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Please read the article "Using Concept Maps in the Science Classroom". Write a short reaction (200 words) to the article. You will also need to reply to 2 classmates posts. We will be working with concepts maps during the next class.

This article was not that different from what I’ve learned about using concept maps in the past. I have been trained in Thinking Maps and I use graphic organizers and Thinking Maps in my classroom all the time, but I was taught that I had to explicitly train and show students which one was used when, what it was called, when to use it correctly, etc. Maybe I am using concept maps backwards? This article discusses having students create and use their own concept maps when working with a scientific concept. I like this a lot because it allows for creativity, choice, and can show the teacher how the student processes or understands that concept better than a multiple choice test. The only problem that I see in my classroom is that I am not sure how many second graders would be able to do this on their own even after training, but it is definitely worth a try. I also think that sharing concept maps in whole group and maybe leaving out a few parts (possibly covering them with a sticky note or covering them on the Promethean Board with the revealer thing) would be beneficial to the training of elementary students in using these maps effectively.

I have found the graphic organizers (thinking maps) to be effective in helping students understand various concepts. This article seems to take the thinking map concept a step further. The learner may know that two concepts are connected, but the use of the propositions shows how they are connected. Because this article was written for middle school teachers, I have been trying to see how best to use this technique in an elementary setting. Although the article says to always let the students create their own maps, I feel like I need to create several maps with the class as a whole before having them create their own. The next step would be, as the article suggests, to have them create their own map on a familiar topic. I like the sticky note idea, but I would want to tell them the terms that need to be written on the sticky notes. I also would want to provide a "bank" of useful proposition terms. The article mentioned that students may experiment with the sticky note version before deciding on their final map. This idea compares with the rough draft before the published copy, so I feel that my students would be familiar with that process. After going through the practice many times with my fourth graders, I would be ready to introduce current, relevant topics for implementation of the mapping process. With yet more practice, I think it would definately benefit my students to compare maps with partners or small groups. This process compares with the "peer editing" stage of writing. It seems it would be difficult to evaluate the maps objectively, but with practice, it might be possible.

I always thought that concept maps were like any other graphic organizers, but it turns out there are some differences. Concept maps focus on the connections between key vocabulary being learned. If done correctly, you should be able to see where students’ misconceptions are in order to adjust your instruction. I would have to create concept maps with my class a couple times before I think they could handle creating their own maps independently. I liked the idea of looking at the concept maps in small groups and then comparing similarities and working out the differences. When using these in small groups, I think you would have to be careful that one student is not doing all the “sharing,” while others are filling in the gaps. From this point, it looks like it is up to the teacher to look at map complexity and see if the appropriate connections were made between the key terms. Overall, this article introduces us to concept maps. It is a tool the teacher can use to see what needs to be reviewed, or what misconceptions can be corrected. If there is anyone who uses this at the elementary level, I would like to hear how you got started. Also, would you grade the concept maps, or just use them to informally assess understanding? @Jennifer: Thanks for the idea of using the Promethean Board...that answered my question about how to introduce it to my whole class. It would be an easy way to reveal the words one by one and show their relationships. @Noel: Thanks for your advice on using them as an assessment. I liked your idea of using concept maps as a pre and post assessment as well. You could really see improvement, or lack there of that way. Good tip.

I’ll be honest, I have only ever heard of concept maps in passing. Even then, the person who mentioned it was most likely talking about a mind map or a generic graphic organizer, because a chat about connecting terms never followed! I did run into something similar in 6 Traits training last year, but they didn’t incorporate this level of connection between the ideas. I really like the way this works, especially since it reinforces knowledge of terminology and making connections between those terms, rather than just regurgitating a definition. I don’t think we spend enough time teaching the relationship between the words we use when we’re being rushed to cram Science into a 30 minute window, or, worse, integrate it into another subject area, just to make sure the topics are taught. However, that being said, knowing how to teach the students to create a concept map, versus a mind map, where the required terms are forced to relate to each other can only help in Reading instruction, too!

I’m going to try this as an ongoing evaluation within the unit I’m teaching, where they create the map after the first lesson and then add to it during the wrap up every day. I only see each of my classes once a week, so discussing the mind maps (as well as my word board and idea log that we warm up and wrap up with every day) will help them review what happened when I saw them last and help get them focused on what we’re going to be adding to it today! It will also help them focus their attention prior to the wrap up, so when I ask about key words or ideas we want to add to our boards, they’ll have their maps to draw ideas from!


REPLIES TO OTHERS: I'm just going to edit my post to reply to others, since this is a thread, rather than a larger section of the forum. Is that alright?

wow, sounds great, i use these all the time (not), you can see five posted outside my room right now for the unit we taught on magnetism with work critique (not, but maybe should be should able to, maybe i will get with it) pro - follows brain based learning (i.e. assimilation). Taking new information attaching to an area in the brain of known stuff to create new understandings, new connections, bridges to new possible futures/ realities. you grow up watching someone use stuff, then learn the word for the item, now a connection of word to function/ action negative, they are just words, do words truly show understanding- connections- getting it? do words work in learning like the five senses? , often words are of little help in understanding processes ,techniques or even simply definitions, for example what is cold? was this morning in savannah cold, compared to this morning on mount ranier? another example -directions for putting stuff together, most modern directions for things like legos, ikea furniture, etc has gone completly to pictures, this makes it multilingual and many less steps, is it less steps because the brain can understand pictures better than words? thus would picture concept maps be better, especially for little kids, what about drawing cartoons, logical sequence steps of a topic for connections they mention the program inspiration, hmmm used it years back, do i feel it truly helped my students master objectives? No! was it good in the early mapping of a unit, yes! especially when adding blanks for stuff we did not know, wanted to know, or wanted to take on a tangent. looking at all programs on my computer yes I have inspirtion 8 here, hasn't been used in years, and yes has the ability to add numerous text and clip art pictures, albeit our school has better programs like tech for learning pixie and webblender to do the same thing food webs versus food chains vs food pyramids (anyone see the similarities). most kids can write/ draw simple food chains, food webs get hard, hard things are good (why i unicycle), they help you learn interralationships, you find things that sometimes do not fit, things that are weird, things that are prevalent. many of the examples look like food chains, to take them to a food web level would definitely add to the rigor and thus understanding

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Replies: To J - I like the idea of using pictures and words for the early elementary/primary grades concept maps. The use of both would only reinforce what's being taught in ELA. To all - Also after thinking about how I could use these with the younger elementary grades, I would probably make my own "proposition words" on card stock for use in small groups, centers, and even in whole group to show the kids that they can manipulate them like puzzle pieces to show the relationship amongst concepts. After reading this article, I still think that the whole graphic organizer/mind map/Thinking Map/concept map...teaching & learning strategy is interconnected with lots of overlap. I would probably not use any of these things as one assessment, but rather include a few as questions on a unit test to vary the type of question being asked. I would also use them more, like many of you already mentioned, as a part of my informal assessment. I really think that these concept maps are awesome visual examples of analogous relationships (as are many of the others that I previously mentioned) and would be a good tool to use in all grades to better prepare students for those dreaded standardized tests.

To J - I like the idea of using pictures for the concept maps....it would really help those visual students. To JW - Putting the words on cards and manipulating them like puzzle pieces is an idea that I love...I think I'll start using that idea tomorrow. Thanks!

The use of sticky notes when you first begin using concept maps is a good idea. In the beginning, I used paper pieces that students wrote on and manipulated until they were happy with their decisions (after meeting with me in small group). Then we sprayed with spray adhesive and attached....they love this activity.

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bad idea i got in the shower (where all my bad ideas happen) make maps with a seven degrees of kevin bacon theme to practice so kids can start to make their own (like the kids know and care who kevin bacon is) take two different concepts and web map them together can you connect gravity with a hot dog to kevin bacon in seven steps? here is mine your at a baseball stadium, a fly ball goes to the upper deck, a man holding a hot dog leans over the rail, while trying to catch the ball he falls, he drops a hot dog, gravity pulls it down, you catch it, he lands on you, you go to the hospital (he was much bigger than you since he ate a lot of hot dogs, thus f=mxa, you are hurt badly, an object in motion stays in motion until acted upon by the outside force, that force being you etc), in the hospital you are sitting next to a young boy from a local philadelphia school, he broke his leg at recess, he was doing his homework about an old teacher who used to work at his school, she was a liberal activist teacher named ruth hilda and a prominent philadelphia arhitect who planned many aspects of the city, those people are kevin bacons parents. is this seven steps? is it even a concept map?

I like the idea of having a snap shot of a student's understanding by using a concept map in the classroom or science lab. It compliments other types of assessments and can quickly show the depth of understanding a student has. I work with inner city students who would need MUCH practice before undertaking an open ended concept map. They would easily become lost in organizing the construct much less making connections between terms. I think the suggestion of using practice concepts maps with topics with which the students are familiar before you begin with science terms could work well in my teaching situation. Next the students could be presented with fill in the blank concept maps for a while until a more open ended concept map could be attempted. Since I work with more than one grade level, I would use an appropriate number of terms for each level and have each grade progress into more terms when they can handle it. I think starting with individual concept maps and then having pairs or small groups of students share the similarities and differences in their maps could help students become more and more proficient at using this form of assessment. As they listen to other students and see their concept maps, they can feel more adept at adding on to their own. With my students, I would start this in pairs for a more focused activity. Combining hands-on activites with concept maps makes the hands-on activities more "minds-on". So often we get in a rush after hands-on activities and don't allow enough follow up to cement terms/concepts in the minds of our students. Periodically incorporating the concept map into post hands-on activites would enrich those experiences.

To Craig: I think I wouldn't grade the concept maps at first until I could see that the students were really getting the hang of it. I would probably try to use a rubric similiar to the one in the article where a 0 to to 3 scale was used. I don't think a teacher necessarily has to grade each and every concept map, but I think at times it would be appropriate.

To Jennifer: I like the idea of using the revealer function on the Promethean Board in teaching how to use concepts maps. We all know that white boards grab students' attention and this "concept" of using concept maps definitely will take the full attention of our students (or at least mine :) to learn.

Concept maps are another type of graphic organizer that appears to be more open ended than the traditional organizers that are used. This allows students to focus more on the concepts/vocabulary rather than an area that has been chosen by the teacher. Most organizers have a specific purpose, for example compare/contrast. The concept map allows students to show everything they know. I like the idea of concept maps, but it is something that I would like to see in action. I want to see how a teacher sets up the lesson and how do they guide the students through the lesson. I am open to the idea of concept maps; it would be something different and another way of allowing students to show what they know. I wonder how difficult it would be for students to become accustomed to using it. It is obvious that the more in-depth the content is the more that they will be able to share. I see it as a very useful tool for upper elementary and secondary grades.

Hi Jennifer, We don’t have the Promethean Boards, but use the Active Slates. I haven’t even thought of using it. I would certainly give the students a visual and allow them to see how the concept maps can be done. Kym

Hi Miriam, You talk about students needing a lot of practice before taking on the concept. I agree. I know that my students are not accustomed to this way of sharing information and they will have to learn that it is a different way of sharing information. It’s not just about sharing what the teacher asks for, but sharing everything they know about one topic. Kym

I have heard of concept maps before, but never really took the time to really figure out what they were. This article made it clear to me that they are good tools to use to measure a students true understanding of how things are related to each other. My school uses Thinking Maps so those have been drilled into our heads so much it was new to see another concept for a graphic organizer. I teach kindergarten so there is a bit of a gap between the grade I teach and the grade that the article was written for. However, I feel that there are ways to simplify some steps to use them with the younger students. The only thing that I read that I disagree with is the part that they tell you not to fill out one with the class as a whole group. And again this might be because I teach younger kids, I feel like that is the perfect way to introduce students to concept maps. As a classroom teacher who teaches all subjects I immediately started thinking of other ways to use the concept maps in my classroom.

My Replies: Catherine- I fell the same way as you do about introducing them to the whole group and doing them together at first to help “train” the students to use them. Good to know I’m not the only one who feels that way. Jennifer – I too have been trained on Thinking Maps, and have had those concepts drilled into my head. I also like the concept maps for their “freedom” that they give the students. I also think that with the right amount of training with concept maps your students can learn how to use them individually. Using the smartboard with these would be so awesome!

Reply to John: I have to agree with the "picture" concept. As an elementary teacher, we are encouraged to use sketches with just about everything we teach. I wonder if middle and high place the same importance on drawings to help cement concepts.

To Miriam: I also teach inner city children who have difficulty organizing their thoughts. As you stated, they need to start out with a LOT of direction, and then the teacher can slowly taper off, letting them take on more responsibility.

