USING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT IN THE SCIENCE CLASSROOM

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USING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT IN THE SCIENCE
CLASSROOM

• Presented by Julie West
• Teaching and Learning Coach/Science Lead Teacher
  Wayne Co. Public Schools
• juliewest_at_wcps.org
• 919-330-8417

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Information obtained from

• Science Formative Assessment (75 Practical
  Strategies for Linking Assessment, Instruction,
  and Learning) by Page Keeley, SAGE Publications

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Defining Formative Assessment

• refers to any number of ways that we can
  uncover student ideas/knowledge about concepts
  important to the unit being taught in order to
  adjust our instruction to the needs of the
  students collecting evidence of understanding in
  order to focus teaching and learning.

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Lets Assess Your Prior Knowledge

• Assessment for learning
• involves teachers providing descriptive feedback
  rather than evaluative feedback to students
• involves teachers assessing frequently and using
  the results to plan the next steps in instruction
• involves reporting to others about students
  achievement status at certain points in time
• both a and b

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Lets Assess Your Prior Knowledge

• Which of the following is NOT considered a key
  strategy for improving student learning/achievemen
  t?
• sharing learning targets/intentions with students
• providing evaluative/quantitative feedback
• engaging students in self assessment
• facilitating focused discussions, questions and
  learning activities
• utilizing peer assessment strategies

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Lets Assess Your Prior Knowledge

• Descriptive and specific feedback should be
  provided to students
• by the teacher
• by other students
• by both the teacher and other students

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Lets Assess Your Prior Knowledge

• According to research, which of the following
  contributes most to student improvement?
• providing assessment scores to students
• providing comments/feedback to students about
  their work
• providing both scores and comments/feedback to
  students about their work

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What are FACTs?

• FACTs stands for Formative Assessment Classroom
  Techniques

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FACTs Have Implications for Both Teaching and
Learning

• Selecting specific FACTs can improve teaching by
  providing a template for a new pedagogical
  practice
• Not every FACT is appropriate for every
  class/teacher
• Research into science teaching and learning
  reveals that far too little time is devoted to
  sense-making FACTs can provide a structure
  for doing that
• Dont grade FACTs use them to provide feedback
  and open lines of communication for further
  thinking

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Before selecting a FACT, ask yourself these
questions

• What is this learning goal about? What is it not
  about?
• What specific ideas provide meaning for the
  concept?
• What specific skills are part of the scientific
  process?
• What content is developmentally appropriate at
  the level I teach?
• What level of sophistication is appropriate to
  expect from students at the level I teach?
• What terminology should students understand and
  use with this idea or skill?

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Before selecting a FACT, ask yourself these
questions

• What types of phenomena can be used to help
  students understand the idea?
• What types of representations make the content
  comprehensible to learners?
• What precursor ideas or skills do students need
  first in order to develop understanding?
• What other ideas or skills contribute to
  students understanding and ability to use
  scientific knowledge and skills?
• What commonly held ideas or difficulties should I
  anticipate related to the content?

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• The learning environment which a teacher
  creates has a profound impact on the success of
  the assessment strategies used (Naylor, Keogh,
  Goldsworthy, 2004, p. 15).

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Agreement Circles - provide a kinesthetic way to
activate thinking and engage students in
scientific argumentation

• Procedure
• Students stand in a circle as the teacher
  reads a statement.
• The students who agree with the statement
  step to the center of the circle.
• They face their peers still standing in the
  outer circle and then match themselves up in
  small groups of students who agree and disagree.
• The small groups engage in discussion to
  defend their thinking.

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Procedure (cont.)

• After discussion, the students are given an
  opportunity to reposition themselves with those
  who now agree standing in the center of the
  circle, those who now disagree standing on the
  circumference of the circle.
• The idea is to get everyone either inside
  the circle or on the circumference.
• This is repeated with several rounds of
  statements relating to the same topic, each time
  with students starting by standing along the
  circumference of a large circle

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Lets Look at an Example

• 1. Energy is a material that is stored in an
  object.
• 2. When energy changes from one form to another,
  heat is usually given off.
• 3. Energy can never be created or destroyed.
• 4. Something has to move in order to have energy.
  
• 5. Energy is a type of fuel.

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Lets Practice

• Form a circle around the perimeter of the room.
• Consider the statement, The reason most
  beginning teachers give for leaving the
  profession is lack of support by administration.
• If you agree with this statement, step to the
  center of the circle. If you do not agree,
  remain in the outer circle.
• Turn to a person(s) in the opposite circle and
  support your reasoning.
• Now, lets reconsider. If you have changed your
  opinion, move to the corresponding circle.

