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Workshop Participation
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Graduate Credit
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Journal
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Workshops 6 and 7
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Assessment Main Page
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Workshops 6 and 7
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| Scott's Pathfinder unit is a part of a new science
curriculum which has emerged in response to Kentucky's statewide testing
(KIRIS). The
testing exposed certain gaps in the science curriculum, specifically with
respect to space science, earth science, and meteorology. Scott has
included these areas in an integrated science course and developed the
Pathfinder unit as part of the space science component. |
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| Study of the Mars Pathfinder mission allows students to
delve deeply into contemporary issues of space exploration, ethics and
budgetary considerations. By focusing on the Pathfinder mission,
students learn specifics about Mars which can then be applied generally
to knowledge of the other planets, addressing the content areas of
chemistry, geology and atmospheric sciences. |
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| Before beginning their research, the students are told
that they will present their findings by participating in a simulated
press conference. They identify the various roles that they might play
in the press conference (e.g., journalist, NASA spokesperson, geologist,
atmospheric scientist, controller of the Sojourner rover) and are
assigned their roles through random selection. As they conduct their
research, using print materials and web-based resources, they focus on
the Pathfinder mission from the particular perspectives of the roles they
have assumed. |
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| As they continue their research and preparation for the
press conference, the students keep detailed journals on their progress.
Their journal entries address the following: what new facts they learn,
how well they are progressing on the development of their roles
(individually), and how well the group is progressing. This last question
allows the students to assess not only their individual practice but that
of their peers and to place themselves within the context of the group.
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| In the development of this project, Scott conferred
with three groups of colleagues. He first shared his plans with his
sophomore team which consists of an English teacher, a math teacher, a
social studies teacher, and Scott, the science teacher. The team meets
weekly, and has done so for four years, in order to share the development
of new ideas and to provide support for changing practice. In addition,
Scott belongs to two Critical
Friends Groups. One is a group of teachers and administrators at Fairdale who meet monthly to review each
others work. They meet in smaller groups for class observations and
feedback. The other CFG is coordinated through the University of
Louisville and consists of teachers at every grade level, from elementary
through University professors. Scott relied on each of these groups for
honest, specific, and supportive criticism as he refined the Pathfinder
unit. |
| Space
Science Syllabus | Pathfinder
Project | Press Conference
Outline | Scott's Rubric
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