Transcript The Cube Activity - Florida International University

Science Trio: NGSS
Practices, Nature of
Science, and the
Habits of Mind
Dr. George O’Brien
Florida International University
Science Content & Methods Courses
NOS Pre-assessment
• We are going to begin with a pre-assessment.
• Each of you will receive a list of 13 true-false
questions regarding the Nature of Science.
• Answer either true or false. If you think the
answer is false, then write a short explanation
of why it is false.
NOS Pre-assessment
• Now that you’ve had a chance to think about
NOS individually, we’d like you to get in groups
of 3 or 4.
• Go back through the 13 questions together,
share your answers, come to a consensus, and
write your answers on the colored half-sheet
of paper for your GROUP ANSWER.
• Just write TRUE or FALSE.
NOS QUIZ
1. Science is a system of beliefs.
FALSE
2. Most scientists are men because males are better at
scientific thinking.
FALSE
3. Scientists rely heavily on imagination to carry out their
work.
TRUE
4. Scientists are totally objective in their work.
FALSE
5. The scientific method is the accepted guide for
conducting research.
FALSE
6. Experiments are carried out to prove cause and effect
relationship.
FALSE
7. Scientific ideas are shared and debated among
scientists in a social setting.
TRUE
8. All scientific ideas are discovered and tested by
controlled experiments.
FALSE
9. Scientific explanations are generated from evidence.
TRUE
10. When a theory has been supported by a great deal of
scientific evidence, it becomes law.
FALSE
11. Scientific ideas are tentative and can be modified or
disproved, but never proved.
TRUE
12. Technology preceded science in the history of
civilization.
TRUE
13. In time, science can solve most of society’s problems.
FALSE
Summarizing NOS …
• Scientific explanations are based on empirical
observations or experiments.
• Scientific explanations are made public.
• Scientific explanations are tentative.
• Scientific explanations are historical.
• Scientific explanations are probabilistic. Scientific
explanations assume cause-effect relationships.
Distinctions among causality, correlation, coincidence, and contingency
separate science from pseudoscience.
• Scientific explanations are limited. Science cannot
answer all questions.
Reference
Paper
There are a couple reference
pages in your packet.
If you’d look at this one
from BSCS VISTA on Guide
to Communicating in
Scientific Ways.
You’ll be working in small
groups for the next activity,
interacting with each other.
Take a look at the paper to
remind you of meaningful
ways for interaction and
argumentation.
CUBE ACTIVITY
• This activity is used to introduce the Nature of Science
and Inquiry.
• In the first part of the activity, students are given a
numbered cube to involve students in asking questions—
Students propose an explanation based on their
observations.
• You will list your observations and record your
explanations for CUBE #1 and CUBE #2 on your
Observation Sheet.
• We’ve set up the Cube Activity in the 5E (Engage,
Explore, Explain, Extend, Evaluate) approach. The 5E
Learning Cycle promotes inquiry-oriented lessons. Also,
we will examine how this appropriately translates to the
NGSS eight practices.
Use the Observation / Inference page
for Cubes #1 and #2
CUBE ACTIVITY
• ENGAGE: What do you know about how scientists
do their work?
» How would you explain a scientific
investigation?
• EXPLORE: (Investigate)
• What is on the bottom of the cube?
• Write your observations on your Observation Form.
– What is the difference between an observation and an inference?
• You will propose an explanation that is based on evidence.
• Develop your explanation by combining observations.
CUBE ACTIVITY
EXPLAIN: Students discuss their data and work together to
agree on an explanation. They connect experiences with
the cube activity simulating scientific inquiry and provides a
model for science.
– Science originates in questions about the world.
– Science uses observations to construct explanations.
– The more observations you had that supported your proposed
explanation, the stronger your explanation, even if you could not
confirm the answer.
– Scientists make their explanations public through presentations
at professional meetings and journals.
– Scientists present their explanations and critique the
explanations proposed by other scientists.
– You used observation, hypotheses (inferences), and data.
CUBE ACTIVITY
• EXTEND:
2ND CUBE; 3RD CUBE
» A different activity that uses or applies the
same concept in a different context.
• EVALUATE:
» Students create a cube that will be used as
an evaluation exercise for other groups.
» Assesses whether students understand the
concept.
SCIENCE INQUIRY + Learning Cycle
• Scientific inquiry includes systematic
approaches to observing, collecting
information, identifying significant variables,
formulating and testing hypotheses, and
taking precise, accurate, and reliable
measurements. Understanding and designing
experiments are also part of the inquiry
process.
Your Reference paper gives you an
overview of the 16 Habits
Habits of Mind
• At our university, Florida International
University, assessing dispositions and The Habits
of Mind, is one of the key ideas of the
Conceptual Framework of the College of
Education.
• These habits of mind began as “intelligent
behaviors” and have evolved into what is now
known as the Habits of Mind.
• Arthur Costa and Bena Kallick have published
extensively and promoted the teaching of these
16 Habits of Mind.
Identifying the Habits of Mind
• Using your two
reference papers-Communicating in Scientific
Ways and HoM -- use
this paper in your
packet to make
connections
between the Cube
Activity and
Habits.
