maryland college and career readiness conference summer 2015
TRANSCRIPT
Maryland College and Career Readiness Conference
Summer 2015
• Identify the role of explanation in building science literacy in the classroom.
• Define the elements of an explanation.
• Review student work to identify level of student response in constructing explanations.
• Identify the challenges and scaffolding to support student construction of explanations in the classroom.
• Ask questions and define solutions• Develop and use models• Plan and carry out investigations• Analyze and interpret data• Use math and computational thinking• Construct explanations and design
solutions• Engage in argument from evidence• Obtaining, evaluating, and
communicating information
Why would explanation be referred to as the Building Blocks of Science?
In science, the production of knowledge is dependent on a process of reasoning from evidence that requires a scientist to justify a claim about the world. (explanation)
In response, other scientists attempt to identify the claim’s weaknesses and limitations to obtain the best possible explanation. (argument)
Asking students to demonstrate their own understanding of the implications of a scientific ideas by developing their own explanations of phenomena, whether based on observations they have made or models and designs they have developed, engages them in an essential part of the process by which conceptual change can occur.
NGSS Appendix F
“An explanation includes a claim that relates how a variable(s) relates to another variable or set of variables. A claim is often made in response to a question and in the process of answering the question, scientists often design investigations to generate data.” Explanations rely on evidence and provide the “how” or “why” phenomena occur (reasoning) .
NGSS Appendix F
Reasoning
Claim Evidence
Claim - Evidence - ReasoningFramework
Claim A conclusion that answers the question
about a phenomena or a solution to a problem.
A statement of what you understand or a conclusion that you have reached from an investigation(s) or text(s) you have read.
Evidence Scientific data that supports the student’s claim.Must be appropriate and sufficient Can come from an investigation or other source
that may include
Observations Information found in texts Archived data Information from an expert
Scientific Reasoning Justification that links the claim
and evidence.Shows why the data counts as
evidence to support the claim, using appropriate scientific principles.
Why did so many finches die on Daphne Major?
How did the finch population change?
Analyze the evidence
Construct a claim
Identify the reasoning that links the evidence
to the claim.
Investigation of Phenomena
Numerical data Patterns in data Observations Models
Investigation of Text
Facts Definitions Concrete details Quotations Examples
valid and valid and reliablereliable
Number of FinchesOn Daphne Major
1973-1978
How did the finch population change?
Evidence:
There was a significant decrease in the finch population.
Reasoning:
Claim:
Question:
The finch population decreased because they could not survive when the land was dry.
Graph: Finch Population• Finch population during dry season is less than finch
population during wet season for each year. • Highest finch population was 60 during the 1976 wet
season • Lowest finch population was 10 in 1977 dry season.
There was a significant decrease in the finch population. The highest number of finches was 60 during the 1976 wet season and dropped to 10 in 1977 dry season. The birds could not survive when the land was dry and died.
Take a look at the Performance Expectation.
What would students have to do to develop the deep understanding in
this performance expectation?
Sources of evidence may include data sets/charts/graphs, articles, simulations, videos, laboratory observations, and/or models/representations.
Evidence 2
Evidence 3
Did the finch population change?Did the finch population change?
How did environmental conditions impact the How did environmental conditions impact the finch population?finch population?
How did environmental conditions impact finch How did environmental conditions impact finch resources?resources?
How were the finches that lived different than the How were the finches that lived different than the finches that died?finches that died?
How/why were the finches that lived able to How/why were the finches that lived able to survive?survive?
What happened to the finches on What happened to the finches on Daphne Major?Daphne Major?
Writing Task: Using evidence from multiple Writing Task: Using evidence from multiple texts, explain how different traits affected the texts, explain how different traits affected the survival of finches when environmental survival of finches when environmental conditions changed. conditions changed.
Writing Task: Using evidence from multiple Writing Task: Using evidence from multiple texts, explain how different traits affected the texts, explain how different traits affected the survival of finches when environmental survival of finches when environmental conditions changed. conditions changed.
Writing Task: Using evidence from Writing Task: Using evidence from multiple texts, explain how different multiple texts, explain how different traits affected the survival of finches traits affected the survival of finches when environmental conditions when environmental conditions changed. changed.
Writing Task: Using evidence from Writing Task: Using evidence from multiple texts, explain how different multiple texts, explain how different traits affected the survival of finches traits affected the survival of finches when environmental conditions when environmental conditions changed. changed.
Did the finch population change?Did the finch population change?
How did environmental conditions impact the How did environmental conditions impact the finch population?finch population?
How did environmental conditions impact finch How did environmental conditions impact finch resources?resources?
How were the finches that lived different than the How were the finches that lived different than the finches that died?finches that died?
How/why were the finches that lived able to How/why were the finches that lived able to survive?survive?
What happened to the finches on What happened to the finches on Daphne Major?Daphne Major?
