Focus on 2014 GED® Content The Wonderful World of Science

Presenters: Bonnie Goonen bv73008@aol.com

Susan Pittman skptvs@aol.com

Session Objectives

• Review content and context of the 2014 GED® Science Module

• Explore essential science practices

• Review the science writing samples

• Discuss beginning strategies for integrating science content and practices

The 2014 GED® test . . .

• Provides results leading to the award of a high school equivalency credential

• Provides evidence of readiness to enter workforce training programs or postsecondary education

• Provides actionable information about a candidate’s strengths and areas of developmental need

GED® and GED Testing Service® are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service. The GED® and GED Testing Service® brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC under license from the American Council on Education.

2014 GED® test Overview

Module Testing Time Raw Score Points

Reasoning Through Language Arts

150 minutes[25 min + 45 min ER] +

[10 min. break] + [70 min]

65 raw score points

Mathematics 115 minutes 49 raw score points

Science 90 minutes 40 raw score points

Social Studies 90 minutes [65 min + 25 min ER]

44 raw score points

Total Battery ~ 7.5 hours

A Conundrum

A Conundrum

Other shapes can fall into the hole if turned upright on an angle. As long as it is just slightly larger than the hole, a circular cover cannot fall down the shaft, no matter what angle it is turned.

EXPLORING THE 2014 GED® TEST SCIENCE MODULE

CONTENT – PRACTICES – THEMES

Surrounded by Science

"If it's green or wiggles, it's biology.If it stinks, it's chemistry.

If it doesn't work, it's physics..." Handy Guide to Science

Identify a science concept or vocabulary word that begins with the first letter of each letter of the alphabet.

Tools

Item Sampler

Science Content Areas

• Life Science – 40%• Physical Science – 40%• Earth and Space Science

– 20%

Content Areas Item Types• Short Answer• Technology-Enhanced

Items• Multiple choice• Fill-in-the-blank items• Hot-spot items• Drag-and-drop items

Three Dimensions

• Content-based core ideas• Science practices• Crosscutting themes

NSTA Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

Core Ideas

Practices

Themes

Physical Science (40%)

• Conservation, transformation, and flow of energy

• Work, motion, and forces• Chemical properties and reactions

related to living systems

Life Science (40%)• Human body and health• Relationship between life

functions and energy intake• Energy flows in ecologic

networks (ecosystems)• Organization of life• Molecular basis for heredity• Evolution

• transmission of disease/pathogens

• effects of disease or pathogens on populations

• disease prevention methods

Earth and Space Science (20%)

• Interactions between Earth’s system and living things

• Earth and its system components and interactions

• Structures and organization of the cosmos

What’s new in Science?• Items aligned to a science practice and a

content area• Content topics pertain to a focusing theme

– Human health and living systems– Energy related systems

• Assessment targets broken down into subtopics

• Technology-enhanced items and short answer

Climb to Alignment

Focusing Themes Science Content Topics

Life Science (40%)

Physical Science (40%)

Earth & Space Science (20%)

Focusing

Themes

Human Health and Living Systems

• Human body and health

• Organization of life• Molecular basis for

heredity• Evolution

• Chemical properties and reactions related to human systems

• Interactions between Earth’s systems and living things

Energy and Related Systems

• Relationships between life functions and energy intake

• Energy flows in ecologic networks (ecosystems)

• Conservation, transformation, and flow of energy

• Work, motion, and forces

• Earth and its system components

• Structure and organization of the cosmos

Integrating a Thematic Approach

Building on a Theme

Infectious Diseases

An Outbreak of Measles• 161 cases of measles in the U.S.

this year (January to August)• Last highest year was 2011, when

there were 222 cases• Nearly two-thirds of cases

happened in communities where many people don't vaccinate

• Nearly 40% of children under the age of five who get measles have to be hospitalized

Building on a Theme

Villain or Victim?

• How do you know that a disease is infectious?• Do you think cancer is an infectious disease?• Does being exposed to an infectious agent prove

that the agent has caused your disease?

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/typhoid/

The American Epidemics

http://amhistory.si.edu/polio/americanepi/index.htm

Scientific Practices

http://www.historyofvaccines.org/

How do vaccines work?