Craig: The article does suggest using the concept maps as an "assessment tool", but didn't go into specifics on how to assess the maps, except for a student's understanding based on the "sophistication of their concept map". Please let me know if anyone responds to your question about assessment specifics. I'm interested as well. Thanks, Patty

I LOVE using graphic organizers in the classroom for students to organize their thoughts, and definitely welcome the idea of using the concept maps; however, like Jennifer, I see where article suggestions may be too advanced for lower elementary school children. Higher level thinking skills have to be cultivated, and even though concept maps correlate with this cultivation, most lower elementary school students seem to be quite challenged with the concept of higher level thinking, basically making connections on their own. Quite a few students have to be prompted and/or guided on those "open-ended" questions. Even some upper elementary students have difficulty. Nonetheless, I would definitely try it with them quicker than lower elementary students. But on the other hand, you can possibly begin at this level (lower elementary) by completing whole-class concept maps as a summary (or something similar) to acclimate students to the process. You could also make it more interesting by incorporating drawing so students could personalize the map. Then, build upon it until students are on their own. Now, as for an assessment tool, like Craig, I'm a little at a lost. Would you grade students on misconceptions indicated in the map? I think I would possibly use it more to check for student understanding.

Jennifer, Using the Promethean Board is an excellent way to incorporate technology, as well as allow for student interaction. I found the Matter concept map @ http://www.prometheanplanet.com/en-us/Resources/Item/34519/matter-concept-map. Thanks for the suggestion!! :) Patty

While reading the article, Using Concept Maps in the Science Classroom, I am reminded of just how valuable they are in helping students understand the many concepts they learn. They help students make connections, organize their thoughts, visualize relationships, and aid in reflection. Teachers are able to obtain valuable information on students’ understanding by examining the sophistication of the concept map. When I reflect on my teaching, I am able to quickly visualize the concept maps we do in our classroom on a daily basis. We generally do these in reading and in Math. I’m only able to think of one my class did in Science over the past four weeks (on energy). This tells me we are not doing them enough in Science, and perhaps in Social Studies as well. When I truly reflect to find a reason why I am not including a concept map in my Science lessons, I am brought back to a harsh reality. Since I only teach Science one day per week, with a second day for Science Lab, my time with Science concepts are limited. The one day 40-minute period, must include a restroom break, and pretests or post-tests in every period. Now, it’s easy to see why I have not included them. When I have included them in the past, it seems we were never able to complete them to their fruition, therefore my students did not have an activity that maximized their learning. The only time that I feel I have effectively used a concept map in Science was during my Reading block. During this time, we would read nonfiction leveled readers, complete concept maps, share in our groups and many times in a whole class situation. My students are rather proficient in using Concept Maps with key terms because we do it with all new stories during our Reading block. This includes whole class instruction as well as the reading of leveled readers and other resources during our small groups. I strongly feel that the maps help to maximize learning the terms/vocabulary and in making connections. The best way I can include concept maps with nonfiction/Science related materials, would be during small group instruction in Reading. This setting maximizes learning because students are comfortable in this setting. They are comfortable in giving all answers, with no fear of teasing by other children, and we can spend more time in completing, sharing and truly using them to their maximum benefit. Many of my lessons include the students creating concept maps in Kidspiration software. This is an exciting time for my students. I agree with the author of the article (Vanides, Yin, Tomita, and Ruiz-Primo) that assessment is made easier by student created concept maps. I can quickly identify which student or group understands the terms/concepts just by looking at the sophistication of their concept map. I find that the students who do not yet understand the terms, put little information with some of it being incorrect. While my students who do understand, are very detailed in their maps. They can become quite sophisticated (on a second-grade level). What I hope this assignment does for me, is to remind me of the importance of concept maps with Science instruction, as well as other subject areas.

Concept maps and graphic organizers are certainly useful ways for students to organize their thoughts. Previously, I have only really thought of using them with writing, and when I teach Social Studies (which is another reading and writing based subject). As I am learning more and more about teaching 3rd grade Science, I think this would a great tool to use with my students. A lot of time is spent learning new Science vocabulary and then gettting hands on with our Science kits. However, a concept map would require my students to apply the concepts and ideas they are learning. Many of my students can tell me what a rock or a mineral is, but they would have a much more difficult time connecting the all the new concepts we have learned. It would also be helpful with my students for understanding that all science is interrelated. In 3rd grade, we study fossils, rocks and minerals, soil, and weathering and erosion. A concept map could be used within the study of each section and then to connect all the ideas. This is definitely something that I would like to try after seeing a few more examples.

I agree with the posts that say the kids would really need training and modeling in order to be able to do their own concept maps. I think they will be able to do it after a lot of practice, and that it is the kind of thinking they need to do more of! Of course, all we will hear at first is "I don't get it"!!! Stephanie-- I certainly hear ya for Kindergarteners needing a whole group concept map, but older grades need to do it on their own so that we can see what they really do understand about the Science they are supposed to be learning!

I feel that this article was geared toward someone who is not very familiar with concept maps. However, they do put their own spin on it by adding some different uses of concept maps, or at least ways to use them that had not previously been taught to or occurred to me. I really like the idea of using maps as an assessment tool. Whether it be formative, like maybe in a science journal, or summative, it quickly allows the teachers to get a full idea of what the students have learned or even previously knew. Adding the propositions are another step that I had not heard of before. In the future I will be using concept maps with propositions because it is an easy way to see the connections the students are making or see where gaps exist. I would also use this in my classroom as a review the day before a test and then it would serve as a nice study guide that evening. I also thought the fact that the article included step by step instructions for first timers made it seem more user friendly. One final idea I liked in the article, was that of using highlighters to color code grading with the rubric. I was curious how anyone felt about the concept map assessing higher levels of thinking....

Craig- If I were to use the map as an assessment I would draw one myself with the information you would like included and connections that need to be made. I would then assign a point value for each connection/ idea needed. Then when grading the students' maps you could determine if they deserve the full point value or partial.

I think it would be interesting to do the concept map as a pre and post assessment. Then compare them side by side and allow the students to see how much they learned. If you did it as a pre post regularly, some students may focus more in class because they strive to make their map grow.

This article focused on the benefits of using concept maps in the classroom. Unlike concept maps I used growing up which included mostly pictures and some words, this article stated using key terms or concepts in the map. Students are asked to connect the key terms with an arrow and label the arrow with a short phrase that describes the relationship between the two connected terms. The maps students create can be very revealing and aid the teacher in checking for student understanding. There are several recommendations for implementing the concept maps in the class. I think concept mapping could be very beneficial in the classroom although I would have to revamp it a little to use in my classroom because I teach kindergarten. In my case I would have to allow students to use pictures because their writing skills are limited. I would teach the key terms and label them in a way the students could use them effectively to label their concept maps although this would require a lot of planning and instruction on my part. One part the article really stood out to me. The article stressed the importance of allowing students to redraw their thinking maps. How often do we as teachers give students one opportunity to show mastery? Allowing students to redraw their concept map gives them the opportunity to continue to reflect on the key terms and they may self-correct their work.

Replies Reply to CF I agree with you about the idea of doing a few of the concept maps as a class first. Modeling for students is very important and will definitely help the visual learners. As far as your comment about evaluating the maps, the article mentioned using a rubric. I think using the rubric is a great idea. Of course the teacher and students would need to go over the rubric together. Reply to TF I agree with you that we don’t spend enough time teaching the relationship between words because of a lack of time. Before this year science wasn’t even a main subject in the school day because of prep for statewide tests. With science being an indicator for AYP this year I think the using concept maps will help students focus on science terms and writing skills. I like your idea of incorporating the concept maps into your daily class with your word board, using them as a review and during instructions.

Jennifer, I agree with you about being surprised about not using a pre-set map for the students to fill in. I really liked the idea of teaching them to record their thoughts using their own format - trying to determine how they learn best. It needs to make sense to them in order to be meaningful. However, I do see the problem with the lower grades. Maybe if we can teach them different formats available in the lower grades, then they will figure out which ones work best for them by the time they get to middle school. Becky

Craig, You definitely gave some good points - I would also like to see it in action. Where do you start? How do you get the students use to it? If you work in groups, how can you be sure that everyone is contributing? I think you could use it as a study guide and/or as a means of assessment - as long as the students were comfortable in how to use it correctly. Becky

At first glance, I thought this article was really about graphic organizers. I've used several types of organizers across the curriculum in different subjects. However, it is quite different in that it gives students much more room to record what they know in their own format. I thought it was interesting that there were "no constraints and no pre-defined, fill-in-the-blank map structure." I think this is a great way for students to determine how they learn and how they know they've learned. Furthermore, it's a great way to provide teachers with the information about a student's thought process and understanding about a subject. One concern I would have is how hard it could be to teach students to think this way. I have a small group of 6th grade math students, and it can be so difficult to get them to write about math and explain/defend their position. I don't know if we've stressed the test to the point that students do not think critically as easily or if they don't have enough practice writing. Either way, I would expect a little resistance at first. One last item I thought was interesting is in how the article suggested to teach it to the students. Initially, I would think teach the concept during whole group and then practicie individually or in pairs. However, the author suggests letting the students creat a concept map individually first, allow for changes during small group review, and then come together in a whole group setting. I really liked the idea of just letting the students go first - almost like brainstorming. And then comparing and discussing those maps together. Overall, I really like the idea of the concept maps. I would like to see it in action and then try with my class.

As I read the article, I thought about how I used what Open Court call concept maps in second grade for reading. The concept map used called for students to tell what he/she knew about a topic. Students used sticky notes or small pieces of paper to write words or phrases and/or draw pictures related to the topic. The concept map did not link or connect the students’ responses though. Then, I thought, concept maps and mind maps (which I have used) were the same. Concept maps connect two or multiple terms whereas mind maps focus on one term or topic. I believe concept maps can help our students become successful in the area of science. Many of my students are lacking the intensive vocabulary needed to master standardized tests as well as understand scientific vocabulary and concepts. The use of concept maps can take the place of the most popular vocabulary activity, “Write the definition of each vocabulary word in your notebook and study them for Friday’s test.” The maps will give meaning to learning science terms and promote long term memory with the graphical organization. Now, training students to make and use concept mapping must begin.

Reply to Kym S. Get the Active Slate out and start using it. ActivStudio has shapes and colors that will enhance your concept maps. The students will focus on what you are doing when you are teaching them how to make a concept map and your whole class concept maps. The students will focus on what you are doing and they will get very involved. You will be amazed at how each student concept map will look like yours at first. Also with ActivStudio, you can show students samples and use the tools to cover and reveal info from each branch on the map. Reply to Patty B. Completing whole class concepts maps is the first thing I would do before having students to complete their own. For lower level students, I believe drawing would be very helpful but add the scientific terms next to the drawings so the students can make that connection as well. Personalizing make student work more meaningful and students will more than likely keep their work for later use.

When I first looked at the title of the article “Using Concept Maps in the Science Classroom”, I laughed because we already use them to connect reading skills to the science curriculum. However, as I read the article I quickly realized that I haven’t used the concept maps in that manner before. When we use a concept map, we normally go over it as a class or students complete it independently after we discussed a story or topic in one of our subjects. I like the idea of allowing it to be more open-ended and allowing students to generate the connections instead of being teacher led. Using open-ended concept maps would allow for differentiation for learner levels to naturally occur as well. I particularly liked how the authors pointed out how they can be a tool to guide future classroom discussions and clear up common misconceptions. This could be a great summarizing or closing activity for a lesson that will allow the teacher to get a pretty clear picture of where students are in their understanding. The post-it note idea that would allow students to change any misconceptions or add more details to their maps is also one that I liked. My concern is that with already limited budgets and having to supply our basic materials for our classroom that it would add a greater cost on the teacher since many parents would complain about buying items for school already. Over all though, I like the idea presented in the article and can see where this would benefit students in social studies and even math concepts as well.

Hi, I think these maps are a really great idea. I have used similar graphic organizers in the past through Thinking Maps. They really do seem to help students focus, visualize, and connect what they have learned. They are a great way to see what misconceptions students have, also. While the open ended map sounds like the way to go as far as knowing what students have learned, I think a great deal of practice might be needed to reach this point. I have worked with both first and second grade students in an inclusion class. Many of them are reluctant to write anything at all, so just getting them to put their thought on paper would be a great accomplishment. They would need a lot of guidance on how to do the map as well as cooperative learning skills. This aside, I would be happy to use these in my class, and not just for Science. I am not sure how far I would go in using them for a grade, but cettainly they would be helpful in determiningg which students have grasped the concept and those who still need help.

