Section 3: Student-Centered and Teacher-Centered Classroomsmrtscience.weebly.com/uploads/8/4/4/6/8446436/sticky_note_lab_for… · In the same manner, Activity 2: Seltzer Rockets

Section 3: Student-Centered and Teacher-Centered Classrooms Facilitator’s Notes

Professional Licensure Standards

The school professional • draws on a wide range of strategies to engage students in learning. • promotes learning experiences relevant to real-life situations and supports attainment of state-approved content

standards. • helps students learn and test hypotheses within and among specific disciplines. • assesses learning, using a variety of student products and forms of expression. • examines and reflects upon his or her educational practices and performance. • creates a learning environment that is safe and respectful of students’ diverse physical and emotional

characteristics and where all students can feel safe taking the risks necessary for learning. • involves all learners in classroom activities.

Desired Learnings for Participants

• To experience the same activity taught two different ways

• To identify appropriate applications of teacher-centered and student-centered instruction

• To modify a teacher-centered activity into a student-centered inquiry activity

Materials

• VCR and videotape, Enhancing Inquiry in Scientific Investigation

• overhead projector, pens

• transparencies

• handouts

• chart paper, pens (optional)

• materials needed for tennis ball activity: small sticky notes, balls, meter/yard sticks, paper

• materials needed for seltzer rockets activity: clear 35mm film canisters, seltzer tablets, various liquids such as juice, milk, water

Time Required

• videotape segment and tennis ball activity (Activity 1): 30-40 minutes

• videotape segment and seltzer rocket activity (Activity 2): 30-40 minutes

• Discussion and assignment: 20 minutes

• Follow-up session

—10 minutes per participant to share the modified lessons —10 minutes or more as desired for closure

Section 3-1 Science Inquiry Toolkit

Process Notes Participants now have deepened their understanding of the inquiry continuum and through the case

studies have observed a variety of teaching strategies and questions that support inquiry lessons. During

this session, the group members will experience two activities, each taught in two different ways:

teacher-centered and student-centered. The facilitator models the first teacher-centered experience

(using tennis balls) and has participants complete the activity. Then, after viewing the first segment of

the videotape Enhancing Inquiry in Scientific Investigation, the participants complete the activity just

as students would. Do not process while participants are doing the activities. Wait until all have

completed both parts of Activity 1. In the same manner, Activity 2: Seltzer Rockets is presented, first in

a teacher-centered investigation and then, following the videotape model, as a student-centered

investigation. It is important that participants generate their own understanding of the differences

between the teacher-centered and the student-centered investigations. Their ideas, observations, and

responses need to be discussed before you share your observations and the handout on changing

emphases.

Activity 1–Scientific Investigations In addressing Science Standard 1, teachers are helping students learn the process of investigation to

solve problems like real-life scientists. The two examples included in this activity (Parts A and B)

demonstrate differences in teacher-centered and student-centered approaches. Part A (Transparency 1

and Handout 1) involves traditional approach, with students simply completing the steps of an

experiment that they have been given. Part B (Transparency 2 and Handout 2) allows students to

discover for themselves the steps to designing a scientific investigation by creating their own

experiments. The accompanying videotape helps model the process of student-centered investigation.

By identifying what will be changed and what will remain the same in their investigations, students are

able to develop a clear understanding of variables.

Part A. Use Transparency 1 and Handout 1 to introduce Teacher-Centered Approach to Scientific

Investigation. Participants complete the activity following the traditional method. Model teacher-

centered instruction as you present the task to the group.

Part B. In this activity, participants experience the inquiry process by exploring a sample lesson and

then use that investigation as a model as they solve problems of their own design. (This activity can be

used in the classroom to help students learn to limit and control variables.)

The first segment of the videotape Enhancing Inquiry in Scientific Investigation presents a teacher

guiding her students in understanding variables and as they learn to set up their own scientific

investigations. View the videotape prior to introducing this activity to participants and become familiar

with the process being presented.

