Science Inquiry, Lesson & Unit Design

For science units and lesson building:

K-5 Inquiry-Based Science
http://lsc-net.terc.edu/do.cfm/report/7139/show/use_set-ref_mat
DDN Curriculum Lesson Plan Bank
http://ddncurriculum.k12.sd.us/
Academy Curriculum Exchange: K-5 Science http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/sci/elem.html
Science NetLinks Lesson Index
http://www.sciencenetlinks.org/matrix.cfm
UEN Resources: K-2 Core Lesson Plans (Scroll to content to find science lessons.)http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/LPview.cgi?core=1209
UEN Resources: 3-6 Science Lessons
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/LPview.cgi?core=3
Tools for Investigation
http://www.sci.mus.mn.us/sln/tf/nav/toolscluster.html
Curriculum Science Guide for Saskatchewan
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/elemsci/elemsci.html
Science Curriculum Exchange
http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/sci/elem.html
Science Teaching Ideas
http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/science/contents.htm
Elementary Science and Literacy Connections http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/departments/gheens/Science.html
Animal Classification
http://th022.k12.sd.us/Critter_classification.htm
Electricity Inquiry
www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/departments/gheens/EARSSmpE.pdf
Square of Life
http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/squareproj/
Bucket Buddies
http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/bucketproj/

Discrepant/EEEPS Events
http://engagetolearn.com/ETL/articles/EEEP.htm
http://thewondershop.blogspot.com/2008/11/fun-with-discrepant-events-magic-bottle.html
www.springerlink.com/index/213TG2N03R2G8KG5.pdf
http://www.uttyler.edu/education/bruce.htm
www.agpa.uakron.edu/p16/btp.php?id=discrepant-events
www.suite101.com/reference/discrepant_events

Action Research
http://tlc.ousd.k12.ca.us/~acody/3f.html

Inquiry rubric
http://www3.nsta.org/main/news/pdf/ss0209_22.pdf
Inquiry article
http://www3.nsta.org/main/news/pdf/ss0209_22.pdf
Dry ice:
http://tlc.ousd.k12.ca.us/~acody/Dry_Ice.html

Great Schools and Successful Kids
K: http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/419
1st: http://www.greatschools.net/articles/32/First-Grade
2nd: http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/420
3rd: http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/421
4th: http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/786
5th: http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/786

Projects
Bread Mold Garden
http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/414/

Ten Steps to Make the Most of Field Trips
http://tlc.ousd.k12.ca.us/~acody/fieldtrip.html

Inquiry Questions
from http://tlc.ousd.k12.ca.us/~acody/inquiryquery.html
What does this make you think of?
In what ways are these different?
In what ways are these the same?
What materials did you use?
What would happen if you ...
What might you try instead?
Tell me about your ...?
What does it look like?
What does it remind you of?
What does it feel like?
What can you do next time?
What can you tell me about it?
Tell me what happened.
What could you do instead?
Which one do you have more of?
Is one object longer/shorter than another?
What do you call the things you are using?
What can you tell me about the things you have?
Tell me what it looks like.
How are you going to do that?
What do you feel, see, hear, taste, smell?
How did you do that?
What will you do next after you finish that?
Is there anything else you could do/use?
How do you know?
What are some different things you could try?
What is it made of?
Show me what you could do with it?

Qatar Science Training
http://www.teachers.net.qa/Science_CfBT_Workshops/workshop3/Science3_TN_Session5.pdf
http://teachers.net.qa/content/professional_development/detail/824

Insightful Assessment Sites

Online Testmaking Resources:

• http://www.edselect.com/quizzes.htm
• http://www.edhelper.com/

ORAL ASSESSMENT:

• http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/Frameworks/wrldlang/wlinstr2.html#SampleTasks
• ENGLISH: http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/Frameworks/langarts/41task.htm
• MATH/SCIENCE: http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/Frameworks/mathsci/ms5_2as1.htm

ASSESSMENT CITATIONS:

