Author: Kent

I've been happily teaching high school science for over 13 years. This website serves as a way for me to reflect on my practice, give back to the science educators' community, help other science teachers who may need a place to start, and build a strong community of science learners and educators.
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#50 – How We Assess Prior Knowledge for KMT using Superheroes and Phony articles

What do my students already know? This is a question all teachers have at the start of each school year or at the beginning of a new unit. Knowing what students already know not only saves us time (since we may not need to re-teach stuff our students already know). It helps us do a better overall job of teaching. It helps us know where the trouble spots are so we can address them prior to starting something new. And, it helps us connect new material to prior knowledge. The issue is at hand is in how we assess prior knowledge. How do we probe for background knowledge that students already possess? Is there a quick way to do it that doesn’t require a test?

 

Although pre-unit quizzes represent one way to assess prior knowledge, it may not be the most ideal. Just consider the amount of marking that will ensue. Also, if a student does poorly on a pre-unit quiz, we may not know what the problem is. Instead, we only know that the student cannot do the question. Thus, an ideal way to assess prior knowledge would not only provide what a student may or may not know – it should also reveal some trouble spots for teachers to focus on. We explore using phony articles (we call them Accuracy-Challenged Articles) and Mind Maps to assess prior knowledge. Handouts are available for download at the end of this post.

 

How we Assess prior knowledge in KMT, Matter

KMT (Kinetic molecular theory) and matter are cornerstone principles for all high school Chemistry. And, it’s also the topics I like to review at the beginning of each school year with my students. This year, instead of just asking students what they remember from last year or having them do a KMT or matter quiz, I tried the following strategies for assessing prior knowledge:

 

I. Accuracy-challenged Article

One strategy I found online for assessing prior knowledge had students analyze an article on a phony website (that the teacher created) to determine what information was wrong. Personally, I don’t have time to make a webpage (and I think most teachers don’t either). Instead, to review KMT, I created a handout titled “How Thermometers work”, which describes how KMT is related to the way a thermometer works. I made sure some things in the article were incorrect and pasted the Wikipedia heading, sidebar, and images for effect.

 

Students read the article with their partners to determine what was wrong, and we did a short in class discussion afterwards. You can download the handout at the end of the post.

 

II. Mind map (use Superheroes for inspiration!)

In Grade 8 science at my school, the topic of matter includes pure substances vs mixtures as well as atomic structure. Thus, when they come to Grade 9 or 10 Science, I like to review what they remember about the topic. For this, I like to use a mind map. I provide the list of words and they make the connections.

 

Surprisingly, there are quite a few students in each class who are uncertain of how to create a mind map. This is where I teach students how to make a mind map by first making a superhero mind map as an example. I write the word “Superheroes” in a bubble on the center of my white board. Then, I say that I can proceed to just list off a whole bunch of superheroes and connect each of them to the center bubble. But, that would be a very weak mind map. Instead, I talk about the ways we can classify superheroes and perhaps have these classifications be bubbles too. What are some classifications? How about DC vs Marvel? Or, how about superheroes who have powers that are supernatural vs powers that are due to technology or genetic modification?

 

The great thing about our Superhero Mind Map activity is that it’s easy to relate to for students. And, it’s also very open ended. No two mind maps are likely to be the same. As a review of the topic of matter in Chemistry, I have students write “matter” as the centre bubble of the mind map. The list of words I have students connect in the mind map is available in the handouts available for download.

 

Wrap Up

How do we assess prior knowledge? Hint: it does not need to be in the form of  a quiz. Using strategies like mind maps and accuracy-challenged articles are ways students can review material while working with relevant concepts. Furthermore, on background knowledge quizzes, we don’t necessarily know what a student struggles with when they get a question wrong. However, using strategies like mind maps and accuracy-challenged articles may provide better insight into these challenges since students need to work with the information. Click the link below to download the handouts to this article. Also, please share what our website has to offer with your colleagues.

 

Until next time, keep it REAL.

 

Resources

Handout(s): 50 – Assessing Prior Knowledge (KMT Activity)

Our resources are free. We aren’t collecting emails for our resources. However, it would help us out if you liked us on our Facebook page and subscribed to our Youtube Channel. Thanks!

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#49 – How we make learning lab equipment fun! (a CER Activity)

How do you teach students about lab equipment? Some teachers merely hand out an equipment list with pictures and labels and ask students to memorize it. There’s nothing wrong with that. It gets the job done (especially if all a teacher wants us to be able to identify and name equipment). But, is there a better way of learning about lab equipment? It’s a question that comes to mind every year. And, yes, I think there is a better way. And, there’s a way in which we can turn a lesson about lab equipment into a CER activity as well.

 

In the spirit of CER, this activity requires students to record evidence (ie. Observations) and come up with claims. If you’re new to CER, it stands for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning, and it’s a simple template students can use to draw conclusions and connect it to current and previous knowledge. For more information, see post #46 and #12. For this post, handouts are available for download at the end.

 

 

A Lab Equipment CER Activity

The premise of this CER activity is for students to record observations about certain pieces of lab equipment that the teacher has set aside. And, from those observations, students make claims about the piece of equipment and connect it to some reasoning as well.

 

With regards to actually writing CER statements about individual pieces of equipment, students can following the guidelines below.

 

Claim: The <equipment> is used for…

Evidence: observe the piece of equipment and note down the shape, size, and details that are either present or missing.

Reasoning: provide an explanation as to why the shape, size, and details (missing or present) are important to the equipment’s function.

 

For example, assume we ask students to write a CER statement about a test tube.

Claim: a test tube is used to hold, mix or heat small amounts of chemical

Evidence: the opening to test tube are narrow; test tube are short; there are no volume markings on test tubes; test tubes are made of Pyrex.

