How Smarter Science Changed my Teaching Life OR How I got My Students to Stop Regurgitating and Start Thinking Like Scientists

 

As a passionate science teacher who came to teaching as a second career the one barrier I could never smash was “How do I get my students to think?”

 No matter what course I was teaching it seemed the students, who actually cared about their marks, just wanted to know what page the answers were on and had no interest in understanding the whys of science or the beauty of the universe. I’ve been teaching high school science in Ontario forever. I’ve experienced any number of Ministry mandated initiatives including four curriculum changes, streaming, destreaming, transition years, TAG and don’t even get me started on professional development. My list of credentials is as long as your arm, I’ve loved every course I have ever taken or given, yet still I struggled with “How can I get my students to think?”

 Then, in August 2010 I attended a two day work shop on Smarter Science. I came into the conference with no preconceived notions and having no idea what Smarter Science and the Smarter Science framework were. All I knew for sure was that “getting students to think” is a universal problem in our education system. For two days I engaged in hands-on minds-on Smarter Science activities. As a trained scientist everything they said and did made sense to me, here was the scientific empirical method presented in a non-threatening and engaging way with well constructed pedagogy to appeal to every age group from K – 12!

 Eureka! This could be the key to “getting my students to think” was my gut reaction. When school started up in September I was teaching courses and curriculum that I knew like the back of my hand. And although the names on the register change let’s face it, grade nine students are grade nine students. Despite our understanding of 21^st century learners some things will never change about our minor niners. Gung ho, I used the Smarter Science framework. They got it! They really got it! My classroom became one of the most exciting places to be in our entire school So much so that every single day during every single class I would have to ask the students who were in the classroom that were not actually enrolled in the class to please leave the room!

 My students were using the Smarter Science framework to design their own inquiries! They would identify dependent and independent variables, set up controls, predict and plan the inquires prior to starting them, measure and record all the data using appropriate instruments, analyze and explain their outcomes, communicate their results, recognize sources of error, and even extrapolate what inquiry should be done next to lead on from their discoveries! Eureka!

 

The students were so engaged in the scientific process it was unbelievable. As a classroom teacher who is known for taking risks this is the biggest payback I have ever received. I had students and parents both thanking me for showing them how exciting science could be. I had teachers, administrators and superintendents visiting my classroom to find out how my students were achieving such incredible success in their science courses, my marks were through the roof and my students’ punctuality and attendance was second to none! 

 

I have used the Smarter Science framework with university, academic, applied and locally developed science courses. The results have been outstanding! Will I continue to use the Smarter Science framework in the new school year? To find out continue to visit my blog, or follow me on twitter@EurekaTeacher. I welcome your questions and look forward to meeting you at STAO 2011.

Using the Smarter Science framework with a grade nine applied science class.

The Smarter Science framework provides science students and their teachers with a structured, step-by-step method to guide them through collaborative inquiry based activities. I am currently teaching a grade nine applied science course at St. Pius X High School in Ottawa. Although I have taught this course many times this year I am taking a different approach to it. I am using the Smarter Science framework of hands on collaborative lab activities in which the students design and run their own controlled experiments. We are experiencing unprecedented success!

The Beginning and Exploring Science Learner

Initially the learner uses the framework to become familiar with controlled lab inquiries that they have designed themselves. The learners collaborate to determine what all the variables in an experiment will be (star burst design).

The Emerging Science Learner

The students design their own experiment with one, measurable dependent variable and as many of the independent variables they think are necessary (fishbone diagram). The group brainstorms together to determine how the independent variables will be set up (cloud diagram). They may do some quick preliminary investigating to test if their controls are in an acceptable range. For example, when deciding how long to let a chromatograph run they may dip the chromatography paper into some water to determine how quickly the solvent migrates up the paper. Because they have no prior knowledge of chromatographic techniques they initially have no idea if it would be feasible to set the run time at one minute, one hour or even overnight.

The Competent Science Learner

While using the smarter Science framework the students not only learn new lab techniques on a “need to know” basis but they also experience “just in time” learning with lab equipment. For example, rather than have a teacher directed lesson on measuring liquids with a graduated cylinder the students will learn to use a graduated cylinder when the need arises in a real life situation. One of the primary roles of the teacher during the learner-led inquiry process to ensure that safety is embedded in the activity. In my teaching experience, it is often at this stage that the learners become aware of the sources of error in their inquiries and will either redesign the procedure or repeat the entire lab, at their own initiative, in order to correct for the sources of error that have become evident to them.

The Proficient Science Learner

By using the Smarter Science framework the learner takes charge of their own lab design which allows them to make sense of the theory that is covered in class before, during or after their lab inquiry. The Smarter Science framework empowers the student to become a self-directed learner. Initially they just wanted to have some fun in the science lab, which they do not interpret as ``doing any work`` but gradually, as they come to an innate understanding of the scientific process they use it to question the world around them. They learn how to collarbone and communicate with their peers, who are not necessarily their academic or social equals.

