Improving Writing and Reading Comprehension in Science using the 5E's

Engage – Explore – Explain – Elaborate - Evaluate

Presenter – Monica Harvey mharvey@rochester.k12.mi.us

Secondary Science Educator

Hart Middle School Rochester Community Schools

Session Purpose Administrators Classroom Teachers

Direction for science instruction

Making connections between subject areas

Awareness of Common Core expectations for writing and reading in science

New approach to teaching activities

Writing using Claim Evidence and Reasoning

Ways to deal with informational reading

Connector Who was your favorite teacher and why?

Times have changed… Instructional Practices Then and Now

Core Standards For Writing and Reading In Non-ELA Classes

Then... Most information coming right out of the book.

Power Points. Lots of Power Points.

Skimming text “hunting and searching” for required

answers.

Writing and Reading done/taught in Language Arts classes. No instruction on how to deal with informational text.

Covering material to just “hit content expectations”.

And Now…

Information from many sources. How do we teach kids to deal with (and evaluate) all the information? Text Books, Articles, Video, Blogs, Web Sources

National expectations for students to read and write in

all subject areas. One area of focus is to improve students reading comprehension and writing in science class.

Creating opportunity for dialogue, constructing

experiments, exploring ideas, reaching consensus with others, comparison to accepted ideas.

• Informational Reading Strategies Taught Text in the Middle Talking to the Text • Opportunities to Construct Scientific

Knowledge • Teaching Big Ideas Instead of Isolated Facts

The mediocre teacher tells.

The good teacher explains.

The superior teacher demonstrates.

The great teacher inspires.

~William Arthur Ward

5E’s

5E Utilization

Directions to Atlas Rubicon

ABC (Activity Before Concept)

Purpose and examples of an Engage Activity Egg in a Bottle (opportunity for journal response)

Setting The Stage…

Keep Moving Forward

ENGAGE

Engage – Egg in a Bottle

In your journal (student page) describe what you think is happening when the egg goes into the jar.

Be ready to share..

Explore Purpose and examples of an Explore Activity – Break

the Rule

How is this a different approach than just a lab?

How can activities easily be changed so students are doing the Exploring and making meaning of their learning?

A-B-C

Explore Activity – Break a Rule – Student Results Plunger Activity 1. The air creates a seal and when that seal is broken, the air escapes 2. When the plunger is wet, the seal is stronger 3. Different surfaces – different results. Paper is harder – smooth surfaces is harder than rough surfaces. 4. The suction cups can only stick to flat surfaces; they are also stronger when you push out all the air. 5. When you want to get them off you have to twist them. 6. The plunger creates a seal which is easily broken when you pull the black things. 7. The seal is easily broken when you lift the edge of the plunger. Wet plungers can slide apart but dry ones can’t. 8. When we “plunged” the plunger to the brick it didn’t stick. The brick had spaces so air could get in underneath the plunger.

Explain Purpose

Compare Results of Student Exploration Against Expert Data

Sources of Explain Activities Text

Power Point

Movie Clips

Articles

Teacher Lecture

Example Heat Capacity Text in the Middle

Elaborate Examples Virtual Labs

Integrated Science Simulations

Writing Prompts

Creative Projects

Lab Reports With Analysis

Evaluate

Evaluate With CER Who was your favorite

teacher? (Claim)

Why (Evidence)

Now explain your evidence (Reasoning).

CER Practice Question: Does the size of a mammal affect their heart rate at rest?

Mammal Resting Heart rate (beats per minute)

Human 75 Horse 48 Cow 45-60 Dog 90-100 Rat 120 Mouse 498

Applications

Where else can we use the idea of CER?

ELA – Prove that Race to Freedom is a work of historical fiction. Have students provide “Evidence” instead of facts.

Social Studies – Which African nation most deserves funding from the United Nations ?

• Need to know… • how to obtain evidence

• how to use the correct evidence to make a point or prove a position

• how to explain their thought process

• how to be able to compare their own ideas with accepted ideas.

Student Growth

Challenges at the start of the year.

