Today’s Plan: Toolkits & Strategies

• Intro activity• Talking about the field• Unpacking funds of

knowledge – Kid quotes & handout– Readings– Pigeon case study

• Digistory & Lesson Plan Connections

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Who are we?

• Take a look at our class results for the “who are we” survey.• In your groups, talk about where you grew up and how that

shapes that resources you bring to science teaching and learning.• Talk about what strengths and challenges that presents you with

as you think about the possibility of becoming a an urban teacher (or suburban, or rural).

• How do your own experiences position you as a new teacher in an urban setting

– Think about your teaching identity– Think about how your experiences shape what you can ‘see’ in the classroom and what

might be hard to see.– Think about how your experiences shape your views on, approaches and desire to teach

science

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Talk about the field

With a partner in a different school placement, discuss the following:

• Where is your placement? School, grade, teacher • What are your goals for your placement? List as many specific goals

as possible.  Goals should be concrete and specific (stated in a way which allows you to know when you have accomplished them).

• As you made your first observations, what caught your attention about your classroom (in terms of anything – from its layout, to the teacher, the students, the resources, etc.)?

• In terms of science teaching and learning, what did you expect to see? Did you see it? What surprised you? Why?

• What are your specific concerns or fears as you approach this placement?  What specifically could you do to address your fears or concerns? 

                       

With a new partner in the same placement:

• What are your goals for your placement? List as many specific goals as

possible.  Goals should be concrete and specific (stated in a way which allows you to know when you have accomplished them).

• As you made your first observations, what caught your attention about your classroom (in terms of anything – from its layout, to the teacher, the students, the resources, etc.)?

• In terms of science teaching and learning, what did you expect to see? Did you see it? What surprised you? Why?

• What are your specific concerns or fears as you approach this placement?  What specifically could you do to address your fears or concerns? 

• And….

                       

Field DiscussionHow is your classroom set up? What are the rules and routines for your classroom?Please draw a diagram of your classroom, and include a description of the rules and routines. Be sure to be clear about how the teacher makes the rules and routines known to her/his students.

How do the classroom set up and rules:•Make science more or less accessible to all students? (i.e., an open science center can make science available during free periods such as before and after school)•Have an influence on how science is taught/learned?•Give students both explicit and implicit messages about what science is, who science is for, and what it means to be a good science learner?

• After you have created your poster with a depiction of your classroom and description of classroom norms and routines, discuss the following questions:

• Given your classroom set up and norms and routines,

– What makes science more or less accessible to all students? (i.e., an open science center can make science available during free periods such as before and after school)

– What has an influence on how science is taught/learned?

– What are the explicit and implicit messages about what science is, who science is for, and what it means to be a good science learner?

• Then….

Then….• Come to the front and take a Science for All

handout• Complete the “school science” circle based on

your own experiences and your current observations

• Complete the kid circle based on the stories in the NSTA book

• Talk about the similarities and differences between “school science” and “kids science”

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• What words would you use to describe “kids science” and “school science” (as many kids experience school science)?

• If you think about what ideas kids bring to science, and what the readings say, what words could you use to describe “science for all” (and ideally what you want science in YOUR classroom to be)?

Everyday Kids ScienceO O O O

School Science O O O

ScienceLiteracyFor AllO O O

Lesson Planning Guide

• Main Components– Curriculum and Goals– Knowing your students: Resources for

Learning– Activity sequence– Assessment

Lesson planning handout

• Main Components– Curriculum and Goals– Knowing your students: Resources for

Learning– Activity sequence– Assessment

Lesson Planning Guide

Planning Part 1

• Selecting Learning Goals• Designing objectives connected to

learning goals• Unpacking your learning goals

– Deeper understandings– Connections

Planning Part 2

• Making sense of “knowing your students” – Conceptions– Everyday connections– Funds of knowledge– Special needs

Cultural resources for learning

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Planning for Instruction from the perspective of students

Children’s Science Toolkits

o Knowingo Doing o Talking

Conceptions in Science: The understandings that children have about the big ideas in science.•What conceptions do they have about science? •What conceptions do they have about themselves in science?