During the professional development session, introduce the activity and encourage the participants to

use Handout 2 to follow along as you show the videotape. Provide tennis balls, measuring devices, and

Section-3–2 Science Inquiry Toolkit

extra copies of the student worksheet (Handout 2) so that participants can complete this activity for

themselves. Model a student-centered approach as you support participants in their investigation and

discovery.

Overview of Activity 1 Part B. First, a scenario is set, for example: You are a scientist working for a

tennis ball company and your job is to find out about the company’s tennis balls. Participants write a

question about tennis balls on page 1 of the Scientific Investigation sheet. Next, they write what they

already know about tennis balls. In the Brainstorm section (page 2), they consider things that could be

varied in their investigation. (There are no bad ideas.) For example, they could drop the ball from

various heights, throw the ball a given distance, hit the ball, roll the ball down different inclines, change

the temperature of the ball, get the ball wet, and so on. They write their ideas on sticky notes, which are

placed on page 2 of their investigation sheet. Similarly, they brainstorm things that could be measured

or observed, such as how high the ball bounces, how far it rolls, the number of bounces, and so forth.

These ideas are recorded on sticky notes and put on the bottom of page 2.

Now participants choose only ONE thing to change, such as height from which to drop the ball. They

also need to choose one thing to measure, such as the height that the ball bounces. The stickies for these

are placed in the boxes on the Choosing Variables page.

Participants keep all of their other ideas—variables—the same. That way, only one variable will be

tested at a time and the test will be “fair.” The other ideas (stickies) are saved on the bottom of the page

and can be used in future investigations. Participants next consider what they will do to conduct the

investigation. They could illustrate how they would hold the ball as it is dropped, indicate whether the

distance dropped will be measured from the top or the bottom of the ball, determine from what distances

will the ball be dropped, specify the sequence of their tests, and so on. After they have designed their

investigation, they need to review their plan to make sure they haven’t omitted important details.

Next participants take the two stickies (the one thing they will change and the one thing they will

measure) and put them on the Asking a Question page. They write their idea—their prediction—of

how they think the experiment will come out.

Now it is time for them to do the experiment. On the Data Chart, participants put stickies for the thing

they decided to change and what they will measure. In the left column, they will enter the details of the

change. For example, if they said they would drop the ball from heights of 25 cm, 50 cm, 75 cm, etc.,

then these numbers would go on the left column.

Participants work in groups to identify what jobs will be done and how the group will function so that

everyone has a turn and that the “workload” is fair. After the jobs are determined, participants complete

their experiment and record their data in the right-hand column of the Data Chart.

After collecting the data, participants graph their results on the Graph page. The two stickies (what they

will change and what they will measure) are placed in the appropriate boxes on the sheet. One of the


biggest challenges will be deciding how to draw the graph and get the proper scale, but by working

together they will find a solution.

When teachers use this activity with their students they need to allow time for them to study their graphs

and see if they can identify patterns in the results. Did the graph look like they had predicted it would?

How was it different? Students then describe the results of their investigation on the Finding Patterns

page. They will need to compare their prediction with their results. What conclusions can they draw?

After they state their conclusion, they identify another thing they want to investigate, and start the

process all over again. NOTE: This format can be used for most lab investigations. The first three pages of the Investigation Sheet can be laminated for re-use, with new prediction, data, graph, and conclusion pages given to students for each new investigation.

Activity 2–Seltzer Rocket Investigations

Part A. Use Transparency 3 and Handout 3 to introduce Teacher-Centered Approach to Scientific

Investigation. Participants complete the activity following the traditional method. Model teacher-

centered instruction as you present the task to the group.

Part B. Following the procedure used in Activity 1, use the videotape segment to introduce Student-

Centered Approach to Scientific Investigation (seltzer rockets). Have participants complete the activity

following the inquiry method (Transparency 4 and Handout 4). Model a student-centered approach as

you support participants in their investigation and discovery.

After teachers have completed the seltzer rocket activity, lead the group in a discussion using the

questions suggested here as appropriate:

Process Questions 1. What benchmarks are being addressed from the Colorado Model Content Standards for Science?

