elementary school sampler

Elementary School Sampler

Included in this collection are:

Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, K–5

Next Time You See a Maple Seed

Uncovering Student Ideas in Primary Science, Vol. 1

Using Physical Science Gadgets & Gizmos, Grades 3–5

SCIENCELessons, K–5

Using Children'sBooks to GuideInquiry

Picture-Perfect


Arlington, Virginia

SCIENCEby Emily Morgan and Karen Ansberry

Lessons, K–5Using Children'sBooks to GuideInquiry

Picture-Perfect


Claire Reinburg, DirectorJennifer Horak, Managing EditorAndrew Cooke, Senior EditorAmanda O'Brien, Associate EditorWendy Rubin, Associate EditorAmy America, Book Acquisitions Coordinator

Art And design Will Thomas Jr., Director Linda Olliver, Cover, Interior Design, Illustrations

Printing And Production Catherine Lorrain, Director

nAtionAl science teAchers AssociAtionDavid L. Evans, Executive DirectorDavid Beacom, Publisher

1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201www.nsta.org/storeFor customer service inquiries, please call 800-277-5300.

Copyright © 2013 by the National Science Teachers Association.All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.16 15 14 13 4 3 2 1

NSTA is committed to publishing material that promotes the best in inquiry-based science education. However, conditions of actual use may vary, and the safety procedures and practices described in this book are intended to serve only as a guide. Additional precautionary measures may be required. NSTA and the authors do not warrant or represent that the procedures and practices in this book meet any safety code or standard of federal, state, or local regulations. NSTA and the authors disclaim any liability for personal injury or damage to property arising out of or relating to the use of this book, including any of the recommendations, instructions, or materials contained therein.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ansberry, Karen Rohrich, 1966- Even more picture-perfect science lessons : using children’s books to guide inquiry, K-5 / by Karen Ansberry and Emily Morgan. pages cm Includes index. ISBN 978-1-935155-17-1 1. Science--Study and teaching (Elementary) 2. Picture books for children--Educational aspects. I. Morgan, Emily R. (Emily Rachel), 1973- II. Title. LB1585.A568 2013 372.35044--dc23 2013001262

Cataloging-in-Publication Data are also available from the Library of Congress for the e-book.e-ISBN: 978-1-938946-89-9


Contents Preface ....................................................................................................................ix

Acknowledgments .................................................................................................xiii

Contributors .......................................................................................................... xv

About the Authors ...............................................................................................xvii

About the Picture-Perfect Science Program ...........................................................xix

Lessons by Grade ..................................................................................................xxi

1 Why Read Picture Books in Science Class? .................................................... 1

2 Reading Aloud .............................................................................................. 9

3 Teaching Science Through Inquiry .............................................................. 19

4 BSCS 5E Instructional Model ..................................................................... 29

5 Connecting to the Standards: A Framework for K–12 Science Education and the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts .............. 35

6 Freezing and Melting .................................................................................. 53 Wemberly’s Ice-Cream Star and Why Did My Ice Pop Melt?

7 Float Your Boat ........................................................................................... 65 Toy Boat and Captain Kidd’s Crew Experiments With Sinking and Floating


8 The Wind Blew...................................................................................... 77 The Wind Blew and I Face the Wind

9 Harnessing the Wind ........................................................................... 103 The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind and Wind Energy: Blown Away!

10 Sounds All Around .............................................................................. 125 What’s That Sound? and Sounds All Around

11 Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow? ............................................... 141 Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow? and What’s Alive?

12 Seeds on the Move ............................................................................... 159 Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move and Who Will Plant a Tree?

13 Unbeatable Beaks ................................................................................ 173 Unbeatable Beaks and Beaks!

14 Ducks Don’t Get Wet .......................................................................... 187 Just Ducks! and Ducks Don’t Get Wet

15 Amazing Caterpillars ........................................................................... 203 Houdini the Amazing Caterpillar, From Caterpillar to Butterfly, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar

16 Fossils Tell of Long Ago ....................................................................... 223 Fossil and Fossils Tell of Long Ago

17 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! ....................................................................... 243 The Three R’s: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle and Michael Recycle


18 What Will the Weather Be? .................................................................. 253 Come On, Rain! and What Will the Weather Be?

19 Sunsets and Shadows .......................................................................... 263 Twilight Comes Twice and Next Time You See a Sunset

20 Problem Solvers ................................................................................... 279 Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin and Build It: Invent New Structures and Contraptions

Index ................................................................................................................... 295


Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, K–5 ix

Preface

A class of fifth-grade students listen as their teacher reads The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. This is the true story of William Kamkwamba, a

14-year-old African boy whose perseverance and ingenuity brought electricity and running water to his drought-ravaged village. With nothing but scraps from a junkyard and the knowledge he acquired from library books, William built a windmill and waited for the wind. Students sit in awe as the teacher reads the dramatic ac-count of what happened next. “Like always, it came, first a breeze, then a gusting gale. The tower swayed and the blades spun round. With sore hands once slowed by hunger and darkness William connected wires to a small bulb, which flickered at first, then surged as bright as the sun. ‘Tonga!’ he shouted. ‘I have made electric wind!’” The teacher asks the class, “How do you think William’s windmill was able to light a lightbulb?” In a lesson inspired by this extraordinary story (Chapter 9, “Harnessing the Wind”), students discover the answer to this question by first investigating how a simple handheld generator, the Dynamo Torch, transforms energy of mo-tion into electrical energy. Students then build on this experience by reading an article about energy transformations and listening to a nonfic-tion read-aloud that explains how wind turbines produce electricity. Eventually, students develop explanations that explain how William’s wind-mill was able to light a bulb. They elaborate on what they have learned by researching various en-ergy resources. Through hands-on inquiries and high-quality readings and picture books, students learn difficult concepts about energy—all within the context of William’s remarkable true story.

What Is Picture-Perfect Science? This scenario describes how a children’s pic-ture book can help guide students through an engaging, hands-on inquiry lesson. Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, K–5 contains 20 science lessons for students in grades K through 5, with embedded reading comprehension strate-gies to help them learn to read and read to learn while engaged in inquiry-based science. To help you teach according to A Framework for K–12 Science Education (NRC 2012), the lessons are written in an easy-to-follow format for teaching inquiry-based science according to the BSCS 5E Instructional Model (Bybee 1997, used with permission from BSCS; see Chapter 4 for more information). This learning cycle model allows students to construct their own understanding of scientific concepts as they cycle through the fol-lowing phases: engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. Although Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons is primarily a book for teaching science, reading comprehension strategies and the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (Common Core ELA; NGA for Best Practices and CCSSO 2010) are embedded in each lesson. These essential strategies can be modeled while keeping the focus of the lessons on science.

Use This Book Within Your Science Curriculum We wrote Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons to supplement, not replace, an existing science program. Although each lesson stands alone as a carefully planned learning cycle based on


National Science Teachers Associationx

clearly defined science objectives, the lessons are intended to be integrated into a more complete unit of instruction in which concepts can be more fully developed. The lessons are not designed to be taught sequentially. We want you to use the lessons where appropriate within your school’s current science curriculum to support, enrich, and extend it. And we want you to adapt the lessons to fit your school’s curriculum, your students’ needs, and your own teaching style.

Special Features

Ready-to-Use Lessons With Assessments Each lesson contains engagement activities, hands-on explorations, student pages, suggestions for student and teacher explanations, opportuni-ties for elaboration, assessment suggestions, and annotated bibliographies of more books to read on the topic. Assessments include poster sessions with rubrics, teacher checkpoint labs, and formal multiple-choice and extended-response questions.

Reading Comprehension Strategies Reading comprehension strategies based on the book Strategies That Work (Harvey and Goudvis 2000) and specific activities to enhance compre-hension are embedded throughout the lessons and clearly marked with an icon . Chapter 2 describes how to model these strategies while reading aloud to students.

Standards-Based ObjectivesAll lesson objectives are grade-level endpoints from A Framework for K–12 Science Education (NRC 2012) and are clearly identified at the beginning of each lesson. Because we wrote Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons for students in grades K–5, we used two grade ranges of the Framework: K–2 and 3–5. Chapter 5, “Connecting to the Standards,” outlines the component ideas from the Framework and the grade band addressed for each lesson.

The lessons also incorporate the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. In a

box titled “Connecting to the Common Core” you will find the Common Core ELA strand the activity addresses (e.g., reading, writing, speaking and listening, or language) as well as the grade level and standard number (e.g., K.9 or 5.1). You will see that writing assignments are specifically labeled with an icon .

Science as Inquiry As we said, the lessons in Even More Picture-

Perfect Science Lessons are structured as guided inquiries following the 5E Model. Guiding ques-tions are embedded throughout each lesson and marked with an icon ?. The questioning process is the cornerstone of good teaching. A teacher who asks thoughtful questions arouses students’ curiosity, promotes critical-thinking skills, cre-ates links between ideas, provides challenges, gets immediate feedback on student learning, and helps guide students through the inquiry process. Chapters 3 and 4 explore science as inquiry and the BSCS 5E Instructional Model, and each les-son includes an “Inquiry Place” box that suggests ideas for developing open inquiries.

ReferencesBybee, R. W. 1997. Achieving scientific literacy: From

purposes to practices. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Harvey, S., and A. Goudvis. 2000. Strategies that work: Teaching comprehension to enhance understanding. York, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

National Governors Association Center (NGA) for Best Practices, and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). 2010. Common core state standards for English language arts and literacy. Washington, DC: National Governors Association for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School.

National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Children’s Book CitedKamkwamba, W., and B. Mealer. 2012. The boy who

harnessed the wind. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.


Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, K–5 xi

Editors’ NoteEven More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons builds on the texts of 31 children’s picture books to teach science. Some of these books feature animals that have been anthropomorphized, such as a caterpillar that does magic tricks. While we recognize that many scientists and educators believe that personification, teleology, animism, and anthropomorphism promote miscon-ceptions among young children, others believe that removing these elements would leave children’s literature severely underpopulated. Furthermore, backers of these techniques not only see little harm in their use but also argue that they facilitate learning.

Because Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons specifically and carefully supports scientific inquiry—the “Amazing Caterpillars” lesson, for instance, teaches students how to weed out misconceptions by asking them to point out inaccurate information about caterpillars and butterflies in a storybook—we, like our authors, feel the question remains open.


Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, K–5 xiii

W e would like to dedicate this book to the memory of Sue Livingston, who opened our eyes to the power of modeling reading strategies in

the content areas and for teaching us that every teacher is a reading teacher.

We appreciate the care and attention to detail given to this project by Jennifer Horak, Agnes Bannigan, Pat Freedman, and Claire Reinburg at NSTA Press.

And these thank-yous as well:

• To Linda Olliver for her “Picture-Perfect” il-lustrations

• To the staff and students of Mason City Schools, Cincinnati Public Schools, and Leba-non United Methodist Preschool and Kinder-garten for field-testing lessons and providing “photo ops”

Acknowledgments

• To Jackie Anderson, Fliss LaRosa, Jeff Morgan, and Rhonda Vanderbeek for contributing photographs

• To Shannon Homoelle for sharing her expertise with the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

• To Don Kaufman and Cecilia Berg for giving us the opportunity to share Picture-Perfect Sci-ence as part of the GREEN Teachers Institute at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio

• To Bill Robertson for sharing his content knowledgeThe contributions of the following reviewers

are also gratefully acknowledged:

• Carol Collins• Miriam Jean Dreher• Christine Pappas


Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, K–5 xv

Contributors

Ideas and activities for the lessons in this book were contributed by the following talented, dedicated teach-ers. We thank them for their creativity, willingness to share, and the important work they do each day in their classrooms.

J a c k i e A n d e r s o n i s a multiple disabilities teacher at Roselawn Condon School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jackie contributed to Chapter 11, “Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?”

Allyson Day is a sixth-grade math and science teacher at Monroe Elementary School in Monroe, Ohio. Allyson contributed to Chapter 7, “Float Your Boat.”

Missy Breuer is a fifth-grade teacher at Pattison Elementary School in Milford, Ohio. Missy contributed to Chapter 20, “Problem Solvers.”

Jenny DeBord is a first-grade teacher at Monroe Primary School in Monroe, Ohio. Jenny contributed to Chapter 7, “Float Your Boat.”

Tim Breuer is a seventh-grade teacher at Milford Junior High School in Milford, Ohio. Tim contributed to Chapter 18, “What Will the Weather Be?”

Jenny Doerflein is certified to teach ar t K–12. Jenny contributed to Chapter 11, “Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?”

Katie Davis is a second-grade teacher at Mason Early Childhood Center in Mason, Ohio. Katie contributed to Chapter 14, “Ducks Don’t Get Wet”; Chapter 16, “Fossils Tell of Long Ago”; and Chapter 17, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”

Karen Eads is a first-grade teacher at Sharpsburg Elementary School in Norwood, Ohio. Karen contributed to Chapter 6, “Freezing and Melting.”


National Science Teachers Associationxvi

Maria Eshman i s a f irst-grade teacher at Sharpsburg Elementary School in Norwood, Ohio. Maria contributed to Chapter 6, “Freezing and Melting.”

Faye Harp is a teaching and learning consultant at Lakota Local Schools in West Chester, Ohio. Faye contributed to Chapter 12, “Seeds on the Move.”

Kathy Gall is a second-grade teacher at Monroe Primary School in Monroe, Ohio. Kathy contributed to Chapter 7, “Float Your Boat.”

Aubrey McCalla teaches first grade at Williamsburg Elementary School in Williamsburg, Ohio. Aubrey contributed to Chapter 11, “Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?”

Michelle Gallite is a third-grade teacher at Western Row Elementary School in Mason, Ohio. Michelle contributed to Chapter 8, “The Wind Blew,” and Chapter 15, “Amazing Caterpillars.”

Colleen Phillips-Birdsong taught second grade for 11 years and now is a Reading Recovery teacher and reading specialist at Mercer Elementary School in Cincinnati. Colleen contributed to Chapter 10, “Sounds All Around”; Chapter 13, “Unbeatable Beaks”; and Chapter 19, “Sunsets and Shadows.”

Lisa Haines is a title one reading teacher at Wilmington City Schools in Wilmington, Ohio. Lisa contributed to Chapter 11, “Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?”

Katie Woodward is a second-grade teacher at Monroe Primary School in Monroe, Ohio. Katie contributed to Chapter 7, “Float Your Boat.”


Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, K–5 xvii

Emily Morgan is a former elementary science lab teacher for Mason City Schools in Mason, Ohio, and seventh-grade science teacher at Northridge Local Schools in Dayton, Ohio. She has a bachelor of science in elementary education from Wright State Univer-sity and a master of science in education from the University of Dayton. She is also the author of the Next Time You See picture book series from NSTA Press. Emily lives in West Chester, Ohio, with her husband, son, and an assortment of animals.

About the Authors

Karen Ansberry is an elementary science curriculum leader and former fifth- and sixth-grade science teacher at Mason City Schools in Mason, Ohio. She has a bachelor of science in biology from Xavier University and a master of arts in teaching from Miami Univer-sity. Karen lives in historic Lebanon, Ohio, with her husband, two sons, two daughters, and too many animals.

Emily and Karen, along with language arts consultant Sue Livingston, received a Toyota Tapestry grant for their Picture-Perfect Science grant proposal in 2002. Since then, they have enjoyed facili-tating teacher workshops at elementary schools, universities, and professional conferences across the country. This is Emily and Karen’s third book in the Picture-Perfect Science Lessons series.

Emily and Karen would like to dedicate this book to the memory of Sue Livingston.


Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, K–5 xix

About the Picture-Perfect

Science Program

The Picture-Perfect Science program originated from Emily Morgan’s and Karen Ansberry’s shared interest in using children’s literature to make

science more engaging. In Emily’s 2001 master’s thesis study involving 350 of her third-grade science lab students at Western Row Elementary, she found that students who used science trade books instead of the textbook scored significantly higher on district science performance assess-ments than students who used the textbook only. Convinced of the benefits of using picture books to engage students in science inquiry and to in-crease science understanding, Karen and Emily

began collaborating with Sue Livingston, Mason’s elementary language arts curriculum leader, in an effort to integrate literacy strategies into inquiry-based science lessons. They received grants from the Ohio Department of Education (2001) and Toyota Tapestry (2002) to train all third- through sixth-grade science teachers, and in 2003 they also trained seventh- and eighth-grade science teach-ers with district support. The program has been presented at elementary schools, conferences, and universities nationwide.

For more information on Picture-Perfect Science teacher workshops, go to www.pictureperfectscience.com.


Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, K–5 xxi

Lessons by GradeChapter Grade Picture Books

6 K–2 Wemberly’s Ice-Cream StarWhy Did My Ice Pop Melt?

7 3–5 Toy BoatCaptain Kidd’s Crew Experiments With Sinking and Floating

8 3–5 The Wind BlewI Face the Wind

9 3–5 The Boy Who Harnessed the WindWind Energy: Blown Away!

10 K–2 What’s That Sound?Sounds All Around

11 K–2 Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?What’s Alive?

12 K–2 Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the MoveWho Will Plant a Tree?

13 K–2 Unbeatable BeaksBeaks!

14 3–5 Just Ducks!Ducks Don’t Get Wet

15 K–2 Houdini the Amazing CaterpillarFrom Caterpillar to ButterflyThe Very Hungry Caterpillar

16 3–5 FossilFossils Tell of Long Ago

17 K–2 The Three R’s: Reuse, Reduce, RecycleMichael Recycle

18 3–5 Come On, Rain!What Will the Weather Be?

19 3–5 Twilight Comes TwiceNext Time You See a Sunset

20 3–5 Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin FranklinBuild It: Invent New Structures and Contraptions


Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, K–5 203

Chapter

15

Amazing CaterpillarsDescriptionIn the eyes of a child, the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly is nothing short of magic! In this lesson students construct their own understandings about the complete butterfly life cycle by observing, exploring, and journaling about live caterpillars and butterflies before scientific explanations and vocabu-lary are introduced. Then they learn that butterflies aren’t the only ones that go through these dramatic changes. In fact, most insects do.

Suggested Grade Levels: K-2

L e s s o n o b j e c t i v e s Connecting to the Framework

LiFe sciences

Core Idea lS1: froM MoleCuleS to organISMS: StruCtureS and ProCeSSeS

lS1:B: growth and develoPMent of organISMS

By the end of grade 2: Plants and animals have predictable characteristics at different stages of development. Plants and animals grow and change. Adult plants and animals can have young. in many kinds of animals, parents and the offspring themselves engage in behaviors that help the offspring to survive.

TiTle: Houdini The Amazing Caterpillar AuTHor: janet Pedersen illuSTrATor: janet Pedersen PubliSHer: clarion books YeAr: 2008 Genre: story SummArY: Houdini is a classroom caterpillar with “magical” abilities. He makes a leaf vanish,

crawls across a high-wire stick, and grows before your very eyes. When the audience tires of his tricks, he performs one final act to amaze everyone, including himself.

TiTle: From Caterpillar to Butterfly AuTHor: Deborah heiligman illuSTrATor: bari Weissman PubliSHer: harpercollins YeAr: 1996 Genre: narrative information SummArY: Simple text and colorful illustrations describe a butterfly’s life cycle within an

elementary classroom.

TiTle: The Very Hungry Caterpillar AuTHor: eric carle illuSTrATor: eric carle PubliSHer: Penguin group YeAr: 1969 Genre: story SummArY: The story follows a caterpillar as it makes some unusual food choices and grows into

a beautiful butterfly.

Featured Picture Books


National Science Teachers Association204

Chapter

15

time neededThis lesson will take several class periods. Suggested scheduling is as follows:

Part 1About two weeks: Engage with Houdini the Amazing Caterpillar

Read-Aloud and Explore with Our Amazing Caterpillars Journal

Part 2Day 1: Explain with Houdini the Amazing Caterpillar and

From Caterpillar to Butterfly Read-Aloud, card sort, and Pasta Life Cycle Diagram

Day 2: Elaborate with Butterflies Aren’t the Only Ones

Day 3 Evaluate with The Very Hungry Caterpillar Retelling Book

MaterialsFor caterpillar observations (per class)

• Painted lady butterfly kit containing caterpillars or caterpillar coupons, food, and mesh butterfly habitat. (Butterfly kits are available at www.insectlore.com and www.carolina.com.)

For card sort (one set per pair of students)

• Butterfly Life Cycle cards (cut out in advance by teacher)

For Pasta Life Cycle Diagram (per student)

• Pasta shapes to represent the stages of the butterfly life cycle: small beadlike pasta such as pearl pasta, acini di pepe, or couscous (egg), rotini (caterpillar), shell (chrysalis), and bowtie (butterfly)

• Green, brown, and black markers or colored pencils• 9" or 10" paper plate• White glue

student Pages• Our Amazing Caterpillars Journal (Copy the cover on a separate sheet, then copy pp. 1 and 8 back-

to-back with 2 and 7; copy pp. 6 and 3 back-to-back with 4 and 5. Fold and staple along the spine.)• Butterflies Aren’t the Only Ones• The Very Hungry Caterpillar Retelling Book

Note: Allow about two weeks between part 1 and part 2 of this lesson. During those two weeks, students will need several opportu-nities to observe the caterpillars/chrysalides and record these obser-vations in their journals.



Chapter

15

backgroundA Framework for K–12 Science Education recommends that by the end of grade 2 students recognize that plants and animals have predictable characteristics at different stages of development. With young children, it is best to develop understanding of biological concepts such as this through direct expe-rience with living things and their life cycles. Butterflies are ideal to use in this type of exploration. They are familiar, interesting, and often found in the local ecosystem.

Butterflies experience metamorphosis as they progress through their life cycles. Almost all insects go through metamorphosis, with the exception of a few such as silverfish and springtails (which hatch from the egg as a small replica of the adult and mature by growing bigger). Metamorphosis is marked by distinct stages, often resulting in an abrupt change of physical appearance. The butterfly begins its life as an egg and hatches into a larva, known as a caterpillar. In this larval stage, the caterpillar spends most of its time eating plant material. As it grows, the exoskeleton becomes tight, so it molts, or sheds, the old one. This process is repeated several times as the caterpillar grows. Finally, the cater-pillar makes a special silk “button” which it uses to hang upside down from a twig or other surface. The soft body that the caterpillar reveals when it molts for the final time is called a chrysalis (plural: chrysalides), which hardens to form a protective shell. Many children and adults confuse this structure with a cocoon; however, a cocoon is a silk covering that most moths spin to protect their chrysalis. (Some species of moth caterpillars also disguise their cocoons with leaves or other debris.) Inside the chrysalis, a remarkable transformation takes place. This is known as the pupal stage of the butterfly life cycle, during which the butterfly is immobile. In the pupal stage, parts of the caterpillar’s body break down into undifferentiated cells, which then form new structures. The amount of time required for this transformation varies depending on the species. After the caterpillar completely transforms, the chrysalis cracks open and the adult butterfly emerges. At first, its wings are damp and crumpled. As it pumps blood into them, the wings straighten out and dry. Soon the adult butterfly is ready to take its first flight.

Many animals (such as fish, birds, reptiles, and mammals) have fairly simple life cycles in which they are born or hatched, then grow into adults. Amphibians have a bit more complex life cycle where they hatch from an egg, live underwater breathing through gills, grow into adults, move to land and breathe air through their skin and lungs. Most insects, however, have a dramatic life cycle in which they go through the following stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. A few insects, like dragonflies, grasshoppers, and cockroaches, go through an incomplete metamorphosis, which means they go from egg to larva to adult, without a pupal stage. In the elaborate phase of this lesson, students apply what they learn about the stages of insect metamorphosis to other insects, so they will understand that butterflies aren’t the only ones that go through this dramatic change.

About the Painted Lady ButterflyThis lesson uses painted lady butterflies to demonstrate the stages of a metamorphic life cycle. The painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) is found in most of the United States as well as Canada. Sev-eral companies have marketed ready-made kits that include everything you will need to help your butterflies develop. Most contain coupons to send away for the live caterpillars. You are unlikely to see the egg stage of the life cycle; therefore, you should be prepared to describe this to your students. Female painted lady butterflies lay their eggs on plants such as thistle, hollyhock, and mallow. When the caterpillars hatch, they eat the leaves of the plants. The eggs are light blue-green in color and the size of a pinhead. The caterpillars emerge within three to five days.



Chapter

15

Excluding the egg stage, the life cycle should take approximately three weeks. Your caterpillars will likely ship in a ventilated plastic cup containing food (referred to as “nutrient” by some vendors). The caterpillars will spend most of their time eating and may spin a small amount of silk. You will notice small balls in the container; the balls are caterpillar waste, or frass.

When your caterpillars are ready for the pupal stage, they will crawl to the lid of the container and hang upside down in a hook shape. If they are not disturbed, the caterpillars will harden into chrysalides in one to two days. Once all of your caterpillars have entered the pupal stage, you should remove the lid and hang it inside of your butterfly home. You may notice the chrysalides shaking. This is natural and helps to prevent predator attacks in the wild.

The adult butterflies will emerge in 7 to 10 days. You may notice that the chrysalides become transparent just before this occurs. The new butterflies’ wings will be wrinkled and soft. They will be ready to fly within a few hours. Do not be alarmed if you notice your butterflies excreting a red liquid. This is meconium, a waste product from the pupal stage. You may want to line the bottom of your butterfly home with paper towels or a paper plate to catch the meconium.

