2. Welcome & Introductions
Who Are We?
Andrew Conroy
andrew_conroy2000@yahoo.com
Kathleen Rowlands
kathleen.rowlands@csun.edu
Lynnette Ryan
lynn.ryan@thevalleyacademy.net

3. Welcome & Introductions
Who Are You?
Your Name
Where You Teach
The Subjects You Teach
Your Favorite Part About Teaching Science
What You Hope to Get Out of the Week

4.  Curriculum Map
 Methods and strategies shared can be used with all
kids, at all grade levels and at all ability levels
 Resources Available
 What You’ll Need to Bring
 Questions?

5. Compelling Reasons to Use Science Notebooks
 Notebooks Are Thinking Tools – Notebooks are tools that
encourage students to use writing for thinking and
empowers them to become active in their own learning as
they construct and process conceptual understandings.
 Notebooks Guide Teacher Instruction – Notebooks give
teachers access into student thinking—what they do and
don’t understand, what misconceptions they have, and
the organizational skills they use. Notebook assessment
can guide next steps in instruction.

6. Compelling Reasons to Use Science Notebooks (cont’d)
 Notebooks Enhance Literacy Skills – Students have
the opportunity to use various forms of expository
writing in science notebooks (procedural, narrative,
descriptive, labeling, and other styles). Notebooks
offer numerous opportunities to develop and
enhance students’ written, visual, and oral
communication skills.
 Notebooks Support Differentiated Learning –
Notebooks provide the structure and support for
students at different ability levels to succeed.

7. Compelling Reasons to Use Science Notebooks (cont’d)
 Notebooks Give Students a Way and a Place to Organize
Their Learning – Students are writing their own
“textbook” in a sense. They have a record of their
learning that can be used a resource throughout the class
and in future learning. (Science Notebook as Learning Log, pg. 65
in Content-Area Writing)
 Notebooks Foster Teacher Collaboration – Developing
science notebook exemplars, assessment strategies,
literacy strategies, and ways to tailor notebooks to a
school’s teaching and learning philosophy offer topics for
important conversations between teachers.

8.  Title Page – name, class title, month/year
 Table of Contents (3 pages) – 3-column format with
page #, assignment title, assignment start date
 Glossary (3-4 pages) – title
 Page Numbers – upper right corner of each right
hand page

9. Drip Drill: Using Science Notebooks and Line of
Learning to Deepen Scientific Thinking
• Good beginning of the year lab investigation
• I’m assuming you know about variables, stating
hypotheses, writing procedures, and creating data
tables—with kids I teach each piece using modeling
and gradual release

10. Journal Assignment
(3-5 minutes)
Think of jumping into a pool off of a diving
board, or of jumping into a puddle after it
rains. What are the things (variables) that
could affect how big of a splash you will make?

11. Lab Objective
In this lab, we will practice using the scientific method while
investigating the effect of drop height on the size and shape
of water droplet splatters when they land. We will be
careful to change only the one variable whose effect we will
observe (drop height). This is called the manipulated
variable. All of the other conditions must be kept
completely identical. These conditions are the controlled
variables. The variable we are measuring (size and shape of
splatter) is called the responding variable.

12. Lab Conclusion
• What were we trying to find/learn? (investigative question)
• How did we look for the answer? (materials/procedure)
• What did we find/learn? (specific claims, supported by
data)
• What does it mean? Why is it important? (learning that
transfers to other disciplines and the ‘real world’)

13.  What are your thoughts about the lesson and the strategies used?
 How might you use this strategy with your students?
 What are the challenges you see with this type of lesson?
 What resources do you need before trying this type of lesson or
strategy?

14. Think about the Common Core video you
watched last night…
 On the next blank page of your science notebook,
write down a few things that stood out to you or
seemed important
 Share with your elbow partner
 Be prepared to share out with whole group

15. • After you choose your standards, partner with another person
and fill in the table with Concept & Skills, Blooms Taxonomy
Levels, and Possible Lessons or Instructional Routines for the
standards you chose.
• Put your ideas onto chart paper. Include the Standard.
• Post around the room and be ready to share with the group.

16. • How does your teaching practice currently support the
Common Core Standards?
• What are the areas in which you can improve?
• What are the resources you need in order to
incorporate the Common Core into your classroom
practice? (i.e. planning time, training, materials, teaching
partner, etc.)

17. • Socratic Seminar Article
• Chapter 1 and 2 (pg. 1-29) in Content-Area
Writing: Every Teacher’s Guide

18. On an index card, write a one sentence
analysis of the difference between
Writing-to-Learn and Public Writing.

19. • Take 5 minutes and review last night’s reading
—Chapter 1 and 2; Writing in the Content Area
• What stood out to you? What was important?
• Choose one or two sentences that seem the
most important to you.
• Be prepared to share when the group is ready.