• http://teaching.uncc.edu/resources/articles-tutorials/assessments/designing-questions
• http://teaching.uncc.edu/resources/articles-tutorials/assessments/developing-objectives-assessment
• http://tamu.qu.edu.qa/assessment.html
• http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/Frameworks/mathsci/ms5_2as1.htm

Best Test Practices:

A Test Worth Taking
Just as teachers vary their instructional techniques to suit different learning styles, they can also create tests that give students choices to show what they know and how they learn best.
Claudia Geocaris and Maria Ross

FORMATTING THE TEST

1. Seems silly but don't forget to put the place for the pupil's name in a prominent position.
2. After using varied questioning strategies to assess knowledge and understanding of concepts, reread and simplifly. Allow sufficient space to provide for teacher comments.
3. A prominently placed key to explain the use of criteria for the assessment with point value of questions or sections.

EVALUATING THE TEST

1. Take the test yourself.
2. Ask THE question: Does the test provide true evidence of what the student has learned.

Differentiating Tests

Using Bloom’s Taxonomy and Multiple Intelligences:

• Start with easiest cognitive questions (matching, T/F questions etc.) and progress to most difficult (essays, story problems, etc.).
• If a student is below level, simply grade completed questions and give them a percentage grade. For example: On a 10 question test, a “below level student” attempts to answer 7 questions. ONLY 5 questions are correct so this student gets 5/7 or 71% (instead of a 50%).
• Alternatively, a “below level” student answers 5 Remembering/Understanding questions correctly. It is the teacher’s decision that this student receives a high grade IF she decides that the student has studied and performed to their highest ability.

Alternate Assessment Differentiations/Modifications

PENCIL-PEN Modification which can be instituted routinely:
1. Allow the students to read and respond to the entire test in pencil.
2. Take the pencil and give them a pen, they then use their books and notes to answer test.
3. They are also allowed to correct answers by crossing through penciled answers.

Just found this and I don't want to lose it!

Dear Excellent Educators on Eid Vacation,

I just found this bookmaking site and thought I would put it here for a future workshop.

http://www.vickiblackwell.com/makingbooks/

It has:
Step Books ...........................Flip Books ..............Fact Flipper Books .............Accordion Books
Fan Books Tall ....................Tale Books ..............Poof Books ...........................Clue Books
Stars Twinkle Book.............Circle Book .............Shape Books ........................Pop-up Books
Notepad Books.................... Clueboxes...............PowerPoint Books ...............Pattern Writing Books
House of ... Book .................Dynamic Dictionary !!!

Here's another site that has many ideas that could be used in English classes and IT:
http://www.cobbk12.org/sites/literacy/fetc/ppt/ppt_index.htm#abc

Enjoy!
Christy

Summing Up the Best Practices for Summative Assessments

While researching Test Design, I came across a Canadian site:
http://www.edselect.com/index.htm

This site is rich with teacher resources. I am currently looking at their "On-Line Quizzes" page:
http://www.edselect.com/quizzes.htm
This page includes many test design and quiz making sites.

I will post the most impressive sites soon.

Happy Trails (sign off courtesy of Toni Chew and Roy Rogers & Dale Evans)
Christy B

Technology Related Primary Projects and Assessments

Dear Techie Teachers,

This website is the best I have found for simply worded rubrics:
http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/rubrics/primaryteamworkrubric.pdf

Teamwork rubric
http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/rubrics/primaryteamworkrubric.pdf

I found this endorsement for simple rubrics:

One of the best sites for creating rubrics can be found here http://www.recipes4success.com/ it is really easy to use and modify for exactly what you need. check out this simple rubric. http://www.recipes4success.com/projectlearn/tools/rubrics/ru_export.php?format=html&type=rubric&ru_id=24692 i was able to make it in under 1 minute. hope this helps.