Reasoning: narrow openings and short length means that test tubes can hold very little chemical; lack of volume markings indicates test tubes are not for measuring volumes nor is volume an important measurement in test tubes; pyrex is heat resistant.

 

Field Notes

I. Make it into a station activity (easy, medium, hard, expert)

I used for stations with different types of equipment in each one. Some stations can have a theme (ex. All flasks or all tongs). My handouts will show what I put in each station.

 

II. It’s ok if students don’t “get it right”

What makes the activity so engaging is that students are using their observation and analytical skills to figure out a puzzle. It doesn’t matter if they get the right answer or not (at least, not yet). What’s important is the discussion that occurs at each station. What’s important is that students can defend their positions citing the features they see in the equipment.

 

III. Compare different pieces of equipment to each other

During the activity, students will get stuck. To help them get unstuck, have students compare 2 pieces of equipment to see what both pieces do and don’t do, have or don’t have. For example, an erlenmeyer flask and a beaker are both for mixing and heating chemicals. However, erlenmeyer flasks do a better job at mixing (tapered neck) while a beaker is better for transferring liquids too.

 

Wrap Up

Learning about lab equipment is no doubt and important skill. We want to make sure students reach for or use the right equipment for the task at hand. But, learning about lab equipment doesn’t need to be boring. It can be part of a discovery process that wraps other skills like CER into the lesson. Click the link below to download the handouts to our lab equipment CER activity, where I provide what equipment I put into each station. I also outline what I have my students document in their notebooks during the activity. As always, please share our resources with your colleagues. And, if you want to receive weekly updates from us, please sign up for our newsletter too.

 

Until next time, keep it REAL.

 

Resources

Handout(s): 49 – Lab Equipment CER Activity

Our resources are free. We aren’t collecting emails for our resources. However, it would help us out if you liked us on our Facebook page and subscribed to our Youtube Channel. Thanks!

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#48 – What’s the secret to writing CER statements (hint: it’s not the claim)

Do you have students who struggle with CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) statements? I give a lot of CER examples on this site (Refer to #4 and #46), but, sometimes, examples are not enough. Some students still need a step-by-step process to writing CER statements. This is especially true when writing CER statements are based on lab data (where the answers may not come from a textbook). So, how do we write CER statements? What step-by-step process can we follow?

 

In this post, we give our process of writing CER statements, which actually doesn’t start with the claim. It starts with the evidence. The evidence is the glue that holds everything together. Therefore, analyzing evidence is our focus for this post (although there will be a quick blurb about reasoning at the end too). Handouts are available for download at the end of this post.

 

Writing CER statements Step-by-Step

To be honest, when writing CER statements, it starts with the question. Evidence (ie experimental data and observations) can provide researchers with a lot. But, only the evidence that gets us an answer to the question at hand is important. Hence, what students focus on must always relate to the question.

 

Now, with regards to analyzing evidence to come up with a CER statement, students can look for the following:

 

I. Similarities or Differences in results (between control and trial variables)

Some research questions ask whether a trial variable (ie. Drug, chemical, scientific process) has an effect on an outcome. To answer such a research question, students need to look at similarities (or differences) in the data.

In a nutshell, if results between a trial variable and control are the same, then we claim the trial variable does not have an effect on the outcome. If the results differ, then we claim the trial variable does have an effect (whether positive or negative) on the outcome.

 

Consider the following example, where researchers tracked the amount of milk that was wasted when chocolate milk was sold in the school cafeteria and when chocolate milk wasn’t sold.

The graph above shows two conditions with different results. When chocolate milk is not available, the amount of milk waste goes up. Thus, researchers can claim that students waste more milk when only white milk is offered.

 

A similar research question may compare a whole bunch of different trial variables (ex. Different drugs) to see which has a better effect on the experimental outcome.

If the results between trial variables are the same, then we claim the trial variables with similar results have a similar effect on the outcome. If the results differ, then we claim the trial variables differ on their effect on the outcome (and we can explain how they differ too).

 

 

II. Trends

Some research questions ask for the effect of increasing or decreasing a single variable has on an experimental outcome. In these cases, we look for trends in the data.

 

For example, if the dependent variable increases in response to increases to the independent variable, then we claim there is a positive relationship or trend between the independent and dependent variables.

If the dependent variable decreases in response to increases to the independent variable (or vice versa), then we claim there is a negative relationship or trend between independent and dependent variables.

 

Consider the following example, where researchers tracked how like individuals were to smoke cigarettes f they were exposed to scenes of cigarette smoking in movies.

According to the graph above, as the exposure to smoking scenes increased (ie. MSE Quintile), the likelihood of individuals smoking cigarettes afterwards (ie. smoking prevalence) increased too.

 

III. Maximums or Minimums

Some research questions ask for the minimum or maximum effect of an independent (ie. trial) variable. Or, alternatively, the question asks for the conditions where the minimum or maximum effect is observed. In these cases, we look for maximums or minimums in the data.

 

When looking at a graph, finding maximums or minimums is done through interpolation. For a quick guide to interpolation, check out post #23. The claim we write (ie. where the minimum or maximum effect occurs, or what minimum or maximum conditions produce a certain effect) depends on what we interpolate.

 

What about Reasoning when writing CER statements?

The Reasoning part of a CER statement is meant to explain the evidence and claim. For example, if we claim “Red Jellybeans are the best type of jellybean” – and our evidence shows that red jellybeans are purchased by more people than any other colour – then our reasoning needs to explain why jellybeans are purchased by more people. Some reasons could be scientific (perhaps our eyes are conditioned to see red because it represents danger) or social (red is the colour of love, and of course, there’s Valentine’s Day). However, some reasons may lead to new hypotheses or questions. Thus, a reason may not be a certain thing (although some reasons may already be proven fact). Both are valid.

