Thanks for sharing the results of your first inquiry science lesson and posting a question that you still have about how to "inquirize" your teaching. For this week's blog, we'll begin by considering these questions. Choose one of your classmates questions and offer them a suggestion. Be sure to refer to the reading on "inquirizing" your teaching as you answer the question.
Next, think about our exploration of culturally responsive science curriculum last week. Take a moment to explore the curriculum resources for implementing Indian Education for All (IEFA) on the class wiki, then consider your current field experience placement. Which IEFA curriculum could you use in your current field placement? Why? How would you use it? What would you want students to learn? (Don't forget that this includes an exploration of the OPI Indian Education website as well.)
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Erin Cooley’s question was: How do you know how in depth into a subject you should go for it to maintain age/grade appropriate. Usually by looking at the standards specific to your grade level you can decide the complexity of the lesson. Also, once we are in our own classrooms we will have other materials to help us determine such things. After browsing through the IEFA there is one website that could be really useful in western Montana classrooms: Native Peoples and Fire in the Northern Rockies. I chose this site mainly because I think it is important for students to learn about the tribes indigenous of the area, since the Salish and Kootenai Tribes are native tribes, specifically to the Missoula Valley, I think this website provides the perfect opportunity to teach students about the tribes that might have been camping in the exact spot where their houses might sit today. Also, it is important for students to develop an understanding of how Native Americans were able to utilize the resources they had to live “off of, and manage, the land.” I would teach the students how the American Indians utilized the use of prescribed fire to manage the lands in order to protect themselves from lightning-lit fires. Finally, I would discuss with the students the other ways that Native Americans “lived off the land.” Hopefully, the students will be able to conclude that the Native Americans of the area were able to live very well be utilizing the resources that the land provided them. Also, I would use this particular site as an introduction into fire ecology, more specifically the effects that fire has on plants and animals. Unfortunately, this site doesn’t cover the effects in depth, therefore supplemental materials would be needed.
After reading some of my classmate’s questions I decided to pick Dustin's to answer. Dustin and Erin asked "Other than trying to align the science curriculum with the NSES standards, how do we know which science concepts we should be teaching a specific grade level and when we should be teaching them?"
After reviewing our reading, and doing some thinking, I realize I also have found myself thinking the same question. First and foremost, as Dustin pointed out, look at the NSES standards. This gives you a rather good view of subjects to be covered. You could also check the standards for other subjects, such as Math/Social Studies and Literature. This could not only help you create some Thematic Units, but it could also help you gain more thoughtful insight into what you could do for science lessons. For example, if in history you were studying the 1300's, you could think about making a lesson dealing with the plague, or other scientific phenomenon occurring in that time.
I would also suggest speaking with your principal (or in our case cooperating teacher)and seeing what expectations they have for you. Almost all schools have their own curriculum, so there would be ideas there as well. Using other teachers as guides is probably one of the best resources we have. There will probably be another teacher in your school teaching the same grade... feed off one another to gather ideas. The possibilities are endless. Just make sure all lessons are in fact age appropriate, and, as our reading states, inquiry based.
I looked over our Wiki space and reviewed the Indian Education For All page. I looked around each page, and I found that some pages were pretty simple (like the list of tribe names), while other became more extensive (video’s… links leading to museum opportunities…). I strongly believe that any of these could be great tools in the classroom. It is all about how you would implement them. Erin Cooley and I are currently with fourth graders, so I would need something that would keep their interest, especially since they are a rowdy bunch. I discovered, via the teachers section, some videos. I think these would be great with my kids, considering I have never seen them watch any kind of clip or movie yet. One movie in particular, Long ago in Montana, would be a great tie into the older days of our state, which they are talking about now (along w/ Lewis and Clark). This would be a fantastic way to introduce a unit on Native American culture. I would want the students to learn about Montana before Europeans, what tribes were here, what they did for the land, and themselves. There is also another site that would help, The Regional Learning Project. Here there is more cool information on how to explore Native history. The OPI website hosts an abundance of excellent information; it just takes a little time to search through.
Miranda asked, “The one question I still have about teaching a science lesson is how do you make sure the students really understand the lesson just taught, or how to make sure that certain students just aren't feeding off of the other members of their group?”
I think that the best way for students to create their own understandings is through discussion with peers. Students learn best through peers because they are talking at the same level. Therefore, it is important to make sure that misconceptions are cleared up and the students that seem to be doing the majority of the “teaching” must have concept down. The students that appear to be feeding off of the other members will begin to create understandings by repeating what these other students are saying. Hopefully, they will then have more inquiry opportunity to experiment with what they have learned from their peers and eventually understand the concept through this combination of peer-learning and inquiry. I also think that if the whole group seems to be struggling with key concepts of a lesson, that new inquiry-based opportunities need to be introduced or in some cases simplified. Also, grouping strategies are very important (perhaps grouping students with others using the Zone of Proximal Development). In addition, the inquiry article suggests that experiments should be simple so that students can easily build their own understandings. So if an experiment is too difficult it may create an environment where students are feeding off of other students more.
