CURRICULUM REPORT CARD IMPLEMENTATIONPRESENTATIONS

Science

Report Cards

Where to start?

In the classroom and with the curriculum.

Science

WHAT IS A SCIENTIFIC LITERACY? Think about what you feel are the characteristics you want to see in your students so that they will be successful in science?A successful science student . . .

Making Connections

How do you see your statement matching the report card categories?

Knowledge and Understanding Scientific inquiry Design Process/Problem Solving

Artifact 1: Science – Report Card Categories and Indicators

CATEGORY INDICATORS–GRADES 1 to 4 INDICATORS–GRADES 5 to 8KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE CONCEPTSStudent demonstrates understanding of grade-specific science concepts and skills.

- demonstrates knowledge of life science, physical science, earth or space science

- demonstrates knowledge of life science, physical science, earth or space science

SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY PROCESSStudent asks questions, generates possible explanations, collects and analyzes evidence, and reaches conclusions based on evidence.

- demonstrates a curiosity by asking questions- makes predictions- creates a plan to answer questions- manipulates instruments appropriately and in a

safe manner- observes, predicts, collects data and information,

measures, classifies- compares and discusses data, and generates

possible explanations and new questions

- formulates questions that lead to investigations- makes predictions/hypotheses- designs a fair test or a plan to answer questions- manipulates instruments appropriately and in a safe

manner- makes relevant observations, collects data and

information, measures, classifies- analyzes and interprets data to draw conclusions that

explain data- identifies possible sources of error as well as strengths

and weaknesses of the experimental protocol

DESIGN PROCESS AND PROBLEM SOLVINGStudent applies science knowledge to seek solutions to practical problems.

- Identifies practical problems to solve- Seeks solutions to problems and creates a written

plan which includes criteria, steps to follow and a labeled diagram

- Constructs and tests an object using pre-determined criteria

- Identifies and makes improvements to an object and explains the changes

- Identifies practical problems to solve- Seeks solutions to problems and selects and justifies a

method to be used to find a solution - Creates a written plan which includes materials, steps to

follow, safety considerations, and detailed diagrams- Develops criteria to evaluate a prototype or consumer

product- Constructs and tests a prototype or consumer product

using pre-determined criteria- Identifies and makes improvements to a prototype and

justifies the changes- Evaluates a consumer product based on predetermined

criteria

Learning, Teaching and Assessing Science

To promote scientific literacy among future citizens, it is crucial to recognize how students learn, how science can best be taught, and how learning can be assessed. Students are curious, active learners who have individual interests, abilities, and needs. They come to school with various personal and cultural experiences and prior knowledge that generate a range of attitudes and beliefs about science and life.

Students learn most effectively when their study of science is rooted in concrete learning experiences, related to a particular context or situation, and applied to their world where appropriate. Ideas and understandings that students develop should be progressively extended and reconstructed as students grow in their experiences and in their ability to conceptualize. Learning involves the process of linking newly constructed understandings with prior knowledge and adding new contexts and experiences to current understandings.

Learning, Teaching and Assessing Science

Development of scientific literacy is supported by instructional environments that engage students in the following processes:

scientific inquiry: students address questions about natural phenomena, involving broad explorations as well as focussed investigations

technological problem solving (design process): students seek answers to practical problems requiring the application of their science knowledge in various ways

decision making: students identify issues and pursue science knowledge that will inform the issues

How do you assess the design and inquiry processes?

1. What is design process? 2. What is the inquiry process?

What is Inquiry?What is Design?

Cluster 0 Overall Skills and Attitudes Chart

What is cluster 0? The purpose of the charts is to

provide support related to the tracking of the development of the skills and attitudes across several grades.

Concrete Learning Experiences

Discuss with your shoulder partner how you have or would teach and assess knowledge, design and inquiry within a cluster?

A Guiding Rubric

Look on the table for a sample guiding rubric for Grade 2 (Artifact 2) and Grade 5 (Artifact 3) Inquiry and Design Processes.

Look at the sample lesson plans from York University (Artifact 4). Several lessons include assessment rubrics.

COLLECTING DOCUMENTATION OF EVIDENCE

Conversations: over the shoulder, conference, peer, journals, book talks

Observations: focused, around the room, individual/partner/group, checklists

Products: journals, portfolios, projects, skill applications

Adapter from A. Davies, Making Classroom Assessment Work, Second Edition © 2007 Connections Publishing, p. 52.)

FOCUSED OBSERVATION

Target one or two outcomes

Identify a small number of students to observe

Note what you ‘see and hear’ these students ‘do and say’

Collect observations over a period of time as students provide evidence in using criteria and meeting expectations

Notice -Wonder

See

Hear

Independent TogetherSupporting the Multilevel Learning Community

Student Self Assessment

Look on the table for a sample of a student self assessment template (Artifact 5).

Students can think about their progress in science and set goals.

Science

Students learn most effectively when their study of science is rooted in concrete learning experiences, related to a particular context or situation, and applied to their world where appropriate.

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