Cultural resources for Learning: The personal and cultural resources children draw upon in learning science.•Youth ways of knowing, talking•Funds of Knowledge

Special Needs: o ELLo Dis/Abilities

Getting to Know StudentsPlanning instruction means that you have to know a lot about the learners

you are teaching, especially if you want to help build bridges between

their lives and science.

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Funds of knowledgeFunds of knowledge (or “FOK”) refers to those historically developed and accumulated strategies (e.g., skills, abilities, ideas, practices) or bodies of knowledge that are essential to a household's functioning and well-being. These funds of knowledge can be drawn upon in the science classroom to help build bridges between the knowledge/experiences that youth have at home or in their communities and what they are to learn and do in school. Think, Pair, Share: Looking at the FOK table (FOK handout, on next slide) pick one example of FOK and reflect on how that has helped you learn science. What is your experience?

Family knowledge and experience

o Work outside the home -- Examples: parents work as landscapers, bakers, child care providers, construction workers, dry cleaners etc.).o Work inside the home -- Examples: cooking, cleaning, child rearing, and ethnic and cultural traditions and activities.o Travel -- Examples: Everyday observation of natural phenomena in different locations (how do rocks look different in different locations, etc.), and of the

relationship between people and the built environment.o Environment and Health -- Examples: knowledge of how the body works, what makes the body sick/hurt, how personal health and environmental

conditions are relatedHow/why do these funds matter? oKnowledge might be related to the focus of the job (i.e., how plants grow) or to the conditions of the job (i.e., air, water quality issues)oMaking concrete connections between domestic activities and scientific concepts (i.e., the water cycle); oMaking connections between how scientific knowledge can grow out of everyday knowledge; oHelping students understand that communities have lots of knowledge built up over time that is related to science and can matter in science (i.e., agricultural practices, etc).

Community knowledge and experience

o Strong ethnic identityExamples: Community members may lobby for Chicano-centered courses and programs in the school (not just celebrating holidays)o A commitment to helping youth achieve educational and economic successExamples: Youth may have experiences in school and summer enrichment programs that focus on language development and other school topicso A commitment to social and community activismExamples: Community members may have collaborated to create youth programs at community centers/hospitals, or to lobby an extended Spanish language

section at the public libraryHow/why do these funds matter? oStrong community coalitions in place to take up science related concerns (i.e., about air/water quality, etc.), where new schools, playground or parks built (i.e., Southside Coalition), getting farmers markets started, lead testing done free for kids, doing surveys around public health concerns.

Popular Culture

o Music, television, magazines, internetExamples: lyrics, songs and the identities of singers, fan magazines, fashion magazines, many of which have stories about personal health, etcHow/why do these funds matter? oKids gain information about how the world works, how their bodies work, safety, etc., from music, television.

Peer activities

o Informal Peer Activities: Examples: Things kids do when they are together unmediated by adults, such as messing around, crazy stunts of bicycles and skateboards, taking physical risks,

free play, trying to look, act, and talk popular, IM, cell phones, gaming, fashion, sports, etc.o Formal Peer Activities:Examples: Things kids do when they are together mediated by adults, such as clubs, organized sport, work with parents or other adults leaders.How/why do these funds matter?oMany students possess sophisticated skills in searching out information digitally, intuitive understandings of how the physical world works, and ways to communicate these ideas to audiences over space and time.

Talents and interest

Art, music, debate, blogging, etc.

How/why do these funds matter?oBeing able to express what you care about while doing science and adding personal touch to scienceoWays of communicating science to others in more youth-friendly ways.oChanging the status of science in the classroom and school community

Youth genresYouth Ways of knowing, talking, doing How shape participation in science classHow kids socially interact and relate to each other:oSense-making through experimentingoReciprocityoSense of community identityoArgumentative stanceoBanteroExaggeratingoPlayfulnessoMovementoTeasingoIntensityoInterest in popular culture (acting like their sports, music and film heros)

o Can use youth genre to create new entry points into the classroom discourse (i.e., acting like a popular figure during a skit)

o Can use youth genres to expand the content and its connections to children (writing a song or rap about a science idea)

o Shapes what students find engaging (what social conditions might make a conversation about regional versus industrial farming interesting)

o How students relate to each other and to the teacher (how is expertness defined and exhibited)

o How students work with each other, and how they understand the value of collaboration

o How students communicate ideas and engage in classroom conversation

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Useful strategies Finding out about children’s funds of knowledge and youth ways of knowing, talking, and doing

