Elementary Science Updates

Spring is here! Flowers are blooming, days are filled with more light and warmer temperatures. Changes are happening all around! Let's celebrate how our Earth is blooming by helping students notice the "science" all around them! The April updates includes information and resources to support science teaching and learning. We hope the updates serve as resources to encourage the development of "scientific literacy" in our WCPSS Elementary students. As always, we are here to support you!

Reviewing Standards for the Science EOG

The 5th grade Science EOG will be here before you know it! Why wait until the last minute to review content with students? There’s a huge learning benefit to intentional, daily, and engaging review. According to ASCD, "Cumulative review is a straightforward and easily executed strategy that could have a large effect on student understanding. Analysis of content should pay big dividends in student learning over time." Moreover, when we fail to do intentional, daily cumulative review we unwittingly encourage the idea that you are only learning for a test.

Cumulative review is one of the easiest ways to show students the ways in which knowledge builds on itself. Resurfacing prior content increases the likelihood that students will make meaningful and unexpected connections to the new content. Below you will find some resources that may support cumulative review of science concepts in 5th grade.

• 2015 Released Version of the Science EOG
• Vocabulary Review
• Power Point Review
• Science Study Guides
• Anchor Charts (These may give you ideas for anchor charts for 5th grade science concepts, including weather.)
• EOG Quizlets
• 5th grade Science EOG Weebly
• 5th Grade Unpacked Content (Provides clarity around 5th grade standards regarding what 5th graders should know, understand, and be able to do.)
• 5th Grade Weather Resources (This includes unpacked content for 5th grade standards about weather as well as links to weather-related articles and websites. Be sure to scroll down!)
• K-5 Assessment Prototypes from NC DPI (Assessment examples for each standard and clarifying objective can be found beginning on page 41)
• NC Climate Office website (It's located in Raleigh and they offer field trip opportunities! If you need more background information about weather topics, click Education in the upper right corner then select Climate Education Modules in the drop down menu. For example, you'll find information about conduction, convection, and radiation under Energy Transfer in the left margin. Weather is complicated, so be sure to stick to terms explicitly stated in 5th grade standards and unpacking.)
• Elementary Science Canvas (Please self-enroll if you're not already a member! We post monthly science newsletters and past newsletters are archived in the Updates section. Also, check out the EOG section for a PowerPoint version of the released EOG that can be used for review. There are also additional review ideas for each strand, such as an Odd One Out activity for Evolution & Genetics. These can be cut apart and used as a quick daily review/check in.)
• In addition to viewing a local meteorologist provide a daily forecast (abc11.com or wral.com), Weather Underground is a good website to check out, too. If you look under the News & Blog heading, you'll find Category 6 which is a blog written by meteorologists and there are Weather Infographics, too.
• weather.com, of course! Select Menu in the upper right corner then classic weather maps. These maps will show fronts, Highs, and Lows. This map can be compared to current temperature or wind maps and students can "see" where a cold front is located and the impact it is having on temperatures.
• Weather-related Twitter handles worth checking out: @NWSRaleigh, @NCSCO, @breakingweather, @NCStateWxSTEM, @weatherchannel, @wunderground (@NCStateWxSTEM tweets weather conditions for Raleigh such as barometric pressure, wind speed & direction, precipitation amounts, etc.)
• Gr 5 Science EOG info for Families: English & Spanish (Updated to reflect 7 Essential Standards with related StudyJams links and Big Universe text.)

"Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22. Worldwide, various events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day now includes events in more than 193 countries,[1] which are now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network." ~Wikipedia The theme for Earth Day 2019 is "Protect our Species". Below you will find some resources to support you as you celebrate with your students, and help them gain scientific literacy about our planet Earth.

• Kids Discover Earth Day Resources for Teachers and Students
• NEA Earth Day Resources
• Celebrate Earth Day with Scholastic Resources
• ReadWriteThink Earth Day Resources
• Project Learning Tree Earth Day Resources
• Earth Day Network Resources
• Celebrate Earth Day 2019 Microsoft Educator Resources
• Edutopia Earth Day Resources
• National Geographic Earth Day Resources

Help our WCPSS Elementary students learn to MAKE EVERY DAY EARTH DAY! #ScienceLiteracy

Have you checked out the Integration Resource Guides in our WCPSS Elementary Science UbD units? Each Integration Resource Guide includes ideas and resources to further explore the science concepts of each unit in other content areas such as Art, PE, Math, Technology, Music, etc. Third grade's Plants on Earth Integration Resource Guide and fourth grade's Force and Motion: Magnets and Electrically Charged Objects are just a few samples of the great integrated resources that can be found in our UbD units.

