Rise and Thrive with Science Teaching PK-5 Science and Engineering (2023) / Chapter Skim
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6 Revealing Learning through Assessments
6 Revealing Learning through Assessments
Pages 153-174
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From page 153... ...
In a unit designed to help second graders learn how water shapes land, students make models, build small dams, and engage in other tasks. The following case shows how models and explanations can be embedded as a way to assess children's understanding of disciplinary core ideas and engagement in science practices.
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From page 154... ...
One night, the water rose six inches Assessing initial models and the wooden sidewalks started floating. By Working with partners, students draw models to May of 1915, the water was rising a foot a day.
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From page 155... ...
Figure 6-1 shows an example of one moves above and through earth. She groups their child's "before-and-after" model created using initial ideas for why the town flooded into three the template.
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From page 156... ...
use basic ideas underlying these initial claims to Vaughan can see the different kinds of understand plan future instruction. ing that children bring to the unit.
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From page 157... ...
Vaughn closely compares her studraw on a sticky note about a past experience they dents' final models and written explanations with had with water movement or flooding and to share their initial models. She's particularly interested in these ideas with the class.
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From page 158... ...
These included developing models, engaging in discourse, constructing explanations, and arguing for those explanations. But she still had to plan ways to draw out each child's thinking and understanding of specific disciplinary core ideas as they engaged in these prac tices -- for example, by having children determine where their models and experi ences fit on an agree/disagree chart.
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From page 159... ...
• Determine how well children understand and can apply disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts. • See whether and how children are engaging in science and engineering practices.
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From page 160... ...
When formative assessments are embedded throughout science instruction, teachers can use assessment information to improve teaching and learning. -- Lorena Llosa, Scott Grapin, and Alison Haas3 How can I provide supports for children to show their understanding and skills?
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From page 161... ...
Preschool children and multilingual learners are undergoing significant development in their language and literacy skills. If the goal is to assess specific aspects of science or engineering learning, tasks that focus heavily on English language and literacy may not be an appropriate and accurate source of evidence about children's science and engineering understanding.
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From page 162... ...
A photo of a bridge they know and what experiences they have had related with multiple support pillars from to the topic a family's neighborhood walk and children using blocks to • D irectly learn what families know and do through joint build the kind of bridge they saw activities and parent-teacher discussions Source: The RISE Project. • I ndirectly learn what families know and do by asking parents and children to take walks along their regular neighborhood routes and take photos to share what they notice and experience, as in Figure 6-4 • Send home brief information sheets for students to return that ask children and families to do something simple and safe involving science or engineering, such as looking for and listing examples of fruits and vegetables 5 Provide guidance to children as they engage in a task As children develop artifacts to document their thinking, they often need guidance about focus, structure, and expectations for content.
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From page 163... ...
A teacher named Gloria Diaz found the middle ground, offering a moderate degree of support. She provided enough structure that students knew what to focus on -- in this case, comparing the brightness of a bulb in a series versus parallel circuit -- so they had a good indication of what to represent in their notebooks.
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From page 164... ...
To the extent possible, these resources can be provided in multiple languages to further support multilingual learners. Probe for thinking and understanding Previous chapters emphasized the value of asking specific questions to guide students during discussions, investigations, and other tasks.
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From page 165... ...
And you could go back and pull that activity again, and redo it with some kids. -- Jessica Silver, a former preschool teacher and current professional development provider9 also serve an assessment purpose by bringing to light information about children's thinking.
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From page 166... ...
affected water flow by putting the different materials in funnels and pouring water on top. Students saw a pattern -- water flowed more easily through earth materials with bigger particles and bigger holes between them.
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From page 167... ...
What matters most is children's progress in developing proficiency toward specific learning goals. Therefore, a process that supports you in making inferences about children's progress and adapting your instruction accordingly should focus on these aspects: • The learning goals for a unit of study or year of instruction; • The resources, interests, and experiences children bring to instruction; • The stepping stones or the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to reach those goals; and • The incomplete ideas that children are likely to bring and their productive ideas that you can build upon.
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From page 168... ...
In general, rubrics are a vital tool to help you make inferences about children's learning. You can structure rubrics so they specify criteria for assessing students' work along a continuum of increasing proficiency in disciplinary core ideas, science practices, or both.
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From page 169... ...
Approaching Makes claims about how or why the town Water went through the mountain from the dam flooded to the town. Meeting Explains mechanisms for how and why Incorporates at least two of the following the construction of the dam caused the disciplinary core ideas at play in the Moncton town to flood scenario: 1)
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From page 170... ...
. Making science instruction compelling for all students: Using cultural formative assessment to build on learner interest and experience [Conference session]
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From page 171... ...
And look -- there are worms! Strategy: Invite children to communicate in their home language and in multiple modes.
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From page 172... ...
. As the children observe a tray containing a little water and soil, a worm moves away from the water into the soil.
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From page 173... ...
The key is to be more intentional when you're designing classroom activities and guiding students' discussions and work products, so you're thinking from the outset about their assessment value and learning value. QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION • How can I build in equitable opportunities to assess all children's under standing as they discuss, investigate, make models, and engage in other science practices?
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From page 174... ...
174 Rise and Thrive with Science
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