Middle School NGSS4Oregon OSP Module #2 - Talk & Equity
Overview
The Oregon Science Project Module #2 is designed for K-12 and nonformal educators who want to learn more about NGSS, with an emphasis on the central role student discourse and talk play in the K-12 NGSS classroom. It is designed to provide 3-4 hours of work and asks learners to create something new to contribute to the work.
Who talks and why?
Engaging All Students
Why Is Science Talk Important? Individual Work
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Module #2 Components:
Task #1 - Why is Science Talk Important? Individual Work
Task #2 - Why is Science Talk Important? Group Reflection and Discussion
Task #3 - What Does Science Talk in the Classroom Look Like? Individual Work
Task #4 - What Does Science Talk in the Classroom Look Like? Group Reflection and Discussion
Task #5 - How Do We Increase Science Talk? How Do We Show Others? Individual Work
Task #6 - How Do We Increase Science Talk? How Do We Show Others? Group Reflection and Discussion
On Your Own:
Components: Readings, visuals, and survey response to prepare for Task #2 Relevance: Choose between primary, elementary, and secondary options Preparation: This individual work portion prepares you to engage in reflective discussion with a small group in Task #2
Questions driving our work together in this module:
Q: Why is it important to engage all of our students in science talk?
Q: How do students engage in talk during science in your classroom (what protocols, norms, or framing do you use)?
Q: How would you like them to engage?
Students' attitude, motivation, and identity grealy impact how, and if, they participate productively in science in the classroom. The impact of these traits on student learning vary greatly K-12. Research also shows that it is the teacher's framing of the classroom that is essentail for promoting students' feeling of belonging and participation necessary for them to share their ideas and make their thinking public.
"I can do science."
"I want to do science."
"I belong."
Please click on the resources below that best relate to your practice and interests. As you engage with them, think about how you frame your classroom to promote productive participation for your students, and what is needed to include more students. You will need to use these resources to complete Survey #1 at the end of this task below. Once you have completed that survey, you can proceed to Task #2.
Primary Resources to Complete this Task
Upper Elementary Resources to Complete this Task
Secondary Resources to Complete this Task
Survey #1 - complete after engaging with relevant resources
Why is Science Talk Important? Group Reflection and Discussion
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In A Small Group:
Components: Survey with question prompts to drive reflective discussion. Every person completes their own survey. Relevance: Although the resources vary by grade level, this group task is not grade-level specific.
Bring your thinking and reflections from Task 1 so you are ready to contribute to the group discussion. Please collaboratively complete the survey by discussing questions together as each of you fills out your own survey.
Survey #2 Why is Science Talk Important? Group Reflection and Discussion
What Does Science Talk in the Classroom Look Like? Individual Work
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On Your Own:
Components: Grade-appropriate video examples and resources (NO SURVEY) Relevance: Choose between primary, elementary, and secondary options Preparation: This individual work portion prepares you to engage in reflective group discussion
"Instruction can be designed in ways that foster a positive orientation toward science and promote productive participation in science classrooms. Such approaches include offering choice, providing meaningful tasks and an appropriate level of challenge, giving students authority over their learning while making sure their work can be examined by others, and making sure they have access to the resources they need to evaluate their claims and communicate them to others." - Taking Science to School.
Questions from prior work continues to drive your discussion and should be considered as you engage with the materials below:
Q: Why is it important to engage all of our students in science talk?
Q: How do students engage in talk during science in your classroom (what protocols, norms, or framing do you use)?
Q: How would you like them to engage?
Please select the grade level that is most relevant for your practice and watch all video segments and engage with any readings or articles. Be ready to bring your observations and questions to your small group discussion in Task #4.
As you engage, make connections to your own practice and your vision for increased productive participation by more of your students.
Primary Grades
Upper Elementary
Talk Moves Primer (read pages 7-11)
Secondary
Discourse Primer (read pages 5-14 paying attention to "discourse moves")
There is no survey for this task. Be ready to engage in active discussion around what talk looks like for the next task.
What Does Science Talk in the Classroom Look Like? Group Reflection and Discussion
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In A Small Group:
Components: Survey with question prompts to drive reflective discussion. Every person completes their own survey. Relevance: Although the resources vary by grade level, this group task is not grade-level specific.
As a small group, please collaboratively complete the survey by discussing questions together as each of you fills out your own survey. Be sure to bring in your impressions, observations, and wonderings prompted by the resources in Task #3.
Survey #3 Group Reflection and Individual Survey
How Do We Increase Student Science Talk? How Do We Show Others? Individual Work
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On Your Own:
Components: Blog post reading, task analysis survey, exploration of gradeband NGSS storylines Preparation: This individual work portion prepares you to engage in reflective group discussion
When we think of framing we are referring to "a set of expectations an individual has about the situation in which she finds herself that affects what she notices and how she thinks to act." - Resources, Framing, and Transfer
Please read this short blog post comparing two different classrooms using the idea of framing to set the context for student exploration, learning, and understanding of what they are learning in science as envisioned by the NGSS.
Look at these norms and think of your own classroom. As you set the context and frame your classroom for productive participation, look closely to see how you are asking students to productively participate. Below is an example from the Inquiry Project where teachers worked collaboratively when approaching their students to develop norms for equitable participation.
Please complete this task analysis survey below on your own by imagining a hypothetical group of students. Please consider a group of students engaged in the task who are similar to students you work with in your own practice. How can the NGSS practices guide planning for rich language use and development by students? One tool that can help us is a task analysis process.
Please read the first pages of a relevant grade and/or core idea storyline below in preparation to think about a relevant task to create and analyze that could provide opportunities for productive participation by students by engaging them in NGSS practices. Remember, the task should be very small requiring only 10-20 minutes of work by students. Any larger grain size of task and the task analysis is no longer a useful tool. We are having you use the storyline as a tool because it covers the core ideas of your grade(s) and lets us connect to our ideas of hands-on explorations. You are also welcome to go further into the documents and work from a performance expectation, but the task for this must be at a very small grain size in comparison to the gigantic performance expectations. You will be crafting the task with the support of your small group in Task #5.
NGSS Storylines
How Do We Increase Student Science Talk? How Do We Show Others? Group Reflection and Discussion
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In a Small Group:
Components: Two surveys to drive reflection and creation.
Collaboratively complete Survey #4. Utilizing your experience learning more about framing, productive partcipation norms, and task analysis please collaboratively go through Survey #4 below. One at a time each participant should share their draft ideas for a task they planned on their own in Task 5. You will submit your task (remember small grain size!) on this survey and you will be able to see others' tasks as well.
Survey #4: Collaborative Survey for Task Creation
Here is an image of the 3 dimensions to quickly reference as you create your tasks.
Collaboratively complete Survey #5. Each person will have the group analyze their newly created task and then each person submits their survey for their task only. Directions on survey.
Survey #5: Collaborative Survey for Analysis of Your Tasks
Once everyone has completed the surveys and the discussion has wrapped up:
Look at the collective responses and discuss how you could use this in your practice to communicate the importance of talk in the science classroom.