Science

A curriculum unit developed through a collaboration between Michigan State University, Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, Wright State University and 5^th grade teachers from Kinawa 5^th-6^th public school that enables students to develop and revise models for how water moves (evaporation and condensation) in a solar still.

A curriculum unit developed through a collaboration between Michigan State University, Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, Wright State University and 5^th grade teachers from Kinawa 5^th-6^th public school that enables students to develop and revise models for how water moves (evaporation and condensation) in a solar still.

When it’s time for a game change, you need a guide to the new rules. Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices provides a play-by-play understanding of the practices strand of A Framework for K–12 Science Education (Framework) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Written in clear, nontechnical language, this book provides a wealth of real-world examples to show you what’s different about practice-centered teaching and learning at all grade levels. The book addresses three important questions:

When it’s time for a game change, you need a guide to the new rules. Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices provides a play-by-play understanding of the practices strand of A Framework for K–12 Science Education (Framework) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Written in clear, nontechnical language, this book provides a wealth of real-world examples to show you what’s different about practice-centered teaching and learning at all grade levels. The book addresses three important questions:

Assumptions about the superiority of hands-on use of computer simulations over projecting them in whole class have seldom been tested. Contrary to expectations, preliminary pre-post results from two lesson sequences yielded no evidence for an advantage for students in the hands-on condition. We conduct qualitative analyses of one of the lesson sequences, in which a popular simulation was used in eight high school physics class sections, half in whole class discussion and half in small groups.

Price, N., & Clement, J. J. (2014). Generating, evaluating, and modifying scientific models using projected computer simulations. Science Scope, 38(2), 39-46. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/43184784

In this study, we analyzed the participation of teachers and students during their co-construction of explanatory models for concepts in circuit electricity in two high school physics classes. While students in both teachers’ classes experienced comparable levels of impressive pre to post-instructional test gain differences over controls, analysis of class discussions showed that considerable differences existed between the two groups in the ratios of student-to-teacher contributions to the development of explanatory models.

This study investigates strategies teachers use to support mental imagery during model-based science class discussions. A microanalysis of videos of classroom discussions was conducted in order to (1) identify and describe teaching strategies for supporting imagery; and (2) identify evidence that the students were engaging in the use of imagery as they constructed models and reasoned about competing models. This study starts from prior work on experts’ use of imagery, as well as from prior analyses of imagistic characteristics of concrete exemplars used successfully in a curriculum.

In this study we articulate a multi-level scientific Modeling Practices Framework derived from expert studies on model based teaching strategies in classrooms and examine its usefulness in an actual classroom context. In addition, we develop vocabulary and diagrams to describe a multi level model based teaching processes. We are particularly interested in examining: (1) Is there a pattern of model construction processes that occurs over a large time scale of 3-6 lessons?