Key Ideas
The overarching Big Ideas that my seventh grade students are going to focus on this coming school year is patterns and systems. According to the Next Generation Science Standards, patterns are one of the seven “crosscutting concepts that bridge disciplinary boundaries, uniting core ideas throughout the fields of science and engineering.” We are going to use patterns as a lens to look at the rest of our curriculum. We are going to use patterns to uncover the rest of the enduring concepts about Earth Science.
The overarching Big Ideas that my seventh grade students are going to focus on this coming school year is patterns and systems. According to the Next Generation Science Standards, patterns are one of the seven “crosscutting concepts that bridge disciplinary boundaries, uniting core ideas throughout the fields of science and engineering.” We are going to use patterns as a lens to look at the rest of our curriculum. We are going to use patterns to uncover the rest of the enduring concepts about Earth Science.
- Throughout our study of Earth Science, we are going to discuss the notion that everything fits into a system; the Earth is a complex system of interacting rock, water, air, and life; our Universe is a system made up of ever more complex systems working together. My seventh graders are going to experience the Universe as a matryoshka doll; inside every system is a smaller system working together. We are going to trace the relationship between life → a planet → the solar system → a galaxy → galactic cluster → known universe. Even just our planet is a complex system of rock, water, air, and life, all working together.
- The second large concept is that Earth scientists use repeatable observations and testable ideas to understand and explain our planet. I want my students to learn by doing, to carry out the same process that Earth scientists do to learn more about our world. We are going to study the historical patterns of our universe and planet. We are going to study data collected by scientists about the history of our universe; about the meteorological patterns that humans have experienced; the dynamic nature of the Earth’s interior. We are going to study the historical data and make predictions about the future of Earth, the Milky Way, and our entire universe.
- As we venture further into our study, we will observe that life evolves on a dynamic Earth and continuously modifies Earth. Our planet is dynamic, it affects all life that exists on it, and it is continually being affected by that life as well. It is a beautiful and complex dance. We will study the history of life on Earth, the way that the environment shaped the evolution of species. We will also explore how the diversity of species affect their environment.
- Lastly, we will discuss how humans specifically impact the Earth. Humans rely on the Earth for limited resources; we need water, energy, space. We contribute water, air, and soil pollution to our planet. As Earth scientists-in-training, we need to start coming up with ideas to sustain the human population on Earth. We will discuss alternative energy sources, ways to reduce the air, water and soil pollution that we create, and how to ensure that our limited resources will be available for future generations to use as well.
Performances of Understanding
To students' understanding of the Big Ideas will be evaluated through a variety of methods. Students will be formally and informally assessed to ensure that they are deeply understanding the important concepts of Earth Science. We will begin each unit with a student generated list of what they think they know about the subject. This should reveal the misconceptions that students may have about the specific topics we are studying. By phrasing it as "think they know", it will remove the need to always be correct. Students can feel comfortable sharing ideas that they may have read or heard about previously. Daily class discussions will include a review from the previous day, facilitated through the application and analysis activities provided by our textbook.
We will also have labs, class discussions, hands on activities, task card quizzes, and so on. It is important to assess students continuously so that misconceptions don't rise in the classroom. Students will be able to receive feedback in a timely manner, to make sure that it is beneficial to their growth. We will begin our class with an activity from a task card, to make sure that students are retaining information from previous classes, and are ready to move on to new material. Class will culminate with a quick, informal assessment, through the use of an exit slip or a TIL (today I learned...). Students will be able to track their growth and progress in science class through all of these methods.
Each unit will culminate with an individual or group project. Students will be able to demonstrate their mastery of the content covered in the unit through the final product. The unit projects are already written, but the products will change throughout the year. This is where I would like to incorporate technology to a larger extent, Students will learn how to create a wiki around a specific topic, how to create short instructional videos, and how to successfully incorporate applications like Prezi into a meaningful presentation. These artifacts will be published on the students' websites so that they can share them with their families and peers.
