Science: Explaining and modeling content – TeachingWorks Resource Library

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Cycle 1

To focus on practicing constructing scientific explanations and building arguments with students, this learning cycle helps novice teachers support their students to make sense of scientific phenomena by collecting and analyzing data, developing claims with reasoning, and engaging in argumentation.

Select a quadrant below to view related activities:

Adapted from:
McDonald, Kazemi, and Kavanagh, 2013; Lampert et al., 2013;
Teacher Education by Design

Introduce

Novice teachers learn about the practice of constructing explanations and building arguments by being immersed in key frameworks of the practice (e.g., Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) framework and EEE+A framework).

Prepare

Novice teachers simulate planning and teaching a science lesson where they attend to the last element of the EEE+A framework (the Explain+Argue element) and receive feedback.

Enact

In their field placements, novice teachers plan and enact a science lesson that culminates with them supporting their students in constructing evidence-based claims and reasoning and possibly building scientific arguments.

Analyze

Novice teachers analyze students’ interpretations, reflect on their own experience teaching a science lesson in the field, and analyze a video of their teaching practice.

Activity 1

Defining Claim-Evidence-Reasoning

Activity 1

Novices develop their understanding of the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning framework. They construct their own definitions of claim, evidence, and reasoning using a video of teacher practice to support their sensemaking.

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Activity 2

CER rubric food webs

Activity 2

Novices gain experience with constructing their own claims supported by evidence and reasoning (CER) and evaluating student explanations using a rubric containing specific guidelines for exemplar claims, evidence, and reasoning.

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Activity 3

Constructing evidence-based explanations

Activity 3

This activity provides a template to support the construction of the claim, evidence, and reasoning a novice may expect their students to develop during the Explain+Argue element of the EEE+A framework.

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Activity 4

Decomposing the Explain+Argue element

Activity 4

Novice teachers learn the purpose of the Explain+Argue element of the EEE+A Framework, how it connects to leading a discussion, and its importance for designing and teaching lessons that prioritize student sensemaking through investigations.

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Activity 5

Facilitating argumentation

Activity 5

Novices watch a video exemplar of an experienced teacher facilitating an investigation-based discussion and use the Facilitating Argumentation Observation Guide to decompose the practice of facilitating argumentation.

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Activity 6

Preparing to teach the Explain+Argue element

Activity 6

Novices are given a science lesson plan to adapt and modify collaboratively. Novices use multiple tools to co-plan a lesson that prioritizes student sensemaking by investigating natural phenomena.

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Tools

Teaching Explaining and Modeling Content in Science

Tool

Alternative ideas

Tool

The tool provides a list of research-based common alternative (non-normative) ideas that students are likely to have about scientific phenomena and a tool for designing instruction in response to those ideas.

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Tool

CER scaffolding

Tool

A template is provided for novices to use in their own classrooms to support the scaffolding of constructing evidence-based explanations and arguments with their students.

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Tool

Consideration cards for science lesson planning

Tool

This set of cards prompts novices to think about and plan for important elements of a lesson including quality of learning goals, assessments, instruction, and attention toward learners.

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Tool

EEE+A Framework

Tool

Similar to the 5E instructional model, the framework supports novices to organize science lessons into a coherent sequence that enables sensemaking for children, and to analyze their own and others’ teaching.

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Tool

Equity leverage points

Tool

A list of suggestions and a lesson planning template are provided to help novices attend to issues of equity and possible inequity in their planning and instruction.

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Tool

General rubric for scientific explanations

Tool

This rubric is used to assess the quality of student explanations and also serves as a model for novices as they build their own rubrics for future lesson plans.

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Tool

Identifying big ideas in science lessons

Tool

Novices are supported in the initial process of planning investigation-based science lessons, which includes the use of Next Generation Science Standards and constructing lesson learning goals for students (big ideas).

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Tool

Instructional planning template

Tool

A template used to guide novices' planning of the key aspects of science teaching, which include anticipating students’ ideas about scientific phenomena, considering the lesson learning goals, management considerations, etc.

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Tool

Interpreting what students say or do

Tool

This tool is designed to support novices in recognizing common types of thinking or reasoning that students might have. It also provides a template for evaluating student reasoning.

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Tool

Monitoring

Tool

This tool is used to keep track of the ideas students have during an investigation and also provides space for novices to anticipate and record notes about anticipated student struggles.

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Tool

Observation rubric

Tool

Novice teachers can use this rubric to assess student data collection using the key features of high quality observations. A basic version of the rubric is included for future use.

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Tool

Reading and learning from curriculum materials

Tool

This tool provides guidance for how to read and learn from curriculum materials, by providing ideas about what sections a lesson or unit might include, and what kinds of information might be gleaned from each.

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Tool

Scientific Practices Scaffolding Continuum

Tool

The norms and routines for science (described in the Next Generation Science Standards) are made explicit in this tool. The continuum provides various scaffolded ways that novices can engage students in the science practices.

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Tool

Talk moves & teacher talk

Tool

These tools outline possible talk moves to support productive dialogue, and provide three methods to help novices analyze their instruction and reflect on the frequency and quality of engagement with students.

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Activity 7

Peer teaching the Explain+Argue element

Activity 7

Novices are supported in simulating instruction of a lesson they coplanned. Novices enact the lesson with a small group of their peers and a teacher educator.

