Urban Advantage Principals’ Breakfast
March 19, 2014 Welcome!
Urban Advantage Principals’ Breakfast
March 19, 2014 Welcome!
Today’s agenda:
1. Welcome, special guest Chancellor
Carmen Fariña
2. UA ‘look fors’ in the science classroom
a. Review of previous breakfast (‘look fors’ 1-3)
b. What UA students do (‘look fors’ 4-5)
c. Samples of UA student work (‘look fors’ 4-5)
3. Reflections
Our goal with the ‘UA look fors’ is to help you
identify:
1. The elements of a strong UA lesson
2. Key UA concepts or tools your teachers are
implementing in their classrooms
3. Key UA concepts or tools your students implementing
in science labs and their long-term science
investigations
UA Look-fors in a science classroom
Pink Handout
UA Look-fors in a science classroom
1. Read ‘UA look fors’ (2 minutes)
2. Find your elbow partner, discuss:
What do you see in your classrooms that aligns
with the ‘UA look fors’? (3 minutes)
Today’s agenda:
1. Welcome, special guest Chancellor
Carmen Fariña
2. UA ‘look fors’ in the science classroom
a. Review of previous breakfast (‘look fors’ 1-3)
b. What UA students do (‘look fors’ 4-5)
c. Samples of UA student work (‘look fors’ 4-5)
3. Reflections
At the last UA Breakfast we provided a common
experience. We conducted an investigation using
straw rockets to illustrate ‘UA look fors’ #1-3
The straw rocket system
UA Look-for #1
UA students ask questions to guide
investigations
• Asking questions with the goal of explaining
phenomena; framing investigations around
questions
We investigated 2 questions using the rockets
Questions:
1. How does changing the force applied to an
object (rocket) affect its change in motion
(acceleration)?
2. How does changing the mass of an object
(rocket) affect its change in motion
(acceleration)?
Next we modeled UA Look-for #2
UA students plan and carry out investigations
• Developing a strong understanding of
variables to ask testable questions, design
investigations, and construct hypotheses
UA students plan investigations using
the IDD organizer
The rocket investigation from the last breakfast was
planned using the IDD
UA students develop a strong understanding of variables
I.V.
D.V.
UA students develop a strong understanding of variables
Levels of
the IV
# Trials
Constants
UA Look-for #3
UA students gather evidence to help explain
phenomena
• Gathering evidence with the goal of
answering questions and explaining
phenomena
Today’s agenda:
1. Welcome, special guest Chancellor
Carmen Fariña
2. UA ‘look fors’ in the science classroom
a. Review of previous breakfast (‘look fors’ 1-3)
b. What UA students do (‘look fors’ 4-5)
c. Samples of UA student work (‘look fors’ 4-5)
3. Reflections
This morning we will model ‘look
fors’ #4 and #5 by:
• Analyzing a data set collected at the
last breakfast
• Constructing a scientific explanation
using our results
UA Look-for #4
UA students analyze and interpret data
• Analyzing and interpreting data helps identify
the patterns and trends in data to determine
what claims can be made to answer the
question.
This will be our data
Green Handout
**
** Our question
Data analysis at tables
• In a moment, we will ask your table group to
chart a list of everything you observe about
your data (on chart paper/easel)
Data analysis at tables
Try to make observations rather than
inferences…
Observations: What I see is…
Inferences: What I think this means is…**
** We’ll work on what it means later!
Before we start… examples of
observations:
• The 3 distances traveled with a 10 cm piston
height were all within X cm of each other
• The average distance traveled with a 14 cm piston
height was Y meters
• The range of the values between trials was
greatest (Z cm) at the 18 cm piston height
Data analysis at tables
• Groups choose a person to chart
• List as many observation statements as you
can—continue even when it gets hard!
• Include numbers in your statements, and
terms like “average” and “range”
(5 minutes)
Examples of observations
• Share out some examples of observation
statements (from chart paper/easels).
Examples of observations
Do groups have statements that you think
answer your question? If yes, circle it. If not,
write such a statement…
(2 minutes)
Examples of observations
Example of a statement that answer the
question…
• With each increasing piston height we tested
(10, 14, 18 and 20 cm) the average distance
traveled increased (4.6, 6.0, 7.5 and 8.2
meters).