To students' understanding of the Big Ideas will be evaluated through a variety of methods. Students will be formally and informally assessed to ensure that they are deeply understanding the important concepts of Earth Science. We will begin each unit with a student generated list of what they think they know about the subject. This should reveal the misconceptions that students may have about the specific topics we are studying. By phrasing it as "think they know", it will remove the need to always be correct. Students can feel comfortable sharing ideas that they may have read or heard about previously. Daily class discussions will include a review from the previous day, facilitated through the application and analysis activities provided by our textbook.
We will also have labs, class discussions, hands on activities, task card quizzes, and so on. It is important to assess students continuously so that misconceptions don't rise in the classroom. Students will be able to receive feedback in a timely manner, to make sure that it is beneficial to their growth. We will begin our class with an activity from a task card, to make sure that students are retaining information from previous classes, and are ready to move on to new material. Class will culminate with a quick, informal assessment, through the use of an exit slip or a TIL (today I learned...). Students will be able to track their growth and progress in science class through all of these methods.
Each unit will culminate with an individual or group project. Students will be able to demonstrate their mastery of the content covered in the unit through the final product. The unit projects are already written, but the products will change throughout the year. This is where I would like to incorporate technology to a larger extent, Students will learn how to create a wiki around a specific topic, how to create short instructional videos, and how to successfully incorporate applications like Prezi into a meaningful presentation. These artifacts will be published on the students' websites so that they can share them with their families and peers.
Learning Experience
Context: I teach Science in the Upper Grade department of Mark T. Skinner West Classical, Fine Arts and Technology School. I am also the Data Lead for our Instructional Leadership Team. The school is located in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago. Skinner West is regarded as one of the top 10 elementary schools in the city of Chicago; it is also a 2013 National Blue Ribbon School. Skinner West serves 986 students, with a diverse student body. Skinner West's student demographics are: 21.3% Asian, 35.5% Black, 10.8% Hispanic, and 27.3% White. Skinner West includes 7.3% diverse learners, and 6.2% are English Language Learners. Academically, Skinner West students were at the 99 percentile in growth for Reading, and a 94th percentile in growth for Math.
My science classroom has a dedicated Chromebook cart, with enough computers for every student. We also have a school computer lab that I can sign up to use with my students if we need desktop computers. I also have access to a laptop cart, Macbook cart, or iPad cart; although I have to sign them out with advance notice. My classroom also has a SmartBoard, and a classroom set of response remotes.
My classroom is set up as a traditional lab classroom, with tables that form groups of four students. This is the biggest limitation to my instruction, since students cannot be arranged in very many configurations. However, over the years, I have made groups of four work well.
Context: I teach Science in the Upper Grade department of Mark T. Skinner West Classical, Fine Arts and Technology School. I am also the Data Lead for our Instructional Leadership Team. The school is located in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago. Skinner West is regarded as one of the top 10 elementary schools in the city of Chicago; it is also a 2013 National Blue Ribbon School. Skinner West serves 986 students, with a diverse student body. Skinner West's student demographics are: 21.3% Asian, 35.5% Black, 10.8% Hispanic, and 27.3% White. Skinner West includes 7.3% diverse learners, and 6.2% are English Language Learners. Academically, Skinner West students were at the 99 percentile in growth for Reading, and a 94th percentile in growth for Math.
My science classroom has a dedicated Chromebook cart, with enough computers for every student. We also have a school computer lab that I can sign up to use with my students if we need desktop computers. I also have access to a laptop cart, Macbook cart, or iPad cart; although I have to sign them out with advance notice. My classroom also has a SmartBoard, and a classroom set of response remotes.
My classroom is set up as a traditional lab classroom, with tables that form groups of four students. This is the biggest limitation to my instruction, since students cannot be arranged in very many configurations. However, over the years, I have made groups of four work well.
Snapshots of my classroom, to be updated at the start of this school year.