Infectious Disease and our Earth

http://www.windows2universe.org/teacher_resources/infectious_disease.html

Don’t Forget Graphics

Integrate Reading and WritingShould any vaccine be required for children?The article presents arguments from both supporters and critics of childhood vaccines. In your response, analyze both positions presented in the article to determine which one is best supported. Use relevant and specific evidence from the article to support your response.

ProCon.orghttp://vaccines.procon.org/

Pro vaccines because . . .

Con vaccines because . . .

Disease Detective

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/disease-detective.html

Building on a Theme

What strategies do you use when reading?

Integrating Timed Readings

Let’s Start with Reading

http://www.marshalladulteducation.org/reading-skills-for-todays-adult

Questions:   What is secondhand smoke?  Why is it harmful? 

What is close reading?

Close reading is . . . close sustained reading of grade-level appropriate complex texts to examine their meaning thoroughly and methodically, ultimately arriving at an understanding of the text as a whole.

Close reading is NOT…

• Skimming for answers• Surface processing• Reading and forgetting

Benefits

Close reading . . . • Strengthens student critical thinking skills.• Enhances student content understanding

through relevant applications.• Engages students with exciting new

perspectives.• Helps students develop ability to read

complex text independently.

Skills for Close Reading• “Tapping one’s prior knowledge

related to informational text structure.

• Topical and vocabulary knowledge.• Setting a purpose for reading.• Self-monitoring for meaning.• Determining what is important.• Synthesizing.” (p. 10)

Sunday Cummins PhD. Close Reading of Information Texts: Assessment Driven Instruction. Guilford Press, 2012.

A Model for Explicit Instruction ofComplex Text

• Provide context.• Read text aloud.• Students reread the text independently.• Guide discussion of the text after

“chunking.”• Give students constructed response writing

opportunity.

Life Science Application

Untangling the Roots of Cancer As you read the article, identify one or two

text-dependent questions that you would use in your Science classroom to ensure that students have completed a close reading.

Questions for Understanding• Text-dependent questions

– How is the recent evidence about cancer cell formation different from earlier evidence?

– What is the author’s prediction about the cause of cancer?

• Application questions– How does the author explain the “root” cause of cancer?

• Inquiry questions– Based on what you have learned from this reading, if you

were a cancer research scientist, what would you focus on next? Use evidence to explain why you would choose this research direction?

Effective readers use text structure to . . .

• Predict what is to be read

• Comprehend/understand text

• Observe the way the author has organized the text

• Look for key words and concepts

• Note the different headings and subheadings

• Notice and interpret graphics

Types of Text Structure

• Description

• Sequence and Order

• Compare and Contrast

• Cause and Effect

• Problem and Solution

Integrating Writing and Reading

Brainstorm Time!

Constructed response is . . .

Science Short Answers

Prompt

Short

Answer

Excerpt

Short Answer Scoring Rubric

“Because each item will have its own rules for scoring, scoring guides will be developed alongside the item itself.”

GEDTS® Assessment Guide for Educators 3.3.

0 1 2 3

Sample Science Prompt

Deforestation, or clearing away trees, is occurring in tropical rain forests.Explain how deforestation could disrupt the life cycle of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis in tropical rain forests. Include multiple pieces of evidence from the text to support your answer.Type your response in the box. This task may require approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Reviewing the Anchor Papers

• Read the short answers• Identify the following:

– Claim or stance– Evidence to support claim or stance– Strengths and weaknesses of each

writing sample

Students will need to . . .• Read complex text• Identify precise details• Determine cause and effect• Identify evidence within text• Develop an experimentation process• Understand science content• Produce a response that provides an

explanation supported by evidence and/or the scientific method

Teach constructed response

1. Read the passage and question2. Unpack the prompt (identify key words)3. Rewrite the question in your own words and

turn the question into a topic sentence/ thesis statement

4. Collect relevant details from passage5. Organize details into a logical order6. Draft your answer7. Re-read and edit/revise your answer making

sure all parts of the question are answered

Use a Process

Use a step-by-step approach, including how to:• unpack a prompt• set up a claim (thesis

statement or hypothesis)• identify evidence to

support the claim

Unpack a GED® Prompt

Deforestation, or clearing away trees, is occurring in tropical rain forests.Explain how deforestation could disrupt the life cycle of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis in tropical rain forests. Include multiple pieces of evidence from the text to support your answer.Type your response in the box. This task may require approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Unpack a GED® Prompt

Deforestation, or clearing away trees, is occurring in tropical rain forests.