To find Integration Resource Guides:

• Open a UbD Unit
• Scroll down to STAGE 3
• Integration Resources Guides are found under the Key Concept Resource Guide

You may have noticed that some Science & Engineering Practices (SEPs) are dual in nature. That is, part of the practice speaks to the work of scientists while the other part speaks to the work of engineers. Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions is one of those practices: scientists strive to construct explanations to enhance human understanding of the natural world and phenomena while engineers strive to design solutions based on science knowledge.

Based on The Framework for K-12 Science Education, the goal for students is “to construct logically coherent explanations of phenomena that incorporate their current understanding of science, or a model that represents it, and are consistent with the available evidence.” This statement packs a punch and highlights the interconnectedness of the SEPs: Ask Questions & Define Problems, Develop & Use Models, Engage in Argument from Evidence - just to name a few!

Meanwhile, engineering design is based on scientific knowledge and models of the material world. When a problem is defined, engineers often provide a range of solutions. However, the optimal choice is dependent upon the criteria used for making evaluations and constraints such as time, availability of raw materials, and feasibility.

What does this mean for elementary science education?

Know your grade level standards (currently the NC Essential Standards for Science) and consider vertical alignment to determine the science content students should understand. Want to determine students’ current understanding of science? Consider pre-assessment or formative assessment to evaluate students’ current understanding of science concepts. Remember that the NC Essential Standards for Science are developmentally-appropriate and concepts build within the various strands of the Physical, Life, and Earth Science Domains. The Unpacked Content documents are your best bet for clarity regarding what students should know, understand, and be able to do based on Clarifying Objectives for each grade level.

A central aspect of science education is to engage students with standard science explanations of the world, and to help students gain an understanding of the major ideas that science has developed. The NC Essential Standards for Science provide opportunities for elementary students to explore the Physical, Life, and Earth Sciences thus engaging students in scientific explanations for topics such as the effect of gravity on motion (5.P.1), the needs of plants and animals for energy and growth (1.L.2), and cause of day and night on Earth (4.E.1).

Students approach science with a wide range of preconceptions and misconceptions. In order to promote conceptual change, challenge students to demonstrate their understanding of implications of a science idea by developing their own explanation of phenomena based on observation (or through media outlets) or models they have developed. Facilitate discussion that guides students to recognize the scientific explanations which support their own explanations and/or models. What are the strengths? What are the limitations? Regarding models, How can the model be redesigned for accuracy? This is valuable classroom experience because there will arise competing explanations (and sometimes models) for the same phenomenon, which leads to engaging in argument from evidence gained from observation, measurements, identifying patterns, text, video, etc.

Students also need experience with the iterative and systematic nature of the engineering design process. This process begins with defining a problem then identifying constraints and criteria for success. Next, students develop a plan and produce a model or prototype. Then students move to test the model or prototype and consider alternative designs. Finally, students refine the design of the model or prototype based on test results (i.e., evidence).

Let’s take a closer look at the grade band expectations for Constructing Explanations & Designing Solutions in K-5:

K-2 Constructing Explanations & Designing Solutions

• Make observations (first hand or through media) to construct an evidence-based account for natural phenomena.

• Use tools and/or materials to design and/or build a device that solves a specific problem or a solution to a specific problem. (Note: The design process is just as valuable as the building. For example, students might be asked to create a new parking lot design to help the carpool lane flow more easily.)

• Generate and/or compare multiple solutions to a problem.

3-5 Constructing Explanations & Designing Solutions

• Construct an explanation of observed relationships (e.g., the distribution of plants in the backyard).

• Use evidence (e.g., measurements, observations, patterns) to construct or support an explanation or design a solution to a problem.

• Identify the evidence that supports particular points in an explanation.

• Apply scientific ideas to solve design problems.

• Generate and compare multiple solutions to a problem based on how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the design solution. (Note: This can and should include design. For example, students might be asked to identify a location for a new school garden and plan the layout of planting various vegetables. When determining a location, students would need to consider hours of sunlight, soil content, and access to water.)

