SDUHSD Middle School Science

Professional Development

Jennifer McCluan and Samantha Thacker, Science ToSAs

Chris Faist, Tracy McCabe, and Amy Olson, 5E Engineering Lesson Authors

Kevin Fairchild, 21st Century Learning ToSA

7th Grade 11.4.15 / 8th Grade 11.5.15

Pacific Trails Middle School

Outcomes for Today’s Session

• Discussion of modifications for and scheduling of 5E Lessons
• Experience a 5E Introduction to Engineering lesson
• Review and deepen understanding of middle school models and timeline and process we will use in our district
• Understand rationale for why California designated Integrated model as “preferred”
• Determine whether teachers feel ready to make a recommendation
• Familiarity with ELD Standards architecture
• Identify ELs in your classes, and ELD strategies to support them
• Awareness of unique challenges EL students face in learning science

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Agenda

8:30 - 8:40 am Introduction to Today’s Work

8:40 - 9:00 am Updates and Debrief 5E Lessons

9:00 - 10:30 am Introduction to Engineering 5E Lesson

10:30 - 11:30 am Review & Discuss Middle School Models

11:30 - 12:00 pm Rationale for “Preferred” Integrated Model

12:00 - 12:40 pm Lunch

12:40 - 2:40 pm ELD Architecture and Strategies

2:40 - 3:00 pm Wrap-Up and Survey

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Updates

• NGSS Rollout #2
• Thoughts from those who attended
• Link to Practices NGSS Lesson
• California Science Framework
• Anticipated Public Release Date November 17, 2015
• What to Expect
• Advance California Science Framework DRAFT
• Note this is a DRAFT
• 8th Grade Integrated section is being completely re-written

Debrief 5E Lessons

• Feedback from teachers who have done 5E lesson
• Modifications and Considerations
• Links to Resources
• 7th Grade 5E Lesson Folder
• 8th Grade 5E Lesson Folder
• Contents are View Only, Make a Copy to Edit
• Kevin’s Database for Sharing Lessons
• Scheduling the 5E Lesson
• Feedback Form Survey Once You Have Completed 5E Lesson

Introduction to Engineering 5E Lesson

• A BIG thank you to Tracy McCabe, Amy Olson, and Chris Faist for creating and sharing this lesson!
• Share Rationale for choosing this topic
• Links to Resources
• 5E Intro to Engineering Folder
• Teacher Guide for Intro to Engineering Lesson

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Additional Engineering Resources for Teachers

• TeachEngineering.org
• Stanford’s K-12 LabWiki (thanks to TPHS teacher Brinn Belyea for sharing)
• The American Association for Engineering Education eGFI website
• PBS Engineering Resources for Teachers
• Exploratorium
• NEA’s Ten Best STEM Resources
• Other suggestions?

It’s Time for a Break!

Middle School Recommendation Process & Timeline

• Make the recommendation this school year
• The earliest we would implement would be Fall 2017
• 7th grade would implement NGSS-aligned course model Fall 2017
• Both 7th and 8th grade would implement in Fall 2018
• Importance of recognizing that even if we recommend the discipline-specific model, it is fundamentally different than what we do currently
• Feedback from teachers and department chairs indicated middle school science teachers wanted to review and discuss models with colleagues across district
• Goal of today: To see if we are ready to make a recommendation yet

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Rationale for Why Integrated is “Preferred”

• On November 6, 2013, California officially designated the Middle School Integrated model as the “Preferred” model for grades 6-8
• In your groups, discuss the following:
• Why was the integrated model adopted as the “preferred” model for middle school science education in California?
• What reasons are given to support the decision to designate the integrated model as the “preferred” model?
• 15 minutes to read and then whole group discussion
• Use these resources from the California Department of Education
• “Preferred” Integrated Model Course Overview
• “Alternative” Discipline Specific Model Course Overview
• Scroll to pages 2-5 of DRAFT of California Science Framework
• CSTA article by Pete A’Hearn

Review and Discuss Middle School Models (7th Grade)

• Teachers work in assigned groups (30 min.)
• Using these Tables from the DRAFT of the CA Science Framework, each group examines both models and records in Google Doc (Group 1, Group 2, Group 3)
• 3 Reasons to Support Model (Pros)
• 3 Reasons to Reject Model (Cons)
• How would you present a counter-argument for the reasons to reject each model?
• 3 Details indicating how the model/course content is different than what we currently do
• Share Out with Whole Group (15 minutes)