Coordination with Special Education teachers

Positive results for all students (student samples)

Session Purpose Administrators Classroom Teachers

Direction for science instruction

Making connections between subject areas

Awareness of Common Core expectations for writing and reading in science

New approach to teaching activities

Writing using Claim Evidence and Reasoning

Ways to deal with informational reading

Writing and Literacy Standards for Science

Grades 6-8

Science has changed so much over the last few years; I thought I might share some of the Standards in Literacy and Writing for

Science classes…. (These are National and State Common Core standards by the way…)

Students should be developing the following skills during their middle school years –

Reading:

• Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts

• Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text: provide accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge

or opinions.

• Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying our experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical

tasks.

• Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific

scientific context…

• Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an

understanding of the topic

• Analyze the author’s purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text.

• Integrate information from visual information (like a graph, flowchart, diagram…)

• Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text

• Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video or multimedia sources with that gained

from reading a text on the same topic

Writing

• Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content

• Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim from alternate or opposing claims, and

organize the reasons and evidence logically.

• Support claim with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the

topic or text, using credible sources.

• Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons,

and evidence

• Establish and maintain a formal style

• Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented

• Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information

and ideas clearly and efficiently

• Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including self-generated question), drawing on several sources and

generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration

• Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility

and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a

standard format for citation

• Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflections, and research

• Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a

day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes and audiences.

Science Curriculum on Oakland School’s Atlas-Rubicon System

HOW TO GET THERE:

1. Open a web browser and type in this web address:

http://oaklandk12.rubiconatlas.org/public

2. Click on the Browse tab as shown in the picture.

3. Notice the FILTER box. Use the pull down menu labeled

“by subject,” and select for science. Then, click Browse.

4. A list of Science Courses will appear. Scroll through the list and click on the course of interest.

5. A suggested Unit Calendar will

appear. Click on the unit of interest.

A new tab for the Unit Map will

open.

6. The Unit Map has a number of

valuable elements to support teaching

this unit. Look at:

Graphic organizer

Unit abstract

Focus question

*Lesson Packets (scroll down some for this – click to open in Microsoft Word)

*Assessment Packet (scroll down some for this – click to open in Microsoft Word)

7. Screen views:

SCROLL DOWN TO ACESSS THE LESSON PACKET, ASSESSMENT PACKET AND OTHER RESOURCES

WHAT YOU’LL FIND:

Elementary School Science SCoPE

The units in K – 4th

predate the writing of the MDE companion document and therefore do not precisely match the 4 unit structure. Each unit

includes a sequenced set of lesson files, each with references to relevant, grade appropriate trade books to support literacy integration. Lessons for all

units in 4th

grade and kindergarten have yet to be developed.

Middle School Science SCoPE

The courses for 5th

, 6th

and 7th

grade science are structured into 4 units per grade and aligned to the MDE Companion Document. Some unit titles

differ from the Companion Document. For each unit SCoPE includes a Lesson Packet, Assessment Packet and document with assessment items. The

development occurred during the 2010-11 year, and some unit components are not posted yet because they are still being refined to adhere to

qualities set out during a summer edit work. They will be posted soon.

The units are divided into Cycles which focus on specific topics. Some units have a single cycle while others may have 2 or 3. Each cycle is

structured into the 5-E learning cycle. The table below summarizes our application of the 5-E cycle.

STAGE OF CYCLE PURPOSE INTERPRETATION in SCoPE

Engage and Elicit To make visible student understanding of a topic and to generate

excitement for the cycle.

Each cycle has 1 (and sometimes 2) activities

chosen to elicit student thinking.

Explore To develop experience, understandings and proficiency with the topic. Each cycle has a number of activities targeting

content and tasks central to the topic.

Explain To pull together and summarize the concepts from the explorations; to

compare student thinking to that of scientists; to introduce some of the

formal vocabulary.

Each cycle has 1 or 2 activities were students

pull together an understanding of the cycle. This

may include readings, interactive lectures or

activities.

Elaborate To apply the understandings and proficiencies of the cycle; to connect

science concepts to applications in the world.