 

Wrap Up

When it comes to writing CER statements, there are many ways one can learn. Sure, it helps to look at examples. It helps to practice (if you’re looking for practice, refer to post #24 and #28). But, sometimes students need or prefer a step-by-step solution. And that solution needs to start with looking at evidence (and seeing how it connects to the question). Click the link below to download a summary of this post. Also, please share our resources with your colleagues and sign up for our newsletter if you want to receive weekly factoids and updates.

 

Until next time, keep it REAL!

 

Resources

Handout(s): 48 – Writing CER Statements Cheat Sheet

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#47 – How do we Assess Creativity in Science Education? Four simple steps

Have you ever assigned a project to students, asked them to be creative, but not know exactly how to mark for creativity? We all know what it means to be creative (or, at least, what it looks like). When it comes to creativity in a science class, we struggle – even though the creative process in art and science class are the same. Thus, many struggling science teachers give a creativity mark for something that is superficial (ex. The quality of the video, poster, powerpoint, etc.). We know creativity is an important aspect of science. Some of the greatest inventions in the world were a result of scientists developing a “creative” solution to a problem. But, how do we assess creativity in a science class – where content and skills are the name of the game?

 

Back in post #45, I wrote about the myths surrounding creativity and how we can incorporate creativity into science education. In the post, I mentioned research where creativity could be cultivated and practiced – much like a skill. I also mentioned the need to assess creativity – for both the creative process and the product that results from creative work. Without assessment or feedback, how would students know where to improve or whether or not what they’re doing is right. We outline below where to start if you’re looking to assess creativity in your science class. We also offer some sample projects where creativity can be incorporated and assessed. Handouts are available for download at the end of the post.

 

Simple steps to assess creativity in science

Step 1: Check whether creativity is even necessary

Before you assign a science activity where you want students to be creative, you have to ask whether the assignment/project at hand is conducive to creativity? Let’s face it, if the activity is a simple worksheet where the answers are found in the textbook, then you’re not going to assess creativity in the assignment. Same for problem sets where students need to use a specific process to solve the problems. And, the same for experiments from the textbook and poster projects where wikipedia is heavily used. However, if the activity requires students to produce something novel/original and of high quality, then you’ll need to assess creativity.

 

Step 2: Define what creativity means for the assignment

In other words, what does creativity mean for you and what does it look like? According to Collard and Looney (2014), creativity is both individual dispositions (ie. soft skills) students can cultivate/practice as well as creative processes and products (ie. what students produce). With regards to creative dispositions, creative individuals can be curious, persistent, able to generate a variety of ideas, question and reflect critically, and more. With regards to creative products, besides being novel, creative products have students “produce new ideas or reorganize existing ideas in a new way” (Brookhart, 2013). However, besides just coming up with new ideas, Collard and Looney (2014) also note that creative products are also the best solutions to a problem (and not just the wackiest).

This brings up an important point that Brookhart (2013) points out: creativity is not just about giving students choice. Creativity is not about assigning a project and giving students free reign as to how to do it. More importantly, it’s allowing “student choice in matters related to what the student is supposed to learn…in the area under study”. Thus, in a science class, giving “creativity marks” for a student assignment because they made a video or Prezi or Podcast misses the point of relating creativity to the area of study. More importantly, if you are to mark the video or Prezi or podcast for creativity, perhaps ask how the medium used provides a new way of seeing or understanding the subject at hand.

 

Step 3: Have students help develop the Rubric you’ll use to assess creativity

At this step, it’s time to put pen to paper and develop a rubric with the help of students that will be used to assess creativity. Have students develop a rubric for both creative dispositions and creative products.

 

As a starting point for creative dispositions, consider the rubric designed by Lucas, Claxton and Spencer (2013), who distilled creative dispositions and learner progression to five essential habits of mind (inquisitive, persistent, imaginative, collaborative and disciplined) as well as three sub-dispositions within each of these categories (see image below). With regards to what qualities or descriptions should occupy each level of the rubric, I avoid that altogether and opt for a Likert scale from 1 to 5, where 1 stands for strongly disagree and 5 stands for strongly agree.

 

 

As for creative products, refer to Brookhart’s (2013) rubric (image below) as a starting point. However, I recommend developing a rubric that is similar to the one mentioned in post #21. First, have students come up with descriptors of a creative product (one that is both novel and is the best solution to the problem). Then, have students come up with descriptions that are exactly the opposite. When using a rubric developed in this manner, teachers can mark on a line to show a student’s progress from not creative to creative instead of checking off or circling a box.

 

 

Collard and Looney also provide the following as potential rubrics to assess creative work: Consensual Assessment Technique, or CAT; Creative Product Semantic Scale, and the Student Product Assessment Form.

 

Step 4: Give regular feedback instead of a single assessment at the end

It is incredibly difficult to generate a mark from a rubric if it is used only once. According to Brookhart, “Generating a grade is not the intended purpose of the rubric for creativity. Rubrics help clarify criteria for success and show what the continuum of performance looks like, from low to high, from imitative to very creative….For that reason, rubrics are useful for sharing with students what they’re aiming for, where they are now, and what they should do next.”

 

If you are to generate a mark, then generate a mark by looking at both the growth a student has shown with regards to creative dispositions along with how creative the final product.

 

BONUS STEP: Train students to evaluate their own work (and the work of others)

This will help improve student creative work since (1) they’ll be able to judge for themselves whether their product/disposition shows creativity, and (2) they’ll be able to help others judge creativity too. Also, feedback from other students can also give you a better idea as to what a students creativity mark should be since it provides you with a bigger picture to look at.