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Review and Discuss Middle School Models (8th Grade)

• Teachers work in assigned groups (30 min.)
• Using these Tables from the DRAFT of the CA Science Framework, each group examines both models and records in Google Doc (Group 1, Group 2, Group 3)
• 3 Reasons to Support Model (Pros)
• 3 Reasons to Reject Model (Cons)
• How would you present a counter-argument for the reasons to reject each model?
• 3 Details indicating how the model/course content is different than what we currently do
• Share Out with Whole Group (15 minutes)

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Do We Feel Ready …

• to go back and have conversations at our site as a department?

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• What remaining questions do we have?

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• If we do not feel ready, what else do we need?

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• If 7th and 8th grade do feel ready, then…..(next slide)

If We Feel Ready, What Happens Next?

• Continued discussion should be taken back to sites
• Middle School Science Department chairs will have discussions with their site departments before or on November 16, 2015 (MS Late Start)
• Jenn and Sam will check in with department chairs about when the conversations will take place, and can be there as a resource if needed
• MS Science Department Chairs will e-mail Sam Thacker synopsis of:
• How many teachers feel each model is best for students and why
• If teachers are ready to make a recommendation
• MS Science Department Chairs will meet and have a discussion with Mike Grove
• At the end of today’s PD session, teachers will take a survey that will ask if:
• They are ready to make a recommendation
• What, if any additional information they need, and
• If they were to recommend today, what would they recommend and why? (teacher responses are non-binding and not a vote)

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LUNCH!!!

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12:00 - 12:40 pm

English Language Development

SDUHSD Science Teachers

Review: Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs)

• Go to goformative.com on your phone or other device
• Enter the Quick Code YKEC263 at the top right
• Click “Continue without logging in”

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Discussion Questions

1. What are some ways a teacher can provide moderate linguistic support for a student?
2. How would those methods be different for supporting a student with emerging proficiency?
3. Given the higher linguistic demand of the new CA Standards, what can we do to support academic language development for all learners?

How are the new ELD

Standards laid out?

Text Scavenger Hunt

Instructions in this document:

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goo.gl/IuYdli

Who are my English Learners?

• Find your EL kids in Aeries or Illuminate.
• What CELDT level are they?
• Next year, these will be the NEW PLDs!
• Fill in this list of your EL kids.
• The doc will force you to make a copy before you write in it.
• Your EL Monitoring Documents can be accessed here (by school site).
• Consider the linguistic supports each student needs

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ELD Strategy in 5E Intro to Engineering Lesson

• Nonlinguistic ELD Strategy
• Embedded within “Explore” of the 5E introduction to Engineering Lesson
• Link to Description of ELD Strategy and Resources in Intro Engineering Teacher Guide

Supporting Language Development in Science

Read pp. 5-7 of the article: “Language Demands & Opportunities in Relation to NGSS for ELL’s”.

• What are the four “features of science language” that distinguish it from other types of language?
• What are the linguistic challenges inherent in science vocabulary?
• How do you create a classroom culture that promotes science discourse?
• What features of science texts are not typically present in everyday language? Link to full article

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Resources for ELD

• Language Strategies for Academic Interaction
• Annotation Guide
• CA ELD Framework
• List of SDAIE strategies
• EL lead on most sites
• EL ToSA Staci Ortiz-Davis
• Dedicated counselor on site for EL
• You and your peers!

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Our Next Science PD Session

• January Science Inservice
• 1/26/15
• Location: Carmel Valley Middle School
• Because January will be Science specific, we will only have one pull out day in the Spring term
• Jenn and Sam will share those dates as soon as they are finalized
• Anticipate Early March
• We are trying to reserve DO Large Board Room for the pull out days in the spring term

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Post-PD Survey

• Please complete this Survey before you leave
• Special Thanks to the Following Wonderful People:
• Intro to Engineering 5E Authors
• Chris Faist
• Tracy McCabe
• Amy Olson
• ELD Team
• Krista Baldwin
• Tracy McCabe
• Kajyo Yamamoto
• Sam Thacker
• Kevin Fairchild
• Guen Butler
• Mike Grove
• Lesley Rhodes

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