2nd Six Weeks Newsletter - Region 13

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$Grade 8 Math STAAR and STAAR-M Fall 2012 by Objective$

A Fresh Look at the Lesson Planner ToolsLocal Education Agencies differ on their requirements for 5E Lesson use. In many cases, teachers are asked, ata minimum, to review and teach from elements of the 5E Exemplar Lessons that support the Instructional FocusDocuments for each marking period of instruction.With the new CSCOPE interface and tools, released this summer, came enhancements to the Lesson Plannertools that will likely cause teachers and administrators to give these tools a second look. Fortunately, a newtraining resource for learning to use these tools is now available – read on!It is easier than ever to make and save personal edits to CSCOPE 5E Exemplar Lessons. This includes the abilityto edit the instructional procedures and teacher notes while maintaining the format and printed look of the originallesson. Teachers can now pick any or all of the E’s, from Engage to Evaluate and import and edit the contentof those activities including the TEKS, Performance Indicators, and all of the handouts. Furthermore, after importingthis content, teachers can continue to personalize the lesson by adding TEKS that will also be covered. PerformanceIndicators can be edited and custom Performance Indicators can be quickly created and added to thelesson to accommodate and differentiate for the various needs of learners. Teachers can embed files and resourcesthat are not part of the CSCOPE Curriculum documents, but are proven, worthwhile learning material, tocomplement the customized lesson. Teachers can also create homework entries and assign them to a calendar.The printed result resembles a CSCOPE Exemplar 5E Lesson and can be submitted to supervisors according tolocal expectations for turning in lesson plans.But why print? CSCOPE Lesson Plan Tools include the ability, through the Principal Center, for principals andsupervisors to review lessons in progress and give feedback via the Principal’s Notebook, or to review completedlessons and “Quality Check” them as lessons of high quality. Supportive notes entered by the principal or supervisornot only appear in the Lesson Plan view for the teacher, but are also e-mailed to all authors of the lesson.In an effort to train and support teachers and administrators in using the lesson plan tools, <strong>Region</strong> XIII InstructionalTechnology has created a video based short e-course that is free and available. The course is availablethrough Project Share to all CSCOPE teachers in Texas. Simply follow the instructions below. The videos areshort and organized to get you started using the Lesson Plan Tools right away.Getting Started:1. Visit the course site at http://www.epsilen.com/crs/10125962. Click “Join This Course.”3. Log in using your Epsilen/Project Share account. Contact your local technology office or Education ServiceCenter if you help with this step.4. Confirm your account information and click continue5. Begin the lessons using the navigation. Watch each video and practice the steps.Collaboration between teachers and administrators in using the Lesson Planner Tools is essential to success.Work together to make this tool work for you!Lannon HeflinESC <strong>Region</strong> XIII4
Scientific InvestigationsThe world of science has changed for the teachers ofTexas. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has declaredthe focus for the new Science TEKS as “fewer,clearer, and deeper.” The new specificity was introducedto teachers during the summer TEKS professionaldevelopment academies. One area that has undergonechange is that of scientific investigations. Inthe past, the scientific method was taught to studentsas a step-by-step process and all experiments had thesame basic criteria. In fact, Sandra West (2010) sharesa powerful message, statingI first encountered the widespread misconceptionabout “The Scientific Method” in1982 when one of my 9 th grade honors biologystudents was working with a local scientiststudying freshwater crustaceans. Thestudent discovered a new species that wasconfirmed by an invertebrate zoologist. Thiswas the student’s science fair research project.He was penalized 10 points for nothaving a “control.” When the judge wasquestioned about the penalty, she was noteven aware of the descriptive scientific researchdesign.Many excellent teachers of science fall into this samecategory and so with the new changes in the scienceTEKS comes a new opportunity to look at our sciencelessons to verify accurate content, review the new rigorof the new TEKS, and, in the case of scientific investigations,revise and/or create appropriate materials andinvestigations to prepare our students for success.Oftentimes we ask students to make observations inscience class. We ask them to draw diagrams, describecharacteristics of objects/organisms, and make quantitativeobservations. If you have done this in your scienceclass, you have conducted a descriptive investigation.In fact, this is truly the first step in real worldscience. “Descriptive investigations involve collectingqualitative and/or quantitative data to draw conclusionsabout a natural or man-made system (e.g., rock formation,animal behavior, cloud, bicycle, electrical circuit).A descriptive investigation includes a question, but nohypothesis. Observations are recorded, but no comparisonsare made and no variables are manipulated.” (Texas EducationAgency, 2010)In a comparative investigation, as the name suggests, studentsare asked to compare two or more objects. However, itis here where educators can be confused. The Texas EducationAgency (2010) clarifies this by defining comparative investigationas involving “collecting data on different organisms/objects/features/events, or collecting data under differentconditions (e.g., time of year, air temperature, location) tomake a comparison. The hypothesis identifies one independent(manipulated) variable and one dependent (responding)variable. A ‘fair test’ can be designed to measure variables sothat the relationship between them is determined.” Most ofthose “experiments” or “labs” students do in class have beencomparative investigations. When students recorded the distancea cart travels down a ramp at different heights, a comparativeinvestigation is being conducted. Yes, students keepthe inclined plane the same, the cart the same, and use thesame type of measuring device; however, there was not acontrol group with which the independent variable was notapplied. Students were just comparing the different rampheights and looking for a relationship, whereas in our thirdand final investigation the goal is to determine “cause andeffect.”The distinguishing characteristic of the third and final type ofinvestigation is the presence of a control group for which theindependent variable is not applied. Experimental investigationsinvolve designing a “fair test” similar to a comparativeinvestigation, but a control is identified. The variables aremeasured in an effort to gather evidence to support or notsupport a causal relationship. This is often called a “controlledexperiment.”TEA has provided a “clearer and deeper” expectation for ourstudents. In order to aid in this transition, consider the following.In a science class, use the word investigation rather thanlab or experiment. When labeling variables that stay the samein both the comparative and experimental investigations, usethe term constant. (In the above example, the constantswould have been the inclined plane, the cart, and the measur-Investigation type Purpose Hypothesis? Variables manipulated?Control?Descriptive To draw conclusions No. Answers a question.NoNoComparative To determine relationshipsYes Yes NoExperimental To determine presenceYes Yes Yesor absence ofcausality(Source: Texas Education Agency, 2010)5
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2nd Six Weeks Newsletter - Region 13

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