Science
Learning Progressions
SERP is partnering with the Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research (BEAR) Center on the development of an empirically-grounded understanding of how student learning of content and reasoning develops along a trajectory from naïve to scientifically accurate in middle school physical science. In addition to a set of core physical science concepts, the progressions target students’ abilities to reason and argue in a scientific context. The team members are exploring new ground in their attempt to operationalize scientific reasoning such that it can be readily assessed in a quantitative or semi-quantitative manner validly and reliably.
Lead Researchers: Mark Wilson, U.C. Berkeley; Jonathan Osborne, Stanford University, Paul Black, Kings College, London
Related Public Product:
- Science Starters (beta)
Reading to Learn in Science
A SERP team from Stanford University worked with two cohorts of science teachers in San Francisco: one elementary and one middle school. An intensive PD effort that included three summer institutes and periodic meetings over two years explored the particular challenges of comprehending science texts and the ways in which teachers think about and interact with those challenges. A set of resources for 4-8th grade science teachers were developed that alert teachers to the comprehension challenges posed by science texts, and provide strategies for the classroom. The team aims to broaden the conception of a science pedagogy to include more meaningful engagement with text and participation in scientific argumentation. The Stanford team also offers a MOOC.
Lead Researcher: Jonathan Osborne, Stanford University
Related Public Product:
Science Curricular Resources
Science Generation (original PDF version – student booklets with teacher editions)
Inspired by the original Word Generation program, a team from Harvard University and SERP's Design Center in San Francisco developed science units around topics commonly taught to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. They are fully aligned with the science-specific literacy standards prescribed by the Common Core State Standards, providing opportunities to read, write, discuss, and build arguments about basic questions in science. Fifteen- to twenty-minute activities for use in ELA, math, and social studies classes are coordinated with each week of five 60-minute science activities. This allows the cross-disciplinary benefits of Word Generation to be exploited.
SciGen Teacher Dashboard (digital assets for tablets and projectors)
Loosely based on the original Science Generation materials with newly-developed units added, SERP now offers a collection of digital assets for teachers to utilize as slides or directly with students. Organized into 24 units and 133 individual lesson plans, teachers may browse these assets on any web-enabled device. Items are displayed in a sequence, but the collection is designed to enable teachers to select a la carte as best suits their instructional needs.
Related Public Products: