This session explores two key challenges faced by elementary school teachers for promoting 3D learning as outlined by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). These are: (1) how to make sense of 3D proficiency based on student responses to assessment tasks, and (2) how to use student responses to inform next steps in instruction. We will address these challenges by guiding participants as they explore a set of 3D assessment tasks that are freely available online. These tasks have been developed in collaboration with teachers for performance expectations in physical science, life science, and earth and space science. During the session, we will highlight how the tasks help elicit what students know and can do. Participants will then learn about the features of the associated rubrics and practice applying rubrics to make sense of student responses. We will also share how information from rubric use can inform next steps in instruction and engage participants in a discussion about instructional decision making. Through this process, participants will learn about rubric features that will inform their own creations and adaptations of rubrics. Furthermore, participants will learn about various resources that are freely available.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about the features of a new rubric that has been designed based on feedback from elementary school teachers. Through examples and discussions, attendees will learn how the rubric can help them evaluate student responses in a timely manner and provide detailed information about what students know and can do. This information can be valuable in linking student responses to 3D proficiencies and in determining instructional next-steps for teachers.

SPEAKERS:
Sania Zaidi (University of Illinois Chicago: Chicago, IL), Samuel Arnold (Research Assistant: Chicago, IL)

Small group instruction belongs in science too! Learn how to create and use formative assessments to support differentiated small group instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to support all students through differentiated small group instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Luthi (Gwinnett County Public Schools: Suwanee, GA)

Do the test questions you use adequately reflect your students’ true understanding of science? We’ll share guidelines for writing effective questions that don’t leave any of your students out and will help you determine whether your students are making sense of phenomena they are investigating - do their ideas match science ideas of the NGSS? Using a research-based “citizen science” approach, teachers can volunteer their favorite items and help improve our existing MOSART questions. Crucial item characteristics will be measured and reported, such as difficulty, effectiveness, gender, and racial/ethnic bias. Write new questions or revise ones you already have to address how well students make sense of elements outlined in the NGSS DCIs. The following is a question that is too difficult for middle school students: Matter is made of tiny bits called atoms. What is between the helium atoms in a balloon? a)Tiny particles that bind atoms together. b)A chemical substance that attaches helium atoms together. c)Nothing; the helium atoms touch each other on all sides. d)Nothing, just empty space. e)Air. How would you revise this item? We’ll have “practice” opportunities to look at assessment questions that are difficult or biased and discuss possible revisions with other educators.

TAKEAWAYS:
Write assessment questions to address item characteristics of difficulty, effectiveness, gender, and racial/ethnic bias

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Crockett (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA), Philip Sadler (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA)

Arguing from evidence can be an integral part of the knowledge-building work students do as part of any three dimensional science learning, as students make sense of their findings and use them to develop and evaluate competing models and explanations. But how do we help students grow in sophistication in this practice over time? This presentation will provide an overview of the learning progression, tasks, and scaffolding used to help students refine and assess their arguments in the OpenSciEd middle school program, focus is on the support and growth embedded within a 7th grade chemistry unit. Participants will have opportunities to analyze curriculum supports, students’ written work, and video of discussions of students engaged in this practice using classroom artifacts from implementations of the OpenSciEd Bath Bomb unit.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn what the practice of arguing from evidence can look like in middle school classrooms, tools that can support scaffolding practice, and how teachers can use it to assess where students are at in their sense-making.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Novak (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL), Brian Reiser (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL)

The Vision set forth by A Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards emphasize science as the integration of practices (SEPs), content (DCIs), and big ideas (CCCs). By using all three dimensions, students are able to make sense of phenomena while learning science concepts and processes. However, this way of thinking and learning takes practice and guidance. Teachers play a pivotal role in helping their students to engage with this kind of science learning. Therefore, they must find ways to explicitly integrate and embed all three dimensions in activities, lessons, and assessments. This participatory presentation will explore how teachers can explicitly embed SEPs, DCIs, and CCCs into prompts (questions and guiding statements) to promote more integrated opportunities for student sense-making. By generating prompts that include SEPs, DCIs, and CCCs, teachers can guide students to think in a more three-dimensional way and gain the skills to do so outside of the classroom. Attendees will identify strategies for posing integrated prompts, consider the benefits of multi-dimensional prompts for students, practice asking and improving prompts, and apply these strategies to use in their own classroom context.

TAKEAWAYS:
Creating prompts (questions and guiding statements) that explicitly promote the three dimensions can drive more integrated, equitable student learning

SPEAKERS:
Ana Houseal (University of Wyoming: Laramie, WY), Clare Gunshenan (University of Wyoming: Laramie, WY)

The Illinois Science Assessment is written by Illinois science teachers for Illinois science students. Learn more about the format of this test and how you can model test clusters in your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Illinois Science Teachers will gain insight into how to better prepare students for the ISA by learning how to create clusters for use in their classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Carol Baker (NGSS: Orland Park, IL), Harvey Henson (Southern Illinois University Carbondale: Carbondale, IL), ANGELA BOX (Southern Illinois University Carbondale: CARTERVILLE, IL)