Science: Leading a discussion – TeachingWorks Resource Library

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Leading Discussion in Science
Eliciting and Discussion in a Science Investigation

To focus on practicing leading a group discussion, this learning cycle supports novice teachers to facilitate spaces that encourage students participation in productive dialogue about scientific phenomena.

This three class-session unit, designed for a secondary science methods course, focuses on supporting novice teachers to question the common notion that the sciences are objective, value-free, culture-less, neutral, full of indisputable facts, and immune to human subjectivity.

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 leading a group discussion by examining video of teachers engaging in whole group discussion and recognizing the importance of using appropriate scientific representations.

Prepare

Novice teachers simulate leading a whole group sensemaking discussion with their peers and a teacher educator and then receive feedback about their simulated facilitation.

Enact

In their field placements, novice teachers plan and enact a science lesson, paying attention to how they support students’ in making sense of scientific phenomena through listening, speaking and interpreting.

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

Can you read this?

Activity 1

Novices are given an investigation question and scientific representations of student-collected data. Novices practice analyzing student-collected data, reflecting on the importance of representations and use of talk moves for discussion.

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Activity 2

Talk moves video

Activity 2

Novices are introduced to the use of “talk moves” to elicit students’ ideas and watch a video of a discussion monitoring an experienced teacher’s use of talk moves.

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Activity 3

Decomposing the Explain+Argue element

Activity 3

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 4

Facilitating argumentation

Activity 4

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 5

Preparing to teach the Explain+Argue element

Activity 5

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 Leading a Discussion 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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Tool

Video gallery from Ambitious Science Teaching

Tool

A collection of science teaching videos searchable by grade and subject

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Activity 6

Peer Teaching the Explain+Argue element

Activity 6

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 Leading a Discussion 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 7

Science lesson in the field

Activity 7

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 Leading a Discussion 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

Using weather data to design a lesson

Activity 8

Using NGSS, novices determine a plan to support their students in making sense of year-long weather data. They craft an investigation question and an evidence-based explanation relevant to the data.

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Tools

Teaching Leading a Discussion 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

Unit overview

Eliciting and Discussion in a Science Investigation

Unit overview

This three class-session unit, designed for an elementary science methods course, focuses on supporting novice teachers to interact with and make sense of students’ thinking before and after students have engaged in a science investigation.

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Day 1

Eliciting Students' Thinking in Science Prior to an Investigation

Day 1

Teachers elicit students’ thinking to gain insight into their students’ scientific beliefs and to prepare them to engage in scientific practices.

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Day 2

Modeling a Science Investigation with Novice Teachers

Day 2

Novices engage in a rehearsal to practice eliciting students’ predictions about energy flow, circuits, and conductivity.

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Day 3

Rehearsing a group discussion following an investigation

Day 3

Novice teachers explore how leading a group discussion can either perpetuate injustice or advance justice in science classrooms.

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