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Modifications

• Limit the number of statements for younger
  students. If all students end up in either the
  middle or outside of the circle, have them pair
  up to explain why they agree or disagree. Often
  there are differences in the justification of
  their ideas, even if both students agree or
  disagree with the statement.
• This FACT can also be used in mathematics, social
  studies, language arts, health, foreign
  languages, and performing arts.

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Annotated Student Drawings MTV Make your
Thinking Visible

• Procedure
• Choose an idea that is central to the
  curricular topic and that can be represented
  through childrens drawing.
• Provide a clear prompt for the drawing that
  will elicit the information you are seeking.
• Provide clear directions for students.
• Show students an example from a familiar
  topic the first time you use this strategy.

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Lets Look at an Example

• In the water cycle task, students were asked to
  draw a picture that would help someone understand
  what happens to water as it goes through the
  water cycle.
• Draw, label, and briefly describe each part of
  the water cycle. Include the changes in form and
  location of the water.

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Modifications

• This FACT can also be administered as a
  small-group assessment, using a large sheet of
  paper or whiteboards. Students work
  collaboratively, discussing their ideas as they
  reach consensus on the visual components and
  annotations that should be included in the
  drawing. Give each student a different color to
  ensure that everyones thoughts are included.
• This FACT can also be used in mathematics, social
  studies, and health.

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Cautions

• It is best to avoid assigning Annotated Student
  Drawings as an out-of-class assignment. Using the
  FACT in the classroom ensures that students will
  represent their own thinking without accessing
  information from other sources. This is important
  since the purpose of this strategy is to find out
  what is in students own minds.

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Fact First Questioning - a higher-order
questioning technique used to draw out student
knowledge beyond recall level

• Procedure
• State the fact first. Be sure to utilize
  proper wait time after stating the fact in order
  for students to activate their thinking about the
  concept.
• Follow up by asking students to elaborate or
  explain the why behind the fact.

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Modifications

• Consider modifying traditional textbook recall
  questions into Fact First Questions.
• Have older students come up with their own Fact
  First Questions and responses.
• Use Fact First Questions after students have had
  an opportunity to experience and learn the
  content.
• This FACT can also be used in mathematics, social
  studies, language arts, health, foreign
  languages, and performing arts.

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Lets Look at Some Examples

• A cell is called the basic unit of life. Why is
  the cell called the basic unit of life?
• Density is a characteristic property of matter.
  Why is density considered a characteristic
  property?
• The small intestine is an organ of the digestive
  system. Why is it considered part of the
  digestive system?
• The patterns of stars in the night sky stay the
  same. Why do the patterns of stars in the night
  sky stay the same?
• Sandstone is a sedimentary rock. Why is sandstone
  considered a sedimentary rock?
• Bacteria in the soil are decomposers. Why are
  bacteria in the soil considered to be
  decomposers?

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First Word - Last Word a variation on acrostics

• Procedure
• Choose a word or short phrase associated
  with the unit that you will be teaching.
• The First Word is given to the students
  before instruction begins (a pre-assessment).
• Encourage students to write complete
  sentences based on the letters in the word.
• Collect the First Words for analysis and
  final reflection.

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Procedure (cont.)

• After completing a series of lessons on the
  concept, pass back the First Word assessment and
  repeat the process on a new sheet of paper (the
  Last Word).
• Students should compare their ideas at the
  beginning of the unit to their current thinking.
  If their ideas have not changed, they should
  revise their prior statement to include more
  details and appropriate terminology. They can
  clarify misunderstandings by completely
  re-writing the statement to be scientifically
  correct.
• Be sure to model this FACT the first time
  that it is used.

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Modifications

• Use shorter words for the acrostic with younger
  students.
• This FACT can be used in pairs for students who
  lack strong language skills and need the support
  of a peer.
• It can also be used as a whole-class activity,
  charting the class ideas as the First Word and
  revisiting it to create a Last Word chart that
  reflects the class consensus after a sequence of
  instruction.
• This FACT can also be used in mathematics, social
  studies, language arts, health, foreign
  languages, and performing arts.

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Lets Look at an Example First Word
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Lets Look at an Example Last Word
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Lets Take a Time Out Think, Pair, Share

1. Think of one formative assessment strategy that
   has worked well in your classroom and how you
   have used it to guide instruction.
2. Pair with the person sitting next to you.
3. Share this strategy with you partner.

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Fist to Five indicates the level of students
understanding of a concept or procedure

• Procedure
• At any point during a lesson, ask students
  to hold up their fingers to indicate their level
  of understanding
• A closed fist indicates no understanding
  or I have no idea
• One finger indicates very little
  understanding
• Two fingers indicates I understand parts
  but need lots of help with others

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Procedure (cont.)