Conclusion

Grade nine applied science is one of my favourite courses to teach. I always request it on my timetable, every semester. Over the years I have taught this course over 30 times. The main reason I enjoy this course so much is not the curriculum but rather the nature of the learner. In general, students who enroll in the grade nine applied science course come to me not liking science, partly because they have rarely experienced success in a science course. Often they bring other factors into the classroom like learning disabilities, attention deficits, oppositional disorders, mental health issues, language barriers, and so on.

Until this year I always honoured the hands-on nature of these learners by having them perform many labs yet I was always extremely prescriptive in how the lab was to be done and what was expected in the write up, ie. ``cookbook labs``. I believed this approach was necessary in order for me to maintain control of my classroom as well as for the safety of the learners. At the end of the day I was often left wondering what had been accomplished during the lab, because I saw no evidence of learning and the students did not extrapolate their lab experiences to the theory covered in the course.

Using the Smarter Science framework has allowed me to follow my philosophy that all students can experience success in my classroom while teaching me that grade nine applied learners can be trusted to work safety and efficiently in the lab. When they are given control of their learning experiences they not only act but think like scientists. The collaborative approach of Smarter Science allows them to share their collective knowledge to deepen their understanding of the course content.

Although marks in themselves have become meaningless to me during this journey my midterm marks have never been higher. On the midterm report cards my class mean was 82% and the median was 90%!

See also: http://smarterscience.youthscience.ca/

Posting Seven -- Series and Parallel Circuits

One of the hardest concepts for students in the grade nine applied science course to fully understand is the parallel electrical circuit. I have tried many different approaches to teaching the parallel circuit over the years but it appears that the learners are not yet ready for this concept. This year I took an inquiry-based learning approach and the results were more successful than in the past.

1. Initiate and Plan – ENGAGE

We began our study of electrical circuits with the series circuit. This allowed us to become familiar with the parts of the circuit (load, source, conductors, and switch) and trouble shoot problems that are commonly encountered when connecting the circuit.

Once the class could build a simple series circuit I taught them the symbols used to record their circuits. You can read more about this process in the previous blog entry (posting six). It is also an excellent example of how the conclusion of one inquiry becomes the initial planning stages of the next inquiry.

As an introduction to the parallel circuit, we watched a video wherein both the series and parallel circuits where examined and explained using age appropriate language and examples. Then we watched a simple power point presentation that I created that covered the same ground. Then we took notes, in the form of a t-chart, to compare the two types of circuits. Next, we did a set of questions together, step by step, that covered series and parallel circuits. Finally, for our exit card that day I distributed small recipe cards. The students were instructed to use the appropriate symbols to draw a series circuit on one side of the card and a parallel circuit on the other side of the card. They were allowed to use their note books, text books, confer with each other and check with the teacher during this process (diagnostic or “assessment for learning”).

2. Perform and Record -- EXPLORE

Prior to the next class I went through each of the cards. Using two sets of stickers – big stars and little stars—I assigned groups and which parallel circuit would be built. I used colour coded big stars to determine which students would work together in small groups, students with the same colour big stars would be in the same group. I used smaller stars to determine which parallel circuit I would require them to build –the circuit drawing with the small gold star would be built. In this manner, everyone go two stars—because they are all stars -- yet I got to mix the groups up and control what circuit would be created. The students responded amazing well to this sticker system and seemed quite pleased that I had made at least some of the decisions for them!

It is not uncommon to have some students absent everyday in applied classes at our school. For those students who were missing on the day we made our cards I took a blank card for each of them, wrote the absent student’s name on it and put two star stickers on the blank card – one large one to determine the group the student would be in and one small one, that was any colour except gold!

The next day the cards on which series and parallel circuits had been designed were returned to the students along with the instructions to move into their assigned groups, pick up all the equipment they needed to build the circuit drawing with the gold star on it and go to it!

The students were soon demonstrating their ability to read circuit diagrams, planning what equipment they needed to build their circuits, constructing circuits, using instruments (voltmeters and ammeters), and experimenting to see if they could successfully complete the task.

3. Analyze and Interpret = EXPLAIN

As stated previously, building parallel circuits is very challenging for students in the grade nine applied science class so it was not surprising to me that this task took a lot of time and patience on behalf of the students. While trying to succeed they engaged in constant analyzing, evaluating and reviewing in numerous attempts to get their circuits working. Of the four groups one group finished much sooner than any of the other three. At that stage I dispersed the members of the successful group amongst the other three groups to be their “consultants”.

It was interesting for me to observe many group members using the voltmeters to determine that there was in fact current running through the parallel branches even though the light bulbs were not coming on.

4. Communicate = EXTEND

Now the students took the initiative to test all the light bulbs in their circuits and replace the ones that were not functioning. They even wanted to know the proper way to dispose of the burnt out bulbs!

This weekend I am working on my midterm report cards marks. This class has a mean score of 82%. Now I am worried that my administration will be questioning why my marks are so high! If they do, I shall refer them to this blog!

Here are some videos showing the levels of engagement in the students during this inquiry!