To feed your butterflies, dissolve 3 teaspoons of sugar into 1 cup of water. Sprinkle this mixture onto fresh flowers or saturate a crumpled paper towel. Place them in your butterflies’ home. You will see your butterflies uncurl their proboscises and sip the sugar water.

When you are ready to release your butterflies, make sure the temperature is above 55°F. Painted lady butterflies are one of the most widely distributed butterfly species in the world, but check your state’s wildlife release rules prior to setting them free in your area. If you are unable to release them, your butterflies may mate and lay eggs. When the larvae hatch, add thistle, hollyhock, or mallow leaves to your butterflies’ home. The adult butterflies have a life span of only two weeks. Reassure your students that this, too, is a part of the life cycle, and the young will continue the circle of life.

? Have you ever heard of a magician named Houdini?Tell the students that Harry Houdini was one

of the most well-known magicians of all time. Houdini became famous for his escape acts. He could free himself from prisons, handcuffs, ropes, chains, and water-filled containers. One of Houdini’s most famous illusions involved making a full-grown elephant and its trainer disappear from the stage! Then tell the students that you have a book about a very unusual magician, also named Houdini, to share with them. Show the students the cover of Houdini the Amazing Cat-erpillar, and introduce the author and illustrator.

engageHoudini the Amazing Caterpillar Read-aloud

Making Connections: Text-to-WorldAsk

? Have you ever seen a magic show? ? What kinds of tricks do magicians do? (make

something disappear, pull a rabbit out of a hat, guess a card, escape from an enclosed space, and so on)



Chapter

15

Inferring

Connecting to the Common Core Reading: LiteratureKey Ideas and detaIls: K.1, 1.2, 1.3

Read the book aloud, stopping after page 19. (“Suddenly, he knew just what his next act would be. It would be his most daring act ever.”) Ask

? How are Houdini’s actions like magic? (Houdini makes leaves vanish by eating them; he grows before their very eyes and breaks free from his skin; he holds a pose for almost two weeks without food, water or taking a break.)Model questioning by saying, “I wonder what

Houdini’s next act will be?” Give each student a sticky note, and ask them to write or draw what they think Houdini’s next, most daring act will be. Collect the sticky notes and use them to assess student preconceptions. Tell students that they are going to see some “magic” in their own classroom before you read the rest of the book to them.

exploreour amazing caterpillars journal

Connecting to the Common Core Writingresearch to buIld and Present Knowledge: K.7, 1.7, 2.7

Hold up the caterpillar container, and tell students that you have some amazing little “Houdinis” for them to observe.

Pass out the Our Amazing Caterpillars Jour-nals. Tell students they are going to be observing these caterpillars for several weeks, just as the children in Houdini the Amazing Caterpillar did. For observation 1, first have students record the date. Throughout the day, allow small groups of students to visit the caterpillars to record their

observations. Continue to have the students make observations every few days, or as needed when changes occur. At this point, it is not necessary to reveal the scientific terminology for each stage, although some students may already be familiar with some of these words. You will continue with the rest of this lesson when all of the caterpillars have become adult butterflies.

Use the following guidelines to help students work through the journal:

Observation 2: Complete one to two days fol-lowing the initial observation.

Observation 3: Com-plete two to three days following the second observation.

Observation 4: Com-plete when at least one caterpillar is hanging upside down, preparing for the pupal stage.

Observation 5: Com-plete once all chry-salides have formed, and you have removed them from the cater-pillar container. Allow students to make their observations before

observing the butterfly life cycle

Painted lady chrysalis



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placing the chrysalides in the butterfly home. The drawing of the circle is the disk upon which the chrysalides are attached.

Observation 6: Complete when one or more butterflies have emerged. This can also be used if you are lucky enough to observe a butterfly as it is emerging.

Observation 7: Complete once all of the but-terflies have emerged.

Wonderings: Students can record any questions they have about the caterpillars and butterflies on this page.

explainHoudini the Amazing Caterpillar and From Caterpillar to Butterfly Read-aloud

Making Connections: Text-to-WorldTell students that now that they have witnessed the “magic” of their own caterpillars, you will read the entire story of Houdini the Amazing Caterpillar to them. Tell them that as you read, you would like them to signal when they see Houdini doing something that they saw their caterpillars doing. Students should signal that both Houdini and their classroom caterpillars ate, shed their skin, grew, hung upside down for a long time, and emerged as butterflies. After reading, ask

? Is this book fiction or nonfiction? How do you know? (fiction, because the caterpillar smiles and talks)Tell students that you have a nonfiction book

that can help them learn more about the life cycle of a butterfly, including the names of all the stages that they observed. Introduce the author and illustrator of From Caterpillar to Butterfly. As you show the cover, ask

? What do you think this book has in common with Houdini the Amazing Caterpillar? (An-

swers may include that they are both about butterflies, there are caterpillars in both books, and the butterflies in both books are orange.)

Open SortBefore reading the nonfiction book, give each pair of students a set of precut Butterfly Life Cycle cards with the names and pictures of the four stages of butterfly metamorphosis: egg, caterpillar (larva), chrysalis (pupa), butterfly. Before reading, ask students to put the cards in the order in which they think they go.

Determining Importance

Connecting to the Common Core Reading: informational textKey Ideas and detaIls: K.3, 1.3, 2.3

Tell students that as you read the book aloud, you would like them to listen for the names of the stages on their cards. Read the large-print text of the book aloud. As you read about each stage, have students move their cards in the correct order. Be sure to read the small-print text on page 11 (“The caterpillar is also called the larva.”) and page 19 (“The chrysalis is also called the pupa.”).

Closed SortAfter reading, make sure students have put the cards showing the stages of the butterfly life cycle in the correct order: egg, caterpillar (larva), chrysalis (pupa), butterfly. Ask

? Where do butterfly eggs come from? (adult butterflies)Have students move the cards to create a

circle that represents the continuation of the egg-caterpillar-chrysalis-butterfly cycle.

Ask if students have ever heard the term cocoon. Explain that butterflies do not make cocoons, but moths do. Cocoons are spun out of silk during a moth’s pupal stage. Some moths also camouflage



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their cocoons by covering them with bits of leaves or other plant material. They go through their metamorphosis inside the safety of their cocoon. Ask

? “Where do butterflies go through their pupal stage?” (inside a chrysalis)

Pasta Life cycle DiagramPass out one paper plate and one piece of each of the following pastas to each student: beadlike pasta, rotini, shell, and bowtie. Students will also need green, brown, and black markers or colored pencils. Guide students through the following steps to make a butterfly life cycle diagram on a paper plate:

S A F E T YTell students not to eat or taste any food (e.g., pasta) or beverage that has been made or used in the lab or classroom activity unless instructed to do so by the teacher.

1. Ask ? How does a caterpillar begin its life? (as an

egg) Show the illustration of butterfly eggs on page 9 of From Caterpillar to Butterfly. Tell students to hold up the pasta that looks most like a butterfly egg (beadlike pasta). Tell them to place the beadlike pasta at the 12:00 position on their plates. Then have them sketch the outline of a leaf with a green marker or colored pencil around the “egg.” Tell them that they will glue the pasta onto the “leaf ” later. Have students write “egg” below the beadlike pasta.

2. Ask ? What hatches from a butterfly egg? (cater-

pillar) Show the illustration of a caterpillar on page 15 of the book. Tell students to hold up the pasta that looks most like a caterpil-lar (rotini). Tell them to place the rotini at the 3:00 position on their plates. Remind them that they will glue the pasta onto the

plate later. Have students write “caterpillar” below the rotini.

3. Ask ? What is another name for a caterpillar?

(larva). Have students write “larva” in parentheses next to the word “caterpillar.”

4. Ask ? What happens after the caterpillar molts for

the last time? (It makes a chrysalis.) Show the illustration of the chrysalis on page 20 of the book. Tell students to hold up the pasta that looks most like a chrysalis (shell pasta). Tell them to place the shell pasta at the 6:00 position on their plates. Then have them use a brown marker or colored pencil to draw a twig just above the shell pasta (so the “chrysalis” has a place to attach). Remind them that they will glue the pasta onto the paper plate later. Have students write “chrysalis” below the shell pasta.

5. Ask ? What is another name for the chrysalis?

(pupa) Have students write “pupa” in paren-theses next to the word “chrysalis.”

6. Ask ? What comes out of the chrysalis? (butterfly)

Show the illustration of the adult butterfly on page 29 of the book. Tell students to hold up the pasta that looks most like a butterfly

Pasta life cycle diagraM



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8. Have students write “Life Cycle of a But-terfly” in the center of their plates with a black marker.

9. Have students use white glue to affix the pasta shapes to their appropriate places on the paper plates.

elaboratebutterflies aren’t the only onesExplain that many animals, such as fish, birds, reptiles, and mammals, have fairly simple life cycles in which they are born or hatched, then grow into adults. Amphibians, such as frogs, have a bit more complex life cycle—they are born, live underwater breathing through gills, grow into adults, then move to the land and breathe air. Most insects, however, have a dramatic life cycle where they go through the following stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Write the names of these stages on the board. Ask

? What is the larval stage of the butterfly called? (caterpillar)

? What is the pupal stage of the butterfly called? (chrysalis)Explain that a few insects, like dragonflies,

grasshoppers, and cockroaches, go through an incomplete meta-morphosis, which means they go from egg to larva to adult, without a pupal stage. However, most insects, like butterflies, go through a metamorphosis, or really big change.

Pass out the Butterflies Aren’t the Only Ones student page to each student or pair of students. Explain that they will apply the concepts and vocabulary they have learned about the stages of the butterfly life cycle to another kind of insect. Assign each stu-dent or pair of students an insect that goes through a metamor-Pointing out scientific inaccuracies

(bowtie pasta). Tell them to place a piece of bowtie pasta at the 9:00 position on their plates. Remind them that they will glue the pasta onto the plate later. Have students write “butterfly” below the bowtie pasta.

7. Have students draw arched arrows from the egg to the caterpillar to the butterfly to show that these stages occur in a set order. Ask ? Should we draw an arrow from the butterfly

back to the egg? Reread pages 28 and 29 of From Caterpillar to Butterfly. Introduce the term life cycle by telling students that every living thing is born, grows and changes, reproduces by laying eggs or hav-ing babies, and dies. The babies, or offspring, grow up to repeat these stages. Ask

? What is the word for the changes that a butterfly goes through in its life cycle? (metamorphosis, p. 6).

Tell students that the word metamorphosis means “really big change.” Explain that all living things go through a life cycle, but only some of them, like the butterfly, go through a metamorphosis. Then have students draw an arrow from the butterfly to the egg to demon-strate that the life cycle will continue.



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phosis and have them research the life stages of their insect on the internet or in nonfiction books. Examples of such insects include ant, bee, beetle, firefly, housefly, ladybug, mosquito, moth, praying mantis, and wasp. Have students use the student page to draw the different stages of that insect’s life cycle, then have them share what they learned about their insect with the class.

evaluateThe Very Hungry Caterpillar Retelling bookIntroduce the author and illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Read the book aloud to stu-dents. After reading, ask

? Is this book fiction or nonfiction? (fiction) How do you know? (The caterpillar eats food that caterpillars don’t really eat, and so on)

Rereading and Determining Importance

Connecting to the Common Core Reading: Literaturecraft and structure: K.5, 1.5

Tell students that you are going to read the book again, but this time you would like to point out everything in the book that is not factual based on the things they have observed and read about caterpillars and butterflies. If they see a picture or hear something in the book they think is incorrect, they should raise their hands and explain their reasoning. Responses might include

• Caterpillars would not eat the foods in the book like ice cream, salami, cake, and so on.

• Butterfly caterpillars make a chrysalis, not a cocoon.

• Butterflies must let their wings dry before flying. • Butterflies push out of the chrysalis. They

don’t nibble.Many children have asked Eric Carle why the

butterfly in The Very Hungry Caterpillar comes from a cocoon and not a chrysalis—so many, in fact, that it appears in the “Frequently Asked Questions” page on his website. This is the answer he gives:

Here’s the scientific explanation: In most cases a butterfly does come from a chrysalis, but not all. There’s a rare genus called Parnassian, that pupates in a cocoon. These butterflies live in the Pacific Northwest, in Siberia, and as far away as North Korea and the northern islands of Japan.

And here’s my unscientific explanation: My caterpillar is very unusual. As you know cater-pillars don’t eat lollipops and ice cream, so you won’t find my caterpillar in any field guides. But also, when I was a small boy, my father would say, “Eric, come out of your cocoon.” He meant I should open up and be receptive to the world around me. For me, it would not sound right to say, “Come out of your chrysalis.” And so poetry won over science!

Eric Carle, www.eric-carle.com/q-cocoon.html

Tell students that Eric Carle did not write The Very Hungry Caterpillar as a science book, so it’s okay if it is not scientifically accurate, or true. Anything can happen in fiction; a caterpillar can even eat ice cream and salami! But tell students they are going to get a chance to create a version of the story so that it is scientifically accurate. Pass out The Very Hungry Caterpillar Retelling Book. As you read it aloud, have the students illustrate the story and label the correct stages of the butterfly’s life cycle. When students are finished, they should cut out each page separately and staple the pages together in order.



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WebsitesThe Children’s Butterfly Site

www.kidsbutterfly.org

National Geographic video “Butter fly : A Life” Watch the transformation of a monarch butterfly from egg to larva to pupa to adult in two minutes.http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/nation-al-geographic-channel/all-videos/av-8520-8756/ngc-butterfly-a-life

More books to ReadAllen, J. 2003. Are you a butterfly? New York: Kingfisher.

Summary: Simple text and soft illustrations help the readers imagine themselves as butterflies experiencing metamorphosis.

Bunting, E. 1999. Butterfly house. New York: Scholastic Press.Summary: A young girl saves a caterpillar from a hungry jay and creates a home for it. She raises the caterpillar until it becomes a painted lady butterfly. The girl releases the butterfly, but as she grows older, painted ladies continue to flock to her garden.

Kalman, B. 2006. The life cycle of a butterfly. New York: Crabtree.Summary: This scientific text clearly explains the stages of a butterfly’s life cycle. Attractive photographs and clear illustrations enhance the fact-filled book.

Pashley, H., and L. Adams. 2010. Look, ask and learn about butterflies. New York: Little Science Books. Summary: This encourages the reader to observe and ask questions about butterflies. Stunning, up-close photos show various butterflies at different stages in their life cycles.

Ryder, J. 1996. Where butterflies grow. New York: Puffin.Summary: Strong imagery helps the readers connect to the story and experience life as a growing black swallowtail butterfly. The author includes suggestions for creating your own but-terfly garden.

Slade, S. 2008. From caterpillar to butterfly: Following the life cycle. Minneapolis, MN: Picture Window Books.

Summary: Bright illustrations and informative text describe the life cycle of the monarch butterfly.

Our A

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inquiry PlaceHave students brainstorm questions about animal life cycles. Examples of such questions include

? How does the moth life cycle compare with the butterfly life cycle? Observe it or research it! (Note: Life cycle kits for saturniid and hornworm moths are available from www.caro-lina.com.)

? How does the mealworm life cycle compare with the butterfly life cycle? Observe it or research it! (Note: Mealworms are available at pet stores and bait shops.)

? What kinds of cocoons do different moths make? Research it!

? Which insects go through an incomplete metamorphosis? Research it!

? What are the stages of an amphibian’s life cycle? Research it!

Then have students select a question to investigate or research as a class, or have groups of students vote on the question they want to investigate or research as a team. Students can present their findings at a poster session or gallery walk.



Our A

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Observation #1

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Observation #4

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Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, K–5 217O

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Chapter

Butterfly Life Cycle Cards

Egg Caterpillar (Larva) Chrysalis (Pupa) Butterfly

15








Chapter

Butterflies Aren't the Only Ones

Name:

Directions: Draw the stages of the life cycle of an insect other than a butterfly. Be sure to draw arrows from one stage to the next.

Life Cycle of a

Egg

Adult Larva

Pupa

15



Chapter

Name:

By Eric CarleRetold by

The Very Hungry CaterpillarRetelling book

In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf.

One warm day—pop!—a tiny and very hungry caterpillar ate its way out of the egg.

He started to look for some food.

15



Chapter

The Very Hungry CaterpillarRetelling book

Now he wasn’t hungry any more—and he wasn’t a little caterpillar any more. He was a big fat caterpillar.

He made a covering, called a chrysalis, around himself. He stayed inside for several days. Then he pushed his way out and…

he was a beautiful butterfly!

For many days, the caterpillar ate through nice green leaves, and after that he felt much better.

Name:15



IndexPage numbers printed in boldface type indicate tables or illustrations.

AA Framework for K–12 Science

Education, ix, x, 3, 35–37connecting lessons to, 35–37,

38–39 (See also specific lessons)

dimension 1: scientific and engineering practices, 20, 20, 35–36

dimension 2: crosscutting concepts, 36

dimension 3: disciplinary core ideas, 36–37

goal of, 35inquiry and, 20, 21

Abell, 31Aliki, 1, 223Allen, J., 9–10Allergies, 54, 144, 161, 163, 174“Amazing Caterpillars” lesson, xi,

xvi, 3, 4, 203–221background for, 205–206BSCS 5E Instructional Model

for, 30, 206–211elaborate, 210–211engage, 206–207evaluate, 211explain, 208–210, 209, 210explore, 207, 207–208

connecting to A Framework for K–12 Science Education, 36, 39, 203, 205

connecting to the Common Core, 207, 208, 211

description of, 203Inquiry Place for, 212materials for, 204objectives of, 203pasta life cycle diagram for,

209, 209–210picture books for, 203, 203safety precautions for, 209student pages for, 204, 213–221

Butterflies Aren’t the Only Ones, 219

Butterfly Life Cycle Cards, 218

Our Amazing Caterpillars Journal, 213–217

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Retelling Book, 220–221

time needed for, 204Anderson, Jackie, xvAnsberry, Karen, xvii, xixAnticipation guides, 14

for “Sounds All Around” lesson, 128, 130–131, 132

Aprons, 54Assessments, x, 31

for “Sunsets and Shadows” lesson, 270, 276–277

Authors, information about, xvii

BBarretta, Gene, 280Beaks!, xxi, 173, 173, 174, 179,

179–180Bee stings, 144, 163Beginning Reading and Writing, 2Bethel, Ellie, 243Biological Sciences Curriculum

Study (BSCS) 5E Instructional Model, ix, x, 4, 29–34

constructivist basis of, 29as a cycle of learning, 31, 31phases of, ix, 29–31 (See also

specific lessons)elaborate, 30, 30engage, 29, 29evaluate, 31, 31explain, 30, 30explore, 30, 30using picture books in, 34

reading comprehension strategies embedded in, 12

what the student does in, 31,

33, 34what the teacher does in, 31,

32, 34Breathing/choking hazards, 66Breuer, Missy, xvBreuer, Tim, xvBuild It: Invent New Structures and

Contraptions, xxi, 280, 280, 283, 287

Burn injuries, 269

CCaptain Kidd’s Crew Experiments

With Sinking and Floating, xxi, 65, 65, 66, 69

Card sequencing, for “Fossils Tell of Long Ago” lesson, 227, 227–228

Card sorts, 14, 14for “Amazing Caterpillars”

lesson, 208–209for “Do You Know Which Ones

Will Grow?” lesson, 143for “Unbeatable Beaks” lesson,

180Carle, Eric, 1, 3, 4, 203, 211, 219Charlotte’s Web, 1Checkpoint labs, x, 25

for “The Wind Blew” lesson, 25, 36, 83–84, 84, 89–99

tips for management of, 25–26Children’s Book Council (CBC), 4Choking hazards, 66Chrysanthemum, 55Cleary, Beverly, 1Close reading, 14–15, 15

for “Harnessing the Wind” lesson, 111–112, 117–120, 122–123

Closed sort, 14for “Amazing Caterpillars”

lesson, 208–209for “Do You Know Which Ones

Will Grow?” lesson, 143



Cobb, Vicki, 77, 81Collard, Sneed B., III, 173Come On, Rain!, xxi, 2, 253, 253,

254, 255, 257Common Core State Standards

for English Language Arts and Literacy, ix, x, 9, 10, 37

connecting lessons to, 37 (See also specific lessons)sample Common Core box,

37Language Standards K–5,

49–52Reading Standards for

Informational Text K–5, 42–43

Reading Standards for Literature K–5, 40–41

Speaking and Listening Standards K–5, 47–48

Writing Standards K–5, 44–46Common Core State Standards

Initiative, 35Constructivist view of learning, 29Contributors, information about,

xv–xviCritical-thinking skills, xCrosscutting concepts, 36Curiosity of students, x, 21, 29, 32,

34Curious George, 1

DDavie, Helen K., 187Davies, Nicola, 187, 190Davis, Katie, xvDay, Allyson, xvDe Sève, Randall, 65, 68DeBord, Jenny, xvDetermining importance, 13

for “Amazing Caterpillars” lesson, 208, 211

for “Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?” lesson, 144–145

for “Ducks Don’t Get Wet” lesson, 192–193

for “Problem Solvers” lesson, 282

for “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!” lesson, 246–247

for “Seeds on the Move” lesson, 162

for “Unbeatable Beaks” lesson, 179

for “What Will the Weather Be?” lesson, 256–257

DeWitt, Lynda, 253Digging Up Dinosaurs, 1Disciplinary core ideas, 36–37Do You Know Which Ones Will

Grow?, xxi, 29, 141, 141, 142, 143

“Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?” lesson, xv, xvi, 141–158

background for, 142–143BSCS 5E Instructional Model

for, 29, 31, 143–147elaborate, 145–146, 146engage, 143evaluate, 146–147, 147explain, 144–145explore, 143–144, 144

connecting to A Framework for K–12 Science Education, 38, 141, 143

connecting to the Common Core, 143, 144, 145, 146

description of, 141Inquiry Place for, 147materials for, 142objectives of, 141picture books for, 141, 141safety precautions for, 144, 146student pages for, 142, 149–158

Is It Alive? Lift-the-Flap Booklet, 157–158

Looking for Living and Nonliving Things, 156

Picture Cards, 149–153Things That Grow, 154–155

time needed for, 142Doerflein, Jenny, xvDonovan, C., 4Dr. Seuss books, 1Dual-purpose books, 5Ducks Don’t Get Wet, xxi, 187, 187,

188, 192

“Ducks Don’t Get Wet” lesson, xv, 5, 187–201


for, 30, 31, 190–194elaborate, 191, 191–192,

192, 193–194, 194engage, 190evaluate, 194explain, 191, 192–193explore, 190



description of, 187Inquiry Place for, 195materials for, 188objectives of, 187picture books for, 187, 187safety precautions for, 191, 193student pages for, 188, 196–

201My Duck Journal, 196–199Oil and Water, 200–201

time needed for, 188Duke, N. K., 6, 12Dynamo Torch, ix, 104, 106–111,

109

EEads, Karen, xvEarth 911 website, 244, 247, 248Eating in the lab, 54, 126, 177Electrical hazards, 269Engineering practices, 20, 20,

35–36Environmental Protection Agency,

244Environmental toxins, 144, 161, 163Enz, Tammy, 280, 287Eshman, Maria, xviEven More Picture-Perfect Science

Lessons, ix–xassessments in, x, 31book selection for, 3–4BSCS 5E Instructional Model

for, ix, x



ClassPacks of, 4components of, xconnecting to standards, ix, x,

3, 35–37Common Core Standards

for English Language Arts and Literacy, 40–52

A Framework for K–12 Science Education, 38–39

finding books for, 4grade band list for, xxireading comprehension

strategies in, ix, xresearch basis for, 2–3special features of, xuse with upper elementary

students, 3use within science curriculum,

ix–xEwart, Claire, 223, 229Eye protection, 54, 66, 144, 163

FField trips, 144, 1635E model of instruction. See

Biological Sciences Curriculum Study 5E Instructional Model

Fletcher, Ralph, 263Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move,

xxi, 159, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163

“Float Your Boat” lesson, xv, xvi, 19, 65–75

background for, 67BSCS 5E Instructional Model

for, 34, 67–71elaborate, 70–71engage, 67–68evaluate, 71explain, 68–70, 70explore, 68, 68



description of, 65Inquiry Place for, 71materials for, 66

objectives of, 65picture books for, 65, 65safety precautions for, 66student pages for, 66, 72–75

Float Your Boat, 72–73Letter to Captain Kidd, 75A Ship for Captain Kidd, 74

time needed for, 66Fossil, xxi, 5, 223, 223, 224, 226Fossil kits, 224Fossils Tell of Long Ago, xxi, 223,

223, 224, 227“Fossils Tell of Long Ago” lesson, xv,

5, 223–242background for, 225BSCS 5E Instructional Model

for, 225–229elaborate, 228–229engage, 225–226evaluate, 229explain, 227–228, 228explore, 226, 226–227, 227


connecting to the Common Core, 226, 227

description of, 223Fossil Game for, 228–229Inquiry Place for, 230materials for, 224objectives of, 223picture books for, 223, 223student pages for, 224, 231–242