I think that “A Process Guide for Realizing Indian Education for All: Lessons Learned from Lewis & Clark Elementary School” is a great resource for educators. The wealth of information is incredible. It gives suggestions across the grade bands for curriculum and is a wonderful document for educators that are well-versed in IEFA and also those that need a considerable amount of information on the topic. It suggests teaching the seasons of the Pend d’Orielle and Salish tribes. So a teacher could use the calendars and the video as we did in class to explore this concept even more. This is also the point at which they suggest introducing the term “sovereignty”. Introducing sovereignty at this age could be a difficult task. I think I would try to teach this idea by comparing it to beginning nations, while being culturally sensitive. I would definitely want my students to learn more about the culture and diversity of the tribes within Montana and some of the history that is age-appropriate. I would also integrate some of the Four Directions videos into the curriculum with a lot of time given for questions and class discussion. This gives students an authentic view (albeit brief) of some of the tribes and beliefs. Also, the OPI website has a resource guide “Connecting Cultures and Classrooms” that is beneficial to the educator. I could not get it to play (so I am not sure about age-appropriateness) but I would use the “the Power of the Drum” video (OPI) and pair it with a lesson on sound and vibration. I would want students to understand the social importance of the drum within some American Indian cultures (while being tribally specific) and also have students understand that sound is vibration. Finally, I think one of the most beneficial parts of any IEFA curriculum is guest speakers if at all possible. Students get immediate feedback to their questions from knowledgeable tribal members!
Erin Barr
After looking around the IEFA on wiki, I thought that one of the easiest websites to navigate is the Native People and Fire in the Northern Rockies. I would use this website in the classroom I am in because it is important for people to know that things such as fire are important to native peoples. I would also want the students to realize that there were native people on the land before them and even possibly the land where they live. I would take all of the kids to the computer lab and have them look around the website with me. I would want them to follow with me so they could learn from what is being said and seen. This is a great website for students to develop an understanding of a different culture and things of importance to that culture. This website is also great in helping students learn how native people lived off the land and what the land had to offer.
Erin asked “how in depth should you go into a subject lesson for it to maintain its age/grade appropriateness”? We decided that the best way to do this is to stay as close in line with the standards as possible. Make sure you are teaching just the basics of what the standards touch on. You could also contact other teachers in the same grade level to get their advice on what exactly the students need to be learning through your lessons. Also, taking examples of lessons from the CRT tests would be a good sample of what they need to be learning.
We chose the “Traditional and Contemporary Native American” site which explores the trail that Lewis and Clark took through Montana. We thought that this would be a great link for our current field placement because we are doing our thematic unit on Native Americans. We could use this by having the students map the Lewis and Clark trail then pinpoint significant events that occurred on the journey and locations of Native American tribes. By doing this activity, we want students to learn about the places in Montana that the Lewis and Clark expedition stopped at and the Native American tribes that they came in contact with.
MIRANDA & ASHLEY
Miranda asked "how do you make sure the students really understand the lesson just taught, or how to make sure that certain students just aren't feeding off of the other members of their group?" This is a great question, and one that I have had a hard time with as well. To gauge the students' understanding of the material, the assessment component of the lesson needs to be really well defined. Are they going to be taking a quiz, or is there some form of homework involved? I think a follow up homework activity or quiz is the best way to make sure students are grasping the material. This could be preceded with some form of class discussion prior to the assignment, just to generate some extra thought and ideas. Assessment is definitely an area I've had a hard time with, but it seems like with science there can be some pretty creative ways to asses student comprehension. Often we’re stuck with a mass-generated worksheet as our assessment tool, but the inquiry process allows for teachers to break-away from some of the more traditional approaches.
After exploring some of the IEFA curriculum suggestions, I came across quite a few that could be used in our classroom. There are some great ideas, especially when it comes to our integrated units. One science suggestion that I came across on the OPI website, was exploring some of the more recent scientific developments, and how they impacted the American Indian way of life. They suggested talking about the coming of the railroad, electricity, computers, etc. I would integrate the scientific material with a social studies lesson, which would provide great exposure to our third grade students. It would be important to show students some of the more traditional ways that American Indians lived, and then how they have modified their lives with available technological advancements.
