LTI rubric

Rubric for initial LTI

	10-9	8-7	6-5	5-0
1. Scientifically oriented question	Students independently create scientifically researchable question based on learning goal with a predication based on the question.	Students created researchable question that is loosely based on learning goal with a predication based on the question.	Students received guidance creating researchable question with a predication loosely based on question.	Students create question is not researchable with poorly constructed predication.
2. Evidence	Students independently collect and record evidence in an organized and scientifically appropriate manner.	Students receive guidance in collecting evidence and organize the evidence in scientifically appropriate manner.	Students collect incomplete evidence in a loosely scientifically appropriate manner	Evidence is not organized in scientifically appropriate manner.
3. Explanation	Students independently construct a claim based on the evidence collected, possible sources of error and address the prediction.	Students construct a claim based on the evidence and address the predication.	Students create claim loosely based on the evidence.	Students create claim that is not based on the evidence collected.
4. Evaluation	Students thoroughly conduct research to evaluate the results of the experiment and address whether evidence is supported or refuted	Students conduct some research to evaluate the results and whether evidence is supported or refuted	Students conduct little research and do not include whether evidence is supported or refuted.	Students’ research is incomplete.
5. Communication	Students created detailed power-point presentation and are able to thoroughly justify their explanation.	Students create ppt presentation which justifies their explanation.	Ppt presentation is not detailed and loosely justifies explanation.	Ppt presentation is incomplete and does not justify explanation.

Learning Performances and how they are addressed in rubric:
A. Formulate researchable questions using same general procedures. (1)
B. Make predictions based on questions. (1)
C. Conduct independent research and write procedures. (2)
D. Create plan to collect, record and organize data. (2)
E. Get feedback on questions and plan from classmates and instructor.
F. Create experiment. (3)
G. Construct an evidence-based claim. (3)
H. Conduct research to evaluate results of experiment. (4)
I. Create power-point present ion based explanation which justifies findings. (5)


The assessment rubric specifically addresses each of the learning performances except E which instructs the students to get feedback from other students. The information obtained from the other students would be mainly anecdotal, therefore I did not include it in the rubric.

Because our LTI is similar to the original assignment, I think the rubric I designed for the original assignment would fit our new LTI. Our rubric scores will:

• reflect our understanding of creating a scientifically oriented question;
• assess whether we can collect data in a meaningful manner;
• measure our ability to evaluate the evidence;
• assess our research;
• and evaluate our ability to justify our explanations.

pendulums

If someone else jumps on the trapeze, it take less than 5.2 seconds. The more weight causes a larger force to be placed on the pendulum therefore speeding up the motion.

What is your personal experience?
I have swung on a swing. I have seen a large pendulum at the science center.

What applications to real life do swinging objects have?
A wrecking ball.
A swing.
A grandfather clock.

What is your prediction about what will happen if two people are on one trapeze and only one is on the other and they are both let go at the same time?  Explain

-- the person on the bottom will fly further away and the person holding the trapeze will drop down.

What understandings do you have regarding swinging objects?
Very little.

1.What questions do you have?

a. How does the length of the string effect the speed of pendulum?

b. How does the angle of the pendulum effect the speed of pendulum?

c. How does placing the pendulum in water effect the pendulum?

d. What is the difference of the swing if you placed the pendulum below sea level and in the mountains?

e. What is the difference of the swing if you place the pendulum at the poles or at the equator?

f. Does temperature effect the swing of the pendulum?

2.Analyze your questions – Look at your list of question

  a. Which of these questions can be investigate using the activity materials you’ve been using?

We can investigate a, b.

  b. Which questions require additional materials? What are they?

B and F would require a container of water, a heater and ice of some sort.

  c. Which questions are beyond the scope of this activity to find answers? How would you find those answers?

D and E are beyond the scope of the activity. To find the answers, you could research information on the internet or in textbooks.

  d. Identify three questions you personally are most interested in investigating.  Why are these questions interesting or important to you?

• A and B because my children have swings in the back yard and I am interested in how the length or high they swing would effect the frequency of swing.
• E, I've seen the large pendulum at the science center that knocks down the pegs due to the rotation of the earth. Would being at the poles or the equator effect how the pins are knocked down?

Open inquiry

1. I am interested in how the length of the pendulum changes the frequency of the swing.

2. It is relatable to real world applications.

3. How does does the lenght of the string change the frequency?

2. Materials -- dowel, pin, string, weight, ruler.

Procedure-- Use same procedure as Tuesday but change lenght of string.

Measure string -- first swing, 30 cm, 20 cm and 13 cm

Swing each time from a 22.3 degree angle, Measure each swing for 10 seconds.

30 cm 

1. 9

2. 8.5

3.8

20 cm

1. 10

2. 10

3. 10

13 cm

1. 13

2. 13

3. 13

Shorter pendulum swings have a higher frequency.

Length of the pendulum-Changing the length of a pendulum while keeping other factors constant changes the length of the period of the pendulum. Longer pendulums swing with a lower frequency than shorter pendulums, and thus have a longer period.