In the last entry, I mentioned the following website as a great resource for alternate assessments:
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/assess.html#builders

This resource is huge. Here are highlights of the websites for primary tech projects:

Multimedia Project - Student Checklist
http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/mm2002_rubric.kids.pdf

This is a very nice Multimedia Project Rubric:
http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/rub.mmproj.htm

Student Presentation Rubric
http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/rub.pres.html (sentences)

The Multimedia Rubric Maker starts here:
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=NewRubric&section_id=3&PHPSESSID=eb813db9953dc78df95a8a136b5cb7f1#03

This may be too advanced for our primary school but it is a very nice tech rubric:
http://www.kidpedia.info/KidpediaRubric

This article gives you directions on gathering student feedback for elementary rubric design:
http://www.interactiveclassroom.com/article_06.html

This has been fun. Next mission: Test Design!
cdb

Projects, Rubrics and Assessments

Primary Science Project Resources, Rubrics, Etc.

Check this blog for Project Idea Updates!

Acrostic Poems can be used in Science!
Check this out:
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/acrostic/
PLUS an acrostic rubric is here (there is one misspelled word and wording could be simpler:
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=ShowRubric&module=Rubistar&rubric_id=1210200& or here's another one
http://alex.state.al.us/uploads/15415/Rubric_%20Native%20American%20Acrostic%20Poem.htm
These rubrics were made with Rubistar - see in rubrics below

Dioramas

G3 Science Diorama Project:
http://www.gigglepotz.com/3-scienceproject1.htm
sample dioram picture at http://www.gigglepotz.com/s1.htm

Fancy dioramas:
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/stable-diorama
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/ocean-diorama
http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.3a0656639de62ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=baaac8d42b446110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&xsc=diy_network

The Habitat diorama rubric is on p. 10 of this science curriculum:
www.wbrschools.net/curriculum2/science/s2/02%20SCI_Grade_2_BLMs.pdf

This project is for a biome (habitat). I would simplify the words.
http://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?sp=true&code=F2594A&

Unusual Projects

Science Reader's Theaters! You have to see it to believe it!
Science WOW Factory!
http://gvc03c32.virtualclassroom.org/

Reader's Theater evaluation:
http://www.humboldt.edu/~jmf2/floss/rt-eval.html
Other scripts and hints:
http://www.teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm

Shadows & Light, Science & Puppetry! Complete with lesson plan and rubric!
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/3895/


Performance Tasks (Labs Plus)
Assessment Ideas for the Elementary Science Classroom -
This is wonderful! Used two examples for Professional Development:
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/elemsci/ideass.html

PALS Performance Tasks (K-4)
Many, many simple experiments and projects
http://pals.sri.com/tasks/tasksk-4.html


All about Rubrics for Science

Rubric Maker:
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php

Rubrics (EVERY kind you will ever need):
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/assess.html#builders

Rubric Tutorials:
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=Tutorial&module=Rubistar&PHPSESSID=dc9f6225c6645dded3d2f5448ce51d89

Check out sample rubrics by putting in key words
http://landmark-project.com/rubric_builder/

Test Design Ideas

Great Test Questions: many questions about current lessons!
http://orderline.qca.org.uk/gempdf/1847211097/9999063128.pdf

$ These sites have some free samples but they will eventually want to be paid.

http://edhelper.com/ I use this site all of the time

http://www.easytestmaker.com/default.aspx I have not used this one

OKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK. I think this is everything I promised.

Enjoy!
Christy B

Internet Resources for Math Lessons

Dear Marvelous, Meticulous Math Teachers,

This week we will be emailing informational posts to the new Math AT Cristi Mattias who has a website at http://www.eduxcell.com/.

We will also look at the following internet math resources:

Qatar University PEPP diploma Teacher Toolkit: http://tamu.qu.edu.qa/Resources/TeacherTools/math.HTM

King's List of On-line Math Activities
http://www.k111.k12.il.us/King/math.htm

We will also be sampling some wonderful links from the following the following blog:
OpenWideLookInside
Math Tour: http://blog.richmond.edu/openwidelookinside/archives/157
Children's Literature and Math: http://blog.richmond.edu/openwidelookinside/archives/20
Data Handling: http://blog.richmond.edu/openwidelookinside/archives/160

Enjoy!
Christy B