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Tools

Teaching Explaining and Modeling Content in Science

Tool

Alternative ideas

Tool

View Resources

Tool

CER scaffolding

Tool

A template is provided for novices to use in their own classrooms to support the scaffolding of constructing evidence-based explanations and arguments with their students.

View Resources

Tool

Consideration cards for science lesson planning

Tool

This set of cards prompts novices to think about and plan for important elements of a lesson including quality of learning goals, assessments, instruction, and attention toward learners.

View Resource

Tool

EEE+A Framework

Tool

View Resources

Tool

Equity leverage points

Tool

A list of suggestions and a lesson planning template are provided to help novices attend to issues of equity and possible inequity in their planning and instruction.

View Resource

Tool

General rubric for scientific explanations

Tool

This rubric is used to assess the quality of student explanations and also serves as a model for novices as they build their own rubrics for future lesson plans.

View Resource

Tool

Identifying big ideas in science lessons

Tool

View Resource

Tool

Instructional planning template

Tool

View Resources

Tool

Interpreting what students say or do

Tool

This tool is designed to support novices in recognizing common types of thinking or reasoning that students might have. It also provides a template for evaluating student reasoning.

View Resource

Tool

Monitoring

Tool

This tool is used to keep track of the ideas students have during an investigation and also provides space for novices to anticipate and record notes about anticipated student struggles.

View Resources

Tool

Observation rubric

Tool

Novice teachers can use this rubric to assess student data collection using the key features of high quality observations. A basic version of the rubric is included for future use.

View Resource

Tool

Reading and learning from curriculum materials

Tool

View Resource

Tool

Scientific Practices Scaffolding Continuum

Tool

View Resource

Tool

Talk moves & teacher talk

Tool

View Resources

Activity 8

Science lesson in the field

Activity 8

Novices practice teaching a complete science lesson in a classroom with actual students. This often serves as a culminating assignment allowing novices to apply previously learned teaching strategies.

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Tools

Teaching Explaining and Modeling Content in Science

Tool

Alternative ideas

Tool

View Resources

Tool

CER scaffolding

Tool

A template is provided for novices to use in their own classrooms to support the scaffolding of constructing evidence-based explanations and arguments with their students.

View Resources

Tool

Consideration cards for science lesson planning

Tool

This set of cards prompts novices to think about and plan for important elements of a lesson including quality of learning goals, assessments, instruction, and attention toward learners.

View Resource

Tool

EEE+A Framework

Tool

View Resources

Tool

Equity leverage points

Tool

A list of suggestions and a lesson planning template are provided to help novices attend to issues of equity and possible inequity in their planning and instruction.

View Resource

Tool

General rubric for scientific explanations

Tool

This rubric is used to assess the quality of student explanations and also serves as a model for novices as they build their own rubrics for future lesson plans.

View Resource

Tool

Identifying big ideas in science lessons

Tool

View Resource

Tool

Instructional planning template

Tool

View Resources

Tool

Interpreting what students say or do

Tool

This tool is designed to support novices in recognizing common types of thinking or reasoning that students might have. It also provides a template for evaluating student reasoning.

View Resource

Tool

Monitoring

Tool

This tool is used to keep track of the ideas students have during an investigation and also provides space for novices to anticipate and record notes about anticipated student struggles.

View Resources

Tool

Observation rubric

Tool

Novice teachers can use this rubric to assess student data collection using the key features of high quality observations. A basic version of the rubric is included for future use.

View Resource

Tool

Reading and learning from curriculum materials

Tool

View Resource

Tool

Scientific Practices Scaffolding Continuum

Tool

View Resource

Tool

Talk moves & teacher talk

Tool

View Resources

Activity 9

Science lesson reflection

Activity 9

Novice teachers reflect on their experience teaching their science lesson in the field and analyze the video of their enactment focusing on their engagement in several high-leverage practices.

View Resources

Tools

Teaching Explaining and Modeling Content in Science

Tool

Alternative ideas

Tool

View Resources

Tool

CER scaffolding

Tool

A template is provided for novices to use in their own classrooms to support the scaffolding of constructing evidence-based explanations and arguments with their students.

View Resources

Tool

Consideration cards for science lesson planning

Tool

This set of cards prompts novices to think about and plan for important elements of a lesson including quality of learning goals, assessments, instruction, and attention toward learners.

View Resource

Tool

EEE+A Framework

Tool

View Resources

Tool

Equity leverage points

Tool

A list of suggestions and a lesson planning template are provided to help novices attend to issues of equity and possible inequity in their planning and instruction.

View Resource

Tool

General rubric for scientific explanations

Tool

This rubric is used to assess the quality of student explanations and also serves as a model for novices as they build their own rubrics for future lesson plans.

View Resource

Tool

Identifying big ideas in science lessons

Tool

View Resource

Tool

Instructional planning template

Tool

View Resources

Tool

Interpreting what students say or do

Tool

This tool is designed to support novices in recognizing common types of thinking or reasoning that students might have. It also provides a template for evaluating student reasoning.

View Resource

Tool

Monitoring

Tool

This tool is used to keep track of the ideas students have during an investigation and also provides space for novices to anticipate and record notes about anticipated student struggles.

View Resources

Tool

Observation rubric

Tool

Novice teachers can use this rubric to assess student data collection using the key features of high quality observations. A basic version of the rubric is included for future use.

View Resource

Tool

Reading and learning from curriculum materials

Tool

View Resource

Tool

Scientific Practices Scaffolding Continuum

Tool

View Resource

Tool

Talk moves & teacher talk

Tool

View Resources