Science process skill development, like all skills, aren’t just a ―one-time do-it, got it,‖ thing to learn. It takes practice and application in many different scenarios to develop a student’s understanding well beyond just an ―awareness‖ level, onto a level of understanding of any depth. The choice of topics/subjects (ex. the study of frogs vs. the study of physical laws vs. the study of neuroscience) will use all these skills, but the product of the application will look differently based on the topic and the development of the student. The student might focus most of his/her time on one to all the skills and apply them to different situations or topics. Therefore, one will find that this skills-based learning plan can be used for any grade level, over and over again, with the selection of different science topics/subjects and as the student advances in age and skill development. Because it is meant to be used with the student’s own chosen topics, there is the potential for high student interest and engagement throughout the year. In the ―Learning Goals‖ section of this learning planning you will find guidelines, by gradelevels, which may be used as a reference for skill development progression from K through 12 th
grade.
The science process skills* the student will develop through this learning plan include:
Observation
Classifying
Measuring & Using Numbers
Communicating
Inferring & Predicting
Collecting, Recording, & Interpreting Data
Identifying & Controlling Variables
Making Hypotheses
Experimenting
Making & Using Models
Each of the skills will be a focus for a one or two month period and the work samples shared with the Pod teacher should reflect student work on the science skills identified for that month. These skills are described in the Learning Activities section of this learning plan.
This course is focused on the development of science skills using topics or subjects of the student’s choice. Please list the subjects/topics the student has chosen below:
Student’s Topic Choice(s):
Directions for Students and Parents: Add science topics/subjects of the student’s choice to the
Course Description section of the student’s learning plan on Wings.

This course is primarily focused on the development of the student’s skills in the following three science strands: 1) The development of one’s ability to know, use, and interpret scientific explanation of the natural world; 2) Generate and/or evaluate scientific evidence; and 3) Understand the development of scientific knowledge. A fourth strand, 4) Learn to participate productively in scientific practices and discussions, should be added where possible. But it won’t be as dry as it sounds because,
―
th
th
th
Special Note as it relates to the following testing information links – If the science state testing related links (for 5 th
, 8 th
, & 10 th
grade) that are given here should fail, especially those that are given for the MSP or EOC sample test items, you’ll always be able to find them by going through the Office of the
Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)’s website at: http://k12.wa.us/ . The links might fail when they update the material for the next year.
Important Note #1 If the student is in 10 th
grade, or if the student is in the 11 th
or 12 th
grade and has not yet met standard on the Biology End-of-Course (EOC), it is strongly recommended that he or she take a full course in Biology (or study at home with that equivalent in mind) this year in order to be better prepared for the EOC exam in June. Whether or not the student has had a Biology course, the exam must at least be taken for the first time when the student is in the 10 th
grade and regardless of the high school student’s declared ORLA track (diploma, homeschool transcript, or enrichment). It would be a very good idea for the student to work through the sample test problems found on the OSPI website: http://k12.wa.us/Science/pubdocs/ScienceBioEOCUpdate2012.pdf
and for the parent to review the information about the test and its scoring.
Important Note #2 If the student is in the 8 th grade , it is strongly recommended this year that the student, with parent’s assistance, review the OSPI website: http://standards.ospi.k12.wa.us/ContentListByGrade.aspx?subject=10,PE&gl=30 – to look at the content standards that are generally the focus of students in the 6 th
– 8th grades, and to especially look at the OSPI website: http://k12.wa.us/Science/pubdocs/Scienceg8Update2012.pdf
- to learn about the MSP, how it is scored, and have the student work through sample questions.
Important Note #3 If the student is in the 5 th grade , it is strongly recommended this year that the student, with parent’s assistance, review the OSPI website: http://standards.ospi.k12.wa.us/ContentListByGrade.aspx?subject=10,PE&gl=29 – to look at the content standards that are generally the focus of students in the 4 th
& 5 th
grades, and to especially look at the OSPI website: http://k12.wa.us/Science/pubdocs/Scienceg5Update2012.pdf
- to learn about the MSP, how it is scored, and have the student work through sample questions.