Fossil Formation Cards, 231The Fossil Game Board, 236The Fossil Game Data Table,

237How to Make a Fossil

Fortune Teller, 232–235I Found a Fossil Journal,

238–241I Found a Fossil Scoring

Rubric, 242time needed for, 224

Franklin, Benjamin, 36, 279, 281, 282–283

“Freezing and Melting” lesson, xv, xvi, 4, 53–63


for, 55–59elaborate, 58, 58–59engage, 55evaluate, 59explain, 56–58, 58explore, 56, 56



description of, 53Inquiry Place for, 60making ice cream for, 59materials for, 54objectives of, 53picture books for, 53, 53safety precautions for, 54student pages for, 55, 61–63

The Day We Made Ice Cream, 62–63

Popsicle Soup, 61time needed for, 54

Frog and Toad Are Friends, 1From Caterpillar to Butterfly, xxi,

203, 203, 204, 208, 210Fungicides, 144, 163

GGall, Kathy, xviGallery walk, 26, 27Gallite, Michelle, xviGloves, 54Goudvis, A., 3, 9, 12, 16Grade band list for lessons, xxi

HHaines, Lisa, xviHand washing, 54, 144, 163, 193Hansen, Amy S., 103“Harnessing the Wind” lesson, ix, 5,

14, 103–123background for, 105–107, 106BSCS 5E Instructional Model

for, 108–115elaborate, 113–114engage, 108



evaluate, 114, 114–115explain, 111–113, 112explore, 108–110, 108–111


connecting to the Common Core, 108, 111, 112, 113, 115

description of, 103Dynamo Torch for, ix, 104,

106–111, 109energy resources posters for,

114, 114–115Inquiry Place for, 115materials for, 104objectives of, 103picture books for, 103, 103safety precautions for, 109student pages for, 105, 117–123

Energy Gets Things Done! Close Reading, 117–120

Energy Gets Things Done! Close Reading: Teacher Page, 122–123

Energy Resource Poster Scoring Rubric, 121

time needed for, 104Harp, Faye, xviHarvey, S., 3, 9, 12, 16Heiligman, Deborah, 203Henkes, Kevin, 53, 55Herbicides, 161Hesse, Karen, 253Houdini the Amazing Caterpillar,

xxi, 203, 203, 204, 206–208How People Learn, 20Hutchins, Pat, 77Hybrid books, 5

II Face the Wind, xxi, 77, 77, 78,

81–83Inferring, 13

for “Amazing Caterpillars” lesson, 206–207

for “Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?” lesson, 143

for “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!” lesson, 248

for “Sounds All Around” lesson, 128

for “The Wind Blew” lesson, 80for “What Will the Weather

Be?” lesson, 255Inquiry and the National Science

Education Standards, 20, 21Inquiry-based science teaching, ix,

x, 19–27benefits of, 20–21checkpoint labs in guided

inquiry, 25tips for management of,

25–26coupled, 25definition of, 19developing good questions for,

21–22essential features of, 19, 19–20

variations in, 23–25, 24A Framework for K–12 Science

Education and, 20, 20guided, 24, 25open, 24, 25perceptions of, 19question sort for, 22, 22–23, 23role of teacher in, 23structured, x, 25use of Inquiry Place box in,

26–27, 36think sheet for, 28

Inquiry Place, x, 26–27, 36. See also specific lessons

think sheet for, 28Insect stings, 144, 163

JJulius, the Baby of the World, 55Just Ducks!, xxi, 5, 187, 187, 188,

191

KKamkwamba, William, ix, 105–106Korman, Susan, 53

LLanguage Standards K–5, 49–52

Lawrence, Mary, 125, 128Learning

constructivist theory of, 29inquiry-based, 19–27

Learning cycle, ix, x, 29–34. See also Biological Sciences Curriculum Study 5E Instructional Model

L’Engle, M., 12Lift-the-flap booklets

for “Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?” lesson, 146–147, 147, 157–158

for “Seeds on the Move” lesson, 164, 168–171

Livingston, Sue, xiii, xvii, xixLobel, Arnold, 1

MMacken, JoAnn Early, 159Making connections, 13

for “Amazing Caterpillars” lesson, 206, 208

for “Ducks Don’t Get Wet” lesson, 190

for “Fossils Tell of Long Ago” lesson, 226, 227

for “Problem Solvers” lesson, 283

for “Sunsets and Shadows” lesson, 265–266

for “The Wind Blew” lesson, 80for “Unbeatable Beaks” lesson,

176, 180for “What Will the Weather

Be?” lesson, 255–256, 257Mayer, D. A., 2McCalla, Aubrey, xviMichael Recycle, xxi, 243, 243, 244,

248Miller, D., 12Misconceptions, scientific, xi, 3, 4Morgan, Emily, xvii, xix, 263Morrow, L. M., 2

NNarrative information books, 5National Energy Education

Development (NEED) Project, 115



National Research Council, 19, 35National Science Education

Standards, 20National Science Teachers

Association (NSTA), 4National Weather Service, 257–258Next Time You See a Sunset, xxi, 263,

263, 264, 267–268Non-narrative information books, 5Nonfiction books, 1, 2, 5

pairing with fiction books, 6using features of, 16, 16

for “Harnessing the Wind” lesson, 112

using in BSCS 5E Instructional Model, 34

Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin, xxi, 280, 280, 282

Nut allergies, 174

OOne Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue

Fish, 1Open sort, 14

for “Amazing Caterpillars” lesson, 208


Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12, 4

Owen, 55

PPallotta, Jerry, 159Pedersen, Janet, 203Personal protective equipment

(PPE), 54, 66Pesticides, 144, 161, 163Pfeffer, Wendy, 125Phillips-Birdsong, Colleen, xviPicture books, xi, xix, 1–6

appeal to children, 1–2enhancement of reading

comprehension by, 2, 16genre of, 4–5

dual-purpose books, 5narrative information books,

5

non-narrative information books, 5

storybooks, 4–5for lessons by grade, xxiout-of-print, 4pairing fiction and nonfiction

books, 6research support for use of, 2–3resources for, 4scientific misconceptions in, xi,

3, 4, 5selection of, 3–4 (See also

specific lessons)unique characteristics of, 2using in BSCS 5E Instructional

Model, 34Picture-Perfect Science program, xixPicture sort, for “Do You Know

Which Ones Will Grow?” lesson, 143

Pinch hazards, 177Poisonous plants, 144, 163Poster sessions, x, 26–27, 31

for “Harnessing the Wind” lesson, 114, 114–115scoring rubric for, 115, 121

for “The Wind Blew” lesson, 84–85, 100

Pressley, M., 2“Problem Solvers” lesson, xv,

279–293background for, 281BSCS 5E Instructional Model

for, 282–285elaborate, 284–285engage, 282, 282evaluate, 285explain, 283–284explore, 282, 282–283



description of, 279Inquiry Place for, 286materials for, 280–281objectives of, 279picture books for, 280, 280

student pages for, 281, 287–Designing Solutions,

289–291The Pitch, 292Problem Cards, 287–288

time needed for, 280

QQuestion sort, 22, 22–23, 23Questioning, x, 13

developing good questions, 21–22


for “Float Your Boat” lesson, 69for “Fossils Tell of Long Ago”

lesson, 226, 227for “Harnessing the Wind”

lesson, 112–113for “Problem Solvers” lesson,

283–284for “Seeds on the Move” lesson,

162for “Sunsets and Shadows”

lesson, 265, 268

RRamona the Pest, 1Reading aloud, ix, x, 9, 9–12

encouraging interaction during, 11

with expression, 11giving information about

authors and illustrators before, 10

having fun with, 12keeping books accessible after,

11–12keeping the flow during, 11modeling reading strategies

during, 11previewing book before, 10rationale for, 9–10setting the stage for, 10sharing pictures during, 11tips for, 10–12

Reading comprehension strategies, ix, x, 6, 12–16



determining importance, 13enhancement by picture books,

2, 16explicit teaching of, 12inferring, 13making connections, 13modeling of, 12questioning, 13synthesizing, 13tools for enhancement of,

13–15anticipation guides, 14card sorts, 14, 14close reading, 14–15, 15rereading, 15sketch to stretch, 15stop and try it, 15, 15–16turn and talk, 16using features of nonfiction,

16, 16visualizing, 13

Reading skills, 2, 9Reading Standards for Informational

Text K–5, 42–43Reading Standards for Literature

K–5, 40–41Reading With Meaning: Teaching

Comprehension in the Primary Grades, 12

“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!” lesson, xv, 243–252


for, 245–248elaborate, 247–248engage, 245evaluate, 248explain, 246, 246–247, 247explore, 245, 245–246



description of, 243Inquiry Place for, 249materials for, 244objectives of, 243picture books for, 243, 243

safety precautions for, 245student pages for, 244, 250–

252My Three Rs Superhero

Pledge, 252The Three R’s Plus One, 250Write a Letter, 251

time needed for, 244Rereading, 15


for “Fossils Tell of Long Ago” lesson, 229

for “Unbeatable Beaks” lesson, 176

Researchable questions, 22, 23Rey, H. A., 1Roca, Nuria, 243Romance, N. R., 2

SSafety precautions


for “Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?” lesson, 144, 146

for “Ducks Don’t Get Wet” lesson, 191, 193

for “Float Your Boat” lesson, 66for “Freezing and Melting”

lesson, 54for “Harnessing the Wind”

lesson, 109for “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!”

lesson, 245for “Seeds on the Move” lesson,

161, 163for “Sounds All Around” lesson,


lesson, 265, 269for “The Wind Blew” lesson,

80, 82, 83for “Unbeatable Beaks” lesson,

174, 177for “What Will the Weather

Be?” lesson, 256Sanitizing equipment, 126

Science and Children, 4Science skills, 2, 20Science textbooks, 1, 2Scientific and engineering practices,

20, 20, 35–36Scientific habits of mind, 21Seamless Assessment in Science, 31“Seeds on the Move” lesson, xvi,

159–171background for, 160–161BSCS 5E Instructional Model

for, 161–164elaborate, 162–163, 164engage, 161evaluate, 164explain, 162explore, 161, 161–162



description of, 159Inquiry Place for, 165materials for, 160objectives of, 159picture books for, 159, 159safety precautions for, 161, 163Sock Walk for, 163, 164student pages for, 160, 166–

171Seed Cards, 166Seeds on the Move Lift-the-

Flap Booklet, 168–171What’s on My Sock?, 167

time needed for, 160Sendak, Maurice, 1Sharp objects, 66, 146, 245, 256Shea, Susan A., 141Silverstein, Shel, 1Simon, Seymour, 1Sketch to stretch, 15

for “What Will the Weather Be?” lesson, 255

Slip/fall hazards, 66, 126, 191, 193, 269

Smith, J. K., 2Smith, M., 2Smolkin, L., 4



Sounds All Around, xxi, 34, 125, 125, 126, 130

“Sounds All Around” lesson, xvi, 125–139


for, 30, 34, 128–131elaborate and evaluate, 131engage, 128evaluate, 130–131explain, 129–130, 130explore, 129, 129



description of, 125Inquiry Place for, 131materials for, 126–127objectives of, 125picture books for, 125, 125safety precautions for, 126student pages for, 127, 132–139

Sound Anticipation Guide, 132

Sound Stations, 133–137time needed for, 126

Speaking and Listening Standards K–5, 47–48

Spills, wiping up, 66, 126, 191, 193Stone, Jon, 1Stop and try it, 15, 15–16

for “Float Your Boat” lesson, 69–70

for “Sounds All Around” lesson, 130

for “The Wind Blew” lesson, 81–83

Storybooks, 4–5pairing with nonfiction books,

6using in BSCS 5E Instructional

Model, 34Strategies That Work, x, 3, 12, 14Sun safety precautions, 144, 163,

265, 272, 273“Sunsets and Shadows” lesson, xvi,

263–277


for, 265–270elaborate, 269, 269–270engage, 265, 265–266evaluate, 270explain, 267–268explore, 266–267, 267



description of, 263Inquiry Place for, 271materials for, 264modeling Earth’s rotation for,

269, 269–270objectives of, 263picture books for, 263, 263safety precautions for, 265, 269student pages for, 264

Changing Shadows, 274–275

Letter to Parent, 272Sunrise/Sunset Take-Home

Page, 272–273Sunsets and Shadows

Assessment, 276–277time needed for, 264

Swinburne, Stephen R., 173, 176Synthesizing, 13

for “Ducks Don’t Get Wet” lesson, 194


TT-charts

for “Ducks Don’t Get Wet” lesson, 193, 197, 198

for “Freezing and Melting” lesson, 57

for “Harnessing the Wind” lesson, 111

Testable questions, 22–23, 23, 25, 26

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, ix, xxi, 103, 103, 104, 106, 108

The Monster at the End of This Book, 1

The Moon, 1The Three R’s: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle,

xxi, 243, 243, 244, 246The Very Hungry Caterpillar, xxi, 1,

3, 4, 203, 203, 204, 211, 219retelling book, 211, 220–221

The Wind Blew, xvi, 77, 77, 78, 80, 81

“The Wind Blew” lesson, xvi, 15, 77–101


for, 80–85elaborate, 83–84, 84engage, 80evaluate, 84–85explain, 81–83, 82explore, 80, 80–81

checkpoint lab for, 25, 36, 83–84, 84, 89–99



description of, 77Inquiry Place for, 36, 86materials for, 78–79objectives of, 77picture books for, 77poster session for, 84–85, 100safety precautions for, 80, 82,

83student pages for, 79, 87–101

Poster Session, 100Sail Cutouts, 101The Wind Blew Team

checkpoint lab, 89–99The Wind Blew Team Task

Cards, 88Wind Challenges, 87

time needed for, 78Toy Boat, xxi, 65, 65, 66, 67–68Turn and talk, 11, 16




for “Problem Solvers” lesson, 282, 283–284


for “The Wind Blew” lesson, 80for “What Will the Weather

Be?” lesson, 255Twilight Comes Twice, xxi, 263, 263,

264, 265

UUnbeatable Beaks, xxi, 4, 173, 173,

174, 176“Unbeatable Beaks” lesson, xvi,

173–186background for, 175BSCS 5E Instructional Model

for, 175–181elaborate, 180engage, 175, 175–177evaluate, 180–181explain, 178–180, 179explore, 177, 177–178, 178



description of, 173Inquiry Place for, 181materials for, 174objectives of, 173picture books for, 173, 173safety precautions for, 174, 177student pages for, 174, 182–186

Bird Cards, 184–185The Right Beak for the Job,

186What’s the Best Beak?,

182–183time needed for, 174

VVisualizing, 13

for “What Will the Weather Be?” lesson, 255

Vitale, M. R., 2Vocabulary, 4, 5, 34Volkmann, M. J., 31

WWeakland, Mark, 65Weidner Zoehfeld, Kathleen, 141Wemberly Worried, 55Wemberly’s Ice-Cream Star, xxi, 4, 53,

53, 54, 55What Will the Weather Be?, xxi, 2,

253, 253, 254, 256–257“What Will the Weather Be?”

lesson, xv, 2, 253–262background for, 254–255BSCS 5E Instructional Model

for, 255–258elaborate, 257–258engage, 255–256evaluate, 258explain, 256–257explore, 256, 256



daily reports for, 257–258, 258description of, 253Inquiry Place for, 259materials for, 254objectives of, 253picture books for, 253, 254safety precautions for, 256student pages for, 254, 260–262

Daily Reports, 2614-3-2-1 Weather Report Skit

Rubric, 262Weather Instruments, 260

time needed for, 254weather instruments for, 256,

256placement of, 257

weather report skits for, 258scoring rubric for, 262

What’s Alive?, xxi, 141, 141, 142,

144–145What’s That Sound?, xxi, 125, 125,

126, 128Where the Sidewalk Ends, 1Where the Wild Things Are, 1White, E. B., 1Who Will Plant a Tree?, xxi, 159,

159, 160, 162Why Did My Ice Pop Melt?, xxi, 53,

53, 54, 56, 57Wind Energy: Blown Away!, xxi, 5,

103, 103, 104, 107Woodward, Katie, xviWriting activities

for “Amazing Caterpillars” lesson, 207–208

for “Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?” lesson, 146–147

for “Ducks Don’t Get Wet” lesson, 190, 194

for “Float Your Boat” lesson, 71for “Fossils Tell of Long Ago”

lesson, 229for “Freezing and Melting”

lesson, 59for “Harnessing the Wind”

lesson, 113, 115for “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!”

lesson, 247for “Sounds All Around” lesson,


lesson, 270for “The Wind Blew” lesson, 84

Writing Standards K–5, 44–46

YYellow Brick Roads: Shared and

Guided Paths to Independent Reading 4–12, 9

ZZunon, Elizabeth, 103


PB186X3ISBN: 978-1-935155-17-1Grades K–5

“The No. 1 compliment we hear from teachers is that the lessons are complete and ready to take back to their classrooms and use.” —Karen Ansberry and Emily Morgan, coauthors of the Picture-Perfect Science series

Since the debut of the Picture-Perfect Science books and workshops more than 10 years ago, authors Emily Morgan and Karen Ansberry have learned one thing for certain: Elementary school teachers are constantly clamoring for even more ways to engage children in reading and science through picture books! To meet that demand, the 15 all-new lessons in Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons bring you

• Even more convenience—cover reading and science content simultaneously and save time with ready-to-use student pages and assessments.

• Even more confidence in your own expertise—get relevant science concepts and reading comprehension strategies to keep your teaching on track.

• Even more ways to entice reading-phobic children and reluctant scientists—Make students yearn to learn science with such captivating fiction and nonfiction picture books as Houdini the Amazing Caterpillar; Captain Kidd’s Crew Experiments With Sinking and Floating; and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.

Plus: This latest edition even connects the lessons to the Framework for K–12 Science Education and the English Language Arts and Literacy common core State Standards.

Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons delivers the whole package: teacher-friendly lessons, strong standards-based science content, and a kid-magnet formula that will get your students engrossed in science while they improve their reading skills.


BY EMILY MORGAN

MO

RG

AN

Kid

sN

ext Time You See a


BY EMILY MORGAN

Arlington, VirginiaCopyright © 2014 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www.nsta.org/permissions.

TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK, please visit www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781938946356.

To my friend and mentor, Dr. Diana Hunn. Thanks for helping me grow.

Claire Reinburg, DirectorWendy Rubin, Managing EditorAndrew Cooke, Senior EditorAmanda O’Brien, Associate EditorAmy America, Book Acquisitions Coordinator

Art And design Will Thomas Jr., Director


™

nAtionAl science teAchers AssociAtion

David L. Evans, Executive DirectorDavid Beacom, Publisher



Special thanks to Cecilia Berg, director of the Center for Environmental Education at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio; Don Kaufman, director of the Hefner Museum of Natural History at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio; and Richard Konicek-Moran, Professor Emeritas at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst for reviewing this manuscript.

NSTA is committed to publishing material that promotes the best in inquiry-based science education. However, conditions of actual use may vary, and the safety procedures and practices described in this book are intended to serve only as a guide. Additional precautionary measures may be required. NSTA and the authors do not warrant or represent that the procedures and practices in this book meet any safety code or standard of federal, state, or local regulations. NSTA and the authors dis-claim any liability for personal injury or damage to property arising out of or relating to the use of this book, including any of the recommendations, instructions, or materials contained therein.


Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Morgan, Emily R. (Emily Rachel), 1973- author. Next time you see a maple seed / by Emily Morgan. pages cm. -- (Next time you see) Audience: Grades 4 to 6. ISBN 978-1-938946-35-6 (print) -- ISBN 978-1-941316-15-3 (library edition) -- ISBN 978-1-941316-92-4 (e-book) 1. Maple--Seeds--Juvenile literature. 2. Maple--Growth--Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series: Next time you see. QK495.A17M67 2014 583.78--dc23 2014027205

Cataloging-in-Publication Data are also available from the Library of Congress for the e-book.e-LCCN: 2014027773

Library binding ISBN: 978-1-941316-15-3

Lexile® measure: 1040L


A Note to Parents and Teachers

“In all things of nature there is

somethingof the marvelous.”

— Aristotle

5

he books in this series are intended to be read with

a child after he has had some experience with the

featured objects or phenomena. For example, go

outside together on a spring day and look for maple tree

samaras (which we commonly call maple seeds). Gather a

pile of them and toss them up in the air. As they fall to the

ground, watch them spin through the air like tiny helicopters.

Look around to see if you can find the tree that made them.

Drop one samara at a time and count the seconds it takes to

reach the ground. Look closely at a samara and talk about

its shape. Feel the delicate, feathery wing. Break open the

round end and discuss what you find inside.

Ask your child what he is wondering about the samaras,

and share what you wonder. Then read this book together

and discuss new learnings. You will find that new learnings

often lead to new questions. Take time to pause and share

these wonderings with each other.

The Next Time You See books are not meant to present

facts to be memorized. They are written to inspire a sense

of wonder about nature and foster a desire to learn more

about the natural world. Children are naturally fascinated

by twirling maple tree samaras, and when they learn about

what’s inside and why they spin, these whirling springtime

regulars become much more remarkable. My wish is that

after reading this book, you and your child feel a sense of

wonder the next time you see a maple seed.

—Emily Morgan


1716

Inside the round, hard part of the samara is the seed, and inside of that seed is an embryo. The embryo is the part of the maple seed that can grow into a tree. You might think of it as a baby tree. If you take a samara apart carefully, you can actually observe the tiny tree that is waiting to grow. First, pull off the wing and remove the seed. Then, carefully divide the seed in half and look closely for the tiny maple tree embryo inside.

When you look up at a mature maple tree, it is astonishing to think that tree was once a tiny embryo that fit inside a feathery, winged samara. Have you ever wondered how a small seed becomes a towering tree?


18

To begin to grow, a maple seed just needs water and a warm environment. Like most seeds, a maple seed does not need sunlight to sprout. Most seeds sprout in darkness underground. While underground, the embryo uses the material in the rest of the seed for food and grows roots to soak up water. When the leaves finally break through the surface, something truly amazing begins to happen.

19Copyright © 2014 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www.nsta.org/permissions.


PB329X6ISBN: 978-1-938946-35-6

It’s fun to toss maple seeds up in the air and watch them spin down to the ground like nature’s own helicopters. This book prompts inquisi-tive kids to learn about these marvels of aerial engineering, including their real name (no, not whirlybird), the work they do for maple trees, and how to uncover the little trees waiting to sprout from the seeds. Next Time You See a Maple Seed is a mini class in how tall trees grow from these tiny, twirling winged fruits.

n n n

Awaken a sense of wonder in a child with the Next Time You See series from NSTA Kids. The books will inspire elementary-age children to experience the enchantment of everyday phenomena, such as maple seeds, Moon phases, pill bugs, fireflies, seashells, and sunsets. Free supplementary activities are available on the NSTA website.

Next Time You See a

Grades K–6Lexile® measure: 1040L

MO

RG

AN

Next Tim

e You See a


Uncovering Student Ideas in Primary Science, Vol. 1 25 N

EW Form

ative Assessment Probes for Grades K–2

Keeley

GRADeS K–2

PB335x1ISBN 978-1-936959-51-8

What ideas do young children bring to their science learning, and how does their

thinking change as they engage in “science talk”? Find out using the 25 field-tested probes

in the newest volume of Page Keeley’s bestselling Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series, the first targeted

to grades K–2. This teacher-friendly book is

Probes for Grades K–2

• Tailored to your needs. The content is geared specifically toward the primary grades, with an emphasis on simple vocabulary as well as drawing and speaking (instead of writing). The format of the student pages uses minimal text and includes visual representations of familiar objects, phenomena, or ideas.

• Focused on making your lessons more effective. The assessment probes engage youngsters and encourage “science talk” while letting you identify students’ preconceptions before beginning a lesson or monitor their progress as they develop new scientific explanations.

• Applicable to a range of science concepts. This volume offers eight life science probes, eleven physical science probes, and six Earth and space science probes that target K–2 disciplinary core ideas.

• Ready to use. The book provides grade-appropriate reproducible pages for your students and detailed teacher notes for you, including clear and concise explanations, relevant research, suggestions for instruction, and connections to national standards.

Uncovering Student Ideas in Primary Science is an invaluable resource for classroom and preservice teachers and professional development providers. This book’s age-appropriate probes will help you teach more effectively by starting with students’ ideas and adapting instruction to support conceptual change.


Claire Reinburg, DirectorJennifer Horak, Managing EditorAndrew Cooke, Senior EditorAmanda O’Brien, Associate EditorWendy Rubin, Associate EditorAmy America, Book Acquisitions Coordinator

Art And design Will Thomas Jr., Director Cover, Inside Design, and Illustrations by Linda Olliver

Printing And Production Catherine Lorrain, DirectorNguyet Tran, Assistant Production Manager





NSTA is committed to publishing material that promotes the best in inquiry-based science education. However, conditions of actual use may vary, and the safety procedures and practices described in this book are intended to serve only as a guide. Additional precautionary measures may be required. NSTA and the authors do not warrant or represent that the procedures and practices in this book meet any safety code or standard of federal, state, or local regulations. NSTA and the authors disclaim any liability for personal injury or damage to property arising out of or relating to the use of this book, including any of the recommendations, instructions, or materials contained therein.


Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Keeley, Page. Uncovering student ideas in primary science / by Page Keeley. volumes ; cm. — (Uncovering student ideas in science series ; 8-) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-936959-51-8 -- ISBN 978-1-938946-87-5 (e-book) 1. Science--Study and teaching (Early childhood) 2. Educational evaluation. 3. Early childhood education—Aims and objectives. I. Title. LB1139.5.S35K44 2013 372.35’044—dc23 2013020706

Cataloging-in-Publication Data are also available from the Library of Congress for the e-book.


Contents

Preface ............................................................................................................................... ix

Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................xix

About the Author ..........................................................................................................xxi

Introduction ................................................................................................................. xxiii

Section 1. Life Science Concept Matrix .........................................................................................................2

1 Is It Living? ................................................................................................................3

2 Is It an Animal? .........................................................................................................9

3 Is It a Plant? ............................................................................................................15

4 Is It Made of Parts? ................................................................................................21

5 Seeds in a Bag ........................................................................................................25

6 Do They Need Air? ...................................................................................................31

7 Senses ......................................................................................................................35

8 Big and Small Seeds ..............................................................................................39

Section 2. Physical Science Concept Matrix ...................................................................................................... 44

9 Sink or Float? ..........................................................................................................45

10 Watermelon and Grape ..........................................................................................49

11 Is It Matter? ............................................................................................................53

12 Snap Blocks .............................................................................................................59

13 Back and Forth .......................................................................................................63

14 When Is There Friction? .........................................................................................67

15 Marble Roll ..............................................................................................................71

16 Do the Waves Move the Boat? ..............................................................................75

17 Shadow Size ............................................................................................................79

18 Rubber Band Box ....................................................................................................83

19 Big and Small Magnets .........................................................................................87


Section 3. Earth and Space Science Concept Matrix .......................................................................................................92

20 What Makes up a Mountain? ................................................................................93

21 Describing Soil ........................................................................................................97

22 Is a Brick a Rock? .................................................................................................101

23 When Is My Shadow the Longest? .....................................................................105

24 What Lights up the Moon? ..................................................................................109

25 When Is the Next Full Moon? ..............................................................................113

Index ..................................................................................................................................117


DedicationThis book is dedicated to Emma Elizabeth

Keeley, Lincoln Wright DeKoster, Court Wilson Brown, Jack Anthony Morgan, Cadence Jane

Friend-Gray, and Emeline Leslie Friend-Gray. May you all grow up to have wonderful ideas!


ixU n c o v e r i n g S t u d e n t I d e a s i n P r i m a r y S c i e n c e

PrefaceThis is the eighth book in the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series, and the f irst one that exclusively targets young children’s ideas. Like its predecessors, this book provides a col-lection of formative assessment probes designed to uncover the ideas students bring to their sci-ence learning. Each probe is carefully researched to elicit commonly held ideas young children have about phenomena or scientific concepts. A best answer is provided along with distractors designed to reveal research-identified miscon-ceptions held by young children.

A major difference between this book and others in the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series lies in the format of the student pages. The probes in this book use minimal text so that they can be used with children who are just developing their reading and writ-ing skills. Each probe provides a visual repre-sentation of the elicited idea using familiar phenomena, objects, and organisms or set in situations that can be duplicated in the class-room. For example, “Is It Living?” elicits stu-dents’ ideas about living and nonliving things using pictures of familiar objects and organ-isms. “Big and Small Magnets” uses a concept cartoon format to elicit children’s ideas about magnetism, which can then be tested in the classroom using magnets of different sizes. The visuals are designed to capture children’s inter-est and stimulate their thinking. Each probe ends by asking, “What are you thinking?” to draw out students’ reasons for their answer choices and encourage “science talk.”

Other Uncovering Student Ideas Books That Include K–2 ProbesWhile this book is specifically designed for K–2 students, other books in the series include

K–12 probes that can be used or modified for the primary grades. The following is a description of each of the other books in the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series and selected probes that can be used as is or modi-fied for the primary grades:

Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 1 (Keeley, Eberle, and Farrin 2005)The first book in the series contains 25 forma-tive assessment probes in life, physical, and Earth and space science. The introductory chapter provides an overview of what forma-tive assessment is and how it is used. Probes from this book that can be used in grades K–2 include:

• “Making Sound”• “Cookie Crumbles”• “Is It Matter?” (This probe has been modi-

fied for this book.)• “Is It an Animal?” (This probe has been

modified for this book.)• “Is It Living?” (This probe has been modi-

fied for this book.)• “Wet Jeans”

Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 2 (Keeley, Eberle, and Tugel 2007)The second book in the series contains 25 more formative assessment probes in life, physical, and Earth and space science. The introduc-tory chapter of this book describes the link between formative assessment and instruc-tion. Probes from this book that can be used in grades K–2 include:


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• “Is It a Plant?” (This probe has been modi-fied for this book.)

• “Needs of Seeds”• “Is It a Rock?” (version 1)• “Is It a Rock?” (version 2)• “Objects in the Sky”

Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 3 (Keeley, Eberle, and Dorsey 2008)The third book in the series contains 22 for-mative assessment probes in life, physical, and Earth and space science, as well as 3 probes about the nature of science. The introduc-tory chapter describes ways to use the probes and student work for professional learning. Probes from this book that can be used in grades K–2 include:

• “Is It a Solid?”• “Does It Have a Life Cycle?”• “Me and My Shadow”

Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 4 (Keeley and Tugel 2009)The fourth book in the series contains 23 for-mative assessment probes in life, physical, and Earth and space science, as well as 2 probes that target the crosscutting concepts of models and systems. The introductory chapter describes the link between formative and summative assess-ment. Probes from this book that can be used with grades K–2 include:

• “Magnets in Water”• “Moonlight”

Uncovering Student Ideas in Physical Science, Volume 1 (Keeley and Harrington 2010)The fifth book in the series, and the first in a planned four-book series of physical science probes, contains 45 force and motion formative assessment probes. The introductory chapter

describes why students struggle with force and motion ideas and the implications for instruc-tion. Probes from this book that can be used in grades K–2 include:

• “How Far Did It Go?”• “Rolling Marbles”• “Talking About Forces”• “Does It Have to Touch?”• “Balance Beam”

Uncovering Student Ideas in Life Science, Volume 1 (Keeley 2011)The sixth book in the series, and the first in a planned three-book series of life science probes, contains 25 life science formative assessment probes. The introductory chapter describes how formative assessment probes are used in a life science context. Probes from this book that can be used in grades K–2 include:

• “Cucumber Seeds”• “No Animals Allowed”• “Pumpkin Seeds”• “Rocky Soil”• “No More Plants”• “Chrysalis”

Uncovering Student Ideas in Astronomy (Keeley and Sneider 2011)The seventh book in the series contains 45 formative assessment probes for astronomy. The introductory chapter describes how forma-tive assessment probes are used to understand students’ mental models in astronomy. Probes from this book that can be used in grades K–2 include:

• “Where Do People Live?”• “Sunrise to Sunset”• “Seeing the Moon”• “Sizing up the Moon”• “Crescent Moon”


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Features of This BookThis book contains 25 probes for the K–2 grade range organized in three sections: Section 1, Life Science (8 probes); Section 2, Physical Science (11 probes); and Section 3, Earth and Space Science (6 probes). The format is similar to the other seven volumes, with a few changes due to the focus on the primary grades. For example, the introduction focuses on young children’s ideas in science and the use of “sci-ence talk.” What follows are descriptions of the features of the Teacher Notes pages that accompany each probe in this book.

PurposeThis section describes the purpose of the probe—what you will find out about your stu-dents’ ideas when you use the probe. It begins with the overall concept elicited by the probe, followed by the specific idea the probe targets. Before choosing a probe, it is important to be clear about what the probe is designed to reveal. Taking time to read the purpose will help you decide if the probe fits your intended learning target.

Related ConceptsEach probe is designed to target one or more concepts that are appropriate for grades K–2 students. A concept is a one-, two-, or three-word mental construct used to organize the related ideas addressed by the probe and the related national standards. These concepts are also included on the matrix charts that precede the probes on pages 2, 44, and 92.

ExplanationA brief scientific explanation accompanies each probe and provides clarification of the scientific content that underlies the probe. The explanations are designed to help the teacher understand what the “best” or most scientifi-cally acceptable answers are, as well as clarify any misunderstandings about the content.

The explanations are not intended to provide detailed background knowledge about the con-tent or designed to be shared with the student. The explanation is for the teacher. In writing these explanations, the author is careful not to make them too technical, as many primary-grade teachers have a limited content back-ground in science. At the same time, the author takes great care not to oversimplify the science. The intent is to provide the information a sci-ence novice would need to understand the con-tent related to the probe. If you have a need or desire for additional or deeper explanations of the content, refer to the NSTA resources listed for each section to build or enhance your con-tent knowledge. For example, Bill Robertson’s Stop Faking It! Finally Understanding Science So You Can Teach It books are excellent resources for furthering your own content understanding.

Curricular and Instructional Considerations for Grades K–2Unlike the collections in the other books of this series, which address curricular and instructional considerations across the K–12 grade range, these probes are designed for the primary grades, and therefore the curricular and instructional considerations focus only on the K–2 grade span. (Note: Several probes are appropriate for the preK level as well.) This section provides a broad overview of the curricular emphasis in the primary science curriculum, the types of instructional experi-ences appropriate for K–2 students, and the difficulties to be aware of when teaching and learning the concepts related to the probe. This section will sometimes alert teachers to a K–2 idea from A Framework for K–12 Science Education (NRC 2012) that in the past has typically been addressed at the upper- elementary or middle-school level but has been moved down to the primary level. For example, static friction and waves are two con-cepts that typically have not been addressed


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at the K–2 level but are included in the grades K–2 span in A Framework for K–12 Science Education. These are new considerations for curriculum and instruction that teachers of primary science will need to be aware of as they use the probes and design learning expe-riences for their students. In some cases, the developers of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) decided to move disciplin-ary core ideas to a later grade span. This, too, is noted in the Teacher Notes.

Administering the ProbeSuggestions are provided for administering the probe to students, including response methods and ways to use props, demonstrate the probe scenario, make modifications for different learners, or use different formative assessment classroom techniques (FACTs) to gather the assessment data. This section also suggests referring to pages xxviii–xxxiii in the introduction for techniques that can be used to guide “science talk.”

Related Ideas in the National StandardsThis section lists the learning goals stated in two national documents. One has been used extensively to develop the learning goals in states’ standards and curriculum materials: The revised, online version of Benchmarks for Science Literacy (AAAS 2009) includes a K–2 grade span. The National Science Education Standards (NRC 1996) were released after the original Benchmarks and overlap con-siderably in content. However, they are not included here, as the content is similar and the learning goals target too broad a grade span (K–4). Another referenced document in the teacher notes, A Framework for K–12 Science Education (NRC 2012), was used to identify the disciplinary core ideas that informed the development of the K–2 performance expec-tations in the NGSS. Since the Benchmarks is one of the primary documents on which most

state standards have been based prior to the release of the NGSS—which will be adopted by several states—it is still important to look at the related learning goals in this document. The third source of standards referenced is the NGSS, which were released shortly before the publication of this book. The Teacher Notes include the related performance expectation, which is the final assessment of student learn-ing and is informed by the disciplinary core ideas listed under the Framework. The probes are not designed as summative assessments, so the listed related national standards are not intended to be considered alignments, but rather ideas that are related in some way to the probe. Some targeted probe ideas, such as the concept of living versus nonliving, are not explicitly stated as learning goals in the standards, yet they are important prerequisite ideas to understanding core ideas related to living things. In some cases, the NGSS perfor-mance expectation may not relate directly to the probe. Because performance expectations are designed for summative assessment pur-poses and not considered the curriculum or instruction, teachers need to provide experi-ences for students to learn the underlying ideas and concepts that will deepen the knowledge they will use to demonstrate the performance expectation. Formative assessment reveals the gaps that teachers can address in their instruc-tion to move students toward the intended learning targets.

Related grade 3–5 learning goals, as well as some middle school learning goals, are also included in this section because it is useful to see the related idea that builds on the probe ideas at the next grade level. In other words, primary teachers can see how the foundation they are laying relates to a spiraling progression of ideas as students move from the primary grades to the intermediate elementary level. It may also be useful to teachers in grades 3–5 who may choose to use one of these probes


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to assess for gaps in students’ understanding or misconceptions that are still tenaciously held. Sometimes the listed learning goals from upper grade spans appear to be unre-lated to the probe or the K–2 learning goal. It is important to recognize that learning is a progression, and while it may seem unrelated, there is a connection. For example, when K–2 students learn about natural resources, it is in the context of objects and materials that are made from resources obtained from the Earth. The “Is a Brick a Rock?” probe is an example. However, in grade 4, the NGSS per-formance expectation shifts to energy sources and fuels obtained from the Earth. While the grade 4 NGSS performance expectation does not directly align with the probe, it is related to the bigger idea that humans use natural reources from the Earth.

Related ResearchEach probe is informed by related research. Three comprehensive research summaries com-monly available to educators—Chapter 15 in Benchmarks for Science Literacy (AAAS 1993), Rosalind Driver’s Making Sense of Secondary Science: Research Into Students’ Ideas (Driver, Squires, Rushworth, and Wood-Robinson 1994), and recent summaries in the Atlas of Science Literacy, Volume 2 (AAAS 2007)—were drawn on for the research summaries. In addition, recent research is cited where avail-able. Although many of the research citations describe studies that have been conducted in past decades and studied children not only in the United States but in other countries as well, most of the results of these studies are consid-ered timeless and universal. Whether students develop their ideas in the United States or other countries, research indicates that many of these commonly held ideas are pervasive regardless of geographic boundaries and soci-etal and cultural influences. Misconceptions held by students studied in past decades still

exist today. Even though your students may have had different experiences and contexts for learning, the descriptions from the research can help you better understand the intent of the probe and the kinds of thinking your students will likely reveal when they respond to the probe. As you use the probes, you are encouraged to seek new and additional pub-lished research or engage in your own action research to learn more about students’ think-ing and share your results with other teachers to extend and build on the research summaries in the teacher notes. To learn more about con-ducting action research using the probes, read the Science and Children article “Formative Assessment Probes: Teachers as Classroom Researchers” (Keeley 2011).

Suggestions for Instruction and AssessmentUncovering and examining the ideas children bring to their learning is considered diagnos-tic assessment. Diagnostic assessment becomes formative assessment when the teacher uses the assessment data to make decisions about instruction that will move students toward the intended learning target. Therefore, for the probe to be considered a formative assessment probe, the teacher needs to think about how to best design, choose, or modify a lesson or activ-ity to best address the preconceptions students bring to their learning or misconceptions that might surface or develop during the learning process. As you carefully listen to and analyze your students’ responses, the most important next step is to decide on the instructional path that would work best in your particular context based on your students’ thinking, the materials you have available, and the different types of learners you have in your classroom.

The suggestions provided in this section have been gathered from the wisdom of teach-ers, the knowledge base on effective science teaching, and research on specific strategies


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used to address commonly held misconcep-tions. These are not lesson plans, but rather brief suggestions that may help you plan or modify your curriculum or instruction to help students learn ideas with which they may be struggling or that are incomplete. It may be as simple as realizing you need to provide an effective context, or there may be a specific strategy or activity that you could use with your students. Learning is a complex process, and most likely no single suggestion will help all students learn. But that is what formative assessment encourages: thinking carefully about the variety of instructional strategies and experiences needed to help students learn scientific ideas. As you become more familiar with the ideas your students have and the multi-faceted factors that may have contributed to their misunderstandings, you will identify addi-tional strategies that you can use to teach for deeper understanding. In addition, this section also points out other probes in the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series that can be modi-fied or used as is to further address the concepts targeted by the probe.

Related NSTA ResourcesThis section provides a list of additional materi-als that can provide further information on con-tent, curriculum, or instruction related to the probe. For example, Bill Robertson’s Stop Faking It! series may be helpful in clarifying content with which teachers struggle; Karen Ansberry and Emily Morgan’s Picture-Perfect Science series may suggest trade books and classroom activities that go together; and Dick Konicek’s Everyday Science Mysteries series may provide an engaging story context to help students start investigating ideas. Articles from NSTA’s Science and Children journal may suggest ways to pro-vide primary-grade students the opportunity to learn the content targeted by the probe.

ReferencesReferences are provided for the standards, cited research, and some of the instructional sugges-tions given in the Teacher Notes. You might also wish to read the full research summary or access a copy of the research paper or resource cited in the Related Research and Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment sections of the Teacher Notes.

Formative Assessment Probes in the Elementary ClassroomFormative assessment is an essential feature of a learning-focused elementary science environ-ment. To help teachers learn more about using formative assessment probes with elementary students to inform instruction and promote learning, NSTA’s elementary science journal, Science and Children, publishes my monthly column “Formative Assessment Probes: Promoting Learning Through Assessment.” Your NSTA membership provides you with access to all of these journal articles, which have been archived electronically by NSTA. Go to the Science and Children page at www.nsta. org/elementaryschool. Scroll down to the jour-nal archives and type “Formative Assessment Probes” in the keyword search box. This will pull up a listing of all of my columns. These articles can be saved in your library in the NSTA Learning Center or downloaded as a PDF. The following table lists the journal issue date, title of the column, and topic of the col-umn for the articles that have been published to date. Check back regularly as more articles are added. These articles can also be used by preservice instructors, professional developers, and facilitators of professional learning com-munities to engage teachers in discussions about teaching and learning related to the probes and the content they teach.


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Table 1. List of Articles in the Column “Formative Assessment Probes: Promoting Learning Through Assessment”

Date Title Topic

Sept. 2010 “Doing Science” Probe: “Doing Science”“Scientific method”: examine how misuse of the “scientific method” influences students’ ideas related to the nature of science

Oct. 2010 “‘More A-More B’ Rule” Probe: “Floating Logs”Floating and sinking: use of intuitive rules to reason about floating and sinking

Nov. 2010 “Does It Have a Life Cycle?” Probe: “Does It Have a Life Cycle?”Life cycles: addressing the limitations of context in the curriculum

Dec. 2010 “To Hypothesize or Not” Probe: “Is It a Hypothesis?”Hypothesis making: reveal misconceptions teachers have about the nature of science that can be passed on to students

Jan. 2011 “How Far Did It Go?” Probe: “How Far Did It Go?”Linear measurement: difficulties students have with measurement particularly with a non-zero starting point

Feb. 2011 “Needs of Seeds” Probe: “Needs of Seeds”Needs of living things: engaging in evidence-based argumentation

March 2011 “The Mitten Problem” Probe: “The Mitten Problem”Energy transfer; insulators: teaching for conceptual change and how children’s everyday experience affects their thinking

April 2011 “Is It Living?” Probe: “Is It Living?”Characteristics of living things: examine ways to uncover hidden meanings students have for some words and concepts in science

July 2011 “With a Purpose” Probe: various examples A variety of probes and concepts are used to show purposeful links to various stages in an assessment, instruction, and learning cycle

Sept. 2011 “Where Are the Stars?” Probe: “Emmy’s Moon and Stars”Solar system, relative distances: importance of examining students’ explanations even when they choose the right answer; the impact representations have on children’s thinking

Oct. 2011 “Pushes and Pulls” Probe: “Pushes and Pulls” Forces: examining common preconceptions and use of language to describe forces and motion


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Date Title Topic

Nov. 2011 “Teachers as Researchers” Probe: “Is It an Animal?”Biological conception of an animal: explore how formative assessment probes can be used to engage in teacher action research

Dec. 2011 “Representing Microscopic Life” Probe: “Pond Life”Single-celled organisms: use of representations to examine students’ ideas

Jan. 2012 “Daytime Moon” Probe: “Objects in the Sky”Objects in the sky: challenges the adage “seeing is believing” with “believing is seeing”; examines reasons why children hold on to their strongly held beliefs

Feb. 2012 “Can It Reflect Light?” Probe: “Can It Reflect Light?”Reflection: addressing students’ preconceptions with firsthand experiences that support conceptual change

April/May 2012

“Food for Plants: A Bridging Concept”

Probe: “Food for Plants”Food, photosynthesis, needs of plants: using bridging concepts to address gaps in learning goals, understanding students’ common sense ideas

July 2012 “Where Did the Water Go?” Probe: “Where Did the Water Go?” Water cycle: using the water cycle to show how a probe can be used to link a core content idea, scientific practice, and crosscutting concept

Sept. 2012 “Confronting Common Folklore: Catching a Cold”

Probe: “Catching a Cold”Infectious disease, personal health: using a probe to uncover common myths and folklore related to the common cold

Oct. 2012 “Talking About Shadows” Probe: “Me and My Shadow” Sun-Earth system; talk moves: using a formative assessment probe to engage students in productive science talk

Nov. 2012 “Birthday Candles: Visually Representing Ideas”

Probe: “Birthday Candles”Light transmission; connection between light and vision: using drawings to support explanations

Dec. 2012 “Mountain Age: Creating Classroom Formative Assessment Profiles”

Probe: “Mountain Age”Weathering and erosion: organizing student data using a classroom profile for instructional decisions and professional development

Jan. 2013 “Solids and Holes: A P-E-O Probe”

Probe: “Solids and Holes”Floating/sinking; density: using the P-E-O technique to launch into inquiry

Feb. 2013 “Labeling Versus Explaining” Probe: “Chrysalis”Life cycle of a butterfly: reveals how an overemphasis on labeling diagrams with correct terminology may mask conceptual misunderstandings related to the life cycle of a butterfly

Table 1 (continued)


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Date Title Topic

March 2013 “When Equipment Gets in the Way”

Probe: “Batteries, Bulb, and Wire”Electrical circuits; lighting a bulb with a battery and a wire: how science kit materials may make it difficult for students to examine the way a complete circuit works

Summer 2013

“Is It a Solid? Claim Cards and Argumentation”

Probe: “Is It a Solid?” Matter, solids: using claims and evidence to engage in argumentation

Formative Assessment ReminderNow that you have the background on this new series, the probes, and the Teacher Notes, we should not forget the formative purpose of these probes. Reminder that a probe is not formative unless you use the information from the probe to modify, adapt, or change your instruction so stu-dents have increased opportunities to learn the important scientific ideas necessary for building a strong foundation in the primary grades. As a companion to this book and all the other vol-umes, NSTA has copublished the book Science Formative Assessment: 75 Practical Strategies for Linking Assessment, Instruction, and Learning (Keeley 2008). In this book, you will find a variety of strategies to use along with the probes to facilitate elicitation, support metacognition, spark inquiry, encourage discussion, monitor progress toward conceptual change, encour-age feedback, and promote self-assessment and reflection. In addition, be sure to read the suggestions in the introduction before using the probes. The introduction will help you learn more about ways to facilitate productive science discussions in the primary classroom and make links to the Common Core State Standards in English language arts. I hope the use of these K–2 probes and the techniques used along with them will stimulate new ways of assessing your students, create environments conducive to learning, and help you discover and use new knowledge about teaching and learning.

ReferencesAmerican Association for the Advancement of Sci-

ence (AAAS). 1993. Benchmarks for science lit-eracy. New York: Oxford University Press.

American Association for the Advancement of Sci-ence (AAAS). 2009. Benchmarks for science lit-eracy online. www.project2061.org/publications/bsl/online

Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Keeley, P. 2008. Science formative assessment: 75 practical strategies for linking assessment, instruc-tion, and learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Cor-win Press and Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Keeley, P. 2011. Uncovering student ideas in life sci-ence, vol. 1: 25 new formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Keeley, P. 2011. Formative assessment probes: Teachers as classroom researchers. Science and Children 49 (3): 24–26.

Keeley, P., and R. Harrington. 2010. Uncovering student ideas in physical science, vol. 1: 45 new force and motion assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Keeley, P., and C. Sneider. 2012. Uncovering student ideas in astronomy: 45 new formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Keeley, P., F. Eberle, and C. Dorsey. 2008. Uncov-ering student ideas in science, vol. 3: Another 25 formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Table 1 (continued)


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Keeley, P., F. Eberle, and L. Farrin. 2005. Uncover-ing student ideas in science, vol. 1: 25 formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Keeley, P., F. Eberle, and J. Tugel. 2007. Uncovering student ideas in science, vol. 2: 25 more formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Keeley, P., and J. Tugel. 2009. Uncovering student ideas in science, vol. 4: 25 new formative assess-ment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

National Research Council (NRC). 1996. National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A frame-work for K–12 science education: Practices, cross-cutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.


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AcknowledgmentsI would like to thank the teachers and sci-ence coordinators I have worked with for their willing ness to field-test probes, provide feedback on the format and structure of these probes, share student data, and contribute ideas for assessment probe development. In particular, I would like to thank the teach-ers and administration at the J. Erik Jonsson Community School in Dallas, Texas, for their support, sharing of student data, and inspiring curriculum and teaching. I would like to thank all the elementary teachers who have agreed to collect artifacts and conduct interviews

with students to use in professional develop-ment after this book is published. Thank you to the reviewers for providing useful feedback to improve the manuscript. I would especially like to thank Linda Olliver, the extraordi-narily talented artist who creatively transforms my ideas into the visual representations seen on the student pages. And of course my deep-est appreciation goes to all the dedicated staff at NSTA Press, who continue to support my formative assessment work, encourage me to continue with this series, and publish the best books in K–12 science education.