Each cycle has at least 1 activity where students

apply content to a scientific investigation, a

problem based scenario or a design/engineering

challenge.

Evaluate To evaluate student proficiency of the cycle objectives. In reality,

evaluation includes the “Elicit” phase as well as formative assessments

The unit assessment packets serve to evaluate

the cycle.

The courses for 5th

, 6th

and 7th

grade science also have a comprehensive assessment packet for each unit. The packets have an assessment blueprint

that breaks the units into DOMAIN, and each is assessed at various D.O.K. (Depth of Knowledge) levels. There is a summative test that includes

multiple choice and short answer items. A performance assessment is included as well as suggestions for formative assessments. The assessment

blueprints shows how the comprehensive assessment is design to sample the domains (and GLCE’s) and create a range of challenge for students. If

teachers change some items (which is possible because they are Word documents) they should be careful to adhere to the blueprint or they will

compromise the quality of the assessment.

WHAT YOU’LL FIND:

High School Science SCoPE

There are 6 SCoPE courses designed for high school (which starts in 8th

grade). Science departments can sequence them into two recommended

sequences (see Tables below). The sequences are based on principles of physics first. While earth systems science is best taught after a high school

physics and chemistry course, interpretations of accountability (HS graduation, MME, Highly Qualified) have coaxed a majority of districts to offer

it in 8th

grade. A better solution is to precede earth science with an 8th

grade physical science course as shown in Table 3 where the concepts taught in

physical science are both reinforced and applied in a subsequent Earth Science course.

Table 1: Physics is the foundation of all the sciences. The values on the diagrams below show the numbers of content statements from a discipline

that supports another discipline. In many cases the content does more than support the other discipline, it is necessary for deep and thorough

understanding.

8 9 10 11 12

Earth

Systems

Science

Conceptual

Physics

Chemistry Biology Advanced

Elective (physics, AP,

Earth Science) Table 2: A Classic Physics First Course Sequence

8 9 10 11 12

Physical

Science

Earth

Systems

Science

Chemistry Biology Advanced

Elective

Table 3: Modified Physics First Sequence

Physics Chemistry Biology Earth Science

P C

B E

P C

B E

P C

B E

P C

B E

1 1

2

1

4

1

15

1

5

12

15

1

5

SCIENCE RESOURCES IN ATLAS RUBICON

COURSE UNIT GRAPHIC

ORGANIZER

UNIT

ABSTRACT, etc.

UNIT LESSON

PACKET

SAMPLE

EXEMPLARY

LESSON(S)

UNIT

ASSESSMENT

PACKET

ASSESSMENT

ITEMS

(per unit)

COMMENTS

Elementary School (K – 4th)

X X N

(individual lesson

is all units other

than K and 4th)

X

These units include

sequenced

individual lesson

files.

Middle School (5th – 7th) X X X

N/A (due to

lesson packets) X X These courses are

structured into 4

units per grade and

aligned to the MDE

Companion

Document

Conceptual Physics X X

C

Exemplary

lessons will be

4th-E projects

X This course is

aligned to “Active

Physics,”

appropriate for 9th

grade and can be

used to grant HS

physics credit

Physical Science X X

C

Exemplary

lessons will be

4th-E projects

X This course is

aligned to

“Interactions in

Physical Science”

Chemistry X X

X X

This course is

designed to help

students be well

prepared for biology

Biology X X

X X

Exemplary sample

lessons include some

from “Science and

Global Issues” (a

new LabAids

Publication)

Physics X X

C

Exemplary

lessons will be

4th-E projects

X This is designed to

serve as an upper

level physics course

Earth System Science X X N N X

This course can be

used in 8th

grade or

HS.

X-Completed / N-Near Completion / C-Coming

WHAT’S NEXT:

1. Complete and refine lesson packets for MS 5-7, and Earth System Science.

2. Inventory and balance MS Lesson Packets for:

quantification of science concepts

use of models

use of text and literacy strategies (reading, writing, discourse)

types of 4th

E activities

formative assessment prompts and resources

cross cutting concepts from new Framework for Science Education

3. Continue to develop text resources for student reading

4. Develop a “Literacy Strategies” support document with protocols for reading, writing and classroom discourse.

5. Develop 4th

E projects for HS course, starting with physical science, conceptual physics and physics.