2. Why is the guided model lesson important to complete before the students carry out their own

experiment?

3. How is the model lesson different from a traditional lesson?

Content Questions

1. Would “projectile” be a more accurate term than “rocket”? Why or why not?

2. Is it appropriate to measure liquid volume in centimeters (cm)? Under what conditions is it

acceptable to compare heights (in cm) when talking about volume? Describe what “volume” is.


3. In general, what happens when the seltzer tablet is put in water that allows the “rockets” to be

propelled?

4. Compare the seltzer tablet’s reaction to the reaction that happens when baking soda is mixed with

vinegar. (You can mix about ¼ cup of baking soda with about � cup of vinegar in a 16-24 oz.,

narrow-mouth plastic bottle, such as a small soda or water bottle. Try putting the ingredients in one

at a time, and them quickly stretching a balloon over the mouth of the bottle. What happens? Is

there a similarity between this reaction and the seltzer tablet reaction?

5. Look at the ingredients on the seltzer tablet package, The ingredients are actually baking soda and

vinegar. Vinegar is a dilute acetic acid, though the labels sometimes do not say so. Baking soda is

sodium bicarbonate, and seltzer tablets are sodium bicarbonate with citric acid. (The aspirin that

frequently is included in seltzer tablets is not involved in this reaction.) Are there chemicals in

common in the seltzer tablet + water reaction and the baking soda + vinegar reaction? What do you

think is the chemistry that is going on in the “rocket” experiments? (Both reactions are an acid

mixing with a bicarbonate. In the seltzer tablet, the acid is citric acid, and in vinegar it is acetic acid.

The seltzer tablet contains both the acid and the bicarbonate held together in solid form. When it is

placed in water ,the components dissolve and can react. The baking soda dissolves in the vinegar

and can react with it. In both cases, an acid is reacting with sodium bicarbonate to produce carbon

dioxide gas and some water. It is this gas that builds up the pressure to launch the film canisters, and

it is this gas that fills up the balloon in the other experiment.)

6. Now that you have considered the chemistry behind the experiment, should there be any difference

in the height of the “rockets” if different liquids are used: milk, orange juice, hot water, cold water?

Activity 3–Discussion and Assignment It is important that all participants experience both lessons both ways and that they have two opportunities

to experience the difference. Take time to discuss the differences in experience between the two ways of

doing the same activities. Discussion questions you might pose as the facilitator could include:

• How were the two ways of doing the same activity similar, how different?

• What additional skills do you need in order to do the student-centered activity?

• What did you notice the facilitator doing differently with each way to conduct the activity?

• When is teacher-centered instruction appropriate?

• What are the advantages for students of participating in a student-centered inquiry?

• Where would you put the two approaches to each investigation on the inquiry continuum? Why?

When participants have deepened their understanding of the differences, share the handout about

changing emphases in standards-based student learning. This handout can be used to further the

discussion.


In order to be prepared for the CSAP testing in science, students need experience in designing and

evaluating scientific investigations. As described in the Teachers’ Guide to the Colorado Student

Assessment Program for Eighth Grade Science: An Assessment of Fifth Through Eighth Grade

Benchmarks (Colorado Department of Education, 1999), students not only will be working in teams to

design scientific investigation but also will be reviewing model investigations to evaluate the

appropriateness of the design. To prepare students to complete this type of assessment, teachers should

be encouraged to provide opportunities for their class to design and critique a variety of scientific

investigations.

Assignment. In preparation for the next session, assign participants to take a teacher-centered, traditional

investigation activity that requires the collection of data and modify it to be a student-centered, inquiry

activity. They may select an activity that they have already used with their students or one that they

would like to use. The tennis ball investigation or the seltzer rocket activity may serve as a model. It

does not need to be open inquiry. Encourage the teacher to try the student-centered activity with students

prior to meeting again. However, some participants may want feedback about the modification prior to

trying it with students. Be sensitive to the needs of the participants, but require that they modify a lesson

to share with everyone the next time.

