Curriculum Design and Development A BSCS Perspective

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Curriculum Design and Development A BSCS
Perspective

• Rodger W. Bybee
• K. David Pinkerton
• BSCS
• A Presentation for the
• 2005 NSF K-12 Math, Science and Technology
• Curriculum Developers Conference
• Alexandria, Virginia
• 1 March 2005

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1958 2008 50 Years
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The Evolution of Curriculum Development at BSCS

• Writing Conferences 1958 1963
• BSCS staff revise core programs and use 1964
  1985
• writing conferences
• Design studies prior to development 1986 - 1999
• (5E Instructional Model introduced)
• BSCS process incorporates understanding 2000 -
  Present
• by design (UbD)

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BSCS Design Studies and Core Programs

• New Designs for Elementary School Science and
  health
• (BSCS, IBM, 1989)
• Science for Life and Living Integrating
  Science, Technology, and Health (1992)
• BSCS Science T.R.A.C.S. (1999)
• New Designs for Middle School Science (BSCS, IBM,
  1990)
• Middle School Science Technology (1994, 1999)
• Developing Biological Literacy (1993)
• BSCS Biology A Human Approach (1997)
• Biological Perspectives (1999)
• Making Sense of Integrated Science A Guide for
  High Schools
• (BSCS 2000)
• BSCS Science An Inquiry Approach (9-11)
  (available)
• BSCS Science An Inquiry Approach (6-8)
  (proposed)
• A Design Study for a Capstone Science Program
  (available Fall 2005)

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• An alternative to simply progressing through a
  series of exercises that derive from a scope and
  sequence chart is to expose students to the major
  features of a subject domain as they arise
  naturally in problem situations. Activities can
  be structured so that students are able to
  explore, explain, extend, and evaluate their
  progress. Ideas are best introduced when students
  see a need or a reason for their use--this helps
  them see relevant uses of knowledge to make sense
  of what they are learning.
• Bransford, Brown, and Cocking 1999, p. 127

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The BSCS 5E Instructional Model

• Engage refers to strategies or activities
  designed to elicit thoughts or actions by the
  students. The assumption at this state is that
  the students current understanding is, what we
  refer to as a misconception or naive explanation.
• Exploration refers to experiences where students
  current understandings are challenged due to
  activities, discussions with peers, and the need
  to use currently held concepts to explain
  experiences. The challenges I refer to are
  intellectual and arise from the experiences.
• Explain refers to the presentations of scientific
  concepts that change students explanations so
  they align with scientific explanations.
• Elaboration refers to activities that require the
  application and use of the scientific concepts
  and vocabulary in new situations.
• Evaluation refers to a culminating activity that
  provides the student and teacher an opportunity
  to assess scientific understanding and
  intellectual abilities.

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Design and Development Processand the BSCS 5E
Model
IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS National Science
Education Standards
DETERMINE ACCEPTABLEEVIDENCE OF LEARNING DESIGN
EVALUATE ACTIVITIES
DEVELOP LEARNING EXPERIENCESAND
ACTIVITIES ENGAGE, EXPLORE, EXPLAIN, ELABORATE
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What I did early in my career
Whats a cool thing to do?
How do I get them to do the cool thing?
What in that cool thing can I test?
What I do now, at BSCS
Whats important to learn and understand?
What counts as valid evidence that students
understand?
What instructional sequence best engenders that
understanding?
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From National Science Education Standards

• Fundamental Concepts
• Systems, order, and organization
• (periodicity)
• Content Standards
• Structure and Properties of Matter
• (organization of the periodic table of the
  elements)
• Understanding Scientific Inquiry
• (design principles)

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Valid Evidence of Learning andUnderstanding
Periodicity

• Structured review
• list chapter activities by name
• generate organizing principle (vertical and
  horizontal)
• design and construct periodic table of the
  activities
• Multiple-choice test (conceptually based)
• Learn from Mistakes (LFM) protocol
• new representation of problem
• identification of mistake (concept-based)
• annotated correct solution

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PS9-Chapter 4Scoring Rubric for Testing Pattern
HIGHER LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE
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Chapter Organizer 5E Instructional Flow
Engage Creating Color
Evaluate Testing Pattern
CHAPTER 4 ORGANIZING ELEMENTS THE PERIODIC
TABLE ATOMIC STRUCTURE Scientists infer atomic
structure from indirect evidence Atoms are mostly
empty space Electrons exists only in discrete
energy states PERIODIC TABLE TRENDS Atomic
structure explains all trends on the periodic
table Noble gases are stable because of the
configuration of their electrons Stable compounds
and noble gases have similar electron
configurations MODELS Models can be physical,
conceptual, or mathematical Logic, evidence, and
critical analysis help select effective models
Explore Emitting to the Truth
Elaborate All in the Cards
Explain Super Model
Explain Noble-ity