writing and argumentation in elementary science: day 1

November 6, 2013

WRITING AND ARGUMENTATION IN

ELEMENTARY SCIENCE: DAY 1

WELCOME!

HOPES AND FEARS?

WHAT DOES ARGUMENT MEAN IN OUR EVERYDAY LANGUAGE?

In science, an argument is used…

“to promote as much understanding of a

situation as possible and to persuade

colleagues of the validity of a specific idea….

[it] is ideally about sharing, processing, and

learning about ideas” (NRC 2008, p 89)

ARGUMENT IN SCIENCE

A NEW MODEL FOR THE PRACTICE OF SCIENCE

“Traditional science laboratory activities are structured around the laboratory report format. Students are expected to engage in a format that outlines the

hypothesis, procedures, observations, results, and discussion. Unfortunately, scientists use this format

not in the laboratory but primarily to report their work in journals for publication. In the lab, they pose

questions, make claims, gather evidence, debate with each other, compare their answers with others in the

field, and attempt to look for patterns across their results. Scientists are engaged in argumentation – at

the very core of science activity is scientific argument. Having completed this process of argument, scientists

then prepare their written reports for publication.” ~Hand, Norton-Meier, Staker, and Bintz

WHY IS ARGUMENT IMPORTANT?

ORCHESTRA STUDENTS ARE MUSICIANS;

STUDENTS ON THE BASKETBALL TEAM ARE

ATHLETES;

WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DO OUR SCIENCE

STUDENTS HAVE TO BE SCIENTISTS?

How are the ideas and information that you read connected to our conversation about argument?

What new ideas did you get that extended or broadened your thinking in new directions?

What challenges or puzzles have come up in your mind from the ideas and information presented?

DEVELOPING A SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENT

Adapted from Making Thinking Visible; Ritchhart, Church, and Morrison; pages 132 – 139.

We need to make sure that student writing and discourse involve all of these components – not just descriptions of an activity.

TIME TO EMBRACE YOUR INNER

CHILD….

How are the ideas and information that you read connected to our conversation about argument?

What new ideas did you get that extended or broadened your thinking in new directions?

What challenges or puzzles have come up in your mind from the ideas and information presented?

AS WE CONSIDER THE CCSS IN ELA…

Adapted from Making Thinking Visible; Ritchhart, Church, and Morrison; pages 132 – 139.

NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS

NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS (NGSS)

ARCHITECTURE OF THE NGSS: PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

Performance Expectations:•These describe what a student should be able to do at the end of a unit

•They are not meant to be lesson sequences or required activities

ARCHITECTURE OF THE NGSS

Science and Engineering Practices

Crosscutting Concepts

Disciplinary Core Ideas

ARCHITECTURE OF THE NGSS: CONNECTIONS

Connections to:

•Other content/grade-bands within the NGSS

•Common Core State Standards for ELA/Literacy and Mathematics

NGSS RESOURCES

http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards

OUR SHIFT IN THINKING…From thinking that one

scientific method fits all To thinking about how to engage our students in the pract ices of sc ient ists

1. Asking questions and defining problems

2. Developing and using models

3. Planning and carrying out investigations

4. Analyzing and interpreting data

5. Using mathematics and computational thinking

6. Constructing explanations and designing solutions

7. Engaging in argument from evidence

8. Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information

OUR SHIFT IN THINKING…

From thinking that “hands-on” science is ESSENTIAL

To thinking that engaging students EVERY DAY in scientific practices and thinking is POWERFUL

A NEW MODEL FOR THE PRACTICE OF SCIENCE

Next Generation Science Standards

Science & Engineering Practices

1. Asking questions and defining problems

2. Developing and using models

3. Planning and carrying out investigations

4. Analyzing and interpreting data

5. Using mathematics and computational thinking

6. Constructing explanations and designing solutions

7. Engaging in argument from evidence

8. Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information

SHIFTING OUR PRACTICE…From…

How am I going to teach this?

To…How are students going to learn about this?

How are the ideas and information that you read connected to our conversation about argument?

What new ideas did you get that extended or broadened your thinking in new directions?

What challenges or puzzles have come up in your mind from the ideas and information presented?

AS WE CONSIDER THE NGSS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

PRACTICES…

Adapted from Making Thinking Visible; Ritchhart, Church, and Morrison; pages 132 – 139.

What’s common?

ALL the standards —Math CCSS, ELA CCSS

and NGSS —require that teachers

focus more attention on disciplinary practices.

Math CCSS

ELA CCSS

NGSS

AN EXAMINATION OF PRACTICES

AN EXAMINATION OF PRACTICES

INSTEAD OF PRACTICES, THE ELA CCSS IDENTIFY THE CAPACITIES OF A

LITERATE INDIVIDUAL

http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NGSS/files/ConnectionsBetweenPracticesinNGSSCommonCoreMathandCommonCoreELA_2-12-2013.pdf

http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NGSS/files/ConnectionsBetweenPracticesinNGSSCommonCoreMathandCommonCoreELA_2-12-2013.pdf

Scientific Argument

Student Discourse

Writing

When procedures are uniform for all students, where data are similar, and where claims match expected outcomes, then the reportage of results and conclusions often seems meaningless to students and lacks opportunities for deeper student learning

about the topic or for developing scientific reasoning skills. (If everyone gets the same

answer why ask the question? How meaningful is this type of experience? Is this just another school exercise done to

them?)~Hand, Norton-Meier, Staker, and Bintz

  As you consider this quote, what are the implications for our classrooms?

We need to change our thinking with

respect to experimentation!

EXPERIMENTATION

Conventional

Separate Unit on the Scientific Method

Then spend the rest of the year learning content through text resources or telling.

EXPERIMENTATION

Students read the text to learn vocabulary and background information about clouds.

?

Students then observe the cloud in a jar that confirms what they already “know.”

Conventional

EXPERIMENTATION

Shifts in Practice for NGSS

Students search for answers to their questions as they read the text.

?

Students ask questions about cloud formation and do some investigating on their own.

Scientific Argument

Student Discourse

Writing

How might we put it all together?

5E LEARNING CYCLE

5E Model is based from the SCIS Model of Instruction by researchers Atkins and Karplus in 1967.

5E Model was originally proposed by BSCS (Biological Science Curriculum Study) in the late1980’s.

5E LEARNING CYCLE

EngageExploreExplainElaborateEvaluatehttp://www.bscs.org/bscs-5e-instructional-model

Scientific Argument

Student Discourse

Writing

STUDENT DISCOURSE

WHY IS TALK IMPORTANT IN THE SCIENCE CLASSROOM?

Talk Science Primer, Pages 4 – 6

How are the ideas and information that you read connected to our conversation about argument?

What new ideas did you get that extended or broadened your thinking in new directions?

What challenges or puzzles have come up in your mind from the ideas and information presented?

AS WE CONSIDER THE IMPORTANCE OF TALK IN THE SCIENCE

CLASSROOM…

Adapted from Making Thinking Visible; Ritchhart, Church, and Morrison; pages 132 – 139.

GOALS FOR PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION

Talk Science Primer, Page 9

EngageExploreExplainElaborateEvaluate

HOW DOES STUDENT TALK FIT INTO THE 5E LEARNING CYCLE?

http://www.bscs.org/bscs-5e-instructional-model

PLANNING FOR STUDENT DISCOURSE

BEFORE WE MEET AGAIN…