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How do I plan for deeper learning and acceleration?

In a JCPS Science Classroom

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What does deeper learning look like in a science classroom?

We share an experience grounded in a real world phenomenon

We develop questions based off the phenomenon which drive our investigations

We gather evidence from investigations, videos, interactives, and other data sources

We come to a consensus on what we figured out so far

We come to a consensus on what we figured out and have a more complete explanation of the phenomenon

But new questions emerge so we gather new evidence

Move on to a new but related phenomenon to explore

A JCPS science classroom ensures that every student is provided with opportunities to actively engage in the science and engineering practices to make sense of phenomenon. The goal is to provide students with a coherent experience that is motivated by the students' own desire to explain something they don't understand or to solve a problem (Reiser, Novak, & McGill, 2017).

The JCPS Instructional Model uses a storyline approach– a logical sequence of lessons that are motivated by students’ questions that arise from students’ interactions with phenomena.

A JCPS science classroom is designed to make sense to students. We call that "coherence from the students' perspective." Using a storyline approach and the 5E design principals students learning is anchored in "figuring out" not simply "reading about."

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Good Phenomenon

An observable event in the real world

Spark curiosity and wonder

Can be investigated

Large enough to tie back to a bundle of standards

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Teaching Science

Biology: Cell Division
Reading, lecture, video, worksheet
Explaining the science

Explanation

Exploration

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Teaching Science

Exploration

Explanation

Phenomenon

Sensemaking

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Storyline approach to science instruction

We share an experience grounded in a real world phenomenon

We develop questions based off the phenomenon which drive our investigations

We gather evidence from investigations, videos, interactives, and other data sources

We come to a consensus on what we figured out so far

We come to a consensus on what we figured out and have a more complete explanation of the phenomenon

But new questions emerge so we gather new evidence

Move on to a new but related phenomenon to explore

We are now shifting to our units having what we call a storyline.
A storyline is like a good book. There has to be a start and a finish, with some type of conflict that is driving your interest. That conflict is the phenomenon.
Let’s use a unit on Metabolic Reactions as our example.
We start the story with a middle-school girl named M’Kenna, who reported some alarming symptoms to her doctor. Her symptoms included an inability to concentrate, headaches, stomach issues when she eats, and a lack of energy for everyday activities and sports that she used to play regularly. She also reported noticeable weight loss over the past few months, in spite of consuming what appeared to be a healthy diet. Her case sparks questions and ideas for investigations around trying to figure out which pathways and processes in M’Kenna’s body might be functioning differently than a healthy system and why.
Every day we are going to use the science and engineering practices to gather evidence to help explain what’s happening to M’Kenna.

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Asking Questions

Rich open-ended questions that use everyday language to make connections to students curiosities

The questions can not be solved immediately but require investigations

Develops ownership of learning

Related to the anchoring phenomenon

One of the key qualities of a good phenomenon was it sparks curiosity and wonder in your students.
Mr. Rogers put it perfectly when he said: Did you know when you wonder you’re learning?
If we keep answering the questions that students ask they will eventually stop asking the questions.
So if we use a phenomenon to spark wonder how do we help students put that wonder into questions?

Insert the Driving Question:

The driving question contextualizes the content of a NGSS unit and provides students the opportunity to connect it to their personal experiences.
A driving question is a rich, open-ended question that uses everyday language to make connections with students/ authentic interests and curiosities.
The question cannot be solved immediately, but requires a series of investigations that can be done in or around the classroom over several weeks.
The open-ended nature of the driving question creates a challenge, that then brings up other student driven questions.

Once the teacher presents the driving question through an anchoring activity - an exciting activity or real-world example that is used to engage students.
Then, following that intriguing observation, students generate questions that interest them and that they think will have them make sense of the anchoring activity and the driving question.

Students then spend several weeks investigating their questions always relating it back to how it is helping them solve their problem.

Because students are responsible for generating questions, collecting data, and developing answers through inquiry, they develop ownership of their learning.

If we use our M’Kenna Metabolic Reactions phenomenon what might that look like?

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Questions in our story

We start the story with a middle-school girl named M’Kenna, who reported some alarming symptoms to her doctor. Her symptoms included an inability to concentrate, headaches, stomach issues when she eats, and a lack of energy for everyday activities and sports that she used to play regularly. She also reported noticeable weight loss over the past few months, in spite of consuming what appeared to be a healthy diet. Her case sparks questions and ideas for investigations around trying to figure out which pathways and processes in M’Kenna’s body might be functioning differently than a healthy system and why.
Our Driving question is: How do things inside our bodies work together to make us feel the way we do?
After observing, recording noticings/wonderings, and discussing the anchor phenomenon, students write their questions on post-its (1 question per note). The DQB holds all the students' questions and is their connection to the content and the buy-in to their learning. The DQB is revisited throughout the lessons. Student questions that have been answered are checked off and any new questions that arise are posted. Students also learn to classify questions and group them by similar categories. These groupings become the lessons that make up the phenomenon based unit.
For the M’Kenna example students came up many questions here are a few:

Can we see anything inside M’Kenna that looks different?
What happens to food as it moves through our body?
What does the digestive system do?
Why is M’Kenna losing so much weight?
Do all the body systems work together?