Keep in mind, as it is with all SEPs, Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions will be developed over the course of K-12 and sophistication will increase as students advance from grade to grade. At the elementary level, let’s commit to making our students cite evidence when constructing explanations. When students make an attempt to explain something to us, whether it’s math, science, or a response to a text-dependent question, let’s respond with one of the following:

Show me.

How do you know?

Tell me more about that.

What evidence supports your claim?

Have you checked out the Discovery Education instructional resources lately? Why not take a look at all of the updated resources to see how they support your NC Essential Standards for Science?

Discovery Ed resources are found on your WakeID Portal. Just click on the Discovery Education icon to see all can easily be added to your Google classroom with the click of a button. We are looking forward to sharing some of the resources in our updates each month in collaboration with Wanda Hanley, one of our district's Digital Coordinators.

This month's science resource is, DE Streaming Plus. To navigate Streaming Plus:

• In your WakeID Portal click on the Discovery Education icon.
• Hover the cursor over the icons on the left and the navigation panel will open.
• Click Streaming Plus and then Browse by Topic at the top.
• Be sure to check for standards alignment and developmental appropriateness.

Explore the many content collections that Discovery Education offers. Each Content Collection features images, songs/audio, SOS strategies to try, videos, encyclopedia articles, and podcasts for the specified grade level and content. Streaming Plus also allows you to search by standard for math and language arts content. Take a Deep Dive this April into Streaming Plus a feature provided for teachers through Discovery Education by WCPSS.

“In nature, nothing exists alone.”

— Rachel Carson, 1962

Triangle SciTech Expo

Several volunteers are needed for the Triangle SciTech Expo coming up on Saturday, April 13th, at the Museum of Natural Sciences! The super fun, annual event features all things STEM, including robots, live animals and lots of fun crafts and activity stations. Volunteer shifts are 8:30am-11:30am, 11:30am-2:30pm and 2:30pm-4:30pm. All volunteers get access to hospitality and volunteers working 2+ shifts get free lunch! Here is the link to sign up: Volunteer Form Please don't hesitate to reach out to Kari Wouk with questions! She can be reached at kari.wouk@naturalsciences.org

SummerSTEM Opportunity

WakeEd and WCPSS offer a great professional development opportunity…for which you will be paid while developing your skills in project-based learning! SummerSTEM, a nationally and locally recognized, professional development experience, combines project-based learning (PBL) with a 2-day immersion in STEM industries in the RTP/Wake County area. Visit the WakeEd website to learn more about SummerSTEM. Then, find a partner in your school – maybe your mentor…maybe a teammate with whom you would like to collaborate…and develop an application.

NC Science Festival

The NC Science Festival is happening April 1st - 30th! Hundreds of science-related events are planned statewide. Check out ncsciencefestival.org for more information or to search events by location. Please share the link with students and their families!

NCDPI First Tuesday K-12 Science Updates

Please enjoy April's First Tuesday Science Updates from NCDPI.

Forest to Classroom PD

Forest to Classroom will be providing a PD focused on STEM Education July 22 - 25, 2019, at Haw River State Park. For additional information or to register, click HERE .

Skype a Scientist

Want to give your students the opportunity to get to know a real scientist without leaving your classroom? SKYPE A SCIENTIST is a program that allows students to chat with scientists about concepts they are learning about in class. Click HERE for more information.

One Giant Leap: NC and the Space Race

July 20, 2019, will mark the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon. One Giant Leap: North Carolina and the Space Race will explore North Carolina’s surprising contributions to the space race with stories about the people, places, chimps, and things that helped make America’s historic leap to the moon possible. Visitors to the lobby exhibit can try out the Gemini training module from Morehead Planetarium or test their ability to perform tasks in space gloves. When: April 5, 2019, through January 5, 2020 Learn more: https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/exhibits/one-giant-leap

Assessment Literacy Canvas Course

Are you wanting to enhance your science assessment skills? Check out the Assessment Literacy course found on Learning Central. You can enroll in the self-paced course designed for educators looking to explore various assessment topics - from common types of assessment to a framework for creating and designing assessments. You can even earn CEU's.

Jennifer Fine, Elementary Science Senior Administrator (jfine@wcpss.net)

Walter Harris, Elementary Science Coordinating Teacher (wharris@wcpss.net)

Website: wcpss.net
Location: Wake County Public School System, Cary, NC, USA
Phone: 919-533-7154
Facebook: wcpss
Twitter: @WCPSSElemScie