Writing Task: Using evidence from multiple Writing Task: Using evidence from multiple texts, explain how different traits affected the texts, explain how different traits affected the survival of finches when environmental survival of finches when environmental conditions changed. conditions changed.
Writing Task: Using evidence from multiple Writing Task: Using evidence from multiple texts, explain how different traits affected the texts, explain how different traits affected the survival of finches when environmental survival of finches when environmental conditions changed. conditions changed.
How did the finch population change?
smallest population of finches on Daphne Major was 10 (in 1977) which was greatly reduced from the largest population of 60 during the 1976 wet season
There was a significant decrease in the finch population from 1976 (dry season) to 1977 (dry season).
Students discusspatterns in data before recording information in graphic organizer.
Students write first claim based on population data.
Students record patterns in data in lab book before discussion.
Ask Questions
Explanations
Analyze Data
Investigations
Argument Revised Explanation
Sense – Making of Phenomena
Source: population data
by revising and building our
thinking with new
information.
Let’s continue to develop the explanation . . .
Did the finch population change?Did the finch population change?
How did environmental conditions impact the How did environmental conditions impact the finch population?finch population?
How did environmental conditions impact finch How did environmental conditions impact finch resources?resources?
How were the finches that lived different than the How were the finches that lived different than the finches that died?finches that died?
How/why were the finches that lived able to How/why were the finches that lived able to survive?survive?
What happened to the finches on What happened to the finches on Daphne Major?Daphne Major?
Writing Task: Using evidence from multiple Writing Task: Using evidence from multiple texts, explain how different traits affected the texts, explain how different traits affected the survival of finches when environmental survival of finches when environmental conditions changed. conditions changed.
Writing Task: Using evidence from multiple Writing Task: Using evidence from multiple texts, explain how different traits affected the texts, explain how different traits affected the survival of finches when environmental survival of finches when environmental conditions changed. conditions changed.
How did the environmental conditions impact the finch population?
smallest population of finches on Daphne Major was 10 (in 1977) which was greatly reduced from the largest population of 60 during the 1976 wet season
There was a significant decrease in the finch population from 1976 (dry season) to 1977 (dry season).
Students begin to demonstrate a deeper understanding in Claim 2. “The more rainfall there is the more resources available to finches which increases the population.”
Ask Questions
Explanations
Analyze Data
Investigations
Argument Revised Explanation
Sense – Making of Phenomena
Claim Evidence
Reasoning
NewEvidence
Revised Reasoning
New Claim Evidence
Source: rainfall data
Multiple evidence points from a single source.
Evidence Evidence
Evaluate Student Sample
Evaluate examples of student work using an Explanation Framework Checklist. Does the explanation state a claim that answers the question?How well did the evidence support the claim?Is the scientific reasoning relevant to the claim and use appropriate scientific principles for support?
….one challenge across all the science investigations was students’ ability to make sense of data and construct scientific explanations in which they justified their claims. Students were engaged in the investigations, but is was the meaning-making piece after the investigations that was challenging.
Supporting Grade 5-8 Students in Constructing Explanations in Science, McNeill and Krajcik
Using evidence to support ideas Relies on own opinion Difficulty using sufficient evidence or appropriate evidenceExplaining why the evidence supports their ideas (reasoning)Difficulty articulating link between evidence and claim Difficulty articulating link between ideas, evidence and scientific principalsConsidering multiple explanations or solutionsStruggle with revising explanations and solutions based on evidence or scientific knowledgeConstructing an explanation that shows a deep understanding of the questionFocus on one piece of information or point rather than build an explanation based on all the evidence gathered from multiple sources
Explicitly define the elements of the C-E-R Framework
Engage students in self and peer critique using the criteria questions.
Writing Task: Using evidence from multiple texts, explain how different traits affected the survival of finches when environmental conditions changed.
Ask Questions
Explanation Analyze Data
Plan and conduct investigation
ArgumentRevised and Robust Student Explanation
Ask Questions
Explanations
Analyze Data
Investigations
Argument Revised Explanation
Sense – Making of Phenomena
Sense-makingSense-making ArticulationArticulation Consensus-buildingConsensus-building
Beginning idea Better idea Best idea
Beginning idea after•observing /testing models,•collecting/analyzing data •obtaining information
• communicate ideas• evaluate strengths
and weakness of explanation
• build a shared understanding
Review competing ideas to convince others of mostrobust explanation
Constructing Robust Explanations
Supports deep understanding of scientific content
Supports 21st Century skills
Requires evidence to support claims
Involves logical reasoning
Models key practices of scientists and engineers
Supports the understanding of the Nature of Science
Taking Science to SchoolSupporting Grades 5-8 Students in Constructing Explanation.
Write 3 – 5 “power words” to summarize your understanding of
Explanation