Ashley asked the question, "When teaching an inquiry based lesson, how do you make sure each student is doing their own work and developing an understanding." To ensure that students are thinking of their own ideas, rather than copying others, I might recommend that students spread out around the room and find a spot of their own to answer questions and make predictions. They could use clipboards to write on and as the teacher, I would walk around the room and make sure students were working individually. During this time, students would not be permitted to talk to each other at all. The students could later work collaboratively when exploring their ideas. In order to make sure they are developing an understanding, students would write about the experience, individually. If they can explain in detail, in their own words or through drawings why something happened, they are most likely understanding.
The place based curriculum, specifically the "Building Worldviews Using Traditional Cultures and Google Earth", could be used in my current placement. The curriculum is designed for 6th graders but with a few alterations, would be appropriate for 3rd graders. This curriculum does not just teach about specific tribal views, but also teaches students to consider the natural world around them. I would not be surprised to find that students in our class might not know the names of rivers and mountains in missoula, let alone the names of plants that they walk by everday. Using google earth and other resources would be a fun way to explore these features. The students in our class love working on the computer and pick learn programs very quickly. I know they could use basic features of google earth as well as any adults. I would want them to learn that we live in a beautiful place that is unique and diverse. I would hope they would learn to appreciate the land we live on and to treat it with respect. I also think this curriculum would be appropriate because it includes a lot of writing which this class could use a lot of practice doing. Specifically, writing that is personal and relevant to their own lives.
Ashley asked the question “When you are teaching an inquiry based lesson, do you make sure that each student is doing their own work and developing an understanding of the content?” This is a question that I think I have struggled with a lot, especially when doing group work with students. I think one way to assess whether a child is learning the material, or stating information from another classmate is to ask the student individually how and why something works. In the article “inquirize your teaching.” it emphasizes the importance of considering your students’ background knowledge when designing the engage phase of a lesson. This is important to consider, because what is “engaging” to one student isn’t always the same for everyone. Perhaps, using different methods and techniques during this phase of the lesson will help the child to become more involved, and develop a deeper understanding of the content. Another way to determine if students are accurately focused, is by having them explain exactly what they are going to be doing (prior to doing it!). Another means of assessing student’s understanding of the content may be through writing activities where they are working separate from their peers.
After exploring IEFA and the OPI website I have found a ton of different IEFA curriculums that would be effective in my current teaching placement. I really like the place names curriculum; I think it is definitely something our third graders would enjoy. It involves watching videos, google earth, journaling, and learning about the traditions of the Salish tribes. The students in our class do a lot of writing activities, and I think that journaling would be so something they would not only love, but would be very successful with. A way for Erin and I to incorporate the “place names” in to our thematic (bears) would be to study specifically how the bear effected the lives of different tribes, what its significance is to each tribe, etc. Using this curriculum I would want our students to learn the significance that different animals play in the lives of American Indians and the tribes around us (specifically in Montana.) The OPI website is a great tool to use as well. It provides information on connecting cultures and classrooms, which is helpful in developing culturally integrated lessons. I also liked the literature and resource guide that is available; this will be very helpful in choosing quality literature to support our lessons.
Ashley asked the question, "When teaching an inquiry based lesson, how do you make sure each student is doing their own work and developing an understanding." According to the "Inquirize Your Teaching" article, inquiry based lessons can be done individually, in a small group, or as a demonstration. The way to make sure that all students are doing their own work is to make sure everyone develops individual answers to the question. The activity can be done with others, but each individual has to come up with their own conclusions. If a student isn't understanding, they should be able to ask their classmates for help. Having another classmate explain can be useful in two ways. First of all, the person doing the explanation has a chance to further their understanding by orally explaining the concept to another student. The information gets cemented into their heads. For the person receiving the explanation, they have an opportunity to listen to an explanation in the more simplified language of their peers, instead of having the teacher explain the concept in greater detail.
Assessment/evaluation also determines whether the individual students are grasping the ideas. If the teacher notices after their assessment that some students are struggling, she can pair these students up to help each other figure out the concepts. Also, the teacher can extend and apply the concepts to similar ideas that the students may encounter. In the article they give the example of comparing the cloud formation to steam in the bathroom from the shower or condensation on a glass. These are things the students interact with daily and can apply the knowledge more to their lives.
One way I can incorporate Indian Ed for All is through the subject of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Our class is going to start studying Montana history soon, and watched a Lewis & Clark video today. One lesson on the OPI website has students look at and analyze different Indian perspectives regarding the expedition. Getting the students to realize that the textbooks only give one perspective (the white perspective) allows them to look at history in a different way. Place based activities could be used when teaching Montana history as well. The students can research and learn about their own place, as well as the tribal view of place. They can learn about how important the land is to the Indian cultures and what they value. Our class recently read a story in their basal readers about fires and firefighters. The story portrayed fire as a bad thing more than as helpful for the environment. The Fire History Project could be a useful tool in helping children understand how fire can be used in a good way. Fire is a valuable thing in the Indian culture, however many students will not know this.