*The science skills listed in this Course Descriptions sections and the definitions for those skills used each month in the Learning Activities section are those identified by Catherine Valentino in Developing Science Skills . No additional content beyond the definitions were used in the development of this learning plan.
There are a ton + 1 of materials listed throughout this learning plan with the idea of giving the student choices for science exploration in addition to helping generate ideas because there are just so many great resources that are easy to access, especially with a computer. But ― learning‖ is really best achieved through ―doing,‖ so learning materials that support activities in science are really the best.
The examples of learning materials in this section aren’t an exhaustive list by any stretch of the imagination, but it does give you some examples to help you research your ideas with resources.
Activities that are found in these resources will vary on the appropriateness for the developmental level of the student. The websites below link one to other resources that may also be useful. Once the science topics/subject have been chosen, then additional web searches specific to the topics can be easily researched, as well as other books, kits, games, etc. It is important just to note here that because it is difficult, and a bit limiting, to find and list only websites that are completely free of ads, this learning plan does include some websites which may have imbedded advertisements. ORLA does not endorse any products or services found in advertisements on these sites – so please just ignore the marketing.
Additional learning materials that may be used for specific science process skills are also listed in the
Learning Activities section of this learning plan and listed under the month when that particular skill is the primary focus.
http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/index.html
- This site has a lot of information about science, but in particular, you might want to click on their tab For Curious Kids . http://www.billnye.com/for-kids-teachers/home-dem - A LOT of home demos which includes printerfriendly versions. http://www.biology4kids.com/index.html
- Want some info on cells, microorganisms, plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, animal systems and more. You might like this site. http://www.k8science.org
– A website with many lesson plans from which to choose. Although written for classroom use, many of the activities and lessons are easily modified for home use with one or two children. It also is a great site just for gathering ideas that you can incorporate into your integrated lessons. http://www.pbs.org/topics/science-nature/ - On this site you’ll find a tab for Kids , one for Parents , and one for Teachers – all 3 of which, along with the main website hold countless possibilities. http://chemistry.about.com/od/homeexperiments/tp/homeprojects.html
- 12 chemistry experiments you can do at home. http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/index.php
- More experiments you might do at home.

http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/WOP/HomeExpPhys.html
- These are classic home physics concepts activities. http://k12.wa.us/Science/pubdocs/Scienceg5Update2012.pdf
- This is the website that explains and shows example questions that can be used to help 5 th
grade students study for the Measures of Student Progress
(MSP) science assessment. This is one of the same links given in the Course Description.
http://k12.wa.us/Science/pubdocs/Scienceg8Update2012.pdf
- This is the website that explains and shows example questions that can be used to help 8 th
grade students study for the Measures of Student Progress
(MSP) science assessment. This is one of the same links given in the Course Description.
http://k12.wa.us/Science/pubdocs/ScienceBioEOCUpdate2012.pdf
- This is the website that explains and shows example questions that can be used to help 10 th
grade students study for the Biology End-of-Course
(EOC) exam. This is one of the same links given in the Course Description.
These materials may be found in the General Science section of the ORLA CRC (if not checked out) along with many others that may be used to learn and practice science process skills:
Super Science, Concoctions, Frankel Hauser (younger students)
My Pals are Here, Kwa Siew Hwa & Teo-Gwan Wai Lan (Grades 3-4)
My Pals are Here, Kwa Siew Hwa & Teo-Gwan Wai Lan (Grades 5-6)
Science Detective Higher-Order Thinking, Reading, Writing in Science, Fischer & Carroll (Grades 3-4)
Science Detective A1, Dean-McLeod & Smith (Grades 5-6)
Ancient Science –Time Traveling, World-Exploring, History-Making Activities for Kids, Wiese
Usborne Big Book of Science – Things to Make & do
Developing Critical Thinking through Science (Hands-on Physical Science), Main
Life Science K-2, Carson-Dellosa Publishing
Discovering Scientific Process through Problem-Solving - Sciencewise Book 3, Holley
Teaching the Fun of Science, Van Cleave
Horrible Science - Fatal Forces, Arnold
Horrible Science – Chemical Chaos, Arnold
Light, Heat, & Sound Energy, Evan-Moor (Grades 1-3)
Read & Understand Science, Evan-Moor (Grades 2-3)
Daily Science, Eva-Moor (Grade 3)
Daily Science, Eva-Moor (Grade 4)
Thinking Activities, Evan-Moor (Grades 3-6)
Hands-On Science Experiments – Earth Science (Air & Water), Silvani, Garcia, & Muncy
Easy Science Activity Journals, Scholastic (Grades 3-6)
Science & Civics – Sustaining Wildlife, Project Wild (Grades 9-12)
The Science of Life, Projects & Principles for Beginning Biologists, Bottone, Jr. (High School)
Infusing the Teaching of Critical and Creative Thinking into Secondary Science, Swartz, Fischer, Parks
(High School)