 

Sample Science Projects to Assess Creativity

1. Hypothesis writing, Experimental Design

According to Brookhart, “Science teachers who have students brainstorm a list of hypotheses to test can give feedback on the originality of ideas as well as their suitability for the experiment that the students will design. For example, a teacher might mention that her coffee cools too quickly in the cup and then ask students to brainstorm a list of things that might slow down the cooling process, write a hypothesis about each one, and design an experiment to test one hypothesis.”

 

2. “The Cell is like…”, DNA or Bohr model Design

Science teachers who have students build models (of DNA, of a cell, of an atom) can give feedback on how well the parts used to build the models represent the real object itself. For example, if a student made a DNA model using Gummi bears, ask why Gummi bears were used. If the answer is because it was pretty, then the student needs to use something more representative. However, if a student made a DNA model out of several zippers (to represent how parts of the DNA strand can unzip during transcription and replication), then that is a more creative model of DNA. In other words, a zipper model is more novel and a better way to represent DNA.

 

Wrap Up

Is there an exact way to assess creativity in science? No, there isn’t. Creativity is abstract and obscure. And, what creativity looks like differs between individuals. However, we can try to assess creativity by creating rubrics for the components of creativity (dispositions and processes/products). And, we can define what it means to be creative (ie. creative individuals are persistent and curious; creative products are novel and the best solution to problem). Click the link below to download our handouts (a cheat sheet to assess creativity as well as the sample rubrics). Please share our resources with your colleagues.

 

Until next time, keep it REAL.

 

Resources

Handout(s): 47 – Assessing Creativity (Cheat sheet)

Our resources are free. We aren’t collecting emails for our resources. However, it would help us out if you liked us on our Facebook page and subscribed to our Youtube Channel. Thanks!

 

References

 

Blamires, M., & Peterson, A. (2014). Can creativity be assessed? Towards an evidence-informed framework for assessing and planning progress in creativity. Cambridge Journal of Education, 44(2), 147-162. doi:10.1080/0305764x.2013.860081

 

Brookhart, S. M. (2013). Assessing Creativity. Educational Leadership, 70(5), 28-34.

 

Collard, P., & Looney, J. (2014). Nurturing Creativity in Education. European Journal of Education, 49(3), 348-364. doi:10.1111/ejed.12090

 

Lucas, B., G. Claxton & E. Spencer (2013) Progression in student creativity inschool: first steps towards new forms of formative assessments. OECD Education Working Paper No. 86 (Paris, OECD)

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#46 – Do bigger animals take longer to pee? 3 more CER examples based on FUN science

I always believe students need to have fun in science. Of course, not all the time. But, there needs to be an element of fun. This is especially true when we teach science skills like CER. CER stands for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning, and it’s an awesome format for students to follow in order to connect findings with data and prior scientific knowledge. Unfortunately, when it comes to CER, a lot of examples out there are, well, boring. Often, teachers use boring examples from the textbook or a lab manual – neither of which produce very real or inspiring examples. So, where can we find more CER examples that are fun and relevant?

 

Back in post #4, I proposed using real science experiments that were awarded the Ig Nobel Prize as a fun way for students to see CER in action. I still stand by that original idea. The Ig Nobel prize celebrates fun (and ridiculous) science. And, it’s a great way to show CER in action in real science. However, I thought it would be good to provide more CER examples from the Ig Nobel Prize list. In this updated post, I provide 3 more CER examples. Infographics are available for download at the end of the post.

 

What is the Ig Nobel Prize?

The Ig Nobel prize is awarded by Harvard every year for science that makes people laugh. It is the antithesis of the Nobel Prize. I say the experiments are fun and ridiculous. Yet, the scientists who are doing the experiments are not in it to be funny. No, the scientists are genuinely trying to answer a scientific question. These scientists are using the scientific process. Scientists are using some real science skill in these studies.

 

For example, one of our examples has scientists using chromatography to extract vanilla from cow poop. Another set of set of scientists use mathematical models to determine why body size does not have an effect on duration of urination. Though the scientists’ questions may appear to be silly, the process in solving those questions is serious. And that’s why I like to use the Ig Nobel Prize for CER examples.

 

Some More CER Examples from the Ig Nobel Prize

2015 Ig Nobel Winner – Physics

Title: Duration of Urination Does Not Change with Body Size

REFERENCE: “Duration of Urination Does Not Change With Body Size,” Patricia J. Yang, Jonathan Pham, Jerome Choo, and David L. Hu, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 111 no. 33, August 19, 2014, pp. 11932–11937.

 

 

2014 Ig Nobel Winner – Arctic Science

Title: Response Behaviors of Svalbard Reindeer towards Humans and Humans Disguised as Polar Bears on Edgeøya

REFERENCE: “Response Behaviors of Svalbard Reindeer towards Humans and Humans Disguised as Polar Bears on Edgeøya,” Eigil Reimers and Sindre Eftestøl, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, vol. 44, no. 4, 2012, pp. 483-9.

 

2007 Ig Nobel Winner – Chemistry

Title: Novel Production Method for Plant Polyphenol from Livestock Excrement Using Subcritical Water Reaction

REFERENCE: “Novel Production Method for Plant Polyphenol from Livestock Excrement Using Subcritical Water Reaction,” Mayu Yamamoto, International Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2008.

 

Wrap Up

The Ig Nobel Prize is a fun and relevant way to show CER in action. What do you use to illustrate CER with your students? Please share. Who knows – I may even publish another set of infographics showing even more CER examples in the future. However, your feedback and ideas are definitely necessary (and appreciated!). Click on the link below to download the infographics for the 3 CER examples above. Please share our resources and web page with your colleagues too. Thanks in advance!

 

Until next time, keep it (ie. science) REAL!