1. Observing• Careful observation in the classroom, especially during times when kids are self

directed, working in small groups, and having “free time”. – Who do they chose to work with? What kinds of things do they do? Do they talk

about? How do they talk about it? etc.• Careful observation on the playground, before and after school, and during other

informal times2. Listening

• Science Talks • Other types of classroom discussions where teacher solicits student stories,

experiences, and ideas.3. Reading

• Student blogs or journals (as appropriate)• Reading local papers and newsletters• Reading books and journal articles

• Community Participation• Participation in community events• Interviews and conversations with children and their family members (Open house, parent teacher conferences, before and after school, home visits)

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Reflecting on Funds of Knowledge

What are some examples of Funds of Knowledge that you have?

Choice 1• Benchmark: Compare and contrast food, energy, and environmental

needs of selected organisms (SCI.111.2.E.4).• Benchmark Clarification:All plants and animals have life requirements.

Plants and animals obtain and use energy (sunlight and food) from their environment (water, air, minerals, space, and habitat) in a variety of ways. A basic understanding of photosynthesis (link to Glossary) is essential

Choice 2• BenchmarkConstruct simple, useful electrical circuits (3-5) (SCI.IV.1.E.4).• Benchmark ClarificationIt is important for students to understand that an

electrical charge can move in a complete circuital path. Students frequently have the misconception that charge is used up as it moves through a circuit. A circuit includes a pathway from the battery to the wire to the bulb or bell to the wire and then back to the battery. An electrical circuit may include a switch.See Materials that conduct electricity, (SCI.IV.1.E.2).

Looking at 2 culture cases• Learning & Engagement

– To what extent do you think the student in this episode makes gains in developing understandings of the science learning goals for the lesson?

– To what extent do you think this student, and perhaps others, develop a positive attitude towards science and/or a positive identity in science (felt like they could “do” science)?

• Science for All: What’s culture got to do with it?– What kinds of cultural experiences and knowledge (funds of

knowledge and everyday connections) play a role in this episode?– How does this episode support or not support children’s out of school

culture and experiences?

– What role did the teacher play?

Culture Case #1The Bone Song

L.OL.M.4 Animal Systems- Multicellular organisms mayhave specialized systems that perform functions whichserve the needs of the organism.

L.OL.05.41 Identify the general purpose of selected animalsystems (digestive, circulatory, respiratory, skeletal,muscular, nervous, excretory, and reproductive).

L.OL.05.42 Explain how animal systems (digestive, circulatory,respiratory, skeletal, muscular, nervous, excretory,and reproductive) work together to perform selectedactivities

Culture Case #1The Bone Song

• Preparation for test on skeletal system• Students to prepare teacher endorsed method of flash

cards• In addition to flash cards, Ginny “wrote” a bone song,

using the tune of a popular song• Taught bone song to a few peers• Bone song acknowledged by teacher and made available

as learning resource to rest of class• Copy of bone song also posted on common corridor

Ginny’s bone song.doc

Ginny’s bone song

A little bit of cranium on my headA little bit of mandible on my jawA little bit of scapula on my back

A little bit of humerus on this boneA little bit of radius on the backA little bit of ulna on the front

A little bit of carpals just like thatA little bit of meta carpals on my hand

A little bit of phalanges on the endA little bit of tibia on the frontA little bit of fibia on the backA little bit of torso just like that

A little bit of metatarsals on my footA little bit of phalanges on the end

Just wave your phalanges, yeah yeah yeah

Just wave your phalanges, yeah.

Culture Case #2Pigeon Project

• 6th grade science• Environmental Statistics and taxonomy• Inquiry- and “place-based” approach

KWL

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K (What do I know?) W (What do I want to learn?) L (What have I learned?)

An instructional technique known as K-W-L, created by Ogle (1986),allows teachers to activate students' prior knowledge by asking them what they already Know; then students (collaborating as a classroom unit or within small groups) set goals specifying what they Want to learn; and after reading students discuss what they have Learned. Students apply higher-order thinking strategies which help them construct meaning from what they read and help them monitor their progress toward their goals. A worksheet is given to every student that includes columns for each of these activities.

