Lesson #2

Building on Student Ideas and Promoting Student Thinking

Criteria IID, VA, & VB

Purpose: The lesson introduces criteria for evaluating curriculum materials for how well they consider student ideas and promote student thinking.

Overview: During this lesson, pre-service teachers examine two lessons from Food for Plants and apply criteria IID, VA, & VB to the lessons to determine how well the lessons build on student ideas and promote student thinking.

Criterion IID - Building on Student Ideas

Criterion VA - Encouraging Students to Explain Their Ideas

Criterion VB - Guiding In4erpretation and Reasoning

When and How to Use This Lesson: Lesson #1 introduced the idea of teaching for conceptual change. Often, one feature of teaching for conceptual change that is highlighted as being different from didactic or discovery learning is that in order to help students change their preconceptions, students need lessons that build on their ideas and encourage them to think about their own ideas. Lesson #2 examines how curriculum materials can support teachers and students in building on student ideas and promoting student thinking.

Lesson #2 is structured to provide significant scaffolding for pre-service teachers using the Evaluating Curriculum Materials Criteria for the first time. Other lessons do not contain as much scaffolding and assume that pre-service teachers already have some familiarity with how to apply the criteria.

Activity #4 introduces pre-service teachers to the structure of the Evaluating Curriculum Materials document (categories, criteria, indicators). Activity #5 provides highly scaffolded modeling for applying Criterion IID. Activity #6 introduces Criteria VA & VB. Activity #7 provides slightly less-scaffolded modeling for the application of Criteria VA & VB. Depending on technology and time available, instructors may combine activity #4 with activity #6 and activity #5 with activity #7.

Activity #8 requires pre-service teachers to use the criteria to evaluate the materials they are using in their field placement classrooms. Therefore, pre-service teachers need access to these materials. If possible, pre-service teachers should bring copies of these materials to class. As an alternative, assign activity #8 as homework and allow pre-service teachers to access the materials in their field placements.

Goals:

1. To introduce the structure of the Evaluating Curriculum Materials Criteria.
2. To provide guidance on how to apply the criteria to curriculum materials.
3. To provide an opportunity to examine the indicators in Criteria IID, VA, & VB.
4. To provide guidance in applying Criteria IID, VA, & VB to curriculum materials.
5. To generalize features of units that meet Criteria IID, VA, & VB and develop strategies for modifying materials to meet the criteria.

Activity #4 10 minutes Model Criterion IID

Introduction to Criterion IID -

Building on Student Ideas

Activity #5 15 minutes Apply Criterion IID with

Examples of High & Low Quality Coaching

Materials Using IID

Activity #6 10 minutes Model Criteria VA & VB

Introduction to Criteria VA & VB

Promoting Student Thinking

Activity #7 20 minutes Apply Criteria VA & VB

Applying Criteria VA & VB to with Coaching

Food for Plants

Activity #8 20 minutes Apply Criteria IID, VA, VB

Application of IID, VA, VB (or Homework) with Fading / Assessment

to Field Unit

Activity #9 5 minutes Generalize & Strategize

What Are Some Ways Materials

Can Meet IID, VA & VB

Activity #4

1. Examining Curriculum Materials Form IID , scaffolded for Food for Plants

Activity #5

1. AAAS Criteria CD ROM Resource and a method of projecting it contents onto a screen (1 for whole class) or http://www.project2061.org/tools/textbook/mgsci/crit-used.htm
2. 
   
Examining Curriculum Materials Form IID , scaffolded for Food for Plants (1 per pre-service teacher)
3. 
   
Activity #9 Van Helmont's Experiment from Food for Plants (1 per group of 4)
4. AAAS Example Evaluation of Food for Plants for Criterion IID (1 per group of 4)

Activity #6

1. Examining Curriculum Materials Forms VA & VB Scaffolded for Food for Plants (1 each per pre-service teacher)

Activity #7

1. Examining Curriculum Materials Forms VA & VB scaffolded for Food for Plants (1 each per pre-service teacher - use same copies as for Activity #6)
2. 
   
Activity #9 Van Helmont's Experiment from Food for Plants (1 per group of 4)
3. 
   
Activity #3 Seed & Log from Food for Plants (1 per group of 4)
4. AAAS Example Evaluation for Food for Plants for Criteria
VA & VB (1 copy each per group)

Activity #8

1. Blank (unscaffolded) Examining Curriculum Materials Forms

IID (1 per pre-service teacher)

VA (1 per pre-service teacher)

VB (1 per pre-service teacher)

2. Field Units - Pre-Service Teachers need access to units they will be teaching in their field placements.

Poster paper & markers or some other way to record pre-service teachers' responses.

Throughout this unit, all evaluations take place with respect to an identified learning goal. Often, pre-service teachers do not consider the learning goal in making their evaluations of curriculum materials, in modifying instructional approaches, or in implementing the materials.

Pre-service teachers may need additional support in understanding the differences among IID (Building on Student Ideas), Criterion VA (Encouraging Students to Explain Their Ideas) Criterion VB (Guiding Interpretation and Reasoning).

Activity #4: Introduction to Criterion IID -Addressing Commonly Held Ideas

1. Distribute copies of Examining Curriculum Materials Form IID - Scaffolded for Food for Plants.
2. Explain the features of the form and the role that each plays in evaluation of curriculum materials.
1. Learning Goal
1. Emphasize that all evaluations are completed with regard of a single learning goal. For Food for Plants, the learning goal is listed at the top of the form. When pre-service teachers examine other materials, they will have to identify the learning goal they are evaluating.
2. Discuss how learning goals are identified, sources for learning goals and benchmarks, places to find learning goals listed in materials, etc.
2. Name of Material - Supply the name of the material being evaluated. Example: Food for Plants by Kathy Roth
3. Category - Evaluating Curriculum Materials Criteria are divided into categories. The entire document contains 22 criteria divided into 7 categories. This unit will examine 10 criteria in 6 of the categories. Example: Category II: Building on Student Ideas
4. Criterion - Each criterion includes a title and a question. Example: Criterion IID -

Title: Addressing Commonly Held Ideas.