Concept maps are a great way to present an overview of the topic. It is a great way to introduce new concepts and use vocabulary. As the article states, it is great way to train students to see the big idea and how it relates. We use graphic organizers and thinking maps in science. I use concept maps to introduce a new unit in small group work and as a guide to follow during a lab activity. It also provides a framework for students to work together and help each other. Students use the map as an outline for a project, especially when it comes to writing a story or a narrative. A thinking map can address student misconceptions about a topic and connect two unrelated concepts to each other. Thinking maps provide an outlet for all types of learners.

Reply to John, The idea of using pictures for the younger elementary students is great. As they become more familiar with words, writing and the maps themselves they can begin to add in words with the pictures. It would cetainly help to understand what those litle minds are thinking. To Noel, Like the idea of uning these as a pre and post assessment. Not only does it benefit the teacher but the kids would be able to see the progress they made and how much they learned. I may have to work this into my next unit.

I like the idea of using concept maps in your classroom. In my 2nd grade classroom, it would take a lot of repitition in order for them to be able to do this by themselves. They would have a hard time with connecting the words with sentences to complete a thought. Maybe I will start using them toward the end of the year when they can do more work that requires reading and spelling on their own. They are very low and clingy and could not handle this. Maybe I can use a simple version of it. REPLIES I agree that some 2nd graders can not handle this type of work. I also agree that it is a wonderful way to teach science and other subjects as well for upper elementary, middle, and high students.

After reading the article I discovered that my understanding of the terminology for concept maps, thinking maps, graphic organizers, etc, was intertwined and incorrect. I have used graphic organizers and thinking maps in the past. Most of my graphic organizers are preprinted with headings I have found that they help students organize their information and stay focused on the topic. I like the suggestions the article used for concept maps for middle school and high school. Some of the concepts could possibly be used for upper elementary. I think it would be very difficult for first and second graders to create their own concept maps. The science text book at my school uses fill in the blank “concept maps” and my students have a difficult time with these. I would like to use this concept as whole group and teacher directed using student input to summarize or close a lesson. This would be a great way to guide the students into making the connections between terms. Misconceptions could also be addressed at this time. It would also provide an opportunity to introduce propositions to these grade levels. I also think this would be a very effective tool for small groups. First graders could also use drawings to communicate their concepts on the map. As students became more familiar with the process and developed higher thinking skills, some second graders might be able to create their own concept maps. I do not think I would use this as a form of assessment for first or second grade.

To Crystal: I agree that students could benefit from redrawing their concept maps. I have been guilty of only providing one opportunity to show mastery when it was a time consuming activity. I do like the idea of sticky notes also which may decrease the time needed for redrawing the concept maps. To Catherine: I like the idea of a “bank” of useful proposition terms. I also agree that elementary teachers would need to create several maps as a whole group.

Using Concept Maps in the Science Classroom I believe using concept maps in science will be a benefit to my students. It will give them the opportunity to make those important connections in the units we study in fourth grade. My students that are below level are struggling with the science concepts this year. It is very hard for them to make connections even after doing hands on experiments. Their answers to our essay questions on assessments show that they really are not sure why the reactions are happening. I like the idea of starting with a familiar topic to give them practice and confidence using concept maps. A good topic for my class to start with would be Ecosystems. The concept maps with ecosystems would be a good review of what we learned the first nine weeks of school. It would be interesting to find out how much they remember from our unit on ecosystems. The article mentioned using sticky notes to make a concept map. I agree that the students be able to move the vocabulary words around but sticky notes could get expensive for a class of 25 or more. I would use index cards instead. Each student could get one index card and cut the card into smaller cards for each word. I like the idea of using a rubric but I’m not sure about color-coding the propositions. The idea of identifying misconceptions is also very important. My students have lots of misconceptions even after doing the hands on activities. Ivory Reese

This article was very similar to the Thinking Maps that we already incorporate into instruction at our school. I like the idea of students being able to show how ideas are connected, that is something that often gets missed in the hustle and bustle of the classroom. I also liked giving the students words on a sticky note that they could manipulate to show connections between items. I think this would be a great way to check for student understanding, unfortunately, I think it would take a while for the students to complete. Although it would be helpful to see where their misconceptions lie, I don't think I could practically do this with a 45 min class in science lab, although I will pass it on to the homeroom teachers who could incorporate it into their Language Arts instruction. I was also a little confused about the rubric and how to assess the students understanding.

Reply to Rebecca Day I agree with you that the cost of sticky notes could get expensive. I suggested using an index card for each student. They could cut the card into several pieces and place a word on each piece. Indec cards are one of the supplies my students already bring to school. I. Reese

Reply to Kavonna Bostick Kavonna we have a lot in common I taught 2nd before as well and now I teach 4th grade. I loved Open Court and wish that we never got rid of that Reading Series. I think concept maps will strengthen the students vocabulary as well. Hopefully we will have an opportunity to implement this strategy in our Science classes. We still have to deal with the time element and squeezing things in to fit our crazy schedules. The Elementary School set up really needs to change and go to departmentalization so that we can go deeper with our students in all subject areas. Ivory Reese

To Craig: I am planning on just using these as an informal assessment to begin with. I've never used them before, so maybe that's coloring my judgement, but I think I'd rather use a concept map as a quick check to make sure they're understanding the concepts rather than grading it as an assessment. Again, that's just my current opinion and it will probably change when I start implementing it!

To Catherine: I didn't even think about how the concept map lines up to the Writing Process! I was thinking about reading comprehension techniques (summarize, key vocabulary, etc), but it would be a really big time saver to blend Reading, Science AND Language Arts into one big map! Kudos!

Concept maps consist of two things: concepts and the relationships among them: I think using a concept map or any graphic organizer is one way to help students see connections in science. It allows them a much more visual look at their thinking process. With a concept map we, as the teachers, are able to see how our students are making sense of the world. They are able to display the connections they see, organize their thoughts, and think about what they are learning. I have used similar graphic organizers in the past and they are useful ways to organize sentences and paragraphs for student writing. As the articles points out, concept maps also offer the teacher an assessment tool. And they can also be used by teachers or planning instruction. I found this to be very interesting and useful as I have never used an organizer in this way before. Concept maps map a good tool for early childhood teachers to use to reflect on their own knowledge, experience, and resources as a basis for lessons; identify the key ideas and concepts of a topic or unit; and see how different subject areas link to each other.

to Jennifer West I had that same training for the thinking maps - it seems like, especially in early childhood, we still have to train the students how to use the concept map.

to Ivory Reese Sometimes dialogue is one of the best organizers. Students need time to think and talk things out, but our educational system does not allow for that anymore :(

@Jennifer: Thanks for the idea of using the Promethean Board...that answered my question about how to introduce it to my whole class. It would be an easy way to reveal the words one by one and show their relationships.

@Noel: Thanks for your advice on using them as an assessment. I liked your idea of using concept maps as a pre and post assessment as well. You could really see improvement, or lack there of that way. Good tip.

my cup is always half empty, surly is not good, but after last nights class i am thinking did i have fun working on the concept map? where is the magic, where is the fun, it seems we spent the time fitting our map to teach to the crct test (a minimum competency test). did it teach me anything? or leave me frustrated? nouns in squares, verbs on lines protocol protocol protocol my role in schools has always been to do what others rarely do, as a lab (specials) teacher should this paper pencil stuff be a classroom aspect for me or the main teacher or both can i expect the classroom teacher to teach frog life cycles so that i can teach the 7 nymphal stages of a cockroach? i love to teach marine science, when can i teach the life cycles of seaweeds, starfish, clams, barnacles, crabs,etc???? yes i know they help thinking, and cementing ideas and concepts, i am not arguing if they work, i agree they are good i guess my question is do specials teachers plan on doing this stuff and teaching labs / hands on/ using technology? i see classes once a week, do i want to sacrifice time for something maybe the classroom teacher should do even though i know they might not?

While literate environments differ from classroom to classroom, depending on a teacher’s vision for what students will become; highly proficient students' concept maps will contain important propositions or links that are related to the topic. Therefore, students should be given time to practice individual concepts maps and discuss final product with others. Educators are guided by time and what has been ranked as important and non-essential. Even though, some may feel time is not available for this type of activity; allowing students to construct concept maps can be used as an assessment tool and/or instructional tool. “Concepts maps provide a unique graphical view of how students organize, connect, and synthesize information.” Students and teachers are both winners by using this tool. Concepts maps can be used for all subjects. So taking the time to use maps in science will also allow them to develop a tool to use in other subjects. However, teachers will need to train students because of being unfamiliar with mapping activities. Using a topic that students are familiar with will achieve the best results. I think concept maps will benefit my students because in a quick glimpse I can determine students who require additional support and students who are ready for higher level instruction.

Concept Maps in Science: I adore Thinking Maps. Since Chatham is using them throughout grades, subjects, and system wide, they are a perfect starting place. Since I teach kindergarten I go slow. That said I use them daily. We begin with circle maps early in the year. We use them to interview one another, then explore our senses. We observe items closely and list attributes. We use the maps in all subjects. Double Bubbles are great for comparing animals, characters, or stories. Flow maps help kindergarteners understand stories or the steps in an experiment. I have not used concept maps in planning or instruction but see it's value. Most kids are visual learners. Seeing a big picture and how different parts relate will help most students. The concept maps in the article are complex, especially for kinders but easy to modify. I think that if we all use the the thinking maps throughout the elementary years, middle schoolers and high school students will grasp concept maps readily. My favorite Thinking Map is the tree map. I use it mainly in science and social studies to help students begin writing sentences. Informational writing is easy when they can see the information and how to create sentences using the maps.

Response to Tiffany: I was popping my head trying to figure out how to use this tool since I only see students once a week. Now I have my answer from reading your post. I think my students will retain more information and be motivated to participate in warm up and wrap up activities.

Organization is an on-going challenge for the students in my school. Lacking background knowledge and critical thinking skills to logically organize information, greatly impact a student’s ability to process new content. So of course, the idea that living organisms are made up of microscopic cells and that the cells contain organelles which carry out various life functions for the cell, is slightly foreign to them. Concept maps help students connect concepts and build an understanding of their relationship. Once students are able to visually see how ideas and terms are connected or in some cased how they are different can allow students to apply their knowledge. Effectively communicating science is another weakness that I am facing. Hopefully by incorporating the Concept Maps into my science classes, the students will be able to more effectively communicate their results using scientific reasoning. The Concept Map can also help clarify student’s misconceptions. As students are creating their own maps a teacher can assess a student’s true understanding of a concept. They are almost like being able to see how each individual child processes and retains information. I m excited to plan to next unit and incorporate the Concept Maps into my classroom. This would be a great closure for lessons or even station work with the post it notes and have the students creating a Map using the terms.

The topic of formative and summative assessments has been important within the school district for awhile. I find formative assessments to be very useful when planning the direction of my instruction. Just today we started heat with the third graders and I gave them the mitten problem for probing misconceptions. 90% thought that the temperature inside the minute would be warmer than the air temperature. I had them complete the experiment and actually measure the temperatures. We filled out the data table and discussed at length why they remained the same. I then threw in the formative portion. Why did they stay the same and what else do you want to know. Despite having shown, discussed and investigated the reasons, some still insisted the heat escaped. Some wanted to know what would happen if a heat source was inside. This shows me we need to continue with the concept and helped the learner become metacognitive and state where they needed further instruction.

Concept maps are a tool that has been around for awhile that are very effective for planning. It gives the teacher a roadmap of where they want to go with the instruction and learning. I have used these before as a planning tool when team planning. We sit as a team and map out the concepts to be addressed and then share ideas, activities ect to help the child learn these standards. It would be wonderful to map these out and then have links for each of the rectangular boxed nouns with suggestions for best practices and formative assessments. Although, I have used them for planning, I have not often had the kids design them. We do them as groups but I like the idea of giving the kids several key words from the lesson and having them explain how they are connected. What a wonderful formative assessment.

For the younger grades love the idea of making them as a puzzle to place together. It is amazing how we will have an image in our mind how they are to go together and the students will find different and appropriate links.