• If we were about to start a unit on classification (taxonomy)… and we were going to do a pigeon study to help us to do that.. Then…

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K (What do I know?) W (What do I want to learn?) L (What have I learned?)

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Curriculum Context

The Pigeon Study: For students to learn to understand and recognize the different color morphs of pigeons.

Part 1. Pigeon KWL chart

• The class completed ‘what we know about pigeons” and the “what we want to know about pigeons” columns and discuss the columns together.

Part 2. Pigeon watching

• During the field trip, the class found a pigeon “hang out” in the school neighborhood and observe pigeons for several minutes.

• In class, students were asked to make detailed drawings of pigeons.

Part 3. Pigeon statistics

• During the field trip, the class provided pigeons with food (bread) to attract them. Then, the students counted and recorded all the pigeons by their morphs and feet colors.

• In class, students made a graph of the pigeon data and analyzed them.

• In class, the class completed KWL chart by filling out “what we have learned” column.

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Pigeon KWL Chart What we know •All pigeons are alike•Rats with wings •They are dirty•Eat leftovers •Tend to fly in groups•They are ugly •Carry diseases like rabies

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• Student observation: Eat then poop

• Teacher: See how they follow each other

• Student observation: Alpha male

• Teacher explaining pigeon morphs

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• Student observation: I could get encephalitis!

• Teacher’s aid: see their necks?

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Pigeon KWL Chart What we know •All pigeons are alike•Rats with wings •They are dirty•Eat leftovers •Tend to fly in groups•They are ugly •Carry diseases like rabies

What we have learned

• Follow each other• Many types or morphs• Majorities are bluebars and

checkers• They get along together

although they are different types

• Pigeons don’t attack (not aggressive)

• They fly fast

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JameerResisting and challenging the pigeon study unit

Jameer: I wouldn’t have studied pigeons in the first place.Researcher: What would you study instead?Jameer: Neighborhoods or something, not pigeons. It doesn’t affect, what we are going to do? Change the way pigeons look or something. It really didn’t

help me with anything. I didn’t really like it.Researcher: Did you learn anything?Jameer: I learned the different types of pigeons, I learned what attracts them like if they see one pigeon after that a whole lot of them are going to come,

and a lot of them are dying. I see a lot of dead pigeons on the street… rats are everywhere, they’re in people houses. I’m dead serious. I’d choose garbage. It don’t even have to be an animal because you see garbage all over the street on Amsterdam like they don’t pick up the garbage or something, and then on Broadway it’s just not there.

Researcher: What do you think the point of the study was? Jameer : Trust me I have no clue. It didn’t have any point to me. I don’t know where you guys got it from. It had no point. Do it at a point like, … I would

go to other neighborhoods, not just where we are. Let’s say to a cleaner neighborhood to see how many are there because pigeons don’t really do anything they just eat and that’s it. To see where pigeons like to live, in dirty neighborhoods or clean neighborhoods.

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Internal tension for the teacher between staying with a plan and venturing out with new opportunities of science teaching and learning

Transcript: One of the tools we used… [interrupted] Which brings up an interesting issue. I will just make a quick comment and move on. What’s the difference between animals like pigeons and other animals and animals like humans? [He explains that we need to think about the differences and similarities between pigeons and humans] That was an excellent question. What tool… We are going to leave it open though. I don’t think we can answer it easily. What tool… or what tools..

Class objective:biology of pigeons

Andre raises a questionLeading to a class discussion,

which develops due to Mr. N’s support.

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• In groups, read the handout describing the Pigeon Project.• Discuss the following questions (also on last page of the handout):

• In your group, summarize your discussion by creating a poster that documents the relationship between funds of knowledge and science learning.

Reflection Questions:1. What are the teacher’s learning goals?2. What funds of knowledge and goals did the students bring to the pigeon project?

How does this shape the “composite culture of the classroom”?•What did the students know about pigeons?•How does this knowledge shape what their goals might be for the pigeon project?•How was this knowledge about pigeons useful in science class? In other words, how did the teacher draw upon the students' funds of knowledge to help them engage in the pigeon project?•How does Mr. Nader try to balance his goals versus his students’ goals? How does he draw upon his students ideas and experiences in ways that go beyond “tokenism”? Do you think he should have done more?

