Here we go, new standards always ushers in a new movement (which is really an old movement, renamed, I'm told). My state has just moved over to the NGSS standards this year. We are told
we have a whole year to implement them, but being the anti-procrastinator that I am, I decided to go full steam ahead! I wanted to write a post about what I've learned so far about NGSS. If you are more experienced with these standards, PLEASE feel free to make comments if you noticed something or have something to add! I am still very much learning!
Inquiry Based Lectures
This was a hard one for me when I first started looking at NGSS. The way you lecture is NOTHING like what I experienced as a teacher nor a student. This was a difficult concept (although one I always wanted my students to do) for me t
o understand. I didn't get how to do inquiry based lectures by using my traditional PowerPoints. But, as I learned more and more about how to implement guided inquire, I got better at it and now can't wait to change all my lectures to be more 3-dementional. Don't shy away from updating your stuff to be more inquiry based!
The Lingo To Know
So far, I've run into a couple of different acronyms and phrases that I didn't quite understand as I was moving through some of my resources. Now I feel like I have a better handle on them, so here is my list of lingo to know (so far!)
DQB - Driving Question Board - this is an ongoing board (I'm using giant post-it notes) where kids write questions on them and then you come back periodically through the learning and review these questions as a class. So for example, what have they learned, what do they know, what do they still have questions about. You add to the driving questions board throughout and then check them off as you answer them.
Progress Trackers - this is something where kids in their notebooks write down the lesson questions and then answer what they know about it at first proposal. They then go back to that lesson question after inquire and review them. This shows their progress (makes sense right?).
WIS & WIM Statements - WIS (What I See) are statements students make in their notebooks about what they see in something (i.e. video, book, article, etc.). WIM (What It Means) are statements about what students' observations mean (i.e. see a house underwater, means there had to be some sort of flooding). They then use these statements to make DQBs.
Notice/Wonder Charts - This is something that you do at the very beginning of a unit (or a new lesson within your unit). Students watch, listen or read something on the subject and fill out what they notice about the article and what questions they may have.
Models - I still don't quite understand what models are (are they pictures or a list of words? Anyone?), but what I do know is that you review these throughout your unit. Update them if you will. So you have an initial model (which I think is a bit like a flow chart) and then as you learn something new, you add to your model. I like how OpenSciEd has them made by making your own, talking with a partner then finally coming up with a class model. That's the one you then update throughout the unit. Cool idea. I'm going to have to look more into this one!
OpenSciEd is the BEST (https://www.openscied.org/)
Ok, so I am not one for taking stuff from others blindly. I like to know what I'm talking about when using things like PowerPoints. That being said, if you are a teacher who gets overwhelmed easy by the daunting task of making new notes, OpenSciEd is your best friend (it's mine too!) I've just gone through their environmental science unit for 8th grade (Weather Here, Human Impact Here) and it is the BEST! It has everything, the questions to ask, Google slides that guide you and the student through inquiry based learning, labs, and activities! I combed through what they had and made my own PowerPoint, but DANG, it was so helpful! (Here is the link to my Human Impact Google Slides if you want to see what I did LINK).
There is also another website called TeachingEngineering (https://www.teachengineering.org/) which also has some good stuff. It's just not as extensive as OpenSciEd. I would suggest looking there if you can't find something on OpenSciEd!
So, that's what I know so far. I hope that as I continue my NGSS journey I'm able to impose some more wisdom for everyone, but for now, that'll have to be it!
Good luck out there everyone! The beginning of the year is upon us!
That One Science Teacher
Comments