John- As a special teacher the teachers do not always realize what we are teaching( they are happy the kids are gone for 50 minutes). Possibly a concept map would be wonderful for them to take back to the classroom teacher to show them what they encountered in your lab today. It would also allow some of the teachers to follow up on what was done in lab. I see the children frequently looking at work that is displayed(wrong way to state this but you get my drift) and discussing the content. It might also inspire one of those teachers to embrace the cockroaches:)

This article is written for the ideal teaching situation. The idea of analyzing a journal assignment (or such) and then redirecting instruction for each student as needed would be very effective. The reality is that I submit lesson plans Monday, and our principal makes sure we are adhering to these plans when we are observed. It would be acceptable for me to rewrite my plans daily, but this is hardly practical. Formative assessments are very helpful with the group as a whole. I find that an oral or written quiz lets me know if most students are getting the concept. If they get it, I can move on. If they don't, I reteach everyone the next day. It is simply more practical to assess the entire group and to teach the entire group at one time. We already differentiate as best we can for reading and math. I'm sure as science scores become more important, we will need to differentiate in this area as well. One point in the article that I have heard so many times is that teachers need to give students time to respond to questions in all areas of study. I always worry that the other kids will become impatient while we are awaiting an answer from another student. I have been praising my kids when they are quiet and let other students have time to respond. I think they appreciate the time when it is their turn to answer a question.

Sometimes it may feel like all we ever do is test our students, and even though there are a lot of state-mandated tests, I truly see the value in using formative assessments. I feel comfortable using formative assessments in the form of student demonstrations or having students answer questions using a classroom response system. It is a way to get instant feedback that can guide future instruction. It is also important because students can see what they are missing…and hopefully recognize what needs to improve. If I ever have student answers on the screen, I make sure the class knows that it is not for embarrassment, but to help them. Most of these systems have a way for students to anonymously answer, where only the teacher knows who is who. I will continue using this type of system because it is motivational for my students. The teacher should also incorporate open-ended questions and predictions into these types of assessments and then give feedback. The article continued by explaining that formative assessments don’t always have to stand out. They can be seamlessly worked into lessons so the students don’t even realize they are being assessed.

After reading the article, I realized that I’ve been using a similar strategy for various subjects for years. I have always thought of them as story maps; even if the topic did not entail being part of an actual story. I’d explain to the students that we were braking, whatever the subject, down to it component parts, but I never used it with science. The article gave me food for thought. Science would be an ideal arena to use this Concept Mapping (Story Mapping) strategy but it would have to be tweaked to work for the lower grades. After all, science, as we teach it at this level, is like telling the story of Why. In the Implementing a concept map activity in your classroom portion, I realized I used each of these strategies but I had no particular order in their implementation. The makeup of the students, which I had at the time, dictated which step or steps I would use; but I’ve come to realize that if I created a Steps for Map chart, and had it placed for all to see, and having the students develop a habit of following it, concept mapping would become second nature in the scientific investigation.

To: Patty Baker Patty, I agree with you about not using the maps as an assessment. I think it would add pressure to students and make them fearful of making mistakes. In science, mistakes are a part of the learning process. As for your dilemma with the lower grade, I plan on using pictures downloaded from the internet or have them cut them out from magazines to make their maps.

For the younger set, a combination of preprinted words and clip art (laminated for multiple use) would free up the kids from concentrating on getting tough words down and let them focus on the relationship between the words.

Catherine, time to implement concept maps and giving students time to think and answer is the tough part. Hopefully it will get easier as we do it more. If a graphic organizer is always a part of your lesson plans (created as a class at first and later individually) you won't have to "sneak" it in. After each days mini-lesson on a topic incorporate new knowledge on a class chart or have students add it to a chart in their journals. Then you can monitor for understanding based on the entry and kill 2 birds......

Teaching science in kindergarten is quite a challenge. Creating a learning environment that engages young minds in the process of learning scientific reasoning and facts that they can gain an understanding about is very difficult. Early elementary students who are beginning to understand writing concepts and reasoning benefit from being able to visually organize their thoughts. The students in kindergarten begin to connect concepts and ideas and are able to connect science to real life experiences. As I introduce new concepts, I can see my students begin to gain understandings because they are connecting the visuals with their young life experiences. The concept maps help me as a teacher better evaluate my students and help me with my instruction as well. As I prepare a lesson just as the article stated I go through the curriculum and select the key concepts that I will teach in the unit.On the kindergarten level I demonstrate with pictures as well as words and construct the first concept map which is very simple and easy to follow. After a few lessons using the basic concept map then I allow my students to begin to be creative with their maps when an increase in understaning is developed. The article has given me a greater understanding of the value of using concept maps in the classroom. Concept maps have great use as a tool for learning.

Kathryn, I agree that with the youger children pictures and the visuals are very important for their understanding of scientific concepts.

Patty, I also believe that the concept maps are helpful with assessing students understanding and they help with guiding instruction as well.

I think we as teachers know that formative assessment is very important in helping our students recognize what they do and do not understand in a lesson/unit, and likewise provides feedback to us about our effectiveness. So often I think we become so engaged in a lesson that we might fail to leave enough time to assess before we move on to another class or another lesson with a group of students. I always wrap up a lesson in some way, but not always with a clear understanding of what the students have grasped before they leave the science lab. One of the suggestions in the article is to use some type of formative assessment in each lesson we teach. I'd like to get around that lack of time by using a variety of assessments with quick responses that are not really difficult to include every day. More use of hand signals, exit cards, one sentence summary, think-pair-share, quick drawings, etc. would be fairly easy to do in a limited time period. More indepth formative assessments could be saved for particular days. I think making a teacher generated concept map or some sort of graphic organizer for myself at the start of each unit would help cement the most important ideas I want the students to grasp. It could be used to refer back to at the start of each class, helping to prompt formative assessments at the end or during each lesson.

Susan, I too like the idea of science lab teachers creating a concept map to give the teachers that might help them see how the the lab teachers are visualizing the unit's big ideas and progrssion through them. This might aid in assessment for all of us.

Craig, I want to do more open ended questioning in science as it does really help us see how the "wheels are turning". My students work in teams and each team could be given a few minutes to discuss the question and share, as well as partners in "Think,Pair, Share". I like the idea of seamlessly incorporating formal assessments into lessons.

Miriam: The Think, Pair, and Share is also a good idea. We used a lot of those group discussion strategies in the reading endorsement classes. They could easily be adapted to science. I also have my class set up in teams, so I like to use a combination of group and individual responses.

Susan: The probe you used, and the results are interesting. I find that most of the labs I do offer a chance to see student misconceptions. Sometimes I will have to postpone the next day's plans because we need to look at something another way. Science labs in themselves offer a formative assessment opportunity.

When I teach writing strategies to my second and third graders we use graphic organizers/thinking maps to help plan our ideas and arrange our thoughts. They are fairly familiar with mapping/diagrams and we try to use them regularly. I have to admit, I have not used them much in the area of Science and this article has made me eager to try them out. Despite what the article says, I think that it would be a great thing to do as a whole class before starting a topic to see what the kids know/don't know about a topic. Concept maps are a possible tool for checking understanding. Using maps could show us easily what incorrect connections are being made. They have the possibility of helping students focus on key ideas while providing a visual. I can see where they would aid in retention of information. Having good test scores has become important to a lot of teachers, so that is good news. The combination of the maps with other activities would allow teachers to connect with all kinds of learners.

Mariam- I like the idea of having students pair up and create their maps and then share them to see what similarities and differences they find.

Leigh- I agree.... We always use graphic organizers for writing, but this would be a useful tool for connecting science ideas. I can see it fitting in perfectly with rocks, minerals and soil.

Patra Rickman Assessing for Science Learning “Bergan et al. (1991) found that kindergarteners achieved significantly higher science test scores in classrooms where teachers used assessments to inform and differentiate instruction to match individual student needs than did students in classrooms where a formative assessment program was not in place.” I found the above information interesting because it is what we do in our classrooms in Montessori. Every student has their own individualized work plan and lesson based from formative assessments. I use formative assessments to determine what in the curriculum my students already know or what they need to know. Groups are based on these assessments. It is a very fluid grouping and the groups are not the same for all areas. The part about teachers waiting for a student to respond is also very important. Sometimes a student may need a bit more processing time than another student. It is important to let students participate in the dialogue of the classroom, and if they are rushed through a response and not given the chance to participate, they may just give up. Plus, the dialogue is a valuable tool for assessing and planning future lessons.

@ jennifer - I also was taught to alway train students first in the use of, well, anything. If I allowed my students to give it a go on their own first, some of my students would blow my mind with the connections they made while others would simply flounder, cry and tell me they didn't know what to do. @john - maybe 7 degrees of Justin Beiber, that might get the students thinking (at least the girls) Concept maps, thinking maps, even just plan old maps; All of these things are great tools in the classroom, but all of them take training. While the article does say to train your students, it suggests doing so by providing them with a topic and letting them do it on their own. At an elementary level, I am just not sure that it is possible for enough of the students to grasp the concept of concept maps without examples and instruction. Even in upper elementary I find many of my students still want to be hand held through each activity. While independence is stressed in my classroom, it is tempored with the information needed to be successful first. In brainbased learning classes I have taken, they suggest using similar mapping techniques that include both words and pictures. While they allowed me some insight into my student's thinking, they did not really provide me with any more insight into whether they grasped the concept or not. Even before the maps were done, it was easy to tell through classroom observations, discussions and activities who grasped the concept and who did not.

To Susan: I am curious as to what the "mitten experiment" is. It was interesting to see that even after the lesson, some students held on to their misconceptions. I run into that a lot. I thought that asking your students "what else do you want to know" as a part of your formative assessment was a good idea.

To Patra: Your students at Montessori are truly blessed to have individualized plans based on the formative assessments. I'm sure that is a lot of work for you, but it is the ideal way to teach. Also, the fluid groups prevent the children from thinking that they are in the "slow" group or the "smart" group.

This area of formative assessments is one that I need to work on. I do a unit assessment at the end of each of my units. I do not give pre-assessments and I know that I should so that I can design my lessons more around what the students know and do not know. It is so easy to start with the standard and begin designing lessons around what the students should know at the end. As with most things in education, it has to do with having time to do the things that we know we should be doing. I plan my assessments and lessons around what they have to know in the end give the assessment. Then this shows me what they did or did not learn and what I need to go back to reteach. As I read the article, I realized there are some strategies that I do utilize. Every day I try to review by asking open-ended questions that gives the students an opportunity to explain what they learned and this gives me a chance to assess their understanding of the vocabulary and content. There are times that we complete activities together and this shows me their understanding. I need to incorporate more of the suggested strategies in my lessons and make more of an effort to use formative assessments more often.

Catherine, I agree with you that as science becomes more important because it is an AYP indicator, we will have to differentiate even more so. We all recognize the importance of meeting our student’s needs based on where they are academically. This can be very challenging with the many ability levels in the classroom.

It was mentioned that concept maps should not be used as an assessment. Why not? The article shares that the use of concept maps is a viable tool as a formative assessment. This is a great opportunity to allow students to show what they know and allow the teacher to correct misconceptions. As mentioned in the last article, this can be ongoing. The students can continue to show what they have learned.

Formative Assessments in science...I'll admit to never doing a pre-assessment in science, but always in reading and math! Reading and math groups are reconfigured monthly (or weekly!) and are always need based, science/social studies not so much. We do always make anchor charts of schema and add to it or delete as we gain more knowledge. But I teach everyone the same science mini-lesson and rotate them through science stations/experiments.I do have several levels of take it to your seat science activities but use them as part of my reading assignments. I ask my students to write about the current topic and show what they know and I do pull science guided reading books at various levels for my various reading groups but that's as close as I get to differentiating science. It would be awesome if we had far more leveled readers for science topics and read alouds. I would love some ideas on how to create more targeted science lessons. I feel most kinders get the required K standards in a few minutes! Building on that knowledge with more challenging science would be great for my class. As far as questioning and probing for understanding...that I can and do do. I love listening to their take on science ideas.

Assessing for Science Learning: My school does Pre and Post Assessments, which help quide my instruction. The only problem is that I teach Science 1 day per week with a 2nd day in Science Lab. Because I either Pre or Post test every week, it leaves very little time for instruction. I plan for Science for my team and I am always careful to put a variety of assessment activities in the plans to accomodate all types of learners (skits, models, illustrations, writing, technology activities). I have to admit that I use all other types of avenues to help my students learn and to assess them. Such as having them check out 1 fiction and 1 nonfiction book every time they go to the media center. They earn reward tickets if they get their nonfiction on the current topic in Science or Social Studies. They also have to complete a graphic organizer (a great assessment tool) and come through me to answer questions about their book before they take an AR test. This enables me to learn more about what they know or don't know. We use formative assessments in the same way. I have my students act like a Scientist to explain a concept or topic, to the other students, sometimes to the whole class, in pairs or small groups. This helps me understand their understanding or misconceptions (which are plentiful in 2nd grade). I also use morning skills time to assess their understanding - through the use of organizers, writing activities, or cartooning. So little time to teach so much.