Quiz

His swinging experience will be uneven. The side with the shorter string will swing at a faster rate than the side with the longer string length, therefore, creating an uneven swinging experience. 

Batteries, bulbs and wires

1.       Formative assessment – I thought you could use one wire strip to light the bulb.

2.       Ms. Stone’s lab – a very prescribed set of directions with everyone being told what to do and what they should have learned.

Simple circuit

Ms. Travis’ lab—presents several ways to indicate students understand how electrical circuits work.

 

Simple circuit

Series circuit

 

3.       Ms. Stone’s lab

Strengths

Weakness

·         Students all can see how an electric circuit works. ·         Students can see the difference between a simple circuit, series circuit and a parallel circuit.

·         Teacher gives students definitions to vocabulary words with little context or connection. ·         Learner engages in questions provided only by teacher. ·         Learner is given all other explanations. ·         Learner is given steps and procedures for communication. ·         The lesson has very little transference of knowledge to other applications. ·         There is no evaluation of data with outside resources.

 

Ms. Travis’ lab

Strengths	Weakness
·         Learner selects among questions, poses new questions. ·         Learner formulates explanations after summarizing evidence. ·         The lesson allows students to transfer knowledge to other applications. ·         Learners formulate own explanations and how to communicate them. ·         Lesson should have deeper meaning because students were allowed to conduct own investigations.	·         Learner directed to collect certain data. ·         There is no evaluation of data with outside resources.

 

 

4.

Standards/Benchmarks	Learning Goals: What should student know	Formative Assessment: What do students already know?	Learning Performances: What do you want students to do to show they’ve learned?
Standard B-Physical Science Students should develop an understanding of light, heat, electricity and magnetism. Electricity circuits require a complete loop through which an electrical current can pass.	How do you complete an electrical circuit?	After being asked how many wires it would take to light a light bulb to complete an electrical circuit. The student understood that a light bulb can be lit with only one wire.	Students will complete an electrical circuit and light bulbs will light.(Stone) Students draw the circuits they have constructed. Students label the two types of circuits. Students write about findings in notebooks regarding findings on series and parallel circuits. Students develop own questions they want to investigate. Students explore internet to compare fluorescent and incandescent bulbs and groups report information. Students complete worksheet with electricity investigations. (Travis)

 

5.       Because I had to complete the lab at home I had to improvise my equipment. As I have done some minor electrical work in my home I had the supplies. However, the lab was a challenge to complete because I had to improvise the holders.

                My daughter used kits during 5^th grade when they studied electrical circuits. She said she liked helping me better, when she got a chance to figure out how to the circuits herself.

 I was able to help a second-grade class with a lab. It was pretty teacher driven but they were allowed to choose their own questions and answer some of the questions themselves. With younger children they all seemed to want to ask the same question – How far can I make the balloon go? After I started asking other questions they began to see they could hypothesis and then see through experimentation if they were correct. However, they usually came back to – How far can I make the balloon go?

I can see that with 5^th graders, it would be much easier to allow them to pose the questions and independently examine other resources to form explanations. I think all lessons should be structured so the learners understand why the lesson is relevant and can transfer from one situation to another. Ms. Travis’ lesson was clearly a more transferrable lesson, and probably more enjoyable for her students. I would assume that her students came away with a much better understanding about electrical circuits and why it is important for students to understand them.

 

6.       Any ideal science lesson assumes that the learners have a certain amount of self-motivation, intrigue and can thoughtfully create scientifically oriented questions. In order for this to be the most ideal lesson, the students would have to be familiar with creating their own learning environment by posing appropriate questions, deciding suitable evidence, knowing how to research other explanations and creating appropriate ways to communicate their findings. With that stated, after performing a formative assessment probe (and assuming most students do not fully understand how electrical circuits work) students should be presented with all the materials they need to create several different kinds of circuits and then be told the lesson for the next several days  is “How do you complete a circuit?” Because this lesson is mostly student driven, I have outlined the plan in the following chart.

7.

5-E Criteria	Part(s) of lesson that addresses this inquiry criterion	More teacher-directed or student-directed? Explain.
Engage	Students are divided into groups of 4 and are given the materials and told to formulate questions about electrical circuits.	More student-directed. Students will investigate what they want to know about electrical circuits and electricity.
Evidence	Students can use several different wires, multiple bulbs, switches, multiple and different size batteries to create different circuits.	More student-directed. Because students formulated their own questions they will determine what constitutes appropriate evidence.
Explain	After students have collected their data they will write in their notebooks about their hypothesis, the evidence they collected, and what happened during their experiments.	More student-directed. The learners are formulating their own explanations with the evidence they created.
Evaluate	A local electrician can be brought into the classroom so students can discuss their findings and compare their evidence to how an electrician wires a light, a room and a house.	More student-directed. Although the student is directed toward the source, they still can form links to their explanations.
Communicate	Groups will present their findings to the instructor and the other groups in the class using whatever means they feel is appropriate.	More student-directed. The learners decide how and what they are going to communicate and explain.