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About the Author

Page Keeley recently retired from the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA), where she was the Senior Science Program Director for 16 years, directing projects and developing resources in the areas of leader-ship, professional development, linking stan-dards and research on learning, formative assessment, and mentoring and coaching. She has been the PI and Project Director of three National Science Foundation–funded projects, including the Northern New England Co-Mentoring Network, PRISMS (Phenomena and Representations for Instruction of Science in Middle School), and Curriculum Topic Study: A Systematic Approach to Utilizing National Standards and Cognitive Research. In addition to NSF projects, she has directed state MSP projects, including TIES K–12: Teachers Integrating Engineering Into Science K–12 and a National Semi-Conductor Foundation grant, Linking Science, Inquiry, and Language Literacy (L-SILL). She also founded and directed the Maine Governor’s Academy for Science and Mathematics Education Leadership, a replica-tion of the National Academy for Science and Mathematics Education Leadership, of which she is a Cohort 1 Fellow.

Page is the author of 14 national best-selling books, including four books in the Curriculum Topic Study series, 8 volumes in the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series, and both a science and mathematics version of Formative Assessment: 75 Practical Strategies for Linking Assessment, Instruction, and Learning. Currently, she provides consulting services to school districts and organizations throughout the United States on building teachers’ and school districts’ capacity to use diagnostic and formative assessment. She is a frequent invited speaker on formative assessment and teaching for conceptual change.

Page taught middle and high school sci-ence for 15 years before leaving the class-room in 1996. At that time, she was an active teacher leader at the state and national lev-els. She served two terms as president of the Maine Science Teachers Association and was a District II NSTA Director. She received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Secondary Science Teaching in 1992, the Milken National Distinguished Educator Award in 1993, the AT&T Maine Governor’s Fellow in 1994, the National Staff Development Council’s (now Learning Forward) Susan Loucks-Horsley Award for Leadership in Science and Mathematics Professional Development in 2009, and the National Science Education Leadership Association’s (NSELA) Outstanding Leadership in Science Education Award in 2013. She has served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Maine, was a science literacy leader for the AAAS/Project 2061 Professional Development Program, serves on several national advisory boards, and is the Region A Director for NSELA. She is a science educa-tion delegation leader for the People to People Citizen Ambassador Professional Programs,


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leading trips to South Africa in 2009, China in 2010, India in 2011, and China again in 2013.

Prior to teaching, she was a research assis-tant in immunology at The Jackson Laboratory of Mammalian Genetics in Bar Harbor, Maine. She received her B.S. in life sciences from the University of New Hampshire and

About the Author

her master’s degree in science education from the University of Maine. In 2008, Page was elected the 63rd president of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the world’s largest professional organization of sci-ence educators.


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Introduction“The having of wonderful ideas is what I consider the essence of intellectual

development.” —Eleanor Duckworth

K–2 Probes as Assessments for LearningImagine a first-grade classroom where Miss Ortega’s students are sitting in a circle on the science rug to have a science talk about living things. Miss Ortega uses the pictures from the “Is It Living?” probe to have the children share their ideas about which things are living and which things are not living. As Miss Ortega shows the pictures and names the organisms or objects, she has each student turn to his or her partner to talk about ideas. They then discuss each picture as a whole class, with students sharing the rules they used to decide if some-thing is living or nonliving.

At one point, the class is evenly divided about whether a seed is living or nonliving. Shalika argues, “The seed is not living because it can’t move. The cat moves and it is alive, so I think living things have to move.” Mac dis-agrees: “A tree is alive, but it can’t move around like a cat. I think some things can be living and not move, so maybe a seed is alive.” Oscar offers a new idea: “But seeds grow into plants.” Miss Ortega asks Oscar to say more about that, and he adds a clarification: “Things that are living can grow. A seed grows into a plant, so that makes it living.” Cora argues that some living things stop growing: “My dad is living, but he is done growing. I think you can stop growing and still be living.”

Miss Ortega lists two ideas the children have proposed so far: moving and growing. She asks the class if there are other ways to decide if something is living. Albert offers a new idea: “Living things have to eat, so if it

eats, then it is alive.” Kenny looks puzzled and asks a question to seek clarification: “But what about fire? It grows bigger when it eats wood.” Rania responds, “Yeah, it moves around, too. Fire can move through a whole forest!”

The discussion continues for several min-utes. The children are deeply involved in sharing their ideas, listening attentively to each other, seeking clarification from the teacher or other students when needed, constructing explana-tions to use in their arguments, and evaluating the ideas and arguments of others. Throughout the discussion, they are using and practicing speaking and listening skills.

Miss Ortega makes sure that all the chil-dren have an opportunity to make claims and express their thinking. Throughout the year, they have been working on claims and evidence during their science time. Her stu-dents know that a claim is the statement that answers the probe question, and to share their thinking, they must provide reasons, includ-ing evidence, for their claim. As the children are talking, Miss Ortega is carefully listening and making a list of the class’s best ideas so far, which she will post on a chart for students to see and refer to while they visit the learn-ing stations she will set up for the children to explore claims and ideas that support their claims. She notes the extent to which students are using scientific ideas or whether they are drawing on their own alternative conceptions or prior experiences.

By taking the time to find out what her students think about characteristics of liv-ing things, Miss Ortega collects valuable


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assessment data that she will use to plan les-sons that will confront her students with their ideas and help them resolve some of the inconsistencies between their ideas and the scientific explanation she will guide them toward developing. By taking their ideas seriously and not correcting students’ initial misconceptions, Miss Ortega is promoting learning by giving her students the opportu-nity to use scientific practices as they listen to each other’s ideas, justify their own reasoning, and evaluate the validity of each other’s argu-ments. This is the essence of formative assess-ment where good instruction and assessment are inextricably linked. Formative assessment is an approach to teaching in which students develop deeper conceptual understanding through the development of their own think-ing and talking through their ideas, while simultaneously providing a window for the teacher to examine students’ thinking and determine next steps based on where the learners are in their conceptual development.

Facilitating this type of approach to learn-ing may sound demanding, and it seems it would be much simpler to just give students the information or engage in a hands-on activity. However, research shows that chil-dren learn best when they first surface their ideas before launching into investigations, activities, readings, and other opportunities to learn (Bransford, Brown, and Cocking 1999). Students have to do the thinking; the activ-ity cannot do it for them, nor is the learning in the materials themselves. Surfacing initial ideas and recognizing when their ideas are changing as they construct new understand-ings is a powerful way to teach and learn. It is the explanation of the probe—not the answer selections the students choose from—that pro-

vides important assessment data and supports learning. One of the most effective ways to help students construct new understandings and simultaneously develop reasoning skills (that works particularly well with the forma-tive assessment probes) is to provide children with the opportunity to interact in pairs, small groups, and as a whole class, where they listen to each other’s ideas and have to justify their own. Communicating ideas in science is a central feature of using the formative assess-ment probes and one of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) scientific practices. The probes not only provide insights for the teacher about students’ understanding or mis-understanding of core ideas in science but also provide a treasure trove of data about students’ use of scientific and engineering practices. For example, P-E-O (Predict-Explain-Observe) probes provide an opportunity for young chil-dren to make an initial claim (prediction), provide an explanation for their initial claim, test the claim, gather evidence (the data) from the observations, analyze the data to see if they support or refute the initial claim, and propose a new claim and explanation if the observations did not match the initial claim. See Table 2 for examples of ways the forma-tive assessment probes support learning of the practices in the NGSS.

This book provides 25 highly engaging formative assessment probes that elicit pre-conceptions, support the development of young children’s understanding of K–2 core disciplinary ideas, and encourage the use of scientific practices in the NGSS. However, before you skip ahead and use the probes, read through the rest of this introduction to learn more about children’s ideas in science and sci-ence talk so that you can best use these probes to inform your teaching and support learning.


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Table 2. Link Between K–2 Formative Assessment Probes and the NGSS Scientific and Engineering Practices

NGSS Scientific and Engineering Practice

K–2 Probes as Assessments for Learning Examples

Practice 1: Asking questions and defining problems

The probe begins with an interesting question. Students ask additional questions to seek understanding and determine what they already know or need to know to make a claim and construct explanations to the probe.

Probe 16, “Do the Waves Move the Boat?” Students may ask questions of each other and the teacher about water waves. They use the probe question to further explore the science that can provide an explanatory answer to the probe.

Practice 2: Developing and using models

Some probes involve the use of models to develop explanations of the phenomenon. As the teacher listens to children’s ideas, he or she is thinking about the best model to use to help them understand the probe phenomenon.

Probe 24, “What Lights Up the Moon?” As the teacher listens to students, he notices several students think there is a light glowing inside the moon. He thinks about how he can have the children model the reflection of sunlight using a white ball and a flashlight.

Practice 3: Planning and carrying out investigations

Some probes (P-E-O probes) can be used to launch an investigation and require children to think about how they can best make observations and collect data to test the claims they made in response to the probe.

Probe 19, “Big and Small Magnets”Students test their claims using a variety of big and small magnets. They decide how they will determine strength using paper clips, make observations, and record their data.

Practice 4: Analyzing and interpreting data

To support a claim with evidence when using a P-E-O probe, students collect, analyze, and interpret the data to derive meaning.

Probe 18, “Rubber Band Box”Students make rubber band box guitars like the one in the probe context and test their ideas about sound. They analyze their data to determine how pitch is related to the thickness of the rubber band.

Practice 5: Using mathematics and computational thinking

Students count and use numbers to find or describe patterns related to the probe. They also use measurement and measurement instruments such as thermometers, rulers, and weighing scales to gather data.

Probe 12, “Snap Blocks”Students count the individual blocks and make predictions about how the weight of the blocks snapped together compares to the total weight of the individual blocks weighed together. They try this several times using different numbers of snap blocks, weigh them on a scale, record their data, and notice that the pattern shows the weight is always the same.

Practice 6: Constructing explanations and designing solutions

Every probe requires students to construct an initial explanation (their personal theory) to support their claim (answer choice) and revise their explanations as they gather new evidence and information.

Probe 10, “Watermelon and Grape”The initial theory proposed by the class is that large things sink and small things float. After testing a variety of objects, students revise their initial explanation to explain that size alone does not determine whether an object floats or sinks.


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NGSS Scientific and Engineering Practice

K–2 Probes as Assessments for Learning Examples

Practice 7: Engaging in argument from evidence

All the probes are used in a talk format that requires students to explain and defend their reasoning to others and promotes careful listening so that other students can build on a line of reasoning or offer alternative explanations. Together, the class searches for the best explanation from the comments and evidence offered during science talk.

Probe 1, “Is It Living?”As in the scenario at the beginning of this chapter, the teacher engages the students in science talk, explaining and defending their reasons for why something is or is not considered living. Later, after the teacher has provided opportunities for students to investigate their ideas, they will engage again in science talk, providing new evidence to support or revise their initial arguments.

Practice 8: Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Following up the use of a probe often involves students seeking additional information that may come from trade books, videos, and other sources to provide information that supports their claims or provides new information to help them change their claim. Students must also be able to communicate information clearly to each other, which sometimes involves the use of drawings and other visual ways to share the information they obtain.

Probe 6, “Do They Need Air?”Many students claimed that animals that live in water do not need air, so the teacher obtained several trade books and video clips for children to learn about animals that live in water and how they meet their needs. She also brought in a goldfish that students could observe. Children revisit the probe and explain ways different animals get air and draw pictures of land and water animals, showing different structures they use to get air.

Young Children’s IdeasChildren develop ideas about their natural world well before they are taught science in school. For example, many young children think that things like hats, coats, blankets, sweaters, or mittens warm us up by generating their own heat. This makes sense to children because when they put on a sweater or wrap themselves up in a blanket, they get warmer. They have not yet learned that heat moves from warmer to cooler and that materials such as a mitten can slow down the loss of body heat. In other instances, children are novice learn-ers in science and have not yet gained enough background knowledge or been formally introduced to scientific principles to be able to explain a concept scientifically. For example, young children may think that only organ-isms with fur and four legs are considered animals because they do not yet have enough

knowledge about the scientific meaning of animal—such as having to acquire food from the environment—to recognize that organ-isms such as worms, insects, and even humans are considered animals in a scientific sense.

Some of the ideas young children have may be consistent or partially consistent with the science concepts that are taught. For example, they know when you drop an object, it falls to the ground. They are already developing ideas consistent with the idea of gravity. But often there is a significant gap between children’s explanations for natural phenomena or con-cepts and the explanations that are developed through “school science.” For example, failure to recognize that weight is conserved when a whole object is broken into individual pieces illustrates a significant gap between children’s ideas about what happens to the total weight of an object when it is changed in some way

Table 2 (continued)


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and the understanding of conservation of mat-ter with “parts and wholes” that is developed in the science class.

Many studies have been conducted of chil-dren’s commonly held ideas about natural phe-nomena and science concepts. Most notable among the researchers of children’s ideas is Dr. Rosalind Driver and her research group from the University of Leeds in England. This group has contributed extensively to our under-standing of commonly held ideas children have about science that may affect their learning. The research into commonly held ideas, which is often referred to by practitioners as miscon-ceptions, has enabled teachers to predict what their own students are likely to think about a phenomenon and how they might respond to an assessment that probes their thinking. The assessment probes in this book were developed from examining the research on children’s ideas in science, particularly Driver’s contribu-tions (Driver, Squires, Rushworth, and Wood-Robinson 1994). As you use these probes, it is highly likely that your students’ ideas will mir-ror the findings that are described in the Related Research Summaries part of the Teacher Notes that accompany each of the probes. While you may be surprised to find that your students hold many of these alternative ideas, it is important for you to realize that these are highly personal and make sense to the student. Merely correct-ing them does not make them go away. Students must have access to instructional experiences that will challenge their thinking and help them construct models and explanations that bridge the gap between their initial ideas and the scientific understandings that are achievable at their grade level.

Another important feature of children’s ideas in science is that children learn best when knowledge is socially constructed. Much like the way science is done in the real world, chil-dren need opportunities to share their thinking, justify the reasons for their ideas, and listen to

the ideas of others. Children also need to be aware of the range of ideas others have about the same phenomenon or concept and be able to evaluate them in light of their own ideas and the evidence presented. Scientific theories develop through interaction with other scien-tists; children’s ideas develop through interac-tion with their classmates and the teacher. The probes provide ample opportunities for children to think through and talk about their ideas with others. Animated science talk and argumenta-tion are the hallmarks of a formative assess-ment–centered learning environment in which the probes are effectively being used.

Children’s Learning ExperiencesHands-on science has not always been minds-on science. The opportunity to ask ques-tions, manipulate materials, and conduct investigations—a major emphasis of inquiry-based science—has not always resulted in deeper conceptual learning. That is because the learning is not in the materials or inves-tigations themselves, but in the sense children make out of their experiences as they use the materials to perform investigations, make observations, and construct explanations. Perhaps the pendulum swung too far to the hands-on side in the last decade or so of ele-mentary inquiry-based science. Inquiry with-out inquiry for conceptual change did little to help students give up their strongly held alter-native ideas. One way to support inquiry for conceptual change is to start with uncovering children’s ideas before launching into an inves-tigation. To design probes for this book that could be used to support or enhance children’s learning experiences, the following features for developing and using a probe were considered:

• Promoting curiosity and stimulating chil-dren’s thinking

• Drawing out alternative ideas that could be investigated in the classroom


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• Linking to previous experiences in or out of school

• Using familiar objects, phenomena, and situations

• Reducing dependency on reading text• Improving developmental appropriateness• Relating to core ideas in the NGSS or the

Benchmarks for Science Literacy• Supporting the use of the scientific and

engineering practices such as constructing explanations and engaging in argument from evidence

• Using models and representations to develop explanations

• Encouraging sense making and reflection on how ideas have changed

Effective teaching and learning do not just happen; they are carefully planned. Using the probes to inform the design of learning experi-ences for children involves the recognition that children already have ideas about the natural world that they bring with them to their learn-ing experiences. This is significant when plan-ning instructional experiences, particularly when combined with a constructivist view of learning in which the student must take an active role in constructing meaning for him-self or herself. When children’s existing ideas are acknowledged as you incorporate their ideas from the probes into the lessons, learn-ing takes place as children change their ideas through experiences that allow them to test or discuss their ideas and support them with evi-dence, in much the same way that scientists develop theories. This may involve supporting an initial idea, modifying an idea, or rejecting an idea in favor of an alternative explanation. Whichever it is, the student needs to “own it,” which means the reasoning must be done by the student (not the teacher, although he or she can guide it).

Formative Assessment Probes and Science Talk

When I first tried listening quietly and taking notes about what I heard students saying as they worked, my insight into their learning was phenomenal! I actu-ally stopped talking and just listened. The data I collected showed some incor-rect conceptions as well as understand-ing. It often opened windows into how a student had learned. The rich data I gath-ered helped me determine which next steps I needed to take to further learn-ing. (Carlson, Humphrey, and Reinhardt 2003, p. 37)

This quote from an elementary teacher reveals the power of careful listening as students talk about their science ideas. The probes in this book differ from the collection of 215 other formative assessment probes in the Uncovering Student Ideas series because they are designed to be used in a talk format rather than having students write explanations to support their answer choice (however, they certainly can be combined with writing, especially with science notebooks). Even the formats used in this book highlight the importance of science talk. For example, you will see that several of the probes in this book use a cartoon format in which the characters share their ideas with each other and the student selects the character whose idea best matches his or her own (e.g., “Sink or Float?”). This format models what we want to encourage children to do: share their claims with one another and provide evidence that supports these claims. The author intention-ally uses this format to help students recog-nize the importance of sharing ideas without passing judgment initially on whether they are right or wrong.


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Whether you use the science workshop approach, science conferences, small-group discussions, pair talk, or other ways to involve students in science talk, the probes provide an interesting question that serves to elicit chil-dren’s initial ideas and draw out their reasons for their thinking. Assessment data is gathered by carefully listening to students, and, when possible, audio-recording dialogue, taking notes, or transcribing parts of conversations as you listen will provide a treasure trove of data you can use to design instruction focused on where the learners are in their understanding.

The first step in using science talk for for-mative assessment is to ask questions that will capture students’ interest, provoke thinking, and encourage explanations that will help you gain insight into their reasoning and under-standing. Sometimes it can be challenging for teachers to know what type of question will elicit children’s ideas that can provide rich information about a core concept they will be learning. This has been done for you in this book! Each probe is a question specifically designed to draw out children’s ideas that will not only support their learning but also inform your teaching. Use the probe as your starting point for learning more about your students’ ideas. New questions will spring from the probe and spark further conversation.

Sometimes a probe is used to develop an investigative question and launch into inquiry. Some probes provide an opportunity for stu-dents to make predictions and explain the reasons for their prediction before they make observations during their investigations. This type of probe is called a P-E-O (Predict-Explain-Observe) probe, and examples include, but are not limited to, “Snap Blocks” (p. 59), “Marble Roll” (p. 71), and “Seeds in a Bag” (p. 25) (Keeley 2008). P-E-O probes provide an opportunity for children to prac-tice verbal communication to articulate their thoughts prior to the investigation and make

their thinking visible to others. In addition, it provides an opportunity for children to discuss the best way to test their ideas and then test them, supporting the NGSS scientific practice of designing and carrying out investigations.

Productive classroom talk using a forma-tive assessment probe before launching into an investigation also has the benefit of leading to deeper engagement in the content before and during the investigation. As students collect, analyze, and share their data, they compare their findings with their initial claims and evi-dence and may become aware of the discrepan-cies between their own or others’ ideas from the evidence gathered during the investigation. For example, the probe “When Is the Next Full Moon?” provides an opportunity for students to make and test a prediction about how long it takes to see a full Moon again (length of a lunar cycle). They examine reasons for their predictions before beginning an investigation that provides the data they need to under-stand the repeated pattern of Moon phases, a disciplinary core idea in the NGSS as well as a crosscutting concept of patterns and cycles. The probe can be revisited again after students have had an opportunity to make sense of their data and use it to explain the lunar cycle. By following the probe with a scientific investiga-tion, the students have actual data from their investigation to construct a scientific explana-tion to support their new or revised claim. As they engage in talk and argument again with the same probe, the context of the probe—combined with the scientific knowledge they gained through their investigation—provide an opportunity for them to build stronger, evidence-based arguments.

Talk MovesOne of the best resources I recommend that every teacher of elementary science read and become familiar with is Ready, Set, Science! Putting Research to Work in K–8 Classrooms


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(Michaels, Shouse, and Schweingruber 2008). Since this book is published through our fed-eral taxpayer–supported National Academies of Science, it is available for free as a PDF on the National Academies Press website (www.nap.edu), where you can download a copy of the book. It is also available for purchase through the NSTA bookstore. Chapter 5, “Making Thinking Visible: Talk and Argument,” is an excellent read for you to deepen your under-standing of the role of talk and argument in science as you use the probes in this book.

As students grapple with the ideas elic-ited by the probes in this book, the role of the teacher is to facilitate productive science talk in ways that will move students’ think-ing forward and help them clarify and expand on their reasoning. One of the ways to do this is through the use of “talk moves” (Keeley 2012). Table 3 shows six productive talk moves adapted from Ready, Set, Science! (Michaels, Shouse, and Schweingruber 2008) that can be used with the formative assessment probes in this book.

Table 3. Talk Moves and ExamplesTalk Move (from Ready, Set, Science! [Michaels, Shouse, and Schweingruber 2008]) Example of Using the Talk Move with a Formative Assessment Probe

Revoicing • “So let me see if I’ve got your thinking right. You’re agreeing with Amy because _____?”

• “Let me see if I understand. You are saying _____?”

Asking students to restate someone else’s reasoning • “Can you repeat in your own words what Latisha just said about why she agrees with Jamal?”

• “Is that right, Latisha? Is that what you said?”

Asking students to apply their own reasoning to someone else’s reasoning

• “Do you agree or disagree with Emma’s reason for agreeing with Morrie, and why?”

• “Can you tell us why you agree with what Sam said? What is your reasoning?”

Prompting students for further participation • “Would someone like to add on to the reasons why some of you chose Fabian as the person you most agree with in the probe?”

• “What about others—what would you like to add to these ideas so far?”

• “What do others think about the ideas we have shared so far? Do you agree or disagree?”

Asking students to explicate their reasoning • “Why do you agree with Penelope?” • “What evidence helped you choose Fabian as the person you

most agree with in the probe?” • “Say more about that.”

Using wait time • “Take your time. We’ll wait.”• “I want everyone to think first, and then I will ask you to share

your thinking.”


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RevoicingSometimes it is difficult to understand what the student is trying to say when they struggle to put their thoughts into words. If you, as the teacher, have difficulty understanding what the student is saying, then the students listening are apt to have even greater difficulty. Clarity in expressing ideas is often needed when encour-aging young children to share their thinking. Therefore, this move not only helps the child clarify his or her thinking but also provides clarity for the listeners as well—both teacher and students. By revoicing the child’s idea as a question, the teacher is giving the child more “think time” to clarify his or her ideas. It is also a strategy for making sure the student’s idea is accessible to the other students who are listen-ing and following the discussion.

Asking Students to Restate Someone Else’s ReasoningWhile the move above (revoicing) is used by the teacher, this move has the students reword or repeat what other students share during the probe discussion. It should then be followed up with the student whose reasoning was repeated or reworded. The benefit to using this talk move during discussions about the science probe ideas is that it gives the class more think time and opportunity to process each student’s contribution to the science talk. It also pro-vides another version of the explanation that may be an easier version for the children to understand. This talk move is especially useful with English language learners. As a formative assessment talk move, it provides the teacher with additional clarification of student ideas. Additionally, it acknowledges to the students that the teacher as well as the students in the class are listening to one another.

Asking Students to Apply Their Own Reasoning to Someone Else’s ReasoningThe probes encourage students to make a claim and share their reasoning for their claim. This talk move is used with the probes to make sure students have had time to evaluate the claim based on the reasoning that was shared by a student. It helps students zero in and focus on the reasoning. Note that the teacher is not asking the other students whether they merely agree or disagree with someone’s claim; they also have to explain why. This talk move helps students compare their thinking to someone else’s and, in the process, helps them be more explicit in their own reasoning.

Prompting Students for Further ParticipationAfter using revoicing to clarify the different ideas that emerge during discussion of the probe, the teacher prompts others in the class to contribute by agreeing, disagreeing, or add-ing on to what was already shared. This talk move encourages all students to evaluate the strength of each other’s arguments. It pro-motes equitable and accountable discussion.

Asking Students to Explicate Their ReasoningThis talk move encourages students to go deeper with their reasoning and be more explicit in their explanations. It helps them focus on the evidence that best supports their claim and build on the reasoning of others.

Using Wait TimeThis is actually a silent move, rather than a talk move. One of the hardest things for teachers to do is to refrain from not commenting imme-diately on children’s responses. There are two types of wait time that should be used when engaging students in probe discussions. The first is for the teacher to wait at least five sec-onds after posing a question so the students


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have adequate think time. The second is for the teacher, as well as the students, to practice waiting at least five seconds before comment-ing on a students’ response. This strategy is especially important to use with English lan-guage learners as well as students who may be shy or reluctant to contribute ideas in front of the whole class. By waiting, even though silence can be agonizing, the teacher supports students’ thinking and reasoning by providing more time for them to construct an explana-tion or evaluate the arguments of others. This strategy provides greater inclusivity for all stu-dents in the class to participate in productive science talk by acknowledging the time they need to think through their ideas.