To Kathryn, Like you, I pull nonfiction, Science (and Social Studies) topics into my guided reading. My students also do vocabulary work daily (definition, illustrations, how it applies to our everyday life) and most of our words come from the Science and Social Studies topics. This is part of our daily skills time in the morning...then my students pair up and share what they think they know and how it relates to our world around us. They then have a chance to earn tickets for everytime they can explain the topic and connections. This ultimately helps them win homework passes, computer time, etc. This is a great motivator to get them to really think through their ideas. When do I have time for all this discussion? While they are lining up, in line at the restroom, and sometimes when they can explain enough, they get to eat lunch with me to discuss further. A picnic is the best way.

I use formative assessments daily in my classroom. As I am planning I try to incorporate a different type of formative assessment each day so that by the end of the unit I have hit many different types of learners. I also somewhat disagree what the statement in the article that said summative assessment has minimal bearing on classroom instruction and student learning. I understand that it doesn't seem directly related on a day to day basis but, my End of Unit tests determine if I need to reteach. Our major 5th grade tests are what we revolve our entire year around- from how that student fared last year, to the types of questions we ask on our own tests, unfortunately our entire year revolves around one big summative test.

To those of you who mentioned that you don't always pretest in science. Lets not forget the old trusty KWL. It is a form of pre assessment. While it may not be very individualized or exactly the same as your post test you can quickly get a good idea of what your students already know.

I also like having them use a rubric to assess themselves. We do this mostly in writing but it could also be done in science. They could assess themselves on their lab behavior/ group cooperation. It lets them see where they need to improve, not you just telling them.

Reply to Amber - Concept Map Article The on-going challenges you are experiencing exist throughout Savannah-Chatham schools. The use of concept maps will enhance education for students and encourage students to pay attention in class. While completing the concept map for our class, I experience a great deal of motivation to put things together to see a final product and amazement of the beauty of a completed concept map. I am sure my students while share the same type of experiences.

Assessing for Science Learning Response: I definitely need to do a better job at using my pre-tests to guide my instruction and in creating my science and social studies center/small group activities. I think that two of my largest obstacles to differentiation in science and social studies are: 1.) little to no planning time (or just time to be used for making things for centers) and 2.) little to no hands-on resources for certain units at my grade level (for instance, the Seasons, Moon & Night Sky, and Energy Units). I am slowly building my collection of 2nd grade social studies and science center activities/ideas, though. I agree with the writer in that I should show some sort of formative assessment in all of my lessons and I think I do a pretty good job at this. I like the idea of incorporating the concept maps, journals, etc. as a form of those assessments in my classroom. I would love to come up with a project/invention to go with each unit as another formative assessment.

I like the idea of multiple assessments because it allows you to address the strength of different learners. We often write in our science journal to reflect about the activity we have completed or create a story about it. It helps students with learning sequencing. We also draw pictures of our activity and post with out story/explanation. The idea of giving students time is one that has gone on as long as I can remember. We need to give them more than 5 seconds to formulate ideas and share with the class when discussing feedback. We also discuss the standard prior to learning and what they are supposed to learn from the acitivty. We then talk about the standard at the end of the activity and ask them to explain it in their own words. This can also be part of the writing activity. The article stresses the need to allow students to plan instruction so that science is a positive experience. I believe that post writing and drawing is a great way to let students express what they have learned.

To Noel - I like the use of rubrics and I even have the students create many of the rubrics. It's interesting to see how they create ones that expect more than ones I create. They also grade/critique others work based on the rubric, harder than I do. We just did this in a Fractions activity yesterday. They love to be the ones to create and judge. I believe it enhances their own learning. Self-assessment is always a good strategy.

I'm sure we all use some type of formative assessment during our teaching. I also know that I need to step it up and use them more frequently. Of course there is the usual pre-test to find out what the students already know, or as the case may be, don't know. This guides my initial instruction, and I typically do one other assessment before the end of unit test, again, something paper/pencil. The problem comes from that old mindset that to assess you need a pencil and paper test. This is where I fall short in using formative assessments. I see the need to assessmen more frequently for the sake of student understanding, but dread the hassel of testing with paper and pencil. This article has given me something to think about in terms of what I use as formative assessments. I will be more aware of the need to use ongoing, more informal assessments to drive my instruction and increase student understanding. I will also work on ways to assess that accomadate different learning styles and offer more than one way for studetns to convey what they have learned. Hopefully this will lead to increased student learning, and fewer misconceptions that have to be retaught after an end of unit test.

To Noel I am glad to see that you mentioned the KWL charts. I use thses a lot in Science, sometimes as my pre-test. I like to have the students post their thoughts with sticky-notes. I also have them rework the chart by moving their notes, adding to them, etc., after we have done a couple of lessons. Guess I just never thought of it as a formative assessment. There goes that paper/pencil thing again.

Claire, Excellent ideas to have the student talk and make connections about science and social studies vocabulary! Thanks.

It seems like everything is data and numbers. Teachers are being held accountable to a score on a multiple choice question which do not provide a true indication of what a student knows. Science is application and being able to effectively communicate results. Real world situations are not going to ask students what is the A, B, C, or D response to a problem. Real life wants students to be able to contruct a working circuit. Formatively assessing students throughout a unit can help eliminate misunderstanding and therefore, improve the data and standardized test scores. Formative assessing in science class through lab discussions can assess a student’s ability to communicate the process of problem solving. I have observed, that many times students can explain a concept to me, however the wording on a standardized test is not the vocabulary that the student is using. While having discussion and observing illustrations can help to guide students down the path of using the correct vocabulary. Summative tests are important to have evidence that the students have comprehended the “Big Idea” of a unit. But this should not be a teacher’s only means of grading a student’s knowledge. Students learn through constructive feedback and discussions during activities. The smaller formative assessments will help make students successful on the Summative Assessment.

Assessing for Science Learning Summative assessments take place when an instructional sequence is completed, providing a summary of what students learned. The summative information reports a students status for purposes of grading, evaluation, or certification. In contrast formative assessment is used to gain information that improves instruction and advances student learning( Assessing for Science Learning). As a kindergarten teacher I use formative assessments on a daily basis. Formative assessments allow me to assess the needs of the students. Formative assessments drive my lesson plans and enable me to differentiate instruction in order to help my students mastery of the standards. According to the article, teachers who regularly use formative assessment to provide feedback to their students can improve student metacognition, because feedback engages students in thinking about their learning progress. Formative assessment helps me as a teacher understand students' prior knowledge, misunderstandings, learning difficulties, and knowledge/skill development and adapt teaching to meet student needs while at the same time including students in understanding learning expectations. Formative assessments are vital for an effective and efficient teacher and for students to have a successful school experience.

Amber, I agree that we are accountable for student achievement and that is why formative assessments are very important. Formative assessing students help us as teachers develop lessons and strategies in order for students' to have success in the classroom as well as the real world.

Ellen, multiple assessments allow you as the teacher to properly evaluate a students understanding of the concepts that are being taught. Using only one assement or two does not indicate how much a student has learned. Students learning styles vary with each individual. Formative assessments help the teacher differntiate instruction in order for all of the students to be successful.

To me, this article was a nice reminder that I need to incorporate more journaling in my teaching. I am currently teaching 6th grade math, and it is like pulling teeth to get the students to write complete thoughts wtihout going back to math language. In science, I like that the students can diagram, draw, jot down, make tables. However, I still think they need to write. I think we can do this as a warm-up, exit ticket, transition, etc. My main question is how do you keep it interesting? I can hear the groans beginning the minute that I tell my students they need to write. "How long does it need to be?" or "Is this enough?" are so annoying! I definitely need help in how to make it less painful. I also needed a reminder to give that time for the child to answer and that they are thinking about an answer rather than saying they don't know. I am so guilty of being on a time-table with my lists to check off. I need to slow down and make sure the students are getting what they need from the lesson before moving on.

To James - I agree with you about the misconceptions in science. I have not thought about using formative assessments to determine what the students thinking coming in to my class. This reminds me of the girl thinking that the earth's rotation made a figure 8. We could definitely use journaling to catch those thoughts to determine if our students do have some mis-information they've gained along the way.

At Kathryn - Wow! It sounds like you are doing plenty of formative assessments in your class even without a pre-test in Science. You're coving their differentiation, reading non-fiction, hands-on activities, whole group, small group, journaling - you've got it going on! I think I want to be in your class! I would love to hear how you make the most of your planning time.

The teaching of science in the early grades should be designed around formative assessments but due to state requirements, a summative assessment cannot be avoided. Some teachers have questioned the strategy of using pretests before a topic is introduced. I have used pretests, in conjunction with KWLs, to ascertain the depth (if any) of knowledge the student brings with them to the investigation. I’ve always thought that science, and other disciplines, should be taught using formative assessments even before I became familiar with the terms summative and formative. The lessons should begin with questions and be embellished by more questions. Over time, the students responses will grow in complexity and their own questions will reflect the benefits of the formative assessing strategy. As the end of the investigation approaches, the pretest and the KWLs should be revisited and the students themselves will determine whether or not they are prepared for the unavoidable summative assessment.

To: Becky Bethel My main question is how do you keep it interesting? I can hear the groans beginning the minute that I tell my students they need to write. "How long does it need to be?" or "Is this enough?"… Becky, I think we all are kindred spirits when it comes to getting our students to write. The strategy I use with science is wetting their appetites with other science projects that may have nothing to do with the state standards but is Way More Fun. I’ll admit that sometimes require me to spend my own money, but it’s worth it. When the student are told that they cannot work on the outside project until they have satisfied all of the requirements (particularly the journals) for our mandatory school work, their attitude to writing usually change for the better.

To: Amber Thornton I feel the same way about multiple choice assessments. When I let my son, a high ranking officer in the Air Force, know my objections to these tests, he replied that the tests the Armed Forces take to advance in rank are also multiple choice test. Go Figure!

I'm not sure if my response posted or not. Here's my response to "Assessing for Science Learning" I have found that most of my students enjoy it when they’re given a chance to complete a formative assessment. When we use activities that engage students in writing, drawing, role-playing certain situations based on the information they’ve learned in science (as well as social studies), then they are often able to recall the information easier at a later time. I can see a choice board or a menu being a great tool to implement formative assessments with our students. If a student can choose their activity, it often allows students to become more excited and interested in what they’re doing. It’s one thing to know what habitats are and how organisms survive in them, but to be able to actually describe it in their own words in a “fun” way can offer opportunities that bubble sheets and multiple choice questions do not. My concern with using formative assessments to check for understanding relates to standardized testing. We are encouraged and required to use differentiated instruction to reach our different types and levels of learners, but students are still assessed by the state and our district in the same manner (even if they are on the computer and not paper/pencil assessments).

I'm not sure if my response posted or not. Here's my response to "Assessing for Science Learning" I have found that most of my students enjoy it when they’re given a chance to complete a formative assessment. When we use activities that engage students in writing, drawing, role-playing certain situations based on the information they’ve learned in science (as well as social studies), then they are often able to recall the information easier at a later time. I can see a choice board or a menu being a great tool to implement formative assessments with our students. If a student can choose their activity, it often allows students to become more excited and interested in what they’re doing. It’s one thing to know what habitats are and how organisms survive in them, but to be able to actually describe it in their own words in a “fun” way can offer opportunities that bubble sheets and multiple choice questions do not. My concern with using formative assessments to check for understanding relates to standardized testing. We are encouraged and required to use differentiated instruction to reach our different types and levels of learners, but students are still assessed by the state and our district in the same manner (even if they are on the computer and not paper/pencil assessments).

I am responding to the article we read about using formative assessments in the science classroom. I absolutely agree that this is the best way to check for student understanding and misconceptions. While projects and papers tend to take much longer to grade, they give you a much better understanding of what the students do and don’t know. I have been working on an electricity unit with the 5th graders and one of the quick and very informative assessments I have been giving has been to draw a circuit on the board and ask them if the light will turn on. Students have to tell me why or why not and if not, draw a picture of a circuit that would work. This gives me a very quick look into student understanding and I am able to make corrections to misconceptions on the spot. Another quick assessment that I do is to ask students one of the essential questions before they leave my room. Students write down their response on a sticky note and slap it on the door as they leave. I don’t require that they put their name but it gives me a good idea where the class is as a whole, they also like to hit the door. The students also seem to enjoy the formative assessments better, especially if you can make it a simple hands on activity and then just ask them why something works.