• Three fingers indicates I understand most of
  it, but am not sure that I can explain it to
  others
• Four fingers indicates I understand it
  pretty well and think that I can adequately
  explain it to others
• Five fingers indicates I understand it
  completely and can easily explain it to others

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Modifications

• This FACT can be modified as a three-finger
  strategy one finger I dont get it, two
  fingers I partially get it, and three fingers I
  get it.
• You can use thumbs up I get it, thumbs sideways
  Im not sure I understand, and thumbs down I
  dont get it.
• It can be used to group students for peer
  assistance by putting the students who hold up
  two to three fingers together with the students
  who hold up four to five fingers. The teacher can
  then take the closed-fist and one-finger
  responses aside for differentiated assistance.
• This FACT can also be used in mathematics, social
  studies, language arts, health, foreign
  languages, and performing arts.

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Human Scatter Plot an immediate way to gain a
visual of students thinking and level of
confidence with their responses

• Procedure
• Label one wall (Y-axis) with the answer
  choices (A, B, C, D) and an adjacent wall
  (X-axis) with a range of low confidence to high
  confidence.
• Ask a question and have students position
  themselves in the room according to where they
  feel they fall on the graph.
• Have the students representing each answer
  choice explain their thinking.
• Clarify any misconceptions.

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Modifications

• A paper version can be used instead of a human
  graph. Pass the graph, with axis labeled, around
  the class and have students put their initials on
  it according to where their answer falls and
  their level of confidence. With this method,
  teachers also have a written record.
• This FACT can also be used in mathematics, social
  studies, language arts, health, foreign
  languages, and performing arts.

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Lets Look at an Example
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Muddiest Point students take a few minutes to
jot down what the most confusing part of a lesson
was for them

• Procedure
• This strategy can be used at any point
  during a lesson.
• On a half sheet of paper, index card or
  sticky note, have students describe the muddiest
  point of a lesson.
• Let students know why you are asking for
  this information/how you plan to use this
  information. They will be more sincere and
  detailed in their responses.
• Use their responses to inform future
  instruction.

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Modifications

• This strategy can also be used with homework and
  in-class assignments.
• It can be combined with a question asking
  students what could be done to help clear up the
  muddy points for them.
• This FACT can also be used in mathematics, social
  studies, language arts, health, foreign
  languages, and performing arts.

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Lets Look at an Example

• A teacher might use this FACT to determine how
  well students can perform a scientific procedure
  
• You have been looking for microorganisms in a
  drop of pond water. What is the muddiest point
  for you thus far when it comes to using the
  microscope? I will use the information you give
  to me to think about ways to help you better use
  the microscopes in tomorrows lesson.

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Pass the Question provides an opportunity for
students to collaborate and examine other
students thinking

• Procedure
• Develop a question that will elicit a rich
  explanatory response based on students prior
  knowledge or experience. Questions can also be a
  new application of the concepts students have
  been learning about in their instructional unit.
• Arrange students in pairs.
• Write the question on a chart, on the
  board, or state orally.
• Give pairs two to three minutes to
  collaboratively begin drafting a response to the
  given question. Make sure students know they need
  to develop enough of a response so that another
  pair can follow their thinking, but not so much
  that it doesnt leave room for the other pair to
  complete it.

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Procedure (cont.)

• After two to three minutes have passed,
  pairs swap their partially completed answer with
  another pair.
• The pairs then continue to pick up from
  where the other pair left off. Encourage pupils
  to cross off parts they dont agree with and
  modify or exchange the crossed off part with
  their own ideas. They may continue adding their
  own ideas to enhance, extend, and complete the
  response.
• When both pairs are finished, they share
  the completed responses with each other,
  defending their reasons for any changes they made
  and providing feedback on each others thinking.
  They also examine whether their ideas converged
  or diverged.
• The teacher may ask pairs to share some
  examples, providing feedback from the teacher and
  the rest of the class on the response to the
  question.

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Modifications

• This FACT can also be used with individuals. An
  individual student starts the response and then
  exchanges with another student for completion and
  sharing.
• It can also be a written exchange between two
  different classes studying the same topic.
• This FACT can also be used in mathematics, social
  studies, language arts, health, foreign
  languages, and performing arts.

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PVF Paired Verbal Fluency partner discussion
or reflection

• PVF can be used prior to instruction, as a review
  of a lesson, or for reflection purposes at the
  end of a sequence of instruction. It also works
  well as a prelude to whole-class discussion.
• Some ways to use PVF include having students
  talk about a topic to be introduced by sharing
  what they already know about the topic having
  students discuss a recent laboratory experiment,
  including the significance of their findings or
  having students reflect at the end of a kit-based
  science unit by talking about their key
  learnings.

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PVF Paired Verbal Fluency

• Procedure
• Ask students to find a partner (or assign
  one).
• Have partners move together and determine
  who will be Partner A and who will be Partner B.
• Provide the class with a discussion prompt
  or topic to discuss.
• Announce that when you give the signal, the
  designated partner will talk for exactly 1 min.
  while the other partner listens carefully.

