-26 Science for All
Americans Science Matters Benchmarks for Science
Literacy The National Science Standards Making
Sense of Secondary Science Atlas of Science
Literacy
Mathematics Pages 27-30 Science for All
Americans Beyond Numeracy Benchmarks for Science
Literacy Principles and Standards for School
Mathematics Research Companion Atlas of Science
Literacy

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Quick Summary of the CTS Scaffold

• STEP 1Scan and select the CTS category.
• ?
• STEP 2 Scan the list of topics within the
  category that include the content you are
  examining.
• ?
• STEP 3Select the CTS guide you will use.
• ?
• STEP 4 Determine which section(s) of the CTS
  guide will help you find the information you
  need.
• ?
• STEP 5Select the resource(s) you will use, the
  grade span(s), and the readings.
• ?
• STEP 6 Examine the reading for information
  relevant to your topic and task.
• ?
• STEP 7 Record your findings. If you do not find
  what you need, go back to Step 2 and repeat with
  another topic.

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Quick Scaffold PracticeSteps 1-3

• What specific ideas about the moon phases I
  should focus on at the middle school level?
• Category?
• Astronomy
• CTS Topic Guide?
• Earth, Moon, Sun System
• Page Number of CTS Guide?
• Page 194

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Quick Scaffold Practice- Step 4

• What specific ideas about the moon phases I
  should focus on at the middle school level?
• Section?
• Section III (Could also include Section V and
  VI)
• Outcome?
• Identify Concepts and Specific Ideas

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Quick Scaffold Practice- Step 5

• What specific ideas about the moon phases
  should we focus on at K-8? (Hint Out of the
  suggested readings in the broader topic of Earth,
  Moon, and Sun System, which readings should you
  start with to find information about moon
  phases?)
• Which resource, grade level, and page numbers do
  I read?
• Benchmarks- The Earth pp 67-70 and/or
• and/or NSES- Changes in the Earth and Sky p 134
  and Earth in the Solar System pp 160-161
• What part of the page do I focus on?
• Just the bulleted learning goals, not the essay.

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CTS III Summary

• Major Concepts and Specific Ideas
• Why create summaries?

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Pair Talk
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Any Burning Questions So Far?
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For Additional Information

• Visit the CTS web site at www.curriculumtopicstudy
  .org
• Contact
• Page Keeley, CTS Principal Investigator and
  Project Director pkeeley_at_mmsa.org
• Joyce Tugel, MMSA Science Specialist
  jtugel_at_mmsa.org

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Elbow Partner Talk

• What does it mean to unpack a concept? Whats
  the purpose?

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Unpacking a Concept

• Level 6

• Level 5

• Level 4

Moons motion
Phases of the moon, moons orbit

• Level 3

• Level 2

• Level 1

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Unpacking a Concept

• Level 6

• Level 5

• Level 4

Moons motion

• Level 3

Phases of the moon, moons orbit

• Level 2 Bullets in Benchmarks, NSES

-the moon orbits around the earth (BSL)
-the turning of the earth (rotation) makes it
seem as if the moon is orbiting the earth once a
day (BSL)
-objects (such as the moon) in the sky have
patterns of movement (NSES)
-the observable shape of the moon changes from
day to day in a cycle that lasts about a month
(NSES)

• Level 1

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Unpacking a Concept

• Level 6

• Level 5

• Level 4

Moons motion
Phases of the moon, moons orbit

• Level 3

• Level 2 Bullets in Benchmarks, NSES

If you were teaching this, what facts, terms
would you use or find in a textbook?

• Level 1

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Unpacking a Concept

• Level 1 Facts and Terminology

Names of phases, rotation, lunar month, moon
orbits the earth once every 28 days
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Unpacking a Concept

• Level 6

Models
Changes in the moons shape can be described by
predictable, repeated patterns of motion around
the earth.

• Level 5

• Level 4

Moons motion

• Level 3

Phases of the moon, moons orbit

• Level 2 Bullets in Benchmarks, NSES

• Level 1 Facts and Terminology (names of phases,
  
• rotation, lunar month, moon
  orbits every 28 days)

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Unpacking a Concept

• Level 6

Unifying Concepts, Ideas

• Level 5

Big Ideas

• Level 4

Concept
Subconcepts

• Level 3

Specific Ideas (NSES, BSL bullets)

• Level 2

• Level 1

Facts and Terminology
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Practice Unpacking

• Topic properties of matter
• Concept characteristic properties of matter
• Building our common understanding Frayer
  diagram, Characteristic properties
• Card sort arrange in a hierarchy, using colored
  strips as organizers. As you sort, discuss,
  justify how you are deciding which card goes where

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Choose Your Own Topic

• Find a CTS guide related to your topic.
• Pick one single concept (Scan CTS III to choose a
  concept).
• Using the Guiding Questions and Hierarchy
  Scaffold, unpack the concept. (Use CTS Section
  III for specific ideas)
• Once the concept is unpacked to Facts and
  Terminology, build it up to a Big Idea and
  Unifying Concept or Idea.
• Prepare a chart to share with the group.

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Writing Essential Questions

• Use your hierarchy to practice writing questions
  at different levels.
• Using sticky notes, place your questions on your
  hierarchy of ideas.