exploring the ngss: three survivor’s tales gale o’keefe, lesley shapiro, alyssa wood, and rudolf...
TRANSCRIPT
Exploring the NGSS: Three survivor’s tales
Gale O’Keefe, Lesley Shapiro, Alyssa Wood, and Rudolf Kraus
RISTA 2014
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NGSS class
SED 548: Fall 2014
Rhode Island College
Monday 4-6:50
We’ll be taking a look at the NGSS,
and the implications for your classroom
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Our story
Our class had four parts:
▪ Theory of systemic change: Lewin’s change curve
▪ Study of previous curriculum change
▪ Look at the NGSS- what’s there?
▪ Developing your own NGSS curriculum
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NGSS: what’s the deal?
Not a complete overhaul, the next step
Three Emphases: content, practices, concepts
Compatible with Common Core:
more analysis, fewer facts
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Other curricular changes
Practices are those of science AND engineering
Integration of content, practices, and concepts
Content areas are: life, physical, earth + space
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Lewin’s change curve
Lewin’s model is for all organizational change
We get worse before we get better
Leadership and support can help quite a lot.
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Developing new curricula
Three coming up:
▪ 5th grade at Sophia Academy
▪ 7th grade at North Smithfield Middle School
▪ 9th grade at Classical High School
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Sophia Academy
Sophia Academy is a private, all-girls middle school in Providence focused on breaking the cycle of poverty that has ensnared so many.
Sophia Academy fosters intellectual, moral, cultural, and social growth for its students.
Sophia Academy’s 60 students are City residents and reflect the demographics of the Providence School District.
Sophia Academy
Just moved to 582 Elmwood Ave., Providence
Small school: pros and cons
Alyssa is the entire science department.
Overall NGSS curriculum
5th grade: Intro to science
6th, 7th, + 8th: all take one of:
Life physical earth/space
Advantages:
Two preps, not four
Better use of science lab
Classes connected with:
▪ NGSS Practices of Science+ Engineering
▪ NGSS Cross-Cutting Concepts
North Smithfield Middle School
Public school serving
6th, 7th, 8th grade
In sixth year of operation
~470 students, mostly rural, with strong NECAP scores
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North Smithfield Middle School
Current School Science Program
- 6th grade: Earth’s Atmosphere, Space Science, Life over Time, and Earth’s Surface
- 7th grade: Diversity of Living Things, Ecology, and Waves, Sound, and Light
- 8th grade: Matter, Energy and Chemical Interactions, Forces and Motion, Electricity and Magnetism and the Changing Earth
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The shift (GSEsNGSS)
My fears of NGSS
Comparing GSE to NGSS–Time–Practice–Engineering added at every grade–Project based
My NGSS-compatible science curriculum
All four MS Engineering Standards are addressed each year
6th grade– Earths Place in Universe– Earth Systems– Some Earth and Human
Activity
7th grade – From Molecules to Organisms– Ecosystems and Interactions– Heredity – Biological Evolution– Some Earth and Human
Activity
8th grade- Matter and Its Interactions- Motion and Stability- Energy and Their Applications- Waves and Their Applications
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7th grade curriculum with NGSS
7th grade–From Molecules to Organisms–Ecosystems and Interactions–Heredity –Biological Evolution–Some Earth and Human Activity
See handout for details
Classical High School
▪ A demanding college prep school in Providence
▪ Provides a diverse community of students with a rigorous learning environment and high standards
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Classical High School
• Examination required for admission
• 1112 students in grades 9-12
• 99% of graduating seniors go to college
• 20 AP Courses offered including AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics B, AP Physics C and AP Environmental States
•Most seniors take 1 or more science courses senior year
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The shift (GSEsNGSS)
▪ For 9-12, the NGSS represent a significant departure from the GSEs and the current Biology, Chemistry, Physics model.
▪ NGSS trims down the number of Physical Science standards
▪ NGSS increases the number or Earth & Space Science standards
▪ Attempts to integrate the Earth & Space Science GSEs in at the High School Level were unsuccessful as per NECAP
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Choosing between options
NGSS appendices offer three suggestions on 9-12 curricula
▪ Initially, integrated model– talking to other teachers made me
reconsider
▪ Eventually, DCI model–Course 1: Earth& Space Science–Course 2: Physical Science–Course 3: Life Science
My NGSS-compatible science curriculum
All four MS Engineering Standards are addressed each year
9th grade
▪ Big bang and beyond
▪ Plate tectonics
▪ Earth Processes
▪ Humans and the Earth
10th grade
▪ Collisions and Motion
▪ Waves and EM radiation
▪ Atoms & molecules
▪ Reactions
11th grade
▪ Cellular Biology Genetics
▪ Evolution Ecology
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NGSS and the AP
▪ The College Board is in, but AP revisions --???
▪ As of right now:
–NGSS will prepare students exceptionally well for AP Biology and AP Environmental Science
–AP Physics B & C can be taken as a first year physics class
–NGSS will not adequately prepare students for AP Chemistry
What do you think?
As we’re handing out sample curricula, please find your self a partner.
Take five minutes and…
▪ What are three things that you do now?
▪ What are two changes you notice?
▪ What is one question that you have?
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What we’ve learned
Initially, we had vague concerns▪ Why bother?▪ What’s going to be better? Worse?
Now, we have specific, detailed questions.▪ Can we get support as we adjust
units/curricula?▪ What’s the test going to look like?▪ How do we successfully integrate engineering?▪ How do we add Earth/Space into the HS
environment?
Engineering help
http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/online_courses/NEScourse.aspx
From NSTA and NASA: starts in 3 weeks, free.
RIC’s Technology education program:
Tech 200: Intro to Tech systems and Processes
Tech 202: Design Processes
Interested?
Join our professional learning community
North Smithfield Middle School
Monday evenings
6-8pm
401-263-9800, leave a message
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