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Middle School Science: Navigating Curriculum

with Lucero Angel

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About Mrs. Angel

  • Starting my 6th year with FSUSD at Crystal Middle School
  • Science teacher, AVID site coordinator, CSEL (certificated support for English Learners), and cross-country coach
  • Animal lover (5 chickens, 2 dogs, 2 cats, a hamster, and a leopard gecko), exercise junkie, happy wife, crocheter, bookworm!
  • luceroa@fsusd.org

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Goals for This Session

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Understanding how to navigate Amplify

Review Science standards

Preview a lesson

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How familiar are you with Amplify?

Show on your fingers where you are with the district adopted curriculum:

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1- I have never heard of Amplify

2- I have heard of Amplify

3- I am familiar with Amplify

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Review Pacing Guide

  • Pacing is based on content-specific, not an integrated model
  • Amplify is built to be integrated and there may be some gaps in student learning
  • Crystal Middle Pacing Guide
  • You will not get to everything!

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Review Teacher Guide

Preview Planning for the Unit

Preview the first chapter of unit with group

Review the rest of the chapters

Preview Teacher References

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Planning for the Unit

  1. Unit Overview
  2. Unit Map
  3. Progress build
    1. Great tool for pacing during a unit!
  4. Getting Ready to Teach
  5. Materials and Preparation
    • Check your bins to ensure you have all of the supplies necessary for your unit activities.
  6. Science Background
    • Who can’t use a refresher??
  7. Standards at a Glance

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Chapters

  • Every unit has a big unit question students are trying to uncover
  • First lesson is dedicated to Pre-Unit Assessment
    • You can decide how the pre-unit assessment is presented to students.
  • The next lesson presents students with an issue they will need will need to solve throughout the unit.
    • Sell it to students! For example, in Unit 1, Microbiome, students are tasked with the role of being student researchers.
  • The last chapter of each unit is dedicated to a Socratic Seminar
    • Preview the one in Metabolism

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Teacher References

  1. Standards and Goals
  2. 3-D Statements
    1. Using these as teacher guide for what students should accomplish
    2. “Students will be able to …”
  3. Assessment System
    • Guide on what teachers should be assessing every unit!
  4. Embedded Formative Assessment
  5. Articles in the Unit
  6. Apps in this Unit
  7. Opportunities for Unit Extensions
    • Huge support for honors classes or for students who are ahead of others!
  8. Flextensions in this Unit

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Assessments

Pre-assessment

On-the-fly assessment

Critical juncture

Post assessment

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Preview a Lesson

  • In the Amplify platform, each lesson comes with its own set of editable slides.
  • These slides help guide the lesson and provide a structure for all other lessons.
  • Microbiome: Lesson 1.2
  • Edit slides to make them work for you!

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Thank you!

Take the last few moments of the session to fill out a short feedback form- your input is greatly appreciated!

Feedback Form

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If you have any questions throughout the year, please do not hesitate to contact me! I am a huge believer in collaboration among teachers to better our practice.

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Access Amplify through Clever

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Session Topics (delete this slide)

Middle School Teachers- ELA, Science, Social Science, Math

  • Standards
  • Curriculum Guides
  • Clever
  • Assessment Calendar
  • Sample Lesson
  • Unit Planning/Year Plan