I’ll be honest, I get formative and summative assessments mixed up all the time. It’s not that I don’t do them, it’s that I think of it as summarizing a day’s activity/ideas as a summative assessment (thus, summary?). Formative sounds more formal, which would lead you to think “end of unit” test. Alas, it’s backwards. As for formative assessments, at the end of each class, I do a ticket out the door, which I have started doing as a quick four option menu because I have a lot of different leveled students in each of my classes. It was nice to see the article back up the four areas I set up menu options for. The four areas I have menu items for are Illustrate it, Write it, Plan it and Act it out. I alter the focus question each day and, believe it or not, the option they choose changes depending on the question. Now, I have added Concept Map time before we do our end of class review. The article pointed out that giving students time to answer questions helped them “engage in speculative thinking” and I’ve found the Concept Map time does that, too! At the beginning of each class, we review these things to make sure they’re connecting ideas from our prior classes and formulating new ideas based on them. So, according to the article, I’m already doing formative assessments! :) YAY!

Responding to Marilyn: Do you use the Promethean to do the circuits? There's an awesome circuit builder at phet.colorado.edu in their electricity simulators that my class loved last year. You could build the circuit, then ask them to not only tell you if it will light, but diagnose why it won't and fix it! They could then test it to make sure it works!

Responding to Marilyn: I try to get my class to write things that aren't "informational," but still deliver information. For example, when I have them write a paragraph, I use a RAFT format and give them more than just a question to answer. Instead of writing a paragraph about what it takes to complete a circuit, I have them write a dialogue between a police officer on the scene of a bomb he's trying to diffuse and the bomb squad/electrician on the phone trying to tell him how to do it because she won't make it to the scene before the bomb explodes. :)

I understand the need for formative assessments. As teachers, I think we do this automatically and somewhat unconsciously as we question our students and have discussions. I need to make this move “formal” with making notations and written notations. One of my weakest points is not giving students enough time to answer. I really have to make myself give that “wait time” especially when there are a lot of hands up in the air. I frequently ask first graders to draw pictures to check for understanding and have them tell about their pictures. I have found that what the drawings lack in details, is made up in the verbal explanations. For my older students, I like to use journaling. I read a Scholastic Professional article by Judith Dodge that stated “for assessments to become an integral part of the instructional process, teachers need to change their approach in three important ways. They must 1) use assessments as sources of information for both students and teachers, 2) follow assessments with high-quality corrective instruction, and 3) give students second chances to demonstrate success (2007). I really needed the reminder to give students second chances to demonstrate success. Because of time constraints I frequently feel pressured to “move on.”

Tiffany, What is RAFT?

troubles with assessment in general - people are crazy! psychology is a very unscience nonscience. some kids fear answering open ended questions for fear of missing stuff by not talking about the stuff they feel the maestro wants to hear, they fear their own opinion. Some people want bad grades or to miss verbal ?'s to look cool. Some people read to much into multiple choice questions especially ones with all the above or none of the above. some people know the answers if only they could read the questions. formative assessment vs summative assessment ever meet the person who somehow got awesome grades, straight a's, they had great short term memory, i.e. long enough to retain for college semester final exams, tests and other summative assessments, yet years later cannot remember any of the info. well formative assessment takes this away, it comes in the front, you would simply think that person nevr took the class or had the experience. i am wrapping up simple machines with 2nd and fourth grades, but i began with who can name 5 simple machines figuring if the kids knew this we could go straight into compound machines ( so a bit of a bad guiding formative assessment) and rube goldberg stuff, now i am thinking i should have made a set of pictures, ramps, cars wheels, lightbulbs, ceiling fans etc and used cps to have kids identify the simple machines, this true formative assessment would have let me know what simple machines were not so obvious to identify or what terms (no one knew incline plane it was alwys a ramp). with this knowledge i would know the simple machines to review by us finding examples, then we could have skipped a review period in some scenarios. so message to self, start to use cps more, make formative assessments b4 teaching

Formative assessments should be a requirement in all subjects. How will you be able to determine what has worked or learned without a gauge (assessment)? I agreed with the comparison of how formative assessments should be used - similar to how a doctor provides an initial diagnosis and then monitors treatment effects and patient’s status. If a doctor did not complete each of these steps, he/she will be labeled ineffective and possibly face a malpractice suit. However, some teachers do this same type of type of treatment every day. I use formative assessments to help me determine the needs of my students and it is an ongoing process. It does take time to create and complete, but the results are worth the effort. I am able to differentiate instruction based on results and not guesses or results from other standards. I will revisit my assessments and try to implement a more balance approach by including writing, drawing, inventing, and speaking. I will keep my 5 second rule: students have to think and count to 5 before raising hands to answer questions. Now I have research reason for the technique because “Budd and Rowe (2003) found that when teachers give more time for students to respond after asking a question, more students respond, give linger responses, are less likely to say ‘I don’t know,’ and are more likely to engage in speculative thinking and provide arguments based on evidence.”

to Kathryn,
RAFT is a writing strategy to help students focus their writing. It stands for:

Role of the Writer: Who are you as the writer? A movie star? The President? A plant?
Audience: To whom are you writing? A senator? Yourself? A company?
Format: In what format are you writing? A diary entry? A newspaper? A love letter?
Topic: What are you writing about?


It's really handy and a lot of fun when you take the 'non-fiction' aspect out of scientific explanations and add a little humor. For example, today my students had to explain the flow of electrons in a circuit. I gave them the usual differentiated options (draw it, write it, plan it and act it out) and most everyone decided to either draw or write! I had a student write as if he were SpongeBob explaining why Patrick was getting electricuted when he touched a set of wires by explaining the flow through the circuit. It was AWESOME and it proved he not only understood it, but also was able to apply it to a situation that HE created! :)

TO KW Our school uses a lot of Thinking Maps too and I love them! You can really tell that the kids have been using them for a few years now and are very competent at getting their ideas down. The concept map seems a little different and less structured though. I haven't used one the the examples in the articles. They seem a little more complicated. I wonder if you could have the kids first make a thinking map and then take their ideas and turn it into a concept map. I like the idea of pictures and main vocab words for the little guys.

To SD Concept Maps I was a little worried about using the concept maps in the science lab, just because I feel like they would take a long time to make and I only see everyone 45 min a week. After making one in class though, it was a great way to help organize my thoughts and plan for a unit. I think at the end of the space unit I will try and make one with the 4th graders as a whole class review, then we can post them in the hallways before CRCT. They would be great ways to go back and review all the units.

To: Catherine Futrell I think it would definately benefit my students to compare maps with partners or small groups. This process compares with the "peer editing" stage of writing… I agree with your strategy of small groups and partners before they are required to produce a map on their own. This seems to be the natural progression from the initial whole class introduction.

To: Tiffany Franklin, Thanks for the explanation of RAFT. I never heard of the acronym but I am familiar with the strategy. Your anecdote about the student using SpongeBob to explain the flow of current through a circuit was indeed and excellent example of comprehension. Thanks for sharing.

Reply to Noel: I don't usually do reassessments in science lab because I only see the kids for a very limited amount of time and try to make it as hands on as much as possible. I have completely forgotten about doing a KWL chart as a part of a pre and post assessment. I do have a sheet of paper for "Discovers" in the room where the kids write what they learned. That works when a group discovers something, but its not very individualize. Good old KWL.

Reply to Tiffany: I get formative and summative mixed up too! One of the things that I do, is have a review question on the board for the students when they walk in. I have scratch paper and ask them one question of something that they should already know. When I am done taking roll we spend about 3 minutes going over the answer to the question, its more of a review, but it gives me an idea of the things that I need to go back and do a little bit more re-teaching. I also go around to all the tables while students are working and ask them to explain what is going on and why. That is usually my primary method of assessment, because it helps me quickly clear up misconceptions.

This has been a great discussion about concept maps and moving to formative assessment.Formative assessments are very important in science instruction. I don't know about you but sometimes it is hard to come up with quick, and different formative assessments so that my students aren't bored75 Formative Assessmentsin ScienceThis book has lots of examples of new and different ways to do quick assessments of student learning.

Kathy

I enjoyed reading this article. Concep maps are easy for the students and teachers to use. Students are able to express what they have learned without completing a formal assessment. I liked the way that the students can express what they have learned by using specific terms instead of having to engage in a long, drawn out explination. By using specific terms, both the techer and students can quickly assess the comprehension level of the student concerning the concept that was gaught. This article suggests a variety of recommendations when using concept maps. One recommendation that caught my attention was to include an opportunity for students to review and revise their maps. This was interesting because it gives the students more opportunities to master a particular standard. In addition, this recommendation allows the student to validate their understanding of the standard. Many times we only view a "snap shot" inage of what the studen has learned. However this recommendation allows us to view what the studen has learned oner a period of time. This reviewing and revising of the concept map will enable the student to connect what they are learning to their lives. Once students make that connection, then they will have a better change of retaining what they have learned.

To: Tiffany Franklin, I learned about this site (phet.colorado.edu) after reading a response you made to Marilyn. I went to it and was blown away. This is the perfect site to help students understand the requirements to building a circuit without the expense of purchasing equipment that will have to be replaced overtime. How many times has a dead battery put a damper on a students’ progress? This site also speedup the process by allowing more students, each class period, to demonstrate what they have learned and share it with the class.

since we were warned about the breadth of the space unit for fourth grade, i decided to do some formative assessments, i used both performance tasks (move the planets to inner / outer, in order) move the moon to a position of new moon etc, and formative assessments with cps true false and abc, about life cycle/ brightness of stars/, well i hoped we could learn what areas needed more work and what areas to lightly touch, i learned however we are lost, my fourth graders have a hard time even knowing year versus day as far as orbit and rotation, i have at least learned what prvious knowledge was strongly understood, vaguely familiar with, and what was never even heard of before, terminology is hurting us so yes now is a time for concept maps, woohooo, i guess we will get to cool hubble art in a few months

speaking of the phet site and using techno in general technology can help with pre assessment, formative assessment and summative (end product)assessment this year i have been allowed to create a weird combination of a computer lab and a science lab, i try as much as possible to use movie making and animated still techniques to teach many science topics, kindergarden has animated day and night in motion stills of the earth rotating but the sun not moving, we have made movies of dinosaurs falling into peat pits, sinking, pressure being exerted and coal being made, we had pumice fly out of volcanoes and old ladies rub their feet in the shower with it, we have heavy santas speeding down hills faster than skinny santas, kids skateboarding but a rock getting in the way, the board stops but they keep flying, mag lev trains being propelled down tracks, etc so, the kid finishes their project, can they explain it?, it is not mult choice and each kids work varies slightly so it shows a great indication of comprehension and miscue analysis if your school tech lab is empty or unused or the teacher is open to ideas, try breaking into it and combining technology with science to create end products that model understandings of topics plus it helps create an eco friendly paperless classroom, just store all data/ graphs/ journal entires on your school server

To: John Klaras I must agree with you about the value of creating animated clips to teach, but I never considered it for teaching science. Years ago, I taught video classes for students in a summer program. This was before I began teaching in the public school system; and using the strategy in the classroom never occurred to me because I allowed myself to lack into the pattern of following the standards as written and not thinking outside of the box. Thanks for jogging my memory.

Reply to Susan Daly: I agree that the need for formative assessments is high. We teach topics and allow students to complete hands-on activities and they seem to "get the point" until we assess them. Assessments are an eye opener and a tool to steer our instruction. All are winners!

Question: I'm curious to find out what are the procedures required to have Concept Mapping included into the state standards. The advantages of the strategies are apparent; and I'm sure most educators are not aware of them or it.

Should there be assessments for Science learning? As the article, Assessing for Science Learning, states, the answer is yes. Actually, assessments play a vital role in all the content areas to demonstrate students’ comprehension of the content taught. Whether it is summative or formative assessment, both help to analyze the student’s comprehension of content taught. Summative assessment is a summary of what the student has learned at the end of a “sequence” (Lee & Abell, p. 66) or unit. The article states that these are used for “grading, evaluation, or certification”. It is quite difficult to incorporate a comprehensive assessment in the allotted time for Science lab and complete a hands-on activity with students. Currently, the only time I use summative assessment in the Science lab is for classes I see twice a week. During this time, I use the CRCT Coach book and the section that correlates with current content. In the past, I incorporated the use of technology, Neos (2Know) , for responses in the past, but due to our move and system requirements, this task has become a paper-and-pencil review. “Formative assessment is used to gain information that improves instruction and advances student learning” (Lee & Abell, p. 66). I use formative assessments quite a bit in the lab. Whether it be ticket-out-the-door, super-dooper candy questions, drawing a picture of what was taught, etc. The use of assessments show students’ comprehension of content matter, and should be used to guide instruction.