Nisqually Wildlife Refuge - The Educator's Guide to Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge "Where the
River Meets the Sound." This and a growing list of other resources may be found on their website at: http://www.fws.gov/Nisqually/education.html#guide
LOTT Wet Science Center
Hands-On Children’s Museum – Rotating and/or special event science exhibits
Nature Walks for Plant & Animal Identification – Priest Point Park, Watershed Park, etc.
Geology Studies – Mt. St. Helens National Park, Mima Mounds, etc.
Watershed Studies – Mr. Rainier National Park, Nisqually Reach Nature Center, Nisqually Wildlife
Refuge
Animal Studies – Northwest Trek, Pt. Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Wolf Haven, Woodland Park Zoo, your backyard, etc.
LeMay Car Museum – This is a great place for an observation and classification exercise for the student car enthusiast.
Student & Parent Note
Directions for Students and Parents: Add additional materials to the Learning Materials section of
the student’s learning plan on Wings.

Communication Standards: EALRs 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 4.1, & 4.2

Science K-1 Standards: EALR 2 Making Observations; Conducting Investigations; Planning
Investigations; Questioning & Investigating; Conducting Analysis and Thinking Logically
The following gives you an idea of the progression of inquiry building skills by grade level for your reference:
K-1
Students learn that scientific investigations involve trying to answer questions by making observations or trying things out, rather than just asking an adult. Children are naturally curious about nearly everything—butterflies and clouds, and why the Moon seems to follow them at night. The essence of this standard is to channel students' natural curiosity about the world, so that they become better questioners, observers, and thinkers, laying the groundwork for increasing understanding and abilities in science inquiry in the years to come.
Grades 2-3
In prior grades students learned that scientific investigations involve trying to answer questions by making observations or trying things out. In grades 2-3 students learn to conduct different kinds of investigations. Although students may not yet be able to plan investigations alone, they can carry out investigations in collaboration with other students and support from the teacher. Actions may include observing and describing objects, events, and organisms, classifying them and making and recording measurements.

Students should also display their data using various tables and graphs, make inferences based on evidence, and discuss their results with other students.
Grades 4-5
In prior grades students learned to conduct different kinds of investigations. In grades 4-5 students learn to plan an investigation, which involves first selecting the appropriate kind of investigation to match the question being asked.
One type of investigation is a controlled experiment (a "fair test"). Others include systematic observation, field studies, and models and simulations. Students can also collect, display, and interpret data; summarize results; draw conclusions from evidence; and communicate their findings. Students are aware that scientific explanations emphasize evidence, involve logical arguments, and are consistent with scientific principles and theories. Students are also expected to communicate their findings and to critique the investigations of others with respect and intellectual honesty. These capabilities are essential in preparing students for the more extensive and rigorous investigations that they will be planning and conducting in middle school.
Grades 6-8
In prior grades students learned to plan investigations to match a given research question. In grades 6-8 students learn to revise questions so they can be answered scientifically and then to design an appropriate investigation to answer the question and carry out the study. Students learn to think critically and logically to make connections between prior science knowledge and evidence produced from their investigations. Students can work well in collaborative teams and communicate the procedures and results of their investigations, and are expected to critique their own findings as well as the findings of others.
Grades 9-12
In prior grades students learned to revise questions so they can be answered scientifically. In grades 9-12 students extend and refine their understanding of the nature of inquiry and their ability to formulate questions, propose hypotheses, and design, conduct, and report on investigations. Refinement includes an increased understanding of the kinds of questions that scientists ask and how the results reflect the research methods and the criteria that scientific arguments are judged by. Increased abilities include competence in using mathematics, a closer connection between student-planned investigations and existing knowledge, improvements in communication and collaboration, and participation in a community of learners.
For the science content that is usually covered in each grade band beyond inquiry skills, you can visit http://standards.ospi.k12.wa.us/Default.aspx?subject=10%2cPE for detailed information. Just choose the grade band you are interested in reading. This provides detailed descriptions that paint an easy picture to follow and isn’t full of jargon.
The scientific process begins with observation and oftentimes begins with observations of nature and natural occurrences. Observation can be something you notice through any of your senses. The way to know if your observation is correct is if it is repeatable by not only yourself, but other observers as well.
Observation may also be considered the ―researching‖ step in the scientific process.
If you visit this website, http://www.mrsoshouse.com/pbl/observe/indexobserve.html
, you will find 49
(and growing) activities for students to gain practice and understanding of the role observation plays in science. You can do many or just one, but like anything in life the more you practice, the better you will