Answering our question with a claim
A CLAIM is…
• An inference or generalization (What I think
the data means is…)
• An answer to your question
• Consistent with your data
Constructing your claim
Construct a claim at your table:
• Write a statement that answers your question
and is consistent with your data
• This is your claim.
(3 minutes)
Constructing your claim
Sample claim:
• A greater the force (piston height) used to
launch the rocket causes the rocket to travel a
greater distance
The DSET (Developing a Scientific
Explanation Tool)
• The ‘DSET’ is a graphic organizer UA uses to
scaffold the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning
framework for constructing a scientific
explanation
Citation: McNeill, Katherine, and Joseph Krajcik. Supporting Grade 5-8 Students in
Constructing Explanations in Science. Boston: Pearson, 2012.
DSET
Purple Handout
Write our your question
Insert your
claim/
inference
Insert the
observation
statements
that answer
the question
Write your ‘claim’ and ‘data statement(s) on your
DSET (3 minutes)
How does changing the force applied to an object
(rocket) affect its change in motion (acceleration)?
The greater the
force (piston height)
used to launch the
rocket, the greater
the rocket’s travel
distance.
With each increasing
piston height we
tested (10, 14, 18
and 20 cm) the
average distance
traveled increased
(4.6, 6.0, 7.5 and 8.2
meters)
How does changing the force applied to an object
(rocket) affect its change in motion (acceleration)?
The greater the
force (piston height)
used to launch the
rocket, the greater
the rocket’s travel
distance.
With each increasing
piston height we
tested (10, 14, 18
and 20 cm) the
average distance
traveled increased
(4.6, 6.0, 7.5 and 8.2
meters)
Now we need
the Scientific
Reasoning
Background Reading
Yellow Handout
Reading Strategy:
1. Highlight and underline
2. Write in margin reason
for highlighting
3. Flag science concept(s)
that help support your
claim
(5 minutes)
How does changing the force applied to an object
(rocket) affect its change in motion (acceleration)?
The greater the
force (piston height)
used to launch the
rocket, the greater
the rocket’s travel
distance.
With each increasing
piston height we
tested (10, 14, 18
and 20 cm) the
average distance
traveled increased
(4.6, 6.0, 7.5 and 8.2
meters)
Write here the
scientific
concepts from
the text that
help support
your claim
Write your ‘scientific reasoning’ on your DSET (2
minutes)
How does changing the force applied to an object
(rocket) affect its change in motion (acceleration)?
The greater the
force (piston height)
used to launch the
rocket, the greater
the rocket’s travel
distance.
With each increasing
piston height we
tested (10, 14, 18
and 20 cm) the
average distance
traveled increased
(4.6, 6.0, 7.5 and 8.2
meters)
Acceleration is the
change in motion of an
object. Newton’s Second
Law states that Force is
equal to mass multiplied
by acceleration (F=ma).
This means that the larger
the force acting on a
given object, the greater
the change in it’s motion.
DSET RUBRIC
Salmon Handout
Today’s agenda:
1. Welcome, special guest Chancellor
Carmen Fariña
2. UA ‘look fors’ in the science classroom
a. Review of previous breakfast (‘look fors’ 1-3)
b. What UA students do (‘look fors’ 4-5)
c. Samples of UA student work (‘look fors’ 4-5)
3. Reflections
UA “look for’s” in the science
classroom: student work
The effect temperature has on magnetic strength
The effect of the gradient of a hill on the amount of
trees on that hill
The effect of zebra mussels on zooplankton population
The effect of weight on the distance a rocket travels
Protocol for looking at student work
1. Find a partner at your table and select 1
project
2. Review project with partner while looking for
the student’s Claim, Evidence and Scientific
Reasoning. Fill out worksheet
3. Discuss with your partner the elements of
Claim, Evidence and Scientific Reasoning you
identified in the work
(6 minutes)
Today’s agenda:
1. Welcome, special guest Chancellor
Carmen Fariña
2. UA ‘look fors’ in the science classroom
a. Review of previous breakfast (‘look fors’ 1-3)
b. What UA students do (‘look fors’ 4-5)
c. Samples of UA student work (‘look fors’ 4-5)
3. Reflections
Pink
Handout
Reflections on UA ‘look fors’
today…
UA is 10 years old! Come celebrate UA’s
birthday—attend UA EXPO 2014 on Sat. June 7th
Please complete an evaluation
Green Handout
Thank you for coming!