Last week Ashley and Maranda's questions were along the same lines. They both wanted to make sure their students were fully understanding the concepts rather than feeding off of their classmates ideas. I think this is always a challenge in the classroom, however, in addition to Sarah's idea to have the students spread out around the room you could also have the children write something such as a story and a journal entry about the subject. This not only allows them to develop their own individual ideas but it also incorperates literacy! :) Always a good thing!
After looking through our Wikki and most of the IEFA, I think a movie would be useful in Tara and my 4th grade class. I believe she mentioned this too but I think that because they havn't seen many movies, that they would be very interested in watching one on the tribes that live around them. Any of these movies have the potential to catch their attention.
We still have not been able to do our own science lesson yet, but it was nice to read how everyone elses went. One of the best questions I saw was from Erin Cooleys lesson reflection. She asked, "How do you know how in depth into a subject you should go for it to maintain age\grade appropriate." This is a question I often ask myself. Recently I have been underestimating my kids, which was not the right decision. I believe now that you should go as in depth as you can, and trust that your students can exceed some of the standard expectations. Another thing, like Natalie had mentioned from the "inquirizing" reading, is how important it is to consider the students' background knowledge. It will be much easier to go more in depth with students when they have prior knowledge of the subject coming into the lesson.
After going back through the wiki space and checking out more of the curriculum for IEFA, I really still like the fire site we all went over. It had a lot of really engaging pictures and slides that shows you more about fire history, saftey, and control than I had ever thought of. This would be a great lesson for my current placement. We just brought a smartboard into the classroom, but have not really had many uses for it thus far. I think the kids would really have a good time exploring this site, through the smart board. Also the students talk a lot about the fires that many of them had to evacuate because of, right in the beggining of school. They could literally see the fire from their classroom. Because the kids are already really engaged in the subject, it would fun for them to learn more about the situations going on literally in their back yards. Many of the students have parents or other family members who work for the fire department or voulunteer. This would be a great way to introduce different points of view from a multicultural stand point in which they may have never heard before.
Dustin and Erin Barr asked, “Other than trying to align the science curriculum with the NSES, how do we know which science concepts we should be teaching at a specific grade level, and when should we be teaching them?” This is a great question! My suggestion is to consult your school’s curriculum, and if needed, your principal. The school that Norm and I are placed at follows the FOSS program. Our teacher handed us a gigantic FOSS binder, pointed to the FOSS kits in the corner of her classroom, and gave us a FOSS “how to” videotape. I asked where and what we should look for within the binder and our teacher just said, “You’ll be doing measurement.” I spoke with Professor Blank about this “boring science concept” and she said that measurement was part of the 3rd grade curriculum. If your school’s curriculum follows a specific program, e.g. FOSS, basal readers, etc., then there’s really no way to get around those stipulations. However, creativity is a great tool for us teachers. Just because Norm and I are stuck with paperclips and meter sticks doesn’t mean that we have to ONLY measure what are program suggests. Teachers should “inquirize” the lessons. For example, a teacher might want students to come up with their own questions regarding measurement and then predict/estimate/research their answers. “My desk is X paperclips long…how many paperclips tall am I?” “How many paperclips long is our classroom?” “How many paperclips would it take to reach the moon?” The NSES also gives examples of grade ranges on when to implement certain science concepts, as well as how far in depth to touch on specific science topics. For example, there’s really no rule that kindergartners can’t learn about magnetism, but the NSES offers advice on methods of teaching magnetism appropriate to 5-6 year-olds’ understanding.
After perusing the IEFA curriculum website and the OPI website, one of the curriculums Norm and I could use in our 3rd grade classroom is the IEFA Place-Based Curriculum-specifically the PlaceNames Project. Our third-graders could research/study the land, plants, animals, and ecosystems in and around the Missoula area, and how we incorporate and depend on these things in our lives, communities, cultures, and traditions. In addition, students could study specific Montana Indian tribes and compare and contrast their uses with their own of the same ecosystems found in the Missoula area. There are several activities that the third-graders could do with the PlaceNames Project. After researching and studying the Missoula ecosystems, students could journal (they should actually be keeping a science notebook of their questions, inquiries, and findings), put together a Google Earth tour (as Natalie suggested) of the 7 Indian reservations in Montana along with a specific ecological or traditional attribute found in that location, or design ecological maps of Montana which include the students’ findings as well as Montana Indian traditions.
This activity would appropriately reflect the developmental level of third-graders. Not only are they learning about Montana heritage, they are also making connections to the land with themselves, enhancing the meaningfulness of the lesson.
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