All of these talk moves can be used with the probes in various combinations to facilitate productive science talk in which all the students are accountable for each other’s learning and the teacher is able to extract valuable formative assessment data to further plan instruction and support learning. However, to use these moves effectively, it is important to establish the con-ditions for a respectful learning environment. To do that, teachers should set group norms or ground rules for engaging in productive talk and equitable participation so that students will listen to and talk with one another respect-fully and courteously as they use the probes. It is important for them to know that a scientific argument has a different meaning in science than in real life. In science, we argue to exam-ine our ideas and seek understanding rather than argue to win with our point of view. Examples of norms you might establish in your classroom for science talk may include but are not limited to the following:

• Listen attentively as others talk.• Make sure you can hear what others are

saying.

• Speak so others can hear.• Argue to learn, not to win.• Criticize the reasoning, not the person.• Make only respectful comments.

Communicating and listening to scien-tific ideas contribute to language develop-ment, an important goal of teaching in the primary grades, and is consistent with the Common Core State Standards, ELA (NGAC and CCSSO 2010). See Table 4 for examples of ways the formative assessment probes sup-port the Common Core literacy standards for speaking and listening for primary students.

Formative assessment that supports pro-ductive scientific discussions takes time to develop and needs a lot of practice. As you incorporate these probes into your science lessons, I hope you will see the value in pro-ductive science talk that emanates from using these probes. By using these probes in talk formats with primary students, you are not only developing conceptual understanding of the life, physical, Earth, and space ideas for grades K–2 included in the NGSS, but also revealing and clarifying the ideas they bring to their learning, which you can use to improve and enhance your science teach-ing. Making students’ ideas visible as you use these probes will help you build more effec-tive lessons and support young students in using the scientific and engineering practices in sophisticated ways that show young learn-ers are capable of far more than we often ask of them. In a nutshell, it’s about teaching sci-ence well and giving your students the best possible start to be successful learners of sci-ence as they progress through school!


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Table 4. Linking Formative Assessment Probes to the Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards

Common Core State Standards (Grades K, 1, and 2) Formative Assessment Probes

SL.K.1, 1.1, 2.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

The probes are designed to be used in a talk format in small or large groups discussing ideas with the teacher and with each other about a science topic.

SL.K.2: Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood. SL.1.2: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read

aloud or information presented orally or through other media. SL.2.2: Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read

aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

As students talk about and share their ideas related to the probe, they ask questions about and discuss key details related to the probe context or answer choices. They may ask for clarification about the probe context or the answer choices or clarification of each other’s explanations as they share their ideas through speaking and listening.

SL.K.3: Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood. SL.1.3: Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in

order to gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood. SL.2.3: Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in

order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.

Students ask questions about the probe task. They also ask questions of each other and seek clarification of explanations as they share their claims and provide their reasons for their claims. After students have had the opportunity to revisit the probe after the teacher has designed learning experiences, students ask and answer questions to deepen their understanding of the concepts elicited by the probe.

SL.K.4: Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail. SL.1.4: Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant

details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly. SL.2.4: Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate

facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.

The probes provide a context for discussing familiar phenomena, objects, and processes related to a science core idea. Students are encouraged to share their prior experiences connected to the probe and prompted by the teacher to provide details and further information.

SL.K.5: Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail. SL.1.5: Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions

when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings. SL.2.5: Create audio recordings of stories or poems; add

drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

Students are encouraged to use drawings or other visual symbols, where appropriate, to support their ideas, clarify their responses, and communicate relevant details related to the probe.

SL.K.6: Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly. SL.1.6 and SL2.6: Produce complete sentences when appropriate

to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

Probes provide an engaging context for students to practice speaking clearly in complete sentences to support their ideas and emerging understanding of science.


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Carlson, M., G. Humphrey, and K. Reinhardt. 2003. Weaving science inquiry and continuous assessment. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary sci-ence: Research into children’s ideas. London and New York: RoutledgeFalmer.

Duckworth, E. 2006. “The having of wonderful ideas” and other essays on teaching and learning. 3rd ed. New York: Columbia University Teach-ers College Press.

Keeley, P. 2008. Science formative assessment: 75 prac-tical strategies for linking assessment, instruction, and learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Keeley, P. 2012. Formative assessment probes: Talk-ing about shadows. Science and Children 50 (2): 32–34.

Michaels, S., A. Shouse, and H. Schweingruber. 2008. Ready, set, science: Putting research to work in K–8 classrooms. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers (NGAC and CCSSO). 2010. Common core state standards. Washington, DC: NGAC and CCSSO.



101U n c o v e r i n g S t u d e n t I d e a s i n P r i m a r y S c i e n c e

22

Is a Brick a Rock?

A brick is a rock.

A brick is not a rock.

What are you thinking?

E a r t h a n d S p a c e S c i e n c e


N a t i o n a l S c i e n c e Te a c h e r s A s s o c i a t i o n102

22 E a r t h a n d S p a c e S c i e n c e

Is a brick a rock? Teacher Notes

PurposeThe purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit children’s ideas about rocks. The probe is designed to determine if children can dis-tinguish between rocklike materials made by humans and rocks that have a geologic origin.

Related Conceptsrocks, Earth materials, human-made materials

ExplanationChase has the better answer: “A brick is not a rock.” Bricks are objects made by humans from Earth materials such as clay, lime and sand, or dried mud. They are often fired in a kiln. Rocks are a solid mass of mineral (a naturally occurring inorganic substance with a definite chemical composition) or mineral-like matter that occurs naturally on our planet and is formed by geologic processes. Rocks can be composed of one type of mineral or mix-tures of two or more minerals. Bricks are also mixtures containing rock material, but they do not form naturally. Although bricks may con-tain some rock material, they are reshaped and recombined through a human manufacturing process, not a geologic process.

Curricular and Instructional Considerations for Grades K–2Observing properties and classifying objects by their properties is an important part of the elementary science curriculum. Young chil-dren should become familiar with a variety of natural and human-made materials in their environment, describe the materials’ proper-ties, and classify them as natural or human made. They should develop an understanding

that humans need materials from their envi-ronment and many of the materials humans use to build houses, roads, and other things come from the Earth. The focus is on natu-ral resources used to make materials or build objects. At the grades 3–5 level, the focus on natural resources begins to move toward energy resources.

Administering the ProbeAsk children if they have ever seen a brick or things made from bricks. Show children an actual brick or pictures of structures made from bricks before they share their ideas related to the probe. Have children circle or color the person with whom they agree the most and explain why they agree with that person. Explain to students that they should select the person whose idea best matches their thinking, not whose features they like most. See pages xxviii–xxxiii in the introduction for techniques used to guide “science talk” related to the probe.

Related Ideas in Benchmarks for Science Literacy (AAAS 2009)

K–2 Structure of Matter• Objects can be described in terms of their

properties. Some properties, such as hard-ness and flexibility, depend upon what material the object is made of, and some properties, such as size and shape, do not.

3–5 Processes That Shape the Earth• Rock is composed of different combina-

tions of minerals.



22E a r t h a n d S p a c e S c i e n c e

3–5 Materials and Manufacturing• Humans have produced a wide variety of

materials, such as steel, plastic, and nylon, that do not appear in nature.

Related Core Ideas in A Framework for K–12 Science Education (NRC 2012)

K–2 ESS3.A: Natural Resources • Humans use natural resources for every-

thing they do.

3–5 ESS3.A: Natural Resources • All materials, energy, and fuels that

humans use are derived from natural sources.

Related Next Generation Science Standards (Achieve Inc. 2013)

Kindergarten: Earth and Human Activity• K-ESS3-1: Use a model to represent the

relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and the places they live.

Grade 4: Earth and Human Activity• 4-ESS3-1: Obtain and combine informa-

tion to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.

Related Research• The word rock is used in many different

ways, contributing to the confusion of what it means in a geologic sense (Freyberg 1985).

• In studies by Happs (1982, 1985), students had difficulty making the distinction between natural things and those cre-ated or altered by humans. For example,

some students considered a brick to be a rock because part of it comes from natural material (Driver, Squires, Rushworth, and Wood-Robinson 1994).

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment• A related probe, “Is It a Rock? Version 2,”

can be modified for use at this grade level (Keeley, Eberle, and Tugel 2007).

• This probe uses a format called “Oppos-ing Views” and can also be used with a strategy called “Lines of Argumentation” (Keeley, in press). Have children sit in two lines that face each other—one line for those who selected Olivia and another line for those who selected Chase. Have stu-dents engage in argumentation—making a claim and justifying their claim with rea-soning for why they think a brick is or is not a rock. If an argument is compelling enough to change a student’s thinking, he or she can move to the other line.

• Take time to elicit students’ ideas about what they think a rock is. Develop an operational definition before introducing the scientific definition of rock.

• Compare and contrast naturally formed rocks with objects that are “rocklike” and formed by humans (e.g., bricks, tiles, cement, clay pots), as well as objects that are shaped from rock (e.g., figurines carved out of rock, granite countertops, grave-stones, statues).

• Use this probe as a nice tie-in to the T in STEM: technology. Science deals with our natural world (rocks); technology uses the application of science to modify our natu-ral world to fulfill a human need (making clay pots out of rock). Furthermore, you can tie in the E (engineering) to show how engineers solve problems to meet human needs through a design process. (How can



22 E a r t h a n d S p a c e S c i e n c e

materials be combined to make a clay pot that is hard to break?)

Related NSTA ResourcesAnsberry, K., and E. Morgan. 2012. Rock solid sci-

ence. In Teaching science through trade books, ed. C. A. Royce, E. Morgan, and K. Ansberry, pp. 229–233. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Brkich, K. 2012. Science shorts: Is concrete a rock? Science and Children 50 (4): 80–82.

Ritz, B. 2007. A head start on science. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Varelas, M., and J. Benhart. 2004. Welcome to rock day. Science and Children 40 (1): 40–45.

ReferencesAchieve Inc. 2013. Next generation science standards.

www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards.

American Association for the Advancement of Sci-ence (AAAS). 2009. Benchmarks for science lit-eracy online. www.project2061.org/publications/bsl/online

Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. London: Routledge.

Freyberg, P. 1985. Implications across the curricu-lum. In Learning in science, ed. R. Osborne and P. Freyberg, pp. 125–135. Auckland, New Zealand: Heinemann.

Happs, J. 1982. Rocks and minerals. LISP Working Paper 204. Hamilton, New Zealand: University of Waikato, Science Education Research Unit.

Happs, J. 1985. Regression in learning outcomes: Some examples from Earth science. European Journal of Science Education 7 (4): 431–443.

Keeley, P. In press. Science formative assessment: 50 more strategies for linking assessment, instruction, and learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Keeley, P., F. Eberle, and J. Tugel. 2007. Uncovering student ideas in science, vol. 2: 25 more formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.



IndexNote: Page numbers in italics refer to charts.

AA Framework for K–12 Science Education, xi–xii

Back and Forth probe and, 65Big and Small Magnets probe and, 89Big and Small Seeds probe and, 41Describing Soil probe and, 99Do the Waves Move the Boat? probe and, 76, 77Do They Need Air? probe and, 33Is a Brick a Rock? probe and, 103Is It a Plant? probe and, 17Is It an Animal? probe and, 11Is It Living? probe and, 5Is It Made of Parts? probe and, 23Is It Matter? probe and, 55Marble Roll probe and, 73Rubber Band Box probe and, 85Seeds in a Bag probe and, 23Senses probe and, 37Shadow Size probe and, 80–81Sink or Float? probe and, 47Snap Blocks probe and, 61Watermelon and Grape probe and, 51What Lights Up the Moon? probe and, 111What Makes Up a Mountain? probe and, 95When Is My Shadow the Longest? probe and, 107When Is the Next Full Moon? probe and, 114When Is There Friction? probe and, 69

AnimalsDo They Need Air? probe, 31–34Is It an Animal? probe, 9–13Is It Living? probe, 3–7Is It Made of Parts? probe, 21–24Senses probe, 35–38

Argumentation, xxiii, xxvi, xxvii, xxviii, xxix, xxx, xxxi, xxxii

Atlas of Science Literacy, Volume 2, xiii

BBack and Forth probe, 63–66

administration of, 64concept matrix for, 44curricular and instructional considerations for, 64explanation of, 64purpose of, 64related concepts for, 64related ideas in science education standards, 65research related to, 65suggestions for instruction and assessment using, 66

Barman, Charles, 12Benchmarks for Science Literacy, xii, xiii

Back and Forth probe and, 65Big and Small Magnets probe and, 88Big and Small Seeds probe and, 40Describing Soil probe and, 98Do the Waves Move the Boat? probe and, 77Do They Need Air? probe and, 32Is a Brick a Rock? probe and, 102–103Is It a Plant? probe and, 17Is It an Animal? probe and, 11Is It Living? probe and, 5Is It Made of Parts? probe and, 22–23Is It Matter? probe and, 54–55Marble Roll probe and, 73Rubber Band Box probe and, 84Seeds in a Bag probe and, 27Senses probe and, 36–37Shadow Size probe and, 80Sink or Float? probe and, 46–47Snap Blocks probe and, 60Watermelon and Grape probe and, 51What Lights Up the Moon? probe and, 110–111What Makes Up a Mountain? probe and, 95When Is My Shadow the Longest? probe and, 106

U n c o v e r i n g S t u d e n t I d e a s i n P r i m a r y S c i e n c e 117



Index

When Is the Next Full Moon? probe and, 114–115When Is There Friction? probe and, 69

Biddulph, F., 47, 51Big and Small Magnets probe, ix, 87–89

administration of, 88concept matrix for, 44curricular and instructional considerations for, 88explanation of, 88link with NGSS scientific and engineering

practices, xxvpurpose of, 88related concepts for, 88related ideas in science education standards, 88–89research related to, 89safety note for, 89suggestions for instruction and assessment using, 89

Big and Small Seeds probe, 39–41administration of, 40concept matrix for, 2curricular and instructional considerations for, 40explanation of, 40purpose of, 40related concepts for, 40related ideas in science education standards, 40–41research related to, 41suggestions for instruction and assessment using, 41

CCard-sort strategy, 7, 13, 18, 55–56, 95, 99Carey, S., 6Carlson, J., xxviiiChildren’s ideas in science, xxvi–xxvii

anthropomorphism and, 6, 7communication of, xxiv, xxvi, xxix, xxxii (See also

Science talk)listening to, xiii, xxiii–xxiv, xxvii, xxviii–xxix,

xxxi–xxxiimisconceptions, ix, xiii–xiv, xxiv, xxvii, 99, 111

Children’s learning experiences, xxvii–xxviiiCommon Core State Standards, English Language Arts,

xvii, xxxii–xxxiiiCommon Core State Standards, Mathematics, 62Communicating ideas in science, xxiv, xxvi, xxix,

xxxii. See also Science talkConcept cartoons, ix, xxviii, 10, 47Concept matrix

for Earth and space science probes, 92for life science assessment probes, 2for physical science assessment probes, 44

Core concepts, xxix

DDescribing Soil probe, 97–100

administration of, 98concept matrix for, 92curricular and instructional considerations for, 98explanation of, 98purpose of, 98related concepts for, 98related ideas in science education standards, 98–99research related to, 99suggestions for instruction and assessment using,

99–100Do the Waves Move the Boat? probe, 75–78

administration of, 76–77concept matrix for, 44curricular and instructional considerations for, 76explanation of, 76link with NGSS scientific and engineering

practices, xxvpurpose of, 76related concepts for, 76related ideas in science education standards, 76, 77research related to, 77–78suggestions for instruction and assessment using, 78

Do They Need Air? probe, 31–34administration of, 32concept matrix for, 2curricular and instructional considerations for, 32explanation of, 32link with NGSS scientific and engineering

practices, xxvipurpose of, 32related concepts for, 32related ideas in science education standards, 32–33research related to, 33suggestions for instruction and assessment using,

33–34Driver, Rosalind, xiii, xxvii, 18

EEarth and space science probes, 91–116

concept matrix for, 92Describing Soil, 97–100Is a Brick a Rock?, 101–104What Lights Up the Moon?, 109–111What Makes Up a Mountain?, 93–96When Is My Shadow the Longest?, 105–108When Is the Next Full Moon?, 113–116

Essential Science for Teachers: Physical Science, 56

FForces and motion



Index

Big and Small Magnets, ix, 87–89Do the Waves Move the Boat? probe, 75–78Marble Roll probe, 71–74When Is There Friction? probe, 67–70

Formative assessment, xii, xiii–xiv, xxivFormative assessment classroom techniques (FACTs),

xiiFormative assessment probes, ix–xvii, xxiii–xxxiii

administration of, xiicurricular and instructional considerations for,

xi–xiidesign of, xiii, xxvii–xxviiiin Earth and space science, 91–116in elementary classroom, xivexplanation of, xiformat of, ix, xi, xxviiiin life science, 1–42linking to Common Core State Standards, xxxii–

xxxiiilinking to NGSS scientific and engineering

practices, xxv–xxvi, xxixin other Uncovering Student Ideas in Science books,

ix–xin physical science, 43–90Predict-Explain-Observe, xvi, xxiv, xxv, xxixpurpose of, xi, xviireferences for, xivrelated concepts for, xirelated ideas in science education standards for, xiirelated NSTA resources for, xivresearch related to, xiiiScience and Children column on, xiv–xviiscience talk and, xxviii–xxxiisuggestions for instruction and assessment using,

xiii–xivteacher notes accompanying, xi–xiv

GGermination

Big and Small Seeds probe, 39–41Seeds in a Bag probe, 25–28

HHands-on activities, xxiv, xxviiHapps, J., 95, 99, 103Humphrey, G., xxviii

IInquiry-based instruction, xxvii, xxixIs a Brick a Rock? probe, xiii, 101–104

administration of, 102concept matrix for, 92

curricular and instructional considerations for, 102explanation of, 102purpose of, 102related concepts for, 102related ideas in science education standards,

102–103research related to, 103suggestions for instruction and assessment using,

103–104Is It a Plant? probe, 15–18

administration of, 16concept matrix for, 2curricular and instructional considerations for, 16explanation of, 16purpose of, 16related concepts for, 16related ideas in science education standards, 17research related to, 18suggestions for instruction and assessment using, 18

Is It an Animal? probe, 9–13administration of, 10–11concept matrix for, 2curricular and instructional considerations for, 10explanation of, 10purpose of, 10related concepts for, 10related ideas in science education standards, 11–12research related to, 12suggestions for instruction and assessment using,

12–13Is It Living? probe, ix, xxiii, 3–7

administration of, 4–5concept matrix for, 2curricular and instructional considerations for, 4explanation of, 4link with NGSS scientific and engineering

practices, xxvipurpose of, 4related concepts for, 4related ideas in science education standards, 5–6research related to, 6suggestions for instruction and assessment using,

6–7Is It Made of Parts? probe, 21–24

administration of, 22concept matrix for, 2curricular and instructional considerations for, 22explanation of, 22purpose of, 22related concepts for, 22related ideas in science education standards, 22–23research related to, 23



Index

suggestions for instruction and assessment using, 23–24

Is It Matter? probe, 53–56administration of, 54concept matrix for, 44curricular and instructional considerations for, 54explanation of, 54purpose of, 54related concepts for, 54related ideas in science education standards, 54–55research related to, 55suggestions for instruction and assessment using,

55–56

JJohnson, V., 81

KKeeley, Page, xxi–xxiiKrajcik, J., 107

LLeach, J., 18Learning goals, xii–xiiiLearning progressions, xiiiLesson planning, xiv, xxivLife science assessment probes, 1–42

Big and Small Seeds, 39–41concept matrix for, 2Do They Need Air?, 31–34Is It a Plant?, 15–18Is It an Animal?, 9–13Is It Living?, 3–7Is It Made of Parts?, 21–24Seeds in a Bag, 25–28Senses, 35–38

Lines of argumentation strategy, 103

MMaking Sense of Secondary Science: Research Into

Students’ Ideas, xiiiMarble Roll probe, xxix, 71–74

administration of, 72concept matrix for, 44curricular and instructional considerations for, 72explanation of, 72purpose of, 72related concepts for, 72related ideas in science education standards, 73research related to, 73suggestions for instruction and assessment using,

73–74

Misconceptions, ix, xiii–xiv, xxiv, xxvii, 99, 111Moon

What Lights Up the Moon? probe, 109–111When Is the Next Full Moon? probe, 113–116

NNational Science Education Standards, xiiNational Science Teachers Association (NSTA)

resources, xi, xiv, xviiScience and Children column, xiii, xiv–xvii

Neal, D., 81Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), xii–xiii,

xxiv, xxviiiBack and Forth probe and, 65Big and Small magnets probe and, xxv, 89Big and Small Seeds probe and, 41Describing Soil probe and, 99Do the Waves Move the Boat? probe and, xxv, 76, 77Do They Need Air? probe and, xxvi, 33Is a Brick a Rock? probe and, 103Is It a Plant? probe and, 17Is It an Animal? probe and, 11–12Is It Living? probe and, xxvi, 5–6Is It Made of Parts? probe and, 23Is It Matter? probe and, 55links between probes and scientific and

engineering practices in, xxv–xxvi, xxixMarble Roll probe and, 73Rubber Band Box probe and, xxv, 85Seeds in a Bag probe and, 27Senses probe and, 37Shadow Size probe and, 81Sink or Float? probe and, 47Snap Blocks probe and, xxv, 61Watermelon and Grape probe and, xxv, 51What Lights Up the Moon? probe and, xxv, 111What Makes Up a Mountain? probe and, 95When Is My Shadow the Longest? probe and, 107When Is the Next Full Moon? probe and, 114When Is There Friction? probe and, 69

OOpposing views strategy, 103Osborne, R., 47, 51, 69

PPerformance expectations, xii–xiiiPhysical science assessment probes, 43–90

Back and Forth, 63–66Big and Small Magnets, 87–89concept matrix for, 44Do the Waves Move the Boat?, 75–78



Index

Is It Matter?, 53–56Marble Roll, 71–74Rubber Band Box, 83–86Shadow Size, 79–82Sink or Float?, 45–48Snap Blocks, 59–62Watermelon and Grape, 49–52When Is There Friction?, 67–70

Piaget, J., 6, 51Plants

Big and Small Seeds probe, 39Is It a Plant? probe, 15–18Is It Living? probe, 3–7Is It Made of Parts? probe, 21–24Seeds in a Bag probe, 25–28Senses probe, 35–38

Plummer, J., 107Predict-Explain-Observe (P-E-O) probes, xvi, xxiv,

xxv, xxixBig and Small Magnets, 89Big and Small Seeds, 41Marble Roll, 73Rubber Band Box, 85Seeds in a Bag, 28Shadow Size, 81Snap Blocks, 61Watermelon and Grape, 51When Is the Next Full Moon?, xxix, 115

Project 2061, 23

QQuestions for science talk, xxix

RReady, Set, Science! Putting Research to Work in K–8

Classrooms, xxix–xxxReasoning skills, xxiv, xxvi, xxviii, xxix, xxx, xxxi–

xxxiiReinhardt, K., xxviiiResearch related to probes, xiiiResources for Science Literacy, 23Robertson, Bill, xiRocks

Is a Brick a Rock?, 101–104What Makes Up a Mountain?, 93–96

Rubber Band Box probe, 83–86administration of, 84concept matrix for, 44curricular and instructional considerations for, 84explanation of, 84link with NGSS scientific and engineering

practices, xxv

purpose of, 84related concepts for, 84related ideas in science education standards, 84–85research related to, 85suggestions for instruction and assessment using,

85–86Russell, T., 27, 85

SScience and Children, xiii, xiv–xviiScience education standards, xii–xiii. See also A

Framework for K–12 Science Education; Benchmarks for Science Literacy; Next Generation Science Standards

Science Formative Assessment: 75 Practical Strategies for Linking Assessment, Instruction, and Learning, xvii

Science talk, ix, xi, xii, xxiii, xxiv, xxxvi, xxvii, xxxiformative assessment probes and, xxviii–xxxiigathering assessment data from, xxixquestions for, xxixstrategies for, xxixtalk moves for facilitation of, xxx–xxxii (See also

Talk moves)Scientific and engineering practices, xxiv, xxviii, xxxii

links between probes and, xxv–xxvi, xxixScientific argumentation, xxiii, xxvi, xxvii, xxviii,

xxix, xxx, xxxi, xxxiiScientific explanations, xxviScott, P., 18Seeds in a Bag probe, xxix, 25–28

administration of, 26–27concept matrix for, 2curricular and instructional considerations for, 26explanation of, 26purpose of, 26related concepts for, 26related ideas in science education standards, 27research related to, 27–28suggestions for instruction and assessment using, 28

Senses probe, 35–38administration of, 36concept matrix for, 2curricular and instructional considerations for, 36explanation of, 36purpose of, 36related concepts for, 36related ideas in science education standards, 36–37research related to, 37suggestions for instruction and assessment using,

37–38Shadow Size probe, 79–82



Index


81–82Sink or Float? probe, xxviii, 45–48


47–48Smith, D., 81Snap Blocks probe, xxix, 59–62


practices, xxvpurpose of, 60related concepts for, 60related ideas in science education standards, 60–61research related to, 61suggestions for instruction and assessment using,

61–62Solomonidou, C., 65Sound: Rubber Band Box probe, 83–86States of matter

Back and Forth probe, 63–66Is It Matter? probe, 53–56

Stavridou, H., 65Stavy, R., 6, 41, 61Stead, B., 18Stead, K., 69Stop Faking It! Finally Understanding Science So You

Can Teach It book series, xiSummative assessment, xii

TTalk moves, xxx–xxxii. See also Science talk

asking student to apply their own reasoning to someone else’s reasoning, xxxi

asking student to restate someone else’s reasoning, xxxi

prompting students for further participation, xxxirevoicing, xxxiusing wait time, xxxi–xxiii

Teacher notes accompanying probes, xi–xivadministering the probe, xiicurricular and instructional considerations, xi–xiiexplanation, xiNSTA resources, xivpurpose, xireferences, xivrelated concepts, xirelated ideas in science education standards, xii–

xiiirelated research, xiiisuggestions for instruction and assessment, xiii–xiv

Tirosh, D., 41, 61

UUncovering Student Ideas in Astronomy, xUncovering Student Ideas in Life Science, Volume 1, xUncovering Student Ideas in Physical Science, Volume 1, xUncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volumes 1–4, ix–xUncovering Student Ideas in Science book series, ix–x,

xiv, xxviiiUncovering Student Ideas in Science website, 7, 13

VVibration: Rubber Band Box probe, 83–86

WWatermelon and Grape probe, 49–52


practices, xxvpurpose of, 50related concepts for, 50related ideas in science education standards, 51research related to, 51suggestions for instruction and assessment using,

51–52Watt, D., 27, 85Wax, N., 6What Lights Up the Moon? probe, 109–111

administration of, 110concept matrix for, 92curricular and instructional considerations for,

110



Index

explanation of, 110link with NGSS scientific and engineering

practices, xxvpurpose of, 110related concepts for, 110related ideas in science education standards,


111What Makes Up a Mountain? probe, 93–96


95–96When Is My Shadow the Longest? probe, 105–108

administration of, 106concept matrix for, 92curricular and instructional considerations for, 106explanation of, 106purpose of, 106related concepts for, 106related ideas in science education standards,

106–107

research related to, 107safety note for, 107suggestions for instruction and assessment using,

107–108When Is the Next Full Moon? probe, xxix, 113–116

administration of, 114concept matrix for, 92curricular and instructional considerations for,

114explanation of, 114purpose of, 114related concepts for, 114related ideas in science education standards,


115–116When Is There Friction? probe, 67–70


69–70Wood-Robinson, C., 18


What do your students know—or think they know—about key topics such

as light, cells, temperature, and what causes night and day?

