the earth sciences and student ideas dr. francis eberle, mmsa executive director [email protected]...
TRANSCRIPT
The Earth Sciences and Student Ideas
Dr. Francis Eberle, MMSA Executive Director
Preparing Teachers to TeachEarth Science
Carleton CollegeMay 11-12, 2007
Session Goals Learn about assessment for the
purpose of encouraging student thinking and informing instruction
Deconstruct an assessment probe Examine students’ ideas and examine
instructional strategies and coherence of science
Learn about companion resources
Framing Questions1) How can educators use national standards
and cognitive research to balance assessment of learning with assessment for learning?
2) What types and formats can help make students’ thinking in earth sciences visible?
3) How can the development and use of assessments that probe student thinking in the earth sciences impact curricular, and instructional decisions about student learning?
One Key Finding from How People Learn
“Students come to the classroom with preconceptions about how the world works. If their initial understanding is not engaged, they may fail to grasp the new concepts and information that are taught, or they may learn them for purposes of a test but revert to their preconceptions outside the classroom”
How People Learn, Bransford, Brown & Cockling. pp 14-15
Teaching and Learning Process
Identifying students’ “misconceptions” Provide a context for students to
confront their misconceptions and share thinking
Help students reconstruct their knowledge using appropriate strategies
Develop a coherence among ideas in science
“Misconceptions”
Alternative FrameworksNaïve IdeasAlternative ConceptionsMisunderstandingsFacets of Understanding
Formative Assessment Probes
A probe is a purposefully designed question that reveals more than just an answer. A probe elicits a response that helps teachers identify students’ ideas about phenomena or a concept. Probes are used to examine student thinking.
Example: Is it a Rock? (Version 1)
Example: Is it a Rock (version 2)
• Individually review the probe (s)
• What do you think is the purpose of this probe?
• Identify concept(s) addressed
Examine the Probe (Deconstruct)
Is It A Rock? Version 1
31 31 2711
31 30 21 16
25 2418
18
20 2623
10
71 7565
25
72 6966
11
55 49
47
33
50 55
35
15
24 24
25
22
2525
23
21
17 16
16
9
17 17
12
7
12 15
15
8
1214
10
8
0
50
100
150
200
250
JaggedBoulder
SmallStone
Pebble Piece ofSand
SmoothBoulder
LargeStone
Piece ofGravel
Dustfromtw o
stonesrubbedtogether
# of Students per Grade
To
tal S
ele
cte
d
15 Grade 12
17 Grade 10
26 Grade 9
60 Grade 8
78 Grade 6
26 Grade 5
37 Grade 1
Is It A Rock ? Version 2
3213
57
32
3 11
63
2130
4531
56 50
7113
5
19
8
59
25
1012
17
16
2421
2459
25
105
65
18 19
26
105
44
52
85
59
96
88
117
27
11
38
27
9 9
12
48
14
29
25
25
43
47
53
6
8
13
5
5 5
2
13
4
6
5
7
9
11
12
70
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
225
250
275
300
# of Students per GradeT
ota
l S
ele
cte
d13 Grade 11
59 Grade 9
144 Grade 8
28 Grade 7
74 Grade 6
Rock Definition
1. Rocks are aggregates of minerals.Science Desk Reference. New York Public Library. (1995)
2. A large mass of stone forming a hill. Cliff promontory, b. mineral matter of various composition. Consolidated or unconsolidated, assembled in masses orconsiderable quantities in nature, as by the action of heat of water. Random House College Dictionary,1985
Rock Definition (cont.)
Rocks are made of different kinds of minerals, or broken pieces of crystals, or broken pieces of rocks. Some rocks are made of the shells of once-living animals, or of compressed pieces of plants. Rocks are divided into three basic types, igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic, depending upon how they were formed. USGS web site
Scan through the student written responses
How do the responses match the definitions?
If you were the teacher, how would you use this data to inform your instruction?
Examine Grades 2-12 Student Responses
What surprised you?
What was interesting to you?
Summarize your Ideas
Related research Freyberg found that the word rock is used in many
different ways in our common language. Contributing to confusion over what is a rock - particularly size rather that characterized by what they are made of. (Driver, et al. 1994)
Students have difficulty with the idea of racks being a range of sizes. They use the words boulder, gravel, sand and clay in ways related to where they are found rather than seeing them as rocks of different sizes. (Happs 1985)
Students have difficulty making the distinction between natural things and those created or altered by humans. i.e. brick is a rock as it comes for natural materials, or polished marble is not a rock because humans made it smooth. (Happs 1982)
Coding Student Responses
Accurate Idea Partially Accurate Idea Commonly Held Idea Idiosyncratic Idea
Deconstructing a Probe Related National Standards Related Research Curricular and Instructional
Considerations: K-5, 6-8, 9-12 Administering the probe Suggestions for Instruction and
Assessment
Other Earth Science Probes
Mountain Top FossilSophia: The fossil flowed out of a volcano that rose up form the ocean floorRosa: A mountain formed in an area that was once covered by an oceanMr. Esposito: A bird picked the organism ands dropped the shell as it flew over the mountainMrs. Esposito: Water, ice or wind eventually carried the fossil to the top of the mountain
Mountain Top Fossil
6 8
26
7 81
4
8
8
16
8
8
50
10
9
2
112
1
4
3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Grade 1 Grade 6 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
17 21 85 26 17 3 19
Number of students per grade
To
tal S
elec
ted
Sofia
Rosa
Mr. Esposito
Mrs. Esposito
Building Coherence
Learning Progression
Learning Paths
Conceptual Sequences
Common Threads
Possible Progression K-2: Chunks of rocks come in many sizes and shapes
(boulder => sand). Things can be described by physical characteristics – size, shape, color
3-5: Rock is composed of different combinations of minerals. New materials can be formed by combining two or more materials and properties can be different. Assembled parts weigh the same as the sum of the parts.
6-8: Elements make of materials. Atoms and molecules. Formation of different types of rocks and features – sedimentary to other general types
9-12 Formation of physical geology, rock cycle, weathering, beginning of chemical geology - atomic structure of minerals
Probing Students’ Ideas in Science Reveals:
How ready individual students are for instruction. Ideas students have before instruction. How students’ ideas may differ from one grade
level to the next. Whether students retain the accepted scientific
ideas years after instruction or revert back to prior knowledge
Whether student grasp the big ideas and see the connections in science.
Possible New Earth Science Probes ??
Plate TectonicsStratigraphyFossilsWeatherOceansSoil
Tools and Resources
Framing Reflection Questions1) How can educators use national standards
and cognitive research to balance assessment of learning with assessment for learning?
2) What types and formats can help make students’ thinking in earth sciences visible?
3) How can the development and use of assessments that probe student thinking in the earth sciences impact curricular, and instructional decisions about student learning?
Collaborators & Contact information at MMSA:
Francis Eberle, Executive Director [email protected]
Lynn Farrin, Science [email protected]
Page Keeley, Senior Program [email protected]
Joyce Tugel, Science [email protected]