3. What strategies did Mr. Nader use to elicit students’ funds of knowledge? Can you think of other strategies (you experienced as a learner, that you have seen your CT use, that you’ve read about or thought about) that would be useful to elementary school teachers?

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• patterns and influences in your students’ ideas and ways of interacting with each other and with the CT.

• examples of your CT’s/school’s attempts to recognize students’ (cultural) diversity.

• possibilities for you to learn more about students’ lives outside of school and connect to these in the classroom.

• ways in which the curriculum materials make room to get to know students and/or (mis)represent student diversity.

In your placement, look for and think about …

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• What is science?What does it mean to learn science?– MI Learning goals– The role of curricular materials– Drawing upon authentic

experience

• How do kids learn science– Resources for Learning – Models of Teaching and Learning– Starting in the Field– Classroom culture

• Teaching– Instructional Models – Lesson Planning– Instructional Sequence– Teaching

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• What is science?What does it mean to learn science?

– MI Learning goals– The role of curricular materials– Drawing upon authentic experience

• How do kids learn science– Resources for Learning – Models of Teaching and Learning– Starting in the Field– Classroom culture

• Teaching– Instructional Models – Lesson Planning– Instructional Sequence– Teaching

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What kinds of “resources” can we, as teachers, draw upon to support student learning?

• Material/Physical Resources• Social/Cultural Resources• Human Resources

Resources for Learning

Classroom/School

Family/Community

Lesson Planning - Lesson Plan Format

Part 1: Background• Prepared by: Your name, the lesson plan author• Name of CT:• Date (lesson planned): • Date (To be taught): • Curriculum material sources:

– Title: Title of the curriculum material upon which the unit is based– Author: – Publisher:

• Unit Title: – Title of the unit in the curriculum material on which the unit is based

• Lesson Title: – Give your lesson an informative title

• Grade Level: For what grade are you planning and teaching this lesson?

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Part 2: Goals & ObjectivesLearning Goals to be addressed in the lesson from the Michigan Grade Level Content

Expectations (GLCEs) and the related main ideas and practices within those learning goals• GLCE science process standards and related main ideas (cite sources)

– GLCE– Related main ideas– Related practices (what students need to be able to do to learn the main ideas in this standard and

apply those main ideas to something meaningful)• GLCE discipline standards and related main ideas (cite sources)

– GLCE– Related main ideas– Related practices (what students need to be able to do to learn the main ideas in this standard and

apply those main ideas to something meaningful)

Central Question For Your Lesson: Lesson Objective(s): • What should the students accomplish in this lesson? • (Example: The students investigate what happens when they bring different poles of

magnets near each other and form a rule indicating that like poles repel each other and unlike poles attract.)

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Part 3: Connecting to your studentsCommonly Held Ideas: • List commonly held ideas relevant to this lesson. Cite the sources of your information. How

have these ideas influenced your lesson?

(Where might you get this information?)

Previous Experiences and Funds of Knowledge: • What relevant experiences and knowledge have these particular students had in and out of

school related to this lesson? How have these experiences been taken into account in this lesson? What is your evidence?

(Where might you get this information?)

Linguistic, social and academic challenges, resources and supports: • What specific student challenges and resources have been taken into account in this

lesson? What linguistic, social or academic supports have been provided in this lesson to address these challenges? What is your evidence?

(Where might you get this information?)

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Part 4: Lesson Procedures

Total time for lesson: _____ minutes Materials Needed:List both teacher and student materials

Activity Element& Time

Procedures and management

Students Academic, social & linguistic resources and support

Activity 1 (Time) Step-by step procedures including questions and main points

Anticipated student performances and responses

Transition (Time)

Activity 2 (Time) .

Transition (Time)

Activity 3 (Time)

Conclusion:

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Digistory & Me

• Example Storyboards for Digistory & Me– A few examples & class discussion (using

feedback form)• Lesson Plan: Work on Parts 2 – 3

– Complete GLCE selection and learning goals statement & Objectives (part 2)

– Complete “knowing students” (part 3)– Peer review of Parts 2-3

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