Sadly, one of the sure signs of Spring in Atlantic Canada (and surely we haven’t had too many other indicators this year) is the raised stress levels and uncertainty in our school systems! The Halifax Regional School Board may be facing more cutbacks as the new mega-Board struggles with budget deficits. Joy Sceviour, from Newfoundland/Labrador, reports that their 27 school boards are now reduced to 10 and about 475 jobs will be gone in September. These are frightening numbers and apparently New Brunswick is in similar turmoil.
'Twas ever thus, but somehow teachers cope, as they always have. With increased class sizes and fuller teaching loads, it is hard to find the opportunity to meet with one’s peers to share and develop curriculum ideas. The SciencePlus Teachers Network tries to meet this need with the SPTN Summer Institute (see p.4 for details) and this newsletter by providing a forum for curriculum development and revision. We know good things are happening out there in spite of all the constraints you face and we’d love to pass them on to others. If each teacher took just 30 minutes in the year to tell us just ONE thing that worked for them, there’d be a wealth of help for everyone. Think on it.....
By the way, if you are reading this newsletter on our homepage but would like to have a printed version, let us know and we’ll add your name to the subscription list.
Have a restful summer. To get you started in the Fall, we’ve included a some ideas for your first class). Hope to see you on at Mount Allison on July 6th.
This article is taken from the most recent issue of The Communicator, our “sister” newsletter in the U.S. Author Sandy Tauer was a contributing writer for the new edition of SP (U.S. edition) and served as a lead teacher at the 1995 HOW Summer Science Leadership Institute, and as co-ordinator for the 1996 SSLI. She presently teaches SP at Derby Middle School in Kansas.
Traditionally, science courses have emphasized students’ abilities to recall facts, vocabulary, and concepts that have been explained to them by their teachers. Research shows that this method of assessment usually relies on short-term, rote memorization and does not fully assess students’ understanding of concepts and skills.
The transition from a traditional, teacher-directed science curriculum has opened many new and exciting opportunities for active learning and, ultimately, active assessment of learning. Assessment can be defined as a balanced, varied, imbedded means to evaluate student performance and understanding, with a purpose that is clear to both students and teacher.
Students learn via a multitude of experiences and reflect this learning in many ways. Therefore, assessment of the whole child should occur using a balanced variety of assessment tools. To effectively assess learning, all phases of learning need to be continually evaluated beyond occasional quizzes and big unit exams.
In addition, the focus of assessment should be closely aligned with class goals. The student needs to know the criteria for reaching the goals, so he or she can effectively achieve them.
There are many reasons for assessing students, and they determine which assessment technique to utilize. Your reasons for assessing students may include one or more of the following objectives:
Authentic assessments require that alternative methods be used, and that these methods be based on real-world tasks. As a result, they are meaningful student experiences that are active, performance-based, ongoing, higher-level, and multi-modal. They also require that students excel at known tasks.
Numerous types of alternative assessments provide authentic assessment, including journals, discussions, debates, simulations, model building, demonstrations, creative writing, scientific-skill observations, concept mapping, problem-solving situations, and interviews.
Scoring alternative assessments can be accomplished by the teacher, peers or, most importantly, the student being evaluated. Often, grades are not based on concrete answers, but rather on a demonstration of skills -what the student did to show knowledge and understanding.
Checklists, point systems, rating scales and rubrics provide objective ways to evaluate these alternative assessments. The SciencePlus teachers’ manual provides guidelines for assessing students.
The assessment process involves all the steps in the scientific process. As teachers, we need to:
Planning is well under way for the 6th annual SciencePlus Teachers’ Network Summer Institute, to be held from July 6 to 10, 1997 on the campus of Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick.
SPTN believes strongly in teachers helping teachers and in giving participants time to work with colleagues on areas of mutual interest. In keeping with that belief, we will provide a combination of presentations, panels, and time for small group discussion and project development, along with a generous helping of good company and fun. Here are some highlights of what will be a rewarding week.
It is clear that our beliefs and understanding of the learning process shape the way we teach and how we assess students. It is also clear that our approaches to teaching and assessment reveal much about our understanding of learning.
In the opening session, participants will examine their own beliefs about learning and the relationship between these beliefs and teaching practice. We will also examine the critical role of student assessment as an integral part of the learning process and the need for a wide variety of approaches to assessment.
