(Sample question – Please answer)
Two female teens and two male
teens were asked for their
J1
favorite colors.
Their choices were:
Girls: pink, purple
Boys: blue, brown
What can we conclude in regards
to color preference of female and
male teens? Explain.
“Writing Student-Focused
Questions.”
Michal Danin-Kreiselman, Ph.D.
Biology Teacher
John F. Kennedy High-School
Granada Hills, CA (LAUSD)
http://tinyurl.com/KreiselmanJournals
michalkreiselman@gmail.com
Journal questions fit into any
part of the instructional process:
I. Teaching a
New Concept
II. Formative
Assessment
III. Responding to
Students’ Thinking.
I. Teaching a New Concept
(Creating a contextual framework)
Refer to
previous
experiences
Respond
to
Analogies
Discrepant
event
Figure Analysis
(picture, video
diagram, graph)
I. Teaching a
New Concept
Two female teens
and Event
two male
Discrepant
teens were asked for their
J1
favorite colors.
Their choices were:
Girls: pink, purple
Boys: blue, brown
What can we conclude in regards
to color preference of female and
male teens? Explain.
I. Teaching a
New Concept
Refer to previous
experiences
1) What is the best way to store a
fresh salad - With or without
the dressing? Why?
2) What happens to fresh
strawberry with it is covered
with sugar?
J4
I. Teaching a
New Concept
Lock, Key
J5
Figure Analysis
Enzyme, Substrate
1) What is common
to all of these
structures?
I. Teaching a
New Concept
Figure Analysis
2) What is common to all of
these structures?
II. Formative Assessment:
Exposing misconceptions / errors
Review and
Practice
skills
Conceptual
drawing
Scenarios from
lab/activity
Organizing
vocabulary
II. Formative
Assessment
x40
J2
Scenario from lab,
Figure analysis
x1000
1)Which magnification should you
start with – small or large? Why?
2) About how many cells can you
see on the right picture?
3) Is the picture taken from a
prokaryote or eukaryote? Explain.
II. Formative
J3
Assessment
Respond Yes/No. Explain.
Scenario from lab
•Should we measure all conditions at
the same time, or one at a time?
•Should the discs be de-gassed by
one student or by several students?
•Should we use discs from the same
area in the leaf or from various areas
in the leaf?
III. Responding to student’s
thinking:
Addressing
students’ errors
Analyze
previous
activity / lab
Personal
reflections
Review and
practice
skills
III. Responding
IMAGE A to IMAGE B
students’ thinking
Addressing
students’ errors
OR?
Sunlight
Sunlight
Journal:
J6
Draw the two images of Earth
and sunlight.
1. Describe the differences
between the two images.
2. Which of the two images, do
you think, is correct?
(Remember that the sun is far
away!)
3. Explain your choice.
III. Responding to
J7
students’ thinking
Analyzing a
previous activity
A.
B.
D.
C.
General Tips
I. Text:
-Fits into ONE SLIDE
-Recommended: 44 bold
-Sharp color contrast
-Recommended: Light on dark
II. Content:
- Two-three questions:
1.Describe… 2.Explain… 3.Predict…
III. Organization: - Date-slides
11.08.14
NOW, YOU TRY!
Take about 10 minutes and write
a question for one concept that
you choose, apply one of the
scenarios in your packet.
More examples…
Draw the following cell:
1) How many
chromosomes?
2) How many types
of chromosomes
(N=?)?
3) Is this a diploid
or a haploid cell?
Explain.
1)Draw the images, simply.
2)Estimate: How many cells are
in the red frames? Explain.
3) What can be learned here?
Bacteria:
Plant (Elodea):
5 micrometers
5 micrometers
1.The English language contains
hundreds of thousand words.
But it uses only 26 letters. How
come?
2. Proteins are made of just 20
types of amino acids. How, then
do we get so many types of
proteins and their functions?
1.Draw a graph that shows the
J
relative changes in your mood
during the course of a school day.
Include: An hour scale of one day;
Title your graph.
2. Describe your graph in words.
Which statement is better?
Explain your reasoning.
I: A frog changed its skin in
response to the background and
passed the color to its offspring.
II: A frog happened to have the
blending skin color survived and
raised offspring with the same
skin color.
Copy the following DNA strand:
A G G T C C T A T G
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -A. What would be the order of
nucleotides in the opposite
strand (blanks)?
B. How many nucleotides are in
each strand? C. How many
phosphates and sugars are on
each side of this DNA?
+
Human Gene
+
Plasmid
DNA
Human protein
Completed
file!
Journal Entry: Answer in complete
sentences!
1.What is one major function of
your saliva?
2.What is starch made of?
3. Accordingly, what do you expect
would happen if you mixed saliva
with starch?
4. How will you check that this
actually happened?
“During pregnancy, a woman was
tested for the amount of
glucose in her blood. The
results were surprising: The
test showed zero blood
glucose.
What could be the reasons (at
least 2) for such results?
Is the women in trouble?
Explain.”
* Students’ usual response:
“The woman is in trouble”,
“The Baby takes up her food”;
* Correct answer:
• Zero sugar is impossible
considering that the woman
is alive. The problem is with
the test itself.
• One cannot conclude
regarding her health.
More tips:
• Concrete examples.
• Record evidence (graphs,
diagrams, drawings) in
notebook.
• Short (one slide).
• Large Font (i.e. Ariel 40-44)
• Light text on dark background.
Dissection of the sample question:
Step ONE –Learning objectives:
Eukaryotic cells contain organelles
that resemble prokaryotic cells.
Step TWO –Misconceptions,
Errors: Cells are circular; Every
membrane is a cell membrane;
Step THREE –Discrepant images:
Elodea Chloroplasts side by side
with similarly looking bacteria.
