Grade 6 Science Content and Pacing – Quarter 1 September 23, 2015 Facilitator: Cindy Jolicoeur 8:30 – 8:45 Welcome and Ice Breaker 8:45 – 10:15 Fostering Open Inquiry – (Heating Earth’s Surface) Asking questions and testing Defining new knowledge (CER) Digital Convergence 10:15 – 10:30 Break 10:30 – 11:30 Literacy in the Content Area Reading vs. Decoding Reading Based Activity 11:30 – 12:30 Lunch 12:30 – 1:15 Edgenuity 1:15 – 2:30 STEM Activity – Weather or Not? – Weather vs. Climate 2:30 – 2:45 Break 2:45 – 3:15 Building a 5E Lesson Plan 3:15 – 3:30 Evaluation and Exit Ticket Follow up: Complete all three portions of the new MyLearningPlan Instructional Evaluation: Due: Friday, October 9, 2015 All parts of the Evaluation can be found in the Team Room within the same form. Part 1: Professional Development Evaluation And SMART Goal Part 2: Instructional Evaluation – Application Part 3: Instructional Evaluation – Impact 5E lesson plan must be submitted with the evaluation
Peer-Review Questions: How does the model simulate the conditions within the climatic zone? How can the model show the randomness of weather while also showing the consistency of climate? Step 7 Communicate the Solution(s) Project Summary: Written description of completed task and proposed solution to presented problem or scenario in any of the following forms of artifacts: -Notes - Journal/sketchbook entries - Records of prototype testing and next steps to improve the model - Reflective analysis of progress towards meeting the objective of the project (expected task) Presentation of Final Solution: Teams will provide their models to other groups to use and learn about the weather and climate of different climatic zones. Step 8 Redesign Re-designing of the Prototype Based on peer reviews, teacher input, and analysis of proposed solution, the students are to re-design and rebuild a prototype of their model. Project Based STEM Activities for Middle Grades Science Project Based STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) activities create a student-centered learning environment in which students investigate and engineer solutions to real-world problems, and construct evidence-based explanations of real-world phenomena within their science content. Students are also provided the opportunity to re-design models they have developed, based on peer feedback and reviews. Through these engineering practices within the content, students can gain a deeper understanding of science and are exposed to how STEM relates to their education and future career goals. Weather or Not? – Weather vs. Climate Teacher Set-Up Engagement or Introduction: Each team will distinguish between weather and climate. It is important that students understand how weather patterns and the kinds of weather that occur relate to climate. Standard Alignment: SC.6.E.7.6 Differentiate between weather and climate. SC.6.E.7.3 Describe how global patterns such as the jet stream and ocean currents influence local weather in measurable terms such as temperature, air pressure, wind direction and speed, and humidity and precipitation. SC.6.N.1.1 Define a problem from the sixth grade curriculum, use appropriate
Step 1 Identify the Need or Problem Define Problem/Scenario: Weather and climate are often mistaken to be the same thing. To help resolve this issue, you will need to develop, test and revise a model that demonstrates the difference between weather and climate. Expected Task: Develop a model to demonstrate the differences between weather and climate within a specific climatic zone. Models should maintain an overall climate in which extreme weather events occur. Step 2 Research the Need or Problem Research and Citations: Examine different climatic zones such as rainforests, savannas, deserts, temperate forests, etc. and the range of weather experienced in each. Vocabulary: Climate, weather, atmosphere, arctic, as rainforests, savannas, deserts, temperate forests Step 3 Develop Possible Solution(s) Criteria: Model must: include an appropriate range of weather condition for the climatic zone. have average conditions (climate) similar to actual climate include a key to reference coding of events by color Constraints: Models cannot: exceed 8 unique sets weather combinations (i.e. warm, dry and windy) maintain a fixed outcome Materials: Beads of varied colors Ziplock bags or small cups Step 4 Select the Best Possible Solution(s)/ Step 5 Construct a Prototype Building of the Product (Prototype, model or Artifact): Based on research and brainstorming of solutions, the students are to build a prototype of their model and design a method of using the model Testing of the Product (Prototype, model or Artifact): Testing of the model will allow students to record results from their model to evaluate the model using the criteria and constraints to inform the group if any adjustments are needed.