NGSS as Word Documents

As we all start to create multiple support documents, tools, and ways of viewing the Next Generation Science Standards- I thought it might be helpful to have the NGSS in a MS Word format. I converted both forms of the NGSS- by Disciplinary Core Idea (DCI) and by Topic. Download the documents below. I haven’t done anything with the Appendices yet

NGSS by DCI

NGSS by Topic

Seeking Feedback: Is it Technology? Probe

As a fan of Page Keeley’s formative assessment probes for uncovering student ideas in science, I often create my own versions of probes to use with teachers, pre-service teachers, and K-12 students. I’m currently working on a probe about technology titled- Is it Technology? This is a Justified List flavor of probe and it is intended to uncover preconceptions about what things are considered technology. I have used the definition and thinking about technology and engineering in the Next Generation Science Standards as a foundation for the probe.

Click link to the right to download the is it technology FA probe

This formative assessment probe is very drafty and I’m looking for some individuals who might provide some feedback on the draft. Key targets for feedback:

- The existing choices (What might be removed? modified? What might be added?)

- The Facilitation Guide (What could be more clear?)

- The explanation section (How do you feel about the Explanation provided? Suggestions for improvement)

- Try it out on some students/teachers- How did leaners define technology? What items did they struggle with?

- Other feedback…

Thanks for considering and for helping me to be able to keep offering FREE tools and resources on Science for All

Science FREE Special Issue: Grand Challenges in Science Education

The AAAS journal Science has released a FREE special issue all about science education. You have to register for FREE access before you can download/view the articles- but it will be worth your while.

Click HERE to see the Table of Contents for the issue. For those of you (like me) who plan and conduct professional development for K-12 science teachers, there is an article titled Professional Development for Science Teachers by S.M. Wilson that could be useful. Enjoy!

 

NGSS Awareness Video

Below is a short video clip from Achieve that “makes the case” for and provides an overview of the Next Generation Science Standards. This could be useful to add to your resources if you are planning professional development or a meeting on awareness of the NGSS. Click HERE if you cannot see the embedded clip below.

Concord Consortium: Find Your Path Through the NGSS

Concord Consortium has a variety of excellent online interactives and simulations for K-12 science education. Concord Consortium also has a dashboard for using the Three Dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards (Practices of Science and Engineering, Crosscutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas) to select interactives. I highly recommend checking out the dashboard and the resources. Click HERE to get started with interacting with the Three Dimensions of the NGSS. Engaging with the dashboard is not only a helpful way of finding resources but also helps to illustrate how the dimensions of the NGSS might work together in instructional tools.

You will also find a cool printable “NGSS Fortune Teller” as a way to use a different form of technology to interact with these ideas.

FREE Resources for Building Awareness and Understanding of NGSS

The National Science Teachers Association has assembled a wealth of FREE resources to help us understand both the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards. The resources include articles and webinars on specific Practices of Science and Engineering, Crosscutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas. You can see the list of resources HERE.

I took the NSTA resources and organized them on a one-page document (Word and PDF) with embedded hyperlinks that could be used by teachers, administrators, district office personel to build understanding of the Framework and the NGSS. The one-pager also promotes a learning progression of starting with the Framework and then moving to the Three Dimensions of the Framework before diving into the actual standards. I hope this is helpful- please share.

1 pager NGSS Awareness Word Doc

1 pager NGSS Awareness PDF

 

UW Summit on K-12 Science Education: May 22, 2013

Attention all readers in the Puget Sound region- The Institute for Math & Science Education at the University of Washington is holding a Summit on K-12 Science Education on May 22, 2013. Phillip Bell (Framework for K-12 Science Education) and Andrew Shouse (Ready, Set, Science) will be leading the institute.

There will be two sessions- one at 3pm and a second at 7pm. Click HERE to view the full online invitation. I am unable to attend that evening so I’m hoping that many of you will be able to share your learning from the event

1000 Word Challenge

Imagine scientists attempting to describe their work to the public… using only the 1000 most common words in the English language. Well, that is exactly what is happening. A program inspired by Up Goer Five a strip by online comic xkcd (if you do not follow- you need to check it out) is promoting graduate students in science fields to attempt this challenge. Read a blog post HERE to learn more about the challenge and read the outcomes. Below is the winning entry by Yasmeen Hussain- note the scientific conference language versus the 1000 word challenge language:

Yasmeen at a scientific conference: I study the link between sperm chemotaxis and fertilization success. Eggs in animals such as sea urchins release chemicals that act as sperm attractants. Sperm use chemotaxis – that is, orientation towards the source of a chemical gradient – to find the eggs. However, it is unknown whether sperm chemotaxis directly contributes to reproductive success.

Yasmeen’s 1000 entry: I study tiny things that are man and woman parts of an animal. The woman part talks and the man part listens. The tiny things have a conversation so that they can find each other and make babies. Some man things are better at listening than others. I want to know if the man things that are better at listening are also better at making babies.

I think this work has implications for us in science education- How can we take vocabulary-rich and conceptually dense ideas and help students to explain them in everyday language?

 

NGSS Final Draft to be Released April 2013

The original plan was for the final draft of the Next Generation Science Standards to be released during March 2013.. well you may have noticed that the end of March is quickly approaching. According to the NGSS site, the standards will be released April 2013. I’ve heard “through the grapevine” that the more exact range is during the second week of April (8-12), 2013.

I’ve also heard rumors that the number of performance expectations has been reduced by about 1/3 since the last public draft. This sounds encouraging since I know multiple individuals and groups were advocating for a reduction in the number of ideas/standards.

Keep checking the NGSS site and I’ll post any news I hear as we approach the final release.  And just for fun, below is a short video of Karen Ostlund discussing the 3 Dimensions of the NGSS.

Technology for Field Investigations: Scientist-Driven Technology Practices

Our friends at Pacific Education Institute have created yet another wonderful FREE resource for science educators. Technology for Field Investigations provides an overview for using technology to observe the natural environment, a variety of web tools, mobile units (apps and software), and much more. Click HERE to download the guide.

As we continue to understand and implement Field Investigations in WA State and as we move toward the Practices of Science and Engineering in the NGSS- this guide helps us to move beyond “the scientific method” and to build stewardship and systems thinking in our K-12 students.

This guide is a perfect companion to many of the other FREE guides from PEI such as the Field Investigation Guide, Fostering Outdoor Observation Skills, and Schoolyard Biodiversity Investigation Educator Guide. Enjoy and pass it on.