Habits of Mind
• Persisting
• Listening with
understanding & empathy
• Thinking about your
thinking
• Questioning and problem
posing
• Thinking & communicating
with clarity and precision
• Creating, imagining,
innovating
• Taking responsible risks
• Thinking interdependently
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Managing impulsivity
Thinking flexibly
Striving for accuracy
Applying old knowledge to
new situations
Gather data through all the
senses
Responding with
wonderment and awe
Finding humor
Remaining open to
continuous learning.
NGSS Eight Practices
• More connections.
• Using an inquiry activity, we can incorporate
the learning cycle, NOS, HoM, science process
skills, and the NGSS practices!
• Look at the summary sheet and let’s see how
we’ve done with the Cube Activity.
The Cube Activity
The cube activity is used with pre-service, in-service and
graduate students in science education.
The activity enables participants to experience the nature
of science and to engage in the scientific inquiry process of
asking questions, making observations, collecting data,
making predictions and posing explanations based on
evidence.
As well as integrating the Habits of Mind, this activity also
models the 5 E Learning Cycle of Learning [Engage,
Explore, Explain, Extend, Evaluate] and now the eight
practices of NGSS as well of concepts from the Nature of
Science (NOS).
THE CUBE ACTIVITY
The Cube Activity
• Participants then write down as many
observations as they can. They should
come up with at least 7 different
observations. We also distinguish the
difference between an observation and
an inference. [Explore]
• Each group then shares their
observations.
• Although the solution seems rather
obvious, participants have to support
their claims with the observational
evidence. [Explain]
• Participants next use these same
inquiry techniques to a more complex
cube. [Extend]
The Cube Activity
• The activity is in two parts,
the second building on the
first.
• Participants work in small
groups of 3 or 4.
• Each group is given a cube.
One side is taped down, so
that it is not visible. The
other five sides are visible.
• Participants initially
examine the cube and pose
the question: What is on
the side we can’t see?
[Engage]
The Cube Activity
• Participants follow the same
procedure on this second cube.
However, this time they have more
information.
• On each side of the cube, there is a
male or female name; a number in
the upper right corner and a number
in the lower left corner.
• Groups work together making
observations to have evidence to
predict the name and the numbers
in the left lower and right upper
corners.
The Cube Activity
Using the two reference
sheets, participants then
identify Scientist’s Actions and
the Habit of Mind used.
Habits of Mind have included:
• Persisting (#1)
• Thinking Flexibly (#4)
• Questioning & Problem Posing
(#7)
• Using Prior Knowledge (#8)
• Making Observations (#10)
• Wonderment & Awe (#12)
• Thinking Interdependently (#15)
The Cube Activity –
Additional Extension
•
In the BSCS ViSTA Online Module – Inquiry
(2010), participants view a video of a middle
school science teacher working with her
students following the same procedures as
the 5 E Learning Cycle described in this slide
presentation.
•
Participants working in the small groups are
asked to collect data, make observations,
make predictions, and write an explanation
related to whether there is scientific inquiry in
the science teacher’s classroom in this video.
•
Participants challenge one another’s thinking
and responses to the question. The instructor
probes members of each group with
questions and challenges groups and
individuals to present essential evidence to
support each claim and/or to build alternative
explanations.
The Cube Activity –
Additional Extension
Using the reference sheets,
participants then identify Scientist’s
Actions and the Habit of Mind used
by the middle school students in the
video.
Habits of Mind identified have
included:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Persisting (#1)
Listening & Understanding with
Empathy (#3)
Thinking Flexibly (#4)
Questioning & Problem Posing (#7)
Using Prior Knowledge (#8)
Thinking & Communicating with Clarity
& Precision (#9)
Making Observations (#10)
Thinking Interdependently (#15)
The Cube Activity – Some
Assessment Findings
• An important element of our end of the semester assessment is preservice teachers creating a professional development plan and portfolio
artifacts. Professional development goals in critical aspects of science
education are co-created by the candidates and instructor for online
presentation of artifacts in the TaskStream Assessment System. Each
candidate is required to identify goals, action items related to progress
to-date, evidence from the course experiences, and reflection in relation
to the past, present, and future plans of the candidate. Six broad
categories of goals have included: content knowledge, pedagogy,
technology skills, management skills, impact on student learning, and
communication skills.
• The cube activity has been cited by several candidates in a recent
semester as an activity that has influenced and impacted in positive
ways their thinking about the meaning and importance of inquiry-based
teaching and learning, scientific inquiry, communication in science,
nature of science, and habits of mind.
References
• This activity is adapted from Teaching About Evolution and the
Nature of Science, Working Group on Teaching Evolution,
National Academy of Science, 1998,
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/5787.html and the
Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS). (2010). ViSTA
Project Online Modules. Boulder, CO. Online at
http://vista.bscs.org/
• Additional reference & resource: Sommers, W. A., & Olson,
W. (2010). Habits of Mind Teachers Companion. The
Institute of the Habits of Mind. Westport. CT.
References
McComas, William. Keys to teaching the nature of science,
The Science Teacher, November 2004.
http://static.nsta.org/files/tst0411_24.pdf
Chiapetta & Kaballa. Quizzing students on the myths of science.
The Science Teacher, November 2004.
http://static.nsta.org/files/tst0411_58.pdf
Also see: NOS Collection by Kathy Sparrow: NSTA Learning
Center, User Collections