Content: At the end of the school year, I want my students to appreciate their place in the universe. I want them to have a respect for the planet,and to want to take care of it. Earth science has some of the most fascinating topics to students, including astronomy (black holes!), meteorology (storms!), and Earth processes (natural disasters!). Students tend to want to focus on the parts of the discipline that they find interesting and to disregard the rest. I want them to appreciate Earth science as a whole. Students have a hard time conceptualizing why we need to learn about the Earth and how this impacts them. I believe that they are fully capable of grasping the Big Ideas, but I also want them to understand the immensity of them. At the end of the year, I want my seventh graders to appreciate the full scope of the Universe and everything in it.
Pedagogy: I believe that my students will truly benefit from blended instruction. I will incorporate class lectures, small group discussions, and alternative learning methods, such as teacher-created videos, and online materials. I want my students to experience a wide variety of information gathering, to better prepare them for a high school experience.
My students will also conduct weekly labs and case studies, to analyze real world data, and experience working as an earth scientist. Students will be able to practice their analytical skills, and review mathematical concepts, while solving real world scenarios. Students will also learn to collaborate with their peers, an important skill for the 21st century. Students will work in small groups for class assignments, discussions, and projects. I am also going to incorporate think-pair-share activities, and jigsaw more complex reading material to facilitate collaboration. This is greatly aided by Google Drive and the 1:1 Chromebooks that we have in our classroom.
The Wonder Projects inherently give students control of their learning. They are able to research science topics of their choice, and then teach the rest of the class about what they have learned. This helps students take ownership of their learning, and builds important skills in research and presentation.
Technology: To incorporate technology into the classroom, we will rely heavily on our Chromebooks. We will use them to research, create, and share our knowledge. I want my students to understand that learning is best when it can be shared with someone. To that extent, I will have my students create a Google sites website to gather all of their artifacts together. I will also implement Google Classroom this year, which I am very excited to try. I will post class assignments, projects, updates, and notes on the website, so that students have an easy way of accessing all information at home.
To incorporate blended learning in my classroom, I am excited to create my own videos for my students, incorporating short assessments into them with Educanon. The videos can be used in a variety of ways, as a homework assignment, a small group assignment, or as a whole class discussion. I will use the SmartBoard to deliver short lectures, with plickers or response remotes to ensure students understand the material and are ready to move forward.
I am still exploring other websites and apps to incorporate into my classroom. I look forward to exploring the role of gamification in our classroom, to implementing the variety of strategies that I have acquired from my peers during the course of this fellowship.
Pedagogy: I believe that my students will truly benefit from blended instruction. I will incorporate class lectures, small group discussions, and alternative learning methods, such as teacher-created videos, and online materials. I want my students to experience a wide variety of information gathering, to better prepare them for a high school experience.
My students will also conduct weekly labs and case studies, to analyze real world data, and experience working as an earth scientist. Students will be able to practice their analytical skills, and review mathematical concepts, while solving real world scenarios. Students will also learn to collaborate with their peers, an important skill for the 21st century. Students will work in small groups for class assignments, discussions, and projects. I am also going to incorporate think-pair-share activities, and jigsaw more complex reading material to facilitate collaboration. This is greatly aided by Google Drive and the 1:1 Chromebooks that we have in our classroom.
The Wonder Projects inherently give students control of their learning. They are able to research science topics of their choice, and then teach the rest of the class about what they have learned. This helps students take ownership of their learning, and builds important skills in research and presentation.
Technology: To incorporate technology into the classroom, we will rely heavily on our Chromebooks. We will use them to research, create, and share our knowledge. I want my students to understand that learning is best when it can be shared with someone. To that extent, I will have my students create a Google sites website to gather all of their artifacts together. I will also implement Google Classroom this year, which I am very excited to try. I will post class assignments, projects, updates, and notes on the website, so that students have an easy way of accessing all information at home.
To incorporate blended learning in my classroom, I am excited to create my own videos for my students, incorporating short assessments into them with Educanon. The videos can be used in a variety of ways, as a homework assignment, a small group assignment, or as a whole class discussion. I will use the SmartBoard to deliver short lectures, with plickers or response remotes to ensure students understand the material and are ready to move forward.
I am still exploring other websites and apps to incorporate into my classroom. I look forward to exploring the role of gamification in our classroom, to implementing the variety of strategies that I have acquired from my peers during the course of this fellowship.