Transcript Event-Based Science

Event-Based Science
Peabody Museum of Natural History
July 11, 2011
Dr. Russ Wright
Science Teacher
Retired from MCPS (after 32 years)
Program Coordinator
The George Washington University
Award-Winning Author
Event-Based Science
Event-Based Science
Peabody Museum of Natural History
July 11, 2011
Dr. Russ Wright
Science Teacher
Retired in from MCPS 1998
(after 32 years of service as a science
teacher and curriculum developer)
Program Coordinator
The George Washington University
Award-Winning Author
Event-Based Science
Event-Based Science
Peabody Museum of Natural History
July 11, 2011
Dr. Russ Wright
Science Teacher
Retired from MCPS
Program Coordinator
The George Washington University
Award-Winning Author
Event-Based Science
Event-Based Science
Peabody Museum of Natural History
July 11, 2011
Dr. Russ Wright
Science Teacher
Retired from MCPS
Program Coordinator
The George Washington University
Award-Winning Author
Event-Based Science
EBS - What is it?
EBS is a Prototype
At the Foundation, we view the Event-Based Science
Project as a prototype for the rest of the nation. It
encompasses much of what we envision as the future
for mathematics and science education: connecting
to real-world events, integrating ideas and
information from different classes, incorporating
computers and information from television and
newspapers, and teaching through team-based,
hands-on activities.
Walter Massey, Director National Science Foundation (1991-1993)
EBS
 Event-Based Science is a
different way to teach:
• it uses newsworthy events to establish relevance
and context;
• it uses authentic tasks to create the need-to-know;
and
• it uses interviews, photographs, Web pages, and
inquiry-based activities to provide information.
EBS
 Newsworthy events
come in two flavors:
Disasters:
HURRICANES
FLOODS
OUTBREAKS
FAMINES
EARTHQUAKES
FIRES
Non-disasters:
NEW THRILL RIDES
CRIMES
SPORTING EVENTS
NEW RECORDS SET
NEW MEDICINES
DISCOVERIES in the NEWS
EBS
 Television News is used
to establish relevance,
interest, and context.
CNN and NBC News partnered with us to provide video clips on
VHS tape.
SHOW HURRICANE!
HOOK
EBS
 Television News is used
to establish relevance,
interest, and context.
EBS Hooks are now available on YouTube.
EBS
 TV News is also used as the
context for exploring
students’ background
knowledge.
1. What are hurricanes and what causes them?
2. What is it about this part of the country that accounts
for the fact that we rarely experience hurricanes?
3. There are other forms of violent weather that affect
New Haven. Make a list of the violent weather events
that we experience, and rank them from most to least
frequent.
4. What is the most important way that weather affects
your life?
EBS
 TV News is also used as the
context for exploring
students’ background
knowledge.
Small groups work together to answer the questions.
Why small groups?
Reporting out.
What should the teacher do when answers are different?
EBS
 An authentic Task
creates the
need-to-know.
Hurricane!
Publish a newspaper for
a city being
threatened by a
hurricane.
EBS
 The authentic Task
puts kids in teams
with roles to play.
Hurricane! Roles:
Editor-in-Chief
Reporter
Hurricane Specialist
Environmental Scientist
Meteorologist
Natural Hazards Planner
EBS
 Activities provide the
information
and skills
students need
to accomplish
the task.
EBS
 EBS activities are
scenario
based.
Strategies that Promote Learning
Strategies that promote learning take advantage of how the brain works
naturally:
• The brain looks for patterns so that it knows how different
concepts connect to one another.
• The brain learns best in social settings especially when there is
positive emotion involved.
• The brain learns through the senses… the more senses involved
the better we learn.
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Strategies that Promote Learning
Which teaching strategies actually work?
In 2003, the Texas Legislature passed a law requiring the improvement
of science education at all levels to prepare Texas students for
postsecondary success. One of the goals was to identify research-based
instructional strategies.
(Other goals: identify research-based classroom materials, and
research-based professional development strategies).
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Strategies that Promote Learning
The Texas Education Agency commissioned Texas A&M University to
conduct a meta-analysis of national science education research to
identify the most effective science instructional strategies.
390 studies were investigated and the results compiled.
Strategies were ranked according to their effect size.
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Strategies that Promote Learning
effect size = standard deviation
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http://www.ipmc.cnrs.fr/~duprat/neurophysiology/images/brain2.jpg
Strategies that Promote Learning
Strategies with a positive effect:
•
•
•
•
•
Collaborative Grouping
Questioning Strategies
Placing Learning In Context
Inquiry
Hands On Manipulation
•
•
•
Assessment Strategies
Use of Instructional Technology
Tailoring Instructional material to
meet the needs of students
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Strategies that Promote Learning
•
•
•
Tailoring Instructional material to
meet the needs of students
0.2908
Use of Instructional Technology
0.4840
Assessment Strategies 0.5052
•
•
•
•
•
Hands-On Manipulation 0.5729
Inquiry 0.6546
Questioning Strategies 0.7395
Collaborative Grouping 0.9580
And the winner is…
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Strategies that Promote Learning
Placing Learning In Context
1.4783
Context gives meaning to facts, it connects concepts to students’ lives, and
gives students opportunities to solve complex problems.
More importantly…
context allows students to
see patterns and make
connections. It’s even better
when the context is
emotionally-charged and many
senses are engaged.
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Developing an Event-Based Unit
What are the Steps?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Select a topic that addresses one of your standards.
Choose an event that connects naturally to the topic.
Review possible hooks and select the best one.
Identify a task that flows from the event and challenges students to learn
the standard.
Develop activities that prepare students to complete the task.
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The End