Should there be assessments for Science learning? As the article, Assessing for Science Learning, states, the answer is yes. Actually, assessments play a vital role in all the content areas to demonstrate students’ comprehension of the content taught. Whether it is summative or formative assessment, both help to analyze the student’s comprehension of content taught. Summative assessment is a summary of what the student has learned at the end of a “sequence” (Lee & Abell, p. 66) or unit. The article states that these are used for “grading, evaluation, or certification”. It is quite difficult to incorporate a comprehensive assessment in the allotted time for Science lab and complete a hands-on activity with students. Currently, the only time I use summative assessment in the Science lab is for classes I see twice a week. During this time, I use the CRCT Coach book and the section that correlates with current content. In the past, I incorporated the use of technology, Neos (2Know) , for responses in the past, but due to our move and system requirements, this task has become a paper-and-pencil review. “Formative assessment is used to gain information that improves instruction and advances student learning” (Lee & Abell, p. 66). I use formative assessments quite a bit in the lab. Whether it be ticket-out-the-door, super-dooper candy questions, drawing a picture of what was taught, etc. The use of assessments show students’ comprehension of content matter, and should be used to guide instruction.

John, How long do you have for your labs? I LOVE the idea of incorporating everything you're doing, but I have BARELY 40 minutes each week for a lab, and I'm a "mile away" from computers. How do you fit everything in? Thanks, Patty

I'm having difficulty understanding how to fit everything into a 40-minute slot. Now, as I read, I see writing is also a focus we want to incorporate. Exactly how much writing is suggested for a lab activity?

Most of the formative assessments I use is mostly open ended questions. I always have some type of drawing and writing assignment for them to do, but I would like to explore other types of formative assessements. I do see what they know by discussion. I don't use it as much to inform future instruction, but to reteach the things they didn't get the first time. Kymberly- keep practicing these assessments and I hope you will find it easier to do. Kathryn- I agree about the pre-assessments. I would also like to learn more about diffferentiating science more.

@ amber - I agree with you completely. Students and teachers have gotten so used to standardized tests using multiple choice that students can no longer explain much of their thought process. I ask my students daily to explain their answers and it is like pulling teeth to get a response. We can usually only get to a detailed explanation through constant questioning and having numerous students contribute. @ Becky - Journaling does help to improve with getting students to complete their thoughts but it is a very tough process. I have found that using lab write-ups for my science journals tend to help. As we conduct labs students have to not only give diagrams in their observations but also a written explanation of what they have seen. Their conclusions must also document what they learned from the experiment. Response to Article We assess students in so many ways that often students will not even realize that they are being evaluated. I personally use rubrics in my classroom probably more than my students would like. While this type of assessment can be more time consuming, it allows students a little more creativity and freedom to express their ideas. Rubrics also give the students room to interpret what is needed leading to a stronger thought process. By using rubrics students can also be given various projects to work on based on their ability. Students don't realize that each time we ask them a question, we are assessing them. This type of formative assessment is so common place that teachers themselves don't always realize how much they use the information they gather in this way. Often teachers can ability group students without performing any other assessment than asking questions of the class. When it comes to summative assessment, though, so much rides on our high stakes tests which are all multiple choice. It seems unfair not to use this as a means of assessment throughout the year. While I use rubrics, questioning and many other forms of assessment, it seems a disservice not to use multiple choice problems in some form since so much of our students' futures rest on this type of assessment.

Patty, I am glad you schedule time in the lab for both types of assessments; however, I do not see how you have time since you only see students twice a week. Do you plan with classroom science teachers so assessments are not repeated?

Having Students construct a concept map is a great assessment tool for an inquiry lesson which uses the 5 E model. During the explore and explain stages of the lesson the students can be taking notes on their findings/data. Then during the teacher's part of explain, where the teacher is explaining to the students how their findings connect to science terms and theories, the students can attain vocabulary/principles. After the students have an opportunity to extend their knowledge to make sure they understand the concept(s) being taught you can have the students evaluate their own learning by creating a concept map. By the end of the inquiry lesson you have allowed your students to create their own question, conduct their own investigation, analyze their data, and evaluate their own learning. Your classroom has been transformed from a teacher focused environment to a student focused learning experience!

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Using Concept Maps in the Science Classroom (Journal Article)

In addition to what Kelli has said about using concept maps in the elementary classroom, I also have my pre-service teachers read this article. They use the information and experiment with creating concept maps on some of the concepts that we’ve studied about teaching elementary science. My students also do an open inquiry investigation at the Nature Preserve on campus. Part of their report includes a concept map of what they learned from the Nature Preserve and their investigation.

The idea of Concept Maps is a great way to pre-assess student knowledge and give the instructor insight into the student's current information. As a multi-sensory learner, I will employ any and all strategies to aid in guiding students to understanding science content. What I found amusing was eluding to the notion that concept mapping was a new teaching strategy. Some of us who have been around almost as long as dirt, have used mapping and graphic organizers to introduce and develop concept information since they were young and setting the world ablaze. In the mid-1990's I had the opportunity to pilot Thinking Maps in a kindergarten classroom (the original notion was that kindergarten and first grade students - possibly even second grade students) were too young to use Thinking Maps to organize information. I am happy to report that my class was able to prove that idea to be a fallacy. Grasping concepts maps was initially difficult for 5 year olds (as I am sure you can imagine), but as they LEARNED to create the maps, they became more and more excited as what could be included in the process. I love the article's suggestion of creating an open-ended concept map for students to add information as the unit progresses. Thinking Maps do not always lend themselves to the open-ended approach to logging information. They are rather scripted and patterned in their approach to organization. Professionally we should always be thinking about assessing student understanding and concept maps provide an easy way to view student thought processes. As unit sub-goals are achieved, checking the concept map for studnet understanding is a great way to promote student dialogue and interaction. Using the hands-on activities to promote concept re-evaluation allows students to refine and regroup their thinking. I really like the idea of post-it notes to allow students to physically change their map and move their train of thinking along. To culminate the unit of study I would embrace a total class concept map, again allowing students to write on post-it notes so that the map can be revised and edited while they work, think, and discuss the content.

Journal Article Response by: Natalie Mercer Article: Lee, M. H., Abell, S. K. 2007. Assessing for Science Learning. Science and Children (66-67). Assessing for Science Learning begins with a common teacher complaint: “I simply don’t see how more tests and quizzes are going to help my students learn science.” At first glance, this seems like a reasonable complaint because of the excessive summative assessments that students are required to take. However, formative assessment is not only beneficial but good teachers do this all the time without even realizing it. So what’s the difference between formative and summative assessment? Summative assessments take place at the end of a period of learning, are a final judgment and do not affect teaching or learning. “In contrast, formative assessment is used to gain information that improves instruction and advances learning” (Lee and Abell 2007). And that is true. Good teachers may be using formative assessments without even realizing it. Whenever you ask students to write, draw or speak in response to problems, you are formally assessing. Exit tickets, predicting, thinking maps and journals are also examples of formal assessment. I would bet that most teachers are already doing these things daily. “This process of gathering and using student information is thus ongoing and cyclical” (Lee and Abell 2007). The article suggested that the two of the most effective formal assessment strategies involved: 1) asking open-ended questions and then asking them to explain why they answered the way they did, and 2) giving students more time to respond after asking a question. Employing these two strategies increases the richness of conversation and allows new opportunities to reason. Personally, I do feel that there are too many summative assessments out there, especially for my 5th graders. However, I see formative assessments as an invaluable tool that I can’t teach without.

@ Jennifer I love the rubrics that you use. (I know Dawn and Daphne) I feel that rubrics are a great way to help the students to process what they are learning. And I agree that we do use formative assessments without realizing it. I also agree that it is only fair to use some multiple choice tests throughout the year because of how much rides on the CRCT.

@ Jill I love the Thinking Maps program! But I will agree that "thinking maps" have been around for along time. I remember doing something like Venn Diagrams when I was in school. It seems like every few years they just chew up the system, spit it out in a big pretty package, and market it as new.

@Kymberly How would you grade a concept map? I agree that they are a great way of seeing what the students knows and doesn't know but am not completely sure how to assign a numerical grade to them.

After reading the article on Concept Development it helped to understand the difference between "Graphic Organizers" and using a Flow Chart to target a student's misconceptions and layer the concepts to build to the Big Idea of the Unit.

Tiffany, I love "RAFT"-ing with my class. It is such a great way to mix up the writing process for the kids. Plus they really enjoy it too! We were RAFT-ing today! :)

Reply to TF I agree with you that we don’t spend enough time teaching the relationship between words because of a lack of time. Before this year science wasn’t even a main subject in the school day because of prep for statewide tests. With science being an indicator for AYP this year I think the using concept maps will help students focus on science terms and writing skills. I like your idea of incorporating the concept maps into your daily class with your word board, using them as a review and during instructions.

As teachers, we strive to reach all of our students regardless of their learning styles. Some students learn well by doing, while others learn better by hearing or seeing their content. Many students, especially special needs and English language learner poopulations, do very well with concept maps. Concept maps are a visual diagram that my be pre-made (fill in the blank) or student-made. This type of visual representation often makes the concepts and the information that fleshes out the concept much clearer to the student. Concept maps also help students who have issues with organizational skills, like special needs and gifted populations, who tend to be especially prone to difficulties keeping things neat and in order. Concept maps are also called thinking maps and fill in the blank maps. While concept maps are very beneficial, this is not an automatic process on the part of the student. Students must be trained on how to make and then on how to use concept maps. Teachers must start with simple concept maps and gradually become more complex with the concept map content over time. However, after students are well-trained on the construction of and the use of concept maps, these maps may be used as a type of formative assessment. Since formative assessment has been proven very beneficial to the outcomes of student learning, both students and teachers should embrace the concept of concept maps in the classroom.

Kym- I would grade a concept map on a rubric...the more detail, the more points Becky- I would grade journals in the same way...incorporating conventions of grammar

Ivory, The index cards would be a great idea- especially if we cut them to make them last longer. I agree with you also students have a lot of misconceptions. Using a open-ended concept map would allow us to have a good idea of what students think about the topic before we begin the unit.

Edward I think we would benefit from tying Concept Mapping into standards. It would be even better if there were an updated list of important terms to include- especially the way the standards are changing again.

Jill, I agree. Often teachers are told their children are too young to understand or do a specific activity. If the students are open to learning, I say let them have it. Often when I have my little guys they will ask about something else in the lab that I have out for older guys. I explain it to them. I can't tell you how many times I have had parents coming in and talking about the higher level ideas their kinders came home discussing.

The goal of this article, Less Talk but Better Teacher Feedback by Jeong-yoon Jang and Jason Stecklein, is to encourage the use of teacher redirects to improve teacher feedback. The authors say that this improvement of teacher feedback will engage students in “productive student-to-student science discussions”. Teacher redirects include questions, comments, or statements “that engage multiple student perspectives into a discussion”. The authors are not saying that teachers offer no feedback currently, but what is offered seems to be “insufficient” when encouraging “higher-order reasoning processes”, for currently teachers offer “you’re right”, “correct”, “no”, “not that”, and probably similar prompts. I am guilty of this short, “insufficient” feedback, but mainly because I was encouraged in my undergraduate courses to offer these responses. One college instructor even distributed quite a detailed listing of these responses and made sure to comment on practicum observations if they were not used. To “get back on track”, I definitely agree with the article, for teachers need to encourage higher-level thinking skills in any way possible and teacher redirects will assist with this task. When students discuss what they are learning, they seem to understand concepts. However, in the Science lab I have two hindering hurdles, time and challenging students. I have forty minutes (if the class is on time) to review vocabulary, offer a brief read-aloud, do a hands-on activity, and summarize the lesson, while incorporating any math and writing that correlates with the lesson. Therefore, I need students to move rather quickly when trying to reach a conclusion. I do use some of the teacher redirects offered in the article, but when I see dismissal time approaching, I guide students to the conclusion as quickly as possible (i.e., “Sally, you’re right. Tell everyone how you reached your conclusion.).

