All Systems Go! Using a Systems Approach in Elementary Science

Transcription

1 All Systems Go! CAST November Tracey Ramirez Professional Learning Facilitator The Charles A. Dana Center What we do and how we do it The Dana Center collaborates with others locally and nationally to strengthen education systems so that they foster opportunity particularly in mathematics and science for all students. We are dedicated to ensuring every student leaves school prepared for success in postsecondary education and the contemporary workplace and for active participation in our modern democracy. We carry out our work by advocating for high academic standards and by building the capacity of education systems to ensure that all students can master the content described in the standards. We help translate research into practice and adapt promising innovations to meet local needs. 2

2 Learning expectations To better understand how to teach elementary science from a systems perspective, participants will... Investigate the role of crosscutting concepts in science teaching and learning; and Consider how integrating systems thinking into science teaching and learning leads to deeper understanding and application of science content. 3 Learning expectations science content While engaging in hands-on learning experiences, participants will... Observe, identify, and describe the components and interactions that occur in simple systems; and Observe and describe cause-and-effect relationships and patterns of change that occur when the components within systems interact. 4

3 A Framework for K 12 Science Education articulates a broad set of expectations for students in science. It is based on a rich and growing body of research on teaching and learning in science, as well as on nearly two decades of efforts to define foundational knowledge and skills for K 12 science and engineering. National Research Council. (2012). A framework for K 12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, pages science-education-practices-crosscutting-concepts 5 Recurring themes Some important themes pervade science, mathematics, and technology and appear over and over again, whether we are looking at an ancient civilization, the human body, or a comet. They are ideas that transcend disciplinary boundaries and prove fruitful in explanation, in theory, in observation, and in design. Epigraph to Chapter 11 in American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1989). Science for All Americans. New York: Oxford University Press. 6

4 Crosscutting concepts 1. Patterns 2. Cause and Effect: Mechanism and Prediction 3. Scale, Proportion, and Quantity 4. Systems and System Models 5. Energy and Matter: Flows, Cycles, and Conservation 6. Structure and Function 7. Stability and Change 7 What is a system? Definition An organized group of related objects or components that form a whole. Characteristics Systems have boundaries Made up of components that are interdependent Interactions occur within systems Forces act on systems Energy and matter flow into and out of systems Systems have properties Can be made up of subsystems or can be a subsystem of a larger system Models help us understand systems 8

5 Describing systems Document your understanding of the system as follows: List the components that make up the system. Describe the forces and/or interactions that play important roles in the system. Draw a picture or model of the system that includes: - Boundary - Inputs, outputs, and feedback o Matter o Energy Describe connections to 2 or 3 other crosscutting concepts. 9 Types of energy Energy of Motion Kinetic Energy (KE) Heat Energy (HE) Light Energy (LE) Sound Energy (SE) Electrical Energy (EE) Energy of Position Gravitational Potential Energy (GPE) Elastic Potential Energy (EPE) Chemical Potential Energy (CPE) 10

6 Systems and system models Think about the science concept your group investigated, as well as the corresponding TEKS, as you discuss the following questions with your group: On what characteristics of a system should teaching and learning focus for this concept? How might using a systems approach enhance students investigations, conversations, and understanding of the concept? How might a systems approach impact your instruction? 11 Force and Motion Systems TEKS Kindergarten (6) Force, motion, and energy. The student knows that energy, force, and motion are related and are a part of their everyday life. The student is expected to: (A) use the five senses to explore different forms of energy such as light, heat, and sound; (B) explore interactions between magnets and various materials; (C) observe and describe the location of an object in relation to another such as above, below, behind, in front of, and beside; and (D) observe and describe the ways that objects can move such as in a straight line, zigzag, up and down, back and forth, round and round, and fast and slow. 12

7 Force and Motion Systems TEKS Grade 3 (6) Force, motion, and energy. The student knows forces cause change and that energy exists in many forms. The student is expected to: (A) Explore different forms of energy, including mechanical, light, sound, and heat/thermal in everyday life; (B) Demonstrate and observe how position and motion can be changed by pushing and pulling objects to show work being done, such as swings, balls, pulleys, and wagons; and (C) Observe forces such as magnetism and gravity acting on objects. 13 Force and Motion Systems TEKS Grade 5 (6) Force, motion, and energy. The student knows that energy occurs in many forms and can be observed in cycles, patterns, and systems. The student is expected to: (A) explore the uses of energy, including mechanical, light, thermal, electrical, and sound energy; (B) demonstrate that the flow of electricity in circuits requires a complete path through which an electric current can pass and can produce light, heat, and sound; (B) demonstrate that light travels in a straight line until it strikes an object or travels through one medium to another and demonstrate that light can be reflected such as the use of mirrors or other shiny surfaces and refracted such as the appearance of an object when observed through water; and (C) design an experiment that tests the effect of force on an object. 14

8 Living Systems TEKS Grade 1 (10) Organisms and Environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and processes that help them survive within their environments. The student is expected to: (A) investigate how the external characteristics of an animal are related to where it lives, how it moves, and what it eats; (B) identify and compare the parts of plants; (C) compare ways that young animals resemble their parents; and (D) observe and record life cycles of animals such as a chicken, frog, or fish. 15 Living Systems TEKS Grade 4 (10) Organisms and Environments. The student knows that organisms undergo similar life processes and have structures that help them survive within their environment. The student is expected to: (A) explore how adaptations enable organisms to survive in their environment such as comparing birds beaks and leaves on plants; (B) demonstrate that some likenesses between parents and offspring are inherited, passed from generation to generation such as eye color in humans or shapes of leaves in plants. Other likenesses are learned such as table manners or reading a book and seals balancing balls on their noses; and (C) Explore, illustrate, and compare life cycles in living organisms such as butterflies, beetles, radishes, or lima beans. 16

9 Living Systems TEKS Grade 5 (10) Organisms and Environments. The student knows that organisms undergo similar life processes and have structures that help them survive within their environments. The student is expected to: (A) Compare the structures and functions of different species that help them live and survive such as hooves on prairie animal or webbed feet in aquatic animals; (B) Differentiate between inherited traits of plants and animals such as spines on a cactus or shape of a beak and learned behaviors such as an animal learning tricks or a child riding a bicycle; and (C) Describe the differences between complete and incomplete metamorphosis of insects. 17 Crosscutting concepts [T]he crosscutting concepts can provide a connective structure that supports students understanding of sciences as disciplines and that facilitates students comprehension of the phenomena under study in particular disciplines. Thus these crosscutting concepts should not be taught in isolation from the examples provided in the disciplinary context. Moreover, use of a common language for these concepts across disciplines will help students to recognize that the same concept is relevant across different contexts. National Research Council. (2012). A framework for K 12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, page science-education-practices-crosscutting-concepts. 18

10 Systems and system models Think about the science concept your group investigated and the corresponding TEKS as you discuss the following questions with your group: On what characteristics of a system should teaching and learning focus for this concept? How might using a systems approach enhance students investigations, conversations, and understanding of the concept? How might a systems approach impact your instruction? 19 Reflections I wonder... It s interesting... I m surprised... I learned... 20

11 Contact Information Tracey Ramirez Professional Learning Facilitator, Science Charles A. Dana Center For information on the Dana Center s professional development opportunities and resources, see Follow us on 21