Clarion Module I

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Clarion Module I

• INTRODUCING
• Project Clarion

Steve Coxon Center for Gifted Education The
College of William and Mary
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Think Like a Scientist Inquiry-Based Science
Units for K-3 Learners

• Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Ed.D.
• Co-Principal Investigator
• Bruce A. Bracken, Ph.D.
• Co-Principal Investigator
• Lori C. Bland, Ph.D.
• Project Director

? 2009 Javits Project Clarion, Center for Gifted
Education, College of William and Mary
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My goal is to involve you in

1. Using the Frayer model of vocabulary to define a
   scientist
2. Understanding the macro-concepts systems and
   change, how they can help students
   meta-cognitively, and their interdisciplinarity
3. Using inquiry with the Wheel of Scientific
   Investigation and Reasoning to conduct an
   experiment
4. Your units content and concept-mapping and
5. Pre-, on-going, and post-assessments.

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Project Clarion Objectives

• To use instrumentation sensitive to low
  socio-economic learners for identification and
  assessment of learning
• To implement, refine, and extend research-based
  concept curriculum in grades K-3 in three
  different school districts
• To develop and implement professional training
  models for teachers, administrators, and broader
  school communities
• To conduct research on short term and
  longitudinal student learning gains as well as
  the mechanisms that promote the
  institutionalization of innovation through
  scaling up

? 2009 Javits Project Clarion, Center for Gifted
Education, College of William and Mary
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Clarion Curriculum Goals

• To develop selected basic concepts related to
  understanding the world of science
• To develop selected macro-concepts that unify
  understanding basic concepts in science (i.e.,
  systems and change)
• To develop knowledge of selected content topics
  in science
• To develop interrelated science process skills
• To develop critical thinking skills
• To develop creative thinking
• To develop curiosity and interest in the world of
  science

? 2009 Javits Project Clarion, Center for Gifted
Education, College of William and Mary
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Project Clarion Alignment to Standards

• National Science Education Standards
• Benchmarks for Science Literacy
• Virginia Standards of Learning
• Unit-specific knowledge
• National Association of Early Childhood Education

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Unit Titles by Grade Level
Grade Levels  Life Science Earth Science Physical Science
K - 1st Survive and Thrive How the Sun Makes Our Day Water Works
1st - 2nd Budding Botanists
2nd The Weather Reporter
2nd 3rd What's The Matter?
3rd Dig It! Invitation to Invent
Published by Prufrock Press ? 2009 Javits
Project Clarion, Center for Gifted Education,
College of William and Mary
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PROJECT CLARIONLets stop for a moment and take
a look at

• Table of contents in three sections
• I Unit overview (Concept map, Overarching
  concept, Scientific investigation, Curriculum
  Framework, Alignment to standards, etc.)
• II Lesson plans
• III Appendices (Safety, Four teaching models
  Concept development, Wheel of Scientific
  investigation, Concept mapping, Frayer vocabulary
  development), Concept paper, Assessment Package)

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Research Design

• Quasi-Experimental
• Random Assignment
• Treatment Fidelity
• Classroom observations
• Teacher self report of lesson logs and feedback
• Comparison Curriculum
• Teacher created
• Purchased science curricula
• (e.g., Harcourt Brace)
• ? 2009 Javits Project Clarion, Center for Gifted
  Education, College of William and Mary

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Sample

• Three Districts
• urban
• exurban
• rural
• More than 3400 students
• 6 Title I Schools
• 38 experimental classrooms
• 36 comparison classrooms

• Ethnicity
• Caucasian 29.9
• Hispanic 26.8
• Asian 18.6
• African American 11.7
• Other 2
• Native American .6
• Gender
• Male 49.2
• Female 49.4

? 2009 Javits Project Clarion, Center for Gifted
Education, College of William and Mary
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Instrumentation Baseline Identification

• Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT)
  Reliability between .81-.89
• Percent of Experimental and Comparison Students
  in Sample by Ability Category

? 2009 Javits Project Clarion, Center for Gifted
Education, College of William and Mary
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Instrumentation Assessment of Learning

• Performance-Based Assessments
• Concept, Scientific Investigation, Content
• Content validity relevance, clarity,
  appropriateness
• Rubric and Protocol Adapted from Fowler
• Alternate Forms Reliability .76
• Inter-rater Reliability .90-.95
• Test of Critical Thinking (TCT)
• Administered to 3rd grade (post only)
• Reliability .89

? 2009 Javits Project Clarion, Center for Gifted
Education, College of William and Mary
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Project Clarion works

• Across two years, the performance-based
  assessment results showed significant and
  educationally important gains for experimental
  students in
• Macro-concepts
• Scientific investigation
• Content mastery
• Across two years, the Test of Critical Thinking
  showed significant and educationally important
  effects for the third grade students in the
  experimental group.

? 2009 Javits Project Clarion, Center for Gifted
Education, College of William and Mary