20. Content-Area Writing: Every Teacher’s Guide
• Excellent resource for all content-area teachers, no matter
where you are in your practice
• Offers great ideas for lesson study with colleagues (i.e
facilitating a writer’s workshop, common practice for supporting
the writing process, etc.)
• Chapters Overview Handout
• Writing-to-Learn strategies in this workshop

21.  How do you use informal (writing to learn) and formal
(public writing) writing in your content area?
 After the reading and our discussion, how do you
think you might imbed more of these writing strategies
in your classroom?

22. Socratic Seminar in the Science Classroom: Jerry
Sandusky—a Head Case Puzzle
 Take about 5 minutes to review the article. Be sure
you have “interacted” with and annotated the text
 What questions do you have? What can you add to a
discussion about this topic?

23. Socratic Seminar in the Science Classroom: Jerry
Sandusky—a Head Case Puzzle
 Organizational Handouts (mapmaker, conversation keeper, scribe)
• keep students focused on the task at hand; they always have
a job to do
• Supports discussion about the discussion – “data driven”
 Inner & Outer Circle
 Process may seem too in-depth and cumbersome, but the
first time is the most work

24.  What are your thoughts about the lesson and the strategies used?
 How might you use this strategy with your students?
 What are the challenges you see with this type of lesson?
 What resources do you need before trying this type of lesson or
strategy?

25. • “Text” is key
• Organization (possible questions, timing, handouts, etc.)
• Student accountability
• Safe environment (goal is to have a supportive discussion, teach
language, i.e. “what do you think?”)
• Teacher as uninvolved as possible
• One-sided conversations
• Other ideas?

26.  Our goal is to help you incorporate at least
• 1 technology-based strategy (i.e. podcast, blog, wiki,
etc.)
• 2-3 Writing to Learn activities
• 1 Public Writing activity
 Working with partners or in teams is
encouraged!
 Start where you are

27. What type of science writing (genres) should we
be exposing students to? Which genres should
students practice?
Genre - A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature,
characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.

28. Rigor Plus Support: How Science Teachers Use Literacy
Techniques to Get Students Ready for College
• Write-Around Strategy (also called Silent Discussion)
• Each person start with blank page in science notebook
• Put your initials in the upper left-hand margin
• When time starts, write your thoughts, reactions,
questions, or feelings about the article
• Use all the time for writing
• When I say pass, pass your paper to the right without
talking

29. Rigor Plus Support: How Science Teachers Use Literacy
Techniques to Get Students Ready for College
• Read the entry on the page, and just beneath it, write
for one minute.
• You can tell your reaction, make a comment, ask
questions, share a connection you’ve made, agree or
disagree, or raise a whole new idea.
• Remember to put your initials in the left margin and
write for the entire time.

30. Rigor Plus Support: How Science Teachers Use Literacy
Techniques to Get Students Ready for College
• Continue the conversation out loud for a few
moments.
• Each group share one highlight or thread of
discussion.

31.  What do you think it means to “apprentice” students in
how scientists read and write?
 What do you think are the “high frequency genres” for
science writing?
 How do you address this idea in your classroom?
 What are your thoughts about how to incorporate the
“apprenticing” idea into your classroom practice?

32. Ecosystem from My Viewpoint: Using Table
Mapping as Pre-Writing
• Assume some prior knowledge for this demo
• Use with kids during or after a course of study to see
how their thoughts are organized
• Walking around and asking students why they are
mapping in a particular way, and by listening to
their discussions, we can get an idea of their
understanding

33. Ecosystem from My Viewpoint: Using Table
Mapping as Pre-Writing
• You have 20 minutes with your group to arrange
and connect the words and pictures given to you
• Show relationships with the arrows
• You do not have to use all the arrows, but you do
need to use all the words and pictures

34. Ecosystem from My Viewpoint: Using Table
Mapping as Pre-Writing
• Choose one person to stay with your group map to
explain your layout
• The rest of your group will be rotating to hear/see
what other groups did
• Your group will have 5 minutes to discuss what you
saw and make any adjustments you want to make to
your map

35. Ecosystem from My Viewpoint: Using Table
Mapping as Pre-Writing
• On the next blank page of your science notebook
 Title and date the page
 Write a description of your map, explaining
relationships and connections you made

36.  What are your thoughts about the lesson and the strategies used?
 How might you use this strategy with your students?
 What are the challenges you see with this type of lesson?
 What resources do you need before trying this type of lesson or
strategy?

37.  Our goal is to help you incorporate at least
• 1 technology-based strategy (i.e. podcast, blog, wiki,
etc.)
• 2-3 Writing to Learn activities
• 1 Public Writing activity
 Working with partners or in teams is
encouraged!
 Start where you are

38.  Word Wall
 Entrance & Exit Tickets
 Making Science Accessible to English Learners: A
Guidebook for Teachers

39. • Share/Present
• Your lesson plan ideas that incorporate any literacy
strategies
• Your questions, concerns, etc. ~ things this group may be
able to help with
• Feedback
• Outstanding ideas ~ what do you appreciate about the
lesson?
• Suggestions ~ areas you have suggestions/ideas about
how to improve (“I’m wondering…”)