Step FOUR –
Students know / understand:
* to count, estimate numbers.
* that a cell is the basic living
unit.
* initial exposure (notes) to
prokaryotes versus eukaryotes.
* Plants are green, chloroplasts
are for pho
1)Draw the images, simply.
2)Estimate: How many cells are
in the red frames? Explain.
3) What can be learned here?
Bacteria:
Plant (Elodea):
5 micrometers
5 micrometers
* Students’ expected response:
2) “I see about 30-70 cells in
both pictures.”
* Correct answer:
2) There are about 70 bacteria cells
and only ONE plant cell
The green circles are chloroplasts.
3) Learned: Organelles, such as
chloroplasts resemble bacteria;
Eukaryotes are larger than prokar’.
Case 2:
A man with diabetes bought a
sugar-free drink. To be sure, he
tested the drink for sugar.
Non-Diet
Drink
20 gr / liter 20 gr / liter 40 gr / liter
Water
Diet drink
Should he buy the diet drink?
Explain.
Divide the following list into two
groups according to how they
respond to fire. What is common to
each group?
Honey Water
Sand
Plastic
Egg Shell Pepper
Iron Frames
Glass
Paper Clips Dried Milk Sugar
Grass
Margarine
Rubber
Hair
Bread
Bone
Salt
1) Divide the following list to
infectious and non-infectious
diseases:
Flu
HIV/AIDS
Arthritis
Cancer
Pneumonia
Food Poisoning
Alzheimer
Lead Poisoning
Sickle Cell Anemia
Athlete Foot
Alcoholism
Malaria
2) What is common to all infectious
diseases?
If N=2:
2N:
1)Draw the chromosomes in a
diploid cell of an organism
where N=3.
2) How many combinations of
haploid (eggs or sperm) cells
are possible if N=2, N=3? Draw
the possible combinations.
1. Enzyme action on the
substrate is compared to a lock
and a key.
a. Why?
b. Which do you think is the key
and which the lock? Explain.
Observe the following slide
and:
1) Explain what is occurring on
the right side and then on the
left side.
2) What might be the purpose
of doing the process on the
left?
The relationship between
genotype and phenotype is
compared to thought and
action of a person.
1.What is the relationship
between thought and action?
2.How can this be compared to
genotype-phenotype?
Consider the two urine samples.
1) How are they different?
2) Which sample came from a
man in the hot desert? Which
came from a man in the city on
an average day?
Explain your answer.
Two eggs two solutions:
The eggs you are looking at were
de-shelled with vinegar. They
were then dipped overnight –
one in syrup and one in water.
1.Draw what you see.
2.Which egg was dipped in
syrup/water? How can you tell?
3.Why did this happen in terms of
osmosis?
1.What is the purpose of
using fertilizers?
2. Fertilizers are mostly made
of nitrogen compounds, and
barely any carbon
compounds. Why?
It is relatively common that two
brown-eyed parents have a blueeyed child, but it is rare that two
blue-eyed parents have a brown
eyed- child.
Why? Explain, using the terms:
homozygote, heterozygote,
dominant recessive.
Which, on average, has larger
cells, an ant or an elephant? A
daisy or an oak tree?
Explain your answer.
Checking
Preconceptions in Evolution
Are you Red or Blue?
Activity written by:
Michal Kreiselman, Ph.D.
michalkreiselman@gmail.net
2009
Which statement is better?
Explain your reasoning.
I: A frog changed its skin in
response to the background and
passed the color to its offspring.
II: A frog happened to have the
blending skin color survived and
raised offspring with the same
skin color.
Which statement is better?
Explain your reasoning.
I: A frog changed its skin in
response to the background and
passed the color to its offspring.
II: A frog happened to have the
blending skin color survived and
raised offspring with the same
skin color.
Red: Birds developed wings
because they needed to fly in
order escape predators.
Blue: Birds were accidentally
born with wings, and it turned
out to be helpful in escaping
predators.
Red: If you practice a lot, your
children will be born athletic.
Blue: Even if you practice well,
your children will need to
practice themselves to be
athletic.
Red: Cheetahs learned to run
faster and passed it on to their
offspring.
Blue: Cheetahs that happen to be
were born fast-runners, survived
and passed it on to their
offspring.
Red: Cheetahs learned to run
faster and passed it on to their
offspring.
Blue: Cheetahs that were
accidentally born fast-runners,
survived and passed it on to their
offspring.
Red: The environment can target
specific genes and cause them to
change.
Blue: The environment cannot
directly target and change genes.
Genes change on their own.
Red: The environment can target
specific genes and cause them to
change.
Blue: The environment cannot
directly target and change genes.
Genes change on their own.
Red: Genetic variability does not
matter for the survival of the
species.
Blue: Genetic variability is
essential for survival of the
species.
Red: Jean Baptiste’s Lamark
Adaptation occurs by selective
use or disuse of organs within
the life of the organism.
Blue: Charles Darwin
Adaptation by Natural Selection:
The struggle for survival selects
from pre-existing genetic
variations.
Period 1
Statement /
Example
Red
Period 3
Blue
Red
Period 4
Blue
Red
Period 5
Blue
Red
Period 6
Blue
Red
Blue
Frog
10
19
14
18
9
30
8
24
26
3
Bird
19
8
9
23
22
16
6
27
6
18
9
20
2
31
4
33
0
35
1
23
Cheetahs
10
18
5
26
14
19
3
32
16
12
Genetic
Changes
17
11
19
13
3
28
11
24
6
17
Genetic
Variaion
1
28
5
25
5
27
3
32
4
22
Athlete