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Doug Kirkpatrick, 8th Grade

The Visual Library illustrates four characteristics of effective science instruction. These characteristics are drawn from Benchmarks for Science Literacy, by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Elementary School Science for the 90's, by Loucks-Horsley and her colleagues; and In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms, by Brooks and Brooks, as well as the work of the National Research Council (NRC), the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA).
These characteristics involve:

Inviting students to learn by posing problems of emerging relevance, structuring learning experiences around the big ideas of science, and adapting curriculum to build on students' knowledge and concerns.
Promoting exploration, discovery, and creation as students ask scientific questions and plan and conduct simple investigations, gather data using simple equipment, and use data to propose explanations and solutions.
Creating a collaborative learning community by sensing and valuing students' points of view, encouraging communication about investigations and explanations, and encouraging students to take action on their learning.
Assessing learning continually and authentically through a variety of assessments including student performance and portfolios.

Characteristic Physical Sciences: Tape VIII (Eighth Grade)

Inviting to Learn Mr. Kirkpatrick invites students to learn by connecting content to their prior experience and knowledge. The "Big Idea" is What happens to illumination as you move away from a light source? Students discuss and predict what kind of graph will form.

Explore, Discover, Create Students use spreadsheets, word processing, and graphs to record and analyze data coolected as they investigate illumination. They apply their analysis to new problems to make predictions and confirm their predictions via e-mail to scientists at the University of California at Berkeley.

Community of Learners Students work in small groups asking questions, listening, and forming hypotheses. The groups work together to construct principles of the behavior of light. These principles are applied to real-life situations.

Authentic Assessment Mr. Kirkpatrick assesses students by questioning for understanding and considering students' self-evaluations. He also evaluates their ability to apply the principles they constructed and examines journals, lab results, predictions, and portfolios.
Teacer Self-Assessment: Mr. Kirkpatrick continually reflects and assesses the day's activities and students' understanding of the principles to plan future lessons.

Characteristic Physical Sciences: Tape VIII (Eighth Grade)

Inviting to Learn Mr. Kirkpatrick invites students to learn by connecting content to their prior experience and knowledge. The "Big Idea" is What happens to illumination as you move away from a light source? Students discuss and predict what kind of graph will form.

Explore, Discover, Create Students use spreadsheets, word processing, and graphs to record and analyze data coolected as they investigate illumination. They apply their analysis to new problems to make predictions and confirm their predictions via e-mail to scientists at the University of California at Berkeley.

Community of Learners Students work in small groups asking questions, listening, and forming hypotheses. The groups work together to construct principles of the behavior of light. These principles are applied to real-life situations.

Authentic Assessment Mr. Kirkpatrick assesses students by questioning for understanding and considering students' self-evaluations. He also evaluates their ability to apply the principles they constructed and examines journals, lab results, predictions, and portfolios.
Teacer Self-Assessment: Mr. Kirkpatrick continually reflects and assesses the day's activities and students' understanding of the principles to plan future lessons.


Characteristic		Physical Sciences: Tape VIII (Eighth Grade)

Inviting to Learn		Mr. Kirkpatrick invites students to learn by connecting content to their prior experience and knowledge. The "Big Idea" is What happens to illumination as you move away from a light source? Students discuss and predict what kind of graph will form.

Explore, Discover, Create		Students use spreadsheets, word processing, and graphs to record and analyze data coolected as they investigate illumination. They apply their analysis to new problems to make predictions and confirm their predictions via e-mail to scientists at the University of California at Berkeley.

Community of Learners		Students work in small groups asking questions, listening, and forming hypotheses. The groups work together to construct principles of the behavior of light. These principles are applied to real-life situations.

Authentic Assessment		Mr. Kirkpatrick assesses students by questioning for understanding and considering students' self-evaluations. He also evaluates their ability to apply the principles they constructed and examines journals, lab results, predictions, and portfolios. Teacer Self-Assessment: Mr. Kirkpatrick continually reflects and assesses the day's activities and students' understanding of the principles to plan future lessons.

Characteristic		Physical Sciences: Tape VIII (Eighth Grade)

Inviting to Learn		Mr. Kirkpatrick invites students to learn by connecting content to their prior experience and knowledge. The "Big Idea" is What happens to illumination as you move away from a light source? Students discuss and predict what kind of graph will form.

Explore, Discover, Create		Students use spreadsheets, word processing, and graphs to record and analyze data coolected as they investigate illumination. They apply their analysis to new problems to make predictions and confirm their predictions via e-mail to scientists at the University of California at Berkeley.

Community of Learners		Students work in small groups asking questions, listening, and forming hypotheses. The groups work together to construct principles of the behavior of light. These principles are applied to real-life situations.

Authentic Assessment		Mr. Kirkpatrick assesses students by questioning for understanding and considering students' self-evaluations. He also evaluates their ability to apply the principles they constructed and examines journals, lab results, predictions, and portfolios. Teacer Self-Assessment: Mr. Kirkpatrick continually reflects and assesses the day's activities and students' understanding of the principles to plan future lessons.