Overview
Setting the Stage: Overview (Jason)
Starting the year with non-threatening and engaging activities that incorporate the norms and expectations of a model based classroom is essential to help my students feel comfortable in this unfamiliar environment. Establishing a classroom culture to support modeling is as much about students unlearning what they have come to expect in the classroom, as it is teaching them more effective ways to engage with their learning and each other. These first several lessons help my students understand that a modeling classroom is not a place where they will be passive repositories of teacher dictated knowledge. Nor will it be an environment where their ideas are judged as right or wrong. Rather, students should come to understand that their ideas about what they observe as they actively engage with their environment are what is most important. They should feel comfortable with the fact that their ideas will (and should) change and deepen as part of the challenging process developing models to explain the phenomena they observe. These initial lessons also help my students discover how valuable teamwork is in this process as they develop skills to more effectively share ideas with one another. When my students embrace this new way of doing business in the classroom, it is incredible to watch as they deeply engage with the material and collectively take control of their learning throughout the year.
The following lessons are the general sequence I follow to develop this modeling culture in my classroom. This sequence takes me 2-2 ½ weeks within a traditional schedule of 52 minute classes. I have included notes about when I introduce and use several of the MBER strategies. I find it very helpful to revisit similar team and culture building activities to start the second semester since I have a lot of student movement between my classes.
Lesson: 1 Biology Bingo
Lesson Description: Students compete in blackout bingo completing tasks in each square. Tasks include: finding another student with biological knowledge, finding a student with a similar interest, finding information about rules and resources of the classroom.
Materials: Biology Bingo handout
Objectives:
- Build collaborative classroom culture.
- Familiarize students with classroom resources
- Establish work partners.
- Assess student biological knowledge
Strategies Introduced: NoneBiology Bingo
Lesson: 2 Root Word Mash-up
Lesson Description: Students use a list of Latin and Greek root words commonly used in biology to invent their own fictitious biology words.
Materials: Root word poster PowerPoint, Root word definitions, Root Word Mash-up handouts, poster paper, markers
Objectives:
- Recognize root words and how they may be combined to create meaningful words.
- Work collaboratively with partner
Strategies Introduced: None
Notes: I do this activity on the second day, because I have a lot of movement of students between my classes the first week of classes. I would prefer to jump into Mystery Tubes and building models first, but would rather have students miss the root word activity than missing the model building process.
Lesson: 3 Mystery Tubes Models / Black Box Activity
Lesson Description: Students investigate mystery tubes and collectively develop a model to explain what they think is going on inside of the tubes.
Materials: Mystery tubes, large white boards, dry erase markers, Mystery Tube Power Point
Objectives:
- Introduce and practice group norms
- Collectively develop a model to explain mystery tubes.
- Describe what makes a good model in science and why scientists use models
Strategies Introduced: Talking Sticks, Group norms, Developing driving question, Gallery Walk
Lesson: 4 Know your seed -observations in science
Lesson Description: Students make observations of sunflower seeds to develop their observation skills.
Materials: Bowl of sunflower seeds, student handout: Know Your Seed
Objectives:
- Students develop their skill in making and presenting observations.
- Students demonstrate understanding of the difference between qualitative and quantitative observations.
- Students demonstrate understanding of the difference between observations and inferences.
Strategies Used: Group Norms
Lesson: 5 Little Red 3 Pigs Story; Data, Prior Knowledge and Beliefs, and Inferences
Lesson Description: Student groups develop a story from story boards that draw on prior knowledge of childhood stories, but do not quite fit.
Materials: Story drawings, PowerPoint
Objectives:
- Students work in groups to make inferences from data that conflicts with prior knowledge and beliefs
Strategies Introduced: Group roles.
Used: Group Norms
Lesson Description: Students take notes on the types of graphs and the components of a good graph, then apply their understanding by choosing the best graph to represent different data sets.
Materials: Data sets, small white boards, poster paper, poster pens
Objectives:
- Students can choose a graph that best represents data.
- Students create properly formatted graphs
- Students can use graphs to help analyze data.
MBER Strategies Used: Group roles, Talking Sticks
Lesson: 7 Accuracy in Estimates of Measurements - Lab Inquiry 1
Lesson Description: Students compare their estimates to actual measurements of volume, length, time, concentration, weight (mass)
Materials: rulers, graduated cylinders, disposable pipettes, methylene blue solution, test tubes, nickels, sand, weighing cups, timer, lab handout
Objectives:
- Students demonstrate they can accurately measure volume, length, time, weight, and concentration
- Students calculate percent accuracy
- Students correctly a data table to record data
- Students represent data graphically to help interpret results.
Strategies Introduced: Lab protocol
Lesson: 8 Effect of different concentrations on potato pieces - Lab Inquiry 2
Lesson Description: Students investigate the effect of different concentrations of sugar solution on the volume and mass of potato pieces.
Materials: Lab Handout…see other materials
Objectives:
- Students accurately record volume and mass
- Students formally communicate the results of an experiment
Strategies Introduced: formal lab report
Filler Lesson: Lab Safety
Lesson Description: Students watch a video and receive direct instruction on lab safety procedures.
Materials: Lab Safety video, guidelines and quiz.
Objectives:
- Students learn lab safety guidelines.
Notes: I fit this in somewhere before I do the labs.
Download Resources
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Jason's Resources for Setting the Stage | 16.39 MB |