The modified lesson should provide students with the opportunity to work in teams to design their own

experiment based on a model lesson and to design an appropriate procedure. Prior to conducting the

investigations, students should review and evaluate the procedures developed by other teams. Students

should look for experimental flaws: Does the experiment test more than one variable at a time? Is the

sample size large enough to support a conclusion? Is it a fair test? How is the team going to collect and

record data? (The CDE document cited above provides sample investigations accompanied by rubrics for

evaluating student work.)

Activity 4–Follow-up session Have teachers make copies of their modified lessons for all participants. Each teacher will have 10

minutes to share the modified activity, ask for suggestions, share the outcome, and, if it was done with

students, identify revisions that would be made before doing it again. It is important to support all

teachers for the work they have done. Celebrate even what may not have worked so well, since that is

often the opportunity for the greatest learning. As the facilitator, you may want to set the stage for

everyone else by sharing your modified lesson first. Be sure that each person shares for 8-10 minutes.

Do not let other participants introduce comments about their own work during another person’s time.

Make sure you have enough time for a thorough closure with everyone participating.

1. Go over the procedure for sharing the modified activity: Each person will share for up to 10

minutes. The person can share the modifications, ask for specific feedback and suggestions, and

share the responses of students if the activity has been conducted.


2. Start by sharing your own modification to model how you want the sharing and feedback to be

conducted.

3. Ask for volunteers each time. Do not call on participants. If someone has not done a modification,

ask that person to share what he/she is thinking about doing and if suggestions would be helpful.

4. Closure is crucial since this is the final session. Closure of this session should include EVERY

PARTICIPANT sharing what he/she is doing differently as a result of these sessions. Once again

ask participants to identify one question they are still thinking about regarding inquiry-based

learning. Determine if the group wants to continue getting together and, if so, facilitate planning for

future meetings.


Transparency and Handout

Masters for Section 3

1. Activity 1 - Part A: Traditional (Teacher-Centered) Approach to Scientific Investigation (Follow the Bouncing Ball)

2. Activity 1 - Part B: Student-Centered Approach to Scientific Investigation (Tennis Ball Activity) (7 pages)

3. Activity 2 - Part A: Traditional (Teacher-Centered) Approach to Scientific

Investigation (Seltzer Rockets) (2 pages)

4. Activity 2 - Part B: Student-Centered Approach to Scientific Investigation (Seltzer

Rockets Activity) (2 pages)

5. Changing Emphases to Standards-Based Student Learning


Transparency 1

Activity 1 - Part A: Traditional (Teacher-Centered) Approach to Scientific Investigation

(Science Standard 1) Project Title: Follow the Bouncing Ball Problem or Objective: How high will a tennis ball bounce when dropped from different heights? Prediction or Hypothesis I think that it will bounce _____________ because ______________ __________________________________________________________

Equipment: tennis ball, meter stick

Procedure: Complete the following steps 1. Drop the ball from 30 cm and measure how high the ball bounces.

2. Drop the ball from 60 cm and measure how high the ball bounces.



5. Data: Use a table like the one below to record your results.

Height from which ball is dropped

Height the ball bounces

30 cm 60 cm 90 cm

120 cm Conclusion: What did you find out? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Handout 1

Activity 1 - Part A Traditional (Teacher-Centered) Approach to Scientific Investigation

(Science Standard 1)

Project Title: Follow the Bouncing Ball Problem or Objective: How high will a tennis ball bounce when dropped from different heights? Prediction or Hypothesis I think that it will bounce _____________ because _____________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Equipment: tennis ball, meter stick Procedure: Complete the following steps 1. Drop the ball from 30 cm and measure how high the ball bounces. 2. Drop the ball from 60 cm and measure how high the ball bounces. 3. Drop the ball from 90 cm and measure how high the ball bounces. 4. Drop the ball from 120 cm and measure how high the ball bounces. 5. Data: Use a table like the one below to record your results.

