TPE#2

Tracking Student Learning

Brent Gess

ITL526 SS Integrated Design I

Jessica Borah

Background:  Standard & Criteria for Mastery

MS-LS1-6  Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.

Standard 1 Concepts and Skills

Concepts:

1.     Scientific Explanation of Photosynthesis

Skills:

1.     Construct

2.     Cycling

Concept 1:  Scientific Explanation of Photosynthesis

Criterion:

Plants, algae (including phytoplankton) and many microorganisms use the energy from light to make sugars (food) from carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water through the process of photosynthesis, which also releases oxygen.  These sugars can be used immediately or stored for growth or later use.

Assessments:

The criterion is appropriate because the ability to determine the scientific explanation of photosynthesis is critical for understanding the its relationship to matter and flow of energy in full view of the organism, for example, a philodendron.

Skill 1:  Construct a scientific explanation of photosynthesis based on evidence

Assessments:  The criterion is appropriate as it has students construct a scientific explanation of photosynthesis based on evidence.  The standards were very clear that this is not a biochemical explanation which would not be appropriate for the grade level.

Skill 2:  Cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms

Assessments:  The criterion is appropriate as it has students explain the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms during the process of photosynthesis.  The standard, for grade level, wants the student to have a general understanding of the process of photosynthesis and details this by discussing the above criterion.

Criteria

Scientific Explanation of Photosynthesis

Construct a Scientific Explanation of Photosynthesis

Cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms

4) Highly Developed 

Scientific explanation of photosynthesis is identified and written out in a clear and developed sentence.

Constructing a scientific explanation of photosynthesis is done with clear, detailed examples.

Development of the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms is identified and shaped by specific details in a clear and developed manner.

3) Developed

Scientific explanation of photosynthesis is identified and written out in a developed sentence.

Constructing a scientific explanation of photosynthesis is done with appropriate details found within the text. 

Development of the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organism is identified and shaped by specific details.

2) Emerging

Scientific explanation of photosynthesis is hinted out in a sentence. 

Constructing a scientific explanation of photosynthesis is hinted at with some details found within the text.  

Development of the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organism is hinted at through its emergence and how it is shaped by details. 

1) Initial

Scientific explanation of photosynthesis is missing in an underdeveloped sentence. 

Constructing a scientific explanation of photosynthesis is missing with little to no supporting details found within the text.

Development of the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organism is missing with no to little details about its emergence and how it is shaped.

Pre-Assessment

This is the Self-Assessment that I will give to the students at the start of the lesson to allow them to identify their prior knowledge and allow me to identify individual and group-wide needs moving forward.

In this particular situation, I like to implement small group discussions to pre-test.  I benefit immensely from a small classroom.  This year, I think I will have 15 students.  I will prepare myself this year by speaking to the previous teachers about all of the students.  I will not pigeon hole them based on their behavior the following year but it will enable me to have a snapshot of who they were.  In this pre-assessment, I would write an interesting question on the board about photosynthesis and have the students discuss their possible answers with their elbow partner.  I would go around the room and listen in and ask more questions depending on the situation.  I think this is a fun way to start the mind moving.  I would assess them based on their dialogue, level of understanding of the material and the subsequent application of the material in a real-life scenario.  

Formative Assessment

Develop a formative assessment you would use mid-way through the lesson (which is based on what you have learned from the pre-assessment), after some instruction and/or activities have occurred.

I would like to use an assessment that is found on Discovery Science for the Unit.  In this particular unit, the discovery science software has a ten-question assessment that is will give me an opportunity to see where the students are.  The questions are directly related to the standard and strategically ask specific questions in full view of the standard to ascertain the level of understanding of each student.  The assessments will be graded by the software and I will see the results.  I can review the assessment with the class because it is a small one and then divide the students up into groups based on how they performed.  I’m looking for seventy percent or up to eighty percent to show a command of the knowledge necessary for the summative.  However, this is a middle of the lesson assessment which will be my guide.  I will review it with the class and take individual questions and one on one time with each and every student if they need it.  Then, I will place the students in three groups of five.  The first group will be called the Madame Curie group and they will have a higher level of understanding of photosynthesis.  The second group will be referred to as the Neil deGrasse Tyson group.  I love him.  This will be the group that has a good understanding of photosynthesis.  Finally, the Galileo group will be the lower level of understanding but still inquisitive and looking to learn more! 