6. Better tune MS assessments to the unit lesson packets.

7. Continue to develop student materials/handouts (e.g., handouts)

8. Create a Materials Appendix for each lesson packet.

9. Create a zipped file with all MS materials. This would include the materials appendix pages or each lesson packet.

10. Implement the units in classrooms for feedback and ideas for improvement.

In my OWN words this means . . .

TEXT Write or draw what you visualize while reading the text.

Today, we are getting some other expert information (besides yours) dealing with what we learned in Can’t Take the Heat, and How Much Heat will it Hold. These activities helped you learn about thermal energy or heat energy. Have you ever been outside on the playground on a sunny day and touched the metal of a swing set? How does it feel? It is hot? Yes! How about walking barefoot on a sunny day? Have you ever walked on the sidewalk and had to jump to the grass because the pavement was too hot for your feet? Do you think the grass and the pavement are actually different temperatures — even if it is the same temperature outside? They probably are not different temperatures at all!

Different objects require different amounts of heat to raise the same amount of material to the same temperature. You can notice this on a hot summer day when the ground is cool enough to walk on, but the road and sidewalk are very hot, or a metal bench is much hotter than a wooden bench. The metal bench requires less heat to make it hot than the wooden bench. When we measure this property, the quantity is called the heat capacity of the material. When an object absorbs heat, the thermal energy is spread among the atoms and molecules in the material. Energy makes the molecules vibrate back and forth. If the vibrations become faster, we measure it as an increase in temperature. Every material has a different heat capacity.

Name: _________________________________

Heat Capacity Text in the Middle

In my OWN words this means . . .

TEXT Write or draw what you visualize while reading the text..

Another way of explaining a materials' heat capacity is to

think about it as the measurement of thermal energy storage, just like temperature is the measurement of thermal energy given off. Heat capacity is how much thermal energy a material stores up and temperature is how much thermal energy a material gives off.

Engineers use their knowledge of the thermal properties of matter to design everything from engines to satellites to houses. Engineers use a material's heat capacity to determine its usefulness for different applications. A material with a low-heat capacity (such as metals) has a greater increase in temperature from absorbing the same amount of heat as a material with a high-heat capacity (such as water). This is why materials with high-heat capacities, such as water, are used for storing thermal energy. Other materials with high-heat capacity, such as brick or concrete walls, are important to engineers designing houses that they want to stay warm in cold climates. Engineers consider heat capacity when working with any material. For example, think of all the devices and appliances in your house. If the wiring in your computer or lamp or hair dryer gets too hot, it may spark and stop working.

PRACTICE: Writing Scientific Explanations

Directions: Post the data and the question on the board. Have students record the

data chart into their Science Log. Cut up the parts of the explanation below into strips.

Distribute strips to students/pairs/groups. Have students rearrange the strips to

make a logical explanation, then write the explanation into their Science Log.

*Note: There are 2 different claims given, 2 different “reasoning” sentences, and 2

different “Therefore” statements; only one in each category is correct according to the

data given.

Mammal Resting Heart rate (beats per minute)

Human 75

Horse 48

Cow 45-60

Dog 90-100

Rat 120

Mouse 498

Question: Does the size of a mammal affect their heart rate at rest?

Correct Explanation: Claim: The size of a mammal does affect their heart rate at rest.

Evidence (students could choose any 3 pieces of evidence from the strips provided):

The Horse has a resting heart rate of 48 beats per minute. The Dog has a resting heart rate of 90-100

beats per minute. The mouse has a resting heart rate of 498 beats per minute.

Reasoning: From the data provided, the larger the mammal, the lower their heart rate at rest. The

smaller the mammal, the higher their heart rate at rest. Therefore, the size of a mammal does affect

their heart rate at rest.

The size of a mammal does affect their heart rate at rest.

