Science

Toward the goal of achieving master Scientists...

FUNDAMENTALS: Instruction in GCPS classrooms is grounded in the essential practices of...

clear learning expectations: The learning outcomes are clearly described and communicated to students through essential questions, performance-based objectives, and clear daily learning targets. These instructional tools are used by teachers and students to monitor progress toward mastery of standards.
data-driven & continuously assessed: The wide variety of methods or tools that educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning progress, skill acquisition, or educational needs of students, using data gained from these methods to make effective instructional decisions.
differentiation: Tailoring instruction to meet individual needs by adapting content (what is learned), process (how it is taught/learned), products (how students show what they have learned) and/or the learning environment.
digital learning competencies: Within the four focus areas - Leadership in Digital Learning, Digital Citizenship, Digital Content & Instruction, and Data & Assessment - the competencies provide a framework of needed skills to provide quality, integrated digital teaching and learning.
engaging: The degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism and passions that students show when they are learning or being taught.
rigorous/5 Tenets of Rigor: A quality of instruction that creates opportunity for creative thinking and innovation, collaboration and engagement, critical thinking and problem solving, communication and reflections, and complexity, connections, and relevancy.

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standards-based: All instruction is aligned to the grade-level standards as specified in the NC Standard Course of Study.
personalized: Personalized learning is tailoring learning for each student’s strengths, needs, and interests— including enabling student voice and choice in what, how, when, and where they learn—to provide flexibility and supports to ensure mastery at the highest standards possible.

ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS: It includes the acquisition of knowledge and skills such as….

analyzing data: Examining data in detail, often then comparing it to the original hypothesis.
bias: Influence to the outcome of an experiment affecting the conclusion of the experiment.
creating models: Building physical or digital representation of an object for better understanding.
gathering data: Collecting and organizing measurements and/or observations from a conducted experiment.
ideas: Scientific ideas come from observation, prior knowledge, intuition, and predictions to formulate testable hypotheses.
knowledge: Refers to the realization that scientific knowledge is based on facts and background knowledge that students must master in order to understand more complex scientific concepts and to be able to solve problems based on evidence.
making & testing predictions: Using the scientific method and prior scientific knowledge to determine what will occur.
making connections: Information allowing students to relate materials and understand the interconnections of the information .
making hypotheses: Asking questions about a specific topic/result and making predictions.
measuring: Attending to accuracy/precision while collecting measurements; accuracy referring to the closeness of a value compare to a standard or known value and precision referring to the closeness of two or more measurements to each other.
observing: Using your senses to gather quantitative data
procedures: Refers to the necessity to follow ordered steps in order to complete experiments or other tasks.
providing evidence: Using data from an experiment to support the hypothesis
questioning: Learning to ask good questions as a critical thinking technique for investigating, making hypotheses, and predicting outcomes
scientific concepts: Using facts, knowledge, and ideas students will master “big picture” concepts presented in the NC essential standards.
skills: Refers to those attributes that students need to develop in order to think scientifically such as being observant, asking questions, interpreting data in various forms, formulating hypotheses, and solving problems.
using tools: Using appropriate tools effectively to gather data or produce a desired result.
vocabulary: Scientific understanding requires understanding not only of scientific vocabulary definitions but also their applications in scientific concepts to understand how and why things happen.

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES & CONTEXTS: Which occurs in whole group instruction, small group instruction and/or working with individual students using strategies like...

collaboration: Working with a partner or small group to complete an activity or lab

dialogue/discourse: Behaviors that engage students in meaningful conversations about scientific phenomenon, ideas, and concepts
experimentation/investigations: Using the scientific method to methodically solve a problem.
gradual release of responsibility: An approach to instruction that moves from teacher modeling to shared responsibility between teacher and students to independent student practice. A structure of “I do”, “We do”, “Few do” and “You do” is commonly used.
hands-on/minds-on: Science is a multifaceted subject where students often learn how and why things occur through experimentation (hands-on) and observation (minds-on) approaches.
literacy: Using scientific literature to gain understanding about real-world scientific work.
modeling: Creating a physical, mathematical, and/or visual model to help explain a concept or test a concept.
problem-based learning: Being presented a problem and using real-life skills, including, but not limited to collaboration, teamwork, and critical thinking, to address a problem and solve it.
questioning: Strategically using questioning techniques to ensure all learners have the opportunity to participate in meaningful thinking and discussion. The teacher asks varying types of questions to facilitate conversations that support higher-order thinking. Questions are strategically planned prior to the lesson and developed throughout the teaching process.
scientific inquiry: A thoughtful and coordinated attempt to search out, describe, explain and predict natural phenomena. It progresses through a continuous process of questioning, data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Scientific inquiry requires the sharing of findings and ideas for critical review by colleagues and other scientists.
technological design: Refers to both the understanding of existing technological designs, but also the skills needed to create new designs to solve problems based on emerging and re-emerging technologies.
writing: Being able to present ideas in a scientific format on findings, conclusions, and experimental data

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