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Procedure (cont.)

• Announce switch, the partners trade roles
  and repeat.
• At the end of the activity, ask for a few
  volunteers to share what they learned from their
  partner or to comment on any learning issues they
  discussed that may need to be resolved.

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Lets Practice

• Pair up and determine who will be Partner A and
  who will be Partner B.
• Partner B, you have 30 secs. to share all you
  know regarding the following
• The implementation of Common Core and
  Essential Standards.
• On my signal, switch roles and repeat.
• Be prepared to share with the whole group.

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Modifications

• Students can be paired by using a variety of
  strategies.
• The time intervals can be changed to other
  configurations such as 1 minute40 seconds20
  seconds, 60 seconds30 seconds10 seconds (for a
  closing statement), or other configurations the
  teacher or students select.
• This FACT can also be used in mathematics, social
  studies, language arts, health, foreign
  languages, and performing arts.

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Caution

• This strategy may be difficult for
  English-language learners or students who have a
  hard time concentrating or hearing.
• There is a high level of noise in the classroom
  when many students are talking at the same time.

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RERUN Recall, Explain, Results, Uncertainties,
New learnings, write 1 or 2 sentences related to
the acronym related to a laboratory or inquiry
investigation

• This FACT provides a structured opportunity for
  students to reflect on what they did, how they
  did it, and what they learned from it.
• RERUN helps the teacher determine how well the
  learning goals that were targeted for the
  investigation matched what students gained from
  it.

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RERUN

• Procedure
• Post a RERUN chart in the classroom.
• Provide time after an investigation for
  students to complete the RERUN while the
  experience is still fresh in their minds.
• RERUN can be assigned individually or
  completed collaboratively by lab groups.
• Teachers may choose to have students share
  their reflections with others using PVF.

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RERUN Chart
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Modifications

• Teachers can choose to focus on just one part of
  the RERUN chart for reflection after each lab or
  investigation.
• New can be modified to ask for a new question
  that resulted from the investigation.
• RERUN should be used for formative purposes.
  Avoid using it in place of a formal lab report
  and assigning a grade to it.
• This FACT is specific to inquiry-based science.

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Three-Two-One students respond in writing to 3
reflective prompts
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Three-Two-One

• Procedure
• At the conclusion of a lesson, provide
  students with a copy of the reflection sheet,
  index card or sticky note and time to complete
  their reflection.
• Students can be paired up to share their
  Three-Two-One reflections with their peers or
  asked to report out to the whole class.

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Modifications

• Three-Two-One can also be used when students are
  learning new inquiry skills or processes. For
  example, the following can be used with
  elementary students who are learning how to
  design their own investigations three ways I can
  investigate like a scientist, two things that I
  would like to do better when I investigate, and
  one thing I would like help with.
• If more information is desired for a particular
  instructional situation, consider a
  Five-Three-One.
• This FACT can also be used in mathematics, social
  studies, language arts, health, foreign
  languages, and performing arts.

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Traffic Light Cups used during group work to
signal when help or feedback is needed from the
teacher

• Placement of the cup indicates to the teacher the
  performance level of the group - if a group is
  proceeding successfully without the need for
  assistance (green), when a group might like
  feedback or assistance from the teacher in order
  to best continue with their work but are still
  able to proceed in the meantime (yellow), or when
  a group is stuck and cant go any further without
  assistance from the teacher (red).

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Traffic Light Cups

• Procedure
• Obtain green, yellow, and red stackable
  party cups of the same size from a party store.
• Give each group a set of cups and ask them
  to stack them, one inside the other, with the
  green cup on the outside.
• The stack of cups is placed in the center
  of their work area where it can be seen by the
  teacher.
• All groups should start with green on the
  outside. As their needs for instructional support
  from the teacher increase, students change the
  outer color to yellow or red.
• As the teacher scans the room, students
  with red cups on the outside receive assistance
  first, followed by yellow cups.

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Modifications

• Traffic Light Cups can also be used for
  individual tasks.
• They can also be used to signal time on task.
  Green means the group feels they have plenty of
  time and will finish on schedule. Yellow
  signifies the group may need more time but,
  overall, are close to being on target to finish.
  Red signifies that they are behind and will need
  more time to finish.
• This FACT can also be used in mathematics, social
  studies, language arts, health, foreign
  languages, and performing arts.

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• An assessment activity can help learning if it
  provides information to be used as feedback by
  teachers, and by their students in assessing
  themselves and each other, to modify the teaching
  and learning activities in which they are
  engaged. Such assessment becomes formative
  assessment when the evidence is used to adapt the
  teaching work to meet learning needs (Black et
  al., 2003, p. 2).