The size of a mammal does not affect their heart rate at rest.

The Horse has a resting heart rate of 48 beats per minute.

The Dog has a resting heart rate of 90-100 beats per minute.

The mouse has a resting heart rate of 498 beats per minute.

The human has a resting heart rate of 75 beats per minute.

The cow has a resting heart beat of 45-60 beats per minute.

From the data provided, the larger the mammal, the lower their

heart rate at rest. The smaller the mammal, the higher their heart

rate at rest.

From the data provided, the heart rate at rest for animals of

different sizes is similar. The larger mammals and the smaller

mammals had almost the same heart rate.

Therefore, the size of a mammal does affect their heart rate at

rest.

Therefore, the size of a mammal does not affect their heart rate

at rest.

Graphic Organizer Developing a Scientific Explanation (C-E-R)

What is the question/problem you want to answer?

What is the source for the evidence you will use to support your explanation? (name of lab,

activity, text, movie…. List those here)

Claim – What do you think answers the

question/problem?

Evidence that supports your claim (list it, be specific,

use data when available)

Reasoning: I think (insert your claim here) answers the question because (links evidence to the

claim).

Claim – Evidence – Reasoning Scoring Rubric

Name: ___________________________________

Assignment (question being investigated): ________________________________________________

Component Level 3 / Completed Level 2 / Partially

Completed

Level 1 / Not

Completed - Revise

Claim

A statement that

responds to the

question asked or

problem posed.

Makes an accurate and

complete claim. Answers the

question or problem posed.

Makes an accurate

but incomplete claim.

Does not make a

claim or makes an

inaccurate claim.

Evidence

Scientific data

(qualitative or

quantitative) used to

support the claim.

Provides appropriate and

sufficient evidence to support

the claim. Detailed data are

used when possible.

Provides appropriate

but insufficient

evidence to support

the claim. May

include some

evidence that doesn’t

support the claim.

May not use specific

data or vocabulary.

Doesn’t provide

evidence or only

provides evidence

that doesn’t support

the claim.

Reasoning

Using scientific

principles to show

why data count as

evidence to support

the claim

Provides reasoning that links

evidence to the claim.

Includes appropriate “expert”

information (excepted

scientific principles) along with

observed information.

Provides reasoning

that links the claim

and evidence.

Repeats the evidence

and/or includes some

scientific principles,

but is not sufficient.

Does not provide

reasoning, or only

provides reasoning

that does not link

evidence to the claim.

Claim, Evidence, & Reasoning

Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning or C.E.R is a strategy that we will use when we perform experiments and labs. CLAIM: A statement about the solution to a problem or answer to a question. EVIDENCE: Scientific data that supports the claim. REASONING: a logical justification that explains why the data counts as evidence in support of the claim. Explains the meaning of data and relationships between variables and experimental design.

Examples Consider that you just performed a lab experiment where you mixed yellow and blue food coloring and the result was green food coloring. Your C.E.R may look something like this: Hypothesis: If I mix colors together then a new color will result. C: When yellow and blue are mixed together they make the color green. E: 10 ml of yellow food coloring was measured and mixed with 10 ml of blue food coloring which resulted (you ended up with) 20 ml of green food coloring. Three identical tests were done and they all resulted in green. R: Observations were used to see that when yellow and blue were mixed together they made green. The fact that the experiment was done 3 times means that it is reproducible and accurate. Two different colors when mixed together do make a new color.

Example: In Mrs. H’s class we made SLIME. Even if you didn’t know it, you were experimenting to prove your hypothesis! Hypothesis: IF I mix water, glue, and mystery powder (borax) together THEN I will make a new substance (slime). C: Combining glue, water, and mystery powder caused a chemical reaction which resulted in a new substance called slime. E: I observed that a new substance was made because the substance that was created had very different properties from the original substances. Some of the new properties were: color change, texture change, cannot be separated, and it bounced. R: I know that it made a new substance because I did the experiment. I believe it is a chemical change because it cannot be reversed. I observed all the changes myself and because other classmates did the same experiment with the same results it can be considered reliable and reproducible.