Explain how deforestation could disrupt the life cycle of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis in tropical rain forests. Include multiple pieces of evidence from the text to support your answer.

Type your response in the box. This task may require approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Do What

Explain How deforestation disrupts the OU life cycle

Include Multiple piece of evidence

Type Response

Take 10 minutes

Unpack a GED® Prompt

A farmer purchased 30 acres of farmland. The farmer calculated that the average topsoil thickness on the farmland is about 20 centimeters.The farmer wants to maintain the thickness of the soil on this farmland by reducing erosion. The farmer plans to test the effectiveness of two different farming methods for reducing soil erosion.• Method 1: No-till (planting crops without plowing the soil)• Method 2: Winter cover crop (growing plants during the winter that are plowed

into the soil in spring)The farmer hypothesizes that using either method will reduce erosion compared to using traditional farming methods (plowing and no cover crop).Design a controlled experiment that the farmer can use to test this hypothesis. Include descriptions of data collection and how the farmer will determine whether his hypothesis is correct.Type your response in the box. This task may require approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Unpack a GED® Prompt

Design a controlled experiment that the farmer can use to test this hypothesis. Include descriptions of data collection and how the farmer will determine whether his hypothesis is correct.Type your response in the box. This task may require approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Do What

Design Controlled experiment

Include Data collection descriptions to support hypothesis

Type Response

Take 10 minutes

Develop a Thesis/Hypothesis• Thesis Statement = The main idea or main point

of a written assignment.– Clearly identifies a topic– Contains an opinion or stance on the topic– Creates a roadmap for the writing– Answers the question: “What am I trying to prove?”– Usually located in the introduction

What’s Your Claim? ____________ position on _________________ is clearly supported by _______________ and _____________________.

_____________________ argues that ____________________________, which is supported by _____________________.

A key issue raised in both _________________________ and __________________ is that ______________________.

The long-standing position of ______________ is supported by __________ and _______________________.

In discussion of ______________________, one controversial issue has been ___________________. ________________ believes that _______________________ as supported by _________________________________.

What’s a Hypothesis?• Educated guess about how things work.• Prediction• Use If, then statements

– If ____ [I do this], then _____ [this will happen]• Focuses on one variable only.

Example: If skin cancer is related to ultraviolet light , then people with a high exposure to uv light will have a higher frequency of skin cancer.

What’s the Evidence?

What are the • key words • phrases• ideas • data that support the claim from the excerpt or the hypothesis?

Structure

Beginnin

g

• The introduction states the main idea or position. It begins with a topic sentence/thesis/hypothesis statement. The beginning restates the question and sets the stage to answer the prompt.

Middle

• Answer the question first.• Provide important information the author stated and meant. This is where

you go to the text(s) and provide examples/evidence and important details to support the answer.

• Sample phrases to introduce each text reference include: … stated; in the text …; for example . . .

• Include background information as required through the prompt.

Ending

• Write a closing that summarizes the position taken or restates the thesis statement in a different way.

Don’t Forget to Revise and Edit

• Structure and content

• Make changes to the substance of the writing from one draft to another

• Make corrections

• Ensure adherence to standard English conventions

• Use editing checklist

A ddR emoveM oveS ubstitute

L istsI ntroductoryE xtra

informationS entences

How Do I Know?Inquiry-based Teaching Strategy

Problem Statement

Data Collection

Analysis Conclusions

Determine what is to be investigated and formulate a question or hypothesis.

Gather as much information as possible about the topic from appropriate sources.

Examine and discuss the findings and provide explanations or clarity.

Based on analysis, determine solutions related to the original problem statement.