 

Resources

Handout(s): 46 – More Ignoble CER examples (infographic)

Our resources are free. We aren’t collecting emails for our resources. However, it would help us out if you liked us on our Facebook page and subscribed to our Youtube Channel. Thanks!

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#45 – Quick tips to teach Creativity in Science Education (Part 1: rethinking the myths about creativity)

Is creativity important in science education? Of course, the answer is yes. In an information-based world where knowledge is readily available (thanks to something called the internet), we don’t value what or how much our students know as much anymore. Instead, we also value how our students can solve problems they don’t know the answers to by using what they know. And, to solve the world’s most difficult science problems (ie. Climate change, overpopulation, resource depletion, etc.) will require a lot of creativity. So, how do we incorporate more creativity in science education?

 

One place we can start is in how we view creativity. I know what a lot of science teachers must already be thinking. Perhaps, some may be thinking, “I don’t need to teach creativity because this isn’t art class”. Or, others may be thinking, “ I allow my students to be creative in their Genius hour, poster projects or models they build.” But, creativity is not just pretty colors or interesting ideas. Below, we introduce some of the myths and responses regarding creativity. And, we provide some quick start suggestions on how to foster creativity in science education too. Handouts are available at the end of this article.

 

Common Myths regarding Creativity

How we view creativity will decide how we use creativity in science education. If creativity is just pretty colors and fun pictures, then creativity in science education will result in merely colorful posters/models and dizzying Prezi presentations. If creativity is just open-ended exploration, then creativity in science education will produce self indulgent projects (useful to just the creator). But, we know creativity to be more than just those things. Hopefully, by redrawing how we view creativity, we maximize the potential of creativity in science education.

 

Myth 1: Creativity is a fixed trait – a sign of giftedness

Response: Creativity is not just something you’re born with. Creativity can also be taught. According to the 2014 article, “Nurturing Creativity in Education” by Paul Collard and Janet Looney, “researchers still consider that personal traits, or dispositions, are correlated with creativity. But they also believe that all individuals can develop capacity for everyday creativity, including divergent thinking and the ability to generate new ideas or develop skills for creative problem solving over time.”

 

Myth 2: Creativity means being able to come up with lots of new and different ideas.

Response: Creativity does not mean just being able to think outside-the-box all the time. According to Collard and Looney, “Various commentators have criticised…that the number of ideas a person generates and how unique or uncommon they are do not reveal their value or usefulness….Rather, the most creative people seem to be those who are able to arrive at the ‘best’ solution in the shortest period or with the greatest simplicity.”

 

Myth 3: Creativity cannot be assessed since creativity is open-ended exploration.

Response: Although open learning (doing something without a defined result or outcome) is a condition necessary for creativity to bloom, open learning should not be without borders or feedback. Without feedback or borders, how can a student know if their ideas are good or how to deepen or broaden their ideas. According to Collard and Looney, “Relatively little attention has been given to the quality of creative products in schools…. Indeed, in the realm of creativity, teachers…may resist any approach that resembles classic assessment of learner attainment…. To some extent, this may reflect teachers’ desire to avoid discouraging learners’ self-expression. At the same time, learners receive little guidance on how they might improve or deepen their work.”

 

Quick Start to Creativity in Science Education

Tip 1: Structure Open Learning

If creative ideas is about having the best solution to a problem (and not just having lots of them), then make open learning goal oriented. Provide context to the project at hand and impose constraints to the solution. For example, a solution to reducing fossil fuel use is not just to use more wind or solar. Have students also factor in human, social, and environmental costs to the solution. Then, we can truly see whether or not the solution is the best fit for the problem.

 

Tip 2: Assess creativity

To start, develop a rubric that assesses creative process and product. Beyond just checking off boxes and making sure a certain number of pictures or words are used, have your rubric assess how students are coming up with their ideas. Or, at the very least, have your rubric provide feedback on that process (if not a mark).

 

Tip 3: Find Small ways to Practice creativity

If creativity can be developed, then start by giving students practice in developing creative solutions to things that are happening in the classroom. For example, asking students to find another way to test a concept or measure a variable (one that comes to mind is asking students how McDonald’s determines the calories in their burgers). Or, have students develop a better version of a current solution. The point is, creativity doesn’t need to be reserved for big projects. They can also be used in the everyday.

 

Wrap Up

The future is going to have a lot of problems. And, we’re going to need to have some creative ideas to solve them. Luckily, students can develop creativity – it’s not a sign of giftedness or being able to come up with the most ideas. Creativity is about developing the best solution to problem, and as with everything, practice makes perfect. Please click the link below to download our handouts. And, share our resources and website with your colleagues too.

 

Until next time, keep it REAL.

 

Resources

Handout(s): 45 – Creativity Handouts (Part 1_ Myths)

Our resources are free. We aren’t collecting emails for our resources. However, it would help us out if you liked us on our Facebook page and subscribed to our Youtube Channel. Thanks!

 

References

Collard, P., & Looney, J. (2014). Nurturing Creativity in Education. European Journal of Education,49(3), 348-364. doi:10.1111/ejed.12090

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#44 – Here’s our Super Simple Inquiry Bellringer (note: students help come up with it!)

What are the big goals for science education? To make life long learners? (Answer: Yes). To make students critical thinkers? (Answer: again, yes). Another big goal for science education is for students to apply scientific thinking in the real world. More specifically, we want students to be able to use their science skills to conduct inquiry. However, doing inquiry (especially student led inquiry) can be challenging for students. In fact, there’s a mountain of stuff to overcome (asking a good question, designing and conducting a fair experiment, analysis, etc). And, none of this comes from a textbook. Thus,, where do we start? What can teachers do to help students start doing inquiry? I suggest an inquiry bellringer.

