Curriculum Topic Study- Bridging
the Gap Between Standards and
Practice
Page Keeley
Purpose of Tonight’s Session:
Using CTS to Improve Opportunities for
Students to Learn Abilities of Inquiry
CTS Topic: Experimental Design
Who Is in the Audience?
CTS and Inquiry Topics
26 Topics in Chapter 6, Section “Inquiry and
the Nature of Science and Technology” pp
228-254
Such as…
Experimental Design
Evidence and Explanation
Observation, Measurement, and Tools
Summarizing and Representing Data
And more…..
Materials We Will Use Tonight
• CTS Experimental Design Study Guide
(downloaded from web site or see p 235)
• CTS summaries from Sections II, III, and
IV (downloaded from web site)
• Student Inquiry Scaffold (downloaded from
web site)
• Small sticky notes- 2 different colors
Do you have the
materials with you?
Yes, I have them 
No, I don’t have them 
CTS Guide Sections and Outcomes
I- Identify Adult Content Knowledge
II- Consider Instructional Implications
III- Identify Concepts and Specific Ideas
IV- Examine Research on Student Learning
V- Examine Coherency and Articulation
VI- Clarify State Standards and District
Curriculum
Experimental Design CTS Sections
Section IIConsider
Instructional
Implications
Essays from:
IIA. Benchmarks for Science Literacy
IIB. National Science Education
Standards
Section III- Identify Bulleted learning goals from:
Concepts and
IIA. Benchmarks for Science Literacy
Specific Ideas
IIB. National Science Education
Standards
Section IVResearch summaries from:
Examine
IVA. Chapter 15 of the Benchmarks
Research on
for Science Literacy
Student Learning
Inquiry and the Standards
National Science
Education
Standards
• Abilities of Inquiry
• Understandings of
Inquiry
• Inquiry-Based
Teaching
Benchmarks for
Science Literacy
• Scientific Inquiry
• Habits of Mind
CTS and Inquiry
Chapter 4 pp 77-79
What contributed the most to your
knowledge of how students learn
The abilities of inquiry?
The CTS Funnel
Controlling Variables
Experimental Design
Inquiry Skills and
Dispositions
What is the
Difference
between a
Scientific
investigation and
an experiment?
CTS Section II- Discussion Question
for “Experimental Design”
Using the summary sheet for Section IIWhat instructional considerations described
in the standards (K-12 or at specific grade
levels) should we be aware of if we want to
develop the skill of designing experiments?
Opinion vs. CTS
My opinion
CTS
CTS & Opinion
Section III Discussion QuestionLearning Goals
Using the summary sheet for Section IIIAccording to the standards, what are
students are expected to know and be able
to do at different grade levels related to the
topic of “Experimental Design”? Summarize
one or two specific skills.
At what grade span are your
students expected to know how to
identify and control variables?
CTS Section IV- Discussion Questions
for “Experimental Design”
Using the summary sheet for Section IV1) How does the research on student
learning related to experimentation and
variables help you consider how and
when students learn the skills of
“Experimental Design”?
2) What developmental issues should be
considered?
Applying CTS Results to An
Instructional Scaffold
Scenario
Ken noticed his rubber
ball did not always
bounce the same way
when he dropped it. He
wondered how different
surfaces affected the
way his ball bounced.
PRE-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
CONSIDERATIONS
• Phenomenon, object, or event being
observed:
• What am I wondering about (initial
question)? :
• What prior knowledge, including
observations made, do I have about this?
Part A: Things I could change or vary about
the phenomenon, object, or event
Part B: Things I could measure or observe
about the phenomenon, object, or event:
IDENTIFYING VARIABLES
I will change:
The type
of surface
I will measure:
The height of
the bounce
I will not change (conditions held
constant so it is a fair test): Place
remaining sticky notes from Part A here.
The type
of ball
The height
the Ball is
dropped
from
The
temperature
of the ball
I will not measure: Place remaining
sticky notes from Part B here.
Time
Direction
Number of
bounces
FORMULATING A QUESTION
(Refining the initial question)
When I change:
What will happen to:
The surface
The height
of the
bounce
Based upon my question,
I predict (or hypothesize):
The Experimental Design
Materials I will need:
What I will change or vary (also called the
independent variable)
The surface
What I will do (how I will carry out the
change):
Number of trials I will conduct:
The data I will measure or observe (the
dependent variable).
The height
of the
bounce
Mneumonic
(Think: Dog food)
DRY
MIX
How I will collect the data:
How I will record and display the data (for
example- table, graph, chart, picture)
Think and Share
How does the student
scaffold support the findings
from the CTS on
Experimental Design
(learning goals, instructional
considerations, and research
on student ideas) ?
Other CTS Guides Related to
Experimental Design
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Controlling Variables
Correlation
Data Collection and Analysis
Evidence and Explanation
Graphs and Graphing
Mathematical Modeling
Observation, Measurement, and Tools
Scientific Sampling
Summarizing and Representing Data
How Likely Are You to Use the
Scaffold and CTS?
CTS by itself is not enough. CTS, combined
with classroom applications, helps all
educators develop a common language and
understanding about teaching and learning
that can be used to inform classroom
practice in a way that is meaningfully aligned
with standards and research on student
learning.
“By taking the time to study a topic before
planning a unit or lesson, teachers build a
deeper understanding of the content,
connections, and effective ways to help
students achieve understanding of the most
important ideas and skills in that topic.”
CTS p 7
Thanks for being a terrific
audience!
Stay tuned for more
CTS opportunities at
the NSTA regional
and fall conventions