Patty J. Baker Article Response Being Deliberate About Concept Development Effectively moving students from experience to understanding By: Joanne K. Olson A mistake? You mean a teacher actually makes a mistake? It’s not the first time we’ve heard this; however, I do attend to agree that it is a common mistake of some teachers to expect students to develop an understanding from one activity or one lecture. How many times do you need to hear something, especially something that is uninteresting, to learn or remember it? This article, Being Deliberate About Concept Development by Joanne Olson, basically says that in order to move students' thinking from the “exploration experiences” to concept understanding and to the students’ ability to apply this understanding, teachers must deliberately consider several things. These things include the misconceptions of students, the intermediate steps to the accurate conception, and how to scaffold students' understanding step-by-step to lead to the desired understanding for students. The article also states that a particular challenge is that students often use the exploration experiences to support their misconceptions. This I do not understand if the misconception is addressed before the exploration occurs. In the Savannah-Chatham system we are even warned of some of these misconceptions through the curriculum guides offered on the ACORN website. This helps us “be deliberate about concept development” by affording us the opportunity to prepare to address these misconceptions. We are also fortunate that most textbooks, as well as other provided resources, already offers a scaffolding approach for us to build upon concepts of the curriculum. This scaffolding provides a foundation to allow students the opportunity to develop an understanding through this scaffolding process. They won’t be expected to develop an understanding from one activity or lecture.

Patty J. Baker Article Response “A” is for Assessment: A straightforward look at simple assessment strategies that inform both learning and teaching By: Shannon McNair Assessments will always be necessary in schools to determine a student’s understanding of concepts, whether it be pre-assessments or post-assessments. We see how important it is in the Savannah-Chatham system, as well as others, for a student’s grade-level promotion is determined by one test (the CRCT). Do I agree with it? Even if I don’t, I would be fighting a “losing battle”. Anyway, I do agree that assessments are necessary; however, I don’t think one should be weighted so much that grade-level retention would be necessary. This article, “A” is for Assessment by Shannon McNair, supports assessment. To summarize this article, “accountability" and "progress" support the need for assessments. Well designed pre-assessments and post-assessments not only show what the students know, but provide students with a clear idea of what they are expected to know after a set of learning experiences. Offering “effective” assessments help teachers plan instruction, “encouraging them to think in advance about the content or skill standard and how to define what students should know and be able to do”. Pre-assessments can even show the need to move on instead of teaching known material. The three kinds of assessments are explained and include pre-assessments, formative assessments and summative assessments. Pre-assessments take place prior to the learning; formative assessments check for understanding while during learning; and summative assessments (post-assessments) are usually offered at the end of a unit (concept) to validate comprehension. Assessment strategies suggested in the article include drawings, journals, comparing and contrasting activities, graphic organizers, dramatic representation, physical props, and constructions.

I agree with Melissa that students must be trained on how to make and use concept maps. Don't think a child can just look at a "blank" and be able to fill it in. They have to have instructions. I was finally able to use a concept map in a class and the studentsd were quite excited to use it.

Crystal, There doesn't ever seem to be enough time. I feel so restricted due to time constraints and get frustrated, for I just feel like I could do MUCH more. Even with hands-on activities in the lab, I have to make sure it's not a detailed activity to go over the allotted time, or turn it into a "part 2". There's just soooooooooooo much to cover (i.e., vocabulary, read aloud, incorporate math, hands-on activity, summarize, classroom management, etc.) and all in 40 minutes or less. However, I wouldn't trade. I feel I am ABSOLUTELY blessed to be a teacher! And, by the way, I'm not being held at gun-point to say this! :)

Response to “Being Deliberate About Concept Development” I found article to be give some food for thought to apply to future science lessons as in other areas of instruction. One piece of information that I thought was interesting was the one of the ways the author cited as what can make concept development phase ineffective. Olson said that “Introducing vocabulary before students understand the concepts” could do so. I’ve always thought that it was important to introduce vocabulary as the students learned the concepts, so that they could learn and apply the terms correctly. I will agree with the author that it is very important to compare “big ideas” and standards to make sure that what we are teaching is aligned with what we’re supposed to teach. The example of the standard that the author gives is such a broad standard that crosses through grade levels. While we have related concepts, the material depth does change. Also, how do we define the “big ideas”? The science frameworks on the state website don’t always have a clear definition of the big idea and details that the students will be expected to know. One example is that not all of the essential questions match up with the vocabulary listed in language section habit framework unit. Our state standards are also somewhat vague in cases such as which organisms students are responsible for knowing in each habitat. I do agree that it is very important to have stages for experience and concept development. In fact, our textbook actually supports this thought the way it is arranged. However, it would be much more beneficial if it were not just one teacher working on a unit or basing information on just one of the available textbooks series in Georgia. It would be great to have teams of teachers work together to create these units. It would also be great if we had more guidance from the state in doing so.

Article: Assessing for Science Learning Using formative assessment seems like a "no-brainer" to us, but it is not commonly used in the science classroom. The use of pre and post assessment is common at the beginning and end of a unit, but to assess during the unit instruction is a different kettle of fish entirely. However, formative assessment can be used as a way to fine-tune the learning process, guiding students and teachers where they still may need to go. Common forms of formative assessment include: ticket out the door, reflective writing, thumbs up/thumbs down, and graphic organizers. These formative assessments can be conducted formally or informally, depending on the circumstances and the teacher's plans future plans. These types of assessments allow the teacher to know what their students have learned and how far they still need to go to master a concept. One trick I have used to remind myself to conduct formative assessments is to leave colorful little signs around the classroom with quick assessments listed or drawn on them. It keeps my mind straight and ensures that I pick the formative assessment best suited to my students, the concept, and the time left in the lesson. Another way to remind yourself to do formative assessments is to actually write them into your lesson plans. Some lesson plan formats have an assessment box for this purpose. Students may also formatively assess themselves using quick activities when they have finished their work for that class. Brain drain writing and graphic organizers are a good way for a student to conduct their own formative assessment. Formative assessment is a powerful tool when used...the trick is just remembering to use it!

To Susan: I really appreciated what you said about younger students being able to understand the higher level concepts. I have the same situation as far as kids viewing materials in my room which pertain to lessons ready for a higher level class. Many years ago in teaching, we talked about the "teachable moment." When a child feels curious and asks a question, we really should do all that we can to try and answer right then. Curiosity is often fleeting. A question signals an open door in the mind which might never be open again...at least not in the presence of someone who can supply the answer. I spend time answering questions - - even at the expense of part of a lesson now and then, if I can modify my plans. Doing that also gives me a chance to demonstrate another great concept: that ALL KNOWLEDGE IN THE WORLD IS CONNECTED. VERY VALUABLE IDEA - - AND TOTALLY SURPRISING TO MANY STUDENTS!!!!! Shortly after the "teachable moment" was quantified, someone decided that answering questions was time off the topic could not be afforded. It was then given the name, "Bird-walking," to further characterize it as aimless circling in search of nothing but crumbs. ...and the great pendulum of opinion continues to swing to and fro. I still answers childrens' questions, whether it's popular or not. Can you imagine it???? a child's CURIOSITY being out of fashion in EDUCATION??????

To Melissa: I agreed heartily with a number of your points concerning remembering to use formative assessment, like the visual reminders of types you can employ, etc. We teachers are good at setting a student straight who makes an overt statement cluing us to a misconception. We will talk, and clarify, and maybe even clarify that point with the entire class. But we are not good enough at checking for misconceptions throughout the learning. One way I like to check on understanding is to quickly poll the class to see who agrees with each student who offers an answer. I get quick and close attention then, when their hands are up, and they have committed to an answer. I find it useful then to qualify the answers. Sometimes the gap is semmantics. Sometimes correct answer is simply more complex than the incorrect one. Sometimes the best answer simply goes a step or two farther. It is also useful to simply say, "Are you sure?" or "Why do you think that?" when the answer offered is CORRECT. That is a great way to get your finger on the pulse of the class, as to whether they are thinking, or are lucky at remembering. Momma Odie's song from "The Princess and the Frog" fits here: "You gotta Dig a Little Deeper...to find out...."

Response to Concept Mapping Article: I was curious as to how this would be different from Venn diagrams and all of the million other ways we know to help kids to organize knowledge. The fact that the terms(clouds) must be connected by a relationship description sets this technique apart. There were several suggestions in the article as to how to make it work most effectively for the students. And I believe these would be the minimal requirement, since our students are just now seriously stretching to a higher level of achievement by applying/synthesizing more than ever before. (This stretch into higher skill levels is of course being driven by the type of questions now in the majority on the state-mandated testing.) The idea of prior training involving an easily accessible topic is crucial. Several of those would help the mapping concept to gel (family ties, health, food, etc.) These practice activities would need to be personalized, created/shared/discussed/tweeked in small groups, then perhaps shared with the large group. No more than 8 to 12 terms should be used, and perhaps that would be too many at first. When the concept mapping adventure moves to the science content for application, the teacher would select terms from the main ideas in the lesson/unit. The teacher decides where in the lesson/unit to embed the activity, and then leads the students into the first attempt at this process as a science content activity. The students then must demonstrate their level of understanding of the relationships discussed to that point in the content. It seems that another good preparation technique might be to use concept mapping as a means of review for a topic already covered. The activity could then serve both as an assessment tool for the reviewed topic and a practice activity, simultaneously. I appreciated the discussion of the "highly proficient students" who may create highly complex maps, vs "novices" who may create simple, typical structures like tree branches or a hub with spokes. Many of our students would also need to realize that such diagrams can contain implicit meaning/relationships. As I continually think through the preparation process for this activity, I continue to find reasons to begin farther and farther back to locate a place in their thinking processes where a given structure might imply meaning or relationships. More thought needs to be applied at this point. What kind of structure might already hold such implicit ideas of connectivity in a young student's mind? Ladders, windows, an object moving forward? A tree with branches may make implicit sense; a grape vine...as I said, more thought would be needed at this point. And I believe that a very well-thought-out introduction activity would be required. I once directed music for a Methodist minister who seemed to enjoy tantalizing or even teasing his congregation by dangling unfinished sentences, warnings, incomplete conparisons, etc. He always seemed to assume that the congregation would fill in the blank with his perfectly anticipated answer - - and that unspoken answer would be the main point of his morning sermon. It drove me crazy. I asked him about it once. He replied that a professor of his taught him that he should never say FOR SOMEOME something that they could state FOR THEMSELVES. So he was leaving them on their own to arrive at HIS DESIRED ENDING. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.Dangerous. Maybe dangerous for mens' souls. Even a choir needs to be all on the same page. Definitely dangerous for students' learning!!!!! Sort of puts me in mind of "free love" from the 1970's. We definitely need to ascertain whether or not we have all arrived at the appointed juncture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Concept Development There are several “concepts” in the article I agree with. Certainly a well thought out planned lesson is effective and necessary for student learning. Maybe I didn’t understand the author’s insight or intention, but it stands to reason to me that any good teacher and good lesson plan would automatically “plan” for concept development. I agree that students need more than one activity or experience to develop an understanding of a concept. I also agree that frequently we use one activity or experience to develop understanding. Often this is due to limited time and resources which includes people such as para’s as well as materials. In lower grades especially, having someone help during an activity or experience can make all the difference. The Foss Kits are a wonderful tool to provide exploration and concept development. Foss lends itself to the explore - concept development learning cycle the author suggests. I also like the use of the sentence starters the author discusses. I disagree with the statement that suggests that introducing vocabulary before the students understand the concept is ineffective. Introducing the vocabulary, not memorizing, allows the student to be familiar with the language of the concept. Then as the students explore, learn concepts, and apply, they can use the “language” along the process so the “concept” is developed along with the vocabulary. It is extremely important that students use and understand the language as well as the concept itself.

Susan, I am so glad that you get questions from your little guys about things you had planned for the older ones. Quite often we miss "teachable moments" because we feel it is inappropriate to introduce a higher level thinking skill to the younger learners. I believe in telling them about anything to which they ask. If as an educator you can break it down into it's simpliest explanation, they will grasp the skeletal outline of the concept. Exposure, exposure, exposure. Concept development occurs with concept introduction.

To Wanda, "It is also useful to simply say, "Are you sure?" or "Why do you think that?" when the answer offered is CORRECT. That is a great way to get your finger on the pulse of the class, as to whether they are thinking, or are lucky at remembering." Getting students to commit to an answer is oftentimes a daunting task. Less aggressive students tend to be "wishy washy" when it comes to committal even if they have a strong belief that their conception is correct. I am constantly assessing for understanding and concept conceptualization. It is so difficult to "unteach" misconceptions, so continual assessment aids in warding off the necessity to correct the concept.

To Jennifer, I agree with you that it would be difficult for second graders to create their own concept maps. Howevwer, I think that second graders should be guided through the process. This way, by the time they are in third grade, the students should definately be able to create their own concept maps.

To Kavonna, by using concept maps in science, it will enable the studens to learn the vocabulary. I believe that students will have fun using concept maps for the science vocabulary. This will cause the students to be more engaged with science concepts, which will promote the long term memeory of the terms.