Suggested+Edits

We should try to find one or two lessons that focus on earlier grades to include for review throughout the semester. Or contrast a K-2 lesson with a 3-5 or 6-8 as they select one to use. This will give students more exposure to how to teach these topics in earlier grades. I can find one to sub out if others like this idea. I also wonder about providing them with some lessons from other sources (not that we have modified) so they get used to pulling something off the internet and figuring out how to revise it. We can also expose them to sources for decent lessons this way.
 * General edits:**

Here are a couple of possibilities: http://nationalgeographic.org/archive/xpeditions/lessons/14/gk2/clean.html

There are several lessons here that connect well to poverty and also human health: https://teachunicef.org/sites/default/files/documents/units-lesson-plans/Water_and_Sanitation_Grades_3_to_5.pdf

As I was doing the water lesson, I was thinking that they seemed to love showing their knowledge in a variety of modes. Is it possible for us to change a few assignments to provide options for how they respond to mix it up instead of always having written reflections. So for example, they could draw a picture/ diagram to illustrate systems thinking instead of summarizing it in their own words, or take a picture of something in their environment that represents a complex system and then briefly describe why.

When I was watching one of the weekly teach it videos, I wondered if we could add a quiz question or an occasional assignment where they reflect on the teach it video. This would motivate them to watch and think about the teach it videos.


 * Population week**

I really like the assignment where students have to think about how to teach about population in their curriculum. Could we add the expectation that they should identify a grade level and subject where their idea would fit? I am finding that students have general ideas, but it would be nice to know what grade level their idea might be developmentally appropriate for. This would also get them using our linking to standards resource early in the course.

For systems thinking, it might be helpful in class to share this link with them: [] p. 8 and p. 16 There is a progression across the grades related so Systems and System Models, so talking about how students should learn about systems in K-2, 3-5 and 6-8 might be useful. Also, one of the eight science and engineering practices is Developing and Using Models http://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/Appendix%20F%20%20Science%20and%20Engineering%20Practices%20in%20the%20NGSS%20-%20FINAL%20060513.pdf p. 6. In class, we just made a model of the food system that led to a hot dog for the consumer. From the link above: In science, models are used to represent a system (or parts of a system) under study, to aid in the development of questions and explanations,to generate data that can be used to make predictions,and to communicate ideas to others.
 * Food week**

A recent news article that really exemplifies systems thinking: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2016/sep/10/soil-our-best-shot-at-cooling-the-planet-might-be-right-under-our-feet Not sure if we can weave this in somehow?

Student assignment idea:

Systems thinking Think: 2. One of the 7 crosscutting concepts listed in the NGSS framework is: [|Systems and system models]. Choose a grade level, and review the state or national standards for a subject of your choice (math, science, social studies, ELA). Describe one system that students need to understand at that grade level, and briefly describe an idea for a lesson, activity, or instructional moment that connects to Systems Thinking and meets the selected standard.

Also food week:

This organization is really cool and might be good to highlight or profile: http://www.childrensaidsociety.org/gohealthy/food-justice-program

The main website has some lesson plans to explore and also a 7 minute video.

I tried it this semester. After showing students the video, I asked them: What ideas did you see teachers doing in the video that you'd like to use at your school? Has anyone seen any similar local programs? How do local schools teach students about food systems or provide healthy food for students?

There are lots of similar groups around the country.

Also, I have worked with this organization: http://www.cityschoolyardgarden.org/

They are a nonprofit that has supported school gardens in each city school, and provided healthy snacks to each student once a month from local crops. They are a nice example of a group working on improving food distribution systems and food access within a public school district. Here's how they are coordinating with other organizations to work on reducing food insecurity at a systemic level:

http://www.cityschoolyardgarden.org/programs/charlottesville-food-justice-network/

I heard a webinar about California Thursdays: https://www.ecoliteracy.org/article/what-california-thursdays%C2%AE This is definitely worth embedding in class activity or in one of the modules- a nice solution working towards a sustainable food system for school meals!

AZ has something similar that isn't as far along, but definitely worth sharing: http://www.azed.gov/health-nutrition/farm-to-school-programs/

Also, more specifically about Tempe district schools:

https://farmtoschoolcensus.fns.usda.gov/find-your-school-district/arizona/tempe-school-district

Also this video on Farm to School:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZVZ3_xf3ZY&feature=youtu.be

Edit this part of the food assignment: Explain how you might modify this lesson plan to accommodate for differentiated instruction (students with varying abilities).

Change to: What scaffold could you add to the lesson to support students with lower readiness levels in reading or writing?