What does this mean for the already- harried science teacher? How can you deal with the individual needs of thirty diverse students and still retain your sanity? Participants will have the chance to see for themselves how one teaching scheme attempts to resolve the difficulty, and watch a class construct and reconstruct their ideas on the properties of matter. While this is a topic generally taught at the Grade 9 level, the teaching model is applicable to different topics and Grade levels.
| performance assessment |
| student project ideas |
| student record-keeping alternatives |
| (journals, portfolios, etc.) |
| constructing text/exam questions |
As well, we hope to provide an update on the progress of the Atlantic Canada Science Curriculum.
Join us at Mount Allison this July....you’ll be glad you did!!
SciencePlus Teachers Network will again be presenting a day of sessions that we believe will be of value to teachers of SciencePlus, whether new or experienced. We recognize that some of you may wish to attend other AST sessions and so, with the exception of the afternoon sessions designed for teachers new to SP, we planned single sessions for the day. Full details will be in the AST handbook that you receive in September but we thought we’d give you a preview! Note: two of the afternoon sessions, 3A and 4A, are designed for new teachers, or experienced teachers new to SciencePlus)
3B Rubrics: their value in communicating your assessment purposes -As a way of clarifying objectives and communicating these to students, scoring rubrics are a valuable tool. To many teachers, they are an unknown quantity, and the task of constructing them seems daunting. We will attempt to reduce the mystique!
4B Meaningful Student Projects in SciencePlus - How can we design student projects that support constructivist learning, and that are process, as well as product, oriented?
For more information, contact:
Congratulations to our own Chuck McMillan (Truro Junior High) who became the first Canadian SP teacher to make a presentation at a NSTA National Convention held this year in New Orleans. Many of you are familiar with the Murder Mystery Chuck developed from the SP1 unit on Solutions. Reliable sources inform us that Chuck was a “hit”, keeping around 150 teachers fully involved, which was no mean feat, considering his session was at 8 am!!
Along with Chuck in New Orleans were Tom Harding (Musquodoboit Rural High), Deb Regan (John Martin Junior High) and Libby Colwell (Summerside Intermediate), three SP teachers recognized and sponsored by SPTN for their contribution to the SciencePlus Teachers Network.
Tom Harding teaches science at Musquodoboit Rural High, Middle Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia.
Co-sponsored by SPTN and the Professional Development Committee of the Halifax Regional School Board, I attended the Annual Convention of the National Science Teachers Association in New Orleans, Louisiana in April. It was a wonderful break from our Nova Scotia “spring”, but more importantly, an inspiring opportunity for me to be in the company of 18000 people with similar goals and interests regarding science education.
After checking into the hotel in Bourbon Street (it’s true!), I made my way to the Convention Centre on the banks of the Mississippi. On being handed a Conference guide the size of the Halifax Metro phone book, I realized I would never be able to do or see all the things I wanted to at the Convention, let alone have time to explore the city.
For three days, from 8am till 5pm, I took in a variety of workshops, demonstrations, panel discussions and lectures. At first, it was rather overwhelming; the Exhibit Arena alone had hundreds of interactive booths and endless displays. But I figured out my personal strategy: attend sessions on a wide variety of topics, and eat at least one breakfast or lunch each day. I had already accepted that Bourbon Street and sleep do not go hand in hand!
What impressed me most about many of the sessions was that the presenters were motivated and enthusiastic teachers doing some exciting things to maximize the learning of their students. Added to which, I never heard any participant say anything derogatory about their students or classrooms.
Some of the sessions made a strong personal connection; often I was being encouraged to look at a familiar issue in a brand-new way. This has had a positive effect on me as an educator: it has given me food for thought that will impact my teaching, and as well, it has provided me with ideas that I can use in my role as one of the planners for the upcoming Summer Institute at Mount Allison in July.
On the flight home, I reflected upon my New Orleans adventure.....superb yet unassuming presenters.... top-notch workshops..... educators from across North America.....magnificent displays.....the smells of Cajun & Creole cooking.... the French Quarter.....the sounds of jazz from Preservation Hall; an experience beyond words.
