Life ScienceLife Science

For Middle SchoolFor Middle School

EducatorsEducators•Pick a number from the “hat”

•Grab a syllabus

•We will begin at 12:15 (to give people time to find the room)

Assessment

So I know how much depth to present in lectures on the basic concepts in biology

This is NOT graded This is for me to design this class

specifically to your needs In other words, do not fret about this, just do

your best

I Expect You to:

Attend every class Arrive on time Turn off cell phones Read the assigned text Read the assigned papers or websites Read the lab ahead of class

If you have to miss – talk to me as soon as possible. I do understand that emergencies happen.

Class Participation

I encourage discussion Engage fully in each laboratory exercise Lab report in on time Be prepared for your presentation Support your classmates presentations with

positive comments and helpful suggestions

First Year Teaching

Your first year of teaching is going to be very difficult

This class is designed to provide the conceptual framework and tested labs that augment and support life science concepts and scientific inquiry!

Wahoo!

You, your first year teaching

Edvard Munch The Scream

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/features/artthefts/gfx/scream_cp_6251535.jpg

Grading

Lab participation and lab report 27% Midterm 15% Student Project 33% Peer Evaluations 10% Final (comprehensive) 15% Graduate Credit: (Required)

Presentation to class on current science education research

27% Lab and Write-up

Give it a Title Align to standards What are the student

goals (what concepts are you addressing)?

How much will it cost? How much for equipment and how much for consumables?

How much time do you need initially? How much time will your students work on it, and how much time time do you need to clean up afterwards?

How will you assess student learning?

Sample Lab Write-up

15% Midterm

Questions will be generated from reading and lecture Focus on what is science? Focus on fundamental concepts in biology Fous on how to translate those concepts into

project-based, place-based inquiry science in the classroom

Benchmark Test

Take it now You have 15

minutes If you need more

time, you can complete it at home

Align Standards to Test

You are not being graded for the test answers, but rather, go to http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/subjects/science/curriculum/sciencedraft2.pdf, and align 6th, 7th, and 8th grade standards to the test

Due Tuesday, January 12

How to Align Standards

6.1.PS.1 means: 6=6th grade 1=1st goal – Structure and

Function (2 is the 2nd goal, Interaction and Change, 3 is Scientific Inquiry, and 4 is Engineering Design)

PS=Physical Science (LS=Life Science and ES=Earth/Space Science)

Final number identifies the specific standard

Buoyancy: 6.1.PS.2, 6.1.PS.3 7.2.PS.2, 7.2.PS.3 8.2.PS.2

Please write the entire standard out for this exercise

Suggestion: Begin your Portfolio

All of these materials will help you that first year. Begin a portfolio of lessons. I am old school and

still print everything You may want to start

a CD library of your lessons instead

How will you organize them?

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33% Student Project

You will each select one topic from the following list, your turn is the number you picked at the beginning of class

Prepare a lesson and hands-on, inquiry-based lab to present to your classmates

You will have 45 minutes to present your lesson

10% Peer Evaluation

Positive, supportive comments

Helpful suggestions to improve lesson plan

Share ideas You have to be in

class to get credit

15% Final

Essay format General Biological concepts covered in

class, text, or assigned websites Scientific Process General Educational concepts covered in

class, text, or assigned websites

You will be just fine!

Every non-science student I have taught panics about half-way through the term that they are failing, or doing poorly, or whatever. I base the final 100% on you.

Highest grade in the class sets 100%. All other students receive their grade based on

those points being 100% Everyone in the class can receive an “A” if you

work hard!

Text

Recommended: Biology: Science for Life 2nd edition ©2007 (if you haven’t had biology before) Colleen Belk and Virginia Borden Publisher: Prentice Hall

Recommended: Science 101: Biology ©2007 George Ochoa and Publisher: Harper Collins

Recommended: Science 101: Ecology ©2007 Jennifer Freeman Publisher: Harper Collins

My Goal?

I love science – all science I want you to discover the wonders and

marvels of science When you have a classroom, pass on this

this wonder to your students!

Questions?

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What is Scientific Process?

Science explains what is seen in nature with natural mechanisms

Science predicts outcome with hypotheses Science is testable Science is replicable Different disciplines have different methods, but

the above are common to all branches – whether chemistry, physics, life, earth, or space

What is pseudoscience?

Pseudoscience is any body of alleged knowledge, methodology, belief, or practice that claims to be scientific but does not follow the scientific method

http://www.alabe.com/cgi-bin/chart/astrobot.cgi?Y

Scientific Method

Scientific researchers propose specific hypotheses as explanations of natural phenomena, and design experimental studies that test these predictions for accuracy. These steps are repeated in order to make increasingly dependable predictions of future results.

10 Steps (more or less)

1. Observations 2. Questions3. Read4. Hypotheses5. Design experiment6. Collect data7. Analyze data8. Draw conclusions9. Communicate

results10. Questions

HypothesisQUESTION

S

Design

Modified from: http://yangdanni.blogspot.com/2007/09/confusion-shmusion.html

Scientific Method Isn’t Linear

http://undsci.berkeley.edu/flowchart_noninteractive.php

Scientific Law

This is a statement of fact meant to explain, in concise terms, an action or set of actions

It is generally accepted to be true and universal, and

Can sometimes be expressed in terms of a single mathematical equation.

Scientific laws are similar to mathematical postulates. They don’t really need any complex external proofs; they are accepted at face value based upon the fact that they have always been observed to be true.

Definitions of law, hypothesis, theory: http://wilstar.com/theories.htm

Hypothesis

This is an educated guess based upon observation

It is a rational explanation of a single event or phenomenon based upon what is observed, but which has not been supported

Testable hypotheses can be supported or refuted by experimentation or continued observation

Scientific Theory

A theory is more like a scientific law than a hypothesis

A theory is an explanation of a set of related observations or events based upon proven hypotheses and verified multiple times by detached groups of researchers

One scientist cannot create a theory; he can only create a hypothesis.

Theory vs Law

In general, both a scientific theory and a scientific law are accepted to be true by the scientific community as a whole. Both are used to make predictions of events. Both are used to advance technology.

The biggest difference between a law and a theory is that a theory is much more complex and dynamic. A law governs a single action, whereas a theory explains a whole series of related phenomena.

Questions?

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