Question: Does the material attempt to address commonly held student ideas?

5. Indicators - Each criterion includes one or more indicators that the curriculum material should meet.
6. Ö or X - Evaluators decide whether or not the curriculum material meet (Ö ) or does not meet (X) the indicator.
7. Justification and Citation - All evaluations are subjective. Evaluators must be able to provide justification for their assessments as to whether or not a material meets an indicator and provide a citation in the material.
3. Briefly discuss the indicators for IID.

Activity #5 -Examples of High & Low Quality Materials Using IID

1. Pre-service teachers should already have copies of Examining Curriculum Materials Form IID - Scaffolded for Food for Plants from Activity #4. If not, distribute these forms.
2. If possible, project images from the AAAS Criteria CD ROM Resource for the whole class to view.
3. Show several examples
1. Click on "Instructional Criteria"
2. Click on "Category II"
3. Click on "Examples" under "Criterion IID"
4. Scroll down through the Life Science, Physical Science, and Natural Selection and Evolution Sections to find examples of materials that both meet (green dot) and don't meet (red dot) each indicator. Click on the material and an Adobe Acrobat Page will load with a brief explanation of how the material does or does not address the specified indicator. Click on the blue text to link to a copy of the actual curriculum material with the reference highlighted. Suggestions (note: these are middle school texts)
1. Physical Science Material B - poor example
2. Physical Science Material A - poor example
3. Life Science Material A - poor example
4. Distribute Activity #9 Van Helmont's Experiment from Food for Plants (1 per group of 4) and AAAS Example Evaluation of Food for Plants for Criterion IID (1 per group of 4).
5. Click on Food for Plants on the AAAS CD ROM. At the same time, refer pre-service teachers to the AAAS Example Evaluation and Van Helmont's Activity.
6. Discuss the AAAS critique, showing pre-service teachers where comments are documented on the evaluation sheet. Use the scaffolded comments to direct pre-service teacher's attention to the remarks highlighted on the AAAS evaluation and referencing in Van Helmont's experiment. (Note: The page numbers on the CD and the page numbers on the hard copies are not the same. The page numbers referenced on the Forms refer to the hard copy and will not be the same as those on the CD). Have pre-service teachers complete the scaffolded form together as a whole group. An example of the completed form is attached to this lesson plan.

Activity #6 Introduction to Criteria VA & VB: Promoting Student Thinking

1. Distribute copies of Examining Curriculum Materials Forms VA & VB - Scaffolded for Food for Plants.
2. Explain the difference between Criteria VA & VB
1. VA - Encouraging Students to Explain Their Ideas
2. VB - Promoting Student Thinking About Phenomena, Experiences, and Knowledge.
3. Briefly explain the indicators for each criterion

Activity #7 Applying Criteria VA & VB to Food for Plants

1. Pre-service teachers should already have copies of Examining Curriculum Materials Forms VA & VB - Scaffolded for Food for Plants. If not, distribute these forms.
2. Distribute Activity #9 Van Helmont's Experiment from Food for Plants (1 per group of 4), Activity #3 Seed & Log from Food for Plants (1 per group of 4) and the AAAS Example Evaluation for Food for Plants for Criteria VA & VB (1 copy each per group)
3. Each group of four pre-service teachers should break into two groups of two. Partner set #1: Read Seed & Log. Apply indicators for Criterion VA. Use AAAS Evaluation for VA and Scaffolded Form VA as guides.

Partner set #2: Read Van Helmont's Experiment. Apply indicators for Criterion VB. Use AAAS Evaluation for VB and Scaffolded Form VB as guides.

Each partner set complete their own Scaffolded Forms

4. Each partner set explains to the other partner set
1. The meaning of their criterion
2. The indicators for their criterion
3. What their activity (Seed & Log or Van Helmont's Experiment) involved.
4. Examples of how the activity met their criterion indicators.

This activity can either be an in-class or homework assignment. Pre-service teachers need access to the units or lessons they will be teaching in the classroom. Pre-service teachers should evaluate those units based on the indicators for Criteria IID, VA, & VB, completing the appropriate forms. Remind pre-service teachers that they must identify the learning goal of the lesson or unit and apply the indicators to the parts of the lesson or unit that address that learning goal. Pre-service teachers may work individually or in field placement groups. However, each pre-service teacher should hand in the completed forms.

Activity #9 What Are Some Ways Materials Can Meet IID, VA & VB

1. In a group discussion format, elicit from pre-service teachers characteristics of the materials they examined, including Food for Plants, that meet Criteria IID, VA, & VB. Use poster paper or a similar method to record responses for each criterion.
2. Ask pre-service teachers for ideas about how to change or adapt materials that do not meet the indicators. Record responses.
3. Keep the responses for later use. Pre-service teachers may find them useful for adapting materials later.

Activity #8 serves as the assessment for this lesson. Each pre-service teacher should turn in for evaluation Examining Curriculum Materials Forms IID, VA, and VB. Use the following response features for evaluation. After evaluation, provide pre-service teachers with appropriate feedback and revisit key points, if necessary.

Examining Curriculum Materials Forms - Scaffolded for Food for Plants

IID

VA

VB

Blank Examining Curriculum Materials Forms

IID

VA

VB

AAAS Evaluations for Food for Plants

IID - Van Helmont's Experiment

VA - Seed & Log

VB - Van Helmont's Experiment

Food for Plants

Activity #3 - Seed & Log

Activity #9 - Van Helmont's Experiment