The activities worked really well. One thing that I think is important to clarify is a learning style can apply to how we take in information vs. how we show what we know. In this lesson, we were focused on how we show what we know. but Willingham's video/ article is more about how we take in the info. In this lesson, we aren't varying the way we provide them info (they all watch a video), we are instead giving them choices about how they demonstrate their understanding. I have a couple of slides that talk briefly about Carol Tomlinson's approach to differentiation which connects to the homework assignment they had this week. Students in my class didn't know much about differentiation when asked about it today.
 * Water:**

Classroom connections: Teachers can show a NASA satellite picture of our watershed or the map from National Geographic online and have students tell a friend/ write about what they notice. This could connect to a writing standard and be a resource they can use in their future classroom.

There is a children's book called Energy Island about the island of Samso described in the last video. I have a copy of this that I can share. It would be nice to have a few copies for instructors to share and read a few pages aloud. This is a great read aloud for students and goes nicely with either lesson.
 * New Energy**

Here's a nice example of an elementary school of the future like the ones students work on in the second lesson plan: https://greenschoolsnationalnetwork.org/net-zero-discovery-elementary-school-in-arlington-va-raises-the-bar-for-energy-efficiency/

And videos describing the space they designed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K-7oVJ0bZY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7S3h39-JYM

Green Schools National Network is a cool organization that brings together architects, educators, designers and business leaders to create healthy school indoor and outdoor environments for kids.

For the new energy reflection, remove art from the list of interdisciplinary connections. They equate drawing scientific models or pictures with art, and it's beyond the scope of our course to help them see that art is a subject with its own learning goals :)


 * Project Introduction**

I have a bunch of Science and Children journals that can be used for browsing. Good to introduce Science and Children to students some time this semester as a resource for piloted, peer reviewed lesson plan ideas.


 * Ecosystems**

Most students don't have much prior knowledge about Bloom's taxonomy, so if we stick with Tic Tac Tomework, some time in class should be devoted to explaining Bloom's and why we use it.


 * Production week assignment:**

Maybe we could revise this question: 3. List three ways your selected store is claiming to be sustainable. How are these sustainability elements related to product production?

to something like: List three ways your selected store is claiming to be sustainability. To what extent do you feel like their efforts are having a positive impact? (Or something that gets them evaluating the impacts, since they are often listing them but the efforts seem kind of cursory, which would be good to point out).


 * Disposal week:** The Adventures of Plastic Bottle is a good kid-friendly book that connects the two topics of production and disposal.

Can we add the rubric for the rough draft to Blackboard so that students can see it ahead of time?

On the rubric for the rough draft, can we include some points for scientific accuracy of text? I am finding that some students have imprecision, and would like to be able to point it out somewhere and require them to make revisions. Example: New energy is something that everyone can relate to as we use it on a daily basis. This is what we use to heat or cool our houses, get from one place to another, stay connected to the internet, and so much more. It's subtle but I think she is not clear on what the term "new energy" means. I am not sure if we should count it for points, because we don't want students afraid of communicating misconceptions, but it would be helpful to include it as a component of what's important or needed for the assignment.

Governance - In class activity - Have students pick an issue they care about, and craft an argument for legislators about why it matters. They are practicing civic engagement through this exercise. They also critically review sources to find sources that a legislator in any party would find credible.

Final project - Consider the iTeach template rather than the 5E template since students are more familiar with and using that in other courses, whereas 5E seems only used in Science Methods and many students haven't had Science Methods yet.

Updates for fall 2017

Food/ Systems thinking week The lesson in the food week called What is hunger and who are the hungry needs to be replaced. It covers too much in one lesson, moving from food chains to hunger in human populations. I will look for a lesson that's more focused on one concept or the other to include here.

Change the assignment with the ELA standard to this one:

Systems thinking

Think:

2. One of the 7 crosscutting concepts listed in the NGSS framework is: [|Systems and system models]. Choose a grade level, and review the state or national standards for a subject of your choice (math, science, social studies, ELA). Describe one system that students need to understand at that grade level, and briefly describe an idea for a lesson, activity, or instructional moment that connects to Systems Thinking and meets the selected standard.

In the lesson plan, remove the student worksheet questions related to the video, and just lead a general discussion about those topics rather than having students fill in a worksheet.

Did we add a K-2 lesson for one of the weeks like we discussed last semester? I thought we had planned to, but haven't seen it yet.

Can we rethink asking them to describe how strategic/ other ways of thinking are integrated into the lesson plans when we are already explicitly telling them that in the lesson plan? We can either remove the question, or remove the answer in the lesson plan :) I noticed this in the food and water weeks.