Height from which ball is dropped

Height the ball bounces

30 cm 60 cm 90 cm

120 cm Conclusion: What did you find out? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Transparency 2 and Handout 2 (7 pages)

Activity 1 – Part B

Student-Centered Scientific Investigation*

What is the question that you are trying to answer?

What do you already know about this?

* Created by Sally Tague, Denver Public Schools.


Transparency 3 and Handout 3 Student-Centered Scientific Investigation*

BRAINSTORM

Things I could change or vary: (Place sticky notes in squares below.)

Things I could measure or observe:

*Adapted by Sally Tague and Nancy Kellogg from the original work of Anne Goldsworthy (1997), Getting to Grips with Graphs. United Kingdom: Association for Science Education.


Choosing Variables

I will change:

I will measure:

I will not change (so that it is fair):

I will not measure:

Section-3–13

Science Inquiry Toolkit

Asking a Question and Making a Prediction

When I change:

what I will change

what will happen to:

what I will measure

Write out the question you will investigate:

When I change ,

what will happen to ?

From this question, write your prediction about what the

results will be:

Based upon this question, I predict

_______________________________

_____________________________________________________

__________________________________________

Note:This can be stated as a hypothesis instead of a prediction if you have prior experiences or observations.


My Plan or Design The following items need to be included in your plan.

Materials I will need: What I will change or vary (independent variable):

what I will change

What I will do (steps for my investigation:)

Number of trials: What I will measure or observe (dependent variable):

what I will measure

How I will collect data: How I will record data (for example, graph, chart, picture):

Note: Others should be able to follow your plan without asking you any questions.

Section-3–15

Science Inquiry Toolkit

Data Collection

When I changed what measurements resulted?

what I changed

what I measured

Sample chart for recording findings (data): (Note: Students need to be able to develop their own format for recording data. This chart is intended simply as an example for initial investigations to get students started. Eventually, they should become capable of designing their own data collection tool.)

what I measured Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

what I changed (specify units of measurement)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _


Graphing Results

Title of the graph:

what I measured (specify units)

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |______________________________________________________________ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

what I changed (specify units)

Note: Both axes need to be labeled and appropriate units of measurement marked.


Finding Patterns in Results

When I changed

what I changed

_____________________________________________

what happened to

what I measured

Conclusion: Include the question you investigated and your major findings or data (patterns, relationships, examples) that support or do not support your prediction. ________________________________________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

The next thing that I want to know is

________________________________________________ another thing I will change

what I will measure


Activity 2 – Part A *

Traditional (Teacher-Centered) Approach to Scientific Investigation (Science Standard 1)

Project Title: Seltzer Rockets

Problem or Objective: What amount of water will produce the greatest lift in a Seltzer Rocket? Prediction or Hypotheses: I think _______ cm of water will produce the greatest lift in a Seltzer Rocket! Materials / Equipment: White 35 mm film canister with lid Small Metric Ruler Room temperature water Seltzer Tablets Procedure: Do the following steps: 1. Put on safety goggles. Make sure that the area you are working in has a high ceiling – or do this

experiment outside! Be sure that you are working on a surface that is waterproof – or cover the surface with plastic. This is a messy experiment!

2. Add water to the canister so that the water level is 1 cm from the bottom of the canister. 3. Add 1/2 of a seltzer tablet and quickly (and securely) place the lid on top of the film canister. Stand

back immediately and observe what happens. Record your observations. 4. Clean out the canister and repeat steps 2 – 3 two more times with the same amount of water. 5. Repeat steps 2 – 4 with varying amounts of water (2 cm, 3cm, 4 cm, and 5 cm). Data: Use a data table like the one below to record your results.

Amount of Lift Amount of Water Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average

1 cm 2 cm 3 cm 4 cm 5 cm

Summary of Data: Write a statement that summarizes what your data show. “As the amount of water increases, the lift ____________________________________________________________________________________________.” Conclusion: Was your hypothesis correct? What data support or refute your hypothesis? According to your data, what amount of water produces the greatest lift in the Seltzer Rocket? Why do you think this amount of water produces the greatest lift? Extensions: What are some other variables that you could experiment with? Try the experiment over, changing a different variable. (For instance, change the type of liquid used or the temperature of the water. You could also try changing the amount of seltzer tablets!) Be sure to keep all other variables constant!

