Event-Based Science Peabody Museum of Natural History July 11, 2011

Dr. Russ Wright

Science Teacher Retired from MCPS (after 32 years)

Program Coordinator The George Washington University

Award-Winning Author Event-Based Science

Event-Based Science Peabody Museum of Natural History July 11, 2011

Dr. Russ Wright

Science Teacher Retired in from MCPS 1998 (after 32 years of service as a science teacher and curriculum developer)




Dr. Russ Wright

Science Teacher Retired from MCPS




Dr. Russ Wright

Science Teacher Retired from MCPS




EBS - What is it?

EBS is a Prototype

At the Foundation, we view the Event-Based Science Project as a prototype for the rest of the nation. It encompasses much of what we envision as the future for mathematics and science education: connecting to real-world events, integrating ideas and information from different classes, incorporating computers and information from television and newspapers, and teaching through team-based, hands-on activities.

Walter Massey, Director National Science Foundation (1991-1993)

EBS

Event-Based Science is a different way to teach:

• it uses newsworthy events to establish relevance and context;

• it uses authentic tasks to create the need-to-know; and

• it uses interviews, photographs, Web pages, and inquiry-based activities to provide information.

EBS

Newsworthy events come in two flavors:

Disasters:HURRICANES

FLOODS

OUTBREAKS

FAMINES

EARTHQUAKES

FIRES

Non-disasters:NEW THRILL RIDES

CRIMES

SPORTING EVENTS

NEW RECORDS SET

NEW MEDICINES

DISCOVERIES in the NEWS

EBS

Television News is used to establish relevance, interest, and context.

CNN and NBC News partnered with us to provide video clips on VHS tape.

SHOW HURRICANE! HOOK

EBS

Television News is used to establish relevance, interest, and context.

EBS Hooks are now available on YouTube.

EBS TV News is also used as the

context for exploring students’ background knowledge.

1. What are hurricanes and what causes them?

2. What is it about this part of the country that accounts for the fact that we rarely experience hurricanes?

3. There are other forms of violent weather that affect New Haven. Make a list of the violent weather events that we experience, and rank them from most to least frequent.

4. What is the most important way that weather affects your life?

EBS TV News is also used as the

context for exploring students’ background knowledge.

Small groups work together to answer the questions.

Why small groups?

Reporting out.

What should the teacher do when answers are different?

EBS

An authentic Task creates the need-to-know.

Hurricane!

Publish a newspaper for a city beingthreatened by a

hurricane.

EBS

The authentic Task puts kids in teams with roles to play.

Hurricane! Roles:

Editor-in-Chief

Reporter

Hurricane Specialist

Environmental Scientist

Meteorologist

Natural Hazards Planner

EBS

Activities provide the information and skills students need to accomplish the task.

EBS

EBS activities are scenario based.

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Strategies that Promote Learning

Strategies that promote learning take advantage of how the brain works naturally:

• The brain looks for patterns so that it knows how different concepts connect to one another.

• The brain learns best in social settings especially when there is positive emotion involved.

• The brain learns through the senses… the more senses involved the better we learn.

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Which teaching strategies actually work?

In 2003, the Texas Legislature passed a law requiring the improvement of science education at all levels to prepare Texas students for postsecondary success. One of the goals was to identify research-based instructional strategies.

(Other goals: identify research-based classroom materials, and research-based professional development strategies).

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The Texas Education Agency commissioned Texas A&M University to conduct a meta-analysis of national science education research to identify the most effective science instructional strategies.

390 studies were investigated and the results compiled.

Strategies were ranked according to their effect size.

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http://www.ipmc.cnrs.fr/~duprat/neurophysiology/images/brain2.jpg

effect size = standard deviation

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• Collaborative Grouping

• Questioning Strategies

• Placing Learning In Context

• Inquiry

• Hands On Manipulation

• Assessment Strategies

• Use of Instructional Technology

• Tailoring Instructional material to meet the needs of students

Strategies with a positive effect:

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• Tailoring Instructional material to meet the needs of students 0.2908

• Use of Instructional Technology 0.4840

• Assessment Strategies 0.5052

• Hands-On Manipulation 0.5729

• Inquiry 0.6546

• Questioning Strategies 0.7395

• Collaborative Grouping 0.9580

• And the winner is…

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Placing Learning In Context

1.4783

Context gives meaning to facts, it connects concepts to students’ lives, and gives students opportunities to solve complex problems.

More importantly… context allows students to see patterns and make connections. It’s even better when the context is emotionally-charged and many senses are engaged.

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Developing an Event-Based Unit

What are the Steps?

1. Select a topic that addresses one of your standards.2. Choose an event that connects naturally to the topic.3. Review possible hooks and select the best one.4. Identify a task that flows from the event and challenges students to learn

the standard.5. Develop activities that prepare students to complete the task.

The End

Documents

Event-Based Science Peabody Museum of Natural History July 11, 2011