 

The best way to teach inquiry, I find, is to get lots of practice doing it. I suggest starting the class everyday with an inquiry bellringer where students come up with a question-of-the-day. I outline the strategy below along with some tips from my own experience.  Handouts are also available for download at the end of this blog post.

 

Better Readers make better writers

During my undergraduate degree, I took a writing course where the instructor had us keep a book list populated with books she recommended. Everyday, the instructor gave us her latest recommendation. And, everyday, we recorded them. According to the instructor, the idea behind keeping a book list was to have us become better writers by having us be better readers first. That is, by having us read good literature, we would hopefully be able to model good writing in our own work. She also collected our list periodically throughout the year (a way of keeping us motivated to come to class, I suppose). When I first started teaching, I did a similar thing with my own science classes.

 

However, instead of keeping a book list, my students kept a question and answer list. It was a simple way to have students ask interesting science questions. It was, in effect, a science inquiry bellringer. At the beginning of the year, students came up with 3 interesting science questions and submitted them. For example, I remember some students asking why the sky was blue or why Michael Jackson’s skin was getting whiter. Then, the night before each class, I chose one and wrote the answer on the overhead projector (with the help of Google). The next day, students had to record the question and answer on their list. And, I collected their lists periodically.

 

Through this science inquiry bellringer, students got practice asking interesting questions that they were genuinely interested in. And, after a while, the inquiry bellringer was something students came to enjoy – often kicking off some good discussion or raising a number of follow up questions. I found this to be a fun, engaging way to have students practice asking their questions. And, it was also a regular activity through which I can show students how I solved a problem, answered a question, and conducted an inquiry investigation using the scientific skills and processes we talked about in class.

 

Practical Tips on running this inquiry bellringer

1. Ask for Googleable and nonGoogleable questions

A Googleable question is something Google can answer. A nonGoogleable answer is something Google cannot. Most questions students come up with will be the Googleable kind (ex. Why is the sky blue? How do we know the universe is expanding?). It’s ok if most questions start here because (a) students may genuinely not know and would like to know the answer, and (b) students may not know how to ask good, inquiry questions yet. Good inquiry questions are the nonGoogleable kind. For example, how do I make a living wall that removes the most toxins from the air? Or, what is the best way to cool down my room on a hot day while using the least amount of electricity? Although Google can help in answering these questions, there is no definitive answer because the answers are contextual and require a test or test(s) to find the answer.

 

2. Update the list of questions regularly

As you answer more and more questions, students will naturally have more and more questions to ask. And, students also ask better and better questions as they get practice in asking them. Thus, have students submit more questions throughout the year. I suggest having students submit questions at the beginning of each term or earlier (depending on how quickly you runout of questions).

 

3. Provide the process, not just the answer

The only way students are going to get better at doing inquiry is by seeing it in action. Thus, when answering a question-of-the-day for this inquiry bellringer, model the process through which we finally get the answer. Approach the question or problem by first proposing a possible explanation that is testable. In other words, develop a hypothesis.  Then, develop a quick experiment that can be done to test the hypothesis. And, outline what the results could be and what they would mean. Finally, if there is a real answer to the question, provide it. If there isn’t a real answer (most nonGoogleable questions won’t), having the process of how to approach a question is good enough.

 

4. Provide a Q&A format

The simplest format has a question followed by an answer. However, if it is process we are hoping to highlight, we need to have students document the process too. One suggestion is to include a hypothesis, independent and dependent variables along with an explanation of what the results may mean for each possibility.

 

5. Answer some questions, but have students solve some too.

After answering some questions yourself, start getting students to come up with their own answers. From time to time, post a question and have students develop a hypothesis, experiment, and possible outcomes and their meanings. This is where students get to practice their inquiry skills. For days like this, highlight the best student solution as the answer for the question-of-the-day. Or, have students merely craft their own solutions as a possible answer.

 

Wrap up

How do we teach students to do inquiry? And, where do we start? With so many aspects of inquiry that need our attention, it can be a daunting task. An inquiry bellringer – where students get to practice running inquiry via a daily question that is asked and answered – is one solution. Such an inquiry bellringer is student-centered (students come up with the question and,  perhaps, the answer too), relevant, and collaborative. And, it’s fun too. Click on the link below to download our handouts. Please leave us a comment and/or share our website with your colleagues too.

 

Until next time, keep it REAL.

 

Resources

Handout(s): 44 – Simple Inquiry Icebreaker Notes

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#43 – Why we do a critical thinking icebreaker for our first day science activity (and why you should too)

What do teachers do with their class on the first day? If I was a betting man, I would say a lot of teachers run icebreakers to learn names and build a strong class culture. I run icebreakers too with my classes for the same reasons. One year, for our first day science activity, I even turned off the lights to my classroom and had students place paper bags over their heads while they meditated for 15 minutes. However, what if I want to do more with my first day science activity? What if I want students to review last year’s material and engage in scientific / critical thinking through an icebreaker too? Is there such a thing as a critical thinking icebreaker for science students?

 

In short, yes, a first day science activity can combine science review, critical thinking, and the “getting to know you” aspect of all icebreakers. In doing our research in critical thinking strategies, we came across one simple activity that can be used for review and be modified as an icebreaker. We outline the strategy in the post below. Handouts are available for download at the end of the post.

 

 

This-or-that: a Critical thinking icebreaker

This critical thinking exercise requires students to choose between 2 objects to describe themselves. For example, choose between the following to describe yourself: are you a hammer or a feather? In choosing between the two, you need to think about the characteristics of a hammer and a feather. And, you also need to connect those characteristics to your own personality. Thus, choosing between two options and connecting the choice to one’s personality is a creative and fun way to stretch those critical thinking muscles. In fact, I’ve used this exercise in interviews, and it always throws students off guard (in a good way, of course).