Stop wondering and find out! In Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Vols. 1, 2, 3,

and 4, you’ll find Formative Assessment Probes in physical,

life, and Earth and space science, as well as the nature of science. Award-winning author Page Keeley also offers three volumes

focused on more discrete areas of science—Uncovering Student Ideas

in Physical Science, Uncovering Student Ideas in Life Science, and Uncovering Student Ideas in Astronomy.

Reveal students’ preconceptions at the start of a lesson, then gauge their developing understanding along the way. Every book in the series includes detailed teaching materials, connections to national standards, and much more. Read more about this innovative series at www.nsta.org/publications/press/uncovering.aspx.

To read a chapter or order your copy, visit www.nsta.org/store. Or call 1-800-277-5300 to place an order.

Wondering what your students know or THINK

they know about light?

How about cells?

Temperature?


Uncovering Student Ideas in Primary Science, Vol. 1 25 N

EW Form

ative Assessment Probes for Grades K–2

Keeley

GRADeS K–2

PB335x1ISBN 978-1-936959-51-8

What ideas do young children bring to their science learning, and how does their

thinking change as they engage in “science talk”? Find out using the 25 field-tested probes

in the newest volume of Page Keeley’s bestselling Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series, the first targeted

to grades K–2. This teacher-friendly book is

Probes for Grades K–2

• Tailored to your needs. The content is geared specifically toward the primary grades, with an emphasis on simple vocabulary as well as drawing and speaking (instead of writing). The format of the student pages uses minimal text and includes visual representations of familiar objects, phenomena, or ideas.

• Focused on making your lessons more effective. The assessment probes engage youngsters and encourage “science talk” while letting you identify students’ preconceptions before beginning a lesson or monitor their progress as they develop new scientific explanations.

• Applicable to a range of science concepts. This volume offers eight life science probes, eleven physical science probes, and six Earth and space science probes that target K–2 disciplinary core ideas.

• Ready to use. The book provides grade-appropriate reproducible pages for your students and detailed teacher notes for you, including clear and concise explanations, relevant research, suggestions for instruction, and connections to national standards.

Uncovering Student Ideas in Primary Science is an invaluable resource for classroom and preservice teachers and professional development providers. This book’s age-appropriate probes will help you teach more effectively by starting with students’ ideas and adapting instruction to support conceptual change.


GADGETS & GIZMOS

USING PHYSICAL SCIENCE

GADGETS & GIZMOSGRADES 3–5

P h e n o m e n o n - B a s e d L e a r n i n g

Matthew Bobrowsky

Mikko Korhonen

Jukka Kohtamäki

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Matthew Bobrowsky

Mikko Korhonen

Jukka Kohtamäki


Arlington, Virginia





Claire Reinburg, DirectorWendy Rubin, Managing EditorAndrew Cooke, Senior EditorAmanda O’Brien, Associate EditorAmy America, Book Acquisitions Coordinator

Art And design Will Thomas Jr., Director Joe Butera, Senior Graphic Designer, cover and interior design






NSTA is committed to publishing material that promotes the best in inquiry-based science education. However, conditions of actual use may vary, and the safety procedures and practices described in this book are intended to serve only as a guide. Additional precautionary measures may be required. NSTA and the authors do not warrant or represent that the procedures and practices in this book meet any safety code or standard of federal, state, or local regulations. NSTA and the authors disclaim any liability for personal injury or damage to property arising out of or relating to the use of this book, including any of the recom-mendations, instructions, or materials contained therein.

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Cataloging-in-Publication DataBobrowsky, Matthew, 1955- Using physical science gadgets and gizmos, grades 3-5 : phenomenon-based learning / by Matthew Bobrowsky, MSB Science, LLC, U.S.A., Mikko Korhonen and Jukka Kohtamaki, Ilmiopaja Oy, Finland. 1 online resource. Includes bibliographical references and index. Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed. ISBN 978-1-936959-38-9 -- ISBN 978-1-938946-57-8 (e-book) -- ISBN 978-1-936959-38-9 1. Physics--Study and teaching (Primary)--Activity programs. 2. Physics--Study and teaching (Elementary)--Activity programs. 3. Physics--Experiments. I. Korhonen, Mikko, 1975- II. Kohtam?ki, Jukka, 1981- III. Title. QC30 372.35--dc23 2014021986


C O N T E N T SAbout the Authors x

An Introduction to phenomenon-Based Learning xiiiHow to Use This Book xiv

Learning Goals and Assessment xv

PBL in Finland xvii

Authors’ Use of Gadgets and Gizmos xvii

Safety Notes xviii

References xviii

Additional Resources xix

1SPEED 1

Let's Explore! What's Going On?

Speed Racer 2 5

Measuring Speed 3 6

Changing Speed 4 7

Web Resources 8

Relevant Standards 9

2FRICTION AND AIR RESISTANCE 11


Dragging the Block 12 15

Sliding the Puck 13 16

Is Running a Drag? 14 17

Web Resources 18



3GRAVITY 21


Falling Balls 22 25

Propeller Puzzle 23 26

Balancing Bird 24 27

Web Resources 28


4Air pressure 31


Impressive Pressure 32 35

Pressure Power 33 36

Rocket! 34 36

Web Resources 38


5eLECTRICITY 41


Fun Fly Stick 42 45

Lightning Globe 43 46

Having a Ball 44 47

Web Resources 48



6ELECTRIC CIRCUITS 51

Chapter 6 is organized a little differently from the other chapters because all the explorations involve different types of electrical circuits made from the same kit.


Snapping Circuits 52

Lighting a Lamp 54

Getting to Know the Switches 55

Learning Types of Connections 56

Exploring Conductivity 57

Measuring Electricity 58

Creating Voltage With a Simple Battery

60

Creating Voltage With a Hand Crank

61

Electric Circuits 62

Conductivity 63

Basic Units of Electricity 63

Snaptricity Setups for the Circuits in This Chapter

64

Web Resources 68


7MAGNETISM 71


Bar Magnets 72 76

Magnetic Field 73 76

Magnetic Globe 74 77

Electromagnet 75 79

Web Resources 80



8ENERGY 83


Solar Car 84 88

Melting Ice 85 89

Music Box 86 90

Hand Crank 87 90

Web Resources 91


Appendix

How to Order the Gadgets and Gizmos 95

CREDITS 97

Index 99


x NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

About the

authors

Matthew Bobrowsky, PhD

Dr. Matt Bobrowsky has been involved in scientific research and science education for several decades. Currently at Delaware State University, he previously served as Director of the Physics Demonstration Facil-ity at the University of Maryland—a collection of over 1,600 science demonstrations. Also at the University of Maryland, Matt was selected as a Faculty Mentor for the Fulbright Distinguished International Teach-ers Program, where he met Mikko Korhonen.

Matt has taught physics, astronomy, and astrobi-ology both in the classroom and online. He has writ-ten K–12 science curricula and serves on the Science Advisory Committee for the Howard County Pub-lic School System in Maryland. Matt has conducted countless professional development workshops for science teachers and special presentations for stu-dents, speaking on a variety of topics beyond phys-ics, such as the scale of the universe, life in the uni-verse, misconceptions about science among students and the public, the process of science, and science versus pseudoscience.

He is often asked to be an after-dinner speaker or keynote speaker at special events. Matt is a “Nifty Fifty” speaker for the USA Science & Engineering Festival and a Shapley Lecturer for the American Astronomical Society. Matt has received a number of awards for teaching excellence from the University of Maryland, including the Stanley J. Drazek Teach-ing Excellence Award (given to the top 2 instruc-tors out of ~800) and the Board of Regents’ Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching (given to the top 3 instructors out of ~7,000). Matt’s teaching is always innovative because he uses pedagogical techniques that are based on current science education research and known to be effective.

In his research, Matt has been involved in both the-oretical and observational astronomy. He developed computer models of planetary nebulae—clouds of gas expanding outward from aging stars—and has observed them with telescopes on the ground as well as with the Hubble Space Telescope. One of the plan-etary nebulae that Matt investigated is the Stingray Nebula, which he discovered using Hubble.


USING PHYSICAL SCIENCE GADGETS & GIZMOS GRADES 3–5 P h e n o m e n o n - B a s e d L e a r n i n g xi

Jukka Kohtamäki

Jukka Kohtamäki obtained his master of science degree from Tampere University of Technol-ogy in Finland and since then has been teach-ing grades 5–9 at the Rantakyla Comprehensive School, one of the largest comprehensive schools in Finland. Jukka has participated in long-term professional development teaching projects and projects involving the use of technology in learn-ing, as well as workshops that he and Mikko Korhonen conducted for Finnish science teach-ers. His writing includes teaching materials for physics and computer science, and he has writ-ten two books with Mikko on using toys to teach physics, one at the middle school and one at the high school level.

Jukka is a member of the group under the National Board of Education that is writing the next physics curriculum in Finland. He is also participating in writing curricula in chemistry and natural science (which is a combination of biology, geology, physics, chemistry, and health education). His goals are to get students engaged in lessons, to have them work hands on and minds-on, to encourage creativity in finding solu-tions, and to get students to discuss natural phe-nomena using the “language of physics.” In 2013, Jukka received the Distinguished Science Teacher Award from the Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation.

Mikko Korhonen

Mikko Korhonen obtained a master’s degree from Tampere Technical University in Finland, where he studied physics, mathematics, and ped-agogics. Since then, he has been teaching phys-ics, mathematics, and computer science at vari-ous schools in Finland. He has also developed a number of educational programs that brought some of his students to top scientific facilities in the world, including the Nordic Optical Tele-scope (NOT) observatory in La Palma, Spain, the CERN laboratory at the Franco-Swiss border, and the LATMOS laboratory in France. Most recently, some of his students have attended the Transat-lantic Science School, which Mikko founded.

Mikko has written numerous other educa-tional publications, including a book of phys-ics experiments, manuals of physics problems with answers, an article on mathematics and logic for computer science, and two books with Jukka Kohtamäki on using toys to teach phys-ics, one at the middle school and one at the high school level.

Mikko has obtained numerous grants and awards for his school and students, including awards from the NOT science school and the Viksu science competition prize, as well as individual grants from the Finnish National Board of Edu-cation and the Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation, and grants for his “phys-ics toys” project. His students are also award win-ners in the Finnish National Science Competition. Mikko received one of the Distinguished Ful-bright Awards in Teaching, which brought him to the University of Maryland for a semester, where he worked with Matt Bobrowsky. Most recently, Mikko received the award of Distinguished Sci-ence Teacher in 2013 by the Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation.


xii NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

“ The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.”

— Albert Einstein


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The pedagogical approach in this book is called phenomenon-based learning (PBL), meaning learning is built on observations of real-world phenomena—in this case of some fun toys or gadgets. The method also uses peer instruction, which research has shown results in more learn-ing than traditional lectures (Crouch and Mazur 2001). In the PBL approach, students work and explore in groups: Exercises are done in groups, and students’ conclusions are also drawn in groups. The teacher guides and encourages the groups and, at the end, verifies the conclusions. With the PBL strategy, the concepts and the phe-nomena are approached from different angles, each adding a piece to the puzzle with the goal of developing a picture correctly portraying the real situation.

PBL is not so much a teaching method as it is a route to grasping the big picture. It contains some elements that you may have seen in inquiry-based, problem-based, or project-based learning, combined with hands-on activities. In traditional science teaching, it’s common to divide phenom-ena into small, separate parts and discuss them as though there is no connection among them (McNeil 2013). In our PBL approach, we don’t artificially create boundaries within phenomena. Rather, we try to look at physical phenomena very broadly.

PBL is different from project-based or problem-based learning. In project-based learning, the stu-dent is given a project that provides the context for learning. The problem with this is that the student is not necessarily working on the project out of curiosity but simply because they are required to by the teacher. To avoid having students view the project as a chore or just a problem that they have

An Introduction to

Phenomenon-Based Learningto solve, we employ PBL: The student’s own curi-osity becomes the driver for learning. The student explores not by trudging through a problem to get to the correct answer but by seeing an interesting phenomenon and wanting to understand what’s going on. This works because interest and enthu-siasm do not result from the content alone; they come from the students themselves as they dis-cover more about a phenomenon. Personal expe-rience with a phenomenon is always more inter-esting and memorable than a simple recitation of facts ( Jones 2007; Lucas 1990; McDade 2013).

The goal in project-based learning is for the students to produce a product, presentation, or performance (Moursund 2013). PBL does not have that requirement; students simply enjoy exploring and discovering. This is the essence of science, and it is consistent with the philosophy of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Rather than simply memorizing facts that will soon be forgotten, students are doing real sci-ence. They are engaged in collaboration, com-munication, and critical thinking. Through this, students obtain a deeper understanding of scien-tific knowledge and see a real-world application of that knowledge—exactly what was envisioned with the NGSS. This is why, at the end of each chapter, we provide a list of relevant standards from the NGSS, further emphasizing our focus on the core ideas and practices of science, not just the facts of science.

The objective of PBL is to get the students’ brains working with some phenomenon and have them discussing it in groups. A gizmo’s functions, in most cases, also make it possible for teachers to find common misconceptions that students may harbor. It is important to directly address misconceptions


xiv NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

An Introduction to Phenomenon-Based Learning

because they can be very persistent (Clement 1982, 1993; Nissani 1997). Often the only way to remove misconceptions is to have students work with the problem, experiment, think, and discuss, so that they can eventually experience for themselves that their pre-conception is not consistent with what they observe in the real world.

We must also keep in mind that students can't build up all the scientific laws and concepts from scratch by themselves. Students will definitely need some support and instruction. When doing experiments and learning from them, the stu-dents must have some qualitative discussions (to build concepts) and some quantitative work (to learn the measuring process and make useful calculations). Experience with combining the two reveals the nature of science.

PBL encourages students to not just think about what they have learned but to also reflect on how they acquired that knowledge. What mental pro-cesses did they go through while exploring a phe-nomenon and figuring out what was happening? PBL very much lends itself to a K-W-L approach (what we Know, what we Want to know, and what we have Learned). K-W-L can be enhanced by adding an H for “How we learned it” because once we understand that, we can apply those same learning techniques to other situations.

When you first look at this book, it might seem as if there is not very much textual material. That was intentional. The idea is to have more thinking by the students and less lecturing by the teacher. It is also important to note that the process of think-ing and learning is not a race. To learn and really get the idea, students need to take time to think …

and then think some more—so be sure to allow sufficient time for the cog-nitive processes to occur. For example, the very first experiment (using a toy car) can be viewed in just a few minutes, but in order

for students to think about the phenomenon and really get the idea, they need to discuss the science with other group members, practice using the “language of science,” and internalize the science involved—which might take 20 minutes. During this time, the students may also think of real-life situations in which the phenomenon plays a sig-nificant role, and these examples can be brought up later during discussions as an entire class.

How to Use This Book

This book can be used in many ways. It can be used as a teacher’s guide or as material for the students. In the hands of the teacher, the intro-ductions and the questions can be used as the basis for discussions with the groups before they use the gadgets, that is, as a motivational tool. The teacher can ask where we see or observe the phenomenon in everyday life, what the students know about the matter prior to conducting the activities, and so on. The explorations can also be used to spark curiosity about a particular area of science and to encourage students to explore and learn.

Exactly how you present the material depends a lot on your students. Here’s one approach: Have students work in groups. Studies have shown this to be a good way for them to learn. Have the stu-dents discuss with each other—and write down in their science notebooks—what they already

“Most of the time my students didn’t need me; they were just excited about a connection or discovery they made and wanted to show me.”

—Jamie Cohen (2014)


USING PHYSICAL SCIENCE GADGETS & GIZMOS GRADES 3–5 P h e n o m e n o n - B a s e d L e a r n i n g xv


know about the gadget and about the phenom-enon it demonstrates. If they don’t yet know what phenomenon the gadget shows, you can just have them carry out the steps provided for exploring that gadget. As they perform the explo-ration, they should write questions they think of about the gadget or the science involved. If the students are having trouble with this, you can get more specific and ask them, for instance, what they would need to know in order to understand what’s going on; or ask where else they have seen something like this. Having students formulate questions themselves is part of PBL and also part of an inquiry approach. Asking questions is also how scientists start out an investigation. Be sure to give the groups plenty of time to attempt to answer their questions themselves.

It’s great to let the students pursue the ques-tions they raise and to encourage investigations into areas that they find interesting. This is part of “responsive teaching,” and also part of PBL. If, after a good amount of time, the students are unable to come up with their own questions, you can start to present the questions in the book—but resist the temptation to just have students go down the list of questions. That is more structure than we want to have in view of our goal of pre-senting learning as exploration and inquiry. A good use of the questions would be to help guide your interaction with the groups as they explore a phenomenon.

Students can then work in groups to answer the questions, doing more experimentation as needed. The important point is that they won’t learn much by simply being told an answer. Much more learn-ing takes place if they can, through experimenta-tion and reasoning, come up with some ideas them-selves. Students may come up with an idea that is incorrect; rather than immediately correcting them,

guide them toward an experiment or line of rea-soning that reveals an inconsistency. It is not a bad thing if the students’ first ideas are incorrect: This allows them to recognize that, through the process of science, it is possible to correct mistakes and come away with a better understanding—which is one of the main points of PBL.

While the student groups are investigating, you, the teacher, should be moving among them, monitoring conversations to determine whether the students are proceeding scientifically, for example, by asking questions or discussing ways to answer the questions—perhaps using the gadget, through debate, or even by doing web searches. This monitoring is part of the assess-ment process, as explained further in the Learn-ing Goals and Assessment section.

After students have made a discovery or fig-ured out something new, have them reflect on the mental process they went through to achieve that discovery or understanding. This reflection—sometimes referred to as metacognition—helps students recognize strategies that will be helpful for other challenges in the future. The combina-tion of guidance and metacognition is consistent with a modern learning cycle leading to continu-ous increases in students’ content knowledge and process skills.

Learning Goals and Assessment

The most important learning goal is for students to learn to think about problems and try a vari-ety of approaches to solve them. Nowadays, most students just wait for the teacher to state the answer. The aim here is for students to enjoy figuring out what’s going on and to be creative and innovative.


xvi NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION


Combining this with other objectives, a list of learning goals might look something like this:

By the end of these lessons, students will

• think about problems from various angles and try different strategies;

• demonstrate process skills, working logically and consistently;

• collaborate with others to solve problems;

• use the language of science;

• reflect on the thinking processes that helped them to acquire new knowledge and skills in science; and

• view science as interesting and fun.

You will also notice that there are no formal quizzes or rubrics included. There are other ways to evaluate students during activities such as these. First, note that the emphasis is not on get-ting the “right” answer. Teachers should not sim-ply provide the answer or an easy way out—that would not allow students to learn how science really works. When looking at student answers, consider the following: Are the students basing their conclusions on evidence? Are they sharing their ideas with others in their group? Even if a student has the wrong idea, if she or he has evi-dential reasons for that idea, then that student has the right approach. After all members of a group are in agreement and tell you, the teacher, what they think is happening, you can express doubt or question the group’s explanation, making the stu-dents describe their evidence and perhaps having them discuss it further among themselves. Stu-dent participation as scientific investigators and their ability to give reasons for their explanations

will be the key indicators that the students under-stand the process of science.

The PBL approach lends itself well to hav-ing students keep journals of their activities. Stu-dents should write about how they are conduct-ing their experiment (which might differ from one group to another), ideas they have related to the phenomenon under investigation (including both correct and incorrect ideas), what experiments or observations showed the incorrect ideas to be wrong, answers to the questions supplied for each exploration, and what they learned as a result of the activity. The teacher can encourage students to form a mental model—perhaps expressed as a drawing—of how the phenomenon works and why. Then the students can update this model in the course of their investigations. Students’ note-books or journals will go a long way to helping the teacher see how the students’ thinking and under-standing have progressed. If there is a requirement for a written assessment, the journal provides the basis for that. As a further prompt for writing or discussion, encourage students to form a “bridge to the future” by asking questions such as “Where could we use this phenomena?” and “How could this be useful?” Students might also want to make a video of the experiment. This can be used for later reference as well as to show family and friends. Wouldn’t it be great if we could get students talk-ing about science outside the classroom?

A few of the questions asked of the students will be difficult to answer. Here again, students get a feel for what it’s like to be a real scientist exploring uncharted territory. A student might suggest an incorrect explanation. Other students in the group might offer a correction, or if no one does, perhaps further experimentation, along with guidance from the teacher, will lead the students on the right course. Like scientists, the


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students can do a literature search (usually a web search now) to see what others know about the phenomenon. (Doing web searches also involves learning to recognize when a site is reputable and when it is not.) Thus there are many ways for a misconception to get dispelled in a way that will result in more long-term understanding than if the students are simply told the answer. Guid-ance from the teacher could include providing some ideas about what to observe when doing the experiment or giving some examples from other situations in which the same phenomenon takes place. Although many incorrect ideas will not last long in group discussions, the teacher should actively monitor the discussions, ensuring that students do not get too far off track and are on their way to achieving increased understanding. We’ve provided an analysis of the science behind each exploration to focus your instruction.

By exploring first and getting to a theoretical understanding later, students are working like real scientists. When scientists investigate a new phe-nomenon, they aren’t presented with an explana-tion first—they have to figure it out. And that’s what students do in PBL. Real scientists exten-sively collaborate with one another; and that’s exactly what the students do here as well—work in groups. Not all terms and concepts are exten-sively explained; that’s not the purpose of this book. Again, like real scientists the students can look up information as needed in, for example, a traditional science book. What we present here is the PBL approach, in which students explore first and are inspired to pursue creative approaches to answers—and have fun in the process!

PBL in Finland

The Finnish educational system came into the spotlight after the Programme of International

Student Assessment (PISA) showed that Finnish students were among the top in science literacy proficiency levels. In 2009, Finland ranked second in science and third in reading out of 74 countries. (The United States ranked 23rd and 17th, respec-tively.) In 2012, Finland ranked 5th in science and 6th in reading. (The United States ranked 28th and 24th, respectively.) Finland is now seen as a major international leader in education, and its perfor-mance has been especially notable for its signifi-cant consistency across schools. No other country has so little variation in outcomes among schools, and the gap within schools between the top- and bottom-achieving students is quite small as well.

Finnish schools seem to serve all students well, regardless of family background or socioeco-nomic status. Recently, U.S. educators and politi-cal leaders have been traveling to Finland to learn the secret of their success.