become. Follow the ―Techie tip‖ to help you most effectively use this site. You can also make your own science observations by finding something that raises a question in your mind by going outside to observe the natural world around you or that is related to the science topic you studied this month. You can follow the same format as the example exercises on the website. Choose an observation write-up that you enjoyed doing, print it off, and then bring it with you to your work sample session with your Pod teacher.
Remember, you can always give it to your Pod teacher a week or two early if you want.
As you are learning about your chosen subject/topic this month, think about questions that you would like to answer by researching your question through books, websites, professionals in the field who study the topic, etc., and see if you can find answers to your questions that are science facts or in other words - have been proven to be true. Be careful when you do your research that you just aren’t looking at resources that will give you opinions or results that you WOULD LIKE to find. ―Looking‖ for certain answers doesn’t follow a good science process and you could end up with wrong or misleading information. Observation and research done well, is done with an open mind with no elements of bias.
Start a science journal that you’ll use all year-long. Each day or two, date your entry and then record what you’ve learned while studying your science topic/subject and/or in learning about or developing your science process skill that is the focus for this month. Bring your science journal to your monthly work sample meeting with your Pod teacher.
1. An observation activity write-up – either one from the observation activities website provided in this section or one of your own choosing on the science topic you are studying.
2. Your science journal with entries for the month of September that describe your work on your science observation skills.
When we classify things it helps us to keep information organized. In turn, this helps keep the scientific process also organized and less likely to result in errors in data. Classification also helps us to be more effective in our communication with others.
The classification of living and non-living things, or events, is accomplished by observing their properties
& general similarities. Cloud classification is an example of a system of non-living things and storms/hurricanes are examples of events that are classified. Here are some examples of activities of either living or fictional creatures using the classification system of Taxonomy.

Treasures of the Great Barrier Reef - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/activities/2215_reef.html
Creepy Critters (You need both sites, one for directions, the other for cut-out cards) http://www.jdenuno.com/Biology/CritterClassification.pdf
and http://www.jdenuno.com/Biology/CreepyCritterCards.pdf
Pamishan Creatures Dichotomous Key - http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/pamishan.html
Interpreting Graphics Taxonomy - http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/taxonomy_interpret.html
Tutorial for Dichotomous Keying for older students - http://www.biologyjunction.com/dichotomous_keying.html
Depending on your science topic/subject of study, you may be able to study how ―classifying‖ is used with that topic. If you are studying raptors, for example, you will be learning about the different types of raptors and what features distinguish one type from another, as well as what makes them different from other types of birds. You can show what you have learned about classification through your research or another classification activity that you have found.
Special Note – October is a good month for the parent and students in grades 5, 8, & 10 to read about the
Science MSP (5 th
& 8 th
) or EOC (10 th
) and become familiar with the format and scoring. The student might work through one work sample and have it scored. We’ll call this a “Sprinkle of MSP.”
1. A completed worksheet from one of the classification activities from the websites provided or one of your own that relates to the science topic/subject you are studying.
2. Your science journal with entries for the month of October that describe your work on classification skills.
3. Option: Work sample could be a scored MSP or EOC test sample question completed by the student.
The skills of accurate measurement and use of numbers, as well as recording information accurately, is a
―no-brainer‖ of how important they are in almost everything we do. When you take medication, get paid for your work (and pay taxes – hopefully not too much), build a house, sew a dress, solve math problems or use your math skills for making or receiving change from a purchase, you’ve experienced how important accuracy is in our everyday tasks. Imagine a lop-sided house or pair of pants you made where one leg is a lot longer than the other (and your legs aren’t) because you guessed at measurement or didn’t record them accurately. And – who wants to GUESS at the right amount of medicine or pay too much in tax?