How Science Works

http://undsci.berkeley.edu/flowchart_noninteractive.php

Life Science Big Ideas  Science Content Topics

Life Science (40%)

Focusing

Themes

Human Health and Living Systems

• Human body and health• Organization of life• Molecular basis for heredity• Evolution

Energy and Related Systems

• Relationships between life functions and energy intake

• Energy flows in ecologic networks (ecosystems)

• transmission of disease/pathogens

• effects of disease or pathogens on populations

• disease prevention methods

Surrounded by Science• Understanding vs. Knowing

– What’s the difference?– How do you know you really understand it?– Can you describe or picture it?

What Is It?

What Is It?

What Is It?

What Is It?

What Is It?

Improving Visual LiteracyQAR (Question and Answer Relationships) • Identify the type of visual or graphic to

be analyzed• Understand relationships in graphics• Use QARs with questions and graphics

“One picture is worth a thousand words.”

QARs with Visuals

In the Image

Right There

Think & Search

In my head

Author and me

On My Own

QAR

Life Science Graphicsorganization of life

Mechanisms of recessive and dominant inheritance of traits

Life Science GraphicsOrganization of Life

At 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, the Lin family set out on a car ride. For the first hour they traveled at an average speed of 40 miles per hour. In the second hour, traffic was heavy, so they only drove at 20 miles per hour. From 12 P.M. to 1 P.M., they stopped for lunch and did not drive at all. After lunch, it started to rain, so they decided to go home. They drove at 30 miles per hour to get home. Which of these graphs represents distance from the starting point over time? Total distance traveled over time? Speed over time? Hunger over time? How would you label the intervals on the y-axis of each graph?

Human body and health

Using Graphics in Real Life

Checking Your Heart Rate

Graphic Gallery

The Graphics Gallery

http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/VL/GG/index.html

the right tools for the job

Remember, a calculator isn’t just for math anymore . . .

Science and the Use of a Calculator

Human Body and Health

What’s My BMI?

Determining My BMI• Convert weight in pounds (without clothes) to

kilograms• Divide pounds by 2.2 = ______________kg• Convert height in inches (without shoes) to

meters• Divide inches by 39.4 =____________meters• Square the meters =____________________• Divide body weight by height squared =

____________Body Mass Index • Kg ÷ (m)2 = BMI)

Surrounded by Science

Make Your Calories Count! (Another way to incorporate graphic literacy!)

Go to the following website and complete the activities:• http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~ear/hwm/hwmi

ntro.html

Too Much to Learn – Use Videos!

Human Body and Health

How Strong Are You?

Time Out for an Incredible Life Science Fact

How Many Skins Have You Had?In each year there are 365 days (except for leap year when there are 366 days). If we divide the number of days it takes to replace your skin cells (35) into the number of days in a year (365) you can see that the skin is replaced about 10 times.

365/35 = 10.428

Now if you replace your skin on average 10 times each year for 20 years you find that you have worn about 200 skins!

10 X 20 = 200

Now it's your turn. How many skins have you had? How many skins will you have had by the time you are 35 and 50 years old?

Physical Science Content

  Science Content TopicsPhysical Science

(40%)Focusin

g Themes

Human Health and Living Systems

• Chemical properties and reactions related to human systems

Energy and Related Systems

• Conservation, transformation, and flow of energy

• Work, motion, and forces

Work/Motion/Forces

Scientific Inquiry Lab

1666 Newton’s Three Laws of Motion

• Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.

• The relationship between an object's mass m, its acceleration a, and the applied force F is F = ma.

• For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Gravity and Air Resistance

Analyzing Data• How does air resistance affect the

acceleration of falling objects?

Effects of Air Resistance

Paper Type Time

Flat paper

Loosely crumpled paper

Tightly crumpled paper

Your paper design

Chemical properties/reactions related to human systems

Bubble Gum Physics

A Lighter Moment

The Changing World of the Atom!

How Big is an Atom?