* Developed by Sandy Smith, Harrison School District, Colorado Springs


Transparency 4 and Handout 4

Activity 2 – Part B * Student-Centered Approach to Scientific Investigation (Science Standard 1)

Project Title: Seltzer Rockets

Assessing Prior Knowledge: Ask: What happens when a seltzer tablet is added to water? Share what you

think with your classmates. Try this: Put on proper eye protection. Add ½ of a seltzer tablet to a small, clear

cup filled ¼ full of water. What happens? Ask: What would happen if you added the half seltzer tablet to water in a small

container and put the lid on? Share what you think with your classmates. Try this: Put on proper eye protection. Add ½ of a seltzer tablet to a white film

canister that is half full of water. Place the cap on quickly and stand back. Observe what happens and discuss.

Problem or Objective: In this activity you and your classmates will explore the different variables that cause a seltzer “rocket” to lift. Your task is to pick one variable that you believe will impact the amount of lift in a seltzer rocket. You and your partner will then design and safely conduct an experiment to determine how to get the greatest lift with the seltzer rocket by varying your selected variable. Notes: Your teacher may require you to follow a standardized procedure for designing, conducting, and communicating about a scientific investigation. Your teacher may also have an activity with post-it notes that leads you through the process of scientific investigation. If not, you may find the following sequence helpful: 1. What question are you trying to answer? 2. What do you already know about this? 3. What are some things about the seltzer rocket that you could change or vary?

(Brainstorm with classmates to generate a lot of ideas!) 4. What are some things about the seltzer rocket that you could measure or observe?

(Brainstorm with classmates to generate a lot of ideas!) 5. Select the ONE thing you and your partner will change and the ONE thing you and

your partner will measure. These are your independent and dependent variables, respectively.

6. Identify your constants (the things you decided not to change).

* Developed by Sandy Smith, Harrison School District, Colorado Springs


7. Make a prediction (hypothesis) about your experiment. Be sure to include what you

and your partner think will happen to the thing that you will measure when you change your variable.

8. Write a reasonable procedure for your experiment. Be sure to include any safety

considerations. Include a list of materials. 9. Make a data chart. What you will be changing should appear in the left column and

what you will be measuring should appear in the right column(s). Be sure to include enough columns for all of the trials you will do.

10. Gather your materials and conduct your experiment. Record your data and

observations. 11. Graph your results, if appropriate. 12. Summarize your data, making special notes of any patterns you find. 13. Write your conclusion, being sure to indicate whether or not your hypothesis was

supported. Try to explain why your results happened. 14. Make some suggestions for future explorations related to your experiment. 15. Communicate your findings as indicated by your teacher.



Transparency 5 and Handout 5

CHANGING EMPHASES To Standards-Based Student Learning *

TEACHER DIRECTED LEARNER DIRECTED

1. desks, chairs in row facing forward 1. chairs around tables or desks form a square

2. teacher’s voice loudest and most often

heard 2. hum of activity and ideas being

exchanged

3. teacher in front of class 3. teacher working with group of students

4. students wait to be called on by teacher and correct answers directed to teacher

4. students address one another, emphasis on exploration

5. all students do same thing 5. different activities take place

simultaneously

6. teacher THE source of information and direction

6. teacher the learning manager, A resource

7. teacher tests and judgments used to “track” students

7. variety of assessments used, less disparity in scores, no tracking

8. curriculum is covered by the teacher 8. less curriculum but more in depth

understanding by the students

* Compiled from: “What Does a Standards-based Classroom Look Like?” Loveland High School 1998 “ Learner Centered or Not” Educational Leadership 1996.

Documents

Section 3: Student-Centered and Teacher-Centered Classroomsmrtscience.weebly.com/uploads/8/4/4/6/8446436/sticky_note_lab_for… · In the same manner, Activity 2: Seltzer Rockets