Here are some websites worth exploring for this month’s skills
: http://pbskids.org/catinthehat/games/hermitshellgame/ - Fun for younger students using shapes and size, although older students may also find some of the games challenging in a ―Tetrus‖ kind of way. http://pbskids.org/lab/activity/housejustright/ - The ―Cat in the Hat A House Just Right for Me‖ http://www.svsu.edu/mathsci-center/uploads/science/mES4_Space.htm
l - From the Regional Math and
Science Center, MANY links to elementary, middle school, and high school level lessons and lots of information related to the Earth, Space, & Time! http://www.numbernut.com/advanced/activities/estimate_mem20_round100.shtml
- This site,
―Numbernut.com‖ contains many links to estimation activities, some of which are more in game format and others are pretty straightforward. Estimation activities are ones that are easily made-up on one’s own as well. The main idea is for students to learn ―reasonableness‖ in their estimations and that if they come up with an answer that really is far off, their own reasoning alerts them to a thinking of, ―Hmmmm, that seems kind of far off, let me think about that again.‖ This of course, takes practice. An example that is very practical is in shopping at 25%, 30%, etc. off an item. Kids who like to shop can really learn about estimation on a shopping excursion and perhaps it will distract them enough that they’ll forget that they want to buy an item. http://math4children.com/Topics/Estimation/index.html
- More on estimation for primary students.
Special Note – November would be another good month for the parent and students in grades 5, 8, & 10 to do a MSP or EOC sample test question. The student might work through one work sample or two and have it scored for another “Sprinkle of MSP.”
1. A completed work sample for one of the above websites or one of your own that relates to the science topic/subject you are studying. A good work sample choice for your Pod teacher is one that shows measurements of things using appropriate units of measurements, recording of ―data,‖ and what it all meant in the activity you chose. Estimation samples may also be fine, but the student will need to explain the process if it isn’t explained on the work sample that is turned-in.
2. Your science journal with entries for the month of November that describe your work on measuring and using numbers.
3. Option: Work sample could be a scored MSP or EOC test sample question completed by the student.
This is a short month and there is so much you can do with this month’s skill of ―Communicating‖ that it can be hard to know where to begin. At the same time, because ―communication‖ isn’t just a science skill, students are learning and practicing these skills in most everything they do, both at home and in all their classes at ORLA both in formal and informal ways. As with all skills, students start to develop strengths over preferences in how they communicate – one form or the other. If your child is already

pretty articulate for his/her age, then you may not feel that it is an area to work on, however, can your child articulate information that they can interpret from information they are given, say in the form of graphs or tables? This is a higher level communication skill than simply being able to talk fluently. To personalize the student’s skill development in communication, first take a few moments to think a bit analytically about your child’s communication skills and then target this month’s work on one of those areas in particular (i.e. verbal words, graphs, tables, symbols, presentations, diagrams, written interpretation, etc.) rather than trying to cover everything. Quality is the focus – depth over breadth for this month. Graphing, tables, and diagram exercises are readily found in math curricula, so websites included in this section for this skill is limited to a few websites one can access. Use and learning of symbols and transfer of their recognition in different situations will be explored in the May/June section.
Websites:
http://www.wikihow.com/Communicate-With-Body-Language - A short wikiHow on body language tips
For middle and high school students, or any student who may already have developed strong skills in many of these areas, a good extension is for the student to instead start learning some word roots
(generally Latin and Greek) that often appear in science, but pop up often in everything living. Below are a few websites that include lists, short to endless, that the student and parent can explore. The student should start by picking 10-15 of the more familiar looking roots, memorize their meaning, and then find words that are based on those root words. As these are mastered, continue to add 10 words at a time. http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/language.html
- Science root words https://sites.google.com/a/sahuarita.net/integrated-science---earth-science-component/Home/thecourses/what-is-earth-science/root-words-used-in-earth-science - Integrated Science root words http://www.macroevolution.net/root-word-dictionary.html#.T8oh9mHAxyU
– Root words in bio and medical terminology
As a teaching aside – one critical communication skill that oftentimes isn’t a topic of focus is…body language. And, like all skills, the practice of this is important and the earlier in a student’s development the better. All skills can develop into habits – strong habits, good habits…or otherwise. Establishing and maintaining good eye contact, good posture, being aware of the types and extravagance of gestures, and development of poise (this is subjective in definition, but people generally ―know it when they see it‖) are examples of body language that improve our ability to communicate with others, can make the difference between getting hired for a job – or not, as well as promote a general air of self-confidence that usually only helps people in most situations. ―What is our body communicating while we are talking or presenting to others?‖ Sometimes the importance and strength of one’s message gets lost in the poor or distracting body language of its messenger, so continuing to improve our body language skills is a worthy use of some regular, focused time and a lot of reminding! December is a month when there may be additional opportunities for safe practice at family gatherings. Think about recruiting a trusted aunt, uncle, grandparent, older cousin, or close family friend to give feedback to the student as he or she practices his/her communication skills. Be sure to select someone who can give feedback to the student in a supportive, non-judgmental/critical manner. When students practice these types of communication skills it puts them in a vulnerable position. Be sure the person is someone both you and the student trust to give feedback in a kind manner and who won’t inadvertently put a dent in the student’s self-esteem or level of confidence. So – whether it is communicating as we try to make new friends, work with other

