Hands-on Activities to
Support Student Success on
High-Stakes Tests
presented by
Barbara Taylor, senior science program
coordinator
James W. Collins, senior science program
coordinator
At NSTA’s 56th National Conference on Science
Education, Boston, MA
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What is the purpose of these activities?
 Prepare students to be successful on state
assessments.
 Use the built-in diagnostic tool to help determine
what science content needs reinforcing.
 Provide an alternative to the more traditional
“drill-and-kill” type of review.
2
How are the activities designed?
Each activity is designed to . . .
 Review and reinforce students’ understanding of
science content.
 Engage students in hands-on investigation.
 Take about 15 minutes to complete.
 Integrate scientific process skills with content
knowledge.
3
How is each activity structured?
The teacher pages include . . .
 Purpose
 Correlations to state standards
 Teacher notes about the standards
 Background information for the teacher
 Resources
4
The teacher pages include . . .
(continued)
 Materials
 Advance preparation
 Station setup
 Procedures
 Guide to student responses
5
The blackline masters include . . .
 Station information sheet
 Cards, data tables, graphics,
photographs, and so on
 Student pages
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The student pages include . . .
 Before you begin
 Materials
 Procedures
 Questions
 Question card
 I need to remember
 Glossary
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What do students do at each station?
In teams of two, students . . .
 Examine the station information sheet and
verify the station setup.
 Read and answer the focus question.
 Follow the procedures in the student pages.
 Answer the question on the question card.
 post their answers on the diagnostic wall
chart.
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How can the activities be implemented?
 Rotate students through the activity stations
the way you would move them through a lab
practical.
 Administer the activity as a summative
assessment.
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Photosynthesis and Cell Respiration
Purpose:
The purpose of this
station is to
reinforce students’
understanding of
photosynthesis and
cell respiration.
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Completing the Activity
Follow these steps to do the activity…



Read over the activity (3 minutes).
Work through the activity and answer all the
student questions (10 minutes).
Post your response to the question card on
the diagnostic wall chart.
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Table Discussion
How can the “I need to remember”
student page be used to help students
who are having difficulty with the
concepts in this activity?
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Table Discussion
Examine the sample diagnostic wall chart.
What can be determined about students’
understanding of the science content?
Be able to give at least three specific examples
from the diagnostic wall chart.
Discuss for 5 minutes and report out.
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What can you
tell about
the blue
team?
Which team
or teams
were the
most
successful?
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www.sciencetekstoolkit.org
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Contact Information
James W. Collins
jwcollins@mail.utexas.edu
Barbara Taylor
barbara_taylor@mail.utexas.edu
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