From the Internet, a useful reminder of what most of us try to do on a daily basis - http://www.sonoma.edu/cthink/K12/k12class/tactics/nclk)
Use the following tactics during class to ensure that students are actively engaged in thinking about the content. Students should be called on randomly (using the deck of cards method, for instance) so that everyone participates. When students do not know when they will be called on, they are much more likely to remain alert and engaged in the learning process.
Students should be routinely called upon to:
Procedure for students:
The Text Game idea is in the February 1997 edition of Science Scope (an excellent resource for middle-school science, available to members of the National Science Teachers’ Association. Individual membership includes NSTA Reports and your choice of journals. To apply for NSTA Membership, write to:
You tell the students you are thinking of a person’s name, with certain characteristics, and they have to guess what your “rule” is. As an example, your criteria might be that it is a boy’s name, four letters, and contains a particular vowel. As students start guessing, you put the names on the board, and beside each put a X or P .
After enough names have been displayed, students should be able to see a pattern emerging. This is basically what we do in science; we make many observations and try to find the pattern or guiding principle behind them.
This came in on email from Chuck McMillan (Truro Junior High) who suggests it might be an interesting “tag on” to John Haysom’s Mega Microscope POE (if you haven’t heard of POE’s - Predict Observe Explain - there are several in back issues of INTERACTIONS. They are an excellent way of eliciting student’s ideas and generating discussion.)
Have students draw what they think water would look like under the “Mega Scope” (an imaginary microscope that magnifies things large enough to see atoms, molecules etc...) Next, have students draw what they think a Kool-Aid crystal would look like under the “Mega Mic”. After having discussed their preconceptions and arrived at a mutually acceptable model, give them some grape Kool-Aid crystals and a dissecting microscope. Have them observe the crystals first, then add a drop of water. You haven’t seen anything like it since the 60's!! Students love it, and it’s a great demonstration for activities such as particle motion, dissolving, colour mixing etc.
| 2 “D” cells | 1m insulated wire |
| 3 paper clips | 2 pieces of Bristol board (e.g. 15cmX15cm) |
| 1 nail | 1 small piece of tin foil |
| 1 bulb | 3 thumb tacks |
| 1piece of looseleaf |
The group must then create a flashlight that will:
One of my students, Chris Graham, approached me with an event that he found to be an absolute mystery. He could re-light a candle by placing a lit match in the smoke of a blown out candle. Chris was really excited about this and wanted to show his classmates.
This developed into a project for all eighty students in Grade 8. Each student had to find their own mysterious science experiment to present to the class. The mystery had to be based on scientific facts and not just be slight of hand. The students had to present their event to the class and their write-up was on a file card which I provided.
The Mysterious Event Project turned into one of the best experiences I've had with science projects. The presentations had the atmosphere of a magic show as students tried to explain the mystery that they had seen, heard, touched or smelled. Two of my favourites were Bouncing the Uncooked Egg and Boiling Water without Heat. Extensions for many events were suggested by students, parents, and staff.
We set up a Mysterious Event night for Parent-Teacher open house and also had a booth set up at the school science fair. The Mysterious Event Project is certainly a "Keeper"!
Bill Reid is a teacher at Coldbrook & District School, Coldbrook NS.
Students were required to formulate four possible "Did you Know..." questions about science and technology after reading books in the library. They then answered and illustrated each question on a 11cm x 13cm sheet of paper (vary the size to suit your needs). Each questions was titled in the same way as the title for this article, except that the student's name was used i.e. Jane Doe Asks..."Did you Know...?"
The work was evaluated based on creativity, illustration (simple but visually effective, in colour, cartoon-like) and information (clear, accurate, easy to read). The finished products were used to produce a bulletin board. An example of a student’s work is shown here along with an example from David Suzuki Asks "Did you know About Insides and Outsides?"
Submitted by Deb Regan, John Martin Junior High School, Dartmouth
It’s early to be thinking about the next school year but teachers have indicated that dates for NSTW are not published early enough...so here they are!
Once again, the organizers of National Science & Technology Week will be holding Invention Challenge where students across the province are asked to invent something to solve an everyday problem (see Assessment: What Works for Me, for a few ideas to get students started). The week is a great time to celebrate science with presentations and speakers and great fun activities. All can be accessed and obtained with one phone call to the STANet office at 1-800-565-7487. It’s that simple!