And so those questions begin to help shape the story of the unit.

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What does deeper learning look like in a science classroom?

We share an experience grounded in a real world phenomenon

We develop questions based off the phenomenon which drive our investigations

We gather evidence from investigations, videos, interactives, and other data sources

We come to a consensus on what we figured out so far

We come to a consensus on what we figured out and have a more complete explanation of the phenomenon

But new questions emerge so we gather new evidence

Move on to a new but related phenomenon to explore

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Investigation

Use questions around a phenomenon that lead the class to engage in investigation

The investigation is around the science practices

Continues to develop ownership of learning

It helps students develop science ideas relating back to the phenomenon

The purpose of the Investigation is to use questions around a phenomenon that lead the class to engage in science practices to make sense of the phenomenon, and then develop the science ideas as part of the explanation.
This is the basic structure of the work of three-dimensional learning.
The Investigation routine is conducted throughout the unit, whenever students identify gaps in their understanding of the Anchoring Phenomenon.
For the M’Kenna example students came up many questions but let’s zoom in on one

Can we see anything inside M’Kenna that looks different?

Students investigate this question by examining M’Kenna’s endoscopy report and look at some graphs that show what happens to food as it travels through M’Kenna’s digestive system in comparison to a healthy one.
We figure out that some of the food that M’Kenna eats is not leaving her small intestine.
We decide we want to know more about what is going on in M’Kenna’s small intestine and what could be happening to the food that seems to be going away.
We used the SEP of analyzing and interpreting data to identify any patterns (CCC)

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What does deeper learning look like in a science classroom?

We share an experience grounded in a real world phenomenon

We develop questions based off the phenomenon which drive our investigations

We gather evidence from investigations, videos, interactives, and other data sources

We come to a consensus on what we figured out so far

We come to a consensus on what we figured out and have a more complete explanation of the phenomenon

But new questions emerge so we gather new evidence

Move on to a new but related phenomenon to explore

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Consensus Model

Students take pieces of ideas they have developed across multiple lessons

Helps students take stock of their learning

Students then take stock of what is missing and return to the DBQ for further investigation

Engages students in developing a consensus representation, explanation. or model to account for the phenomenon

In a consensus model students take the pieces of ideas they have developed across multiple lessons and figure out how they can be connected to account for the phenomenon the class is working on.
This routine serves to help students take stock of their learning and engage with the class to develop a consensus representation, explanation, or model to account for the target phenomenon (the phenomenon anchoring the unit or learning set).
The first element focuses on taking stock of the main science ideas the class has figured out so far. This could take different forms. First, students need time to reflect on what it is that they are trying to figure out.
Then students need to determine which information they’ve gathered so far might be helpful for them. Students might highlight in their science notebooks the important discoveries they made, or they might refer back to a series of posters of scientific principles that the class has been adding to, lesson by lesson, to keep track of their discoveries over time. The purpose of this element is to get all the pieces of the puzzle out on the table.
Working individually first so that all students are given the opportunity to synthesize the evidence and formulate their ideas. This part is important so that all students are prepared to defend their ideas, evaluate one another’s ideas, and consider their ideas in the context of other’s ideas.
Students then share and revise their ideas with a partner or in small groups to surface areas we agree we want to see represented in the class consensus model. This step is important to ensure that all students have the opportunity to articulate their ideas to someone else to help deepen their understanding and begin the process of considering their ideas in the context of other’s ideas. This also creates a safer space for students who might be less willing to participate in a larger setting. In addition, this helps the partners or small groups identify ideas or features they want to bring to the class consensus model.
Finally the class has a consensus-building discussion.
During this process, the class develops a public representation of the ideas as they are putting them together, such as a diagrammatic model, a table showing commonalities across a series of cases, or a written explanation.
Depending on when this routine happens in the unit, students may consider what puzzle pieces they have just put together, take stock of what they have figured out, and then revisit the questions on the Driving Question Board. This move can motivate them to identify what further questions need to be investigated as the class moves into the next lesson set.

How might this look in our M’Kenna story?

Remember the question from our DBQ we investigated was Can we see anything inside M’Kenna that looks different?

Students investigate this question by examining M’Kenna’s endoscopy report and look at some graphs that show what happens to food as it travels through M’Kenna’s digestive system in comparison to a healthy one.
We figure out that some of the food that M’Kenna eats is not leaving her small intestine.
We decide we want to know more about what is going on in M’Kenna’s small intestine and what could be happening to the food that seems to be going away.
We used the SEP of analyzing and interpreting data to identify any patterns (CCC)

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What does deeper learning look like in a science classroom?

We share an experience grounded in a real world phenomenon

We develop questions based off the phenomenon which drive our investigations

We gather evidence from investigations, videos, interactives, and other data sources

We come to a consensus on what we figured out so far

We come to a consensus on what we figured out and have a more complete explanation of the phenomenon

But new questions emerge so we gather new evidence

Move on to a new but related phenomenon to explore

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Where might I find resources to help with a storyline approach?