Chemical properties/reactions related to human systems

Forensic Science

The StoryThe chef at a prize-winning restaurant found his kitchen ransacked. He was furious, especially because he had been preparing for a big banquet. In fact, he had been working so frantically that he had spilled flour and baking soda all over the counter. As soon as the chef reported the crime, the police got right on the job. They have narrowed the search to two suspects. One suspect is the local caterer, a man who is competitive with the chef. He was known to be baking a cake for the banquet to try to steer some attention away from the chef. The second suspect is the woman who owns the banquet hall. Even though she hired the chef, she has never really liked him for reasons no one really knows.

The police have collected important evidence: samples of different white substances found throughout each suspect’s house. Police officers think that whoever committed this crime tracked the substance home. For this reason, police want to determine what the substances are and deduce whether they might have come from the chef’s kitchen. They have labeled the substance at the caterer’s house “substance 1” and the substance at the banquet hall owner’s house “substance 2.”

The Clues Are In!

Answer the following:

• Substance 1 is:

• Substance 2 is:

• Who ransacked the

chef’s kitchen?

Science MysteriesWhy do teachers use science mysteries?• To engage students who may often shun science• To teach basic science knowledge through exploration• To connect science to real life situations

How do teachers use science mysteries?• Teachers often have students read and discuss the first

episode. • Then students continue the story on their own until the

mystery is solved.• Classroom discussion summarizes what students have

learned.

A Lighter Moment

Earth and Space Science

  Science Content TopicsEarth & Space Science (20%)

Focusin

g Themes

Human Health and Living Systems

• Interactions between Earth’s systems and living things

Energy and Related Systems

• Earth and its system components• Structure and organization of the

cosmos

An Introduction to Earth and Space Science

Structure and Organization of the Cosmos

Space ScienceHow Far Is It

Really?

Narrative Chains

Interactions between Earth’s systems and living things

Use the following words in a narrative sentence/paragraph:

temperatures, southern, glacier, earth, tropical, rainforest, jungle, ice cap, moderate

Science Narrative ChainAlthough some of the places on the earth experience moderate temperature changes throughout the year, there are also areas where the temperatures are quite drastic. In some of the southern regions, one might experience a tropical rainforest or jungle-like atmosphere which is very hot and humid. Some parts of the earth are very cold all year long and are composed of glaciers or ice caps.

Sample Questions/Concepts

What are variables? – A review

Independent Variable Dependent Variable Control Variable

• What is tested by the scientist

• What is changed by the scientist

(What I change…)

• What is observed• What is measured• The effect caused by

the independent variable.

• The data

(What do I measure?)

• Things that could change but don’t

• Kept constant (the same) by scientists

• These allow for a fair test.

(What stays the same?)

A Lighter Moment

Real Science! (or is it?)• One horsepower is the amount of energy it takes to drag a

horse 500 feet in one second.• You can listen to thunder after lightning and tell how close you

came to getting hit. If you don’t hear it, you got hit, so never mind.

• When people run around and around in circles, we say they are crazy. When planets do it we say they are orbiting.

• The body consists of three parts - the brainium, the borax and the abominable cavity. The brainium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abominable cavity contains the bowels, of which there are five - a, e, i, o and u.

Getting Started: Integrating Science

• Build students’ close reading skills • Show students the “Big Ideas” • Use hands-on demonstrations & experiments • Incorporate videos, photographs, Internet tours • Connect science to everyday life• Construct and interpret graphs, charts, tables,

diagrams• Solve problems through inquiry• Integrate writing as a tool for reading

comprehension

Access the World Wide Web

www.GEDtestingservice.com

Resources, Resources, Resources

Two Practice Products

• Focus on test content and testing experience– See item types– Practice on technology-

enhanced items/tools– Get feedback on right or

wrong answers and why the answers are right or wrong

• Focus on readiness for GED® test– Timed ½-length test– Same user experience as the

official test– Generalized and focused

feedback – Same registration process and

login as for GED® test

Online Tutorial

“A mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original

dimensions.”Oliver Wendell Holmes

“A mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original

dimensions.”Oliver Wendell Holmes

Q & A

Bonnie Goonenbv73008@aol.com

Susan Pittmanskptvs@aol.com

Thank you for being with us today!

The IPDAE project is supported with funds provided through the Adult and Family Literacy Act, Division of Career and Adult Education,

Florida Department of Education.