Nadine Tanner, Coordinator for STANet/NSTW, advises that programs are in the infancy
of planning so suggestions from teachers could play a key role in development of activities
suited to teacher/student interests. Nadine can be reached:
They would welcome your input.
"What I learned about Science and Technology was that science is in everybody's life! I think that the purpose of this day was to teach people like me who don't know a lot about science that no matter where you work, you have science on your job." (Venita Fraser, Gr. 7)
Science and Technology Day was organized by science teachers Susan Forsyth, Deb Regan, Karen Carter and Bruce Abriel (John Martin Junior High) to bring aspects of science and technology to all students in the school in a meaningful way through hands-on interactive workshops.
A large list of possible topics was sent to Renee Cheng of Scientists in the Schools and then the search for workshop leaders was on. The response was wonderful. Topics included Rehabilitation of Greyhounds, Television Production, Predicting Weather for Television, Hair/ Cosmetics /Skin Care, Robotics, Fires and Explosions, Pharmacy, Planetary Evolution, Light, Rockets, Oil Spill Cleanups, etc. Volunteer workshop leaders were members of community businesses, local universities and community colleges, and government agencies.
Sessions were posted and students added their name to sign-up sheets in the gym (about 15 - 20 students per workshop). Staff supervised each session and were invited to choose sessions along with the students so they could be part of the learning experience.
During the week prior to the conference day, students made Thank You gifts and cards for workshop leaders, prepared conference booklets to be distributed to each student, composed potential questions for their workshops, and posted banners and workshop summaries on classroom doors. Also, responses to a daily science and technology brain buster were drawn for donated prizes. These activities really helped to focus the whole student body on the approaching day.
Our Science and Technology Day was organized this way:
| 09:05 - 10:00 |
Keynote Speaker
John McConnell, TUNS Engineering student |
• Interactive presentation in gym |
| 10:00 - 10:15 | Nutrition Break | • cookies baked by the Grade 9 class |
| 10:15 - 11:05 | Session 1 | |
| 11:10 - 12:00 | Session 2 | |
| 12:00 - 01:05 | LUNCH | • Potluck with staff and workshop leaders |
| 01:15 - 02:05 | Session 3 | |
| 02:10 - 03:00 | Session 4 |
The format was very successful. Students were prone to get 'antsy' during session 4 but this was because the day was so full of new experiences, they were more or less on overload at that point. This observation will be considered in our planning next year.
All students were asked to write a one-page reflection paper on their experience during the conference. The entire response of Katrina Lawson, a Grade 7 student, is given here:
“On Thursday, February 6, we experienced Science and Technology Day. We had guest speakers teaching their own workshops in each of our classrooms. Each speaker showed us something different at each workshop. One leader showed us how to take pictures and to transform them on to a sheet of paper, then to iron it on to fabric. In my opinion, the purpose of the day was that we could learn about science and technology in a fun way but still have the knowledge. I found out about fish, computers, jewelry, even about police service! I learned lots of information about fish, about their ear-bones and that they have yellowish-orange ovaries. I really enjoyed it when we got to make a picture of my friends on a piece of cotton fabric. It really turned out well also.
I enjoyed science and technology day! It was fun to participate in their workshops! I found that the science and technology ideas really focused on what kids are interested in. While we were having a fun day, we also learned a lot of information and got to see a lot of neat things! The effect that this day had on us really surprised me.
I found that the science and technology day was a great idea but there was one thing I didn't like. When you would try to ask a question, some of the group leaders would ignore you. When you raised your hand, it was like they would look right through you! and isn't asking questions, and finding out the answers, the whole point?"
Katrina's enthusiasm is very evident in her response. (The exclamation marks are hers, not
mine). Her response was very representative of the feelings of the majority of students and
staff. Science and Technology Day for John Martin Junior High was not just about science
and technology, it was a tremendously positive unifying experience for the school.
Everyone got involved. Tim Harnish, a Grade 9 student, sums up his experience this way:
"I don't really think that there was a part of the day I didn't care for. I enjoyed the keynote
speaker and his demonstrations and I enjoyed the four workshops. The only part of the
day that I can say I didn't care for was 3:20 when we had to go home."