The PBL approach is one that includes respon-sive teaching, progressive inquiry, project-based learning, and in Finland at least, other methods at the teachers’ discretion. The idea is to teach bigger concepts and useful thinking skills rather than asking students to memorize everything in a textbook.

Authors’ Use of Gadgets and Gizmos

One of the authors (M.B.) has been using giz-mos as the basis of teaching for many years. He also uses them for illustrative purposes in public presentations and school programs. The other two authors (M.K. and J.K.) have been using PBL—and the materials in this book—to teach in Finland. Their approach is to present scien-tific phenomena to students so that they can build ideas and an understanding of the topic by


xviii NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION


themselves, in small groups. Students progress from thinking to understanding to explaining. For each phenomenon there are several different viewpoints from which the student can develop a big-picture understanding as a result of step-by-step exploration. The teacher serves only as a guide who leads the student in the right direc-tion. PBL is an approach that is not only effec-tive for learning but is also much more fun and interesting for both the teacher and the students.

Safety Notes

Doing science through hands-on, process, and inquiry-based activities or experiments helps to foster the learning and understanding of science. However, in order to make for a safer experi-ence, certain safety procedures must be followed. Throughout this book, there are a series of safety notes that help make PBL a safer learning experi-ence for students and teachers. In most cases, eye protection is required. Safety glasses or safety goggles noted must meet the ANSI Z87.1 safety standard. For additional safety information, check out NSTA’s “Safety in the Science Classroom” at www.nsta.org/pdfs/SafetyInTheScienceClassroom.pdf. Additional information on safety can be found at the NSTA Safety Portal at www.nsta.org/portals/safety.aspx.

Disclaimer: Safety of each activity is based in part on use of the recommended materials and instructions. Selection of alternative materials for these activities may jeopardize the level of safety and therefore is at the user’s own risk.

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introductory mechanics. American Journal of

Physics 50 (1): 66–71.

Clement, J. 1993. Using bridging analogies and

anchoring intuitions to deal with students’

preconceptions in physics. Journal of Research in

Science Teaching 30 (10): 1241–1257.

Cohen, J. 2014. 18 ways to engage your students

by teaching less and learning more with rap

genius. http://poetry.rapgenius.com/Mr-cohen-18-

waysto-engage-your-students-by-teaching-less-

andlearning-more-with-rap-genius-lyrics.

Crouch, C. H., and E. Mazur. 2001. Peer instruction:

Ten years of experience and results. American

Journal of Physics 69 (9): 970–977.

Jones, L. 2007. The student-centered classroom.

New York: Cambridge University Press. www.

cambridge.org/other_files/downloads/esl/booklets/

Jones-Student-Centered.pdf.

Lucas, A. F. 1990. Using psychological models to

understand student motivation. In The changing

face of college teaching: New directions for

teaching and learning, no. 42, ed. M. D. Svinicki,

103–114. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

McDade, M. 2013. Children learn better when they

figure things out for themselves: Brandywine

professor’s research published in journal.

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story/265620/2013/02/21/society-and-culture/

children-learn-better-when-they-figure-things-out.

McNeil, L. E. 2013. Transforming introductory physics

teaching at UNC-CH. University of North Carolina

at Chapel Hill. http://user.physics.unc.edu/~mcneil/

physicsmanifesto.html.


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Moursund, D. 2013. Problem-based learning and

project-based learning. University of Oregon. http://

pages.uoregon.edu/moursund/Math/pbl.htm.

Nissani, M. 1997. Can the persistence of

misconceptions be generalized and explained?

Journal of Thought 32: 69–76. www.is.wayne.edu/

mnissani/pagepub/theory.htm.

Additional Resources Bobrowsky, M. 2007. The process of science: and its

interaction with non-scientific ideas. Washington,

DC: American Astronomical Society. http://aas.org/

education/The_Process_of_Science.

Champagne, A. B., R. F. Gunstone, and L. E.

Klopfer.1985. Effecting changes in cognitive

structures among physics students. In Cognitive

structure and conceptual change, ed. H. T. West and

A. L. Pines, 163–187. Orlando, FL: Academic Press.

Chi, M. T. H., and R. D. Roscoe. 2002. The processes

and challenges of conceptual change. In

Reconsidering conceptual change: Issues in

theory and practice, ed. M. Limón and L. Mason,

3–27. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Dale, E. 1969. Audio-visual methods in teaching. New

York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

Donivan, M. 1993. A dynamic duo takes on science.

Science and Children 31 (2): 29–32.

Enger, S. K., and R. E. Yager. 2001. Assessing student

understanding in science: A standards-based K–12

handbook. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Jacobs, H. H., ed. 2010. Curriculum 21: Essential

education for a changing world. Alexandria, VA:

ASCD.

McTighe, J., and G. Wiggins. 2013. Essential

questions: Opening doors to student

understanding. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Meadows, D. H. 2008. Thinking in systems: A

primer. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green

Publishing.

National Research Council (NRC). 2000a. How

people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school.

Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

National Research Council (NRC). 2000b. Inquiry

and the National Science Education Standards: A

guide for teaching and learning. Washington, DC:

National Academies Press.

National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework

for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting

concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC:

National Academies Press.

P-16 Science Education at the Akron Global Polymer

Academy. Wait time. The University of Akron. http://

agpa.uakron.edu/p16/btp.php?id=wait-time.


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4Air Pressure

A s you learned earlier, gravity affects all objects. This includes air mol-ecules—the small particles that make up air. Gravity pulls the molecules toward the ground, and the molecules push on the ground. We call that

pushing air pressure or atmospheric pressure. Near the ground there are more mol-ecules and they are squeezed together more tightly, the air pressure is higher near sea level and lower up on a high mountain.

Air pushes in all directions because air molecules are constantly moving in all directions. The molecules bump into, or collide, with each other and with everything they touch. In a container, the air molecules collide with the walls. These collisions cause a force that pushes the walls outwards: You see this when the rubber expands as you blow up a balloon.

In the following experiments you will learn about air pressure. You may have seen terms such as high pressure, excess pressure, low pressure, and underpressure. Let’s find out what they mean!


32 NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

Impressive Pressure

We do not really feel the atmospheric pressure and the forces it creates. One reason for this is that we are used to these forces. Another reason is that the pressure is pushing equally on all parts of us, inside and out. In the following experiments with the Atmospheric Pressure Cups (Figure 4.1), you will get an idea of how strong the forces are.

1. What are the gadgets you have? How do they work?

2. Compress the cups against each other. Then pull the cups apart. They are probably very tight, so be careful!

3. There is an easier way to separate the two halves. Can you discover it?

4. Place a piece of cloth between the cups.

5. How do the cups work if there is some cloth between them? Why is that?

6. Try lifting different objects using the pressure cups. Take notes on things you can and cannot lift with them.

7. How does the kind of surface affect how well the pressure cups work? What is the same about the materials you are able to lift with the pressure cup? What is the same about the materials you are not able to lift?

8. Why do the two pressure cups stay together?

Let's Explore!4

▼SAFETY NOTES

• Wear safety glasses or goggles.

• To prevent injury, make sure arms are in an area free of any objects when pulling the suction cups apart.

FIGURE 4.1: Atmospheric Pressure Cups



Pressure Power

Air pressure squeezes every object. Let’s see what happens if we remove the pressure with the Vacuum Pumper and Chamber (Figure 4.2).

1. You have a container and a pumper. Find out how the pump works.

2. Before attaching the pump to the container, find out which way the air moves while you are pumping. Which way is it?

3. You were given something to put in the container. It might be a balloon, a half-filled water balloon, a marshmallow, shaving foam, whipped cream, or something else.

4. What do you see in each of these cases? What happens while you pump? Why?

▼SAFETY NOTE


• Never stand over or near the water rocket while it is being pressurized or launched.

• Stay clear of the stake—it presents a potential impalement hazard.

• Only perform this experiment outside in an open field, never inside.

FIGURE 4.2: Vacuum Pumper and Chamber

4AIR PRESSURELet's Explore!



Rocket!

This experiment must be done outdoors in a field with open sky. You will see the effect of gravitation and excess pressure. It may be surprising how high the Air-Powered Projectile (Figure 4.3) rises, so before launching the rocket, the area nearby must be made safe.

1. First, your teacher will launch the Air-Powered Projectile straight up. After the rocket lands, look at it closely.

Explain what happened.

2. Then, select one of the wedges (triangular blocks) and place it under the launch pad. Try to guess where the rocket will land. Each group can estimate its own landing spot and mark it on the ground before the

rocket is launched again.

3. Which angle of the launch pad do you think will make the rocket fly the farthest distance? Test your predictions.

▼SAFETY NOTES


• Before launching the rocket, make sure everyone is at a safe distance.

• Never stand over or near the water rocket while it is being pressurized or launched.

• Stay clear of the stake— it presents a potential impalement hazard.

• Only perform this experiment outside in an open field, never inside.

FIGURE 4.3: Air-Powered Projectile

4 AIR PRESSURELet's Explore!



Impressive Pressure

With the Pressure Cups (Figure 4.4), it’s easy to explore the forces caused by atmospheric pres-sure. Pressing the cups together squeezes the air out from between them. When you start to pull the cups apart, the space between the cups gets larger, but the number of air molecules remains the same, meaning the molecules are now more spread out. As a result, the molecules don’t hit the cups as often, so the pressure between the cups is lower. The air pressure outside the cups is still the same—higher than the pressure inside—so it pushes the cups together.

Letting the air leak out from between the cups equalizes the pressure between the inside and the outside of the cups. With cloth between the cups, air molecules leak out because they can pass

through the cloth. This allows the pressure inside and outside of the cups to be the same. This is also the case when the surface of an object you are trying to lift is rough. All the things that the cups can lift are smooth. All the things that the cups won’t lift are rough.

As an extension, note that the same ideas about pressure apply to any fluid (liquid or gas), not just air. For instance, think about how an octopus attaches itself to glass under water.

FIGURE 4.4: Pressure Cups

TABLE 4.1PRESSURE IN DIFFERENT PLACES IN DIFFERENT UNITS

When measuring pressure, several different units can be used: atmospheres (atm), bars (bar), kiloPas-cals (kPa), and pounds per square inch (PSI).

Units

Pressure location atm bar kPa PSI

Air pressure at sea level 1 1.01 101 14.7

Car tire 3.18 3.22 322 46.7

Bike tire 5.08 5.15 515 74.7

Basketball 1.54 1.57 157 22.7

Air at top of Mount Everest, 8,800 meters above sea level

0.332 0.337 34 5

Mars atmosphere 0.00592 0.00600 0.600 0.087

Venus atmosphere 90.5 91.7 9170 1330

Additional info: For the car tire, bike tire, and basketball, the reading on the pressure gauge is the amount by which the pressure is greater than the surrounding air pressure of 14.7 PSI. For example, the pressure gauge on the bike tire will read 60 PSI, while the actual pressure in the tire is 74.7 PSI.

What's Going On? 4



Pressure Power

With the Vacuum Pumper and Chamber (Figure 4.5) it is easy to observe the effects that air pressure has. To see what air pressure can do, you need to create differences in pressure. That means mak-ing one place have less air pressure than another place. With the chamber and pump, it is easy and safe to do.

You probably noticed that the pump makes air come out of the container. It is working in the reverse manner of a normal pump. Instead of add-ing air, as a pump does when used to add air to a bicycle tire, this pump makes the air move out of the chamber.

Molecules colliding in the chamber cause the air pressure there. The air pressure in the chamber is lower because you removed some air from it. With fewer molecules, there are also fewer colli-sions. Fewer collisions means lower pressure. This lower pressure is sometimes called underpressure, meaning that the pressure inside is lower than the normal, outside air pressure.

You also noticed that items that contain air, such as marshmallows, air balloons, or different kind of foams tend to expand in the chamber. Let’s discuss the marshmallow demonstration first. When you start pumping, you remove the air from around the marshmallow. The air pressure is lower now: It

doesn’t push as hard on the marshmallow. When the pressure in the chamber is lower, the small air bubbles trapped inside the marshmallow start to expand because the air pressure from those air bubbles is greater than the air pressure outside the marshmallow. When you let the air flow back to the chamber, the marshmallow shrinks to a smaller size than when it started. That’s because when it expanded, some of its stretchy parts got broken, causing it to collapse to a smaller size.

With the other foams or a balloon, something similar happens. The air trapped inside the foam or balloon expands when the pressure in the chamber is low.

Question for discussion: What makes dirt go into a vacuum cleaner?

Rocket!

The two experiments involved underpressure. With the rocket, you saw what can happen if there is excess pressure.

The pressure in the rocket’s launch tube gets higher when you pump air into it. The black plastic cover will hold a certain amount of pressure. Once

FIGURE 4.5: Vacuum Pumper and Chamber

4 AIR PRESSUREWhat's Going On?



the pressure exceeds that amount, the cap pops and the compressed air comes out and expands, launching the rocket. The compressed air pushes the rocket up.

The Air-Powered Projectile (Figure 4.6) will fly pretty far. With different plastic covers, you can adjust the launching pressure and the distance that the rocket flies. The rocket flies farthest when the pressure is highest and when the launch angle is about 45 degrees.

Air compressed in a balloon pushes on the bal-loon when you let it go. Do you see how the balloon is like a rocket?

Large rockets do not have air coming out the back, but use other gases. Rockets will work with any kind of compressed gas. The photo to the right shows the rocket that first took humans to the Moon in 1969. Would you like to ride in a rocket?

FIGURE 4.6: Air-Powered Projectile

4AIR PRESSUREWhat's Going On?



Web ResourcesAn activity that shows students air pressure at work.www.canteach.ca/elementary/physical6.html

Just as in the rocket exploration, students learn about projectile motion by firing various objects in this simulation. You can set the angle, initial speed, and mass, and add air resistance. Make it a game by trying to hit a target. Info: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/projectile-motionSimulation: http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/projectile-motion/projectile-motion_en.html

Marshmallow man in a vacuum.www.videojug.com/film/marshmallow-man-in-a-vacuum

Air pressure pushes an egg into a bottle.www.youtube.com/watch?v=crWA2FkmHnI

A slow-motion version of the egg being pushed into the bottle.www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqKwxytsvvQ&noredirect=1

Shaving cream in vacuumphysics.wfu.edu/demolabs/demos/avimov/fluids/shaving_cream_vacuum/shaving_cream.MPG

4 AIR PRESSUREWhat's Going On?



Relevant StandardsNote: The Next Generation Science Standards can be viewed online at www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards.

The performance expectations in third grade help students formulate answers to ques-tions such as: "How do equal and unequal forces on an object affect the object?"

[In the performance expectations for all elementary grades], students are expected to demonstrate grade-appropriate proficiency in asking questions and defining problems; developing and using models, planning and carrying out inves-tigations, analyzing and interpreting data, constructing explanations and design-ing solutions, engaging in argument from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.

Performance Expectation

3-PS2-1

Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

Disciplinary Core Idea

PS2.A: Forces and Motion

• Each force acts on one particular object and has both strength and a direction. An object at rest typically has multiple forces acting on it, but they add to give zero net force on the object. Forces that do not sum to zero can cause changes in the object’s speed or direction of motion. (Boundary: Qualitative and conceptual, but not quantitative addition of forces are used at this level.)

Crosscutting Concept

[Also in all elementary grades:] The crosscutting concepts of patterns; cause and effect; energy and matter; systems and system models; interdependence of science, engineering, and technology; and influence of engineering, technology, and science on society and the natural world are called out as organizing concepts for these disciplinary core ideas.

Cause and Effect

• Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified.

4AIR PRESSUREWhat's Going On?



Index Page numbers in boldface type refer to

tables or figures.

Snaptricity setup for, 67Creating Voltage with a Simple Battery

exploration, 60, 60Snaptricity setup for, 67

Critical thinking, xiiiCrosscutting concepts

for Air Pressure explorations, 39for Energy explorations, 93for Friction and Air Resistance

explorations, 19

DDisciplinary core ideas, xiii

for Air Pressure explorations, 39for Electric Circuits explorations, 69for Electricity explorations, 49for Energy explorations, 93for Friction and Air Resistance

explorations, 19for Gravity explorations, 29for Magnetism explorations, 81for Speed explorations, 9

Dragging the Block exploration, 12, 12what’s going on in, 15–16, 15–16

EEinstein, Albert, xiiElectric Circuits explorations, 51–69

AAir Pressure explorations, 31–39

Impressive Pressure, 32, 32, 35, 35pressure in different places in different

units, 35Pressure Power, 33, 33, 36, 36Rocket!, 34, 34, 36–37, 37standards addressed by, 39Web resources for, 38

Air resistance. See Friction and Air resistance explorations

Amperes, 58, 59Assessment, xvi–xvii. See also Performance

expectationsAtmospheric pressure, 31. See also Air

Pressure explorations

BBalancing Bird exploration, 24, 24

what’s going on in, 27, 27Bar Magnets exploration, 72, 72

what’s going on in, 76, 76

CChanging Speed exploration, 4, 4

what’s going on in, 7, 7Creating Voltage with a Hand Crank

exploration, 61, 61



Index

Creating Voltage with a Hand Crank, 61, 61, 67

Creating Voltage with a Simple Battery, 60, 60

Exploring Conductivity, 57, 57, 65Getting to Know the Switches, 55, 55, 64Having A Ball, 44, 44, 47, 47Learning Types of Connections, 56, 56, 65Lighting a Lamp, 54, 54, 64Measuring Electricity, 58–59, 58–59, 66Snapping Circuits, 52, 52–53standards addressed by, 69Web resources for, 68what’s going on in, 62–63

basic units of electricity, 63conductivity, 63electric circuits, 62–63, 62–63Snaptricity setups, 64–67

Electricity explorations, 41–49Fun Fly Stick, 42, 42, 45–46, 45–46Having a Ball, 44, 44, 47, 47Lightning Globe, 43, 43, 46, 46standards addressed by, 49Web resources for, 48

Electromagnet exploration, 75, 75what’s going on in, 78, 78

Energy explorations, 83–93. See also Electricity explorations

Hand Crank, 87, 87, 90, 90Melting Ice, 85, 85, 89, 89Music Box, 86, 86, 90, 90Solar Car, 84, 84, 88, 88standards addressed by, 92–93Web resources for, 91

Exploring Conductivity exploration, 57, 57Snaptricity setup for, 65

FFalling Balls exploration, 22, 22

what’s going on in, 25–26, 25–26Friction and Air Resistance explorations,

11–19Dragging the Block, 12, 12, 15–16, 15–16Is Running a Drag?, 14, 14, 17, 17Sliding the Puck, 13, 13, 16, 16standards addressed by, 19Web resources for, 18

Fun Fly Stick exploration, 42, 42what’s going on in, 45–46, 45–46

GGadgets and gizmos, xiv–xv, xvii–xviii

for Air Pressure explorationsAir-Powered Projectile, 34, 37Atmospheric Pressure Cups, 32, 35Vacuum Pumper and Chamber, 33, 36

for Electric Circuits explorationsHand Crank, 61Snaptricity, 52, 64–67, 79

for Electricity explorationsEnergy Ball, 44, 47Fun Fly Stick, 42, 46Plasma Globe, 43, 46

for Energy explorationsHand Crank, 87, 90Ice Melting Blocks, 85, 89Music Box, 86, 90Super Solar Racer Car, 84, 88

for Friction and Air Resistance explorations

Air Puck, 13, 16Four-Sided Friction Block, 12, 15Running Parachute, 14, 17

for Gravity explorations



Index

Balancing Bird, 24, 27IR-Controlled UFO Flyer, 23, 26Vertical Acceleration Demonstrator, 22,

25for Magnetism explorations

Bar Magnet, 72, 76Box of Iron Filings, 73, 76Compass, 73, 76Electromagnet, 75, 79Magnetic Compass, 73, 77Magnetic Globe, 74, 77

for Speed explorationsConstant Velocity Car, 2, 5Pull-Back Car, 4, 7Velocity Radar Gun, 3, 6

ordering kits of, 95Getting to Know the Switches exploration,

55, 55Snaptricity setup for, 64

Gravity, 11, 21Gravity explorations, 21–29

Balancing Bird, 24, 24, 27, 27Falling Balls, 22, 22, 25–26, 25–26Propeller Puzzle, 23, 23, 26, 26standards addressed by, 29Web resources for, 28

HHand Crank exploration, 87, 87

what’s going on in, 90, 90Having a Ball exploration, 44, 44


IImpressive Pressure exploration, 32, 32

what’s going on in, 35, 35Is Running a Drag? exploration, 14, 14


JJournaling by students, xvi

KK-W-L approach, xivKits of gadgets and gizmos, 95

LLearning goals, xv–xviLearning Types of Connections exploration,

56, 56Snaptricity setup for, 65

Lighting a Lamp exploration, 54, 54Snaptricity setup for, 64

Lightning Globe exploration, 43, 43what’s going on in, 46, 46

MMagnetic Field exploration, 73, 73

what’s going on in, 76–77, 76–77Magnetic Globe exploration, 74, 74

what’s going on in, 77–78, 77–78Magnetism explorations, 71–81

Bar Magnets, 72, 72, 76, 76Electromagnet, 75, 75, 78, 78Magnetic Field, 73, 73, 76–77, 76–77Magnetic Globe, 74, 74, 77–78, 77–78



Index

standards addressed by, 81Web resources for, 80

Measuring Electricity exploration, 58–59, 58–59

Snaptricity setup for, 66Measuring Speed exploration, 3, 3

what’s going on in, 6, 6Melting Ice exploration, 85, 85

what’s going on in, 89, 89Misconceptions of students, xiii–xivMusic Box exploration, 86, 86


NNext Generation Science Standards

(NGSS), xiiifor Air Pressure explorations, 39for Electric Circuits explorations, 69for Electricity explorations, 49for Energy explorations, 92–93for Friction and Air Resistance


OOrdering gadgets and gizmos, 95

PPeer instruction, xiii, xviPerformance expectations

for Air Pressure explorations, 39

for Electric Circuits explorations, 69for Electricity explorations, 49for Energy explorations, 92–93for Friction and Air Resistance


Phenomenon-based learning (PBL), xiii–xivcompared with project- or problem-based

learning, xiiidefinition of, xiiigoal of, xiiigroup activities for, xiii, xiv–xvin Finland, xviilearning goals, assessment and, xv–xviiNext Generation Science Standards and,

xiiipeer instruction for, xiii, xvisafety notes for, xviiistudent misconceptions and, xiii–xivuse of gadgets and gizmos for, xiv–xv,

xvii–xviiiuse of K-W-L approach with, xiv

Pressure. See Air Pressure explorationsPressure Power exploration, 33, 33

what’s going on in, 36, 36Propeller Puzzle exploration, 23, 23


RRocket! exploration, 34, 34

what’s going on in, 36–37, 37



Index

SSafety notes, xviii. See also specific

explorationsScience notebooks, xiv, xviSliding the Puck exploration, 13, 13

what’s going on in, 16, 16Snapping Circuits exploration, 52, 52–53Solar Car exploration, 84, 84

what’s going on in, 88, 88Speed explorations, 1–9

Changing Speed, 4, 4, 7, 7Measuring Speed, 3, 3, 6, 6Speed Racer, 2, 2, 5, 5standards addressed by, 9Web resources for, 8

Speed Racer exploration, 2, 2what’s going on in, 5, 5

Static electricity explorations, 41Fun Fly Stick, 42, 42, 45–46, 45–46

Lightning Globe, 43, 43, 46, 46

VVelocity. See Speed explorationsVoltage explorations

Creating Voltage with a Hand Crank, 61, 61, 67

Creating Voltage with a Simple Battery, 60, 60, 67

Measuring Electricity, 58, 58

WWriting assignments, xvi


Grades 3–5 PB345X3ISBN: 978-1-936959-38-9

1.To improve your students’ thinking skills and problem-solving abilities

The authors say there are three good reasons to buy this book:

2.To acquire easy-to-perform experiments that engage students in the topic

3.To make your physics lessons waaaaay more cool

“ The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.” — Albert Einstein




What student—or teacher—can

resist the chance to experiment

with Velocity Radar Guns, Running

Parachutes, Super Solar Racer Cars, and more?

The 30 experiments in Using Physical Science

Gadgets and Gizmos, Grades 3–5, let your

elementary school students explore a variety

of phenomena involved with speed, friction and

air resistance, gravity, air pressure, electricity,

electric circuits, magnetism, and energy.

The phenomenon-based learning (PBL)

approach used by the authors—two Finnish

teachers and a U.S. professor—is as educational

as the experiments are attention-grabbing.

Instead of putting the theory before the

application, PBL encourages students to first

experience how the gadgets work and then

grow curious enough to find out why. Working in

groups, students engage in the activities not as

a task to be completed but as exploration and

discovery using curiosity-piquing devices and

doohickeys.

The idea is to motivate young scientists to go

beyond simply memorizing science facts. Using

Physical Science Gadgets and Gizmos can help

them learn broader concepts, useful thinking skills,

and science and engineering practices (as defined

by the Next Generation Science Standards). And—

thanks to those radar guns and race cars—both

your students and you will have some serious fun.

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elementary school sampler

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