October 17, 2025
Tracy McManus, STEAM Coordinator
tmcmanus@cccoe.k12.ca.us
Building Thinking Classrooms in Science
The purpose of this workshop is to establish routines for thinking and collaboration by planning to implement visibly random groups, vertical non-permanent surfaces, and tasks to achieve successful and equitable outcomes for each student. We will use these engagement strategies with the Next Generation Science Standards in K-12 instruction.
Purpose
Meeting Outcomes
| Inclusive Welcome |
2. Learn | Group Norms |
3. Investigate | Building Thinking Classrooms |
4. Debrief | Consolidation, Resources |
5. Close | Optimistic Closure |
Inclusive Welcome
Turn and Talk
Please introduce yourself with your:
2. Learn
Building Thinking Classrooms
“If we want our kids to think, we need to give them something to think about -
something that will not only require thinking, but will also encourage thinking…”
-Peter Liljedahl (p.19)
Group Norms Brainstorm
When you work in a team…
Learning Target
It takes a lot of intentional practice to be a good team member,
so today we are learning…
Learning Target
Turn and tell a partner our selected Learning Target.
How will you show that you have met the target?
Oranges
What do you already know?
Balloons
What do you already know?
3. Investigate
Warm-Up with Phenomena
Oranges and Balloons
Squeezing the outside of an orange onto balloons causes them to pop.
But whatever balloons are made out of must be stronger than orange juice.
So what’s the deal? Is this a chemical reaction? A physical reaction?
What do you notice?
What do you wonder?
Visibly Random Groups
Warm-Up with Phenomena
Oranges and Balloons
How could you design an investigation to test your ideas?
Visibly Random Groups
Connection to the Next Generation Science Standards
“...yes, it will take more time in the beginning, but you will earn all that back as your classroom becomes a thinking classroom.”
-Peter Liljedahl (p.33)
Building Thinking Classrooms
Ms. Laura Wheeler’s Blog: Visibly random groups & Vertical non-permanent surfaces
Building Thinking Classrooms
Ms. Laura Wheeler’s Blog: Visibly random groups & Vertical non-permanent surfaces
Toolkit 1
What studenting behavior did YOU demonstrate most throughout your K-12 experience?
“Studenting is what students do in a learning setting –some of which is learning.”
-Peter Liljedahl (p.7)
Mimicking
Faking
Slacking
Tried It
Stalling
Studenting behaviors
for
“Now you try one” Tasks
“Students will get stuck. They will think. And they will get unstuck. And when they do, they will learn-they will learn about mathematics, they will learn about themselves, and
they will learn how to think…”
“Good problem-solving tasks require students to get stuck and then to think, to experiment, to try and to fail, to apply their knowledge in novel ways in order to get unstuck.”
-Peter Liljedahl (p.19)
science
Impact of Tasks
Task Libraries
Task Annotation Project in Science
Tennessee District Science Network Task Library
Authentic Tasks for Learning and Assessment in Science (ATLAS) coming January 2026 from Los Angeles County Office of Education
4. Debrief
Debrief
What We Know about How Students Learn Mathematics (and Science)
Students learn best when they are actively engaged in questioning, struggling, problem solving, reasoning, communicating, making connections, and explaining—in other words, when they are making sense of the world around them. The research is clear that powerful mathematics classrooms are places that nurture student agency in math. Students are willing to engage in “productive struggle” because they believe their efforts will result in progress. They understand that the intellectual authority of mathematics rests in mathematical reasoning itself—mathematics makes sense! (Nasir, 2002; Gresalfi et al., 2009; Martin, 2009; Boaler and Staples, 2008). In these classrooms, mathematics represents far more than calculating. Active-learning experiences enable students to engage in a full range of mathematical activities—exploring, noticing, questioning, solving, justifying, explaining, representing, and analyzing. Through these experiences, students develop identities as powerful math learners and users.
-Mathematics Framework Revised Draft, ch.1, p.7, July 2023
Group Work Turn and Talk
Find a partner and discuss the following questions:
What are you already doing with group work?
What does student engagement currently look like?
What do you want student engagement to look like?
CAST - Plan with Purpose
CAST Interim Assessments
More CAST Interim Assessments Available
Non Standardized Testing Environment Benefits
Small Group Administration
34
Whole Class Administration
35
Administration in Pairs
36
Administration With Additional Supports
37
Reteaching and “Problem of the Day" Routine
38
Connection to the Next Generation Science Standards
Debrief
5. Close
Revisiting our Learning Targets
Optimistic Closure
Now that we’ve experienced a “Thinking Classroom”,
where will you begin?
Resources
Contact Information