 

Also, instead of generating a list of random words for students to choose from, why not choose vocabulary we want to highlight? In other words, why not use this activity as a way to review important vocabulary on top of critical thinking and learning names? And, since it’s the first day of class, why not choose words students should already know from the previous year?

 

Hence, for my grade 8 students, I would give them the following list of words to choose from to describe themselves. For each pair, I would ask students to choose one and explain how it connects with their personality.

 

  • Element or Compound?
  • Geothermal or Solar?
  • Planet or Star?
  • Eye or Ear?
  • Stomach or Lung?

 

After, I would have students share what they’ve chosen. It’s the discussion afterwards that I find most interesting and fun. When given the chance, students can surprise you with what they think.

 

Tips

Instead of having students choose words to describe themselves, have students choose words to describe each other. Perhaps, have 30 pairs of words for 30 students in the class, and have students choose one word to best describe each classmate. Or, have students select words that describe a friend in class.

 

Students can also stand up and move to different sides of the room (kind of like a debate – one side is for those who agree, the other side for those who disagree). However, instead of moving to the “Agree” or “Disagree” sides of the room, students move to the “Igneous ” or “Sedimentary” side (depending on which word describes them best).

 

 

Wrap up

Getting to know students is part of a teacher’s job description. Since we’re doing it anyways, why not try to make the most of it? Why not use a critical thinking icebreaker – obc scne where students get to know their classmates, stretch their critical thinking muscles, and review important material)? And, such a critical thinking icebreaker doesn’t need to be complicated. It can be as simple as choosing between a lost of words. Click the link below to download the handouts to this post. And, please leave a comment below and share this resource with a friend if you found it useful. Thanks!

 

Until next time, keep it REAL!

 

Resources

Handout(s): 43 – Critical Thinking Icebreaker Vocab List

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#42 – Connecting the dots! Why we teach science skills first (and why you should too)!

Are we teaching students how to be great at doing science or at memorizing science? Of course, we all want students to be good at doing science. This why we do labs, find engaging activities, and have students practice important science skills. This is why we take students on field trips. But, is there a skill we need to start with first? Or a skill we need to focus on? What are the science skills students struggle with? Having the answers to these questions at the beginning of the school year can help teachers direct their instructional time more efficiently.

 

I looked at the results of the REAL Science Challenge Contest Series to see if I could find the trouble spots. That is, those science skills students struggle with. The contests in the REAL Science Challenge Contest Series do not have content questions that require memorization or regurgitation of science facts. They are contests that require data analysis, interpretation, and reasoning. Thus, the problems students struggle with on these contests closely match the science skills they struggle with too. In the end, we found 3 science skills a lot of students struggle with. We discuss those skills in the post below. Handouts – in the form of solutions to our sample questions – are available for download at the end of this post.

 

3 Science Skills Students Struggle With

 

(1) Hypothesis writing

Writing or identifying a testable hypothesis remains one of the top science skills students struggle with. Although a testable hypothesis is often (but not just) a simple “If,  then” statement, I suspect students struggle not with the structure but with the content. Specifically, students often struggle with identifying independent and dependent variables too. Consider the following 2 questions from REAL Science Challenge Vol 2 Contest 4:

Sample Question 1:

Correct answer: D (selected 23% of the time); Other: C (31%), A (26%
taken from REAL Science Challenge Vol 2 Contest 4

 

Sample Question 2:

Correct Answer: C (selected 23% of the time); Other answers: A (21%), D (18%), B (15%) , E (14%)
Taken from REAL Science Challenge Vol 2 Contest 4

 

To view solutions, download our resource at the end of this post.

 

 

(2) Inferencing and Unit Analysis

Another common struggle for students is inferencing. Inferencing is the act of process of reaching a conclusion about something from known evidence or facts. Inferencing doesn’t just mean coming up with a conclusion at the end of a lab or activity. It can also mean predicting what future results should be based on current known facts or evidence. Also, students struggle with units and identifying and understanding the units for a specific concept. I often like to remind students that numbers need to have units to make sense. If we say a distance measurement is 5, this can mean a lot of different things (ex. Are we talking about 5 metres or 5 light years?). Refer to the 2 questions below taken from the REAL Science Challenge Contest Series.

 

Sample Question 3:

 

Correct Answer: A (selected 24% of the time); Other answers: E (39%), D (16%), B (12%), C (5%)
Taken from REAL Science Challenge Vol 2 Contest 4

 

Sample Question 4:

 

Correct Answer: B (selected 28% of the time); Other answers: A (50%)
Taken from REAL Science Challenge Vol 2 Contest 4

 

To view solutions, download our resource at the end of this post.

 

(3) Scientific Reasoning (ie. Connecting to Prior Knowledge)

How many times has a student finished a lab, gotten a result, but have no idea what the result means or how it fits in with prior knowledge? Students struggle with connecting new evidence to prior knowledge. If students struggle with this, then students will also struggle with applying prior knowledge in different contexts and situations. For example, the following 2 REAL Science Challenge Contest Series questions – taken from a passage where students are required to compare and contrast 3 different hypotheses – show how students can struggle with connecting prior knowledge to new evidence for a given phenomena.

 

Sample Question 5:

 

Correct Answer: E (selected 28% of the time); Other answers: C (39%), B (13%)
Taken from REAL Science Challenge Vol 2 Contest 4

 

Sample Question 6:

 

Correct Answer: A (selected 31% of the time); Other answers: D (24%), B (14%), C (14%), E (11%)
Taken from REAL Science Challenge Vol 2 Contest 4

Wrap Up

Teaching science skills is really what we are teaching as science teachers. Students can always google the information or content they need to complete a list of homework questions. However, science skills cannot be googled. And, it is what we want students to remember at the end of their schooling. Thus, wouldn’t it be nice to know where students struggle with first? Wouldn’t it be nice to know where we need to start? Click on the link below to download the resources to this post (ie. the REAL Science Challenge Contest from which the sample questions came from, the sample questions, the answers, and the solutions). Please let your colleagues know about us too!