Summative Assessment

Typically, a summative assessment would include an end of the unit assessment.  I played that card as a middle of the lesson formative assessment.  I will downplay the importance of that assessment in the sense that it is not their final and determinative grade.  I like to say that assessments are not tests, they are just ways for the material to “say hi” to the students and check in on how there are doing.  The summative assessment is the final determinative grade for the lesson and I should know where the students are going into this next step, how they will be evaluated and what to do with the students that don’t meet the criteria discussed above in the rubric. 

By dividing the groups into Curie (high), Tyson (Middle) and Galileo (low), I can implement UDL in the summative assessment process.

First and foremost, I love group projects.  I’ve noticed that after the end of Covid, the students craved quality time together and the idea of working by themselves and their iPads is not desirable for them.  For example, in Science last year, I created specific lessons plans for each one of the children by implementing a modern classroom style technique with my software program and function as an individual tutor.  With the small classroom, I was able to really make progress with the students and enjoyed it.  However, I received feedback that they wanted to work together more and cherished the time conversing with their fellow students.  So, I adapted and will seek to explore this methodology more this year with more STEM projects in order to have the students see what science can do and what it means to them.  I also would like to lean on current events about science to show how science can change the world.  I believe that group projects are a fun and interactive form of summative assessment.

After searching on the internet for various summative assessments, I decided to stick with what I feel most comfortable with, group projects.  I prefer this type of summative assessment because it forces students to work as a team and mandates that they communicated and collaborate in some capacity.  As a result, they develop social skills, for example listening, negotiating, and understanding of their team.  These skills translate into the real world and I feel that the Covid era has greatly exacerbated students’ lack of social skills.  If I can integrate this into their daily lessons, then they will be the better for it. 

In addition to social skills, the group work requires critical thinking.  The variables that students will face when dealing with their team is significant.  How do they respond to each other when their opinions do match up?  Will they debate and vote on an issue?  They will be 5 to a group so a majority could be achieved.  I love personally to see a problem and try to solve it.  In this group situation, I can observe and evaluate how the students come to a resolution and work together to produce a final project.  

In full view of the photosynthesis standard, I can craft different projects for the different learning styles of my groups, Curie, Tyson and Galileo!  For starters, students may learn differently and prefer an auditory, visual, and/or kinesthetic style of learning.  The group project can accommodate that.  The final result from the project and the developing process is the summative assessment.  It is always the journey! 

For the Galileo group, I would assign a documentary project where the students could produce a poster and create a presentation on the photosynthesis process for the class.  I can think of a few of my students that will shine with their artistic abilities.  Last year, one student created a comic strip that told a creative story.  I want them to find what excites them and go for it!  This process can help reinforce their understanding and lead to mastery of the standard.  When they spend this much time on photosynthesis and get the reinforcement from each other as well as my assistance during the process, their level of understanding will deepen and grow.  I think at the end of the project, I may reassign the middle-lesson assessment just to see how they do.  This will typically make them feel like they have gained some expertise and have mastered the standard. 

For the Tyson group, I use a tool called the iPhone Fake Text Generator.  The students will create a mock text message conversation about photosynthesis and the process involved directly akin to the standard.  This is a challenging assignment but they would have to clearly convey an understanding of the subject matter and possibly do it in a question and answer format between two distinct people in the conversation.  The text format could be fun because the students love to text and play with their cell phones.  If they are not comfortable with this format, they can conduct an interview in front of the class.  We’ve done this before in ELA and the students enjoyed pretending to be an author or in this case, a budding scientist and an interviewer.  The back-and-forth conversation between two or five people in a panel discussion about photosynthesis would be another fun assessment.  I think at the end of this project, much like the Galileo group, I may reassign the middle-lesson assessment just to see how they do.  I expect them to knock it out of the park!

For the Curie group, I would plan a serious application of the photosynthesis process that could benefit the city that they live in.  As I mentioned in my discussion video this week, the city of Irvine uses the nature preserve by UCI to cleanse gray water by utilizing the plants filtering capabilities.  It really is fantastic.  I would discuss this example with them and pose to them the task of coming up with a community service project that could involve identifying a problem and creating a detailed plan to fix it.  I guess the idea of dealing with air pollution might come to mind and they could address that problem by planting more trees for a specific reason, what might that be?  They could discuss the process of photosynthesis and explain why it can help with the problem.  A presentation, is in order, and I feel like this group would utilize slides and have some fun with it.  We are very lucky to have significant resources that are technology based and the students can rely on them.  As with the other groups, I would reassign the middle-lesson assessment and expect a mastery level from this group.