When I read this comment, I knew that our expectations were more than met.
If you’d like to make a Science and Technology Conference Day part of your science experience, here is some useful information:
Using SciencePlus in my classroom has been a great resource for me and my students. One example that comes to mind is the simple and compound machines unit. (Editor's Note: we do not have this unit in the Canadian editions, but the activities would fit well with SP1, Force and Motion and SP2, Work and Energy) We use this unit as a resource for student lab investigations.
In this unit, students are assessed on how well they can apply what they have learned, not what they can memorize. Students do five major investigations within this unit:
Pencil Lab: students use the pencil as a simple machine
Apple Peeling Lab: students are given different machines to peel an apple and then compare and contrast the effectiveness of each
Catapult Lab: students design and build a catapult used to throw a golf ball
Mousetrap Cars Lab: students design and construct a car powered by a mousetrap or traps
Mr Lift Lab: students design and construct a way to lift Mr. Hoegh, the teacher, on to a two-foot-tall box
Students are expected to use science concepts and apply them to each investigation. This type of assessment really helps the students bridge what they do in lab investigations to real life. I find all levels of student can do well with this type of assessment.
(Editor’s note: the design of performance assessment items is one of the options for small- group study in Sackville in July!)
I use cooperative learning techniques for many lessons. Before we begin a project, we brainstorm about what they expect to learn, and I share my expectations with the class. Students then break into groups (with no more that four students per group). They choose their own jobs, and if a student in the group is not performing, that student’s performance is subject to review by their group members and me. If I agree, the student must “interview” for a new group, or do all the work solo. Students know in advance that they are going to assess each other throughout the project.
This summer I was fortunate to consult with several people who use rubrics for assessment. I started this school year using one of their rubrics, but since then, my students and I have written three new ones. The new ones are hardly any different from the original, but the kids really buy into this kind of assessment when they help to write the criteria used to evaluate them.
These rubrics are based on our brainstorming sessions at the beginning of the year. Each student knows what he or she is responsible for, and they also know their group’s responsibility. Students are encouraged to use their talents and abilities in other areas as part of their performance: art, mathematics, writing, speaking, higher-order thinking skills etc. Consequently, the quality of each group’s work has improved with each project.
At the beginning of the school year, I informed my students how many journal entries I expected each week. I also told them what topics to write about, and what I considered an acceptable journal-entry length. When asked, “What’s the Purpose?” I answered, “To check for prior knowledge and misconceptions and to observe growth or progress.” Very quickly, students sent the message to me-via their journals-of their dissatisfaction with the arrangement.
So during a class discussion, I invited students to evaluate and offer their perspectives about how improvements could be made. The students overwhelmingly told me how I would achieve my purpose if I gave them responsibility over the journal. Some of their suggestions included the following:
(Editor’s note: journals and student-negotiated rubrics are two of the items on the agenda for this years Summer Institute)
The left column below contains words that complete or answer the statements in the column on the right. Select the number of the word that best answers each statement and place the number in the proper space in the answer box further down. If you co rrectly complete the box, the total of your numbers in each horizontal row, vertical column and diagonal will be the same.
| ANSWERS | STATEMENTS |
| 1. habitat | a) food-making in green plants |
| 2. environment | b) the main process by which pollutants get into the atmosphere |
| 3. loam | c) a living thing's role in the community |
| 4. food chain | d) a type of soil |
| 5. mutualism | e) first living thing in most food chains |
| 6. carbon dioxide | f) how energy is passed along in a community of living things |
| 7. tape worm | g) scale we use to measure acidity |
| 8. trout | h) main source of energy for food chains |
| 9. pH | i) a type of relationship in which there is a two way benefit |
| 10. photosynthesis | j) connection |
| 11. precipitation | k) snow, hail, rain or sleet |
| 12. acid | l) a carnivore |
| 13. burning | m) has a pH from 1 to 6 |
| 14. sun | n) an internal parasite |
| 15. sulphur dioxide | o) a gas used by plants to make food |
| 16. green plant | p) a base |
| 17.niche | |
| 18. ammonia | |
| 19. interaction |
| a | b | c | d |
| e | f | g | h |
| i | j | k | l |
| m | n | o | p |