 

Until next time, keep it REAL.

 

Resources

Handout(s): 42 – Solutions to Science Skills Sample Questions

Our resources are free. We aren’t collecting emails for our resources. However, it would help us out if you liked us on our Facebook page and subscribed to our Youtube Channel. Thanks!

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#41 – Why I love two stage testing (and why you should too)

Does the development of new curriculum – where skills like analysis, critical thinking and collaboration are valued – mean that unit or chapter tests are obsolete? Absolutely not. However, teachers do need to make improvements to their tests. Especially if tests are important to both students and teachers.  For teachers, chapter or unit tests help to inform our own teaching practice. They also help us find out which students are struggling with the material being tested. For the former, tests provide a way to demonstrate and apply their knowledge – and, at times, also to draw connections between concepts. In other words, testing helps support learning for both teachers and students. So, how can we make them more effective? How can we make tests that require more critical thinking and analysis? One solution is two stage testing

 

This past year, I tried two stage testing in my Physics 11 and Junior science classes (gr 8s and 9s). And, the two stage test format was an awesome success. It was collaborative. It made students analyze how they were approaching difficult questions. And, it helped strengthen the concepts being tested even after the writing of the test itself. Below, I go over what two stage testing is and some tips on how to run your own. A tip sheet is available for download at the end of this post.

 

What is two stage testing?

Two tier testing can be seen as a test with two components. First, there’s the individual component, where students perform a test by themselves. Then, there’s a group component, where students perform an identical or similar test in small groups. The purpose of this test format is to have students support each other’s learning. The format is similar to students doing an assignment by themselves and then checking their results with a classmate. The individual component will have students develop their own answers and responses while the group component will have students discuss and debate their answers. Thus, there are two ways in which the test format supports student learning. First, by having students develop their own responses by accessing their own knowledge on the subject. Then, by reflecting on the validity their responses by comparing those responses with those of other students.

 

According to a paper published by the University of British Columbia (UBC), which uses two-stage testing in their Earth and Ocean Science course, “when students were tested in groups, they showed significantly greater improvement on subsequent individual testing than when tested only as individuals.” In other words, group testing helps students retain more of what was taught in class. I observed a similar trend in my own classes too. If you want to see how two stage testing is done, check out the video below of how two-stage testing is done in a Earth and Ocean Science course at UBC.

 

 

 

Some Tips

The biggest concern regarding two stage testing is: if students work on a test in groups, won’t weaker students just sit back while stronger students do all the work? The short answer is, yes, this is certainly a possibility. Some students will just sit back while stronger students take the helm and do a lot of the work. However, if group work is part of the norm for a science test, then there will be fewer students who take advantage of the situation and do nothing. All students will learn how to contribute in a group testing environment. And, there are some things that teachers can do to ensure students – weak or strong – get the most out of two stage testing too.

 

1. Stress that it’s about learning

I tell my students that the purpose of two stage testing is to support student learning. More specifically, it’s meant to help students reinforce what they’ve learned through small group discussion and reflection. Therefore, students need to be an active participant during the group test. This can be as simple as filling in the answers to some of the easier questions to figuring out the answer to a complicated one. The point is, students need to talk and bounce ideas off each other so that they get a stronger understanding of the current concepts before moving on. And, this is done through group discussions while writing a group quiz/test.

 

2. Use for smaller quizzes

I use two stage testing for my smaller quizzes as opposed to larger tests. For a science period that is 60 minutes, students write the individual quiz for 35 minutes and then the group quiz for the remaining 25. Giving students ample time to complete the group quiz allows for greater time for discussion. If not enough time is given for the group component, students will feel rushed and groups will just end up having their smartest student do the questions without discussion.

 

3. Use a weighted average when calculating the overall test mark

For any two tier test, I tell my students that roughly 75-80% of their mark is based on the individual component while 20-25% is based on the group component. Because most of their mark is based on the individual component, students are ultimately still responsible for the bulk of their overall test mark.

 

4. Add a few more challenging questions to the group test

Providing students with the same test to write for both individual and group tests will lead to students asking, “what did you get for this (question)?”. However, provide some extra challenging questions to the group test, and students are more likely to ask “how do we do this (question)?”

In other words, new questions not only give students more to discuss but also leads to a deeper discussion. More specifically, a “what” question probes for the result, while a “how” question asks for the process. By providing challenging extension questions to a group test, students will also be forced to participate with group members to answer the new questions (or else, they may not finish the longer group test).

 

5. Limit group sizes to no more than 3 students.

Smaller groups tend to have more discussion while larger ones tend to have one or two members not participate. With larger groups, it’s easier for students to sit back and let other students to do the work.

 

Wrap Up

If science curriculum is regularly evolving, then how we test students needs to evolve regularly as well. Group testing isn’t a new concept. However, employing group testing in the two stage testing format does help students practice all those science skills we want them to practice. And, students tend to retain more information too. Sounds like a win-win to me. Click the link below to receive a copy of our tip sheet. Also, please share our resources with your colleagues and/or leave a comment. Thanks!

 

Until next time, keep it REAL.

 

Resources

Handout(s): 41 – Two Stage Testing Tip Sheet

Our resources are free. We aren’t collecting emails for our resources. However, it would help us out if you liked us on our Facebook page and subscribed to our Youtube Channel. Thanks!