students on a project, interview for a job, convey results and findings to others, or work with a team of rocket scientists to build…a rocket, having good communication skills will always be important.
Here is a good resource you can find in the CRC Reference Section: Teaching Your Child the Language of Social Success, Duke, Nowicki, & Martin.
1. Works samples for this month can be anything from a worksheet on graphing from one of the websites found in this month’s section (or your own choice), a short presentation, or one of your own type of work sample that relates to the science topic/subject you are studying. Also, a student might choose to demonstrate a communication skill they’ve been working on to share with other students during the work sample session.
2. Your science journal with entries for the month of December that describe your work on any of the communication skills.
This month the student will learn about inference and prediction. Inference requires the student to begin to develop skills to look beyond data or results of an experiment, as an example, and begin to learn to extract some meaning from the information collected. Prediction is an important skill in the scientific process, but one thing to keep in mind with prediction - along with inference – is that both can cause scientists problems if they allow their predictions and inferences to influence the experiment’s outcomes.
In the scientific process, one must remain objective in his/her observations and recording of results.
Listed below are websites that have inference activities, some less hands-on in nature that others. Most students learn best and retain their learning by being physically engaged in the process, so any activity options for predicting and inferring in an active way is ideal. For students at the middle and high school levels, this becomes more important for them to become more proficient in their understanding of the scientific process as a whole and how to make sure that they learn best practices on experiment design, execution, and interpretation. Older students should consider designing a science portfolio. Portfolios are a wonderful learning tool. For a clear and simple set of guidelines on developing a science portfolio, you can go to http://depts.washington.edu/rural/RURAL/design/portfolio.html
. These are basic guidelines when creating one for a research project. So remember - adding interesting, relevant graphics, tables/graphs that represent your data, or pictures (when relevant to the information you are trying to communicate), will make for a more interesting portfolio.

Websites: http://havefunteaching.com/worksheets/reading-worksheets/inferences-worksheets/ - This site has some very good inference exercises in a written format for elementary age students and they lend themselves to easy, but good, parent discussion and guidance. Keep scrolling down the worksheets and you’ll see increasingly challenging options. http://www.speechlanguage-resources.com/teaching-inferencing.html
- This site gives an overview about teaching inference and identifies some of the reasons why students struggle with learning this skill. http://www.brighthubeducation.com/lesson-plans-grades-3-5/58029-inference-games-and-activities/ -
This site gives some strategies for teaching inference through the use of comics and exercise in helping to better distinguish inferences from facts and guessing definitions. http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/sink-or-float/ - There are a million and one activities that can be done with students to give them prediction practice and it can happen anywhere. Here is just one of those million as an example of what you can do, or you can generate your own ideas. Students love to play prediction games and can make-up an endless amount on their own for their patient family members and tolerant friends. ;-) Science activities/experiments at home all should start with a prediction and include inference. http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Rockets.html
- If you haven’t visited NASA lately – there are many good activities through this link. Students can get a lot of practice on prediction and inference through this site with titles like, ―3…2…1…PUFF!,‖ ― Rocket Races,‖
―Project X-51,‖ and many others. But really, most any set-up a student creates to ―see what happens,‖ will give him/her the opportunity to predict and infer.
Special Note – January would be another good month for the parent and students in grades 5, 8, & 10 do a few MSP or EOC sample test questions. The student could work through two or more and have it scored for a “Serving of MSP/EOC.”
1. Works samples for this month can be anything from an inference worksheet activity, to an experiment write-up that described the experiment and shows the student’s prediction and inference in the process
(hopefully showing objectivity), or one of your own related to your topic of choice.
2. Your science journal with entries for the month of January that describe your work on prediction and inference.
3. Option: Work sample could be a scored MSP or EOC test sample question completed by the student.
The Pod teacher will review student progress each month as demonstrated through student work samples.
For all learning activities, formative assessment will be conducted throughout the duration of the course and noted in the monthly progress. Summative assessments will be scheduled as deemed appropriate in content and skill areas where a summative assessment aids the teacher and parent to determine the student’s progress. Timelines for student work samples and progress reviews are outlined in the Learning
Activities section of this learning plan. This student is on a continuous progress, individualized assessment schedule that is reviewed and modified as needed. The Pod teacher is the certificated teacher responsible for the student’s WSLP, including the on-going review of all on-site and off-site classes.